I am a list person.
I love writing lists and then being able to cross items off.
So in an effort to wrap my mind around what has to happen in the next 6 weeks I am boring everyone with my current "To Do" list:
Continue growing a human
Find a place to live in South Dakota
(this item has caused a large quantity of tums to be consumed)
Find boxes for packing
Assemble Boxes
Tell two year old to get out of boxes
Decide what can be packed now
Pack
Attend doctor's appointments
Move "unneeded" items to the storage unit
Go back to storage unit when "unneeded" items
turn into "needed" items
Research best deal on moving truck
Cry when realization hits that moving is expensive
Continue boxing everything that will not be needed
in less then two week time span
Have baby (April 15th induction)
(due date is April 22nd and we move on the 23rd...
I refuse to leave the hospital in a moving truck)
Get home from hospital and pack some more
Celebrate Easter
Attend doctor appointment for baby
Touch up paint in house so house is ready for renters
Load moving truck (around April 23rd-week after baby is born)
Consider being sedated and packed in the moving truck
with all of our things
Drive out to South Dakota with two year old and newborn
Feel sorry for myself because I am in a car for many hours
after having a baby a week ago
Stop at gas station, buy skittles in purple package and Mt. Dew
in order to feel a euphoric sugar rush
Consider moving to a warmer climate
Get to South Dakota and hopefully move into some type of housing
that is not a hotel
Consider being sedated while boxes are being unpacked
Anyone want to trade To-Do Lists :)
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Modern Pioneer
There is no covered wagon, but the journey begins.
I have known that my husband was put on this earth to be a farmer ever since he took me to his parents' farm. Even as we studied at Crother's Engineering Hall at South Dakota State University I knew that his passion involved not sitting behind a computer for the rest of his life, but being outside working a half section of land. His passion did not change when I married him over five years ago. So if I have not made myself clear, I married a farmer.
Me on the other hand...
I was put on this earth to enjoy air conditioning. I strongly dislike being outside unless the weather is perfect, but even that can be ruined by a few bugs. I have a healthy fear of cows and for some reason I associate farm machinery with missing limbs. Also, my idea of "gardening" is remembering to water the house plants that have been given to me over these past few years. There are two that have survived my neglectful caretaking ways. I was not put on this earth to work the land. My husband did not marry a farmer.
This spring we are taking the trail back west to try our hand a farming in South Dakota. Now I say "our hand" because even though my husband will be the one farming, with a career change like this comes a lifestyle change as well. And also because when I say that "Reid is farming" my hubby politely corrects me and says, "We are farming honey".
To put it simply I am terrified.
I did not grow up on a farm. Saying I know anything (which I don't) about the ways of farm life is like someone without children saying then know anything about parenting. Until you have experienced it you have no idea.
I can't say that I will hate it or that I will love it. So it is because of the uncertainty that I stomp my feet and hold my breath (much like my two year old son) when faced with the change.
I guess the best way to describe my feelings about this new journey is to compare it to winter in the Midwest. Every year winter comes. It is not a surprise or shock since every year of the 30 years I have been alive there has been snow that has fallen from the sky and cold in the air. Every single year. Still every fall there is a period of mourning. The loss of warmth outside and not wanting the change of the seasons to happen. I don't love the idea of winter, but then I look outside and the reality of the quiet peaceful blanket of snow warms my spirit. That blanket is the blank canvas for what will grow in the spring. New life and new possibility.
I get so caught up in why this is not for me that I don't take the time to see this move for what it is...an opportunity for God to warm my spirit. This is my blank canvas with new possibility. I just hope that the spirit warming can be done indoors with no bugs :)
I have known that my husband was put on this earth to be a farmer ever since he took me to his parents' farm. Even as we studied at Crother's Engineering Hall at South Dakota State University I knew that his passion involved not sitting behind a computer for the rest of his life, but being outside working a half section of land. His passion did not change when I married him over five years ago. So if I have not made myself clear, I married a farmer.
Me on the other hand...
I was put on this earth to enjoy air conditioning. I strongly dislike being outside unless the weather is perfect, but even that can be ruined by a few bugs. I have a healthy fear of cows and for some reason I associate farm machinery with missing limbs. Also, my idea of "gardening" is remembering to water the house plants that have been given to me over these past few years. There are two that have survived my neglectful caretaking ways. I was not put on this earth to work the land. My husband did not marry a farmer.
This spring we are taking the trail back west to try our hand a farming in South Dakota. Now I say "our hand" because even though my husband will be the one farming, with a career change like this comes a lifestyle change as well. And also because when I say that "Reid is farming" my hubby politely corrects me and says, "We are farming honey".
To put it simply I am terrified.
I did not grow up on a farm. Saying I know anything (which I don't) about the ways of farm life is like someone without children saying then know anything about parenting. Until you have experienced it you have no idea.
I can't say that I will hate it or that I will love it. So it is because of the uncertainty that I stomp my feet and hold my breath (much like my two year old son) when faced with the change.
I guess the best way to describe my feelings about this new journey is to compare it to winter in the Midwest. Every year winter comes. It is not a surprise or shock since every year of the 30 years I have been alive there has been snow that has fallen from the sky and cold in the air. Every single year. Still every fall there is a period of mourning. The loss of warmth outside and not wanting the change of the seasons to happen. I don't love the idea of winter, but then I look outside and the reality of the quiet peaceful blanket of snow warms my spirit. That blanket is the blank canvas for what will grow in the spring. New life and new possibility.
I get so caught up in why this is not for me that I don't take the time to see this move for what it is...an opportunity for God to warm my spirit. This is my blank canvas with new possibility. I just hope that the spirit warming can be done indoors with no bugs :)
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
God Created a Farmer
Every Wednesday I have the privilege of teaching confirmation. I really enjoy going. Not only because the students are a great bunch of kids, but because I feel like I learn so much. I often find myself calling my Dad (my pastor growing up) and telling him about the great things that I learned that night. My Dad listens and then we have a great discussion about whatever the subject was. The whole time I am sure my Dad is thinking, "Yes dear sweet daughter, you learned those things when I taught you confirmation too."
The other week we were discussing stewardship. Which in short is our duty to care for our environment. With this discussion came the reading of Genesis 27-30. To sum it up God created humankind and made us caretakers of the land and animals. Stewards of the world. Then it goes on to say that we totally jacked that up and then there were thorns, disease, painful childbirth and death. Just to name a few...
What struck me most about all of that was that the first profession was farming. A relationship was created between humans and the earth. Now you can't talk about that relationship without hearing Paul Harvey's gruff voice...
You may think this rings a bell and for those of you who watched the Superbowl last year you may remember a certain Dodge Truck commercial...
The other week we were discussing stewardship. Which in short is our duty to care for our environment. With this discussion came the reading of Genesis 27-30. To sum it up God created humankind and made us caretakers of the land and animals. Stewards of the world. Then it goes on to say that we totally jacked that up and then there were thorns, disease, painful childbirth and death. Just to name a few...
What struck me most about all of that was that the first profession was farming. A relationship was created between humans and the earth. Now you can't talk about that relationship without hearing Paul Harvey's gruff voice...
"And on the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker!”.
So, God made a farmer.
You may think this rings a bell and for those of you who watched the Superbowl last year you may remember a certain Dodge Truck commercial...
Monday, January 6, 2014
Starbucks Theory
I have a theory when it comes to the economy, it is call the Starbucks Theory.
Although I am not a big coffee drinker I still have made my way into Starbucks for a cup of iced caramel whipped cream with sprinkles amazing goodness (might not be the technical name). A drink like that runs around $5 or so. Like I said, I am not a "once a day" Starbucks customer, but I know people that are. I guess to make a long paragraph short...drinking "The Bucks" daily is not cheap, but consumers are willing to pay it.
When I moved to Kendall County Illinois in 2008 there was not much as far as shopping went. Then came Target and a Kohls with a strip mall attached. When I was volunteering one weekend I met some people who had the inside knowledge of what businesses were going to come to this area. There were names like Jcpenny, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, Chilis and Buffalo Wild Wings. Kendall County was welcoming business with open arms.
Then as we all know the economy took a Thelma and Louis nose dive off the cliff with no air bags. All of the businesses that had not yet made their presence known in this area pulled up steak.
Fast forward to Fall 2013 and in one of the strip mall business windows hung a banner letting everyone know that a Starbucks was coming soon!
My theory is this, if people are willing to pay $5 a day for a coffee drink then the economy has to be getting better.
Although I am not a big coffee drinker I still have made my way into Starbucks for a cup of iced caramel whipped cream with sprinkles amazing goodness (might not be the technical name). A drink like that runs around $5 or so. Like I said, I am not a "once a day" Starbucks customer, but I know people that are. I guess to make a long paragraph short...drinking "The Bucks" daily is not cheap, but consumers are willing to pay it.
When I moved to Kendall County Illinois in 2008 there was not much as far as shopping went. Then came Target and a Kohls with a strip mall attached. When I was volunteering one weekend I met some people who had the inside knowledge of what businesses were going to come to this area. There were names like Jcpenny, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, Chilis and Buffalo Wild Wings. Kendall County was welcoming business with open arms.
Then as we all know the economy took a Thelma and Louis nose dive off the cliff with no air bags. All of the businesses that had not yet made their presence known in this area pulled up steak.
Fast forward to Fall 2013 and in one of the strip mall business windows hung a banner letting everyone know that a Starbucks was coming soon!
My theory is this, if people are willing to pay $5 a day for a coffee drink then the economy has to be getting better.
Monday, May 20, 2013
We Run As One
This past Sunday I participated in my first ever half-marathon. In all of the racing packets there was a blue arm band with yellow writing that said,
We were asked to wear it at the start of our race and when asked, raise the banded arm as we observed 26 seconds of silence for the events that took place at the Boston Marathon this year. So as all 7000 + runners stood behind the starting line we all raised our arms to the sky and silenced our mouths for those 26 seconds. While I stood there I couldn't help but let tears tumble down my face. I thought about what the race stood for.
"The legend states that Pheidippides, a greek messenger, was sent running from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had just fought). It is said that he ran the entire distance (we observe the spirit of the story with a 26.2 mile race) without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming, "We wοn", before collapsing and dying."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon)
The message that I take from the story is to run the race, deliver the message, and fight the good fight. So in those moments of silence before our race I felt we were doing just that. We were delivering the message loud and clear, "Violence will never destroy our spirit". In that moment I became overwhelmingly proud to be a part of this community of people called runners.
"We Run As One - Boston 2013".
We were asked to wear it at the start of our race and when asked, raise the banded arm as we observed 26 seconds of silence for the events that took place at the Boston Marathon this year. So as all 7000 + runners stood behind the starting line we all raised our arms to the sky and silenced our mouths for those 26 seconds. While I stood there I couldn't help but let tears tumble down my face. I thought about what the race stood for.
"The legend states that Pheidippides, a greek messenger, was sent running from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon (in which he had just fought). It is said that he ran the entire distance (we observe the spirit of the story with a 26.2 mile race) without stopping and burst into the assembly, exclaiming, "We wοn", before collapsing and dying."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon)
The message that I take from the story is to run the race, deliver the message, and fight the good fight. So in those moments of silence before our race I felt we were doing just that. We were delivering the message loud and clear, "Violence will never destroy our spirit". In that moment I became overwhelmingly proud to be a part of this community of people called runners.
Mother's Day
For Mother's Day I knew that Noah would probably not know exactly what I would like so I went ahead and bought myself a dozen chocolate covered strawberries. I figure he would want me to have my absolute favorite sweet.
Before I finish my story I should probably explain to those who don't know about my son and his blanket. My husband and I call Noah "Linus" because he totes his blue blanket around just like the Charlie Brown character. He also loves to suck his thumb while holding a corner of the blanket. There are times when I have been rocking him to sleep that he will have his eyes closed and will still search the blanket for the corner before planting his thumb in his mouth.
Now back to the story...
On Mother's Day when I went into Noah's room after his nap to get him out of his crib and I found him sitting in his crib sucking his thumb with the blue blanket corner in his hand. When he saw me he got a big smile on his face and started yelling, "Mommy!". I asked him what he got me for Mother's Day and without hesitating he grabbed his blanket and handed me the corner.
Talk about something sweet for Mother's Day :)
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Barabbas
The name Barabbas means
"Son of the father"
Make the name gender neutral and it means
"Child of the father"
Ok, so lets go back to Jerusalem, way back. The people had a choice. They could save Jesus from a fate of crucifixion or Barabbas. We know how the story goes. The people asked for Barabbas, the sinner to be saved and wanted Jesus' blood. The text says that Barabbas is a criminal, but lets call him what he is, just like the rest of us, a sinner. Now I have to admit that the Bible doesn't always keep my interest like some of my other favorite books, but there are some stories that just stick with me and this is one of them.
Within those black and red letters there is such beautiful and painful poetry.
The people ask for Barabbas or "Child of the father". They are asking for themselves without even knowing it. They are asking that the "Children of God" be saved and not meet the fate of death. When they are asked who they want in replace of Barabbas they say, "Jesus". They can't save themselves from death. Only through the blood of Jesus, their Messiah can they be saved. In that scene Jesus is not surprised that the Children need him. For that is why He is there.
Beautiful. Painful. Poetry.
Happy Easter
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