How We Holiday



Ben and Leah on the Deutz



Sunny pond



It was a nice day in April, so we decided to have a nice family day together.  We went out to pick rocks. 

You may not be familiar with rock picking, or perhaps though you know what it is, you have never gotten the chance to do it.  Here are some pictures to illustrate the process for you.



All six kids on the flatbed wagon.



Leah is tired.



We started out in the barnyard, hooking up the flatbed wagon to the FarmTrac tractor.  The flatbed had some lumber on it, though, so we had to unload it before we could begin the real fun.

 Everybody had something to unload that was just his or her size.  We stacked the wood away, stopped at the house for water bottles and peanut butter and honey sandwiches as a picnic, and then we were off...

Being the pregnant lady of the group, I got to drive the tractor.  It was my first time really driving one, and it was really a lot of fun.  I see why the guys enjoy it!



Here's my self-portrait from the driver's seat.

Well, we drove around and picked rocks for about five hours that day.  There was a lunch break.  There were naps taken aboard the wagon.  But we were proud of all the kids for the good day they all put in.  We got tired, but we also had a really good time.  We picked four loads of rocks, and dumped three of them.  The fourth load we brought to the house so I can have more rocks to go around my flower beds.  It was a holiday on the farm.  ;)

p.s. I never told you what picking rocks really is.  You run along beside a slowly moving vehicle in a freshly plowed field, and when you see a big rock you run over to it, pick it up, run back to the vehicle, and throw it on.  Then you look for more rocks.  When the wagon is full, you throw them all off at the edge of the field and start over.  Fun, right?!

 

Well, here are the rest of the pictures.  Does anyone else have trouble positioning pictures on a blog?!?!?!

It might be easier to just go pick rocks for a while.

Somewhere, Under the Rainbow

This picture looks like it was taken in the spring, but the date there says January 23.  So warm this winter!  It was a pretty rainbow, though.

 Here are two pictures of Katie and Leah, loving each other.  If only it were always like this!

Trip to Colorado Springs

A few pictures from our trip to Colorado Springs.  David and I got to fly out for a long weekend with my parents, thanks to their generosity, and also with thanks to the good friends who cared for the other kids while we were gone, and also to Jason and Benjamin, who shouldered all the farm work alone.

We had a great time!  At the top there are David and my dad in front of the chapel at USAFA.

Second is the four of us at the class dinner.

Last is a picture of David on the Air Force campus, standing in front of one of their beautiful mountain views. 

Leah Turns Two

Here is a happy, smiley face

From a girl who is no longer a baby.

She turned two years old, just this week,

And now is quite a lady.

Leah Carole Grace

b. 10/21/09

Swimming Fun

 The girls and I went up to visit Lorielle in August, and had a wonderful time visiting.  They have a really beautiful pool, and we enjoyed swimming.  I may be a transplanted country girl, but I have still not gotten to the point where I enjoy pond swimming.  Ocean swimming?  Yes.  Lake swimming?  Depends on the lake.  Pond swimming? Just not there yet.  Not to say I would never do it, but let's just say it would have to be really, really hot out.

In any case, it was a wonderful treat to visit with family and swim in a beautiful, clear pool (thanks to Lorielle's hard work), with a beautiful view.

I know, I said no summer pictures.  But aren't you glad I did it anyway?  Such cute little swimmers!

HELP!

Apparently, it has been way too long since I posted anything on this blog.  Beside the fact that I have missed two entire seasons, I am having a lot more trouble getting things to look the way I want them to.  Look at the big picture up top.  Then look at the little picture to the right.  These are the same photo, uploaded in the same way, but the big one gets zoomed in somehow.  I do not know how this happens, and I do not like it.  Any advice?  Also, I used to be able to change the text color of the headings and titles, but I must have lost the secret.  Sigh. 

I will admit to being a perfectionist (seeking perfection, that is, not achieving it!), and so I am tempted to try to re-create all the time I lost on the blog here.  I should post pictures from last spring and summer.  But I am just going to have to jump in here where I am.  Fall.  More to come... 

In My Back Yard

 Yesterday morning, on my way home from the barn, I saw this beautiful moon and the pretty pastel sunrise sky, and I just had to get my camera and take a couple of pictures.  The snow was new, the sky was clear, and the temperature was about 10 degrees. 

Too often I get lonely and sometimes I get discouraged.  The Lord reminds me then of His love.  I am ashamed of my lack of faith when I see the beautiful gift: a moon setting in a delicate sky, with a frosted landscape below.

Thanks be to the Father, who does not forget the sparrows, and does not forget us.