Phone book contest

Pick your favorite 3 for me to enter in our local contest. The winner will have their photo published on the cover of our annual directory. I got 2nd runner up last year and I hope to atleast place again. Thanks!!!

Sping/winter

On Groundhog day it was predicted that we would have 6 more weeks of winter. That was nice to hear since on February 2nd we hadn't had winter yet. So here we are 8 weeks after that scaredy-cat groundhog came out of his hole, and we have had snow 4 out of the last 5 days! That's all I have to say...

Being snowed in...

Ok, so the HTML isn't working and I can't remember which pics I uploaded and where. I am just going to tell my stories all in one area rather than with each picture.

Thursday night we started getting a LOT of wind and a little snow. We woke up Friday morning to lots of snow on the ground and more coming down. I already had the day off of work because my boss is out of town so I didn't have to worry about that. We have learned to be thankful for the little things though! Like X-Box live where we can download endless movies and TV shows! We did a 550 piece jigsaw puzzle yesterday in the matter of a few hours. We ate breakfast, dinner, and supper... and we watched movies. Oh, and took a nap! We are adventurous!

Cummins had mixed feelings about all of this. He refused to go outside at first yesterday morning. Jerrad tried as hard as he could to coax him out the door, but it wasn't happening! After a couple of hours J tried again, and he went out. He yelped at first not liking the cold, but then he got used to it. A few minutes later we looked out and he was running and jumping as hard and fast as he could! Although the poor guy almost had to dig a hole for himself. Then as soon as he was ready to come in he was scratching at the door. Which is odd because he has NEVER done that!

We looked out, while having coffee and gazing in wonderment, to see 3 woodpeckers on our tree. They hung out there all day yesterday and were back today with a friend.

From the looks of things, we will be here for a while. (I guess that's ok because my house needs the attention, hence... I am on the computer!) All the highways around us are closed so even if we could get to the highway we couldn't get anywhere from there. There is a picture up there somewhere that shows our driveway with drifts that are up to my hip. Looking out our west window, there should be a road there, but you can't even tell. It just looks like our yard goes straight into CRP grass.

But WOW!! It is beautiful, and it is moisture! We are very excited to have a better chance of a wheat crop! Until we thaw or dig out, we'll be here!

Friday Foto

I'm late... this was actually taken this morning...




1) Taken in my backyard... from my porch.
2) This morning.
3) That sunrise light - it's hard to beat!
4) This picture means we have a much better chance for a wheat crop!
5) Named, "Winter-09"

A visit with friends...

If you know Jerrad and I at all, you know that both of our families are deeply rooted in Silver State Baptist Youth Camp. He is a 3rd generation camp worker, the first being his grandma that worked with Harvey Springer. He and I both worked up there, but during different summers. While he worked there, he became great friends with David Prince.

While I was attending Heartland Baptist Bible College my freshman year, I was roommates with Rebekah Boyd. She and I also developed a great relationship despite a lot of things going on in our worlds (separate and in room 508)! She and a young man on campus started to hang out more and more. His name was David Prince!

So that summer when I worked at camp I got to know and started dating Jerrad. A few years down the road and David and Bekah are married, and Jerrad and I are married. Jerrad and David get to see eachother often through certain Men's retreats. Rebekah and I have bumped into eachother a couple of times along the road as well, but never got to spend much time together.

At the last men's retreat the guys met at they got a brilliant idea! David, Rebekah and their two kids would come visit us in SWKS! We laughed, and ate, and laughed!! We had such a good time. I had my camera out almost the whole time snapping pictures of their little ones. We went over to the farm and showed Lela the animals, then ate lunch at Kitty's on Friday. That evening us girls went on a walk while the guys were welding in the shop. Then we ate burgers and TRIED to watch a movie. On Saturday my inlaws came over for breakfast and the guys got the guns out. We enjoyed the beautiful weather and music from Jerrad's fiddle. Jerrad and Lela got to color easter eggs together and he almost went home with her!

I had almost forgotten how much I leaned on Rebekah as a big sister. It was such an encouragement to see her again and to just enjoy eachother as the women we've become. Here are a few pics of their visit!

Friday Foto

1) Taken Friday evening
2) In my front yard on he swingset
3) LIGHTING!!!
4) This is my college room mate's little girl. She is an amazing little tyke that is beautiful to boot!
5) Named, "Peek-A-Boo!"

Mascara Stains

I have bright eyes
and a genuine smile
that spouts a too loud laugh

I have a strong back bone
and am mostly straightforward
with my multiple friends.

Yet, it is

I

That feels lonely
That rarely smiles on her own
That could never reveal her true self
That curls up in her bed
That gives a sheepish midnight whimper
That can't get the mascara off of her pillow

Friday Foto

1) Taken Tuesday

2) In my dining room

3) I love the sheer look of the petals. And although in photos it is considered a flaw, I love the sun fighting it's way in from the right side.

4) I have always loved Amaryllises and this is my first one!

5) Named, "Sheer Elegance"

Difficult much?

Don't know quite what to say... I haven't been having the best of days lately but don't know who to talk to about it. Everyone seems to be involved in atleast one of my difficulties making it really odd to talk to anyone about it. Not that all of my friends are my problems, that is not the case at all. I just can't spew my woes of something when that person is too closely associated to the problem. Anyway, this may be the shortest blog I'll ever write just because no one can read what I really need to type.

On a brighter note, I have a three day weekend starting today with some snow this morning (with 1/2 mile visibility) and now it's 65 degrees. Gotta love Kansas!

Friday Foto

1) Taken Tuesday

2) In my backyard

3) I love that the out of focus parts draw your eye into the focal point.

4) This is Jerrad's beloved tractor and I try and take pictures that he will enjoy also.

5) Named, "Big Boy Toy"

Job

I am going to attempt to blog about our life the last 2 weeks. I must preface this with the fact that I am starting this blindly. I have no idea what this is going to turn into but it is not a pity party and it isn't to broadcast these emotionally sensitive times. It is simply a few thoughts.

I guess it started on Friday the 13th. Jerrad went to Hays to a Spra-coupe school. After it was done he went and picked up my best friend, Maggie who is going to college in Hays. They went to a music store to kill some time as well as shopping for my V-day present. When they were at the music store, Jerrad was "fiddling" around with an electric fiddle. He had always wanted one since he knew they existed. Part of this is the supreme quality sound that it produces, some of it is Jerrad's never ending desire to have the biggest, baddest and newest toy out there! Maggie kept texting me about how awesome it was to be sitting there listening to him make the music she didn't know he was capable of making. Jerrad is sooooo picky about the tuning of his fiddle that it takes a long time to get it up to specs. Thus it is considered a chore to get it tuned up to play at the drop of a hat. So he hasn't played very often since he graduated high school and entered the real world!

When he got home that night we started talking dollars and cents to this fiddle that had to have an amp in order to play for more than one. I was starting to get tired of hearing about it because I could think of a ton of other things we could use the money on, but I didn't want to stifle his excitement. I finally realized I wasn't getting out of this one and we would go to Hays sometime next week and get it. If anything, I would get to see my Maggie Mae!!! We spent the afternoon and evening with Maggie. I love spending time with this woman! She is never selfish, vain, or fickle. She is so down to earth and real that you just can't help but fall in love with her.

She talked about how her bf of 5 years, Kyle (also Jerrad's best friend), had come up to Hays to see her for Valentine's day. How it was so awesome just to have him with her even if they didn't eat very fancy and they took his friend, Bose, with them to eat. She talked about if it weren't for him she didn't know where she would be. She most likely wouldn't be in college or even have a vehicle to drive. She couldn't see herself with anyone else in the world. No other guys have ever really appealed to her in that way. He was IT! We had heard all of this before from her and the reciprocal from him, they were IT for each other.

That was on Tuesday. On Thursday night she called him and he was out and about in Syracuse but would call her when he got home. When she hadn't heard from him at midnight she called, and called. She didn't want to be the nagging girlfriend so she went to bed knowing in the back of her mind that something was wrong. At 12:32 my mom got a call (she's a dispatcher and was on duty that night) from a trucker that there was a pickup in real bad shape and it looked like the driver was laying out in front of it. He didn't think he could handle it emotionally to get out and see if he was ok. That was understandable and EMS was on their way anyway.

At 4:52 that morning our phone rang. It was Maggie's sister asking if Kyle's mom or Maggie had called us. They hadn't. She said, "I need you to be strong... Kyle was in a rollover wreck last night and he didn't make it." It felt like someone hit me in the stomach. I asked how Maggie was knowing that she wasn't good to say the least. I talked to Bekah a few more minutes. She said that her parents were headed up to Hays shortly to go get Maggie. We hung up, I told Jerrad what happened and we automatically went into business mode. I called Maggie and she was how I expected her to be. Frantic, with her wits about her. I asked if she wanted me to go to Hays with her parents and she said yes.

I was so relieved of this because I couldn't stand the thought of her being there without a peer. One of her best friends, Kelsey, was just down the street so Maggie's roommate walked her down to Kelsey's house and she stayed there till we were almost there. We packed her up and headed home.

The service was at the Syracuse Sand Dunes Park that Monday. It was a great service that suited Kyle perfectly! Maggie was struggling that morning to figure out what to wear. What do you wear in this event? She made the comment that Kyle loved her any way she was. Especially a hoodie and jeans. So she wore her John Deere (Kyle was a John Deere mechanic)hoodie and jeans. It was perfect.

I have no idea why the Lord took Kyle home when he did. I have no idea why Maggie has to go through this hurt. I have no idea why his mom and siblings have to endure this pain. The whole town has rippled with the effects of his death. You see, Kyle was a friend to everyone. He was a die hard fan of friendship.

Although there are many things I don't understand about this instance and many others in life, I know that we must look for what God has for us in these times. If this one hurts this bad, I don't want to know what will have to happen next. Like my MIL says, "You had better learn it this time!"

The only time I can recall something hurting this bad was when my nephew died. There was no reason an 8 lbs 5 oz newborn shouldn't be able to breath. All of his organs were "fully developed and properly placed" yet his body could not support his life.

Both of these instances have taught me something. I can have all I've ever wanted and God still wants me to want Him. How many things do I love more than God? That is a painful reality. It is so much easier to love someone or something that you can see and touch. Yet in all reality, how much easier should it be to love someone that has saved me from a fiery Hell whether He is tangible or not? What did my nephew do to merit my love for him? Nothing. I loved him from the minute I knew he existed in his mother's womb.

The hurt from losing Keagen and Kyle mostly stems, however, from the reality it brings. My own child could die with no explanation or warning. My husband could die at a moments notice for no reason. And I would be alone... or would I? I hope to grow and strengthen my relationship with God not because I want the hurt to stop because it won't. Pain and tragedy are part of life on earth (Thanks to Satan seeking whom he may devour). But if I can't avoid it, I would like to model myself after Job. He didn't fail God even through his trials, which were so much worse than my own.

I started this blog saying that I didn't know what direction it would go and I didn't. But now that I am at the end, I think I will spend a lot of time in the book of Job for a while. Kudos to you if you made it all the way through this one! I hope God spoke to you as He did me!