....nearly over ....2011

This likely will be the last post for this year...unless something really exciting or traumatic happens....hopefully if it does it will be exciting....

An update from my last post....my friend from 'back home' received the home call December 15...have appreciated reading some about her last days and funeral....know the family will miss her but glad she would be out of the natural suffering and on to glory...
The little girl we go to Bible Study with is home after 2 1/2 weeks in the hospital...mostly of that being in ICU...she is doing well...we haven't seen her yet as flu 'bugs' were/are flying about so didn't have Bible Study last week so maybe this week.....so glad she is doing well.  Her, Grandma battling cancer, is also gaining some strength and has been out of the hospital but back in again just now for her next treatment....we sure do hope it is successful and she'll be back to her 'old self'.

I like this one....

Zoie and Papa using Zoie's 'Kindle'...

....Grandma takes a picture of one, have to do the other one, too!

....recent family time ...

...and we couldn't forget Shaun's birthday....

 ...a little pianist!

...two new toys....'Fancy Nancy and Strawberry Short Cake'...

...and so our life marches on...often way too quickly...and before long we'll probably find ourselves on our way for some time in southern Texas.  We had a quick trip down there already and did some work at our new place...and even got our old place sold!  Look forward to being in our new place this winter.

2012....an unknown future but glad we know a Heavenly Father who has all things in his hands....oh for increased faith.....to any one reading this...may your year bring experiences to learn from and special memories to look back on....

Joys and sorrows interwoven...

I know there are lots of people out there who are much better bloggers than I am but this last week held so many different kinds of experience that I decided I would share a few things here...

From 'back home'...a dear lady from a family that has known my family for 3 generations has come to the place in 20 years of battling cancer to make a decision to have no further treatments as they were not being effective...her Doctor said she likely won't live to Christmas....she has lived an exemplary live and leaves a wonderful testimony....she isn't young but not terrible old either...she will be missed but comforting to know she has much better things to go on to as well as knowing she is at peace about it now.

And our thoughts go to another family near us who are dealing with two rather difficult situations.  The Dad's, of the family, Mother is dealing with cancer....seemed treatments were going well and she would be gaining her strength again but she didn't and then began going down hill to the point of hospitalization again and the diagnoses being made last week that the cancer had metathesized to her brain and she would need more chemo...we do hope the treatments will help...she is very weak and has a lot of other issues related to the cancer so there is a long road ahead for them.  Last Tuesday the family had a real heart rending experience...they have a dairy farm and  were in the barn finishing up the evening milking when their 7 year old girl got a horrific head injury by somehow being trapped in a gate...she was airlifted to a hospital and had 4 hours of surgery...she is yet in ICU...we certainly feel for all of them....and surely want to know how to stand by them....they are a dear family...have 5 children....one surely never knows what may cross our path but glad we can leave it in God's hands.

On a little more up beat note we enjoyed having 4 family members visit our farm.  They are from Ohio and working on putting a plan in place to dairy farm.  They didn't stay quite as long as they had planned as a big storm was coming so want to get home ahead of that...hopefully they made it.  We enjoyed having them...it was like we had always known them!

Then Saturday was our 35th. wedding anniversary...kind of doesn't seem it could be ... glad to look back and realize how much we have been blessed....maybe we haven't gotten all we wanted but I feel I have gotten more than I ever expected. (Unfortunately Farmer Marv has been sick the last 3 days so haven't done anything so extra special for it)

 





Today our world was black and white....it was rather pretty out there...maybe I can share a few pictures!

 how it looks out my kitchen window now!

 everything black and white except for the flag....

even the cows!

And now a little about our Thanksgiving...not all our family made it as Shaun & Helen and household were battling the stomach flu....ugh for them...we missed them but did enjoy this little group...

didn't get just a lot of pictures but here is one more

...Mommy got a better one of him....bib says ...'My 1st. Thanksgiving'...

Will and Becky were also with us for the day...but didn't get a picture...will have to next time...

Now this week holds some busy days for us, too...first a 2 day dairy conference and then flying to Texas for a few days to do some work on our new 'estate' there...painting & cleaning and checking on the agricultural aspects of it.... the orange and grapefruit trees....then we'll be 'home', as in Wisconsin, for while and drive down for a more extended stay after the first of the year...(would love volunteers to do 1099's and W-2's...not my favorite job!)

Another part of God's great creation

We see Bald Eagles on a rather frequent basis in our area...we know of one nest and with the number of eagles we do see we wonder if there isn't more than one near by...just recently I saw 8 eagles in one field...and the last few days there has been a rather 'unique' one make stops in the pasture and trees...the pictures don't do justice to it but we think it may be a young Golden Eagle...we do know there have been documented sightings of them not far from us....so here we go...

 ...in the tree by our house....

...in the pasture....

...and 'dancing with the cows'....

I know that it looks pretty white so you would think it was a bald eagle but it does have the band of black on the end of it tails  (you can maybe see that if you click on the first picture)...also note the crow that flies and lands in the tree...he's not been happy all day with that eagle in the neighborhood!

God's natural creation is fascinating...and to think we also have this...  Isaiah 64:4 and I Corinthians 2:9 ...to look forward to...

this and that

Have spent the last couple days outside trying to get ready for a family picture on Saturday...hopefully the weather will be nice so we can take it outside at our place and not have to go to the studio...
here are a few pictures from recent days....

...what I've been seeing out my kitchen window...unfortunately a lot of the leaves have already fallen...

 ....a few fall 'pretties'....

 ...a rain bow today...

 ..after the storm....

 ...and a little later still....the moon!

And here is my refurbished wagon!

Fall

There is no doubt fall is here....trees are turning, pine needles are falling, asian lady beetles are coming out (in hoards) as well as box elder bugs...and our conventions are over...and we are having some lovely, sunny, warm days...a little frost but only enough to nip things a little.  We are having a family picture the 15th. so hopefully we'll still have a few flowers for then!

Recently a very dear lady from near us passed away...she was a lady of integrity and her passing leaves a very big gap...I didn't know her real well but my memories of visits with her are special....the kind of visits where a person comes away feeling there was something learned, something worth applying to life....she wasn't really old...past 65 but not 70...and her death came as a shock because she was such an 'alive person'....I was glad  I was able to go to the funeral...it was special to hear words expressed because of what she had let God do in her life...her life was what it was because of that.  Some time in the past she had expressed her desire and made arrangements that each family who attended her funeral would receive a rose...her favorite flower...so as each family passed her open casket at the end of the service they were given a long stemmed red rose....

...I'm glad to feel again...I've learned something and know there is much I can be exercised in, in my life even as was seen in hers.

Just a couple things

 this youngster (can you see him?) has been making frequent visits lately...sometimes even with a sibling and parent....mother nature  is so interesting....

speaking of interesting....the newest in trucks!

Special times....

Our family has had another new addition...another grandson...Theo and Sarah have a little boy Owen Michael born August 17...it was very special to get to meet him this last weekend...here are a couple pictures....

 the first time to have all 5 of our grandchildren together....Owen, Nolan, Zoie, Hannah & Elliot

 the new little family of 4

Papa and Owen taking a nap...

old barn....

Time passes, things lose their usefulness....so it goes for the oldest section of the old barn....would that the old walls could tell their story....but then again maybe it is just as well they can't....

 

...and down it came....

 there is a different look there now....

 as the old barn is falling apart....looks like the tractors are, too!

these are winter projects for the guys....if we don't get too much snow!

Newest addition..

We have again been blessed with a new grandson....

 the happy parents

big sister watching over

Owen Michael arrived in this world August 17 and in to our family August 20....we look forward to meeting him...soon!

New corn planter

Farmer Marv sent me to an auction with instructions to 'buy something, anything'....so I purchased a new corn planter for him....I think he'll be thrilled!

...what could I say ... the price was right!

A project done!

Was special to have this project done...I'm not telling how many years it was on the frame....

...we had fun delivering it last night, too....looks great in their house!

Summer 2011

My thoughts have been to up date this lots of times but....I'm easily distracted, I guess....but will try and share a few things from the summer .... that like most summers ...  is going quickly...

Early in June we enjoyed having a visit from these 2.....

it was our first in home visit for the 'year'...they being away or we being away....it was very special...especially to see the one at nearly 93 continuing to pour out his all....I felt I had lots of 'fragments for my basket' when they left.

Farmer Marv's new 'toy'...

...what more can I say...

A few flowers....

Mother's Day gifts....

from the gardens.....

 peonies and poppies

 one of many irises

 lupines

 lilies

 my first clematis...a gift from Hannah last Mother's Day

 sunflower

my 'hen and chicks'....look carefully!

Grandchildren....

 ...love the caption on this bib!...

 time with Cousin Morgan again!

 4th. of July!

Nolan and Hannah came to spend a couple days with us....these are the boats they launched on Papa's pond..

looking at the wheat field with Papa...I love this picture...would make a good puzzle!

It was special to have them but unfortunately Nolan was very homesick...it didn't bother Hannah at all...so either way Mom's heart was broken!

A friends wedding reception.....the bride wore one of our daughter-in-law's dress...kind of neat to see it again

...and remembering our Dad's....Father's Day

 my Dad with his truck when he sold Mac Tools....early 1950's

Farmer Marv's Dad holding him....1947

We plan  a trip to Montana in August for my class reunion....can hardly believe it is 40 years already...hope to see some family and friends along the way.

So summer passes quickly again...and there is much more I could share but would rather do it face to face!