Sunday Funday

Now, Denny thought it would be impossible for me to stay in bed until 10.  I did it.  We listened to Candlewood service.  In the afternoon I finished reading Hannah's book.  Wonderful way to spend the afternoon.  We headed to Denison later.  Revealing text from Phillip asking for prayer for God's will in their possible visit to America.  Lord, may you guide their plans.

Launch America!! GOD SPEED!!!

Great phone call/hangout with Our Kids.  I had thought I would go to Alta with Judy S, but we canceled that plan.  :)   N. family was wondering about our thoughts on a visit.  After talking, Denny and I mowed the lawn.  Denny spent all of yesterday working on lawn mowers, (i.e. getting a lift from Bomgaars, first trial in IG and them to Denison, scraping decks/ sharpening blades).  When we got done, I was starved (hangry) and so I fixed hamburger with onions and garlic, plus avocados, cheese and chips to make a great meal.  Luke informed us of the launch and we watched it in the sunroom.  Now Denny was going to clean the floors in the house and I said I would rather weed. He was okay with that, bless his heart.  BUT boohoo, when I went out there to weed I realized that the bunnies have been eating my ranunculus plants.  Now that makes me SO sad.   I finished weeding and put down Preen.  Then I put white film fabric around the flower supports.  Lord, help those flowers grow pretty.  I feel so bad ... I had checked the flowers everyday, but didn't really notice how much damage the bunnies had done.  Denny tried to console me by starting a fire in the pit.  And he put up a bird feeder for the wrens who have found a home in one of the small houses.  What a nice husband.
                                                           

                                       

Cherokee Day

I was happy to get up at 5:30 and head north to Cherokee.   I took 5 flower arrangements and 7 asparagus for Mandy to deliver to clinic.  It was such a fun day!!!  After playing in the house, we3 went outside and took the stroller west about a quarter of a mile until the next place.  I put Tyler down for a nap and Jack and I stayed outside.  SO fun!!  After his nap, Tyler and I followed Jack as he lead us on the trail past the chicken coop to the fire pile ending at the swap set park.  Jack did a major job cleaning up one of Pipers nasty piles.   We ate an early lunch, so we could play with Jason at noon.  Naps, and get ready to go to G'ma's house for the weekend.  I stopped a couple times on the way home.  Thrift store and got a couple life jackets, and garage sale and got several (18) 4T items.  NO Casey's pizza skills to order online, so no pizza for supper.  At home one brave goldfinch came to the feeder.  
                                           

Thank you for your flower order!
May 29,2020
Spring flowers:
Lilac,
Iris: purple/yellow/pink/Siberian
Allium
Chive-purple blooms
Cedar pine- greenery
Lilac- greenery
Sedum-greenery
Weigela-Wine &Roses
1spring daisy
1 peony bud
Lily of the valley
Columbine
Cosmos-greenery

Directions:
Please do not take beige plastic glass that I use for delivery.
When you get home:
Remove rubber band and place flowers in vase with fresh water.
Remove top iris bloom by cutting when it wilts, then more blossoms will open.
Change water every other day.
When you change the water Cutting ends off the stems helps flowers last longer.
Remove blossoms from vase as they wilt.
Enjoy!
Faith Johnson
712-269-3024

Trip/mow/flowers

Up and running ... actually NOT running, just fixing coffee and reading devos, and relaxing.  We took the 5th trip to Schau and took cans to Arthur library donation and got cash at then bank.  Denny and I mowed, but my mower wasn't doing very well.  It was frustrating.  I put together flowers for clinic tomorrow.

One more trip to Salvage Yard

Slow am.  Wow!  It is raining again ... still ...  Denny had a Dr appointment and we headed into IG.  Everything checked out ok; we headed home.  We made our 4rd trip to Schau's.  When we got back we started to load another trailer.  When we got most of it done Denny screwed the north large cattle shed door in place.  Then Denny said he got to do something fun!!!  Fix the carpet ball table.  Time to put things away and shower.  Another wonderful day.  Denny enjoyed his shooting time with the family on his birthday.

Mom and Dad's anniversary Gloria's birthday!!!!

I was up and enjoyed my coffee and devotions.  We took one load of steel to Schau's.  Denny made a video ... Another one bites the dust.  He used the Bobcat to load a big feeder on trailer and we took it to Schau's.  We loaded up another trailerful of heavy gates that we will take tomorrow.
Today was Gloria's 95th birthday and Mom and Dad's anniversary.   We ate out on the south deck ... sheltered from the rain.  I cleaned the CSA building before heading to bed.

Wonderful Memorial morning!!

  Another amazing day!! We went to Denison and stopped at Bomgaars and Walmart, but most of what we wanted wasn't there.  We mowed after we got home.  Then visiting on the patio and chilling.  What an amazing day!!   Thank you, Jesus, for the blessings you have given our country.  Lord, keep us looking to you as we live each day!!  Our nation is so blessed!

Whitney was adopted on this day. 

 

Love Sundays!!

Restfull
Church from the horizontal ... in bed or on the sofa
Relax
Naps
Enjoy outside when weather is nice.
Jack was up at 6:30.  It was his morning routine.  "I have to go poo".  Poo'ed and snuggled in a soft blanket while looking outside the windows.  Tyler was up at 7:35.  After a quick diaper change he was ready for me to hold him as he drank his bottle.  Denny fixed Cooks breakfast and then they packed and left about 10.  Denny and I headed back to bed to nap.  LIFE ... just gotta love it!  This birthday weekend left us tuckered.   He's now an old man.  :)

The task before us yesterday ... loading the trailer with iron from dirt pile

The workers digging thru the dirt for iron. 

Then observer tied in a chair with my belt ... to watch everything, with dog friend, Piper. 

                                                
                          The chainsaw G'pa getting old dead trees out of the way so the job could go on.                

Work day!!

Denny fixed breakfast and then Mandy and I went to Lakeview ... Bummer ... the home that was "heavily on Toddler 4 stuff" wasn't.  So where to next!!!  We should have called home before we headed home 'cause the guys were in IG.  I mistakingly made a sister call and distractingly we left Lakeview.  The job when guys got home was "getting scrap metal out of a decade old dirt pile".  Mandy, Jason and Denny with the bobcat did the work, I watched with the boys.  Jack did help G'pa run the bobcat.  We took a lunch break and the boys went down for a nap.  There was some afternoon left when most of iron was retrieved and so on to the next job. The area above the shop was a mess.  Actually disgusting with all the raccoon poop and nasty stuff.  The bob cat took loads fun to the trash hole that is in the grove.  YUCK!!  BUT another job bites the dust!!!
After pizza under the pine tree, Cooks put the littles in bed and we sat around the fire pit.  It was a beautiful day evening.  SO good!!!
                         

Mandy helps Dad

Jason headed up to Cherokee to work and check in on Egress window installation in their home.  Take out fence, that was the project for Denny and Mandy today!!!  They started taking out the hog panels and posts and got it mostly done by noon.  After lunch they loaded and took one trailer of steel into Schau.  On the way in to town one of the tires was blown by iron that settled on it so they had to come back to the farm and change a tire.  We gave the boys baths and had smoked chicken quarters that Denny fixed for supper.

Happy 70th birthday, Denny!!

WOW 70 years old!!!  I love you SO much, Denny!!

   

We got a phone call fro N. last night about 8.  It was their 8 am ... the morning of G'pa's birthday.  So nice.  Denny was up at 5am to start the smoker.  Wow, that is so much against his nature so it is love-for-others for him.  I was up soon after that to put a HONK sign out across the road.  Mandy and Jason came about 8:30.  Jack was busy with swings, tramp, sandbox, lawnmower.  Matt and family came about 10:15.  Some kids went to the attic to find farm 1/64th equipment that was Matt's for Kane.  The found a record player and Haley and Torren enjoyed playing some records. We had a lunch of sandwiches and guacamole.  The littles took naps,  Denny and 4 Mo. Johnsons went to the shooting range.  Renae and 2 girls stopped by to wish Denny HB.  It started to sprinkle and so Denny decided to eat in the coop.  Wonderful meal.  Smoked Pork shoulder, party potatoes, scotcheroos, bag salad, and grilled asparagus.   Before they left Denny and boys had tractor rides.  We watched the video by Luke about 7 pm.  It was a multimedia job with Matt in the car, Missy in N. Luke in Minneapolis and Cooks and us at the farm.  Wonderful Day, Wonderful Birthday, Wonderful Dad, Grandpa,  and Husband.  Thank you, Jesus!!!

                                           

                                           

                                           

                                                        

                                                             

Maryann Lindgren died this morning

Happy for her..
Sad for us who are family and friends who remain.
I am so blessed to have spent time with her.
She was irreplaceable in my life.

Tribute from Cassity Shea....

In the early morning hours one week ago, my sweet Grandma MaryAnn heard the words she longed for…”Well done, well done. My good and faithful one. Welcome to the place where you belong.”   What started a week earlier trying to catch a glimpse outside a hospital window on a cold, rainy day devastated that we could not be with her transpired into days in hospice filled with many beautiful moments….watching her husband of 70 years hold her hand and tell her she was the best wife, my sister (a skilled and compassionate OT) care for her, my mother (her daughter-in-law) tearfully thanking her for taking such good care of her children and grandchildren, her great grandchildren singing to her through a window, and seeing glimmers of joy while showing her pictures of her family and friends she would soon re-unite with.  Grandma MaryAnn played such a big role in our lives growing up; my siblings and I saw her almost every day. The memories with her are so vast and so wonderful.  I think my sister captured it best when she repeatedly said to her, “How did we get so lucky to have you as our grandma?”  She loved so many….so well.  When I turned 40 a few months ago, a friend asked what my big goals were; I had none, as 40 in itself was a celebratory milestone.  However, now I can say that my goals are to be more like my Grandma MaryAnn (which are quite lofty goals)….live simply, be content, love abundantly, pray fervently for others, smile often, spend as much time outside as possible, give more of myself and my time, clip coupons, and always pack snacks! She always said that if we see her sitting in her wheelchair smiling in her old age, that she is just thinking about all the good memories on the farm with her grandchildren.  So, if you see me smiling at anytime anywhere, I'm just thinking of all the good times on the farm with her.

http://www.christensenvanhouten.com/obituary.php?view=619 

Written by Cassidy Shae

            I love this picture of Cass sharing pictures with Maryann.  STILL that sweet smile on her lips.

Another full wonderful day.  Denny cleaned the chicken coop, I sprayed roundup and tordon.  Then we fixed 2 swings, a bird feeder, Denny cleaned his guns and then took them to the shooting range.  

Denison shopping

Lazy am and about 10:30 we headed to Denison for ammunition at Gu store, furnace filters at Bomgaars, and a Walmart run.  I stayed in the car and watched youtube videos on small houses while Denny shopped all three sites.  (Now if it was a thrift store, I might not be able to pass up a walk thru that store.) At home we cleaned out the front "good coat" closet and then started to mow.  At 7:15 we had a family what's app chat.  Picture is of Matt and family in temp housing in Savannah.

To Cherokee

I got up around 5 and was surprised when Jack was a wake a little after that.  I went in to the bedroom and I think he was just cold, so I just wrapped him in a blanket and tucked/snuggled him in and he fell back asleep.  When he did wake up Denny snuggled Jack in the Lazy boy rocker and read a book.  Then Denny fixed us breakfast and before Tyler's morning nap we headed north to cherokee.  They boys were outside as I unloaded the car.  Tyler sitting on the grass and Jack riding his strider.  Jason came home for lunch and after he left the boys settled down for naps.  I picked up the  pizza I ordered from Backdraft on the way home.  Nice treat for supper.  Good movie - Mc Lode Daughters before going to sleep.
                                                 

Grands here

 Sunday rising around 6:15.  When Jack woke up he went to look for the cat Brave Heart, named by an airbnb 8 year old last summer.  Mandy and Jason left for shopping in SC before lunch.  It was muddy outside but that didn't stop G'pa and Jack from exploring.   Mud on the sunroom carpet and in the coop can always be cleaned.   Naps after lunch.  BIG mistake not having good Ole cheap macaroni and cheese, but they ate my white cheese sauce and boiled noodles mixed just fine.  It was rainy and cold so after naps we just played inside.  Jack did take a long bath while Tyler was finishing his nap, then Tyler took his bath.  Mandy and Jason appreciated the shopping time alone.  They were looking for bathroom fixtures for basement bathroom when egress window gets done.