Memory Verse - Week 3

Hebrews 13:5

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God  has said "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

This past week I used both the verses previously memorized quite abit.  I struggled this week in allowing my worry to stay at bay, and I am thankful I had the verses to remind me. 

Previous weeks verses:

Psalm 51:22

Psalm 139:23-24

They Have Arrived!

I awoke early this morning, when it was still pitch dark out and the fog was heavy!  As I was sitting at my kitchen bar reading through some blogs I follow I heard a noise.

It was muffled and I thought my grandaughter had woke up. I waited a moment, (as all good adults do to "test the waters" before letting a 1.5 year old out of the playpen this early!) You are agreeing with me right? I am not the only one that feels this way! I did say it was early, like 6:15am! :)

Anyway, as I heard the noise once more I thought, No it isn't ES.....

I got alittle smile on my face and thought, I'm going to the back deck!

I could feel the excitement start to raise in my chest and it was like I couldn't get out the locked door quick enough!  

As I entered the deck, I noticed all the moisture (humidity/fog/darkness), but quickly went ahead and sat down on my  patio furniture on the edge of my seat! Literally!

Waiting.... waiting in anticipation......to hear the sound again.  Hoping for it to be there in the darkness.

THERE IT IS!  A sad cry of a calf longing for it's mother! 

No I don't usually get joy out of upset beings, but this made me glad because it met CALVES were at the farm! They had been delivered during the night.  We feed calves over the winter and then sell them in the spring.  These were probably born in January or so.

I am just beside myself at this moment! :)  :) :)

I really enjoy participating and watching my husband work cattle.  I will explain what working cattle is in a later post, as they will wait a couple days for them to "calm" down before completing that task.  I hope they do it when I am home and not at work! :)  

I am just giddy!  

(If I hadn't just crawled out of bed, I would snap a photo of myself for you to  see my non-stop smile but there is no way I am doing that, not with this bedhead!) 

Needless to say, I find alot of joy in this aspect of farming.  If you have read here, you will guess why.  My parents lived in the house that was at my grandfather's cattle feedlot the first 5 years of my life.  I hear that as I arrived home from the hospital, there were some cattle out and they had to get them in before celebrating my homecoming. ( I was the baby of the family you know, that made it a "big deal" right? I am sure my dear siblings have much to say on that subject! Haha Hehe 

I am fortunate because if I really want to stroll down memory lane, I could catch a ride with my husband or father in law when they haul corn to this location!  It's funny how life works out, especially since we didn't grow up near one another!

Anyway, due to my unique start in life, I find joy in  the presence of cattle. Just makes me smile sitting here typing about it!  

Do you have certain smells, places, noises that bring back childhood memories or certain people to mind?  I would love to hear them! 

Thanks for stopping by!
Julie

PS: Many more will arrive in the near future.... they come in several loads!
Stop back by for updates on these lovely creatures!

The View From My Lens - 3

Team Work!

I just love this shot!

Daddy & Daughter Mule Fun!

The title probably got you thinking that Milton took 

PV to ride an animal !

Well the Mule on our Farm is this!  

A Kawasaki Mule! 

After the new mound of chopped corn was done the other day, apparently Dad took PV on a ride over it several times!  The next evening she asked to do it again, this time I was home to catch the action!

He would drive her up and down the mound and I would hear these GIGGLES and LOUD exciting shrills!

Go again Daddy! Go again Daddy!

Now this is how we have fun on the farm!

Don't worry, Dad is pretty safe with his little girl!

Looking alittle excited here!

We probably won't be doing this until next year

 because as the chopped corn ferments

 it becomes softer and becomes "silage".  

So not too safe to drive across!  

But it was fun while it lasted!

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie

Intimidated & Impressed! Time to Chop Corn!

At the farm yesterday, the custom harvest crew showed up to chop corn for silage.  This is different than harvesting the corn with the combine.   We use the silage as part of the feed for the calves we will purchase here shortly for the winter.  The calves will then be sold around  April or May.

 (A bonus to having feeder calves is that we retain a couple to have butchered for beef for our families.)

I was lucky enough that my dear husband took photos, as I had to work at my job when they were here to chop the corn. This blog is a joint effort you will come to find out! :)

The corn is chopped by the cutter. Once it is chopped the grain truck is right there catching the it! 

There are two grain trucks continually going.

   

Once the truck is full, it hauls the silage to the area 

we have designated for it.

Then Milton uses the tractor and spreader to even it out.

So the entire process is a pretty rapid one!  

If I would have been here, I would have taken a video to post so you could get the full effect! 

The first time I witnessed my husband doing this I was both intimidated and impressed! 

 Intimidated by the growing mound under the tractor and the speed he was driving, 

and impressed by his skills at handling that tractor like he came into this world driving one!

(Which secretly I think he was! :)

When all is said and done, there is a nice mound of Silage ready to use for feed!

Of course while mommy is away, the kids must play we see!

Paige on top of the Silage Mound!

Paige & Daddy!

To be continued.............

Check out tomorrows post to see what other fun happened on the Silage Mound!

Thanks for stopping by!

JV

Family Feel Good Moments!

I hope this post finds all of you having 

a great start to your week!

I was wanting to get alittle interaction from you all!  

(Feel free to use the anonymous button!)

How about sharing your best "feel good" 

moment from last weekend!

On Sunday evening my older girls were home and as I was sitting at my dining room table I could hear from one side of me the "little girls" playing and from the other side I could hear the "big girls" talking and laughing. It was a blissful feeling in my heart. 

What was YOUR feel good moment of the weekend???

:)

Julie

Photos from our going away get together for KVH!  She's heading to California later this week!

Sisters!

I have NO IDEA where they get their craziness from.

Ok  Yes I Do!  

Misc Shots!

Family is Awesome!

Memory Verse Week 2

Psalm 51:22

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Memory Verse Week 2 Are you coming along?

When I began searching and praying for this weeks memory verse, I went back and forth about whether I wanted it to be another verse in regards to worry or something else.  I had searched using my Concordance and Bible and thought I was going to use Hebrews 13:5.   But when I reached for my Bible I found Psalm 51:22 circled and my chest got alittle fuller, I knew it was the one!

HE led me to this verse and I am pretty sure HE has good reason!

Psalm 51:22

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;

He will never let the righteous fall.

Although it isn't long, I feel it is quite profound and yet simple.  The simple truth of what GOD wants us to remember.

I know as a Mother, later this week will be a difficult one for me.  My middle daughter will be loading up in her car, (with a girlfriend), and driving from Kansas to California to setup home for herself and her currently deployed husband.  He is to return in late October from Afghanistan.  This is only one reason why I think this verse will be quite helpful to me this week! :)  If you pray, please feel free to for her to have safe travels and protection in the days to come, it would be greatly appreciated by me.

I hope some of you are coming along for the ride and memorizing with me!  I love having buddies to do stuff with!  Feel free to comment below with your experiences too! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie

 PS:

And yes I am one of those people that highlight, write in, and even put dates in her bible!  I think it's kinda neat to be using my bible and then I see an old date next to it.  "Oh I have been here before, I wonder what GOD is trying to tell me!"  Is usually what runs through my mind when I see the date of days gone by! Just makes me smile thinking about it!

Memory Verse Week 1 UPDATE!

Ladies & Gentlemen!

There is success in our house!  

I have accomplished a goal!

Psalm 139: 23-24 is memorized!

I'm doing my happy dance right now!  The 4 year old is looking at me strangely , but I do believe she's about to join me! :)

Starting out, I felt I had a task at hand, as if in school, and needed to complete it just through memorizing it.  

But it came to be, 
which should be no surprise to me 
(oh a rhyme!) 
that GOD had other plans for silly me!   :)

He set this verse before me to not only succeed in memorization, but to aide in my week.

This verse became my calm, before I said something I shouldn't have to someone.  It was my quiet before I went to sleep, my mantra as I drove my daughter to school, and my companion as I worked at my computer throughout the day.

It's became a pal of sorts and I hope it is here to stay (in my brain I mean)! 

But if my memory fails me, it's a faithful friend, and can be found in my Bible! 

I hope some of you joined me in memorizing this verse.  It's truly brought some comfort to my life in just 7 short days! 

Did it yours?  

Memory Verse Week 2 coming soon! 

Please Join Me!

JV

The View From My Lens - 2

This house although old and depleted now, 

once was a home. 

If the walls could talk , they'd probably have 

some great stories to tell!

I just love imagining the life that used to be in this house! 

Good morning on a cloudy day from the pasture!

No words needed.

My silly girls! Playing house together!

:)

Wheat sowing

Wheat sowing has officially begun for this family farm! 

MV started planting wheat under the (irrigation) center pivot today.  This will be irrigated wheat for his father.  They primarily farm non irrigated wheat, this is approximately 60 acres of irrigated ground.  It took him 3 hours to sow about 30 acres, so tomorrow he will be back in the tractor completing the task at hand.

(He also burned some wheat stubble  today, but I work a full time job outside the home, so we do not have photos of that :(  I've been reassured that there will be opportunity in the near future to get photos! Stay close! You won't want to miss that post!

It's almost 8:00 pm and MV has now come in for the night.  That's how it is during planting or harvesting time. Later evenings and warmed up meals and missed family time. 

A farmer's business depends alot on the weather, the number of hours in a day, and whether there were any breakdowns or not. They do not punch a time clock or get paid overtime, they just do what needs to be done, and get it done to the best of their ability with what they have. 

Although sometimes it's difficult and hard decisions have to be made, the (my) farmer loves this life.

One of the reasons is the view from the tractor cab!

(INSERT HERE THE PICTURE I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS EVENING, BUT DID NOT)  

HE HAD A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE SUN SETTING ..... HIS WIFE FAILED TO MAKE IT OUTSIDE IN TIME TO TAKE IT! OOPS! 

Although he was late coming in, and we missed him at dinner time, I am glad he made it in the house in time to read to his little girl. This makes me smile, she is one lucky girl to have a Dad that will be sure to make her a priority, and finish the day with a good book (even when it is a busy time of year) ! 

May your upcoming weekend be blessed!

JV


My hubby just informed he took a few photos with his phone while burning wheat stubble!  So here ya go! :)
(I am wearing off on him I think!)

Remembering

Today is an anniversary. The anniversary of a death of someone I loved alot in my life.  The day brings somewhat of a heavy heart but my focus is mostly on the wonderful memories I still have of this person.  I feel that is the best way to get through this time of year. Focus on the positive not the negative.

I don't visit his grave much, as I have  always felt, mostly due to my religious beliefs I suppose, that they are not really there.  Instead I travel back to a memory when I want to feel the presence of them with me. I look forward to the day I am reunited with the people that have passed before me.  

I was with my step father the entire night before he passed.  I talked to him,  I washed his face, I prayed for him, and I cared for him. And although it was extremely difficult for me to watch him die, I know that I would have not wanted to be in any other place.  Being present with him was a blessing, some may not agree with me, but I feel it was in my whole heart.  It's the one last thing I could do for him. He couldn't verbally tell me, but I know there was alot of love in that room that night. ( My sister was present as well.) 

I look back on that memory and I actually feel honored to have been with him. This man was a father figure in my life,  he supported me when I was in labor with my oldest daughter, he listened to me cry at times, and he walked me down the aisle at my first wedding plus a great many other things.   

I did not truly realize until after his death the most important thing that this man did in my life.  

He was my Mother's partner for over 20 years.

THAT was the most important thing.

He was with her daily. Although he wasn't well the last few years, they were still together and had one another.  I see how much my Mother misses him and although it's been 3 years, I doubt that will ever go away. All I can do is pray for her and hope that she relishes in the 20 something years of memories they had, and  finds peace in knowing someday they will reunite in Heaven.

If I could have one more moment with Bob, I would tell him Thank You for choosing my Mother as his wife and that I love him.

I just wanted to pay tribute to him today, in remembrance.

Stop and tell the ones around you how much you value them, they will appreciate it, I am sure of it!

Thanks for stopping by.

JV

  

A Birth Story

Most everyone has some sort of story they have heard in regards to their arrival into their families.  On my blog, if you have read here, then you have read some of my story.  I like to hear and share birth stories.  So I decided to share my three daughters.

My mother and I (1970)

 

For example, on the day my oldest daughter, TS was born, I spent the afternoon making a cherry pie. My stepfather, Bob timed my contractions while I rolled out pie crust.   (Cherry was one of his favorites!) This memory has become precious to me as he passed away 3 years ago this month.  I recall him being calm and supportive, but as soon as that pie was out of the oven (because I insisted on finishing the pie first), we headed to the hospital! :) 

My oldest daughter & I (1988)

 

My middle daughter, she spent all day Thanksgiving, slowly making her presence known to me with labor on and off. Her father's grandmother was gracious enough to be there with us at the house, and made Thanksgiving dinner. I recall I was crosstitching a blanket for her, during that day. KVH was coming in her own sweet time, she is still that way today!  :)  She woke us in the middle of the night and we headed to the next town in cold winter weather to welcome the little bundle into our family.  Grandma Shirley has passed as well, her being present that day made it go smoother and created a special bond and a very precious memory to all of us.

My middle daughter & I (1992)

Our youngest daughter, PV  become part of our family through adoption.  

The day PV was born, we arrived at the hospital, which was about 1186 miles from home, in another state, away from family and friends about 6:00 am.  We did paperwork and headed to the waiting room, she was scheduled to be born by c-section. We waited nervously in the waiting room alone, 

talking  and praying, hoping for the best.  

Lucky for us, within 15 minutes of her birth, we met our daughter in the hospital nursery.  She was crying, black curly hair, and not a happy little camper at all!

 

 As we arrived in the nursery, I turned to look at my husband and saw the most amazing thing.  I watched him literally fall in love with this little person.  I can't fully describe in words what I saw, but I feel it was something close to what GOD probably feels for each of us everyday all day.

I was so very proud of MV at that moment and I could see he was HER Father.  From the moment she was conceived by others, GOD had a plan, 

that MV would be this little girl's daddy. 

There was no going back now, although it could have if the birthmom so chose it.  

I am so thankful I looked his way when I did.  

We didn't get to hold her until the next morning, 

due to she had to have oxygen. (Caketop! :)

But we were by her side and held her hand, and prayed and talked to her non stop.  There is more to PV's story, but I will blog on that some other time.

My youngest daughter & I  (2008)

 

 

I became a mother at the age of 17, again at 22, and once more at 38.  I have been a single mother, a married mother, and an adoptive (married) mother. 

But in reality, none of those "titles" matter. 

 

What matters is that I  was  AM a Mother.  GOD entrusted me with three of HIS creations.  To guide them, help them, love them, and let them go when it is time.  Obviously, I didn't have much knowledge starting out but I did my best and I hope that is worth something to my children.   

Even with more knowledge today, I still make mistakes. 

 I can only hope that by ME noticing my mistakes, acknowledging them, and learning from them teaches my children to do the same with their children.  

 

I am blessed to be the Mother of three daughters. 

 

Even more so I am blessed because 

GOD chose ME to be THEIR Mommy!

 

I am thankful.

Any good birth or welcome to the

 family stories you want to share??? 

I'd love to hear them!

JV

Fall Harvest Prep!

Fall harvest began with corn about a month ago, the drought was extremely hard on the crops this year.  We still have some irrigated corn to harvest.   At this point, the plan is to harvest most of it and then chop some for silage for the feeder cattle we will have this winter.  Grain sorghum (milo) and Soybeans will be harvested in October most likely.  Fall harvest is different than the Wheat harvest in the sense that it is spread out longer.  Wheat harvest for the most part is done in June or July and for us lasts approximately 10 days.  Fall harvest you are dealing with three different crops, so harvest time spans about 3 months, August through October. As always, the weather is a huge factor in when crops are planted and harvested.

During this time, beginning in October the Wheat crop for next year is being sown (planted).  It tends to be a busy time of the year for this farm family.

Today MV pulled the John Deere drill /air seeder out and began preparing it for wheat sowing!  He replaced the seed lock press wheels.  

When he works on equipment, the thing I enjoy most is watching PV and him interact.  I also enjoy when my father in law is present, three generations hanging out on the farm!  Memories in the making!

And usually Duke isn't far behind my father in law!
 

We also had to take time to have fun!

Climbing up on top of the drill all by ourselves!

Even Daddy stopped working to play follow the leader!

Thanks for stopping by!

JV

In Between the Sunsets of Life: Memory Verse Week 1

In Between the Sunsets of Life: Memory Verse Week 1

A friend of mine asked me if I was going to post my memory verses since in this post I set myself up for a challenge!  Anyone wanting to join in is more than welcome! Accountability and support go together you know!

The verse I chose to start with was brought to my attention through this bible study I am participating in.  I like the verse for a couple reasons.

1 - The wording
2 - It's not too long!

Wish me luck!

JV

Memory Verse Week 1

Psalm 139: 23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
      test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
      and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Thank you dear husband!

My husband takes an Elk hunting trip to Colorado each year.  He is usually gone about nine days

 and has just returned from this years trip!

 I think someone missed him! 

 ( I did too! )

I send along a care package each year. 

PV and I created it together this year 

and that was quite fun I might add!

  My husband is sweet and reciprocates for both PV and I

 by leaving us a stack of cards or letters for us to open each day.  

In 10 years time, technology has come a long way. 

We can talk, text, and even email each other 

if we choose to on a daily basis.  

(Note once the hunting begins though, he seems alittle distracted... not sure what's with that! )

Of course we do some of that, 

but these "care packages" are the best gift ever

I THINK!

And I will tell you why!

He took the time to go to the store and 

pick out these special cards.

He created handmade cards. 

(I bet he is going to love that I shared this part, 

I did leave out photos, so I think I am ok!)

He knew I would need a "piece" of his love each day.

He sent me flowers, which included my favorite color!

He also made PV her own care package!  That was wonderful to watch each day!  She especially enjoyed the ones Daddy drew of himself up on the mountain with crayon.  She would giggle and then inspect each one.  She noted that on a couple Daddy had 4 fingers and 3 legs!  We just giggled and it made the moment so much more fun!  Silly Daddy! She would say!

MV, we appreciate all the "CARE" you put into our "PACKAGES"!  Thank you!


Do any of you have any special things you do for others on a regular or non-regular basis???

I'd love ideas!

Thanks for stopping by and indulging me to use my blog to thank my husband!

JV