Signs

Last Tuesday, March 20th, marked the 1st day of Spring.  Oh Joy!

This is the first year of my life (and could be the last) that I have ever actually seen spring come so early.

The signs I've seen:

• Rain:  it's raining/sprinkling/drizzling here today.  So, I've been in the house with kids who have been a little on the crabby side. 
• Temperature:  while the temperature today isn't overly warm, it's definitely the warmest calving weather we've been blessed with since we got married. 
• I'm loving the nice spring weather...the kids can run around in fleece coats and waterboots without ever getting too cold.
• Robins:  I've seen a few here and there the last week....that's always a sure sign of spring.
• Geese:  We've had hundreds land in our pasture out back where the cows are.  It's fun to go out and see them up close.
• Green things....the grass is starting to turn green, the evergreens are more freshly green than normal (or so it seems)...
• Matts' been in the field...
• he chisel plowed a former CRP field across the road
• he plowed another field, too
• (which has taken a while because the first day was going well until a wheel fell off the plow...it's taken him a day to fix it, and he was back at it again this morning....he says he's almost done, though.)
• He plowed my garden up, too....
• which was nice - I still had rows of frozen, dried-up plants from last year, as well as rotten carrots and beets that I didn't harvest  before they froze completely
• now it's nice and black, and waiting for the weather to warm up so we can start all over again.
• my kids:  they live for playing outside.....it takes all the patience I've got to make them stay in so I can finish some things up before we all go out to play....they can't be out running around if Matt's in the yard with the tractor, so that's always my big struggle - making sure they don't sneak outside on me. 
• Oh well, though, I'm glad they like to play outside...
• Farm Babies:  the calves are coming...so far, we've got about 25-30 LIVE calves.  Things are going good....
• unless you count the fact that Matt hasn't had much sleep the past couple of nights....
• he's sleeping as I write this, in a kitchen chair with his arm and head resting on the table...
• thank goodness it's a short season!

Clarence stayed home from the babysitter yesterday because he needed to help Matt.  Sometimes when I bring him to the sitter, he tells me that he has to stay home, because "Daddy gonna be mad at me."  Well, Clarence, no he won't, and telling me that won't bring you back home again.  If I tell him Matt's going to be working on machinery, he understands, because Matt's told him that it's dangerous.  I'll say, "Daddy's going to be plowing, or working on machinery, and you can't be around when he does that."  He asks, "Is it dan-jes?"  (I love hearing him try to pronounce words!)

Even as we're sitting here now, he's still in his pull-up because he just got up from his nap, and Matt's trying to catch another minute of sleep, he's talking about being outside.  He just said to Matt, "Daddy, let's go feed cows."  (In the rain....he loves it!)  He's also been worried about the cats, dog, horses, calves, heifers, bulls, chicks and chickens today. 

____________

Adina's been starting to talk lately.

Her newest words are:

Thank You:  koo-koo

Love You: koo-koo

Please: pees

And we've also been working on animal noises.

I'll say, what's a cow say?  oooooo

a pig?  She snorts.

a kitty?  mohw

a puppy?  puppy

She's also good about brushing her teeth - when she can do it.
When we were skiing, Grandma Carmen taught her to sing while she brushes, so she'll take the toothbrush, twist it around on her tongue until she's eaten all the toothpaste (all the while singing "awwwwwww" in different pitches).  Once I take the toothbrush and actually try to brush her teeth, though, it's quite a battle. 

She's really funny right now... She makes all sorts of funny faces, sometimes eats like a princess - other times, not; she can put on her own water boots and hat and carries me her coat so she can go out and play; and she's still attached to her pacifier.  She has also moved from her crib to a big bed, which she sleeps very well in. 

Hope you're having a good day!

Say an extra prayer for a distant cousin of mine - she's 34, was just diagnosed with cancer, and is having surgery today.  She's got a husband and two little boys as well.  Thanks! 

Something to Ponder

As I was sitting here looking on Facebook, I read someone's status about losing weight.  She said, "Losing weight is not about looking better; it is about feeling better and living longer. God gave us this one life and one body."


What I'm wondering is:

Do you think God gave us a set amount of days on Earth no matter what, or can we live "longer" by improving our health?

Or, do we just improve the quality of the set amount of days of our life?

I think it's the latter....let me know what you think, please.  Thanks!

Three Year Olds

Well, as you can see, this post is going to be about Clarence.

Lately, his behavior has been just crazy. 
One minute he's an angel, the next, a monster. 

He'll be fine helping me do something, then totally tune me out. 

He'll be happy and satisfied playing, then start screaming because he heard the tractor start up and he's not in it.

He tells me he'll be a good boy at church, then when we get there, he goes limp, runs around, ignores me, and does whatever he wants.

I'm sort of at a loss for how to handle this situation.

So, I googled "three-year old behavior".

It's normal everyone....completely normal.

The first article I read said:

• They are more mobile and expressive...they know how to ask for things, how to get things they want, and how to scream when you say "no".  They don't know how to use adult logic, though.
• They want independence...they want to push boundaries and stretch limits.  The article told me this is how a child learns and gains confidence.
• They think everything is the end of the world....as far as rules go.
• They have a short attention span unless they are engaged in some activity (like Clarence when he gets on his feeding cows thing, or corralling Ruby, our dog)

How to deal with it?

• The only suggestion this article gave was to try and enter their world.
• Which means:  if they are whining about a toy or something, try and talk to them about it positively with them to calm them down, then gradually change the subject.  Talk to them like a child, because they are a child.
• In theory, it's probably a good idea....it's just something I need to remember at my most frustrating moments.
• Another article suggested:
• Choose your battles...definitely a big one for me, too. I need to let some things go.  But when and which ones?
• A quote from this article: "Little kids can control little things." 
• That's definitely something I need to remember.  At this age, he still doesn't know what's best for him.  I can let him choose things so he feels like he has some control, but ultimately, he still needs to listen.

Anyway, I've had some struggles lately and an unsure of how to handle them.  Any advice would be gladly welcomed!

Have a super day!

Craziness

• We went on vacation the first week in March. 
• We left March 1st, after we had
• brought the kids to the babysitter in Roseau
• shipped two semis of calves (150 animals)
• paid bills in town
• finished packing
• and we were on the road by 4-ish.....not really the goal dad was hoping for, but oh well, we were on our way.
• We went to Big Sky
• The snow was AWESOME!
• the weather was, too
• the cabin was a great place to stay
• we were so exhausted after every day of skiing....my dad's extremely hardcore
• and Matt's extreme (All the time!)
• we came home and I went to Fargo for my LPM class
• that was fun, too.....I learn so much every time I go there.
• seriously, if you're a church musician and are interested in learning how to improve that area of your church, it's definitely the class to take....
• talk to me and I'll fill you in!
• All last week, I subbed in St.Vincent
• I was quite tired by the end of last week....
• there wasn't really an end to the running
• Friday we went to Fargo to stock up on calving supplies....
• you know, the ear tags, tubing bottles, powdered colostrum, etc.... we were low and needed a lot of stuff, so we headed down to Fargo together....it was fun!
• we stopped at TSC on the way home and bought 8 baby chicks and 3 baby ducks.  The kids are loving the new additions to our farm.
• They have used every opportunity possible to feed and water their new animals. 
• And they (the animals) are all still alive.
• Monday I had piano lessons all day
• Today, we've just been hanging out
• We had our first two "on schedule" calves
• Matt's thrilled that they're alive
• as am I
• (we've had a couple cows abort these last couple of weeks, so live newborn calves are a wonderful welcome!)
• Clarence has been busy helping Matt as much as he can
• he thinks he's an important helper (which he is!)
• Adina likes to help, too, but she's only patient for about a half hour, and then she's ready to find something else to do....she just likes when people actually think to include her.
• We pulled the second one....but it's  alive.
• I sub again next week, but then I'll be done subbing for awhile because we don't have a steady babysitter and I'd like to be home to help with calving when and where I can.
• Anyway, now you're caught up a little....

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful weather!  We sure are!  The kids are loving playing outside....in the sandbox, feeding the dog and cats, swinging on the swings, and building forts. 

Busy Days Ahead

As I sit and think about all that's going to happen this week, I get excited and a little overwhelmed all at the same time.

It's not like we never have other busy weeks around here.

It's just that this week, we're shipping 150 calves, going to town to get all paid up, I'm packing for 4 people, the kids are going to Roseau for a week, and Matt and I are going to Montana for a week.

So you see, I'm definitely not complaining.

It's just that it all seems to pile right up at the end, and it doesn't stop until we're on the 18 hour drive to Big Sky.  (which, by the way, I occupy the first half of the drive reading......the second half has pretty scenery and fun shops, so I look out the window more)

Today, we've got a guy from town coming out to learn how to do chores; I'm making and freezing chicken pot pies to take with for our suppers, I need to start packing, I need to make bulletins for Wed. and Sunday, blah, blah, blah..........I won't bore you with the minor details.

Anyway, last night, about 11:45-ish, Miss Adina woke up. 



She wouldn't stop  crying until some time around 2. 


I was a frustrated momma!


My friend from high school was just talking about this on fb last night, how her little girl stands in her crib and whines for a while every night.
I posted on her wall that Adina's been doing it now for a couple nights....I definitely jinxed myself......because boy did she ever do it last night.

I let her cry and cry and cry.....nothing seemed to wear her out. Then, she'd throw her pacifier on the floor (I know, it's time to get rid of it, but Carmen....Matt's mom.....says we need to wait until we get back from Montana so she has something to calm her down with, which I totally agree with).  That would make her cry even more. So, I'd go in, search around on the floor for a stupid pacifier, give it to her, try to lay her down, she'd pop right back up, and be bawling again before I made it  to the door. 

Hope she doesn't keep this up much longer.....it's hard on my sleep!

Fortunately, Matt was kind enough to get up with Clarence this morning, and I was able to sleep for a little longer.

He took both kids out with him to start chores, too, but Adina didn't last long.  Her fingers were cold, so she's back in with me. 

Tomorrow, a semi's coming to take our heifers; the steers are going Thursday morning.  I'm excited to see what they'll end up weighing.  It's always nice to get rid of most of the calves - actually, it's very reassuring - because we get paid, we don't have to feed them anymore, and Matt's chore time reduces considerably.  Then it starts all over again in a couple weeks.....yay for new babies!


Hope you have a great day!

I've been trying to upload pictures, but my computer's been really slow lately, so you'll just have to be patient. 

Highlights

Well....here's the highlights from the rest of our week:

Wed. - we were home, hanging out......

• I made supper for a neighbor couple who'd just had a baby;
• the kids played;
• Clarence helped Matt, Dad and the vet out in the barn with preg-checking the calves;
• Nikki and Baby Harley came over for coffee;
• I found out Ethel, my 13-year-old 4-H cow, is OPEN......which means she won't be with us much longer.  :(
• I played piano at the Lutheran Church in Kennedy for their Ash Wed. service

Thurs.

• we went to the Gjesdal's (our neighbor's) for the morning.
• They have 2 girls, Esther (2 1/2) and Lilly (1), and Lindsay (my friend) babysits Anna (3)
• They have big snow hills in their yard, which are nicely formed for sleds to slide down quickly;
• the kids had a blast!
• so did I!
• all five kids took turns riding their little pony, Apache, who's very pregnant.  She's also quite short. And cute.
• Clarence and Adina were SO SORE! from riding her.  Just kidding.  But they sure were cute.
• Then, they harnessed up their big draft horse, Maggie, and took us for a sleigh ride.  Clarence was talking about "Little House" the whole time.....he felt like he belonged on the show.
• We had a fun lunch, then headed home for nap time.
• The kids were sure tired out from  their fun, busy morning.

Thurs. p.m.

• Mom, Nikki, Adina and I headed to G.F. to meet our new cousin Audrey Adelle Deere.  (Clarence was busy and needed to stay home and help Matt with the cows)
• She's the daughter of my cousin Joel and his girlfriend, Kim.
• She's absolutely beautiful, perfect, tiny and pretty.
• I'm so excited for them!
• And I'm glad they live close by so our kids will be able to grow up together.....it's so fun having cousins around!
• We had fun visiting, then went out for supper with Joel's dad, Jeff, and some other friends.
• And, we got home really late, so I was tired waking up for subbing Friday morning. (Oh, well, such is life!)

Friday

• I subbed
• Adina went to the babysitters.
• Clarence stayed home to help Matt (he's a huge help, you know.....).
• We had our couple's bible study last night.
• It's always so much fun to get together, have a delicious supper, then spend time studying the bible together.
• Last night's session was on prayer.
• Persistant prayer......how it's so necessary to learn to know God better.
• how we can pray actively, while we're doing things with our kids, driving, walking, etc., and how we can pray privately together.
• and how God answers our prayers more than we'd  ever want or need if we are persistant.  Luke 11:1-11......Ask and you shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened......(all in all, be persistant!)
• Another late night, but so much fun to get together with our friends!

Today.....we're heading to "the farm" (dad's) to help him sort calves and tag the ones he'll be shipping next Wednesday....

This will be a great week - the calves are leaving Wednesday, and we leave for skiing Thursday.....Yippee!!!

A conversation

Today I was talking with my friend and pastor, Melodi.  It's something we do every week - get together, pray, visit, and discuss the text for each coming Sunday.  That way it's easier for me to pick out good hymns....they need to go with the text.  It helps me to talk with her because there are a lot of texts I don't understand.

One of our topics today was church and the huge age gap we have in our church.  There's Sunday School age kids (a few), some later thirty-ish people, a few in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, and a lot of people over 60.  We were talking about why people my age don't really go to church. 

Now, please don't take any of this personally; I know there are people my age that do go to church.  But, in general, around here (and many other places, too, I believe), there are a lot of people my age who don't view church as a vital, necessary part of their life.

Our lives are too comfortable. 

We have too much luxury.

Our homes provide everything we need....church not being one of them.

Where does church come in then?

Back in the way early days, church was important.  It was vital.  Many people lived on farms, and church was the only time they got to see people.  They went to church because it was the highlight of their week; only in church did they get to see their friends, neighbors and family; only in church did they get to visit, rest, and feed themselves spiritually.

l                                                              l
l                                                              l
l                            X               X              lX
l                                                              l
 \                                                           /
   \                                                        /
     \                                                     /
       \_________________________/

All right, pretend my ugly diagram up there is a half circle.  The red x in the middle represents the church from way back when....when church was the center of everyone's lives - it was the highlight of their week.  The blue x is the people that go to church now on a fairly regular basis;  church is as close to the center of their lives as it will get.  The blue "x" people will never be in the middle - nobody ever will...that's something that's gone because of the way our lives are now - all our conveniences, our luxuries, and our comfortableness.  The green x is those who don't go to church.  It's the people who don't "need" or "want" church.

So what's the point of my rambling?

Why all the church talk?

It's something I've been thinking about all day - something that's been nagging me.  I want my friends, peers, people I don't know, acquaintances and neighbors to go to church.  I want them to realize the importance of Jesus and that He wants to be in their lives.

I want to encourage everyone who reads this - whether you agree with me or not - to take a look at your own life. 

Where does Jesus fit into it? 

Where does church and fellowship fit into it? 



Question yourself:  How's my faith today?

That's something I'm going to do throughout the 40 days of Lent.....wake up every morning and ask myself, "How's my faith today?" and "How can I improve it?"

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

Well, I'm really on a roll today - all these fun pinterest recipes I have been trying.

This is what I'm making for supper tonight.  It's in the crockpot as we speak....or read....or whatever.  I can't wait to try it and see what it's like!

.

Here is what you need:

- Bag of frozen Chicken Breast Tenderloins (2.5-3lb bag)
- 8 oz block of cream cheese (don't use Fat Free! 1/3 less fat or regular is fine)
- Can of Black Beans, drained & rinsed. (or Pinto Beans if you prefer)
- Can of Corn, drained.
- Can of Rotel

Directions:
Put frozen chicken in the crock pot.
Put Cream cheese on top of the chicken.
Dump in the Black Beans (make sure they are drained & rinsed!!!)
Dump in the drained corn.
Dump in the Rotel,  (I used a can of diced tomatoes, then added some chili powder, cumin and a little garlic for extra flavor....and I was going to add a little can of diced chiles, but I didn't have any.) 

Cover & cook in your Crock Pot on low for 6-8 hours.
Every 2 hours, stir the ingredients.
You can shred the chicken when it is done, or just leave it as tenderloins.
This is what it looks like after 6 hours:

Turn the crock pot off & let it sit for about 30-45 minutes.
It is a little soupy, but letting it sit causes it to not be as soupy.

Serve this over rice. The rice soaks up some of the soupy-ness.

It makes a lot, it feeds 6-8 adults. You could have it for dinner a couple nights & for lunch.
I actually like it better on the 2nd day, when it isn't as soupy.
So, you could make this the day before & then keep it in your fridge overnight.
When we have it on a leftover day, sometimes I combine the rice & the cream cheese chicken mixture and use it for burritos. Add a tortilla, some lettuce, cheese & salsa.
Easy. Good. Healthy.

And, you could use pinto beans instead of black beans.
Make a tostada or a rice bowl.
So many options!
Whatever floats your boat!

 

I'm going to serve it with rice in tortillas.  It seems like a yummy supper! I hope it's as delicious as it sounds!

 

Enjoy!

 

oh, and p.s. (This recipe is adapted from thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com and off of pinterest.)

Cheerio (or any cereal) Treats

Here's a quick and easy recipe for a fun treat. Most people already have all of these ingredients on hand. The only thing you'll have trouble deciding is if you should eat it for breakfast, a snack, or a dessert.

These are so good!  Adina just loves them. 

I didn't happen to have cheerios on hand, so I used rice chex.  They turned out great! 





Cheerio Treats

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. corn syrup
• 1 c. creamy peanut butter
• 1 t. vanilla
• 5 c. Cheerios (or whatever cereal you'd like)


In a large sauce pan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat.

Allow mixture to boil for one minute and remove from heat.

Add peanut butter and vanilla to mixture and mix until smooth.

Add Cheerios and mix until all coated.

Drop mixture by spoonful onto waxed paper and allow to cool.

Makes approximately 2 dozen.


Adina's a huge fan of these;  I can't get Clarence to try them yet, though.  I highly recommend!  They're a great snack or treat.

Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

I made these scones this morning; they're delicious.  I've been thinking about making them for weeks; today was the day.

Here's my review: 

You only need to make half the glaze.  That is definitely plenty.  Unless you have a 20 month old princess who likes to eat the leftovers by the spoonful.  She helped finish mine up.

I've never made scones before.  So, at the point where it tells you to take the dough out of the bowl and knead 10 times, I was a little unsure as to what I was supposed to do.  I used a lot of flour because this is quite sticky dough.  I actually probably used too much - mine turned out a little dense.  Total, beyond what you put into the bowl the first time, I'd add about one extra cup of flour.  The dough may be a little sticky from there, but I think they will be fine because you're putting them on a greased cookie sheet. 

They really do taste delicious.

I'll definitely make  them again - using the knowledge I now have. 

Have fun!

Photo by: Taste of Home

Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze Recipe

Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze Recipe  

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold butter
• 1-1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries, chopped

GLAZE:  (I'd cut it in half.....it makes a lot!)

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon 2% milk

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1-1/4 cups cream just until moistened. Fold in strawberries. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times.
• Pat into a 9-in. x 7-in. rectangle. Cut in half horizontally. Cut each half into four rectangles; separate and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining cream.
• Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. For glaze, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, butter and milk; drizzle over warm scones. Serve warm. Yield: 8 scones.

• Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min.
• Yield: 8 Servings