What I Wore Sunday ~ The Beginning of Our Good-Byes

After a long week filled with the mental, physical and emotional demands of packing up hearts and home for yet another move, I was completely and utterly drained.  Trying to peel my lifeless body out of bed at a decent hour this morning was a mortification of great proportions.  But, miraculously I arose, thanking God, from the depths of my being, for creating Sunday, a day of rest for his children, a day to be revived and renewed, a day to just be.

As Steve and I went through our normal Sunday morning razzle-dazzle routine, both of us knew, without saying a word to one another, that today would be the beginning of a series of good-byes, as we prepare for our departure on Tuesday. We're not completely immersed in the life and happenings at our church, so we don't actually know everyone who belongs to our parish. Aside from sponsoring the Guardians of the Alter program, we're, just the funny couple with the troop of boys that (tries) to sit towards the front on Sundays, so that our kids can see "Fahder" up close. Nonetheless, the friends we did make at St. Dominic's are very special to us, and we hoped for the opportunity to thank them for being a part of our lives.

To our great surprise, our friend, Sister Mary Pieta, from the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal was at Mass. We have known sister Mary since she was in high school, and were blessed to be a part of her vocation discernment process.  One of our family goals is to let the boys choose any place in the U.S.A. that they would like to visit in honor of their 8th grade graduation.  Benedict has asked to see New York, City.  After visiting with Sister Mary about her order and their ministries, we learned that we can spend at least a couple of our anticipated vacation days volunteering with the Franciscan Sisters serving the poor.  What a tremendous experience that would be for our family!!

Today, we also extended parting wishes to our close friend, Joel McClure, who will be heading to the seminary in Denver for his first semester of study this week.  Both Joel and Sister Mary were able to join us for lunch after Mass today.  What a joy it was to share a meal with two incredibly beautiful souls!  Rich conversation in matters of faith and family life filled my cup with gladness and gratitude. As I looked down the table at our five sons munching on chips and queso, trying to ignore the drips down happy chins and onto untucked shirts, I smiled, knowing that God has a great plan and purpose for their lives too.

This morning I was in the mood to put on something un-fussy, something fresh, something I didn't have to iron.  This is what I came up with:

Skirt - Target

Tank - Target

Cardigan - Old Navy

Shoes - Sketchers from Shoe Carnival

Accessories:

Belt - Target

Necklace - Old Navy

Earrings - Target

Bracelets - Francescas

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... 

It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. 

- C.S. Lewis 

More lovelies here!

I'm Sorry For Punching You in the Eye (With My Typos)

{photo source}

Dear Friends,

Here it is, my first official blogger apology letter.  There's no point in beating around the bush. Yesterday, I was a bad blogger.  A VERY bad blogger.  I published an incomplete draft, accidentally (I learned that word from my kids), and it sat out there in cyber space all day assaulting the reading eyes of those, whom I love, with incomplete sentences, oversized paragraph jumps, typos and all.  I didn't realize it until last night, when my husband sat down to scroll through the pictures (he's supportive in his own way - wink, wink) of the farm posts I had written this week . That's when he ever-so-gently says to me, "Um, honey, I think this post has some problems."

The dishwater was slung, the pruny hands went in search of his farmer-tanned neck.  Just kidding! Although, I was doing dishes.  Back to the point...

Needless to say I was mortified.  The last thing in the world I would ever want to do is offend my readers with typos.  Offensive content, I can live with, but typos??  I know you all don't expect me to be St. Bloggula the Perfect, but seriously, this was inexcusable.

I sat in bed last night thinking about how to right this wrong. Was it too late to say I'm sorry?? Then, I realized that when I'm offended, an apology at any time is better late than never.  Maybe it's the Wal-Mart checker who refuses to speak to me because his infected lip piercing is grossly swollen or the President has just spanked us with another tax so he can spend it on Lord knows what.  Whatever the case, an apology always eases the pain when I'm offended. So, I'm hoping it will do the same for you.

Let me be honest, for a moment, with all of you.  When I take the time to read a blog that another has written, if it's filled typos and grammatical errors, often times, I don't finish reading the post, and I rarely make a return visit to the blog.  And, yet, yesterday I was the offender.  I put something out there that was incomplete and unsatisfactory.  While that wasn't my intention, I should have double checked my work after publishing.

Two days ago, I began writing the post intended to be published on Wednesday, but encountered a bit of temperamental trouble with Blogger when it came to saving the post.  Long story short, thinking I had lost my first attempt entirely, I started over on a second edition.  When I decided to publish yesterday morning, both posts were (magically) there, and without realizing it, I hurriedly posted the unedited version.

Perhaps it's a small thing, perhaps no one really cares.  But, I care, and acknowledging the error is important to me, because you, my readers are important to me!

In conclusion, dear friends, I wish to say that I hope my lack of blogger attentiveness will not keep you at bay.  I hope you will forgive me, and I hope you'll still come back and visit me on occasion. Thank you for your patience and understanding - you really are the best! 

Susan

Summer Harvest Adventures, Part II

It's true what they say, farming is definitely a family affair.  And, our experience this summer custom harvesting 3 hours from home, certainly affirmed that truth.  If you missed Monday's post, part 1 of our Summer Harvest Adventures, you can catch up on that here.  Today's post highlights how our family worked together each day to ensure the success of our operation.

When Steve's sister, Jen, found the Little R & R bed and breakfast for us as a possible place to stay, we didn't realize, at the time, how fortunate we would be to be able to call it our home for a month.  Located in the St. Mark's community, just west of Wichita, it was a conveniently centralized location for us to station a kitchen, office and bunks. Kathy and I went to great loving strides to make this our home away from home.  From sunup to sundown, the b & b bubbled with activity, and while the long days were, at times, a bit waring, we still managed to march on.  The front porch, equipped with a dreamy porch swing and a cooler of cold drinks, made for some great late night relaxation and conversation at the end of a hard day.

Now we don't want to toot our horns too loudly, but Kathy and I pretty much concur with the saying that behind every successful man is a strong and wise woman.  I might add to that, a woman who can cook! Keeping tummies full, laundry fresh and kids happy helped the guys work harder and happier every day in the field.

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of Kathy or myself in the kitchen slaving over the hot stove, filling to-go boxes with steaming portions of goodness, topping off countless cups of ice water for sweaty kids or rubbing Benadryl on their mosquito bites 100 times a day....but this depiction is pretty close:

Honestly, if we do this next year, I'm going to do a full-on video montage of what it takes to feed a crew out in the field.  It will include everything from our favorite recipes and the scandalous amount of butter we used to the crazy winding trips down unknown back roads (without GPS) to deliver the goods to the guys.

But, enough about us! Let's talk tractors! (And balers, and Stingers!)

The wheat crop this summer was thick and lush.  I couldn't quite get over how exquisite it looked on my early morning runs, the way it shimmered in the sun like gold against the bright, fresh sky. 

Contrasted to the rich green bordering pastures, it really was something to behold.  If you're clutching a bagel with your coffee right now - look closely - this is where the bread begins!

The first order of business for the guys was to get the swather into the fields that needed cut, so that the tractors could follow up with baling.

As the swather moves forward cutting the straw, small tines on the header sweep the straw to the center of the path, leaving a nice fluffy row of straw in its wake.

This is our son, Andrew, jumping down to grab lunch (and a hug!) after a long morning at work.

Grandpa Bob is very patriotic, and found a way to attach American flags to all of the equipment. The flags looked awesome blowing in the breeze atop the towering tractors!

After the wheat straw is swathed, it's time for the tractors to move in to the field and bale. Sometimes, they were able to work together, and at other times, they had to split up, depending on the conditions of the fields (we did get a couple of tractors stuck after a big rain!)

The day I was able to capture these shots, Steve had called me to let me know that they were baling just 2 miles down the road from the b & b, and believed it to be the perfect photo op of the straw squad!

The straw is compressed into large square bales and left in the field for the Stinger to load and stack on the perimeter of the field.

I have photos of every single one of the boys sitting on Steve's lap, gripping the wheel, believing they are driving just like daddy.  Charlie says tractor with so much gusto he foams at the mouth. It's hilarious! Our boys were definitely born to farm!

Like most occupations, farming requires a healthy dose of humor in order to deal with daily set-backs - especially when an entire tractor cab has to be removed just to get to the lower air conditioner unit. This was by far the best photo we took of Steve all summer!!

{Catching a grin from my big guy up in the cab!}

After riding with Steve for a day, Ben knew he could handle a seat on the tractor, and he was right!  He did an amazing job baling for us this summer, and had a great experience working out in the field with the guys.

One morning, after a heavy rain, the guys decided to move equipment in search of a dry field. They just happened to be "passing through," so they stopped to eat lunch at the b & b.  They are literally parked right across the street from the house! That's small town America for ya!

For all of you who are interested in the equipment side of this post, this piece of machinery is called a Stinger stacker.  Using large forks (top of the stinger), the stinger is able to pick a bale, lift it over the cab and onto the platform on the back of the truck.  

Once the platform is full, the stinger drives the bales across the field and releases them in a tall, upright stack at the edge of the field. I wish I had better pics of the Stinger in action, because it's really pretty amazing to watch (catch a video here).  Unfortunately, my phone doesn't take great low-light pictures.

After being on location for about 2 weeks, nearly everywhere you traveled within a 20 mile radius of St. Mark's, evidence of our operation was visible across the countryside.  Fields spotted with freshly pressed bales and towering stacks stretching across the field's edge couldn't be missed!

Looking back on our 30+ day adventure eastward, despite constant kp duty, long exhausting treks to the laundromat (with 5 kids!), long hours on the road delivering meals, running for parts to fix break-downs, and countless grocery sprints, the highs and lows blend together beautifully in my memory. I believe that is greatly due to the fact that the people of West Wichita are the warmest, friendliest and most sincere people on the planet.  They made our time away from home truly feel like home, and they will always hold a special place in our hearts for that.

In between the intense demands of work, we were able to squeeze in a little fun.  The easy-going rainy days are really what made trips to the park and pool with the boys and even a big 4th of July celebration possible.  I would be amiss if I failed to mention the guy up there on the left. Jonathan was Steve's right hand man this summer (as well as his farm-fashion advisor. Pearl snaps and aviators, anyone?).  Our boys grew to love him like a brother, and we will truly miss him when he heads back to K-State.

Will we do this all again next summer?  

Only time will tell, but for now, the forecast looks positive!

j

Back Story Blogging Week - Our Summer Harvest Adventures, Part I

Happy Monday, Sweet People!! 

So, so much going on around heeeerz that blogging is about as random and frequent as a a boy's clean room. There's so, so much to tell, yet so little time to tell it all! Not that you actually want to hear all the juicy tidbits concerning a crazy give-away I'm working on, why my Moscow Mule recipe will change your life, or why we are moving (yep, I said it - we're moving!).....

Oh, ya doot-da-do want to hear about it?? Okay, well, please send a super-nanny, a box of chocolates and something to caffeinate my brain and I'll dish it all out, with love, drama, correct spelling and complete sentences, too! Just kidding about the nanny and chocolate....sort of...I mean I wouldn't say no if you offered.  

Do you ever feel like your playing "catch up" with life? Can you feel my pain? You wake up one day and face the fact that you're seriously behind with life, so you vow to catch up on organizing closets, paying bills, cleaning everything, calling friends, shaving your legs, etc., etc. Now, I have to add blogging to that list.  Please, stay with me, while I spend this week catching up.  I promise it won't be terrible.  In fact, I've decided that it's officially Back Story Blogging Week.  Haven't heard of it?? Well, it's new, and it's awesome.

So, here we go.  Backstory numero uno: Our Summer Harvest Adventure.

I can already tell that this one is really gonna knock your socks off.  I mean really, who doesn't want to park it somewhere comfy and read my radical farming tales?? I'm just going to jump right out there and bet that almost everyone I know has read the Queen of bloggers, the Pioneer Woman's daily ranch report at one time or another. Her whimsy accounts of cattle branding and calf nuts are totally entertaining, but I think that's due to the fact that she also blogs about food and jewelry and entertainment and education and.....

And, well, you know I ain't got none o' dat -  no fashion, no food, no frolicks  - and I'm pretty sure that farm equipment is never going to sparkle quite like a well-worn pair of chaps on a well-worn pair of Wranglers (you haven't seen her photos??), but it's what I've got for now, so roll with me.

Late last winter, the farm was all a-buzz with exciting talk of the new tractors that were soon to be delivered to our door.  These weren't just any tractors, mind you, but a rare breed of tractors engineered in Germany by the name of Fendt.

If I haven't told you before just how much my husband LOVES to do research on farm equipment, I have failed to share a very important detail about him.  His love for equipment is comparable to my love for running.  What does he do when he can't sleep? He fires up Google and gazes at tractors 'till his little heart's content (I know, instant snooze-fest for me too!).

{From right to left: tractor, steamer, baler. Or, duck, duck, goose.}

Anyhoo, between the new tractors and balers and steamer (steamer low-down right here), I should have known a HUGE project was on the horizon.

Razor sharp, non-hormonal instincts confirmed.

Typically, during the summer, after wheat harvest is complete, Steve and his dad, Bob, work with area farmers to swathe, bail and stack their wheat straw (it's the stuff that's left over after the combine has cut the wheat). However, because of the severe drought we're in this year, most the wheat crop in our area was extremely thin and of low production.  That meant that we had to take our custom baling business somewhere else.  That somewhere else was central Kansas.

Once we realized we were taking the show on the road, the first order of business was to figure out how to transfer all of our equipment from one location to the other, the "other" being 3 hours east of here. The most logical answer was to drive some of it (if we held you up in traffic, my apologies), and haul the rest on flat-bed trailers using our semi trucks, .  If you've ever seen a traveling circus or carnival caravaning down the road, we might have looked a couple shades crazier than that! But, crazy is fun, right??

{Swather with header - unattached}

I spent the afternoon before the move avoiding laundry and snapping photos of the rigs as the work crew buzzed around the shop yard working hard to make sure everything was ready to head down the road safe and sound.  I have to admit, it was kind of fun being out there amidst all of the excitement!

Even the kiddos toddled around, climbing up and down the massive machines, mixing up tools in the shop, throwing rocks at each other and basically trying to be as unhelpful as possible.  Charlie gave us his usual dose of adorable. He is grandpa's buddy.  One sound of Charlie's sweet voice calling out "Papa" stops Bob in his tracks every time.  He always has time to hold his littlest grandson!

You might be wondering how we were able to get all of the equipment up onto the trailers. Some of the trailers have ramps that fold down allowing equipment to be driven up to the platform, but the swather trailer, which sits very low to the ground, did not, so it required Captain Equipment (my hubby, of course) to maneuver it into place.  Behold - my amazing videography/cheerleading skills:

In just a few hours, everything was loaded up, locked down, and the crew was ready to rock-n-roll.  Of everyone who was involved in this whole project, my son, Ben, would probably win the "Happy Farm Kid" award.  He's a lot like his dad when it comes to equipment love, and nothing would make his summer more memorable than to be able to hop in one of those tractors and work along side of his dad all day.

Can a 12 year old boy show a big techie-tractor who's boss?? I'll tell you more about that in Part 2 of tomorrow's back story blog of our summer harvest adventures!  Ya'll come back, now, ya hear??

   

Over -n- out!

A Little Slice of Love - My All Time Favorite Coconut Creme Pie Recipe

Welcome to Flash Back Friday!! Also known as Susan decided to stay up last night and watch a movie with her husband and drink Moscow Mules instead of blogging! I knew you'd understand!  This is one of the recipes I shared with ya'll a while back, and it's had some happy pinning moments on Pinterest, so I thought I'd throw it back out there for any of you who love to bake on the weekends like me....




Last weekend my dad was traveling in our neck of the woods on business and we were so blessed to have him stay with us for a couple of days.  When family comes into town, I completely lose my senses in the kitchen.  I love to serve up yummy comfort food (with a side of veggies, which are optional, of course!), and a tasty beverage to top it off.

My mom is an amazing cook, and taught me and my sister the secrets of great baking when we were young. In my kitchen, nothing is more fun than making loved ones their favorite treats and seeing them enjoy every bite.  Baking for my dad is easy, for him, there's nothing better than a cool slice of coconut creme pie.  Here it is - my all time favorite recipe! {Printable Version}

For the Crust...

Don't go out and buy the store bought kind! This recipe is simple and turns out golden and flaky every time!

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup Butter Flavored Crisco (no substitutions!)

4 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Sift together flour and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in Crisco.  Blend with pastry blender or fork until mixture has the texture of coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle water evenly over flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, and blend until ingredients are moist and the dough can be shaped into a ball.  Divide dough into two equal portions. Shape into flattened disks. The dough can then be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to use, or rolled out for a double crust pie, or two single crust pies immediately.

For this single crust pie, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8" thick.  Be sure to flour your rolling pin and hands, too! Lay dough evenly across the pie plate, cutting off any excess and crimp edges.  Poke with tines of a fork across bottom and sides (make lots of pokes!) and bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees, until crust is golden brown.

For the Filling...

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks, beaten

3 cups milk (whole milk works best)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter (the real thing!)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy saucepan: stir well.  Combine egg yolks and milk; gradually stir into sugar mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; stir in butter, vanilla and coconut.  Immediately pour into your beautiful pastry shell.  Cover filling with wax paper.  Let cool for 30 minutes; then chill in fridge until firm.

For the Topping...

1/4 - 1/2 cup coconut  

Spread evenly on a baking sheet and place in a 250 degree oven and stir every 1-2 minutes until toasted golden.

1 1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar (increase if you like a sweeter whipped cream)

Beat whipping cream until foamy, then gradually add the powdered sugar.  Continue to beat until soft peaks form.  Spread whipped cream over the chilled pie filling and sprinkle with toasted coconut.  Return to refrigerator to chill until ready to serve. 

Enjoy!!