Try Again

Well I hope these pictures work. For some reason our desk computer is giving me grief

when I try to post photos. So I moved to the lap top.

This is our 'siding journey'!

Lots of early hours, lots of late hours, lots of sore muscles where we didn't know we had muscles,

but a great sense of accomplishment when all is said and done!

Before

Never Too Little To Help

We Replaced Some Windows

The Little Ones Wondering Why the Big Hole in the Wall!

Looking Better Already!

Joshua, Our Official "Saw Guy"

Jennifer is Our Designated Painter

And Of Course There is Always a "Little" Help

The Front is Done!

A New Look

Last week was a busy one as we were busy putting new siding on our house.

It's kind of hard to see the true color. It is Richmond Red. We really like it.

We are not done yet, although when you drive on the yard you wouldn't know.

We finished the front and south side. We have the back and north side left.

Here are some pictures of the change so far.

Before

During

After

Happy Father's Day

To our dear Dad

You are one of a kind

Strong

Loving

Kind

Caring

Humble

Funny

You always care if we had a bad day.

You are always ready to stop and listen to our problems.

Even though you are 40, you can still beat us in hockey (right Josh?:)

You are always ready to taste test our cooking (especially if it is cowboy cookies or gooseberry prestie).

You are always ready to make an unpleasant situation pleasant with your jokes and uniqe laughter.

You come up with the best nicknames (like... Fawason, Nifer, Mugo, Kerrisco, Bob, Buz, Boo, Nater, My most beautiful, beautiful Brookie and Mikernania).

You always say "I can fit it in" (and you do!)

If we can't open it, you can.

If we can't shut it, you can.

If we can't lift it, you can.

If we can't drive it you can.

If nobody else can do it, you can.

We Love You Daddy

Love your Daughters

Megan Tries Her Hand At Driving

Well Megan has been begging for some time now for me to teach her to drive. I have been a little apprehensive, and putting it off. But yesterday once again she was on my case, so taking into account her track record of being quite responsible, I decided to let her have a crack at it. Being farmers, we have quite a choice of vehicles, and so I tried to find the one that best suited Megan. Slow, steady and reliable. I can't say she was too impressed with my choice, but hey, take it or don't drive! She started off quite well, slow, steady, slow steady.

After some pracitce I felt confident that I could leave her alone to practice in the pasture. She was out there quite awhile and I figured that no news was good news. There was one thing that I apparently forgot to mention to Megan. Watch out for those pasture holes and slough bumps. Well I guess that would have been some valuable information for when I went out to check on her she was having a bit of trouble. In fact, a lot of trouble, she had lost her front wheel.

As she was feeling a little discouraged I tried to cheer her up and tell her that this happens to everybody..... well almost everybody. Thankful we live on a farm, we were able to hook her up with another mode of transportation. Once again, she was a little disappointed that she couldn't drive something like Joshua's shiny truck, but I figured he might not be too happy if she would happen to have another 'incident'. So the old truck it was. After a little coaching on the different set of wheel, once again Megan was ready to roll. I reminded her of the holes and bumps. She gave me the 'yes mom I know look' and I figured she was good to go. So, confident that she would be just fine, I went back in the house, hoping not to hear of another 'incident'. All was well, no news, and then all of a sudden Megan came bursting into the house. 'Mom, come quick, I have a bit of a problem'. Not the words I wanted to hear. So, I went running behind her, having a quite a time keeping up, being much older, and much more shall I say 'out of shape'. When I got there, I could hardly believe my eyes. How could I have neglected to tell Megan of the one other danger that was out in the pasture. The tree.

The one and only tree. Well, she found it, she hit is and the rest is history.

Megan I hope next time you practice driving again, it will be under much better circumstances. And maybe one day Josh will even let you drive his truck:)

Complaining is Optional

I saw I sign in the restaurant yesterday:

"Pain and suffering are inevitable.

Complaining is optional."

We've had an interesting spring here on the farm with the weather just not really acting like spring weather.

There's always the decision that needs to be made when you start planting, and especially when the weather is a little coolish. Do we wait to plant our oil seeds? is it too early? And you decide. You have to. Hoping that it is the right decision. Farming (and life I guess) is all about that. You make a decision, hope and pray it's the right on, and then go on.

Every year Mark and I go (and this year the little boys and Brooke) and pray over all of our fields, thank God for the blessing He gives, asks Him to protect the crops against frost, bugs, hail, that they get good rains, but not too much rains (simple right!), but at the end of our prayer we pray, "Lord your Kingdom come and your will be done with this field." Why? Because we recognize that we only know the here and now, the today and tomorrow, the present. But God sees the whole picture, He sees the beginning from the end, and He knows what is best. We know He can do the impossible. We have seen it before, crops that had a significant amount of hail, yet yielded as our best one. We know he can make a storm go a different direction, cover a field from frost damage, make rains fall, protect it from bugs. We know He is able. And yet there is always that element, we don't see big picture. Maybe God wants us to go through a trial or two to make us stronger, maybe He wants us to dig a little deeper and seek Him a little more (adversity has a way of doing that!)

It's all a process, a journey, a learning curve. So when we got frost this year that damaged our crops and had to re-seed some of Mark's dads stuff (and maybe more yet) we had to trust. Trust that God knows what is best, that His perspective is eternal and to line ours up with His. To not store up our treasures on earth where moth and rust (and frost) destroy, but rather store up our treasures in heaven. To have our heart in the right place.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matt. 6:21

So we learn to trust, to lean on Him, to know that we know that He is in control and be able to rest in that. In every circumstance, health, finances, family.....that our natural response is trust and peace in God. A deep lasting peace that passes all understanding. A peace that the world looks at and says, "How can you be so peaceful when there is trouble in your life."

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:7

God is good, all the time. Even if my circumstances seem less than perfect. He is still good, He will always be good, because He never changes.

If I truly trust in the name of my God, the circumstances around me will not shake me, I will not become bitter or angry and complain against God for the hard times. I will know in my heart that He can be trusted with my life because He says in His word that I should trust Him.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trampoline Fun