Oh... to be 1 again.

It may have been your birthday Mack...

but YOU are the gift to the rest of us!!

Oat Hay

There aren't many times that I don't have my camera.
My family has gotten quite used to the strap around my neck & yesterday when I was without it for about 20 minutes, I felt bare.

One of the good - well, in my mind, GREAT - things about having my camera with me at all times is that I can catch moments like this that show what life is really like in our world.

This is Ian multi-tasking (moving pipe in waist-high oat hay and talking on the phone at the same time). Silly me - I thought only girls could multi-task! He talked as he moved that heavy pipe the entire time.
Once again, he's proven me wrong.

{1}

Whatever your year brings Mack,
I promise
to help celebrate
YOU
all year long!

Happy Birthday Little Man!

You are loved, your are treasured, you are a gift from God!

Why is it so hard...

to remember that this boy of mine is only 3 1/2?

I have such high expectations of him, and seem shocked when a temper tantrum arises, he has to be right next to me in a crowd, or I have to repeat myself several times to get him to do what I ask.

He's really not that much different than an adult. I'm sure my anger outburst toward my husband two days ago would qualify as a temper tantrum. I'm also quite positive that when I'm short on sleep, my coping skills aren't so great either. I wonder what I was like at 3?

Life as our 3 1/2 year old is far from average.

He spends lots of time in the shop "working" with Fernando and Miguel.
He moves pipe in the morning with his dad.
He knows all the neighboring farmers and loves to stop and chat about "nothing" with them.
He reminds me to stop at the little mini-mart up the road to get gatorade, strawberry milk and donuts. Hmmm. Wonder where that menu came from?
He knows when it's necessary to use a wrench, and when a bolt is missing.
He even "jacked up" his Buck the other day, insisting it had a flat he was fixing.

Mason has spent the past month living the life of his 31 year old dad & has been keeping up just fine! He's been working - truly working.

But... this week, the last 3 days ... all he's wanted to do is be with me. This is not the usual behavior & his dad has been a little miffed.
Being with me has meant organizing VBS (click here to see pictures of the final day), counting change for the penny war, pushing Mack around in the stroller here, there and everywhere, trying his best to be helpful in all situations (which usually translates to a mess of some sort), making cookies, taking care of online banking issues, grocery shopping, preparing for our upcoming family reunion, and doing our every-day household chores.

He's swept the floor, he's vacuumed, he's washed the table, he's made the beds. He even unloaded the dishwasher yesterday.

I can't quite figure it out... wouldn't raking hay, riding bikes, working on his Gator or Buck, swathing, moving pipe, and taking a nap on the floor of the tractor be a little more adventurous? A little more fun?

Whatever the reason for this "need" to be with me, I'm not going to complain.
I've loved the time with him & can't seem to hear his "I huv you mom" enough.
And honestly - I know in my heart that this will not last forever.

So today, even when the temper tantrum begins & the mess he's created needs to be cleaned, I'm going to remember that my little (yet not so little) boy is truly one of the best gifts I've been given.

Wordless Wednesday

TAG ... You're It!

So my friend Angela tagged me... and I did my best to play along... but gave it my own twist too. I did NOT clean up first, and I took the pictures all within approximately 8 minutes of each other...

except for the dream vacation ... which would be to New Zeland!!
{haven't quite made it there yet}



This is me ... freckled, loved, blessed.



This is Mack & Jack ... silly, smiley, full of love.



This is my favorite room in our house right now ... peaceful, quiet, clean.







This is my kitchen sink ... deep, necessary, almost empty at the moment.



This is our bathroom ... green, calming, playful.



This is my closet ... color-coded, organized, me.





This is our refrigerator ... clean, stocked, loved.



These are my flipflops ... not all, but most.



This is our laundry room ... a close 2nd place for my favorite room!



and that folks, is life in our home ... well, some of it ...

{more to come later}

wanna play along??!! TAG ... You're It!

Always.

Always thinking.



Always moving.



Always looking.



Always & forever... mine.

The Unknown.

I'm not a big fan of the unknown.

I really can't think of anyone I know who is.

Don't get me wrong...
I make an honest effort to trust and believe in what I can not see.
I put my hope in Him.
I walk in the Light.
I look forward to the plans He has for me.
I try to live each and every day to the fullest sharing His goodness with those around me.

But there is still this thing about the unknown that I fear.

The husband of one of my dear, dear friends and co-worker died this week.
I'm at a loss of what to say or do.
I feel hopeless, and I shouldn't.
I feel anxious about the future, and I can't say why.
I'm struggling with the "unknown."
He, our Heavenly Father, has everything under control... and if I'm going to say that I believe that, my actions better match up with my words... but today, as I mourn for this family and think of my own, that is easier to say than do.

Our life is but a blink of an eye. The moments, the smiles, the tears, the laughter, even the stillness... they all make up this thing that we call life.
Through this tragedy, I am once again reminded that my life is not my own. I have no say in when I will live my last day... none of us do.

I have this quote in a frame in our bathroom, and I truly believe Abe Lincoln says it best: "It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years!"

Through tragedy, there is hope.
Through death, there is life.
Through sadness, there can & will be joy.

Please be praying for this wonderful, yet grieving family as they remember and celebrate the life of their brother, husband, father, grandfather & friend. He lived a wonderful life and will be missed greatly!

Guess What?!

It seems as though our two little heelers wandered into a pea field Sunday night, jumped in a pickup, spent the past couple of days with a few other heelers, and were well taken care of by one of the guys harvesting the field.

This GREAT guy - don't know anything about him, but he's GREAT in our book - saw the sign I made with the box and pictures on the main corner about a mile and a half away. He called us & met Ian down at the Short Stop to deliver Jack and Jill about 30 minutes ago!

Praise God - He is so good & all of our prayers (yours & mine) have been answered!
Thank you all for looking, searching, & praying.

Can't tell you the last time any of us have been this excited about anything. :)

They're home!!

Father's Day

If you'd of asked me 7 years ago what I'd be doing on Father's Day, I probably would have given one of the following responses:

Golfing.

Watching some golf.

Traveling/Vacationing.

Maybe even hiking.

The Annual Umatilla County Cattleman's Picnic would not have been my answer.

As I rounded one of the last corners of my drive South East on Sunday morning, my destination sat miles ahead reaching into the bright blue sky. It was
beautiful.

The people I've grown to know and love sat amongst the pine trees, conversing about the price of hay, fuel, and the cattle market. The smell of steaks and ice cold beer moved with the breeze. Children ran and played throughout the park.

This man, my husband and father of my two beautiful boys, has given me a life I love. He's introduced me to things and people that I can't imagine life without. He's become a father, a cattleman, a farmer & a husband that I'm so very proud of. And even if he doesn't golf, or hike... he does so much... so very, very much more.

Ian - may you know that your height isn't the only thing that makes you stand out in a crowd.

Thank you for the life you've given me and our boys... we wouldn't trade it for anything!

We are...

and

Still no sign of those two silly dogs.

Got one phone call... not the right dogs.

The farm at the old house knows they're lost, so they will keep an eye out for them I'm sure.

We're doing a lot of "coulda, shoulda, woulda" and we need to stop, but it's hard not to think about all the "if's."

SO... there you have it.

Life does continue.

But it's not easy.

nothing

I have signs up.

I called the radio.

Pet Rescue isn't open on Mondays.

We called the vets.

We've driven here, there and everywhere looking.

They're gone.

And after talking to some of the neighbors, it seems like they were following a group riding their horses & most likely were taken home by them. Everyone around here knows that we're missing our dogs & the sign I made has pictures...

so now we just wait.

It's horrible. Every time the phone rings, my heart jumps. I have an empty feeling in my gut. I just wish we knew where they were. Even it was knowing that they were dead, at least we'd know to stop looking.

Trying to make the most of it.

Had lunch at McDonalds with Shannnon & the kids.

Set up the slip 'n slide in the yard

Washed the Tahoe and am now going to wash one of the pickups.

Watered my flowers.

Folded some laundry.


It's going to be a long day.

help

Jack & Jill - our two awesome dogs - are gone.
We think they followed some people who were horseback riding near our house last night.
I think between Ian & I we woke up 15 times hoping they'd be sitting by the back door.
... and each time we checked, they weren't.

Please pray that we find them.

Ugh.

A Whole Lot of...

F... U... N

{and not too many tears}

Happy 3rd Birthday Liam!