Sunny Royal Slope Dairy

Spent the last Saturday in September 2007 at one of my favorite places in the world.
So many memories.
So many life experiences.
So many great things that helped make me the farmer's wife I am today.

All it took was one summer of making lunches, changing pipe, riding 4-wheelers, feeding baby calves... and "living" there... not just visiting.
I knew from that summer on, that I was going to have a life like that...
It's not all that I dreamed it to be.
It's not as glamorous as I once thought it was.
It's a life of hard work, long hours, tiring chores, endless lists of things to do... and... it's no longer that life that I dreamed I would have - it's reality.
It's a life I wouldn't trade for anything.

Sunny Royal Slope Dairy.
Home of my Uncle Tom & Aunt Hazel.
Home of their six amazing sons: Tom, Tim, Tony, Ted, Todd, Troy.
Home of the 2 giant silos that serve as landmarks to many. The landmarks I smile at each time I see them.
Home of the dairy barns, the corn fields, the milk parlor, the silage pit.
Home.

The family that started as 2 - 51 years ago, is now a family of 33... 34 hopefully tomorrow.
It's a family that supports, encourages, loves, guides, cares for, and is the true meaning of the word "together." The saying "home - it's where your story begins" is their life motto.
Hazel - the wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin... is going through some major battles physically. She is headed to Spokane for treatment this week as she welcomes her first great-granddaughter into their family. She needs our prayers - prayers for strength, for peace, for rest... for assurance, for hope, for a miracle.

Aunt Hazel - may you know in your heart how much you - as a mother of 6 boys, as a wife of a busy farmer, as a 4-H mom extraordinaire, as a woman with a generous and caring spirit, as yourself... may you know what a gift you are.
May you know how much I treasure the life lessons I've learned from you. (and I know I'm not the only one)
May you always remember how much we all appreciate your smile and shining eyes.
May you never doubt how much you are loved and admired by all of us.
Blessings to you sweet woman and may your 70th birthday (tomorrow) be one that marks a new beginning for the rest of your life.
We love you.

Why?

The house is cleaner now than it ever has been.
The laundry is done - folded, put away, done.
The floors have been mopped.
The bathrooms have been scrubbed.
The boys are both sleeping - at the same time.
The candles are burning.
The paint is drying.
The music is playing.
The rain is falling and I'm breathing deeply.

All of these "great" things that have happened in the last 6 hours... and yet, I'm still struggling.
I'm worn out with scolding & spanking.
I'm tired of saying "NO"... over and over and over.
I started saying "YES" instead... and it just got worse.
Why do parents have to go through this?
Why can't kids just do what they're told... the first time.
Why is he good for everyone else but us?
Why, why, why?

Needing some prayer right now.
Trying my best to stay calm and rationale - but it is so hard.
Feeling like everything is maxed out - and something is going to explode.... hopefully not him.

Going back to work on Monday might not be such a bad thing.

A New Look.

Still freckled.
Still 5' 8 1/2" tall.
Still wearing flip-flops. (year round)
Still watching Little House on the Prairie re-runs.
Still loving my boys.
Still dreaming of writing an inspirational book.
Still saving $ for a new camera.
Still picking strawberries from the garden.
Still painting.
Still seeking Him.
Still folding clothes.
Still eating Peanut M&M's.
Still finding out who I am.
Still praying for all of you.

Still me... just with a new look.

Thanks to Nikki & Ang... & the local optometrist.

Watch Out Les Schwab...

When you're traveling through some cute little town in the Pacific Northwest 22 years from now....

and you see a a huge tire shop called "Mason Murdock,"

... drop in, have some popcorn & a handful of M&M's, and know that you're going to have your flat fixed in no time at all.

Watch out Les Schwab... your competition is the cutest 2 1/2 year old I've ever seen.

** and don't worry... he didn't really back it up and head for the mountain... honest!

Spiders

Not such a big fan of spiders.
Never have been & I'm pretty sure I never will be.
... but, I am totally and completely intrigued by spider webs... like this one in my yard today.





They're amazing.
Each one is unique.
Each one is spun with grace.
Each one tells a story.

One of my favorite books of all times is Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.
Great story.
Great friendship.
Great spider.

One of my favorite parts is this conversation between Wilbur and Charlotte:

"Why did you do all this for me?" he asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you." You've been my friend, " replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a little, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that."

Each time I read that and I can't help but remind myself to be a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend like that.
Doing something for someone just because.
Not to keep score. Not to be the best. Not to get the praise.
Just to give with a generous heart and smile as someone else shines!
*(Not having such an easy time with that right now - especially with my husband... but that's a whole different post coming soon... just need to scan the "tally sheet" he made during dinner tonight. I'm sure you can see where this one is going. Hmmm.)

Now... If only I could find a web that said TERRIFIC.

Today... well, actually... yesterday

I've just arrived home from another late "crazy craft night" with Ang. I'm thinking we need to make a habit of it - I've accomplished so much.
Like this: .
It's going to be perfect to display a photo of my friend Jen's baby!

And now... well...

My boys are asleep - all of them.
There isn't a sound - except for the click of my computer mouse and the keys of my keyboard.
It's peaceful.
My mind isn't racing.
I'm relaxed.

Today... well, actually... yesterday, was a peaceful day (for the most part).

• I trimmed Mason's hair. What a joke. You'd have thought I was killing the kid.
  
  
• I went to the bank, signed paperwork, and ordered a new debit card. (remember - my swiper doesn't work)
  
  
• I bought a calendar for 2008. Can you believe it's the year 2008. I honestly remember thinking that I wouldn't live past 2000 when I was in 6th grade. Obviously I wasn't good at math because here it is 2007 and I'm only 31... and I know I have many years ahead of me!



• I sent Ian's 4-6 dues in. 4-6 is his idea of a service club. I'm pretty sure that a club that doesn't allow women and is named after the hours that the bar is open for members to socialize every 2 months on a given Saturday in the Let 'er Buck room isn't a service club... far from it. But... I still sent his dues in and was thrilled to answer "yes" when he asked me for the 56th time if I sent them in.
  
  
• I took Mason to McDonalds and let him play, and play, and play. I had no real agenda and the boy was thrilled just to be climbing & sliding & playing. I'm pretty sure that I've never been so relaxed in the Playland part of McDonalds in my entire life... and we were there for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Unbelievable.
  
  
• I drove to Irrigon. First time in my life I've ever been there. Is that pathetic or what?! - considering it is only a few miles from the place I've called home the last 10 years? My "friend" Amy works there and for the past couple of weeks, I've really felt a need to "meet" her. We've only known each other through "blog world" ... so today.... well, actually... yesterday, was my opportunity to give her a "real" hug. So thankful for her and her sincere heart and spirit! Happy that I can call her friend without the quotation marks now!



• Scraped wallpaper. Hate it, but have to do it.



• Found Mason in the Tahoe with the dogs. Not happy about that at all. Asked him what he was doing... his response: "Taking Jack for a drive mommy." Hmmm... that kid.



• Filled out my calendar. Is this really my last week at home?! Is the calendar already filling up?! Are my days of sleeping in and eating breakfast with Mason out on the back patio over? No comment. Still not ready to accept it.



• Visited with my dear, dear friend Angela. Has it really been 9 years since that evening on Coe Ave.? Look at us now - wives of farmers, mothers of boys... friends for life.
  I've truly enjoyed our time together during this "vacation" I've been on and will miss our middle of the day phone calls, trips to each other's homes, hot chocolate/coffee from Starbucks, hot-tubbing, craft nights... but they will continue... just not during the day. :)



• Had soup, crackers, grapes, and milk for dinner with Mason. Delicious!



• Played with my boys on the floor for a hour. No tears, no time-outs, no crying. Priceless.



• Bathed the boys, sang "Take Me Out of the Bathtub" 2 times.



• Drove to Angela's. Created great things. Felt very productive!
  Your recipe book is in the mail Becky - I Promise!!

Feeling like my posts only consist of lists lately, but I function best with lists... so go figure.
I'm trying to make the most of this last week of "vacation," but feeling a bit of anxiety. Wish I wasn't, but I am. So thankful I've had time to get settled in our new home, to play with Mason, to see the changes in Mack that happen every day, to eat lunch with my husband at our kitchen table, to just be. Hoping that the chaos of going back to work doesn't take away from the "just being" part of my life I've come to love. Loving that this all happened because of this sweet little boy:

How safe do you feel...

knowing that I take photos while driving?!
(and pretty darn good ones at that)

I know, I know... it's not safe, it's crazy, it's dumb... but I feel like "driving" is all I've been doing the past 24 hours, and so... in keeping up with the daily happenings in this crazy life I'm so blessed to be able to call "MINE"... you get to travel along with me!

I haven't really loved the driving I've had to do - in fact I haven't really liked it at all.
I've had to practice patience, I've had to travel to places that I'd rather not go, and I've done it with a partial smile on my face. Thank God my boys are good travelers, and don't require any entertainment that isn't just part of the drive... like stacks of hay, people with flat tires, Wal-Mart trucks, trains, balers, rakes, tractors, and a bridge or two. Seriously - who needs a DVD player?!

So... what has this "driving" done for me... for us??

~ Quality time together.
~ Spilled gatorade.
~ Soaking wet pants.
~ Sleep. (for the boys - Ian included)
~ Frustration.
~ Beautiful scenery.
~ 2 full gas tanks.
~ A visit to another state. (twice)
~ Laughter.
~ Singing.
~ Broken headlights.
~ A truck load of hay.
~ A flat tire.
~ A bug-spattered windshield (totally obvious in the photos)
... and one happy little truck driver!

Blessings to you this Sunday.
May you see the ordinary (things that seem to become a part of your life even when it's not what you're really wanting) as extraordinary because you're lucky enough to call those things "yours."
(that is what I'm trying to do)

Oh, The Places You'll Sleep...

I never knew that "resting" was such hard work... until I met Mason.

He goes and goes and goes, and never wants to rest.

But when those eyes finally close -- well, it's never in the same place.

The tractor.
The floor.
The tiny couch he's about outgrown.

and today... the bed.

As I peeked in on him, I couldn't help but smile... and then I wrote this in his baby book:

Mason - you are such a precious, energetic little boy. You've grown up so much this summer and I can't believe that my time at home with you is about to be over. I love you. Even when I'm scolding you and throwing my hands into the air in disbelief, I still love you. You are the miracle that I'm so blessed to call mine - the little boy I wouldn't trade for anything. In a few years from now, this "trying" and frustrating time in our relationship will be a distant memory (or at least I hope so) and we both will be better people because of it. I look forward to watching you become the boy/ little man that God has created you to be and am so thankful that He is already at work in and through that sweet spirit of yours. Rest my sweet child, close your eyes and rest, for the next adventure is about to begin!

What do you have to lose?

As I sat on the floor of my bedroom a few weeks ago - organizing the shelves on one of my many bookshelves, I stared in awe at the number of journals I've filled over the years.
Some are journals I kept while reading a book or doing a bible study.
Some are filled with verses and quotes.
Some are filled with day to day happenings in my life just a few short years ago.
... and some are filled with prayer requests and praises to God for His goodness, mercy & love.

As I flipped through the pages of the journal my friend Liz and I kept together almost 10 years ago I smiled to myself and instantly knew what I needed to post about. So here goes:

Liz and I were friends instantly. We both lived on the "quiet" floor of East Dorion. I still can't believe I lived on the quiet floor. Anyway... We had some similarities, but the real bond that glued us together was Christ. I remember her suggesting one day that we meet once a week and share struggles/praises/life with each other, keep a prayer journal, and commit to spending 30 minutes together focusing on prayer. I wasn't much of a prayer warrior during that time in my life, in fact, my prayer life is pretty sporadic and definitely goes through seasons, but I was game. What did I have to lose?
At first I wasn't always comfortable telling her my struggles and felt a little ridiculous asking her to pray about a test coming up, or my relationship with a friend, or my self-esteem... but as time went on, it got easier and with each passing week I grew to rely on our "prayer time" for strength to make it through the "challenging" times that college life brought.
And now... just because I am out of college doesn't mean that I don't crave that weekly time where my thoughts and feelings are handed over to God. Don't get me wrong, I still pray each and every day - during good times and bad - but having a partner, a journal, someone to hold me accountable... that is what I miss. I need that list - where requests are made known and then circled and starred and highlighted when answered. The challenges of college don't even compare to the challenges of married life, children, a career... I could go on and on. Why can't I have that "journal" again in my life at the age of 31? Hmmmm....

so... I started a new journal on September 9th.
A journal that has only a few pages filled so far, but each page lists friends (bloggers and non-bloggers) and specific things I'm earnestly and whole-heartily praying for them. Some have asked specifically for prayer in certain areas of their life, but the majority I just pray for and hope that God is touching their lives in some way. I pray for peace, for assurance, for love.
I don't have time this fall to attend a bible study, but I do have time to pray, and so here
I am - challenging myself to sincerely and honestly pray for myself and others and watch God work!

So where do you fit in? Well...
This blog has brought so many people into my life, and I've been totally and completely blessed by the relationships it has created, restored, and inspired.
My request to those of you who read it:

Email me at murdock@eotnet.net . Give me something specific to pray about for you and your family. Prayer is powerful. It is a direct line to God where the call-waiting beep doesn't interrupt, where there are no overage fees, where it's as real as you want to make it.

I'm not an "in-your-face" Christian. Never have been, and don't think I ever will be. I live my life in a simple and honest way, hoping to show others who God is and what He can do. I'm passionate about Him and feel that the best way for me to share Christ with others is by being the woman He has created me to be.
Trusting, caring, honest, open, sincere, and worthy of His goodness, mercy & grace.

Join me - what do you have to lose?!

Things I've Learned Today...

~ Child sized John Deere "Gators" are not meant to be driven in mud.
~ Socks don't keep mud from oozing inside the holes of "Crocs."
~ Muddy socks are best left in the field where your mom won't find them.
~ Gators go fast, Bucks go faster... especially when chasing after them down a gravel road.
~ "Thank" and "You" are the hardest two words for two year olds to say...
~ The three hardest words: "I" "Am" "Sorry" ... no matter what the age.
~ Remaining calm during the intense moments with a two year old is close to impossible.
~ Crying due to frustration and exhaustion is something two year olds and moms do well.
~ A heart shaped wooden spoon hurts just as bad as a regular wooden spoon.
~ Two year old children can stand in line patiently at the local post office.
~ Standing in the long, long line at the local post office with a two year old is totally worth it when there is a package to be picked up.
~ Debit cards can only be used for so long and then the "swiper" won't work.
~ Postmasters are terrific for pointing out that little known fact.
~ Keys work almost as well as scissors when opening a package.
~ Receiving an angel (to add to my collection) makes everything bad fade away... for at least 3 minutes.
~ Milkshakes only come in two sizes at Jack 'N The Box - large and extra-large.... and the lid is ridiculous.
~ When your child is begging for a milkshake - don't go to Jack 'N The Box.
~ Sharing is hard for everyone - no matter what the age.
~ Tortilla chips and a 3 month old don't mix.
~ Trying to explain to a two year old the reason why babies can't eat tortilla chips is pointless.
~ I'm not the mom I thought I would be.
~ I don't have as much patience when I'm tired.
~ I have the best baby in the world.
~ I have the cutest, naughtiest, stubbornest, funniest, most lovable son in the world.
~ I have a lot to learn tomorrow.

The clean sheets on my bed have never looked so good.
Goodnight.

sleepy heads

7:45 a.m.



4:45 p.m.



just can't get enough of these sweet moments when I find them "together"
... not always safe, but sweet.

Ordinary = Extraordinary

Love this video.
Love its message.
Love the thought of the "ordinary" things in my life possibly becoming extraordinary.

Brunch

Celebrated Mimzy's 60th birthday today.
Great food.
Excellent conversation.
Quality time.
Perfect.

Boots

Saw them.

Loved them.

Had to have them.



Thought they'd be perfect for riding Pepper the pony
... but I guess they're meant to be used on heavy equipment!
Go figure.





Happy Saturday!

Fruit of the Spirit.

Why is it so easy to be grouchy with the person I love most?
Why is it so hard to be patient with the cutest little boy in America?
Why am I holding my sweet sleeping baby and weeping?

I've had an interesting evening.
I finished my "thankful" post and then everything went to hell.
Mason wouldn't do anything we asked.
Happy, always content, lovable Mack cried and cried and cried.
Ian tried to be helpful, but I was irritated and frustrated and tired... and my grouchy attitude just pushed him away.

So here I sit... 10:00 p.m.... staring at the calendar through the tears in my eyes... not ready to go back to work... sad that I was grouchy after a "great" day... thankful for these words I took some time to read tonight... and I'm going to read them again - first thing in the morning ... right after I eat these strawberries I picked today.

From the Max Lucado Devotional Bible:

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose to love.
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy.
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I choose peace.
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience.
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.
I choose kindness.
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness.
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.
I choose faithfulness.
Today I will keep my promises.
I choose gentleness.
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
I choose self-control.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I will be drunk only by joy.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

thankful for...

(in no particular order)


• fresh flowers.
• clean sheets.
• running water
• little hands.
• summer vacation.
• tylenol.
• family reunions.
• prayer.
• ice cream.
• cell phones.
• shopping carts.
• maternity leave.
• photographs.
• shade.
• books.
• flip-flops.
• sunsets.
• Christmas.
• computers.
• soldiers.
• wood stoves.
• history books.
• empty dishwasher.
• strawberries.
• cameras.
• friends.
• the Word of God.
• hugs.
• guacamole fresca.
• a card from a friend.
• my mom's apple pie.
• the birth of a child.
• blogs.
• smiles.
• good conversation.
• lawn chairs.
• umbrellas.
• bicycle rides.
• air-conditioning.
• seat belts.
• praise music.
• family.
• peanut buster parfaits.
• sincerity.
• photoshop.
• laughter.
• my cattleman.
• good health.
• a long walk.
• teachers.
• the beach.
• peacefully sleeping children.
• email.
• golf courses.
• still, quiet moments.
• farmers.
• JESUS!

Had a great visit with a friend this afternoon and we decided to create "thankful" lists. Check hers out HERE.
Sounds pretty easy right?!
It was at first.
Thoughts, things, people... they all came flooding into my mind. And then suddenly I started thinking more and writing less and actually began to pray. My prayers were for specific things and praises to God for the many, many blessings that are a part of my every day life... things that sometimes go unnoticed, but really are a crucial part of me... a crucial part of my happiness, and the happiness of my family!

so... what are you thankful for today?!

Photoshop

Having fun with photoshop.
Amazing what you can do when you take the time to learn
- or in my case -
have the time to learn.

I love pictures - obviously - and I am totally loving that I can put a few of them together and add words with just a few clicks.
So excited to print a few... and maybe even make a note card or two.

We Got Problems

Nail biting...

and a horrible dislike of swings.

Where did this come from?
How can I stop it?
What's a mom to do?

HELP!

Multnomah Falls

Having a weird day today.
Kind of in a "funk."
Not sure why... but feeling like I'm watching my life roll right by from a distance.
(does that even make sense? ... not so much, but like I said... today has been a weird day)

Took these photos yesterday as I was driving home from Portland.
Love the beauty that we are so blessed to have just a few short hours away.
Thankful that the Lord makes All Things Beautiful.
Even me... when I'm in a weird "funk."

2 1/2 months already?

Where has the time gone?

How do you change so quickly?

What is that little mind thinking?

Why can't you stay this size forever?

I love you sweet baby boy!

Deep Conversation

I love being home right now.

Truly enjoying the moments when I can capture this:

I can only imagine what Mason was telling Mack all about.

empty.

My mom and her sister recently made a trip to Holden Village to visit their cousin and her husband. They had a wonderful time in the mountains just outside of Wenatchee and came home with some very amazing things. One being this bowl my aunt gave to me for my birthday.



I love bowls. (Just like my sweet friend Becky)
I'm always filling bowls with stuff - don't we all??!!
I seem to gravitate towards bowls in some of my favorite shops... looking for bowls with character.
Red bowls, yellow bowls, clear bowls, wooden bowls, small bowls, large bowls.

As I read the piece of paper inside the bowl my aunt gave to me, my outlook on bowls suddenly changed.

It went a little something like this:
"A monastic tradition of many religions is to go begging in the morning with an empty bowl. Whatever will be placed in the bowl, whether it is a little or a lot, will be enough for the day's nourishment. Even the Japanese word for a begging bowl is "oroko"... meaning "Just Enough."
Although we no longer have the discipline of begging as an honorable sign of dependence on God, we can practice being of the same mind as a beggar: spiritually hungry, receptive, grateful.
A young man, much like the one who came to Jesus, came to a wise monk to learn what was necessary to become holy. He had many questions about the right way to do things. The monk simply asked him to sit and pour tea into a cup until told to stop. When he asked why the monk didn't stop him, the monk replied: "Because you are a full cup. Until you experience emptiness, there is no room for God."
Many people come to Holden to be "filled up," yet ironically, going away empty is another way to think of renewal. May this bowl remain empty (no peanuts, no paper clips) as a reminder of need and trust in God who provides for us even beyond our awareness.
Beg daily to be filled with the Breath of God, the Spirit that will nourish, enliven, and direct your personal work."

Pretty sure that this bowl I've added to my "collection" is going to stay empty... as a daily reminder to come to God - empty - ready and waiting to be filled!

Thanks Aunt Loanne - I LOVE my bowl!

These are just a few...

of my FAVORITE things: