A very interesting day~

Mother, Jacob & my day was interesting--in that Ben Dagley came to get screenings and he had lunch with us while he was here. We helped him fill the two large totes he had, using 5 gallon buckets. It took about an hours time and a lot of muscle power, but soon we had him on his way again.

Andrew's day was interesting--in that he dug out the grain cleaner from the back of the Quonset and spent the afternoon cleaning for a farmer that lives about an hour away. Thankfully it was nice outside, considering the time of year we're in.

But, I think my dad had the most interesting day out of all of us!!! He spent the day in court, waiting his turn to testify in behalf of a widow friend of ours.

He had a lot to tell us when he got home--about the lawyers; the judge; his own testimony and even about the complex procedure of getting through the metal detector! We're hoping and praying that things will go well so that our widow friend will get her land back. It's a long and sad story but, basically, she signed a paper without realizing what she was really signing--the paper stating that she wanted to sell her land (which she didn't want to do) to her brother-in-law--who has since then been killed in a car accident...

My papa has so much work to do with hauling grain to Enderlin, but he felt that he needed to stand up for this widow and to say what needed to be said. We're all so proud of him!

I only have a minute...

"Only a Minute"

author unknown

I have only just a minute,

Only sixty seconds in it;

Forced upon me, can't refuse it,

Didn't seek it, didn't choose it;

But it's up to me to use it.

I must suffer if I lose it;

Give account if I abuse it.

Just a tiny little minute,

But eternity is in it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May we all know how to best use our time each day!

A day of true rest--for me~

Thank you to all who prayed for my grandpa Harvey to recover well from his recent surgery! When mother called his sister's house yesterday to talk to him, nobody answered the phone, so she called Grandpa's house in SD and here he was home already! So, seeing as his 80th birthday is on Tuesday, and he seemed well enough for a little party, a gathering was quickly planned for today to celebrate the great occasion.

Jacob & I baked a cake and I put the finishing touches on it this morning before my family left. I still have a nasty cough--that seemed to be getting worse instead of better, so it was decided that I should stay home and rest all day while the rest went to Eureka. I had a lovely day on the couch--listening to a Dr. Davis message; reading through the cake decorating books Mother got me at the library; writing a letter to my dear friend, Dorena; listening to Christmas music on Rejoice Radio; and, yes, just sleeping! I feel much better now too... PTL!

I just put the pictures on my computer that Mother took today and I'm sure she'll want to share them and tell about their time, but I wanted to upload this one of Grandpa with his birthday cake: :) I think he looks quite well considering all he's been through lately.
Now, believe it or not, I'm tired still and should get some more rest.

Sleep well~

A blessing in prayer~

by Charles F. Richardson



If when I kneel to pray,

With eager lips I say,

Lord, give me all the things that I desire--

Health, wealth, fame, friends, brave heart, religious fire,

The power to sway my fellow men at will,

And strength for mighty works to banish ill"--

~In such a prayer as this

~The blessing I must miss.

Or if I only dare

To raise this fainting prayer:

"Thou seest, Lord, that I am poor and weak,

And cannot tell what things I ought to seek;

I therefore do not ask at all, but still

I trust Thy bounty all my wants to fill"--

~My lips shall thus grow dumb,

~The blessing shall not come.

But if lowly fall,

And thus in faith I call:

"Through Christ, O Lord, I pray Thee give to me

Not what I would, but what seems best to Thee

Of life, of health, of service, and of strength,

Until to Thy full joy I come at length"--

~My prayer shall then avail;

~The blessing shall not fail.

Our Thanksgiving celebration~

When we arrived in Eureka, SD at noon, Grandma Marly had prepared a bountiful, traditional feast--and so feast we did! Everything was so delicious and by the end of the meal, the turkey was no longer stuffed, but we definitely were!



We were together for Thanksgiving, true, but we had another reason to celebrate: my grandma turned 75 last Sunday! We got to give Grandma her presents today.

My parents--watching...

Grandpa & Grandma B...

After dishes were done and the food was put away, and after we'd shown our grandparents the 400+ pictures of James & Amanda's wedding, Mother needed a nap, but the rest of us worked on this puzzle... It was only 300 pieces, but with all the similar shades of green, it took us almost 2 hours to complete!

It didn't take nearly that long to take it apart and put it back in the box!

We still had a little time, so we taught Grandma how to play "Monopoly--the card game" and we played 3 games of that before eating a light supper and heading for home.

It was a lovely day!

We got home late and then still had to do the milking, but spending time together with family is very important to us!

I hope everyone else had a lovely day--enjoying some of the many blessings that God has given to us all............................

Happy Thanksgiving Day~

Here's wishing you and yours a lovely time together as you celebrate the many blessings God has bestowed upon you!

I feel so blessed this year to have met so many fellow-blogging friends! I've learned so much from what they/you have to share and hope that I can be a blessing to others as they/you've been to me...
Just today, I was blessed when I read Miss Jen's post about thanks-giving. If you'd like, you can read it here.~

Also on Jen's site were pictures of the pie crusts she made and I decided to try the design out on one of my pies this afternoon. I like how it turned out, so will probably use this technique again in the future!

Here's a before-being-baked picture of one of my pumpkin pies:

...and an after:

I was searching (for a few minutes) for a nice video about Thanksgiving to post here, but as most of them were just of a bunch of turkeys hopping around singing songs about eating beef and the like, I thought I'd post this nice piano song, called "Thanksgiving." The pictures are so grand and I don't think you can help but thank God for His beautiful creation when you watch it!

Well, I'd best hop into my comfortable bed (for which I'm very grateful!) as tomorrow morning after chores, we're heading to Eureka, SD to visit my dad's parents and to share in a Thanksgiving feast with them...

Little people~

I spent most of my day helping Helen again with the 12 children she was babysitting. I just love little people and am thanking God for this opportunity to work with so many of them. :)

However, dealing with little people does make a person tired, so I'm afraid this post will have to go into my shortest-post category, and I'll bid you goodnight!

Before I post this though, I thought I'd share a neat quote that was on my daily flip-calendar.~

"I want to learn to live each moment and be grateful for what it brings, asking nothing more."

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving--a time to really consider the many blessings God has shown you and to try to thank Him for them all.

The difference a year makes...

For some reason, tonight I got to thinking about the difference that one year can make....

I went back into our November 2008 picture file and found some pictures that really made me realize what has all transpired in one years time!!!

For example:

Last year at this time, Grandma Erdie was still with us and was doing well.... In April, she passed away quite suddenly.

Last year at this time, I was still taller than Jacob by a bit! Now we're about the same height (and he's the proud new owner of a drivers permit!) I wonder how this following year will change things? :)
Last year at this time, Millie was a rambunctious puppy who didn't know the first thing about manners. Now, she knows to stay out of the parlor while we're milking and is learning to control herself in other ways--like sitting still for a few minutes... (A big improvement!)
...And last year at this time, Amanda was still a single girl, with no notions of being a married woman the next time the Autumn rolled around... No notions that she told me about at that time anyway. :)
I guess this all proved to me once more the need to appreciate each and every day that we have--with people and things exactly as they are at this time, because change comes whether we want it to or not...
"Lord, teach me to number my days!"

~Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Answered prayers...

Thank you (everyone who prayed) for praying!!!

We found out rather after the fact this morning that Grandpa had his surgery and things seem to have gone well. Prayers for his recuperating time would still be appreciated though!!!

The Lord also answered several prayers on our part for lovely weather while working calves--in the later part of November in ND! It got up to about 50 degrees; the sun was shining; and the wind was hushed to just a breeze. It was lovely weather for cattle-working together. :)

Here are some of the calves, waiting to be worked:
This poor guy was getting things done from several different angles... Part of my job was to cover the calves eyes with my hands so that they'd settle down. (It really helps!)

Here's our record keeper (Mom), with some helpers looking on. (Jerome--my dad's cousin and Jacob...)

After we'd finished with the stock calves, there still was some daylight remaining, so we decided to work our Holstein calves too. This involves the very unpleasant job of dehorning them. (Note: You may not want to look at the next picture if you get squeamish easily!)

We started working with the cattle around 9:30 this morning and finished by 5:30, so things moved along very smoothly! We're praising God for safety because, outside of some achy muscles, nobody got kicked or bonked or run over--as far as I know anyway!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before I end, I just wanted to share this picture of the tropical centerpiece that Mother assembled the other night. I thought it was just too cute not to share...

Enjoy~

Prayer request for Grandpa.......

We learned today that my grandpa Delzer will be needing surgery again--probably on Monday. He had this same surgery done just a few months ago to remove a stone (from his gall-bladder, I'm pretty sure) and now he has to have it done again. The doctor said that they have to find what's causing this now because he doesn't think Grandpa could pull through this another time after this. Please be in prayer for things to go well and for wisdom for the whole family as we ponder what to do with Grandpa if he's not able to care for himself properly in the future. He'll be turning 80 years old on Dec. 1st, so he's not exactly a young man anymore..... Especially, please pray for a change of heart for Grandpa--that he will want to have a real relationship with the Lord and with his family!

As long as I'm asking for prayer, I thought I'd mention that we're working our calves tomorrow, so prayers for safety would be greatly appreciated. My dad's cousin, Jerome will be helping us again this year, so that's a big blessing!

Now, I'd best get some rest, as our busy day will require lots of energy on everybodys' part!

How does time........

............slip away? It seems like only a couple hours ago that I was sitting here (last night), typing my daily post, and now it's tonight--and it's getting late again!

Perhaps part of the reason that today seemed to pass so quickly was that it was quite similar to yesterday... After morning chores were over, I drove the 12 (or so) miles to the daycare lady's house and helped her until 5:30. She actually left with her husband around 3:00, so I had 10 little people in my care for a while, until the parents came to pick them up. There is one little boy who's difficult to handle, as he doesn't want to listen to instruction, but there's one little girl who has gained a special place in my heart--who makes the time there much more pleasant! Her name is Jaida (she's 3, I think) and, when she put her chin in her hands--her elbows being on my lap--and looked up at me with her sweet smile during story time, well, that was just the sweetest moment of my day. :)

How fast can you memorize 11 names and the faces to whom the names belong?

That's what I asked myself several times this afternoon when I called a child by another childs' name....... Oops....

But, let me explain.

A friendly lady, who runs a daycare in her home, called me a while back to see if I could help her for a day. (One of the neighbors I babysit for gave her my name...) It didn't work out that time, but she called again a couple nights ago to see if I could help her today and tomorrow. This time, I had time, so I spent 10:45AM to 5:00PM today at her house, learning the ropes of taking care of 11 small children--all at the same time. We sang together; tossed bean-bags together; snacked together; I watched them take their naps; and I read stories to them... Two of the wee people don't quite walk yet, so they were really fun to hold--except the one who needs hearing aids was a little more difficult, as you had to be careful when you held her so her head turning against your shirt didn't pull the hearing aids out!

Tomorrow afternoon, this lady will be attending a meeting with her husband, so I'll have the little ones entirely in my care for a few hours. (Prayers would be appreciated! :) Thankfully, most of the children are well behaved, and, the one who isn't, I have the option of calling his grandparents at any time and they'll come pick him up...

I do enjoy being around small children very much, so it was an enjoyable day!

There are still things I'd like to write---mainly about Mother and Jacob's accomplishments, but I really need to get some sleep and don't want to hurry over it, so hopefully tomorrow night I'll have more energy to write about that......

A post about nothing much!

I could tell you about how we ended up having two cheesecakes for supper, but it's getting late and I need to get some sleep!

I could tell you about Mother & Jacob's great excitement today, but it's getting late and I need to get some sleep!

I could tell you about the many, many miles Papa drove today, but it's getting late and I need to get some sleep!

I could tell you about how Andrew and I worked together to get feed around the place for the animals, but it's getting late and I need to get some sleep!

I could tell you about the job I'm doing tomorrow involving little people, but it's getting late and I need to get some sleep!

I could tell you about what we'll be doing early tomorrow morning with the cows, but it's getting late and I need to get some sleep!

I could tell you that I'm pretty tired, but----------


----I think you've probably figured that out by now!


....By the way, it's getting late and, yes, I should hit the hay!

Cattle on favorite animals list?

Thinking about poetry the other day made me decide to attempt coming up with something again, as I haven't tried poem-writing in a while... I know this poem doesn't flow like it should, but it's late and I need to post this before it's not true anymore--date wise and all--so here it is:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm rethinking something that I said the other night...
About how I liked cows so well--
At that time, they'd been behaving themselves alright,
But now, I've a new story to tell...

While busily going about my house duties yesterday,
Outside I heard quite a noise--
Cows bellering and mooing and carrying on
Like a dozen (or so) rowdy boys.

`

I threw a jacket 'round my shoulders
And hurried outdoors to have a look see,
What should I find but our whole colorful herd
Standing and staring right back at me...

The garden hose had been pulled out of their tank,
The water was running out on the ground.
The tank was dry, and so were the cows--
The only moistness was the mud all around.

Whichever mischievous bovine had done it,
(Pulling the hose clear of the tank, I mean,)
Had also bent the poor fence clear over
So the panels could hardly be seen.

I knew that I'd need some assistance
To re-make the fence good as new...
So I hurried inside to the telephone
And called in my brother (Andrew).

He'd been spreading "Fertilizer" out on the fields
For most of the afternoon...
When I called, he was quick to come in
And help me seal the cows' doom.....

They thought that their pen had expanded--
That they ruled the rest of the farm as well.
But, we quickly corrected their wrong thinking
With the help of a pitchfork and a yell!

I guarded the gap in the fence then,
While Andrew distracted the cows with some hay.
Next he went and fetched more panels and posts
So we could fix the mess before end of day...

He pounded in posts and we twisted some wires
And at last the fence looked more stable.
But did the cows learn their lesson--do you think?
Or would they break out again if they were able...???

We went in the house to warm up and to dine,
Then did all our barn chores at seven.
We had family prayer and headed for bed,
But then the phone rang at eleven!

"Hello" said the caller, named Andy.
"I'm sorry to be calling you now,
But there are about 300 critters in my corn field
And you need to get them out somehow!"

My parents and Andrew bundled up quick--
As I have a bad cold, they let me stay.
So while they dealt with the cows in the dark night,
I stayed up a while to pray...

I never did hear them come in though!
I guess I'd drifted to dreamland.
Mother informed me they were out past midnight
Playing the part of a cowhand...

The cows had broke down the electric fence
And were all the way down by the track...
(...the one that belongs to the railroad.)
They walked a good mile South--and then back.

So, here's a word of advice to my readers:
If you don't want to occasionally battle--
--With some of the heaviest, stubbornest animals,
Then don't buy yourself any cattle!

Another tag...

I received this "Random Questions Tag" from Virginia. Thanks for thinking of me, Virginia. :)

Here it goes:

What kind of car would you like when you're older?
~I like how older Mustangs look, but anything that's reliable would do nicely!

Where would you want to live when you're older?
~ I'll agree with Virginia here and also say, "In a house." :) I really like ND, so I'd be happy to stay in this state!

Do you want to go to college?
~Nope.

How many siblings do you have?
~2 brothers (and many in heaven)

Are you Random?
~Sometimes...

How many children would you like to have when you're married?
~As many as God would like to send our way. I used to think 20 would be the ideal number. :)

Boys or girls?
~They're both blessings!

This or That:

City or Country girl?
~Country girl, although I don't like country music. :)

Gourmet meals or steak with a big salad?
~Whichever I/we have the time to make.

Flying or driving?
~Driving, although I've only flown a short distance once, so I don't have much to go on.

Bike riding or swimming?
~Bike riding...

Sports or no sports?
~No sports, unless they are done in fun as a family!

Books or movies?
~Good books AND good movies!

Outside or inside?
~It depends... If there's warm weather--outside. Cold weather--inside!

School or chores?
~I'm not in formal schooling anymore, so I'd have to say chores!

Wednesday or Sunday?
~Sunday--that's our day to work on projects as a family.

Friends or Family?
~Can I answer--both together at the same time?

This or that?

Fried or scrambled eggs?
~Fried!

Pancakes or cereal?
~Pancakes, although popcorn cereal is really good...

Big meal or something small?
~ I second Virginia's response: "Am I trying to lose weight or not???"

Movie or TV show?
~It depends on how much time we have...

Favorites:

What is your favorite thing to do outside?
~At this time of the year, it's probably to swing on our swings for a few minutes.

What is your favorite meal?
~Mexican food tastes really good...

What is your favorite pass-time?
~Reading, writing, playing piano, and/or trying a new recipe...

Where is your favorite place to read a good book?
~in my bedroom or curled up on the couch...

What is your favorite vegetable?
~I can't decide between cucumbers and peas!


Once again, anyone who wishes to do this, please now consider yourself tagged. :) I look forward to reading others' answers...

Inspirational...

Dear friends,
If you wish to be encouraged to keep on fighting the good fight, no matter how bleak the prospects may look, let me encourage you to go read Grace's most recent post--a quote from the book, "Streams in the Desert." I think it will inspire you too--to pray for those things which may bring us pain and heartache in the days ahead, and to know all along that God is working all things out for our good.....

A tag...

While I was in Montana, two people "Tagged" me, so I thought I'd work on these as I have time. Thanks Hannah for sharing this set of questions~


1. Do you like to write?
~Yes, I've enjoyed writing to friends for many years already and now I enjoy writing on my blog as well. I've started several books too in years gone by, the longest one made it to the 4th chapter!

2. Favorite books?
~As my favorite books are written in my profile, I thought it would be quickest to copy and paste that list here: the Bible, Morning and Evening, Stepping Heavenward, The Basket of Flowers, Hinds Feet on High Places, Before you meet Prince Charming, Paula the Waldensian, Henry and the Great Society, Journey of the Heart, Fascinating Womanhood, books by Christmas Carol Kauffman, Pollyanna, Heidi, Hansi, plus many more! Our friends, the Stovers have gotten us interested in Ballantyne books, so we've been reading and enjoying those as a family now.

3. Do you compose music/write songs?
~I've tried a few times, but all I can think of when trying to come up with an original melody is another song that's already in existence!

4. Do you like poetry?
~Yes, very much--if it's done well and is about a worthy subject. I enjoy writing poems of my own too...

5. Love someone so much who made you cry?
~My Savior, my parents, my siblings and a few dear friends.

6. Broken a bone?
~"Never. I drink raw milk."----This was Hannah's answer, but as it fits me so perfectly too, I thought I'd use it also. (Hope you don't mind, Hannah. :) )

7.Been in a police car?
Not that I remember--unless we had a field trip to the police station when I was little...

8.Been on a boat?
~My brothers & I used to raft a lot in the creek when we lived on our other farm. Other than that, I think the only other times I've been on a boat were: when our family decided to go on the Ferryboat many years ago as a birthday treat for one of us, and the time when Dad & I were in a paddle-boat race at a family camp many years back.

9.Fallen asleep in school?
~No--How can you fall asleep when you're thinking?

10. Did you sing today?
~Yes... My brothers and I usually sing while we're milking (I think we did this morning too,) then I was singing on the way home from taking Dad & Andrew to the combines this afternoon, and I was just singing "Silent Night" with Clyde Bowman and his wife on their CD while making Sour Cream Raisin pie!

11.KFC, Popeyes, or Church's?
~I'm assuming KFC is chicken, and I know I've had fried chicken before, but I'm not sure if it came from that place or not. As for the other two options, I have never even heard of them!

12.Chick-fil-a or What-a-burger?
~A what? Our own home-raised beef or chicken is fine with me!

13.Starbucks of McCafe?
~I've never tasted coffee, so wouldn't know which I'd dislike more. :)

14.What's your favorite time of year?
~It's so hard to chose! I really like Spring because of all the new life and the joy of having warmer days, but then I also really enjoy Fall, when we are able to slow down a bit and enjoy the fruit of our labors. Winter's nice too, as there's more time to visit people (when the roads are good) and there's more time for writing, sewing, etc... Then there's Summer--which is nice in it's own way, but is especially nice because that's usually when there are picnics, weddings, Prairie Days and such to attend... I'm glad we have such definite seasons here in North Dakota!

15.Do you ever talk to yourself?
~Not that I'm aware of. :)

16.Do you have a favorite treat you like to buy on occasion?
~Ummm... Yes--for birthdays we like to buy cheesecake ingredients--including cherry pie filling!

17. Do you believe the Bible is the literal Word of God and is infallible?
~Yes--Most definitely.

18. What's your favorite sport?
~I know very little about sports and have hardly played any, so can I count Foosball as a sport? :) (or Boccee or Croquet?)

19. What color is your ipod?
~I don't have one--so you could say it's a nice shade of invisible...

20. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
~There are two places that I'd really like to see sometime--one being the ocean and the other, "The House on the Rock".

21.If you could go to any fictional place, where would you go?

~A fictional place? Well, the nicest fictional place to go to--that I can think of currently, would be to visit Willy Wonka's chocolate factory--to see his chocolate river. :)

22.Do you love to write or do you just like writing? Or do you write at all?
~This resembles the other question about writing! I guess I would say that I like writing, but don't get those moments that Mother talks about where she just HAS to write, (she LOVES to write!)

23.What do you want to be when you’re a grown up?
~I guess I'm about as much of a grown up as I'll ever be already! My dream though, like many other young women, is to have a home of my own (meaning a loving husband, many children, animals and a large garden... :) )

24.Favorite animal?
~I like many different kinds of animals, so it would be hard to say what my favorite is. Dogs and cows rank at the top, and I think pea-fowl are very lovely, but we've never raised them. Geese are nice to look at too, but they do make such a mess of their water!

25. Favorite song?
~I really like the hymns, "All things bright and beautiful;" "For the beauty of the earth;" and "Be Thou my vision," although there are SO many nice songs out there! For my high school graduation, I learned and sang, "I'll walk with God," so that's one of my favorites now too. Oh yes, also "His eye is on the sparrow..."

26.Do you like school?
~I remember some times when I really didn't like school and then I have good memories about school too. I do enjoy learning more now that I'm out of formal schooling and can research the things I'm interested in more.

27. Are you a people person?
~A social butterfly I am not! I do enjoy a good conversation with a friend though. :) I admire people who can just come up with things to say at any given moment--to anyone and everyone they come into contact with...

28. Do you like to talk?
~I'd rather listen......

29.Favorite food?
~Tacos are very delicious... I'm not sure if they're my favorite food or not, but I like them a lot!

30. Hobbies?
~Blogging. :) (Plus a few other things...)

31. Favorite author?
~I can't really say that I have one favorite author, as there are so many good ones out there. So, I guess the authors of my favorite books (like: Hannah Hurnard; Helen Andelin; Christmas Carol Kauffman...) would be my favorite authors.

32. Favorite weapon?
~ I don't see how Hannah's answer could be any better, so I'll just agree with her:
Hebrews 4:12:
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and morrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

33.Is this a fun tag or are you getting bored?
~I'm enjoying it~

34.Do you like Hannah Montana and all those girly people and movies like Highschool Musical?
~I don't imagine I'd like these movies, and I don't really intend to ever find out.

35.What are you scared of?
~Bulls.
Also, I used to be VERY scared of playing music or singing in public, but God's helped me a lot with that and it only makes me a bit nervous now to do those things...

36. Favorite flower?
~I think almost all flowers are beautiful, but my favorites are Pansies.

37.What is the expression on your face?
~A sleepy one.......... :)

38. Color of your eyes?
~A nice, greenish-brown color that I inherited from my dad.

Well, that's the end of this questionnaire. Did you learn anything about me that you didn't know before? :)

I'd like to "Tag" anybody who's reading this who would like to answer these questions too.

To Be One~

About a month ago, I received a copy of "To Be One" and wanted to watch it with my family for quite a while before we actually had time to. Then I started this review right away, but got busy with trying to get ready for my friends' wedding, so that I'm just getting this posted now~





I'd like to share my thoughts here with you (and some of the conclusions that my family came to after discussing the movie for an hour or so after it was over!)



This movie tells about 3 couples' journeys to the marriage alter--the struggles they had and the joy and peace that they found. The 3 stories are quite different from each other and are each special in their own unique way.



I don't wish to spoil the stories for you, (in case you ever have the opportunity to watch this film,) so I'll just give a brief overview... I should probably mention that our family has come to see Betrothal as the most Biblical route of getting into marriage, but as we haven't had any experience with that yet, it was helpful to see the steps in these couples' journeys.



The first couple called their relationship before marriage "Courtship," although they followed a lot of the guidelines that we would like to use in Betrothal. For example, there was a lot of parental involvement (both of the young people were wanting it to be that way) and a lot of prayers said on all sides. One very touching scene in the movie was a video clip from Jeff and Ashley's engagement party... Jeff washed Ashley's feet, (just as Jesus showed that He was a servant by washing His disciples' feet ) and, when it was Ashley's turn to wash Jeff's feet, she did so and then proceeded to dry his feet with her hair!



The second couple went through a Betrothal to get to the marriage alter and then had a pretty non-traditional wedding, full of different symbolisms. It was interesting seeing the grooms' family especially (the Lindvalls), as my parents have heard Mr. Lindvall speak at a home school convention years ago and appreciated his message, so we have some of his tapes! But, back to the young couple...

The parents of this couple first received the impression that the young people were to be married, and then talked to their children about it. The young people prayed and felt that it was God's will too, so they got betrothed. My family & I were a little disappointed in their story, as it seemed like the young people didn't really have any attraction for each other and were just doing this because it was what they were supposed to do. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've always imagined that, even when the parents bring up the opinion that so and so could be your wife/husband, and the matter is prayed about and decided in the positive, that the young couple-to-be's hearts would be filled with love for this person they were to marry. It just didn't seem that the newly betrothed man and woman were even excited...

The 3rd couple were more liberal than I would wish to be--in the way they dressed and in being fine with going out on dates together and being alone down by the water-side in the dark, etc.... However, I really liked how the husband had prayed and prayed beforehand for direction in this area in his life. Also, the wife shared how God brought her to the realization (before marriage) that a husband would not fulfill everything she needed in life--that nobody but the Lord could fill the void she had in her heart!

Overall, I would recommend this film to others, as it was amazing to watch the different ways God brought the couples together--plus it can start great family discussions about your own beliefs and what basic pattern you all wish to follow in this area of life when you get to that point! I know everyone's story will be unique, as God is so creative, but it's good to have Biblical guidelines to go on....... The actual video quality was great and the songs were so lovely!

You can visit: http://www.tobeonevideo.com/ to purchase your own copy or to learn more.

Finally--the wedding day~

What an exciting day that was! Everything went along pretty smoothly, thankfully, and the day hurried along so quickly, it was hard to believe that it was over at the end of it--even though the wedding started at 9:09 in the morning and we were celebrating all day!


(The following pictures are not exactly in order of the way they took place, but are relatively close. Enjoy~)


The whole Dagley family: Aren't they blessed?



Darling Hadassah, with somebodies camera...
Others with cameras...

The lady with James & Amanda here was really sweet and had a lovely, servant's heart. (I'm pretty sure her name was Jackie.) We did a lot of dishes together, and she stayed in the girls' cabin with us 2 nights, so I got to know her a little bit. :)

The happy couple--now married...

As a side note: Their rings are really interesting and amusing to play with! I know that sounds kind of funny, but, as I was holding James' ring during the ceremony, my finger slipped over it and it begin spinning around. I guess I'm not real up on wedding rings, but James said that "Spinning rings" are quite popular nowadays. :)

Ethan (Best Man) and his sister Mara. We all helped Mara celebrate her birthday the day before the wedding!

John & Carrie's family getting ready for their family picture...

Mr. Dagley--cleaning up the mess after the wedding... The guests were given pull-fireworks and confetti-throwers before the wedding and were told to set them off when Mr. & Mrs. James Balyeat came down the isle. It was a fun idea, but made a lot of mess all over (and it was really loud!)

David & Susanna's family picture...

I think this is such a neat picture because Susanna is James' sister and Amanda is David's sister, so they're all REALLY related now. :) (Not that they weren't before!)

The guys with James & Amanda...

....And the girls with just Amanda....

RubyAnn holding Clementine (David & Susannas' baby)...

These pictures were some of my favorites... Somehow, I don't think Amanda was really all that frightened of all those bandanna-ed men!

"Poor James & Amanda!"

The ladies look on...

The faithful videographer--Hannah...

I LOVE this picture!!!

I was trying to take a picture of Mercy with this rose, but she obviously thought the rose would make for a better photo than she would...

Making things legal...

...my turn to sign...

Another videographer--and the popular cake table...

Around 2:00 in the afternoon, it was time for the cakes to be auctioned off. :)

James did the auctioning and he had laughter ringing off the walls many, many times!

Once the cake was sold, (the money going to the new couple,) the baker of the cake went up for their picture to be taken with J & A and then the buyer went up and the baker handed the buyer the cake--and everyone got pictures. After the auction was finally over, everyone shared their cakes with everyone else, so the auction was really just for the purpose of raising some money for James & Amanda's travels.

Here's Kathlyn R. with the pretty cake she made... I don't have a picture of her with the person who bought the cake...

Rose baked this cake and is handing it to Jackie--who bought the cake... As the auction went along, the cakes brought more and more money, as the bidders must have realized that their time was running out to buy a cake. :) It was SOOOOO funny!

James auctioning off the cake I made... I think I mentioned before that it had a slight accident on the way, so didn't look as well as I'd hoped. I hear it still tasted good though. :)

I handed my camera to a friend and she snapped this picture quick. Ben Dagley bought my cake...

Here's Charis with the beautiful cake she made and the buyer of her cake (who is Charis's sister's father-in-law.)

As I said, everyone was having a good time!!!!!

Jonathan Dagley getting the cake that MaryAnna made. (Does the cake-topper remind anyone else of a certain Christian film???)

About this time, they got around to auctioning off the big cake that James had baked and RubyAnn & I had decorated... After Mr. Dagley bought it, someone brought out a 2-person saw and James & Amanda started cutting the cake with the saw!!! Rose told me to come outside with her so we could look through the window and get a better view. Guess what we saw!?!?! The "Cake" was really a big piece of wood!!!!! RubyAnn and I had a good laugh over spending so much time decorating such material, and we no longer wondered why there were so many specks (of sawdust, we later realized) in the frosting! If I were Amanda, I don't think I'd ask James to bake me something to eat anytime soon... :)

Alida R's cute cake...

Adam T. and his son, Danny bidding...

Charity handing her pie to Jessica...

Mr. Balyeat--deciding if he should bid higher or not?

RubyAnn's apple pie was the last item to be sold (or, so the bidders thought...) It went higher than any of the previous cakes and pies--for $80 I think. We girls told her she needs to start up a bakery!

After the last pie was sold, the Dagley's friend, Mr. Gibbons brought out a huge bowl of ice cream--with scrumptious berries on it (from the Turtle Mountains of ND!) This went for the most money--I think it brought $96! The buyer was kind enough to share with everyone. :)

James & Amanda cut the prize cheesecake..........

......and then ate some of the prize cheesecake!

Here's the cake baker, Johanna (James' sister.)

Everyone trying to decide which cake(s) to taste...

The cowboy-hat-cake serving area...

Yummy....

Later, there was a slideshow of James & Amanda's lives to watch...

I'm not quite sure what this was called, but it was fun to watch...

A while later, the newlyweds opened their gifts, while I wrote down what they received. I thought this gift was especially thoughtful, as James & Amanda plan on traveling around the country (with James' family) doing music...

The audience....

The special towels (all finished)...

Somewhere in all this, there was an open-mic time and several families sang and played instruments. That was when I played for Mr. & Mrs. Dagley while they sang "Jesus & You & Me"--a song that was sung at their wedding many years ago.

Here's cute little Valerie--picking up flower petals...

There was some time for square-dancin'...

...And some time for music jammin'...

...Plus a little time for white-boardin'...

...Oh yes, arm wrestlin' too....

...And other such delightful things!

My trip to Montana is something I shall remember with fondness for a long, long, long, long time!!!

I returned with the Dagleys and Hannah on Monday and we got to their place around 8:00PM. As it was quite dark and I was tired, my family said it was alright with them if I stayed one more night and got home for chores the next morning, so that's what I did. Hannah & I had a little time to play music together and then we helped the Dagleys unpack boxes and bags and get things put back in the appropriate places before heading for bed. It seemed so strange to be sleeping in Amanda's room without Amanda there to join us!

I got up at 6:30 the next morning to head for home, but was still quite sleepy, so Hannah suggested a brisk walk in the cold morning air to wake me/us up. We made it to the top of the hill on the Dagley's driveway and were then quite awake, so decided to turn back. We prayed together and then went in to say goodbye and I headed for home. Ahhhh~Home sweet home! How good it is!!!

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I just have to tell you about today quickly too....

The guys finished combining the sunflowers!!! They were trying to finish them two days ago, but it got too late in the day, plus they broke down, so they couldn't finish then. Yesterday it was too moist to go, but today they got the combines working again and finished up. Praise the Lord!!!

Also, Sarah K. and her 3 little ones came this morning to pick up their Azure order. We invited them to stay for lunch, which they did, and then we ladies visited for a couple hours and showed her pictures of the wedding; shared cooking idea; etc.... All in all, I guess they were here around 4 hours. :)

After we started cleaning our house, a neighbor called and said that, when the guys who rent his land were combining sunflowers today, they found a calf and they were wondering if it was ours? You may remember that it's been almost a couple weeks since we brought our cows home, so we didn't know if it could be ours... After discussing who elses it could be and realizing that it could be nowbody elses though, it was decided that somebody had best go up and get the little (about 200 lb) guy. "Somebody" turned out to be Jacob & I....... We had trouble finding the calf at first, but finally he jumped up right in front of me as I was walking around in some tall grass by the edge of the field. Then, all we had to do was catch him! We had a rope along, but neither of us are good at catching what we're throwing at, so that didn't help much. After running him down the field for a while; through a fence; around a bit of a pasture; and then down by some water, the calf finally went in some deep mud and laid down. I snuck up from behind quickly and pounced on him before he could get up and take off again. (Thankfully I had my tall rubber boots on!) Jacob got the rope around him then and helped me get the calf up and out of the mud, and then Jacob went to get the Ram close by. We had fun getting the calf inside the Ram, but thankfully the calf was too worn out to fight and just did nothing instead of being wild, which he could easily have been! We eventually did get him home and tried feeding him, but ended up force-feeding him his milk tonight. Hopefully he realizes soon that we're his friends and that bottles aren't such bad things after all. :)

I'd best get to bed!

Blessings to you all as you go through the adventures God sends your way~

Cora