We Are Truly Blessed.

I was substitute teaching down the road this week at an elementary with 52 children. That is, 52 students in the whole elementary, and that included a preschool class. As I was standing in the noon sun on a gorgeous November day, I was struck anew by just how blessed my family and I are to live in Southwest Kansas. 

Of course living in the middle of no where isn't without it's annoyances. It's too dray and too warm. I'm too far from family. I miss trees and leaves and humidity (a little humidity anyway). But these things seem like trivial complaints when I look around and really appreciate the fantastic community my family and I live in. 

We live in a town of 900 people. Maybe my kids and I don't personally know all 900 of them but there are a large chunk of faces we recognize and who recognize us. One of my boys' best friends lives right across the street from us, the main street of town by the way, and he's often found playing at our house. The other day he crossed the street without looking for cars. Granted traffic is rarely busy in town and most people are VERY good at watching out for darting kids. But a truck was coming and the driver, who knew the neighbor boy, stopped in the middle of the street and warmed him about not looking before he crossed the road. It's nice to know people here not only look out for children who aren't their own, but will discipline them as well; I appreciate that. 

Just a few evenings ago I was doing some work on the computer in the living room. It was well past 9:00 and DR had already gone to bed when there was a knock at the door. I was rather surprised considering our town "rolls up the sidewalks" at dark. Of course, I wasn't nervous about answering the door either. I just can't imagine anyone wishing to cause me harm would bother knocking first. I answered the door to find another of my neighbors, a woman about my age, crying on my doorstep. She's a single mother and had some bad family news that day. All day she'd been upset, she couldn't calm down and had seen my light on and had come over to ask me to pray with and for her. I was a bit flustered, no one has ever asked me to pray for or with them before. My neighbor doesn't attend church but know I do...it's a small town after all. So we sat and talked and prayed. It warms my heart that this woman felt comfortable enough to come over and ask for help though we've known one another less than a year. I can name at least 5 people who live only a block away from me that I wouldn't hesitate asking for help, day or night, if I needed it. I've lived in other towns where I barely knew my neighbors even after more than a year of living beside one another. 

But really the thing I appreciate the most about living in rural Kansas are the SMALL schools. In 1994 I graduated from an Indiana high school in a class of about 130. While in college, still in Indiana, I did my student teaching at a school of a thousand students. While in Kentucky I substitute taught with police officers and racial fights in the hallways. A small school is a nice change of pace. That's not to say a super small school is perfect; we still deal with a lot of the same issues as big schools (behavior, bullies, cliques). But for the most part there isn't much of that kind of stuff to deal with and rarely any major issue. The teachers in Yip and Yap's school knows every one's names, not just in their classroom...everyone. The 5th grade teacher knows all the elementary students though they haven't bee in his class yet. In our small school we are lucky with the individual attention students receive. The staff isn't stretched thing meeting the needs of 30 plus students, rather the largest class I've see in the elementary is 19. A little school might not have the tax base or resources for lots of computers or the most modern facilities, but I'd much rather have the time and attention of their teachers over a fancy school any day. 

I asked my mom recently if the fact that DR and I have moved so often really bothered her and my dad. But she said , no id didn't. Of course they'd like it if their grand kids lived closer. (I'm hoping she'd like to have DR and I live closer as well but you can never be too sure about the priorities of grandparents) but if we couldn't live back home in Indiana she and Dad are awfully happy their grand kids are growing up in such a wonderful little community. I'd have to agree. 

Of all the states and communities that DR and I have moved into in the last 9 years, this community has by far been the most welcoming, the most like home and family and for that I am very, VERY thankful! 

A long, sad vacation.

Hello my loyal blog readers,


I bet you are all thinking that I have fallen off the face of the Earth. Close...I just returned from spending the last two weeks back home in Indiana which is so vastly different than SW Kansas that it feels like another world. And I already really miss Indiana. I've only been back in Kansas for a day! 


DR and I didn't plan on being gone for two weeks. No, we planned on leaving on the 18th of May, visiting my family in northern Indiana and then seeing DR's family in southern Indiana, attending a high school graduation and being back home on Memorial Day, the 28th. But our stay was extended, unfortunately, and we didn't make it home until the first of June.


While we were in southern Indiana my Grandpa Asa passed away and we stayed the few extra days until his funeral. What a time it has been, both wonderful and terrible. It's terrible that we lost our grandpa but wonderful that he was promoted to Heaven and no longer suffering from the effects of Parkinson's. It was wonderful to see so many of my family and friends that I rarely have the chance to see on our short visits home but terrible that it had to be a funeral that brought us all together. 

We'll miss you Papa Asa. He was buried in his bibs and seed hat too. He wouldn't be my grandpa without them :) 


Our family packed in a lot in two short weeks. Two weeks that felt as though it went on forever but also went by in the blink of an eye. Although it was sad that we had to attend a funeral, all of my siblings were together. That rarely happens. 

I think it's been a couple of years since we've all been together. 

We visited Grandpa just a few days before he passed away and were able to steal Grandma away long enough to enjoy some time to the zoo. 

Some AWESOME shooting time with Papa Doug. The boys shot muzzleloaders and shotguns for the first time and boy, are they hooked! No matter that their shoulders hurt a bit...they weren't going to stop. 

Yahoo terrorized a couple of kittens who finally learned to hide from her! 

Attended a graduation! Congrats Cousin Evan :) 

We couldn't make it out of Indiana without visiting DR's alma mater, Purdue University twice! We spent sooo much money on Purdue clothes because, as DR puts it, "I'm just dang tired of seeing all the Kansas State purple!"

Oh, we are posed holding our town paper. They like to publish photos of people traveling with a copy. Funny because the owners are University of Kansas fans. 

DR and I even managed a couple of date nights. 

This isn't a great picture of anything other than being a good reminder that we were kidless :) 

Uncle John Deere was awesome enough to rustle up a bunch of sparklers to play with. This was especially appreciated by the kids since they couldn't have fireworks last summer. 

This is just a sample of the tons of photos from our trip home which I'm trying to load up on Facebook right now for you family but I'm not sure how successful I'll be. There are a LOT of photos. 

Our trip was great. Long and sad but great nonetheless. I'll be forever grateful that we were able to be home and say goodbye to Grandpa Asa. I have so much to be thankful to him for. He was a wonderful grandpa not just to me but to my kids too. He reinforced the value of hard work and to deeply enjoy any and every moment to the fullest. I love you Grandpa and we'll miss you terribly. 

The Coolest Valentine Gift

Look what we got in the mail this week!! 

My mom is so awesome. For Valentines she sent my kids a bag of sugar cookies she baked along with frosting and sprinkles so they could decorate Valentine cookies! Since she couldn't be here when we made a mess I thought I'd post pics so she could check out their creations. 

Hhmmm, not really sure what Yahoo spent more time doing; decorating or eating the decorations. 

We got a bit wild with the sprinkles Grandma! 

A bag full of cookies traveling 900 miles is bound to hit some turbulence and most of the cookies didn't make it in one piece but that didn't deter the kids. They piled on the frosting on every crumb large enough to hold a sprinkle. 

This was a great Valentine Mom, thanks bunches! 

Marker Monday - Handprint Calendar Gift Idea!

Warning!!! 

To my Mother and Grandmother, 

unless you want to ruin the surprise of your Christmas gifts STOP READING NOW!

okay.....

.....that should be enough warning for them! 

My wonderful friend Melissa who runs our playgroup had a big workshop day, 7 hours long, where she had different stations set up for us to do 12 different paint hand prints with our toddlers. After they were dry she cut them out, added details and and a poem, and we attached the hand prints onto a calendar for a Christmas gift for grandparents!! 

They turned out so well I just had to share. Maybe you have enough time to do something like this with your kids. Melissa was kind enough to set this up early for me because our family Christmas is next weekend in Indiana. 

This is the cover made from two handprints. 

The first page. I wasn't able to fit all three kids handprints on every page but we rotated so there were two per month. 

Then with every month Melissa put a matching poem.I won't put them all up because there are poems all over the Internet you could use but for example, January's says;

These aren't just five snowmen

as anyone can see.

I made them with my hand 

which is a part of me. 

Now each year when you trim the tree

You'll look back and recall 

when my hand was just this small. 

Melissa also had a lot of options if you didn't like the handprint she had for a particular month. There were also strawberries, octopus, firemen, ghosts, lobsters, and some that you could do with your feet too! 

Fish and flags for July?

 Yes, odd but my boys didn't want to do the flags! 

The apples turned out perfect if you only paint the palms. 

These are such a cool keepsake for grandparents, I can't wait to give it to them this weekend! This makes me wish I ran a daycare, wouldn't this be a cool thing to do with your kids all year long and surprise their parents with? 

What kind of homemade gifts are your kids making this year?

Down to Counting Hours....

We've had a countdown in our house for over a month. And today I'm finally counting hours instead of days because sometime in the next 24 hours'ish' my mom, dad, brother and sister in law will be here to visit!!! Yay!! 


Christmas was the last time we saw them and we have been really missing them!  My parents drug us to all kinds of museums when I was a kid. 

Yes, that's my mom.
She doesn't look old enough to have a 35 yr. old daughter does she?

Hmmm, I seem to have inherited the habit of museum hopping from them. Ha! Goodness knows I've blogged about enough museums! Well, it's my turn so this week I'll probably drag them to a bunch of little, local Kansas museums. We're heading to a rodeo in Dodge City this week too which I've heard is great! I can't imagine any rodeo I ever went to in Indiana could compare to one in Kansas. If we are lucky with the heat, we might even go back up to the Chalk Pyramids again too. 


I think my boys are just excited for their 24 year old uncle, we'll call him John Deere, to get here and wrestle with them. He's my younger brother but by no means my little brother anymore. I'm excited to spend time with his wife, Melinda Sue too. 

I love her to pieces and because we've always lived so far away since they've been married I never felt like I've gotten to know her well enough and she's such a wonderful woman! She's so intelligent, a teacher and full of energy. Hopefully we'll get lots of girl time this week. 


My family doesn't dress like what you see in the photos all the time. They were celebrating their 125th anniversary of the founding of our church back home in Indiana. I thought they looked great in the costumes don't you? 


The only thing I'm worried about when they all do get out here is the heat. Most of the past two months have had temps above 100. One hundred degrees in Kansas and one hundred in Indiana are two different things. Out here the heat is so dry that it doesn't feel too bad, which is deceiving, but takes more energy from you during the day than you realize. By afternoon there are times when you just have to take a nap because you are so zapped. In Indiana when it gets that hot the humidity kicks in early during the day and a body just feels lousy, enough not to do anything all day long and so you don't get wiped all at once. I'm just hoping that none of my family gets sick from the heat because they aren't acclimated to it. My family  are pretty hardy though I'm sure they'll do fine. 


Yahoo told me the other day, while eating yogurt, that she was going to save the rest for Papa. HA! My dad doesn't like yogurt but I wouldn't be surprised if he ate some for her. The power of grandchildren! 


How many more hours? Oh, I don't know if I can stand the suspense. I'll probably laugh and cry at the same time when I see them pull in the driveway. I love my family! (At least the ones coming to visit anyway...lol) 

She is One Tough Cookie!

This is my wonderful Grandma B! She's the one of the right. The good looking dude on the left is my cousin. In case you were confused.

 Grandma has a great sense of humor, in case you can't tell by her expression! And she makes the best cookies!! Whenever I go to her house she always has cookies waiting and I always eat enough to make myself sick. Grandma is really young at heart too. She earned her college degree in her late 50's and taught preschool the last few years. Grandma is on Facebook all the time and I know plenty of women her age that won't even try to get on the Internet.

But I'm not writing about her baking abilities or Facebook status today. Grandma has had it pretty tough this year. She's become the caregiver for Grandpa who has Parkinsons and they've had a rough winter dealing with his illness. Grandma has also had other tough family circumstances that she's had to deal with this past year or two but Grandma is a strong lady and doesn't give up!

She showed her strength and resilience over the weekend, or so I'm told. Grandma is back in Indiana and has been a farmers wife for years. Even though Grandpa can't farm anymore there is still a bit of farming that gets done at their place with the help of family. Over the weekend Grandma was helping hitch the disc to the tractor and got her finger smashed. Luckily the ER doctor was able to amputate it and she was back home within a few hours.

When Mom told me about it my first concern for Grandma was not her physical condition. I've known lots of people who've lost fingers and they've healed quickly. No, I was worried about Grandma's spirit. Was she depressed? Was she mourning the loss of her finger?

I should have know better than to worry about such things. Grandma's too tough. In the ER she was more worried if someone was taking care of Grandpa! And she said, "At least I didn't lose my whole hand. It's just a finger; I can live without a finger." She was smiling and chatting when she got home.

Wow Grandma! You are my hero!

Grandma, I wish I could be with you and help you with dishes and making dinner and all that stuff that you are probably doing that you should be taking a break from. But I'm 900 miles away so I'll be with you in spirit.

So Grandma, I present you the Tough Cookie Award!!

You are One Tough Cookie Grandma!

We are so proud of you and know that losing a finger sure won't slow you down one bit. I'm proud to have you as my grandma and I love you! Hang in there!

The Swastika Salt Cellar

I grew up just down the road from my Grandma L. We were always down the road visiting. Grandma's house had a big shaded yard right next to the woods which were perfect for exploring. Grandma's house was also attractive because she always seemed to have some candy laying around just waiting for grandkids.

Grandma always had this pot sitting on her stove. I think she put potholders in it. I don't really remember because it was never what was on the inside that attracted me but what was on the outside.

Swastikas.

Now as a kid I knew enough about WWII to be very concerned that my Grandma had a pot covered in Nazi symbols. It really bothered me but I never asked Grandma about it. I don't know if I was scared of what her answer would be or scared that I would offend her by asking. Grandma was a bit stern, I'd say most of us grandkids had a healthy respect for her temperment.

It wasn't until I was in college that I learned that the swastika symbol had been used for centuries among many different cultures around the world. Ancient Native American rock drawings in the Southwest United States have been found that contain swastikas.

I imagine then that this pot must pre-date WWII.

Now I wish I had asked Grandma about it .

Grandma passed away about 1 1/2 years ago. As my mom and sister were going through her house they saved this pot for me and I just received it in the mail this week. (I cried! Thanks!) I didn't even remember that it had the word salt on it. I guess I was distracted by all those swastikas. But of course looking at it now, with the inside rim, it surely had a lid to go with it and was originally used as a salt cellar to be hung on a peg or nail.

Now the Swastika Salt Cellar is in my kitchen holding my dishsoap on a high shelf. I'm afraid to put it on my stove, surely I'd accidentally break it. It's nice to have something in my kitchen that Grandma had in hers....swastikas and all.

I never said "Goodbye." and that's okay.

Although I love the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas, this year has been rather bittersweet for me. Last year, a couple weeks before Thanksgiving, my Grandma L passed away and Grandpa L passed away right before Christmas 8 years ago.

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve were spent with these grandparents. Not only do I miss those warm family get togethers but it's difficult to be reminded my grandparents left this world around the holidays.


When Grandpa's health was failing, 8 years ago, and he was in the hospital, I rushed to see him one last time. I found Grandpa in pain having a difficult time talking and breathing. There wasn't much I could do to ease his pain other than hold his hand and tell him I loved him. It hurt to see this strong man I had grown up next door to losing a battle with his failing body.

I was closer to Grandma than to Grandpa. I grew up decorating cakes, gardening, canning and butchering chickens with Grandma. After Grandpa died I wrote to Grandma quite a bit. Being that I lived three hours away I didn't get the chance to see her often. When her eyesight failed and her hands hurt too much she would still send her responses to my letters even when I assured her she didn't need to write back.

When Grandma went into the hospital for the last time I didn't go see her. DR asked repeatedly if i wanted to go home to see Grandma. "No." I always answered. At this point Grandma had given up. She was tired of this world and she was ready to go home. She wasn't awake or responsive and she wouldn't have known I was there anyway. She was surrounded by family and friends and I was comforted that she wasn't alone.

It may seem cold but I had nothing to say to Grandma even if I had gone. We had said all we ever needed to in conversations and letters. For years she lived in a nursing home that she hated but was the only place that could see to her medical care. I knew when my Grandma passed she would finally be at peace.

Maybe it's cowardice on my part but I also didn't go see Grandma in the hospital because I didn't want my last memory of her being one of her in a hospital bed. My grandmother was a strong, independent, brave and hard working woman. Those are the traits I wanted to remember her by. I didn't say "goodbye" to Grandma and that's okay.

All four of my grandparents were extremely supportive and loving of their family but Grandpa L and Grandma L hold a special place in my heart because I lived right next door to them during my entire childhood. I saw them practically everyday. They were more like a second set of parents than grandparents. They were steadfast and strong, loving and caring. They welcomed a house full of grandkids and noise.

Even though the holidays bear the reminder of the loss of two grandparents, I'm comforted with the memories of those same grandparents as they celebrated the holidays with me and my cousins in years past.

Photo of the Day - My Grandparents

Yap with my Grandma M.

I love to watch her with my kids; she enjoys them so much! She taught preschool and she is wonderful with little kids.

Yahoo with my Grandpa A. I lived with this set of grandparents during college. I don't know how they ever put up with me! Maybe they thought of it as an investment so I would just bring cute great grandkids back years later.

Blacksmithing

A couple of years ago my parents and brother, along with some other wonderful folks, started a 4-H Blacksmithing project in their county. Having 7 kids, my parents had children in 4-H for 23 years from 1986 to 2009! (Yes, they are crazy..I know!) And they haven't stopped just because we are all out of the house. Instead they keep working with the youth in their community by helping to offer such a wonderful opportunity.

This is, I believe, only the second 4-H Blacksmithing project in the state of Indiana. The 4-H leaders raised money, built forges, made tools, tore down barns to build the blacksmith building and hold meetings once a month for 4-H members....and so much more! 

Yap and Papa

Even though Yip and Yap are too young for their first year of 4-H, Mom and Dad opened up the blacksmith shop over Mother's Day weekend and let us take a "whack" at it! Dad started them on a beginner project making an S hook.

Yip and Papa

Even DR and Papa! Dad makes it look so easy but he is a great teacher.

Here's Mom a' pounding! That's my little brother in the background.

Even though Mom is technically a Blacksmith 4-H Leader, she had never done any blacksmithing. She always has taken care of the 4-H kid's paperwork and keeping everyone in line! (ha, ha). So she and I both made an S hook for the first time too.

Yahoo and my sister-in-law just chilling out!

And the result from all our hard work. A bunch of S hooks that are already attached all over Yip and Yap's bunkbead. It kind of looks like a jungle with all the stuff they have hanging from them!

I could see myself getting hooked on blacksmithing really easily! It was so much fun and there are so many things I'd like to make. Trivets, wineracks, candleholders......ah, I wish I was in 4-H again!!

I'm not sure what Kansas 4-H projects are like but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm calling up Mom and Dad someday for advice on how to get a blacksmith project started. Yip and Yap didn't want to stop. They worked for hours and would have worked much longer had we let them! If this is what my kids want to learn then I'm all for it!!