Wheat Field Farmers

We just finished silage and will get a good start on wet corn and beans soon, very soon. 

 I thought it fitting to share a few photos of...WHEAT harvest.

 

Only a month behind.

 

These are a few of my favorite things (Sound of Music voice, please)...

 

{The colors}

 

 {My husband and his big, green tractor (sing-song voice again, please)}

{My son and the confidence he gains when he gets to run the grain cart (the machine in the next pic)}

 

 

{Don't know why I love this pic...just do}

{Dirty faces}

{Kids running for a ride in the combine...and the conversations shared that won't be forgotten}

 

 

{The beautiful, blue sky that shows us just how small we are in this world}

 

 

Gosh darn we're blessed.

-Becky

Yellow

Raise your hand if you are familiar with the term "calf-scours". 

Now raise it even higher if you know what it smells like!  YUK!!

 

If you didn't get to raise your hand, prepare to be enlightened.  Scours is basically diarrhea in baby calves - NOT A GOOD SITUATION - EVER!  And it smells even worse than it sounds...can make a grown farmer cry when coming into contact with the stuff.  And it has a lovely drab yellow tone. And it's the exact color this house was painted when I moved in after we got married.

 

The poor lady who chose the color, painted every out building the same golden hew - even the barbed wire fence.  God bless her soul.

 

Needless to say, for the first 13 years of our relationship I had banned from our home and yard anything that looked like it might be YELLOW.  However, for our wedding the roses were yellow....hmmm. 

 

But now I've found a love for the color.  Check out the dresser.

 

Here's the ugly pic from my dumb phone of the $10 chest-

 

Finished.

Painted with a bright yellow paint...I mean BRIGHT!

Sanded.

Waxed with a Jacobean-colored furniture wax.

New handles.

Took the brassy things off the middle of the drawers.

{Yes, I saved them!}

 

Looks good with the hollyhocks.

Looks even better in our dark blue bedroom. 

 

Yellow's not so bad.

Becky

Timber.

 We had our ladies lunch last week at church.  I had the SIMPLE task of adding a little something to the tables.  I went to town, bought a bunch of crap ( in my mind it was going to be beautiful).  Put it on the tables.  Stepped back and thought to myself - YUK!

 

I then removed the failed vision from the tables.  Called Mike and asked if he had time to meet me at home with his chainsaw.  I think he said "sure!"...maybe not.

 

He cut down a tree {it needed to go anyway - two birds} and then cut twenty "disks" from the trunk.  We gathered all the Mason jars we could find.  Added a candle and ribbon to the small ones and flowers to the larger.

 

SO MUCH BETTER....and FREE!

 

 

The dining hall in our church doesn't have much ambience.  We do what we can.

 

For the flowers we used fern leaves, hosta leaves, coneflowers, daisies, purple salvia, sprigs of thyme, and some snow-on-the-mountain...all from our yard.  There was room for more greens in each jar but I was getting stingy with my flowers.  Last year was so dry that I didn't have many...this year I'm appreciating them as they should be appreciated.

...cards out of scrapbook paper with friendship/sister/girly quotes and a copy of

some old pictures we had.

 

We also used 3 yard lengths of 12inch wide burlap for table runners.  Add a funky green napkin, tableware, and the program and it looked complete...as opposed to the first mess-up.

 {I cannot show anyone my first attempt - it was much too sad - you'll have to trust me.} 

 

The kids said that they weren't surprised when I changed everything last minute. Hmmm.

 

Becky

Helmet Head

This is just a test to see how often Nana looks at our blog...this is just a test.

 

 

OR, maybe I was looking for a reason to share this ultimately precious photo.

 

Becky

Waiting

Can you sit like this?

 

Remember when you could?

 

Becky

Fashion Revue 2013

It's crunch time in the land of 4-H!

 

#2 had two "constructed outfits" (that means she made them) this year for 4-H Fashion Revue.

 

The first, an easy-peasy dress out of the pre-smocked fabric from Hancock's.  Love the length.

 

The second, a beautiful plum "square skirt".  This skirt went together in about and hour.  Check out the makeit-loveit blog for complete instructions (she makes EVERYTHING look easy).  This fabric is a knit that we bought at Wal-Mart for $1/yard.  It has a permanent wrinkle to it and you DON'T HAVE TO HEM IT!  #2 only used one square versus - we made one for #5 with 2 squares - both are fun and twirly.  She also decided to make it maxi-length.

She says she'll wear them again.  I can count on one hand how many of my 4-H outfits I wore after the fair...calico cotton wasn't real hip in the 80's.  How bout you?

 

Becky

The Answer is Fishing

This past weekend was a test. 

 #5 turned the big 0-4 on Sunday. 

It rained so we made a trip to the big city... Famous Dave's, THE MALL, Barnes & Noble, etc to celebrate.  Everyone had a good time seeing all the fun things to buy {they don't get out much}!!!

On Monday, Memorial Day, we took a fishing trip to a quiet little lake. 

 

Dad spent most of his time tending to poles.

The girls worked together...and they baited their OWN hooks.

 This guy caught a few fish {bullheads}.

  

This guy put the fishing plans into motion and was the only one who didn't catch a thing.

He kept a great attitude.

 

 

His sister was there for comfort.

 

So, the test for the children was-

 

"Which day was your favorite?"

 

Bet you already knew the answer.

 

Monday - the most perfect day.

 

Becky

Bling!

The girls needed new work coats.  Dark brown and light brown were their options.  #3 was less than thrilled about her choices.  Taking the "glass half full approach", she chose the light brown one so that she could BEDAZZLE IT!!!!

...and BEDAZZLE she did.

 

Hoping your last day of May is warmer than ours...

 

Becky and the Cattle-Working Crew

Love!

Are your VALENTINES finished?  Here's what each of my five shared witht their friends...

#1 - Boy - age 11

Mom: Hey, buddy, whatta ya want to make for your Valentines this year.

#1:  Really, Mom?{sarcasm}  I'll just hand 'em a package of candy.  {Mom's heart breaking.}

 

We did this on picmonkey and printed them with publisher.  Love these!

{...and yes, that is a wad of gum in his mouth.}

 

#2 - Girl - age 9

Mom: Hey, girlie-girl, I found this great idea online today for your Valentines!

#2 :  Awesome!  Can we do them tonight?  {Mom's heart smiling.}

Check out this oh so talented lady at Grow Creative.  Love her stuff.  Together we made 30 of these darling hearts for #2's classmates. 

 

Risk of frustration is greatly reduced when you use actual

water color paper and a water color brush - just sayin'. 

Oh and we traced around a cookie cutter.

#3 - Girl - age 8

#3: Hey, Mom!  I found a funny idea online for my Valentine's. 

Could you get me 2 bags of tootsie-pops?

Mom:  ABSOLUTELY!  {Mom proud of independent child.}

 

The Frugal Crafter 

{Click on photo for source}

What's up with the mustache craze? 

#4 - Boy - age 6

Mom:  Hey, big buy, what would you like to make for your friends for Valentine's Day?

#4: What time's wrestling practice? {Mom ....no real thoughts here.}

 

#5 - Girl - age 3

#5 - Can I eat these now?

{shopping together and buying small packages of goldfish for her daycare buddies}

Mom: No, honey.  These are for your friends at school.

#5 - I don't have any friends. Can I eat them NOW?  {Mom wondering when to start therapy.}

Share the love-

Becky