labor day 2017

Today we loaded the four kids up and took off for Ikea. Rory drove the truck and I drove the minivan so we could bring home a table for homeschooling. So far we have done our lessons on a folding table and I've had dreams of Rory building me a custom table since last spring. But it never was built so I found one at Ikea that would do the trick.

Before we left Rory informed me that the cost of gas would be $22 for this 2-vehicle, round trip excursion. He's always full of fun facts like that! 

So we drove to Ikea. Our minivan was rocking out to Days of Elijah, my kids very favorite song since family Bible camp. We listened to this version from youtube on repeat. For 45 minutes. There's no God like Jehovah!

We arrived at Ikea at 11:00 with the rest of Minnesota. But we were in this. I actually love a good crowd. My Fear Of Missing Out is completely cured in a crowd because when we're milling about "like ants on a dropped ice cream cone" as Rory put it, you are definitely not missing out. You are in it. 

So we wound our way around the top floor of the store, stopping to look at tables and chairs and Ivar cried that he felt unsafe with all the people and did I know where Hattie was? And why do you like this place? I told him it is good that he now knows he doesn't like big crowds and to be grateful we hadn't brought him to the State Fair. 

We made it to lunch and found out that as long as you spend $100 in purchases (like a table!), Ikea would cover your lunch, up to the same amount. You can only imagine the mayhem. The family in front of Rory bought a $104 lunch! Honestly, I'm impressed. The Swedish meatball meal is only $4.99. You would have to really work hard to get to $104. Rory bought $35 worth of chicken strips, meatballs, drinks, cheesecake, ginger cookies and spaghetti. I nursed Alden, everyone ate a good meal and Ivar said maybe he did like Ikea.

So we rallied. We went downstairs for Ikea Round 2 and found a whole lot of things we never knew we needed and put them in our cart. About half way through Hattie started yelling "all done! all done!" from the cart and we fed her bits of ginger cookie to keep her quiet. 

Finally we got to the area with the ginormous ceiling fans and found aisle 17, bin 25 and grabbed two cardboard boxes that held our future homeschool chairs. Then we went to aisle 24 and found bin 22. And it was empty. Our table was sold out. The one that we drove an extra vehicle to pick up. The one that was going to tip our receipt over $100 so Ikea would buy our lunch. 

So Rory left to find a worker just to be sure, Alden stretched and kicked his legs on a tall stack of big brown boxes, Hattie was strategically fed another whole ginger cookie, Elsie sang a happy song to herself while dangling her feet on flat boxes and Ivar cried that he never wanted to come here again. I think most people were thinking the same thing.

So we got in line to pay for the chairs and the impulse buys in our cart and the lines were crazy long. Alden was fussy so I brought him and Ivar and Elsie over to the exit where there were couches facing each other. We all sat on one couch and people watched. Lots of people came and went on the other couch facing us. But at the very end there were three people who took a seat. And I think they had special needs, though I'm not totally sure. But there was something a little off. Lots of snuggling and for a while napping. But then the girl got her phone out and cued up the camp classic, "Baby Shark." She put it on speaker phone as loud as it went and as the verses played she joyfully did all the hand actions like the best camp counselor I've seen. "Mama shark duh, duh. Duh, duh, duhduh." She smiled and bounced as she opened and puckered her fingers for grandpa shark. And we just stared, watching the whole, entire song. Maybe we shouldn't have. But I think she was fine with the audience. And you would have stared too. Plus, it was basically the best thing that had happened to us all day.

We loaded the minivan and there was another special request for Days of Elijah. Shocker. Again we sang the 8 minute song on repeat with Judy Jacobs all the way home, "Behold he comes! Riding on the clouds!" And then I asked God to redeem our day. The kids wanted to know what redeem meant, and I told them that God can take our wasted time and effort and restore it. To make the day count for something.

When I got out of the car Rory commented that when I first asked him to build a table I had elaborate plans. But when he saw what I was wanting at Ikea, those tables were way simpler to build and he'd be happy to build one like that. We got out a tape measure and we talked through the perfect length. Then he drove to Menards. He's been working since supper and just moments ago he finished the most perfect home school table, custom for our space. It won't be ready for our first day of school tomorrow because I want to paint it, but I love it. 

So the day was redeemed. By Jehovah. And a baby shark. And a good husband who calculates the cost of gas to Ikea and takes his wife there anyway.

corn roast 2017

Last weekend we hosted one big potluck picnic at our farm. It was a gathering for families, to celebrate family and marriage. Our greatest goal for the evening was for families to make a memory together at our farm and for husbands and wives to drive home feeling encouraged and motivated to pour into their marriage. It think both goals were accomplished.

When each clan arrived we sent them on a family scavenger hunt. We used Bible Verses as the clues to direct them to the next destination. And once they arrived at a destination there was a family mission they had to accomplish. For my own sake, I'll post the scripture and missions in another post so I can use them again sometime. It was a fun way to introduce everyone to our farm and people seemed to enjoy the family missions.

There were a bit over 100 people here, and half of them were children. But it didn't feel chaotic or busy. Everyone sort of spread out all over the farm. We roasted a whole lot of sweet corn on the grill and enjoyed one massive potluck. It didn't dawn on me until the moment I walked through the line that I had thrown my dream party: a potluck at my house! I love a potluck!

When each family arrived we asked them to guess the weight of the rutabaga we had just picked from the garden. Each family had to make a group guess and the winners were the Ring family below. Guess what they won? The 11.8 pound rutabaga!

After dinner we had three couples share their marital wisdom and encouragement for couples with young families. I cannot say enough good things about the content shared. It was so motivating to me, and encouraging. My mom and dad were one of the three couples...the will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in December. FIFTY YEARS!

Rory and I worked really hard on this gathering and we worked so well together. One night we were up late as he cut out a bean bag toss in the shape of our barn and I sewed bean bags with barnyard fabric. And we were having so much fun. At one point he said, "this is called a corn roast. have you ever roasted corn?" Neither of us had. So we experimented all week with how long to soak the corn before you put it on the grill. We shredding chicken breasts 10 days in a row that we cooked in the crock pot. Rory had spread sheets of things that needed to get done that were in 8pt font. We worked hard and could barely put a sentence together the next day.

Huge thanks to my folks who helped with set up, flowers, my kids and table setting. We had awesome volunteers and worked them hard. We are grateful and thankful and look forward to hosting another mass picnic next year.

summer worship

This spring Rory and I took turns going up to the barn for quiet time. When I was up there I would read my Bible and pray. It was a really incredible time when God's Word was coming to life in all sorts of ways. (It always does, by the way, we just need to be committed to opening up the book and listening to what he is saying!)

Each day I found a new scripture and wrote it on the dry wall. For a week straight every scripture I found had something to do with trees planted and bearing fruit. It was really amazing. God was speaking and I was hearing him. 

When I went up there I would look on the walls to see what Rory had written on the walls early that morning. In a really sweet way it was sort of like leaving love notes for each other. It felt intimate to read what God had been pouring into him earlier that day.

As a result of those weeks of prayer Rory felt we should hold a Sunday night time of worship throughout the summer.  And even though I was super duper pregnant and about to add a newborn to the mix, I was totally on board. I think because the Lord had been speaking to me, too. It felt like a natural outpouring from our own times of prayer.

We started the first Sunday of June and had no agenda other than: 1) Sing and Worship 2) Pray 3) Pray for Healing 4) Seek the Spiritual Gifts. Rory and I never planned a thing. We walked out to the barn with everyone else and had no notion of how we would fill the next hour. It was truly the body being the body. If anyone had a song, or a word or a scripture or a prayer request or a testimony they could share it whenever they wanted. Our only parameters were that we began right at 7 and ended right at 8 for bedtimes.

My friend Lacy took these pictures from our last night of Worship which was on Sunday night. Every week the mix of people was different, with a few faithfuls who came every week all summer long. But as you can see in these pictures, we were overflowing with kids! This last night there were 18 kids under 8! and only 20 adults. That is a wild ratio. And great for a joyful noise. And this last night was our only night all summer when it rained a bit. Which is really loud and fun up in that metal barn!

And as God faithfully does, he gave us a really good gift this summer. My kids loved having it each Sunday night and I felt a special joy that they took such ownership in the evening, just like I felt such ownership in my church growing up. Sometimes they colored on the walls, this last time there was play dough. Sometimes they sat and sang with us. But the best part was always Sunday night after they were put to bed and we'd hear them singing the songs we sang earlier that night. There is a special joy in passing on the faith. There is nothing quite like hearing praises come out of  your little one's mouths.

an Alden smile for your Monday morning

I told Rory that when I am most exhausted, an Alden smile will move my energy meter from empty to full. Oh to get the feedback you've been earning since day one! (and while carrying that little life inside!) It's hard earned, but so worth it and so good. That smile says, "I like you. I'm glad you're my mom. Thanks for feeding me all the time. And thanks for changing my diapers right away. You might have noticed I don't like a dirty diaper one bit. So thanks for that. And you're good at what you do. I've noticed how much you have going on, and I think you're amazing."

a picture of Elsie's cucumbers