Another Week in Pictures

We have been playing really hard and working really hard!  Oh, sweet summertime!

We had the absolute privilege of getting to spend time with our sweet cousins from Washington! 

Olivia loves Abigail and Katelyn (yes, her baby doll is named after her friend/cousin).

Growing more and more bold at the pond!

Life is rough when you need only step out your front door for your morning blueberries!

Life is rough for Mama when she has to change the blueberry diapers!  Oh man, they are awful!:)

The little nuts after Pap's funeral on Saturday.

Finally, Peyton is now in his big boy bed and he is so proud! 

Thank you, Daddy for setting it up!

More pictures of his big boy room...

Wednesday Wisdom

I'd like to post parenting quotes and/or wisdom on Wednesdays (maybe only for a few weeks, we'll see!).  It is not that I have so much to share (hello, my oldest only just turned 4), but I need to spur myself on, and it helps to recount wisdom I have received.  I hope you will be encouraged as well! 

image via commons.wikimedia.org

Speaking of spurs (don't you love my transitions...he, he), it is amazing how many correlations can be made between my horse-training days and parenting.  I was privileged to be able to train under a great horseman and the beauty of his techniques were quite extraordinary. 
Have you ever heard of reining?  It is a very precise, fine-tuned, intense style of riding, which I loved!  Here is a little video if you want to see what it is like.  We would train and train and train our horses to get them ready for shows.  He didn't believe in yelling or jerking on the horses' mouths, but rather giving them clear commands, and then training them to respond to the slightest touch of the rein or shift in weight.  Beautiful!  It is one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also one of the most rewarding.  Sound familiar (parenting)?
That is how I want to parent.  I don't want to have to yell at my children (or even change my tone) or give them "a look" to have them respond to me.  I want them to hear my voice and know that I will follow through with what I asked them.  It requires much training, but I know the reward of hard work.   

I can look back over my life thus far and see the fruit and growth of doing hard things.  I heard through Tiffany B. some time ago about a conference they had attended for homeschooling on "Doing Hard Things".  That concept has stuck with me.  I don't know very much about them, but you can read more about the Greg Harris family online.  One of his sons wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye and two others started The Rebelution; they sound like a pretty amazing family.  I think the main idea is to have your kids do hard things and to do hard things as a family. 

God give us diligence to do the hard things laid before us and to do them with great excellence!

Tips from Nanny

As promised, here are some wonderful tips from my wise Nanny!

• When using a public restroom, always proceed to the stall farthest from the entrance door. These stalls are used less, and thus stay cleaner, longer.
  
• Combat ring around the collar, just pre-treat it with a small bead of hair shampoo and then wash as usual.
  
• We all have lint rollers in our car, right?  Well I discovered that when enjoying a coffee in our travels I'm always dropping a few sips/ drips on my chest. So to eliminate that problem, just tear off 2 - 4 roller sheets and stick them on the target areas of your shirt. Works great. Do remember to remove them before entering the market. :-}  I bet this would work well for little ones too!
• My grandma always had a jar of water siting by her sink which she put the cracked egg shells to soak then she poured that calcium enriched water on her house plants.
• FEATHER BED Grandma Cable would heat a brick on her wood cook stove, wrap it in warm flannel , and put it under the covers of her feather bed , on a cold winter night. to keep my toes toasty warm.

Thank you, Nanny!  I love you dearly and I'm so thankful for all the wisdom you have imparted over the years!

Summertime

I love drying our clothes outside during the summer!

We have tried other clothes drying racks, but this is the best one yet!  It is a vinyl-coated retractable clothesline.  We bought ours here (there are nicer, more expensive ones out there, but this one was affordable).

Fourth of July cousins!

One of my very favorite parts of summer... the pond!

(Uncle Ladd making a mud pie)

"The Girl's Room" is becoming the "Girls' Room"

My faithful sister came last Friday morning and helped me get ready for baby!  You are the best, Leah!!  We moved furniture around and put together a bed canopy for the big sister.  Olivia and Julia will be sharing a room just as soon as the little nut arrives! 

I wanted Olivia to have a little desk area all her own, and I told my mom what I was looking for.  She found it within 2 days at the G.W. for $9.99!  Wow!  What a blessing!  Olivia loves her new space and of course Mama painted it pink for her!

I thought I would have to move out Olivia's dresser to make room for baby, but after doing a little measuring, realized it was just the right size for a changing table (you can see a glimpse of it in the reflection of the mirror above)! 
It was a very simple transformation after removing some things from her room, organizing the closet differently and implementing underbed storage.  Phew!

I'll post a few more pictures after we move the crib in (Peyton will be giving it up soon so everyone has a few months to adjust to their new sleeping arrangements).  I'd like for only one little nut to be waking up during the middle of the night!:)

Coolest GW Find!

Check out the amazing birdcage my sister got me from the G.W. this week!  Isn't it the coolest?  She knew I was looking for an ornate birdcage and that I'd like to get a bird, so this was the best surprise ever!  I think I was jumping up and down for 2.5 minutes!:) 
The bottom tray pulls out and the top comes off, which will be quite practical for a real bird!

I had a bird as a little girl, but would love your suggestions for what kind of bird to get!  I'm so excited, Leah- thank you!!

Parenting Quotes/Tips

I've been picking blueberries to fill orders while my brother is volunteering at a camp, and it is funny the different things you think about while you're picking away!  Today I was reminded of different parenting quotes and tips that have made a substantial impact on me.  I do have more extensive notes and articles filed away, but these are just a few that came to mind today. 

-"Never assume you know what your child was made for; instead, rightly assume you were made to beat a path for them to find it." ~Rebekah Pearl  The quote came from this article.
- "Slow obedience is no obedience" ~ Tiffany B.
- It only takes one time of being inconsistent.  Your child will remember that one time of getting away with it, and keep trying to get away with it, so be consistent! ~ The Pearls or Judy T.?
- "Strictness without relationship leads to rebellion" ~ Judy T.
- Get eye contact when you are asking your child to do something, so you know they heard you and are tuning in (I've also heard boys benefit from a hand on the shoulder or some other physical touch to get their attention) . ~Judy T.
- Above all, PRAY and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and insight specifically for your child!  We can't do it on our own!

What are your favorites?

Get Your Blueberries!

If you are local, and want to get blueberries, right now is the perfect time to get them!  They are delish!  My favorite variety is Dukes and they are ready!  Call my mom with your order and we'll get them picked ASAP! :)

Our Week in Pictures

Here are a few scenes from this last week!  I know I am overdoing it with the pictures, but we have family who lives far away (Hi, Elisa and the rest of you!).  Furthermore, I hope this will serve as a journal of sorts for us someday!

So, we harvested peas out of the garden last week and picked lots and lots of blueberries!  Once we harvested the peas, David tilled them in (they are a great legume) and we are planting spinach- yum!

Monday was Papa's Graveside Service

Olivia with cousin William

Playing at Grandpa & Grammy's house afterwards.

Tuesday- more birthday celebrating!

Wednesday- cousin Annalee's softball tournament!

Friday and beyond-more cousin time! 

Lauren & Olivia

Peyton at the GW (we go every time they come down)

Lauren & Ella- they are so much fun!

Test- Video

I've never tried posting a video before, so testing, testing!  I captured this video a few weeks back and thought it was precious!  They were having a "church service".  I wasn't fast enough to catch Peyton dancing, and I hesitate posting it with the unmade bed and their uncombed hair, but here goes!

The 6 Ps

From David (I'm not sure where he first heard this, but it is pretty funny and very true)...

Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!

I need to come up with a nicer 4th "P"!

Happy Wednesday and Happy Planning!

Meet the Farm/Family

I've really enjoyed getting to see the defined workings of the farm since we moved out here last winter. I have more appreciation for how my family runs such an extensive, successful operation. It never seemed that remarkable to me that three of my brothers farm with my Dad, but it is actually quite impressive.

How many families work together and still like each other? :) I am so thankful for a family that loves each other, but more than that, a family that puts Christ first!

Like I said, I've enjoyed getting to see how everything works and what everyone does, so I thought you might like a little introduction as well!

My Dad followed in his Dad's footsteps and has been farming on his own since 1975, although he considers that he's been farming for 50 years (he said he started when he was 5).  He farms 1,750 acres. My Dad absolutely loves and cares for the land. He has always been a hands-on farmer; he is a passionate farmer. I remember his child-like excitement throughout the years as he'd been digging around in his new fields watching the crops come up and describing the plants as "cute". His knowledge and intelligence is sought out and he fastidiously instructs his employees or whoever wants to learn. His mark of perfection can be detected everywhere. My mom loves the farm just as much as he does and they are an unstoppable team.

Meet my oldest brother, Zach.

Zach is second in command. He has been farming full time for 10 years, but he's actually been driving tractor since he was 12. He is the king of the shop and the best mechanic. Do not put something where it does not belong, because you will experience his wrath.:) My dad appreciates his attention to detail. He is a proud new father and an adoring husband to his incredible wife.

Daniel heads up the care of the blueberries. You will find him meticulously spraying and caring for them. He has been farming full time since he graduated from college 4 years ago. He has an accounting degree and puts his skills to use in the office. He does the payroll along with a wide array of other office work. Daniel recently got engaged to one of the most kind, thoughtful people I have ever met. She is such a doll! Their wedding is set for November. Congratulations Daniel!

Patrick will have completed his first year working full time on the farm this fall after graduating with a business degree last year. He too has worked many summers on the farm. Most recently he has learned to operate the excavator. He spent a lot of time hauling grain this last winter and is one of the key combine operators during the harvest. He also does a fair amount of excavation work. He married his beautiful bride last October and they are an amazing couple.

Amos has worked on the farm for 7 years. A more faithful, capable employee you could not find. He is a farmer through and through, like my Dad and brothers, and wears many hats. He will begin learning the monumental job of spraying the fields (taking over for my Dad) this next year, and there is no doubt he'll do exceptional. He also just got married this last spring and they were a match made in heaven!

Dan (Amos' brother) has been at the business of farming for 7 years as well. He is also going to school to become a missionary pilot. He runs the berry picking machine during harvest and runs spot spraying, trimming crews throughout the year. He is fluent in Spanish (as is Amos) and he is indispensable to the farm. He also got married to a lovely lady last year! I tell you, there has been an epidemic of marriages!

Ricardo knows very little English, but communicates so much with his beaming smile! He is a joy to be around and I cannot believe his work ethic. Remarkable. He traps the moles and gophers that threaten to invade and destroy every field with great attentiveness.

Nathan (my youngest brother) works some during the school year and full time during the summer. He will be a junior this year! He too works on the berry picking machine and fills fresh market orders. He is learning the ropes and is usually a right hand man to Dan.

David also works when he can and is a farmer to his very core!

Last AND least, me! I work part-time where I am needed (office work, projects, etc.).

I applaud the work each of you do and I am honored to witness how you do it! You each have your areas of expertise, but I love how everyone jumps in to make such a beautiful farm! Way to go family!

Our Little Girl Turns 4!

The birthday girl at breakfast. (My sister got me the pretty owl vase- yippee!)

We had a tea party to begin her fourth year!

The girls playing

David and I have been a bit baffled by this birthday.  We've both remarked the past few weeks how incredibly grownup she is becoming.  "How?", we keep asking each other!  She is an absolute joy and blessing to our family.  She is such a dedicated mother to her babies (especially Abbey) and keeps a very watchful eye on her baby brother. 

This week I asked her who her favorite little girl is to play with and she told me, "Julia".  I asked her again since her little sister isn't here yet, and she said, "it is still Julia".  She loves her so much already!  I am so excited for her.  My sister and I are very close and we're exactly 4 years apart and Olivia and Julia will be 4 years apart as well. 

We love you, sweet girl!  Happy, Happy Birthday!