SUPER Dad!

This has been a very long summer. Mikaela and I have been in school for most of it. First it was spelling camp, then it was catch up from what we did not finish by the end of the school year.

Poor Dad has been left to do most of the work around here by himself. Heather and Skyler have helped to some extent.

So far this year (besides the Cemetery), Dad has worked hard on the office. Sanding off all the rust and then painting the office a cream color (the can read it was Case White for those who are tractor buffs). We still have half the office to do. Dad cut off the tops of the poplars, still lots of work there to do. I want to take out all the poplars and replace them with lilac bushes. We put in a well, which meant digging ditches to get the water to the house. Does anyone remember digging the hole for the pool? Well there was about 20 feet of solid Basalt. So Dad and Brad (mainly) with the help of some others, spent 3 days chiseling away at the ROCK. I might mention that it was more like a jack hammer and then a bobcat with and rock breaker on it to get the job done. Finally they broke through all of it! Now it was what are we, going to do with all of this rock. As it ended up Brother Steinbach invited us to dump it on his place in a gully. Thank you Brother Steinbach! Then it was off to the Cemetery to get dirt to take the place of all that rock they took out. So Dad and I worked at hauling off the rock and then hauling in all the dirt. When most of that was done Dad was off hauling in several loads of gravel to put in our driveway. Then Brother Joe Norman stopped by and needed some help burying a dead animal. So Dad took the time to go help him. Some vacation! Today is Sunday so Dad gets to rest. But tomorrow it’s back to the grind stone. Brad is leaving and we still have to finish filling in the ditches, painting the office plus Dad wants to repaint the house (Case White), the shed needs to be painted and the trim on the house. We are tearing down Grandpa’s Dodd’s okie shack, and rebuilding it here and there are some shingles to replace on the house, the shed, the garage, and some hay to haul. We may not have enough summer. It’s too much for one man to do! For as old as Dad is he can still out work and complain less than anyone of his kids. By the way Jim is on our well also. Jim is planning on moving this fall and we hope to be buying his place. More work to do.

Everyday, I am more grateful for my dear Husband than I was yesterday. How blessed I am!

I am planning surgery this fall on my left knee. I was thinking the first of October would be when I would do it. Then I thought the middle of October after the weather gets a little colder and I can't go carting as much. Now I am thinking that the end of October I need to do grape juice. So now I am undecided as to when to do it. We go through a lot of grape juice, and we only have about 4 cases left from last year. That means we have gone through about 8 cases this last year. So whenever grapes are done I’ll do surgery.

I use to think that when I got older and did not have all the responsibilities of children I would have more time. I am finding that it is not so. I can’t hobble fast enough to get everything done. I do not know how your Dad does it. Maybe it’s just that I am moving slower.

I am impressed with how kind, caring, and giving your Dad is with each one of his children.

Regardless of how onrey you kids get. Dad is always looking out for you. Worrying and wondering how he can help you out. What he can do to make your life a little easier.

Mom

Activity Girls Day Camp

It's over!!!! We worked hard and played hard and it was GREAT!

My girls learned to dance the Virginia Reel and then they performed it for their Mothers and then the girls taught it to their Mothers. Mikaela tried to get me to dance with her, like all the other Mothers were dancing with their Daughters. But my knees are to far gone to walk let alone dance.

We had pine wood derby races, we made pillows with the 6 Be's and the young Women value colors, we made tile pictures with the girls' face among the faces of other children standing around Christ. We made refrigerator magnets with canning lids and pictures of the girls. We made good deed wands. We learned to make raspberrie ice. We leaned about music and how to conduct it. Our list goes on and on. Now it is over and I have asked for a release. No surprise to the Primary President. She said that she has known for a month. That was before I knew it. I have really struggled with this decision. But with Dad's request that I give up my calling, I had to give it serious consideration. It made me feel really good when one of my Girls said that she was really, really going to miss me. I told Sister Thornton that I wanted to stay in until the end of September so that we could have our Parasol Tea.

Then it will be off to surgery for me in October. The Doctor told me that it will be a 3 month recovery time for each leg. So I am hoping to do the other leg in January. Then it will be time to think about my back, as my rupture has collapsed. The holidays will be interesting this year with me being laid up. It sounds like a homemade Christmas to me. Tuesday I go in for a cortisone shot in my other knee. I am hoping for the same energy rush I got with the last one. I made major dents in my messy house.

So while I wait for October my goal is to halter break my colt. Then I will be off to driving my horse as much as I can until October. Speaking of my colt his name ended up being Trigger. He has shedded his baby coat and he is now such a dark brown that he is almost black. He is really pretty.

Our (H2O) Well is finally completed. DAD, BRAD, Skyler, Heather spent the last week working their way through about 20 feet of solid basalt. Brad kept wanting to get explosives. But that was not allowed and they went through 2 jack hammers and a Bobcat with a rock breaker on the front of it. Three days later and several equipment break downs, they made it through. Now we have our own water and 65 lbs. of pressure at the pump and in the house. That 65 lbs. of pressure includes all of the water spickets in the yard turned on full blast. At last we will be able to do laundry and dishes and showers all at the same time. No more taking a week doing a days worth of laundry. An no more $75.00 a month water bills.

Good night to all!!!! And the beginning of a new ERA!