I {heart} dirt.

... and a few other things too.

Yesterday vs. Today

Yesterday.
Sunshine. Warmth. Wind.

Today.
Clouds. Chill. Wind (again).

Yesterday.
Exhaustion. Frustration. A LOT of "stuff" to deal with.

Today.
Rest. Exercise. Energy. A LOT of "stuff" to deal with.

I got home yesterday afternoon absolutely exhausted.
It was a day that I wish could have found it's way into the VCR with an automatic rewind option. Every little thing about it made things only seem to get worse. Finally at 8:45 I decided that bed was probably the best place for me.
The dishes would wait, the laundry didn't need to be folded immediately, and I was only getting more and more frustrated, irritated & grouchy.
I grabbed the book I'm currently reading (again).

Do you have a neighbor that is right there when you need them? Any time, any day?

Do you share a fence with that person who listens to your highs and lows, and doesn't just listen, but HEARS your cry for help?

We do. We all do. But, like any friendship, it requires time, it requires energy, it requires faith, it requires trust... and not just when it's convinient.
That neighbor, that friend... He's right here, right now. He is what he says He is. He's not fake, he's not on vacation, he's not wishing to do things over. He's here. Right now. Ready & willing ... not tomorrow, not yesterday... NOW.

This book, the chapter I read last night... it wasn't anything I didn't already know or hadn't heard before, but I needed to read it. Even though I was tired and full of pitty, the time I took to read the short chapter was well spent. It reminded me of the simple truth of how essential it is to live in the present. Not worrying about what is to come. Not wishing to do things over. Living now. Experiencing life to the fullest. Not regreting yesterday. Not promising tomorrow. Living NOW!
... and I'm doing my very best to live "now" with joy, a non-judgemental spirit, peace, and hope... in anticipation of the best that is yet to come!

Yesterday.
Anxious. Grouchy. Overwhelmed. Late. Tired.

Today.
Organized. Rested. Patient. Mindful. Living.

Maybe I should go to bed at 8:45 every night.

Oh... and mom, to read some of what I'm reading yourself ... go here-> Next Door Savior
(love you)

These Cheeks

are soft.



are chubby.



and definitely add character.

Guess What?

I figured out how to take pictures of girls... not just boys.

And it was fun. Actually, a lot of fun.

... but not fun enough to make me want to have another baby

with the unlikely chance that it might be a girl. :)

Pickin' some flowers.

I did my yearly flower purchase from the FFA this afternoon.

I'm pretty sure Mack is more excited about it than anyone else.

I'm not going to complain though.

Who wouldn't want hand picked flowers from their baby?!

Hey mom...

I'm lookin' at you!

This 3 year old boy with rosy cheeks and a good start on his "farmers tan" is always lookin' at things, always hearin' things (even when you don't want him to) & is constantly keepin' things interesting.

With his white blanket(AKA "WHITEY" ... which really should be "brownie") in tow this morning, he jumps out of the car and shouts... Positive Radio!! (in his best "Positive Life Radio" jingle voice).

I couldn't help but smile. I'm so thankful that he's "listening to" and "hearing" that!

Tulips, tulips & more tulips.

Proverbs 31:25

A woman who knows who she belongs to can face tomorrow with a smile.

I'm re-reading my journal from when I was a part of a wonderful women's studya few years ago: Do You Think I'm Beautiful? by Angela Thomas.

I grabbed it off the shelf the other night. I read a bit, smiled, & put it back.

This afternoon, I reached for it again. I read a bit more, pondered, and continued to read... and it wasn't long before I found this highlighted & underlined paragraph:

It's never too late to become the woman God has always wanted you to be. He wants you to be His beautiful bride. Don't hear me say that He wants you or me when we're perfect. That has been the point all along. God knows it's just us. A woman like you and a woman like me. Flawed. Insecure. Sometimes downright embarrassing. But not to God. He sees you and me covered by the sacrifice of Christ, and we are beautiful to Him.

Wow.

Just like my excitement and anticipation and enthrallment with these tulips each spring... God has all that, and more... for me... and for you! (and thankfully, it's not just in the spring)

Now, that's what I call beautiful.

No, I'm not addicted....

but I just can't seem to get enough of these moments, these looks, these gifts.

Seriously.

I've been having those breath-taking, awe-filled, sit back and stare moments continually as I upload the pictures I've taken the last week or so.

There are days when I wish for time to fly... and then, there are days when I want to freeze everything just the way it is.

The rosy cheeks.

The dimpled chin.



The worn out John Deere boots that still have a bit of shine.



The chubby little hand.



... and the tulips.



This season. This stage. These moments. This minute.

... that's what I'm addicted to.

Some Days Are Better Than Others

and today was one of those days.

Good.

Not great.

But definitely "good."

... just not so much for Mack.

Teeth, drool, more teeth, a runny nose and just a plain, "sad" look tonight.


Yep... he's mommy's little monster & still as cute as can be... even when he's sad.

Great Pacific

Been there?
Had their tasty food?
Ever enjoyed the atmosphere only GP can provide?

Seriously. It's the BEST.

I was able to go to one of my favorite places - with some of my very favorite people - to celebrate Ronda!!

and... even Mack had a GREAT time!

To Whom Much is Given... Much is Required.

I want to be an amazing wife.

I want to be a great mother.

I want to be a writer that inspires.

I want to take pictures that show real, honest & un-edited life.

I want to be a teacher that makes a difference.

I want to be a friend that is approached easily.

I want to be.


God has blessed me with talents that only He can give.
He has given me words.
He has given me an eye.
He has given me more than I can even articulate.

He has given me much... and yet I still compete.

He has given me the ablility to relate to others easily... and yet I still misinterpret conversations, take things personally, and get frustrated easily.

He has taught me to be content with what I have... and yet there are days when I wish for more, I worry about the future, and I dream of that which isn't obtainable.

God has shown me the value in "giving much" to others with no expectations... and yet there are days when all I want is to be recognized.

God has allowed me to shine in ways I never thought possible.
And even in those "shining" moments, I wonder why I still have the tendancy to be competitive?
I want to be the best.
I never want to lose.
I want to shine.

Max (the author in which I am so very thankful for) always brings my thoughts to life. If his books were written for one person... I think that one person would be me. Lucky for us, his books are read world wide & can offer encouragement through the Word of God to each and every reader.

Try it.
Read one of his books.
Read it and allow it to change you.
Read it and make it come to life.
Read it and re-read it.

Quit comparing.
Quit competing.
Quit worrying.
Quit.

Don't miss another opportunity to connect patience with understanding.
Don't let the little things get to you.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Don't try to fix the problem when God already has it under control.
Don't let your pride get in the way of your ministry.

This post...it was written for me.
I'm writing it to myself today.
I'm writing this post to remind my freckled, blessed self to stop over-analyzing, to stop trying to do everything on my own, to stop worrying about what others think or don't think, and to enjoy just being.

Being the "being" I've been created to be.

I have been given much... and to whom much is given, much is required.

Now... Lindsay, let Him do His work.

Dancin' the Night Away!

Pull-up + PJ top + Pumped up Volume = Mason & Mimzy dancin' the night away!

A Day Like Today.

Eating breakfast at McDonalds.

Sorting cow/calf pairs.

Jumping creeks.

Feeding hay.

Moving cows and calves to spring/summer pastures.

Enjoying the view.

name change

The name of my rural,farm & ranch lifestyle based column in the newspaper is going to be Bales & Tales... so, I decided to change this blog to Bales & Tales too...


Never fear... there will still be plenty of "tails" involved!

Hope you are having a Happy Saturday!

"livin' the dream"

Irrigation (defined by Webster's Dictionary): the watering of land by artificial means to foster plant growth.

Irrigation (defined by me): April-October, circle tracks, pivot points, hand lines, wheel lines, nozzles, end guns, irrigation canals, wells, shut-off valves, drip lines, hoses, ponds, pressure valves, rubber boots, rain gear, pumps, clusters, water... which really means: BUSY!

I have a love/hate relationship with this part of the year. The teacher in me looks forward to my months away from the classroom, but the farm/ranch wife in me knows that my "break" isn't really a break at all. There are pastures to check, lunches to make, parts to pick up, phone calls to make, cookies to bake, mineral to place, and lots & lots of pictures to take.

These 7 months of irrigation, swathing, baling, stacking, fixing, replacing, driving, cutting, mowing, harvesting,... all these "wonderful" things that seem to define our life, they're bitter sweet.

They require time.
They require strength.
They require patience.
They require endurance.
They require understanding.

Not just for the farmer… but for his wife too.
Not just for the farmer… but for his children too.
Not just for the farmer… but for his friends too.

There isn’t a set time for dinner.
Dark isn’t a sign of completion. In fact, there are many times when dark means the work is just beginning.
Summer vacation… hmmm… what’s that??

Well... it's that time of year again.

The time when plants & crops will begin to grow.
The time when fields will thrive with irrigation of many forms.
The time of year when the sun will shine almost all the time & daylight is never wasted.

The balers will be pulled out of the shops, the swathers will make their way to the field, and the combines will be waxed and ready to go.
Those farmers and ranchers that you know, those people who work the land... well... they're going to be “livin' the dream.”

So... the next time you're out and about and you meet a tractor going down the road, or you see a swather cutting some hay, or maybe some combine dust circling in the middle of a field catches your eye... take some time, watch those farmers and ranchers in action... and see for yourself what their life is all about.

Techy Friday!

So... part of my job... well, actually... a HUGE part of my job is giving teachers & students opportunities to utilize the technology we are blessed enough to have at my school.

Today... Techy Friday... I showed them how to design a powerpoint slide with pictures & clip art & text. That part was easy. Then we saved their slides as a JPEG. That part was easy too.

Seriously... you can do A LOT with your pictures (WITHOUT PHOTOSHOP)... here's proof!

Theme Songs.

We didn't really watch much TV growing up, but seriously... what happened to these "classics?"

The shows that taught meaningful lessons.... not all of them, but a lot of them.

The families that everyone could relate to.... somehow, someway.

The cute stars that you put posters of all over your closet door or inside your locker.

The show that made you want to move to Dallas... or visit the bar where everyone knew your name.

The programs that made you instantly feel good just hearing their theme song?

What happened?
Where have they gone?
Why can't they come back?

I'm curious... which one was your favorite??

These Two.

The light.

The intense facial expressions.

The understanding.

The love.

It get's me every time.