Changes.

Its amazing how fast your life can change in the blink of an eye!  You get going on your normal day to day life and don't think about the changes and who you are becoming.  In the last seven years we have dealt with many changes.  When I started dating Ron I never expected he'd be the one. 

 Things changed. 

We dated.

Got engaged.

Got married. 

Lived in a tiny apartment for the first six months.

Moved to what I thought was the middle of nowhere, Idaho. (Terreton.)

Served in the nursery, primary, and now YM/YW.

Started a family.

 Finished school.

Was the JV cheer coach.

Babysat.

Had baby #2.

Made great friends.

Enjoyed having family around.

Learned to do home canning become self reliant.

And all the while we were making plans and dreaming of ways to accomplish them.

Then, in the blink of an eye an opportunity comes that you can't pass up.

For the last four (at least) years Ron has been looking and hoping for a new job. Preferable farming. We've been able to farm a little on our own, but it hasn't panned out the way we've hoped, and has never gotten us to where we want to be. 

But, TODAY,  he quit his job. 

He will no longer working for a corporate farmer. 

He leaves December 1 for North Dakota. 

He will drive water truck for the oil fields.

 No, its not a glamours job. 

 It will be tough for the family, especially the first couple months before the rest of us can go with him, but its what we feel is the right decision for us at this time in our lives.

We will miss the community we are in and having family close by. It is an adventure that I never saw coming.   I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it.  It doesn't feel like its reality and it probably won't until Ron leaves us in 2 weeks. We can't wait to be with him in a couple months!  

October 2010

I have to admit I've become addicted to blogging in the last year-to the point of doing at LEAST 2 posts a week at times.  However, THIS month I've been one of the busy moms that is lucky to even get one post done a month! Its been a crazy, hectic, good, fun, month!  (This is a long post, so even if you don't read it, make sure you at least scroll to the bottom to see the halloween pictures.)

We started the month out by going to Yellowstone for General Conference Weekend.  Madilyn had heard a story about a time Ron and I had gone.  After that she kept telling stories about how she'd been to Yellowstone, when I'd correct her she'd get really sad to the point of almost crying! I decided it would be a nice little break during Spud Harvest, so we took a day trip that Sunday. (Pictures to come...they are on Ron's CRUSHED phone!)

 

SPUD HARVEST was successful! despite the crazy year!  Last year we were fighting the freezing temperatures, THIS year we were digging in the middle of the night because the day time temps were too HIGH!

It always rains at least a couple days of spud harvest...this year was no different! 

Eventually we did get some cold weather and Ron was forced to unload the firewood!  It was a great show for the kids!

Until Madilyn fell off the fence and got a black eye!

Look at my muscle man! 
 hehe okay, he's really just kicking a few logs out of the way!

******

This is what our house typically looks like on a normal day.

But I'm okay with that because it means things like THIS:

or this:

aren't happening somewhere else!

(FYI its Vaseline in his hair!)

A few nights ago I just needed some quiet time!  I went and took a bath.  When I got out, I could hear Ron chanting
"Come on!  You can do it! You're almost there!"
A few thoughts ran through my head but not THIS!!

Except, when I came out and  first saw them, they were BOTH climbing up at the same time!  Landon was only a foot below Madilyn! 

...no wonder I needed some quiet time!

I decided I needed some structure in my days, since babysitting wasn't cutting it, I pulled out all my moms old Joy School manuals and invited a couple of Madilyn's friends to come to Joy School. I think I just needed something to get my mind off everything else. Let me tell you, its done the trick! It keeps me busy! The kids are loving it and I really am too! We even put on a Halloween Parade last time as part of our party!

The days we don't have Joy School I at least try to do an activity with the girls. Either baking something or some kind of craft activity!  Here are our MONSTERS we made last time!!

Its always fun when Holidays land on days when you can celebrate for the WHOLE weekend! Despite all the previously mentioned things I've gotten myself into, here is another: making Landon's dinosaur costume!!  Growing up I really wasn't into sewing, I did a few things to pass of projects or something, but I've come to really enjoy it in the last couple years!  I didn't have a pattern for the costume so Ron made so much fun of me when I started tracing Landon's PJ's to make my own but I'd have to say it turned out pretty darn good! Although, it would have been nice if I'd had more experience in sewing...but you gotta start somewhere!

Friday we got to go to the Halloween Carnival (sorry no pictures, Ron had my phone).  The kids LOVED it.  The only disappointment was the cake walk. Madilyn REALLY wanted to win a cake! But Landon enjoyed every minute of swiping pop from the ring toss and marbles from the plinko booth! Its a good thing everyone thinks he's so cute or we would have been kicked out! (okay maybe just annoying!) Landon's favorite was the the duck pond! He'd throw his ticket into the water instead of handing it to the girls and he thought it was just so funny!  Madilyn just had fun everywhere we went and probably just because she got to dress up like a princess!

SATURDAY! We did our trick-or-treating!  We went to Menan and hit all the grandma's, and did the trunk-or-treat there with all Madilyn's cousins!  She didn't waste ANY time and tried taking HANDFULS of candy at each car!  After the trunk or treat we went to Grandma Jane's for pizza!  The kids had a blast!   Celebrating holidays with family is always fun!

All the cousins: Baby Aiden (lobster), Landon (dinosaur), Madilyn (snow white), Kirsten (little red riding hood), Baby Brielle (lady bug)

And as if that's not enough my calling has been a busy one this month! All in the last two weeks of October we had a temple trip and made 35ish sack lunches, went to EFY, had a Stake Dance in which we had to 1. round up all the formals we could find 2. prepare part of the dinner 3. have a seperate activity for the beehives, let alone all the meetings and lessons that come along with the calling. AND be on top of everything for the frist activity in November since my class is in charge! Don't get me wrong I LOVE my calling and working with the beehives.  I'm just grateful I'm not the president! 

Brianna, YOU ARE AMAZING!