THE WELCOME PAMPHLET

I am still waiting for the professional wedding pictures to share with you.

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Well. Things have been happening. Let’s discuss.

1. We moved Hadley into her new dorm at her new college.

Do any of you have adult children? It is a struggle. Mostly because for all their lives, you are, in essence, the boss of them, and then once they turn 18, you are immediately stripped of all your rights.

Well. I need to have the right to be in charge of Hadley and her college career choices. That girl is confusing me and she is confused and I am confused and maybe the college is confused. But, anyways. We moved her in. We thought she was moving into a dorm on campus, but they stuffed her into a “house” off campus. And she was so nervous to move into a dorm and I told her, and I quote, “it will be great! you will meet new people and have fun!” And then she got shoved in a house off campus. Which is fine, maybe, but then she went to her Lobby Party to meet everyone, as instructed by her WELCOME PAMPHLET, and she was the only one there.

Me no likey.

We are trying to get her on campus.

2. Kate and Caleb started their new year in Kansas. The PUPPY joined in on the pics just cuz.

They are setting up their new apartment and getting right back into school and work and figuring out married life.

3. One day, before church, David informed us that we were going to a field to look for a tire.

Yes. You heard me correctly. A tire.

Me: A tire?

David: A tire.

Me: From what?

David: The trailer.

Me: Was the tire on the trailer? Like on an axle? (Bonus points awarded to me for knowing tires go on axles)

David: No. It was on top of the trailer.

Me: ?

David: It is in a field and I need it.

Me: When did you lose it?

David: Like a year ago.

Ok.

I know I am not the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to all things farm and ranchy. But.

A year?

Me: David. How do you know where the tire is?

David: Because I remember seeing it fly off the trailer and into the field around this certain bend.

Me: And why didn’t you collect the tire then?

David: Because I was in a hurry then.

Me:

David:

Me:

And so we went and looked for the tire.

We did not find it. We were 10 minutes late to church. HD was mad that his white socks got dirty, and he was wearing slides. He announced to the world that he would not be able to attend church with his dirty white socks. Hadley was wearing cowboy boots and switched him socks and saved the day.

4. I do not have cowboy boots.

5. I am back in action at school. As predicted, I am no longer teaching a K/1st combo class, but I am teaching straight first grade. And I love love love first grade, so that is happy news. David helped me hang some new lights, and I predict I won’t have to use my stupid, bright overhead lights at all this year, and that, my friends, is winning.

6. Oh! Let me tell you a story about Hadley and her new “off campus ” house that will hopefully ruffle your feathers, as it did mine. The house has a community kitchen area. She went down there to fill a water bottle. She was shocked that there were humans there, as she has been dwelling there alone and also, it is like 100 degrees there all the time. Anyways, she walked in and there were some people in there having a conversation. She said she just went in and filled her water bottle-she felt too awkward to say anything. And as she was leaving, she heard one of the guys say, in a rude-ish tone- “Ok, BYE.”

7. Reader. I did not like that story. At all. Hadley Beth is a nice girl and deserves to be welcomed. Let us hope she gets switched to the other dormitory option post haste.

8. David, as usual, has been incessant with the gathering of the hay. You guyz. My house is literally ridiculous. If you drove down our road, you wouldn’t see my house. You would see hundreds and hundreds of hay bales. The guy is addicted.

And is he done?

No!

My dad met someone the other day who said he was from around this area, and my dad said the guy said to him, and I quote, “Oh, is your daughter at the place with all the hay bales stacked in front?”

So that is what I am known as. Never mind my cute peonies and attempts to decorate my porch.

I am just-House with Many Hay Bales.

Anyways. The gathering of hay has been a family endeavor. David knows we love our dogs and allowed the dogs to join at times. And THAT is the key to my heart.

I took Niko. Because poor Niko has been abandoned by Kate, who was his owner but wouldn’t take him and bought a new pup instead.

?

Anyways. I am in a spoiling NIko phase.

There is not much more to say. Other than I love my dogs.

And they love me.

Honestly, they are obsessed with me and must be with me at all times. And, quite frankly, I am ok with that.

Hadley came home from college AND HER TERRIBLE DORM SITUATION and helped us. Her dog, Charlie, even got to ride in the skidsteer with her.

I mean.

Come on.

I LOVE THEM.

9. David and I took them to the river for an afternoon of swimming and relaxation.

The river is low and slow now. You can walk across it from our place to a little “island” area. The dogs have figured out that they can be brave and swim to this island. So, when we first got there, I started walking across the river, and they followed, because, they are obsessed with me. And they had a wonderful time splashing and thinking they could catch ducks and finding sticks.

And, Reader.

There are so many sunken sticks in the island area. It is incredulous.

Anyways. We walked back and went back to our usual shenannigans of me throwing a stick in the water, and them fetching it.

At one point, Norman went after a stick, but he lost it.

Oh. This upset him.

He was searching and running all around. And then I saw him from the bank. He looked my way-

and then he leapt, like the pro-champion swimmer that he is, into the river and swam to the island area. You can see it in the above picture. He found a stick there, swam all the way back across the river, and got it back to me.

And, I mean.

Come on.

How could you not love him?

Charlie and Niko were in awe of him.

And who wouldn’t be?

10. I have already started back to school.

Hooray!

This morning, I was getting ready and doing the things, and I had a nagging feeling to check on Auntie Dana. Dana lives in an apartment we built for her awhile back in our shop. I never check on her in the early morning, becuase she is a late sleeper.

Anyways. I did. And I am glad I did, because she was not well. And I called Mother and had to pull her away from her adminstrative duties at the pediatric office and she came over. And I had to text my admin and tell them I was out for the day. And Mother and I spent the day trying to help Auntie Dana and it took the entire day. Getting her ready and out of the apartment. Getting her to the car. Getting her to the clinic. And then, on advice of the clinic, getting her to the ER. And, Reader. Auntie had a stroke. And she is being admitted. And I hope she will recover enough to come and enjoy her life on our adventurous farm.

So. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

11. And because you wouldn’t expect anything less-during the time I was waiting for mom to come and help me with Auntie, I noticed that we-and please sit down for this-didn’t have water.

I know. It is hard to believe.

And, I mean. What timing!

So. David was the all important turn buyer again for the fair with pigs and steers. HOORAY! And today was the exact day that the pigs and steers needed to picked up.

So.

The boys left here at 5 am and went and picked up the pigs for David. Because they are almost men now, and David includes them and lets them go in as partners on deals and such. Anyways, the boys came and dropped off 20 pigs. One of them put the hose in the pig water trough and turned it on, forgot all about it, and then they left to get the steers.

So, when I was in Dana’s apartment trying to help her, I noticed we had no water. I went to investigate and found an overflowing pig trough and pigs happily splashing in a pool of mud.

I turned the hose off, not thinking much of it.

But, Reader. More would come of it. Later on.

12. I was at the ER and David came to pick me up, since it looked like Auntie would be admitted. When we got home, David needed my help sorting pigs. And do not ask me WHY, but sorting them is important to him. And, stand down, Reader! I did not leave Auntie alone. My mother and uncle were there. Anyways, we needed to sort the pigs. In order to sort them, we needed to read their tag numbers.

However. Because the boys left water on and created mud, the pigs were coated in mud. We could not read their tags and had to try to wash the tags to read them. Pigs are not agreeable creatures and they were working against us the entire time.

But. We sorted them, and I earned the title of Wife Worth More Than Fine Rubies, like I usually do.

13. Also. Found out when David was hauling the gigantic hay bales, he lost one in the same area as the missing tire. There is no reason to tell you that, but I decided to.

14. After I helped sort the pigs, I received the message from mother that the doctors decided Dana had had a stroke. She is staying in the hospital for a few days, and it is all very worrisome, but I am thankful I decided to check on her, thankful she seems to be doing pretty good, thankful mom could come and help, and thankful that my school family was supportive so I could help get her the help I need.

15. Let us hope and pray that Hadley gets a different housing placement. Because she went to the lobby party-as suggested by THE WELCOME PAMPHLET-and was all alone.

16. Please keep Auntie in your thoughts and prayers.

17. Thanks for listening.