Moments in time

It's 10:30 p.m on a Monday night and another day has come and gone already. It is really amazing how fast a day goes! Today was a good productive day again. It started out with a normal morning of waking up, cuddling with my two favorite little people in my bed, and getting breakfast. Then we headed over to grandma Myrna's to find some remaining good tomatoes left in the neighbors field. We had to search for a while, but eventually after walking the rows and picking up Aubyn from tripping over the vines, we had enough to make a batch of homemade tomato soup. MMMMM. We search grandma's house for a few canning supplies and off we were to begin our project for the day. When we got home I fed the kids dinner, washed the tomatoes, and got Trey ready for school. 12:10p.m came and off we were to pick up the kids for preschool and dropped them all safely off at "Little Blessings." Then Aubyn and I ran to the grocery store to grab some onions and celery for our soup. When we got in the house I started chopping the onions and celery with my little helper at my side to "assist" me. They were quickly chopped and put in the pan to start to boil. Then the little helper went in high chair for a snack. Then my process began of cutting the white parts out of the tomatoes and cutting them until I had 8 quarts of chopped tomatoes. Then my faithful grandma showed up at my door to teach me the proper way of how to put "love" and "patients" into a home made batch of soup. She taught me little tricks along the way and finally by 4:00 p.m. our first jar was "popping." Such a sweet sound. Now I have 14 quarts of home made soup on my counter and a great afternoon spent with my grandma. Miss Aubyn then finally woke up from her nap and Trey was already home from school. Supper was then made. Noodles, ham, and beans in a casserole. The kids loved it and ate it all up. Then we went and "swam" in the hot tub for a while. Then a shower was in desperate need for a woman who smelled like canned soup, YUK! :). Volleyball at 8:30. My mom came and watched the kids and our team won in four games. Way to go girls. Now relaxing in the chair, soon to go to bed, to wake up to another wonderful day.
Toby also had a good day today. He is fishing in Canada with some of his good friends. This morning I texted him to wish me luck b/c I was going to attempt my first batch of home made soup and he wished me luck, but also asked for luck back. I did wish him luck and guess what!!!!! it worked....he caught a 10lb.8oz, 30 in. Walleye today. OH GREAT...now I know what my next new decoration is going to be on my wall. :) He said 7 minutes b/4 he caught that he caught a 9 lbs Walley and a while later he caught an 8lb walleye. I would say his wife may be his good luck charm :) Way to go hun, now you can come home right?
Trey also had a fun day today b/c this morning after breakfast I let him do something he has never done b/4. I let him paint. He put on a paint shirt and I told him first we were going to do and education project with the paint and then he could paint what he wanted. I have been trying to do a project of the week with the letters he is learning in school. Last week he was learning letter "d" do we cut upper case "D's" and lower case "d's" out of magazines and pictures that started with the letter "d." We cut out; dogs, desk, dinner, dads, diapers,drinks, desert, dinosaur, and desert. We had a lot of fun! Today we worked on the letter "e". He painted a big "E" and a small "e" in red,blue, yellow and green. He thought it was great and then he colored a picture of water, fish, boat and a pirate ship with his next picture. He thought that was even more fun. Now to come up with something for "F" is going to be a challenge......
This past week I reflect on a few precious moments with my family. Toby was leaving Thursday night for Canada, so Wednesday night we had a family fun night. We first had supper and then played games till bed time. We played candy land, Memory, and then made a big puzzle together and ate candy corn. That may have been Aubyn's favorite part :). Then it was time for P.J's and stories. Off we went to Trey's bed, books in hand. While I read Trey his books Aubyn usually sits at the end of our feet "reading" her own books. Then it was prayer time and lights out. Aubyn crawled right into my arms and I thought maybe i'll just lay in bed with Trey and her and sing some songs for while. While Aubyn layed on my chest and Trey on my right side I started singing "I have peace like a river, I have peace like a river....." Suddenly Trey stopped me and said,"mom, I know this song."(I had never sang this with him before.) I said please sing it with me. We sang all three verses together and it was such a memorable moment for me. Having Trey singing with me and Aubyn resting so quietly on my chest sleeping, I just wanted to freeze time. Trey has such a wonderful little manly voice and Aubyn had sound and steady deep sleeping breaths. I took that moment and thanked God for the wonderful family he has given me. These moments in time are the ones you never forget!

School, Harvest, Life

Well, Trey is into school a good month and a half already. It is so fun to watch him come off the bus from school and run in the house with a big smile on his face. Even though everyday I ask him what he did in school today, and he answers,"I can't remember," I know his little mind is being challenged. I do know that he has learned the letters A,B and C so far, also a few numbers, how to trace lines, learned many songs, and he also told me a big story about Sunday Ford coming and talking about beavers, bats, and bears. That must have been a fun day, because he told me all about that! Trey also gets to be leader of the day this week Wednesday. They go to pumpkin land by Orange City and he already informed me they get to ride the bus all the way there and back! I think he is more excited about the bus ride than Pumpkin land :) This does not surprise me at all given the fact that on the first day of school I could hardly get him off the bus. Finally, his bus driver Lisa had to tell him he could ride the bus next time but had to get off today. He got off the bus and said, "mom, I wanted to ride the bus longer." Who knew his favorite thing about the first day would be the us ride! Trey also had grandparents day last week at school. Both Grandma Lori and Grandma Myrna went. After that day, they both told me Trey talks a lot in school. OH no, I can't wait to hear what I learn about Trey at parent teachers conferences. All in all, Trey is growing into a fine young man! I pray everyday that Christ continues to bless this child and works the Holy Spirit in his heart to continue to have a love for Christ and His people.
Harvest time is here! Harvest always gives me a new energy. I don't know if it is the wonderful change of season or if it is the hum of the combines or the tractors and wagons that continue to take their corn into town. I love going to field and taking coffee to my dad, I love riding in the combine and asking my dad lots of questions about life, farming, and his opinions. I love watching the smiles on my brothers faces knowing they are happy driving truck, tractor, and farming. I love hearing them talk about the grain prices and what they predict is going to happen with them. I love watching the leaves change and the cool days and nights. Harvest Blessing are abounding again!
Aubyn also continues to change everyday. She is saying more words everyday. like....shoes, grandpa, grandma, cheese, baxter. She also is learning her animal sounds. Now she can do a fish face and crab hands thanks to our new books from the library. She is also shaking her head yes and no. This is wonderful, it is so fun to ask her a question and her head go up and down instead of always side to side :). She also is getting a little more bossy! She thinks that it is her way or the highway. Her and Trey love to pick on each other, and believe me she puts up a good fight! Sometimes I get mad at both of them, but sometimes I can't help sit back and watch and see what they do. Aubyn also is starting to love reading books. Every night we read Trey 2 books and she runs into the room and tries to climb on the bed like she isn't going to miss this! Aubyn also loves to spend a lot of her time sitting in our living room window perch. She climbs her way up and sits there like she is queen. This is something Trey never did, so it is fun to watch her. She brings all her little toys up there and enjoys watching her family go about there routine activities. The only bad thing is that we have lots of fingerprints on our windows. An older lady told me once that when her grandchildren left her house she left the fingerprints on the doors all week b/c she loved seeing their little hand prints. I try my hardest to enjoy them too, but they usually don't last a week:).
Well, Life continues to shimmy and shake as normal and I praise God for that every day. He has blessed our family greatly and continues to supply more than our needs! God Bless!