Experiencing a New Normal

Tomorrow morning Jon and I along with 5 other adults and 25 teenagers will be heading to Guatemala!  We have been planning this trip since September 2012.  It has been so exciting to see God working just in all the details of this trip already.  You see after I went to Africa last summer - I felt that the young people in our youth group needed to have a similar experience as I did.  Well one of the couples that I went to Africa with shared with me a mission trip to Guatemala with Paradise Bounds Ministries.  I thought it sounded like an amazing trip and decided to talk with the other youth leaders about it.  You see we thought that we were going to have a small group of kids this year - like 15 and really thought a trip like this would be something we could do.  We had so many obstacles to go through before this could ever even happen.  First of all it was going to be more costly than our other trips  - $60,000.  We were also concer...

It has become a tradition over the last (I think) four years for my Dad's side of the family to go to the Iowa Cubs game for Father's Day.  It actually started out going on Mother's Day, but one year there was no game on that particular day so Father's Day quickly replaced it.  My Uncle Steve gets all the tickets and then blocks off an area so we can all tailgate before the game.  Before the game starts they let the fathers (and mothers) go out on the field with their kids to play catch.  This has become a favorite thing for the boys to do.  My Uncle Steve also usually arranges for someone from our group to throw out the first pitch.  One year my older sister did it, another year Anthony and my nephew Michael did it.  This year we had the newest father - my cousin Jake - throw out the pitch.  He even took his son out with him (or should I saw his wife did)!  After the game is over they let the kids run the bases.  The kids look forw...

It is June 13th and we FINALLY got finished up with beans today!  Or as a farmer will always tell you, "for the first time, anyway!"  The following pictures were taken the last time we were in the field planting beans (I guess that was May 24 according to my camera).  We were just 65 acres shy of being done before all the rain came at us!         This is the latest in my married life (that I can remember) that it has been this late getting the crops in.  I know my husband will be so much happier now that it is finally done.  Now to finish custom side-dressing and custom spraying!  Well I guess that is part of the reason you have a hired man to help get all those things done!!  Although we got a lot of rain and it's been a long drawn out planting season I am secretly happy for the wet days.  I've had my husband around!!  We've enjoyed a few weekends of date night, he has helped a ton with the baseme...

With all the nice weather we've been having lately - I find myself wanting to be outside and not inside doing all the things that I need to be doing.  So today since it wasn't too windy and not too hot I thought it would be fun to take the boys for a bike ride.  Well, we live on gravel which isn't the easiest to ride a bike on.  However, I grew up only riding on gravel roads and it made me tough - so - I thought it was time to make these boys tough!  Plus I didn't have the pickup to haul all of our bikes anywhere and I knew they wouldn't all fit in the trunk of the car.  The boys were excited!  We talked and decided we were going to try and ride our bikes to Grandma GG's (since that was where the pickup was - and we could put the bikes in the back and drive home)!  I should tell you all that it is probably a good 5-7 miles to Grandma GG's!  We packed a cooler bag with our water bottles and we were set to go!  This was BEFORE we left...

This past Saturday morning was the 5th Annual Jace Race in New Sharon.  This race is done in memory of a nine year old boy who lost his battle to brain cancer.  This race has become dear to my heart for a couple of different reasons.  First of all this was the first 5K I ever participated in - all because the year before I couldn't walk from complications of my surgery.  So I had decided I was going to train and run because that year I could!  The other reason - this family has been such a big support to my family after TJ lost his battle to brain cancer that I wanted to support them.  Although Jace and TJ's journeys are very different - we both know what it is like to loose a son way before their time.  I get texts on those days that are a little extra hard, every now again when our schedules allow we do "coffee", they can totally relate to how we feel, give us helpful advice and just listen.  I'm really glad I can call them friends - because tha...

This past weekend was Spring Festival in our little town.  I remember going to this as a kid every year - it was always so much fun.  There would be a parade, games for kids, an old timer baseball game, oh the list goes on and on.  I find that the older I get the things that used to be so much fun as a kid seem to not impress me as much as an adult.  Well, the Spring Festival has had it's shares of ups and downs - but they are really trying hard to make it like it used to be and for that I am thankful.  We don't always get to participate in everything the weekend offers - but we try to get to a few things.  This year they had fireworks on Friday night.  So I took the boys into New Sharon - we stopped at Vic's Dairy Crème to get some ice cream to eat while watching the fireworks.  Vic's was having an old style 50's car hop.  It was so fun.  All the employees were dressed up like people did in t...

Since our kids have been old enough, they have always played ball.  This year we were going to have one in minors, one in rookies and one in t-ball.  The thought about living the summer at a ball field almost exhausted me.  Well, when ball sign up came around both Anthony and Will decided they didn't want to play.  I was completely shocked and slightly excited all at the same time!  With Jon's Dad being sick and having treatments we weren't exactly sure how this spring was going to be.  So I guess you could say it was a blessing that the boys decided not to play.  However, when t-ball sign up came around Charlie said he wanted to play.  I had tried to bribe him into NOT playing (just to make our life more simple) but realized it's just t-ball.  All the games (and practices) are just up at the school and only about an hour.  We can do that - so we signed him up.  He is once again coached by Uncle Dan and sponsored by Goemaat Farms....

So do you remember last year our families decorated an ice cream cone in memory of TJ for the Iowa State Fair?  Well this year they are doing concrete ribbons.  My sister-in-law informed me and asked if we wanted to do it again this year.  Well, I really wanted to, but I just didn't think I needed another concrete ornament in my yard/flower garden.  So I asked around to see if any of our other family members would want it in their yard.  My mom graciously offered to take it if no one else wanted it.  Well, time went by and I forgot all about it.  The day before our entry was due my sister-in-law reminded me that we needed to have it in the next day.  I told her I had a home for it, but no creative ideas since I had forgotten all about it.  Thankfully I have a creative sister-in-law - she had an idea and I loved it, so we submitted the idea.  We just found out last week that we were selected again!!!  So last Friday both Shawna an...

Saturday, Jon decided we were going to work on getting the basement completely gutted.  We recruited some good help and we did it!  It is amazing what many hands can do.  Here are some pictures of our day and what we all got accomplished.   Will and Gavin knocking down the walls!  I made sure to tell Gavin the next time he comes to Aunt Tami's he can't beat on any walls again!  I keep telling our own boys the same thing!          Carson was a HUGE help!        Gavin was also our mouse remover!  We found way more of these than I would have liked to!  But I guess at least they are dead and now out of the house!  Thanks Gavin!     We all packed into the truck to have lunch in the park with my sister.        So how do you get six kids motivated to keep knocking down walls?  You tell them they can kick them down!...