Fall on the Farm

A couple weeks ago the kids and I went to play on the bales while the weather was good.  Of course as soon as Connor got sight of the time and the fact that we were going to the farm he instantly asked if his cousins could come play too. 

 In the meantime they wasted no time in jumping around.

 And then the cousins came......

 Auntie Becky came and Lexi quickly convinced here to take her on the bales.  The two of them have a special bond that I am truly grateful for.

 They quickly set up a game of home free.  It was fun watching them team up and scheme against the one that was it.

Kale surprised me with his speed.  The kid never moves fast but this one time he out ran Jesse in the knick of time.

 

Cousins are a gift that I hold close to my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving

Beware of a picture overload but I couldn't not put any of these on.  I did put some of these on my facebook page but since I use this blog as a sort of diary for our family I wanted to include them here.  So here we go...

 

 Saturday morning we headed out to the pig barns to show Lexi the baby pigs.

 She wasn't to sure of the noises in the barn but Kale embraced it fully - wanting to hold every baby pig there was. 

 As a girl I always liked standing in the pens with the pigs because of their curiosity.  They always come and nibble on the toes of your boots.  The boys giggled the whole time they were in there.

 By the time we got to room 6, Lexi was comfortable enough to touch a pig.

 A few years ago my brothers put up a couple huge grain bins.  The boys convinced me to let them climb to the top.  It was a wee bit scary.

 On the way back in to the house they found a pile of spilled canola.  I had to pull them away when Lexi started eating it!!  When I see this picture I think of that poor family that lost their 3 girls in a truck full of canola.  I truly love raising my children on the farm, but it is a reminder that there are a ton of risks involved. 

 Sunday morning we headed down to Greg and Laura's in Lethbridge.  This spring Greg installed a skateboard ramp in their back yard.  He conveniently had 5 skateboards which entertained the kid completely.  To start with they just slid down on their bums, then they progressed to riding the board on the tummies.  Then my boys got brave and learned to ride.

 Within about 30 minutes from this Connor was riding the board from one end to the other with a push from Uncle Greg at one side.

 This 4 year old blew me away once again with his balance.  Several times I thought for sure he was gonna crash, but each time he caught himself.

 We finally pulled them away to go down to the river valley.

 Lane decided to climb the train bridge. When he got up there a train actually came across. 

 The wind was horrendous.  As you can see Lexi almost got blown to her bum.

 Family all together.

 Greg and Laura are truly beautiful people.  Whenever we are together I wish we lived closer.  I am very blessed to call them family. 

 



On the way back to the vehicle Laura decided to conquer a fear and walked across the base of one of the bridge pillars.

 

It was a fabulous weekend. 

From Cow Chasing to Pig Chasing

This past weekend was full of  fun and family.  We spent Friday with my sister and her boys.  She is unfortunately in an air cast, so while the kids played I helped her wash her windows.  She amazed me at how much she did with that awkward thing.  We stopped by mom and dads for supper Friday night and were surprised when my brother Dave, his wife and 2 1/2 month old baby were there. 

 

Saturday morning I took the kids out to the barns.  My kids love animals but being in the farrowing barns (that is where the babies are born) was a whole new experience for Lexi in particular.  The boys have both been in before but has been a long time.  Lexi was shivering with fear for the first bit because of the noise.  But after seeing the little piggies and watching Kale hold them she was in there holding them by the end. 

 

After Lunch Uncle Dave took Kale outside to chase pigs.  The little guys was a little awe struck. 

 Following Uncle Dave closely....

 It brought back many memories of working on the farm.  Chasing pigs out of the huts to clean and bed with straw was my job while I was at home.  Very weird to watch my son help out with it. 

There is always one that gives you trouble.  This one tricked Dave and he ended up falling in the poop.  That was Kale's highlight!!

 

 

We enjoyed a turkey dinner with my other brother and his family Saturday night.  Sunday we spent the day with Tim's family in Lethbridge at Laura's place.  More pics to come.  We got to see every family member from both sides of the family this weekend.  I don't remember that happening since our wedding.  

My Prayer For my Kids

I have struggled more than I imagined I would with my oldest child starting grade 1.  Connor isn't one for lots of change.  But grade 1 brought lots of changes.  First he had to leave me and his brother and sister at home for the day.  He loves playing with them, and he thought we would have all the fun without him when he was gone.  Second he thought all his friends from last year would be in his class again.  But only 1 close buddy was in his class.  Third, he had to sit for long periods of time.  This was super hard for a little boy who spent the whole summer running and playing.  These are the big ones, but there were several others that contributed.  

 

I as a mom I saw him struggle with these issues and it hurt.  I tried helping him the best that I could but I saw a little light fading.  His attitude towards us changed and he was very argumentative.  I prayed daily for him and for wisdom for me.  September was a hard month for us trying to figure things out.  The Lord has answered our prayers and he is enjoying learning again.  He understands now that he'll see his friends at recess and has made new friends in class.  He knows that he gets home at 3:15 and that gives him lots of time to play with his siblings and do fun things with us.  He comes home keen on showing me what he has learned that day.  I've learned what questions to ask him that will help him talk about his day better.  I've learned that snack time after school is the most important time to reconnect with him.  I am truly grateful that I can be at home with my kids and be home when they get off the bus.    

 

 

Psalm 121 has popped up over and over in my readings, in music, and in bible study.  It has become a prayer for my children that I am saying daily now.  I made this picture above to hang in Connor's room and I pray that he can grasp and embrace this fully.  I hope that this can help him through the changes and unknown that he will face in his future.