Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Shall we Reacquainted Ourselves??


I'm so very sorry for my silence over the last few months.  I have been hoping and waiting for a "new normal", but I've learned that, for now, there is to be no "new normal".  Our lives have taken such a drastic turn of direction that I seem to be constantly running to catch up.  This is not a bad thing.....just not what I was expecting!!  My "new normal" is that there is no "normal".  Please bear with me as I adjust and re-adjust and adjust again.  This is a great adventure!!

A few pictures to catch us up!!  As some of you know, we now live in "open range" country.  This is both a blessing and a curse.  A blessing because it means we live way out!!!!  A curse because we are constantly running over cow pies - my least favorite sound ever - and we have to fence to keep these destructive critters out!  We spend our summers opening and closing cattle gates every time we leave our house!  I'm telling you, that gets OLD!!!


My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this summer!!!  50 years!!!  Our family is not one to have huge parties - we're rather quiet folk - so we just had a simple gathering in the back yard with our closest of close.

A backyard celebration

The ever-present gramophone

All set up for tea and cake



Almost ready
The one unique thing we did to celebrate their anniversary was have a cake made to look like a stack of stones.  Why stone you ask?  Because we wanted to remember and be reminded.  So many, many times in the Old Testament, God directed His children to stack piles of stones so they would remember what He had done for them.  He instructed them to tell their children and their children's children what He had done.  He instructed them to stack stones as a memorial to His providence and care for His children.  And we stacked stones with my parents.  The stack of stones in their cake represents the mighty work that God has done in my parents lives - the trials that He has brought them through and blessings He has poured out upon them.  As we visited and laughed and drank tea, my parents told us of His mighty works.  They remembered His goodness.  They told their children and their grandchildren and we remembered.


Sir Knight and Master Hand Grenade

Our joyous, intimate celebration

Sir Knight cutting the Stacked Stones cake

Master Calvin churning ice cream
We haven't been the only busy ones this summer - Miss Serenity has been spending her days fighting wildfires!  She spent many, many hours on the fire line, along with unending hours digging hand lines around potential fire sites.  She worked hard and had the honor of being assigned to a specialized task force that was stationed for initial attacks on fire within a 3 hour radius of her location.  She was on the dozer crew and worked 15 hour days for 21 days in a row!  Such an experience!!



The girls and I recently took a 10 hour road trip and saw some incredibly beautiful country!  On the way home, we stopped at a wooden suspension bridge over a particularly amazing river.  What views!!!  And the bridge itself is a work of art!  It was a much needed pit-stop!!!!


Princess Dragon Snack walking across the bridge.  It swings as you walk!!


Incredible engineering


The water is so clear!!




And this is what we picked up on our road trip!  Now the butcher shop office will be nice and warm!!!  After freezing our toes off last winter, this will be a life-saver!!!


The butcher shop is doing well.  It has been steady, but not busy, through the summer and now we've begun our busy season.  Over the weekend we picked up 14 pigs and 4 steers at the county fair, along with 2 steers, a lamb, 3 pigs, 3 elk and a few other things already hanging in the cooler!  We have a full house!!!

I hope this summer has been a blessing for all of you.  Until next time......

12 comments:

  1. Lovely to hear from you again. Thank you for the update and pictures - I'm glad things are going well for you all. Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now that awesome update was worth the wait. What a beautiful intimate celebration. Thank you for sharing. We worry about the dangers Miss Serenity faces and are happy to hear all is well. Wow, Master Calvin and Princess Dragon Snack have grown so much!

    Montana Guy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great to catch up with your terrific adventures! The growth of your children is amazing! Thanks so much for sharing. Look forward to your posts anytime you get a chance!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hang in there.

    The Littles aren't little any more...

    I miss you, but I know you're busy living life and I'm glad for that. Be blessed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am grateful that you keep posting and sharing your life here on the blog.
    SJ in Vancouver BC Canada

    ReplyDelete
  6. Glad to hear all is well. I have wondered about you since Independance Day and especially about your firefighter with the tough year.

    My folks made it 61 years - mom passed a year ago in June and dad last month. He wanted so badly to be with her and spent that last year with only "half his heart". I don't go to the movies to see "Love Stories" - my father and father in law took amazing care of their wives who lost their health first. Sounds like there are fine people in your family. Something wonderful for young people to witness -especially in today's world!

    I hope you can post more often, but understand it is freezer filling season!

    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such an exciting year. Prayers for your continued blessings.

    A.Jones
    Florida

    ReplyDelete
  8. You have been missed! Glad to see you back. Your celebration looks lovely. You live in a beautiful place. Cow pies and all.

    ReplyDelete
  9. So good to hear from you again, was wondering how things were going with the butchering business. Glad all is well, and congratulations to your parents on 50 years together!

    ReplyDelete
  10. How did the 2018 season go? Hopefully you and your family business are flourishing.

    ReplyDelete