Signs of Spring and Alan custom farming

Signs of Spring

Here is what is left of Morgan & Andrew's snow tunnell/slide they made when they were up for Easter

Pictures taken Today. I suppose we still are a few weeks away from farming the fields in Ashton.

Finaly some green showing And the first flower

Custom Farming

Bracken and Me drilling grain at Picabo, ID (just about 35 minutes south East from Sun Valley)

Probably the nicest area for scenery we have farmed except for the Squirrel area in Ashton

Bracken unloading extra seed from the seed tanks into a truck. These tanks will hold 270 bu. of seed, which is the amount of a single axel dump truck. This can keep us going for 120 to 190 acres before refilling depending on seeding rates.

I Needeth it to be Warmeth!

I have started walking and I try to go every day, six days a week, but today I looked outside and thought "I can't do it." A blinding whiteout. Yesterday, I walked in the rain and wind; Tuesday in the cold - but no wind; Monday in the cold and wind. When I say cold, I mean it never gets above 35 degrees. Right now, it is 32, and I'm not budging.

I bought a pedometer to measure how many steps I walk and the distance. It clips on my waistband. Yesterday, I got three miles away from home in the wind and rain and because it was sooooo cold and humidity has an effect on me (it causes my muscles to constrict) and because I have a bladder the size of a walnut anyway, I needed a potty break. I looked around and nobody was coming either way - I'm out in the middle of nowhere - of course nobody is coming! And because I was about to have an accident I decided to go right there. I was really nervous, and I couldn't get to my sweatpants because my parka and gloves were hindering me and I finally had to rip my coat and gloves off and then I could pull my pants down. What a relief! When I finished I pulled up my pants, readjusted coat and gloves and was on my way back home - another three miles. I got a little ways down the road when I decided to check my pedometer. NO PEDOMETER! I stopped and looked around and decided it must have flipped off when I so urgently pulled down my pants. I went back and couldn't see it anywhere. A pickup passed me and I know they were wondering what I was doing peering so intently at a place on the side of the road. Who cares. Then I thought, "it must have worked off as I was walking," so I decided to stay on the same side of the road which I had just walked and look for it all the way home. I was serious about getting my pedometer back. Once I thought I saw it in some grass, but it turned out to be the shiny bottom of a crushed pop can. I wondered if someone had run over it and crushed it like a worm. Aas I came over each little hill, I thought that I would see it, but alas, it was not found. I thought as I was walking the last little way, "Did I even get out of the house with it? It probably fell off at home when I went to the bathroom before I left." When I got home I checked everywhere, but I couldn't find it. I was feeling bad, because: 1) I wouldn't be able to find out how many steps I had taken, 2) I was attached to my little pedometer and it had somehow become my little friend on my long walks and now it was laying out at the side of the road somewhere, alone and scared, wondering if I would ever come and find it, and 3) I would have to spend another $20 on a new one that probably would never measure up to my first one. I ate lunch alone and then went to practice the organ for about two hours. I went to the mail and the library and then came home. I cleaned some rooms and did some laundry, then Zack came home and I went visiting teaching. I know, you're wondering if I ever took a shower, well I didn't because I was in too much of a hurry. So last night, as I undressed to have a shower, I heard a familiar little rattling. What? I twisted and pulled the waistband of my pants around and there hooked on to the very back of my pants was my pedometer. And it had faithfully measured every step I took yesterday. I was so glad to see it, my little friend was back (Pun intended). I believe in my hurry to get my pants down yesterday at the three mile mark, I inadvertently slid the pedometer to my backside. Yay!, a happy ending to my day.

Now I've been told that I must answer some questions as part of a tag from Julie. I'm not sure I can remember so far back, but I'll try. Some of these could be embarassing.

1. Who do you love?

I love Alan, yes I do.

Morgan, Zack, and Andrew too.

And of course, I love Leah Jane,

My little smoocheroo

2. How long have you been married? I have been married for 25 years. Who'd a thunk it?

3. Who said "I love you" first. I don't remember this very clearly. I do remember asking Alan if he was falling in love with me once while we were dating. Looooong Awwwwkwaaard Paaauuuuse. I can't remember his answer, but I remember thinking, "I'm so stupid!"

4. How long did you date? Alan and I started dating in January and got engaged in October and got married in December. All in one year.

5. Where did he propose? Who said he proposed? JK. At my apartment in Logan. It was supposed to be at Temple Square the night before, but when we got to Temple Square it was closed. I think it took Alan by surprise that his plans went awry, so he just proposed the next night after USU beat BYU at the homecoming football game.

6. Who is taller? Alan and I are the same height.

7. Who is smarter? I know he thinks he is. Really, we're both smart in very different ways.

8. Who does the laundry. I do and Alan does. I wish he wouldn't, because his laundering methods are so bad for my clothes. At least he sorts into lights and darks now. It's the filthy grimey levis and my church skirts and tops all in one load that get me bothered.

9. Who pays the bills? I used to when everything was on paper and no computers, but Alan does now. It's complicated.

10. Who mows the lawn? I mow the lawn. It is something I am very particular about. It needs to be done by an expert and I am the expert.

11. Who cooks dinner. I cook. Too scarey to think of Alan cooking anymore. Alan can cook breakfast foods. He likes cooking crepes, pancakes, German pancakes, eggs and toast.

12. Who drives? We both drive. I'm glad that I don't have a husband who insists on driving all the time. Sometimes it is just better if I drive and he sleeps. You know what I like? When I look over at him and he is asleep. He knows me and trusts me to take care of us.

13. So now I will tag Stacy and Rebecca, my sisters-in-law. Just answer the same questions, or make up some of your own if these don't apply to those you choose.

Quotes from a Pretty Good Movie

I went to the library and found a movie I had seen once but wanted to see again. I get to keep the movie for a week, so I can take my time and watch it. A funny but sad movie too, because you just feel the pain. Anyway, two quotes that made me go back and watch them again and again.
1. "This corn is like an angel."
And
2. "You are a murderer of love!"
What's the movie?

Such Doings!

Today is Friday, and Alan has left for Southern Idaho. He has lots of fields to drill and is very busy. Zack has only one month of school left.

Today after school Zack is going to Rexburg to choose a tux for prom. He will also need to order a wrist corsage for his date. Her dress is a royal blue and so I think he could get a one with hot pick roses, or yellow or even peach. Whatever, I guess he needs to ask her what she would like. Any ideas from you guys on what he could do for a fun date that day?

May 29th is Zack's graduation night. We heard last night that he will recieve the Farm Bureau Scholarship. We're happy that he is graduating. College is another subject. He has been accepted to BYUI for Winter/Summer track (unacceptable) and so we have some things to work out. Anyway the graduation is coming up and we will send out the announcements with pictures. We are excited about that. We know it is a bad weekend for family being able to come - just a few days after Memorial Day , aka my birthday.
News on the another front: I have been called to be our Ward's new Primary President. I haven't been in primary for years - I think 15. So it will be an adjustment. I don't have too many ideas, because I'm so unfamiliar with the programs. I kn0w there are baptisms, achievement days, scouts, faith in God, primary programs; all of which cause me anxiety, but I hope it will be a good calling that I can really come to love and enjoy. I don't know many of the children in our ward, so it will be fun to get to know and love them.

Another position I have been asked to fill: President of the Sariah camp of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers in Fremont county Idaho. Not as excited about this one. they really took me off guard. I was visited at my house by a bunch of older ladies who all yakkedy yakd about DUP and how I would be a good president because they had all taken a turn and they needed someone young to do it. Young? So I unenthusiastically said ok. Then they said it would be for two years and could I please get a fundraiser going? How do I get myself into these things? I'm such a sucker for old ladies in polyester pants and gray permed hair.
So, that's that!

May promises to be a busy month. Lots of things to do and commitments to keep.

I'm Writing This with a Little Tear in My Eye.

Yes, of course, something like this was bound to happen. I took six settings of china, the Lenox , six gohlets, six nice beautiful napkins, and six settings of my beautiful silverware down to the church today and I set up a table for the mutual etiquette dinner. Everything looked beautiful and so did all of the other table settings. I went home and Zack went down to the church. At about 8:10, I decided to go down and gather up my table settings just to make sure I got everything home with me. The evening had gone well, and the dishes were being washed and sorted. I got my box and started packing all my things. And - one of my teaspoons was missing. My sterling silver teaspoon! They asked what it looked like and I said(very calmly, but seriously), "it looks like all these other silver spoons in my hand. " They said Julie hadn't worried about hers too much when they couldn't find one of her forks, because she said she could go to Kmart and get some others. They looked at me and I wasn't smiling. I said mine didn't come from Kmart, they were my mother's silverware given to me and it was sterling. All the adults got in a tizzy and started going through the garbage, they even went out and got one bag of garbage out of the dumpster, that they had taken out. They searched high and low. They said they would find it, and they would call me. It's funny how a thing like that can upset you so much, that you think you might say or do something that might offend. I felt almost shock leaving the church knowing I didn't have one of mom's spoons. It made me feel awfully bad. As I drove home, I thought about it and I realized that earlier I had been glad to share my table settings with the mutual. I know I can get another teaspoon on ebay, and I don't think that the price of the spoon is worth having a fit about. Yes, I feel bad, but I would feel worse if I told them "no," I can't share my stuff with anyone because it is too important, or if had been one of the adults in charge of the dinner where a beautiful cherished spoon was lost by me. I hope they can find it, and I know that they really feel bad about it, but now I have to reassure them that my good will does not hinge on my teaspoons, even if they were my mother's. The silverware is beautiful, and mom bought it with the intent to use it and love it. I use it and I love it and I will offer again to share it with others. That's what it is for, to be beautiful and be shared. Now I'm going to go look on ebay for a teaspoon.