A day in the life of Alden

Hello! My name is Alden. One morning when my mom and dad were up watching the sunrise, I decided to wake up early and join them. My dad said, "Look at this kid! He is changing every day. Are we taking enough pictures of him?" My mom immediately felt guilty, but my dad said, "just grab the camera and take a picture now." And so Mom did, and then she got inspired to keep it out all day long. That's why they're good together. Dad thinks things are possible, and Mom is easily excitable.

After my alone time with Mom and Dad, Hattie woke up! She was a bit put out that I was already on Dad's lap and she usually wakes up first. But she let it slide because I am her favorite person.

Mom changed my diaper and my outfit and then Hattie came to join the photo.

And then Elsie woke up. You may notice I am not at a loss for love and affection.

My sisters did their morning chores which includes unloading the kids dishes and silverware. And sometimes Hattie sorts the kids dishes on the floor.

And Mom took a picture of her lovely Christmas cactus that is about to bloom.

And here's Hattie looking for a snack. She'll do this forty seven more times today. Also, note her new purse from Mimi. It has a puppy on it and she loves it. Mom has found crackers, cashews, pretzels and apple slices in her purse. She hoards her snacks in that hand bag! That Hattie is a smart one...

This was also the day I rolled over for the first time. No one saw me! They just found me on my belly and I was very proud. And then agitated.

Thankfully my big brother woke up and helped me roll back.

Everyone had peanut butter and jelly toast for breakfast.

And then it was time for our big group chore. Tuesdays we all sort and fold and put the laundry away. No one is excited about this day and Mom is always going on and on about creating a work ethic and the importance of doing hard things and being a part of the family. And then she says, "I believe I am the only one sorting right now" like a thousand times while my brother and sister put underwear on their heads or pants on Hattie's head or socks on my ears.

When we were putting the laundry away Hattie found the polyfill and spread fluff all over the downstairs. After Mom picked up all the polyfill she decided she may as well vacuum.

Ivar draws pictures all day long. He loves to look at books and then draw his own scenes.

Then it was time for home school. I usually go down for a nap before school begins. It's helpful to have one baby down while Mom teaches.

Hattie is usually awake during home school and wants to be treated just like her big siblings. So Mom always has to tell her what she is to be doing during this time. It's very darling/challenging.

And then I woke up again! Did you miss me?!!

My mom is positively gourmet. What's that? She already served peanut butter and jelly toast today? This is totally different. It's a peanut butter and jelly ROLL UP!

After lunch I practiced my rolling. And Hattie caught up with Steven Curtis Chapman. Hattie is only interested in books with human faces. She has no time for cartoon drawings or animals or scenery. She just wants a magazine full of people. Or a photo album. That's actually her very favorite.

Oh and now this was sad. Very sad. Mom made herself an afternoon cup of coffee. She's super into putting her coffee in a blender with pumpkin puree, butter, coconut oil, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, a little vanilla and a dash of salt. She whips it up and believes it adds great value to her afternoons. Well, she made one pot of coffee and must have gotten distracted and turned the salt grinder way too many times into the blender and ruined the whole thing. So she brewed a whole new pot of coffee, put all the ingredients back into the clean blender and before she could hit blend the bottom of her blender just fell off. Listen. All the poor woman wanted was a cup of her pumpkin coffee! So she brewed her THIRD cup of coffee and just added maple syrup and milk to it. It was a bit of a downer, if you can imagine.

Then my dad came back home and took her picture. This proves that she does, in fact, exist. And that she chopped her hair off. She loves her hair short again.

The three of us had a meeting to talk about Dad's company. Mom and Dad are working together lately and it's been really good.

Hattie colored this turkey for a little while. Then she colored the window frame.

Mom went to find Ivar and Elsie to see what they were doing and they were playing legos. Like always.

And while she was up there, I had a blow out! Dad called up for her to bring down a new outfit for me.

And while they were changing me, Hattie found an orange pepper in the fridge and ate it like an apple.

Then it was dinnertime. I can't remember what they ate that night, but I'm glad to see the Sweet Baby Ray's because at least we can deduce that it was not peanut butter and jelly based.

After dinner, Ivar asked if he could snuggle with me. And then Mom went to the grocery store and Dad oversaw this couch cushion game. The pictures after this had everyone's shirts off, but Mom isn't going to include those. She'll end our day with everyone still clothed. But wow! What a day! Then we all went to bed, and I woke up every three hours to eat and  then we all woke up in the morning to do the whole thing over again.

Mom wants to add one final thought:

These pictures are beautiful and they should be. Motherhood is good and taking care of my kids is the best gig I've ever had. There is a lot out there telling me that I'm not doing enough by raising my kids, but I believe I am doing enough. And that it's very, very important.

That said, there is an audio track that is missing from these beautiful pictures. I told Rory just this morning that for a woman who doesn't love conflict, motherhood is a real challenge. Because no one particularly loves your ideas. Hey guys, you need to stop playing and come eat your breakfast. Have you done your chores? I need you to go brush your teeth. It's time to unload this dishwasher. These all need to be said and the trouble is that not one child will beam, "Mom! That's exactly what I wanted to do with my life right now! Work on my handwriting again! Thank you for thinking of it!" But that's my job...to keep the train moving forward. And sometimes it is a heavy load. 

The true challenge in all of this is that I have to remain the adult and not fall to the level of weeping and gnashing of teeth. My prayer each morning is a sincere, "Lord, help me to keep my voice kind, to train and guide these kids so they learn to be helpful, obedient, kind and thoughtful." They will never learn those things from a mom who is angry, distracted, loud, bossy and always annoyed. 

The refining happening in this house is everywhere. The kids are being shaped and molded every single day. But so am I. Probably more than the kids. And I think that is God's hope in Motherhood. That we'd learn what it really means to be a servant. To lay down our lives for a friend. To be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. I wish these things came a bit easier, but they don't and God is patient and just and forgiving. Which is why I pray to him. I think that's his hope in motherhood too. That we would ask him for help and guidance to make it through our days. 

Hope you enjoyed our day in the life. :)

a lesser known bible verse

You have heard it said 'the lion will lay down with the lamb.' But I say unto you, the lamb will also lay down with the chicken.

halloween 2017

Thought I had better throw this one in here since tomorrow is Thanksgiving! My sister called and told me she was excited by my sudden daily blogging. Rory was gone Friday night at a church thing and I decided to spend my night getting caught up in words and pictures. And it feels so good! So here is Halloween real quick before Thanksgiving...

My favorite story from this Halloween is that Elsie went back and forth all month if she was going to be a princess, a queen, Aurora, a queen bee, or Elsa. And in the last half an hour she landed on the humble hot dog. I didn't see it coming!

Also, Ivar wanted to be a Ninja Turtle even though he's never seen the show. But his Lego magazine has ninja turtles in it and his dad has all of his figurines that Ivar gets to play with. A few weeks before Halloween Rory and I were in a thrift store and I found Alden's turtle costume for $4. So awesome. He was supposed to have purple headbands and wrist bands, but when Halloween came around they were missing. Not Ivar's thought. Ivar's costume had been set out all month, all ready to go. He's my very organized boy.

And finally, I have come to realize that I am really, super, incredibly disciplined with Halloween candy in the house.

Until I'm not. And then I just have a great time enjoying every single kind. Baby Ruth are my current favorite.

a shelf for my hairbrush

I've been a mother now for seven years. Which means I have learned a thing or two. But the lesson that I have learned over and over and over and over and over again is that everything is just a season. Every trial is just a season. Every hardship and challenge is just a season.

The trouble is that when you are sleep deprived and irritable then you forget that little fact. And you go down a familiar spiral that may sounds something like, "the babies don't nap together anymore. Alden wakes up, Hattie goes down and then Hattie wakes up and Alden goes down. I'll never have a minute to myself again! I will die at age 89 never having another nap!"

It sounds silly to write it out, but in that downward spiral, it feels very rational and terrible.

This happened last Thursday night. And I felt terribly sorry for myself. And once again, I made sure Rory knew how sorry I felt for myself.

I went to bed and woke up every 3 hours with Alden and then it was Friday morning. Alden used to sleep long stretches through the night, but he must be growing, because the boy wakes and eats often again...

So Friday began and I wasn't ready for it. I had made four casseroles the night before for Casserole Club and was getting everyone ready to head out the door to swap meals. (So brilliant: make four lasagnas, give three away, come home with three other large meals...) I jumped in the shower and for some reason decided to put on my big girl pants. Not actual pants. The figurative ones that tell you I can find solutions to difficult seasons.

I got out of the shower and went to comb my hair, but all the combs we own were out of the bathroom. Like always. I opened the drawer to find my brush and it was gone too. And if I hadn't put on my big girl pants I may have comeundone, but instead I went and found a paper and pen and wrote: build a high shelf for my comb and hairbrush. Then I went to put on my jeans that are too short and drive me nuts and I wrote down: shop for new jeans.

My entire day progressed this way. Emphasis on PROGRESS in progressed. I made a list of tangible, attainable solutions to all my woes. And you know what? That afternoon I had a piece of scrap plywood screwed to the bathroom wall. When he was done Rory said, "well, sorry it's not very pretty." And I said it was beautiful. I still think it is. Because every time I go to grab my comb or brush, my comb or brush is still there.

It's a good lesson. That you can pull back from your frustration and look for solutions.

The other reality is this. Rory and I were in the car for a long drive a few nights ago and I was telling him that things just feel challenging. And he reminded me, "yes. and they probably really are that challenging. when we said we wanted four kids we knew it would come with a hard season. Winter was your hard season when Ivar and Elsie were the ages of Hattie and Alden. You probably need to just have more grace for yourself, say yes to less and go for more walks."

It was amazing how hearing him just acknowledge that we're in a challenging season felt comforting. I'm not sure why, but it really helped. So here we are. I've got a shelf for my hair brush. And I bought a new pair of jeans. And Rory and I are bringing a lot of grace to the winter season ahead.

into the woods!

My kids have discovered the woods. We started hibernating way too early at this house so I started a 15 minute mandatory recess each day. It's the same brilliant plan as before...send them out for fifteen minutes, and call them back in five hours later. Once they find their fun outside (if dressed for success: snowpants and mittens) I can hardly get them back in the house for dinner. (Also, I send them outside with snacks and a waterbottle. It seems to greatly add to the sense of adventure for them!)

But I love it. Doesn't it just feel good? My kids are doing exactly what I spent my childhood doing. My mom said she did the same. They have raked a path of dirt, pushing the leaves aside. Each kid has their own "room" with doors made out of leaf piles. They have made chairs and tables and decorated their homes with scrap lumber Rory had in a pile. They pretend they are Pa and Ma Ingalls and when Hattie comes out she is baby Carrie.

It is good. Childhood outside is so good.

apple cider vinegar

God is showing me something really, really neat. And it's likely one of those things that sound cliche and obvious when you say it aloud, except when God is teaching his truth to you, through your own life, everything feels profound and amazing. So hear me out on this one.

A bit more than a month ago I began feeling a lot of pain in my hands. In the joints. Wringing out the dish towel felt difficult. Pulling out the clothes from the washer to put in the dryer was a challenge. Anything that required a firm grip left my hands feeling weak and unable.

Then the seasons changed and I felt this throbbing pain more regularly. I didn't want to talk about it aloud, hoping it would go away. But deep down I was really anxious about what it was because my sister had rheumatoid arthritis in her 20's and my grandma had it very badly in her 30's. So here I was in my 30's, hoping very badly this wasn't actually happening.

Rory prayed over my hands each night and was quite concerned. Hands that hurt is a problem when all we do all day is write, hold, wipe, wring, button, unbutton, zip, unzip, buckle, unbuckle, carry, pick up, push, pull, pour, cut, draw, chop, open, close, fasten, brush, wash, fold, type, squirt, play, turn and point. Hands are very important.

A week later a friend of mine, Cori, posted on facebook that she was offering a 7-day pure eating menu for anyone interested. So I took her grocery list and got off of gluten and most sugar. And the affects on my hands were tremendous. On the whole, my pain was cut in half. Easily. The timing was an absolute answer to our prayers. I have stayed on this changed eating plan for a month now and feel so, so grateful to Cori for getting me started with such a healthy menu of great foods to eat. (I started an instagram account to document what I was eating so that when I get discouraged and think, what can I eat?!!" I can easily see my options. Here's the page if you're at all interested. :) I don't plan to post regularly, just as I eat something new that fits the plan.)

I do still have flare ups. Which led me to read an article on Apple Cider Vinegar. Have you read about the stuff? With the mother?!! Read this article. It is sort of a wonder cure for many, many things. I now drink three tall glasses of water a day with 2 cap fulls (maybe 2 teaspoons?) of vinegar in each one (I drink one before each meal). At first I added maple syrup, but now I like it best with just the vinegar. Weird!

I love it. I feel really good.

Then one night Hattie fell and gashed her head. Rory was gone and an egg was beginning to develop right on the front of her forehead. I called Rory and asked him to pick up some Arnica at the Co-op. My friend Ali had told me all about this wonder cream that reduces swelling immediately. Rory brought it home and said, "I think you should use this on your hands...it reduces swelling." I put it on my hands and immediately felt relief.

So here's what I'm learning from these things. Arthritis is terrible. I was initially really nervous about how it would alter my life. But you know what? It has altered my life in really positive ways. My eating is the best it's ever been. Every day I'm having a kale salad, eggs, sweet potato mash, veggies and hummus, ants on a log, and tons of water. I feel healthy in many ways I didn't feel before.

And then Hattie's terrible injury (on her head which is even worse) turned into a serious blessing when we discovered Arnica, an herb we can grow in our own house. That was when I began reading about holistic anti-inflammatories and began the apple cider vinegar routine. It was another hard thing that led to some really great knowledge gained.

The lesson God is showing me is that really hard things, scary things, difficult things can lead me to a place where he can teach me something new. I know that's a very elementary teaching. I know you're likely thinking, "duh, woman." But, again, it is profound when it is you going through the motions to learn the lesson...living through the hard things to get to the good things.

My hands still ache when I come in from the cold. But by-and-large if I drink my apple cider vinegar, stay off of gluten and corn products and most sugar, then man, I am nearly fully healed. Arnicare is helpful when I feel the ache. And I praise God that I am healthier in all other ways because these hands of mine were hurting. He has so much to teach us through trial and hardship.

Alden, my baby boy

I just put Alden down for his nap (this pic was taken back in September) and I just want to tell the world how much I ADORE my boy. He is such a delight. His smiles are huge and gummy and he loves me as much as I love him. Sometimes I try to match his expression by opening my eyes as bright, lifting my cheeks as high and stretching my smile as wide. Alden is just good for the soul. And I adore babies. I just love them. I smooch his big cheeks all day long and he has this gutty belly laugh that I want to save as a ringtone. When I was pregnant with him I always heard, "pure gift." And that is what he continues to be. Just a pure, good gift.

And he's awake a lot more of the day now! He is almost 4 months, though wearing all 12 month clothes (and growing!) and wants to be held upright and within eye shot of the action. He is still a very chill baby and I am just so glad we had him.

Also, he is Ivar's twin. Which is odd, because they are seven years apart. But these two were definitely separated at birth. By seven years. I'm having a hard time capturing exact expressions from one photo to the next, but you'll have to trust me that there is a striking resemblance.

Just write.

I feel like it's been a while since I've journaled about my life, and I feel like writing it out might help me organize my thoughts, so here I go.

I've been using the same version of Photoshop Elements for the last TEN years! A great $90 well spent, it seems. And today it won't open. I'll have Rory take a look at it, but isn't that weird? I've been limping along with it because I'm too cheap to pay the subscription each month and I know how to use Elements. But my days may be over. Hence, no pictures in this post. Instead, here are all sorts of words and stories tumbling around in my head.

Two weeks ago I took a HUGE load of laundry out of the dryer and discovered that a red crayon had made it into that load and came into contact with every single article of clothing that I had stuffed into the machine. But here's an interesting insight with how I cope: My heart rate didn't even rise. I simply didn't have time to get upset. I just took it all out, put it in a basket and put the basket in a corner for the next week and a half. I believe they call this denial. I call it saving my energy. And it was only when Rory asked what my plan, exactly, was with all of that laundry that I decided to go article by article and throw a whole lot of it away. It looked like blood. I saved big bath towels to use as rags. I saved a pair of Rory's NEW jeans for work clothes. (I clearly do not pre-sort my laundry...) I tossed the rest. It was terrible. But what are you going to do?

Here's a happier story: Yesterday Alden was dedicated at church and it was such a special day. We will have him baptized around Thanksgiving with my side of the family, and as I always say, in both services we are proclaiming the same truth: this is God's kid first. We get to raise him. We get to be his mom and dad. But God will always be his heavenly father. We recognize that. We acknowledge that. We believe that. And it always feels so good to have these services as a public declaration that we stand on that truth while doing our best to raise our kids to know and love and fear their Maker.

After the dedication we celebrated Rory's 40th birthday, Hattie's 2nd birthday and Ivar's 7th birthday. At the beginning of the fall I had asked Rory what he wanted to do for his 40th. I had always planned on a big barn dance, but then we had the Family Corn Roast and we both felt a little exhausted of event planning. He said what he wanted most was to have help get the farm ready for winter. So we invited family and friends (who knew how to run a tractor!) to come and help triple the size of his garden. Unfortunately it rained hard on his birthday so we cancelled. But the thing about a farm is that the work doesn't actually get cancelled even if the party is cancelled. So the two of us worked our tails off over the course of two days. And you know? It was a lot of work! And it also was very, very satisfying. I was happy to have him and he was happy to have me. It was all shoveling dirt, raking leaves, and using a pitch fork to spread wood chips. But we did it and I do believe I will take more ownership in that garden now that I worked so hard alongside Rory.

Speaking of working with Rory...the farm partnership has morphed into his work as well. We launched a sales campaign last week and stuffed a bunch of envelopes with a mailer selling his weather monitoring services. I signed my name on each letter, Rory folded and stuffed, Elsie sealed each one and Ivar put the stamp on. We worked hard as a family and it was very rewarding to get those envelopes in the mail. We are in a very new-to-us, uncharted season, where we are working together more and more. And what we're seeing quite clearly is that my gifts and his gifts compliment each other really well. It feels exciting and full of possibilities.

Another whole topic: I have a friend, Cori, who invited me to her 7-day pure eating group. I accepted with enthusiasm and then she set me up with a menu for the week, grocery list, ideas for healthy snacks and had a facebook group where she posted encouraging thoughts and truths about our bodies and God's hope for our lives. I loved it. Ate great for 7 days and have now continued another week. Yesterday there were three birthday cakes and a plate full of my sister-in-law's incredible sugar cookies and I pulled through. I had a cup of coffee instead (with a whole lot of maple syrup as my consolation!) and decided if I can withstand that sort of deliciousness, I think I can pull this eating off. I never weighed myself...it's not about that for me this time. It's just eating what leaves me feeling good and gives me energy.

Oh here's another story. On Saturday I pulled into the driveway with a van full of groceries. The sheep were all on my front sidewalk eating my hollyhocks. I tried to open the garage door, but it gets off its track easily and takes Rory to lift it while I press the button. (I have a call in for a new garage door). So I parked the car and shoo'd the sheep out of the way, tripped on the cats, told the chickens to move and started bringing the bags of groceries in the front door, careful not to step in any of the sheep poop that was scattered along the sidewalk.

I brought in bag after bag, closing the sliding door after each load because the chickens and cats were trying to get into the van and the sheep were sniffing around.

I got all the groceries into the house, left my shoes on the front step, and then went in to bring the groceries from the entry into the kitchen and put them away.

Sunday morning rolled around and we were all dressed up for Alden's dedication, running late for the meeting before the service for families who had kids being dedicated. Rory took Hattie to the van in the driveway and then came back with Hattie and announced, "Boa the cat was trapped in the van overnight. There is cat poop and throw up in three places that I have found so far."

Can. You. Imagine??!!

Can you?!!!!!

So Rory found the big towels that had red melted crayon on them (perfect!) and used them to start cleaning up the mess. As fast as he could. Then we checked everyone's seat and told the kids to load up and raced off to church.

And now I have a call in for a full interior detail. The works. Heavy clean. We want it to look brand new.  And please, make it smell brand new too.

On that note, I'll let you go now. Thanks for listening. I miss this space for these mind dump posts. They're good for me. As always, I'm still posting quick posts on The Grovestead Instagram. So if I ever go to quiet here, I'm likely over there...

Happy Monday!

our growing orchard

I took these pictures on a hot day in August and my kids were certain they were melting in that sheep shelter above. They were not as into the "check on the apples" experience as Rory and I were. But I love that they huddled together in that shade, eating their apples, sweating it out together. Now that it's blustery and cold today, I can appreciate the sibling bonding that was happening in this moment.

My friend Leisha once told me that raising kids is a lot like planting an orchard. You tend to the trees, you water and mulch them. You take measures to rid them of the bugs and insects. You prune them so they're sturdy and support them so they don't topple over in strong winds. You fence them in to protect them from harm. And then one day, years and years later, you get to enjoy the fruit of all of your labor. In the meantime you get a few apples every season. And you can see the goodness that is to come. But you plant an orchard and tend to those trees with your eyes on the harvest many years to come.

I love that illustration so, so much. I think of it every time we're out checking on the progress of our apple trees. And feel encouraged for all the ways I am tending, disciplining, training, guiding, protecting, supporting and encouraging my four kids every. single. day.

all day, every day

I'm working with Rory!

Back in August there was a guy who came and spoke at our church about prayer and intercession. At some point he talked about how he gets up at 5 am to pray every day. I groaned inside. He mentioned that when Jesus taught us to pray "give us this day our daily bread" he probably thought you'd pray that before you needed the bread for that day...likely in the morning. He was a compelling preacher and I felt convicted. But definitely not 5 am convicted.

But wouldn't you know, early the next morning after feeding Alden, I went to crawl back into bed and looked at the clock. I literally watched it change from 4:59 to 5:00. And I groaned again. I knew it wasn't a coincidence. So I put a blanket around me and went downstairs to pray.

I was so tired. And I really was trying to talk myself into letting myself go back to bed but the Holy Spirit was clearly at work because soon I got into a rhythm and started praying for Rory. 

I prayed for the work on the farm, his business, his volunteer commitments with the reserves and the pregnancy center in town. I wasn't as tired. I was feeling very grateful for this quiet time in the dark living room looking at the morning stars in the black night.

Rory woke up and I told him I had been praying for him. And it led us into a conversation about all that's on his plate. I started taking notes and then something crazy happened. It hasn't happened in our 12 years of marriage. But I said, "I could help you."

Up until this point Rory's work is Rory's. I have a lot going on in my world too. It has worked well. But as he listed the laundry list tumbling around in his mind I knew I could jump in and help. Most pressing, he said, was to find a computer programmer to help him with his latest project. I made a few phone calls that day, emailed a few contacts. But wouldn't you know, that Friday at Ivar's soccer practice I started talking to a dad who said he was a programmer looking for experience. Incredible. We love this guy and he's been working with Rory since.

And now we have a sitter who comes for three hours every Monday afternoon and Rory gives me a list of things that he can't get to. I want to give you a sample, because this job is awesome.

-post internship positions on local college websites

-research, locate and purchase 4 piglets

-find publisher for board games

-call Zumbrota Livestock Auction and find out best time to deliver goats

-take pictures and post Ram (sheep) on Craigslist

-find nubian billy goat to mate with mama goat

-schedule lamb processing, research best age to process

-call for tour of sheep contact to look at their fencing

The craziest part is that I LOVE IT. I love working with Rory on farm stuff. This wasn't always the case because I had enough going on in this house, but for some reason I have suddenly jumped in fully to this farm life, not just the house life with the kids...

Last week I found our piglets on a farm in Wisconsin. They will be born in January and we'll pick them up in March. I chatted with the lady selling them via facebook all morning, asking questions, figuring out what I needed to know and still need to learn. And when I wrote, "we'll take four!" I shouted aloud. I was so happy! I ran into the kitchen and told Rory it felt like I had just booked a ticket for a great adventure. And I'm pretty sure I had. I never thought I'd be this thrilled about pigs, but I am so excited. I cannot wait!

So we're a team. We're working together on this farm like never before and it is so fun. I was always supportive. I always offered my two cents. I was always on board. But now I'm making some of the decisions. Making the contacts and deciding the plan. Friday night I even made Rory sit down with me and watch youtube videos on how to build a greenhouse... 

And I'm still getting up each morning to pray. It's early, and there is no physical part of me that actually wants to get up that early, but sometimes I think it's okay to go against the flesh. I told the Lord that he would have to wake me when he wanted me to pray and Alden has been fulfilling that request faithfully. I am often up between five and six, something that is completely not normal for me. I love my sleep. But these six weeks have been so fruitful and fulfilling and best of all the joy of the Lord has truly become my strength. 

So look for me, Farmer Becca. Making phone calls to our local seed vendor, trying to figure out how to plant a cover crop on our field this year, researching tractors and calling a fencing company for an estimate. And if anyone knows of a good, small, used livestock trailer we could buy, let me know! 

soccer season

Is there anything more fun than watching your kid come into his own? I just climbed up into Ivar's bunk with him to talk before he fell asleep. I rarely do that because there is a lot going on, but man it is fun to hear what is rolling around in his head at night. He's growing up and I love it. I love who he is. I love who he will be. I just love that kids so much. Wasn't that long ago that he was as little as Alden. Life is good. Kids are awesome. I love being a mom.