I just got home...

...no more to roam...
(For tonight anyway, but of course, tomorrow's another day.)

In the morning, I'm Linton bound, so there's not much time now to lazy around.
I've got a cattle loan I need to pay, and the rest of the day, I'm a CNA--again.

So now to bed I am heading, to crawl under my bedding. :)
Goodnight to all, 'til you hear the rooster call....... (or until the alarm sounds!)

Will it stay on?

I'm having troubles getting onto the Internet tonight, so we'll see if this gets posted tonight or not!

We had a great day, mostly...

Dad helped me with my taxes this morning and afternoon. I would have been LOST without him!!!

Then at 2:00 this afternoon, my mom had a meeting to talk about BodyTalk with a clients' friends at the clients' (who is a friend of ours!) house. There was a good turnout and, after the meeting was over (it lasted a couple hours...), and after the others had gone, Mom, our friend, and myself had a long talk about life....... We didn't head for home until nearly 7:00.

On our way back home, I was driving our "New" vehicle when I came over the hill just South of our farm and came face to tail with a skunk! I didn't hit him, but must have scared him pretty bad, as there's quite a bad aroma hanging over the farm tonight. Phew!

So, other than that, it was a great day! :)

Can you look at these and not smile? :)

Some good advice that arrived in my in-box today.....

~SMILE AT LEAST ONCE A DAY~

~BE SURE TO GET YOUR REST~

~AT THE END OF THE DAY, PRAY~

~HOLD ON TO GOOD FRIENDS. THEY ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN~

~SEIZE THE MOMENT~

~EXERCISE TO KEEP FIT~

~WATCH YOUR STEP~

~SHARE WITH FRIENDS~

~SHOW SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM TODAY~

~ALWAYS BE READY FOR SURPRISES~

~BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR APPEARANCE~

~EXPRESS YOURSELF CREATIVELY~

~TAKE AN OCCASIONAL RISK~

~RELAX~

~DON'T WASTE FOOD~

~LOVE YOUR FRIENDS, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE~

~GET TO BED ON TIME~

~MEET NEW PEOPLE, EVEN IF THEY LOOK DIFFERENT TO YOU~

~REMAIN CALM, EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS HOPELESS~

~DON'T BE OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT.

AFTER ALL, IT'S JUST A NUMBER~

AND FINALLY:

~SHARE A GOOD JOKE WITH FRIENDS!~

DID YOU MAKE IT TO THE END WITHOUT SMILING?

"NO?"

GOOD!

I DIDN'T REALLY WANT YOU TO. :)

Pleasant pastimes~

After a busy day of picking up around the house, and oats loading (2 semis came), we were all ready for a feast!

We enjoyed Pizza with Parmesan cheese, Pineapple salad, our Prefered chocolate milk shake, Pumpkin bars, and Mom mixed up some Peanut Butter Whey Protein Powder for her supper. :) While we ate, we watched a new movie that I'd ordered called, "Faith Like Potatoes".
It made our eyes Perspirate, but in the end, Peace Prevailed and we all agreed it was Precious.

Pleasant dreams everyone!

Great prices, and furnace failure...

This morning, after putting up some panels to keep the cows from jumping over the snow-sunken fence, the boys and I headed for the Napoleon livestock auction. I love going to sales, especially when they're selling our cattle for great prices! Yes, God answered our prayers for the best prices we've ever seen. :) I made enough on my calves to make my loan payment and then actually have some left over for a change. Now to decide how to wisely spend it....

I didn't actually get to see our calves sell, as I had to work at the nursing home at 2:00 and they sold around 3:00... But, I did get to see other calves being sold for great prices (for the farmers, that is), and I shared lunch with my brothers and Dad (he came in later, after picking up a special cleaner from a neighbor, one that will do a better job at cleaning our oats than our machines would do currently. After the sale, the guys came back home and worked on cleaning, while Mother was in Bismarck busy with clients all day and I was working in town and just got home a little bit ago.

When I walked in the door, I saw the light on downstairs and soon discovered that a part on our furnace had gone out and the house was cold. Thankfully, Dad had had the foresight to buy another of that part the last time it broke, so he'd have one on hand for such a time as this! PTL!

So, all is well now and we are very pleased tonight.

Sweet dreams everyone~

Bye bye babies~

It was a very full day here on the farm, thankfully, with nobody getting hurt--although there was one calf that kept charging at us and who took about 15 minutes to decide to finally go in the trailer where we wanted her!

This picture is from when the guys were getting in a few cull cows and some of our bottle-fed stock calves to sell. We loaded them up before going out to get the rest of the herd in...

Don't our guys look a lot alike from the back when they're decked in coveralls? I got my dad and Andrew mixed up once today, when just looking at "Him" from the side! :)


We had a bit of trouble getting the cows to walk up the alleyway, the biggest problem being my dog, Lady, wanted to be near us, so she was sitting in the alleyway and the cows didn't want to get too close to her, so just stood there and stared. Lady stared back and wouldn't leave, so I finally had to go pick her up and lock her in the barn! Then the cows all rushed in ever so nicely.

We sorted all the cows and bulls out first, then began sorting out the bigger steers. We saved a few of the nice heifers back to add to our herd(s), and also kept some of the smaller calves. They're now locked in a separate pen so we can feed them better...

Dad was able to haul 14 calves at a time with this rig:
And Andrew hauled in 11 each time with this one:

And they're off! Bye bye babies~

Busy day ahead!

Tomorrow we're going to be sorting, loading and hauling some of our stock calves to the sales barn in Napoleon. Prayers for safety for all would be most appreciated, as sometimes those calves can be a bit frisky (and those calves aren't so little anymore!)

Today was also a busy day with the guys getting hay and digging out the stock trailers from the snowbanks.... We ladies did some Spring cleaning, such as cleaning all the carpets; washing the curtains and some windows; reorganizing the living room a bit; and this evening, we gave the guys haircuts. It was another good day. :)

Now I'm off to bed to get some of that quick sleep again!

Hooray, half way there!

We just listened in on-line (after contacting our representatives this morning) to the voting in the ND House over the home school bill (2011), and it passed well...

Now on to the Senate!

Swine flu scare~

A lion, a bear, and a pig meet in the woods.

The bear says, "When I blare, the forest trembles!"

The lion answers, "When I roar, the jungle shudders!"

The pig boasts, "When I cough, the whole planet is scared to
death!"

*Received from the Good Clean Funnies list*

Are you going to be there?

I just got home from working in town again and can't think of much to say (other than that I stopped at a friends' house to borrow her carpet cleaner so we can, yes, clean our carpets. )

Sooooo, I thought I'd ask if YOU are planning to be at the ND Home School Convention this year? We all look forward to the convention every almost-Spring, especially when it's held close enough to our place so that we can all attend and drive back home to do our chores! This year, it's being held in Jamestown. Hooray!

Tired...

I just got home now and it took a while, as the roads were far from good. It is snowing a lot again here in ND........

My room is very cold, so I think I'll camp out in the living room tonight. :)

Giveaway...

There is a great giveaway going on over at my friend Hannah's blog...

But you'll have to hurry if you want to enter, as she's drawing names tonight!

Visit Hannah HERE.

The surprise...

Well, as you may already know if you've read my mom's or my brother Andrews' blog posts, the surprise was a "New" (to us) vehicle. It is, I think, the nicest vehicle we've ever had, although I was quite partial to Dad's big red pickup at one time. :)

The reason for another vehicle? Dependability! Mother does a lot of driving now and Dad wanted her to have something more dependable than the van. The van has served us VERY well in the (hmmmmm, is it 7?) years we've had it, but it's getting up in mileage (nearly 200,00) and can now take it a little easier. :)

We all hopped in the "Pacifica" today to get acquainted with our new family vehicle. Those of us who wished to, took turns driving as we went around through Braddock and then on the Hwy, back through to Kintyre and home again. Here Andrew's taking his turn:

Dad testing the overhead vent system. :)

Mother, enjoying the view from one of the middle seats...

Jacob, having fun testing out the DVD player! We probably won't use that feature too often, as we like to visit or read books when we're driving, but for long trips, it might come in handy?

I checked out the headphones too...

And here is "Its" new parking place...

~I was very happy when I learned of my dad's offer to sell me the van for a reasonable price, plus I'll trade him my old pickup (seen in the background), which doesn't currently run....... Dad hopes to get it working again and use it around the farm.

I really like our van and it will be so nice to have a vehicle of my own to run to town with instead of always borrowing my parents' car (or van) or Andrew's pickup! So you see, our faithful van won't quite be put out to pasture after all. :)

Pushing snow, Valentines cream, and wheat screenings....

I just got my pictures on my computer now and have some to share from this last week:

This was either on Monday or Tuesday, when it was really nice and warm outside and we went out to push the snow off the second floor of our future storage shed...

I should say, we pushed and threw the snow off! (See Lady up there with us? :) )

It was a big job, but it went quickly with the 4 of us working on it!

At this point, Dad sent me to the shop to find a large broom to sweep most of this water off with!

This is the cream we separated on Valentines day... We always date the cream, so Andrew suggested using the following to label that days' work. :)

Oh, and here's a picture of our guys cleaning our wheat into our semi---to later be loaded onto the Kansas-bound truckers' semi when he arrived....

The screenings were dumped into our white truck and Andrew hauled a load to town yesterday and our parents hauled another third of a load in this afternoon. They took a long time in town and, when they returned, they had quite a surprise for us!!!

But, I'm pretty sure that Mother will wish to post pictures of the surprise before I do, so you'll have to be curious for a little while until she has the time to write!

It was a good, busy day here, with the guys loading up the 3rd semi (only 2 came yesterday) and then Andrew going up to Steele to buy some new empty totes to put the remaining cleaned wheat in to sell directly to customers. They then filled the totes as quickly as possible, as it was getting late and Dad needed to go load up a load of grain for a farmer neighbor yet... Jacob helped me clean the house and Mother and I prepared the feast, once she got back from town and got done showing us the------the surprise. :)

Life is so good~

A surprise in the water.....

I'm not exactly sure what went on around the farm today, although I do know that one of the truck drivers who was coming to get a load of wheat wasn't going to be able to make it, and also that the trucker who was coming to get oats sometime in the future called this morning and said he was in Fargo and could come, so plans changed a bit.....

While the guys were out busily cleaning our grain, I made a double batch of ice cream; washed some laundry and dishes; made lunch; and got ready to go to work in town. I was on the schedule to work the 3:30 to 9:30 shift today, but then the ward-clerk from the NCC (Napoleon Care Center) called and asked if I could come do a whole PM shift, as one of the CNAs had to go to the hospital this morning. :( So, I went in earlier than I'd planned......

I did have a pleasant surprise today though! Around 10:00 this morning, I hauled the green garden hose outside so as to be able to fill the milk cow/calves water tank. I hooked the hose up to the water source, unrolled it across the driveway, and took it up over the snowbank to the water tank (a big rubber tire tank). As I got close to the tank, I saw something move in the water and looked closer to see----------several of my goldfish, still swimming around in the water! I did not think any of them could make it through the Winter, as we tried keeping fish in there once before and they all froze. So, I was glad to see that! They're a really bright orange color now and are quite large......

Other than that, I don't know what went on around here. Everyone else is sleeping already, and I'm going to join them shortly. :)

The trucks are coming...

Tomorrow will be a busy day here on the farm! First, the guys will set up one of the grain cleaners and then clean 3 semi-loads full of our wheat so it will be ready to go when the 3 trucks come sometime tomorrow afternoon. We will still have wheat left over to sell to individuals, but we're pretty sure we won't get 3 semi-loads sold directly, this year anyway! I wonder how many loaves of bread could be made with that much wheat? Tons I'm sure.

I spent most of my day babysitting Amelia, James and Michael. :) They sure are busy little people and kept me hopping with coloring, puzzling, and snacking, until nap time, when I too could easily have fallen asleep. It is so nice to have neighbors nearby who have little children!

That's about all that's new here, except that Andrew sold another computer today to a man in Napoleon who came this evening to get it. He's also sending one to Bismarck tomorrow with Mother, as he sold one to somebody up there.....

Well, have a great Thursday and a good night now,
~Cora

Quick sleep.

I need to get to sleep quick and then do some quick sleeping. :) I just got home from town and am heading over to the SW neighbors to babysit at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Should be fun!

The love chapter~

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity," ( love) "I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. "

Here's hoping you all had a love-filled day, whether it was love shown to your spouse/spouse-to-be or by your family or a friend...for after all, there are many different kinds of love!

I read the following quote a couple days ago in the book, "Captivating" and thought I'd share it here.

"I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far--I will find you!"

.......said by Nathaniel to Cora in "The Last of the Mohicans"--which I'd never heard of before this........

As many other young women do, I'm sure, I pray for my man every night----to be growing in the Lord daily; to be a shining example to others by his integrity; to have safety as he goes about his work; to be preparing a home for us; and, yes of course, to find me----soon. :)

May you be blessed as you show love to those around you!

Getting paid to have fun!

The second part of this day was more enjoyable than the first, although the first part was good to do too. Perhaps I should explain that a bit?



After lunch today, my dad, brothers and I went up on our storage-shed floor (the part that we built last fall) and pushed the foot of snow off of it. As it was very warm, the snow was melting and turning to water, so we also swept the water off! It felt so much like Spring!!!



Then, I returned to the house to resume the not-so-fun task of doing my loan paperwork once again. I am nearly finished, so am glad for that!



After I was numbered out, I baked a chocolate cake and prepared a bit of supper for the guys.



At a little before 6:00, I headed over to our neighbors' house to babysit 3 of their 4 children (these are different neighbors than the ones I usually babysit for) so the parents could go to a Sweetheart Supper in town. Tucker (7), Alexis (4) and Bryce (3) and I had fun getting to know each other better over a good meal of cheesy casserole and corn and then we played several games, one of them being the game I took over, "Ants in the Pants", which they seemed to really enjoy. When the parents and the baby got back home, the mother and I visited for quite a while and I got to hold little Brooklyn as well. :) I had a great time and it seems almost wrong to get paid for having so much fun! I get to babysit for our other neighbors again later this week, so I'm looking forward to that....



Well, I suppose I should try to settle down and get some sleep. It's still warm outside, but is very VERY windy, so Lady decided she wanted in the house tonight. (She's been sleeping outside with Millie the last few nights.)

Have a good night. ~

A quite day at home...

Our day was nice and quite. The sun was shining and it was warm out. A quick overview of our day goes something like this:

Morning chores were completed. The boys rode up North on the snowmobile to check the hunter neighbors' house for them, to make sure the furnace was still working as it should. Later, after getting cleaned up, the boys and I played Foosball and Air-Hockey. Before our noon meal, we had a good time of fellowship and singing, and learning more about God's great creation... Dad and we younger Bs played a game of "Rage" (Andrew won by 2 points) while Mother took a nap. Then we watched "North and South"... Finally, it was time for supper and chores again....

It was a good day!

Good night, sleep tight!

I missed out on a good portion of the housecleaning today as I had agreed to pick up 4 hours of work in town this afternoon to help out an expectant mother, as she had a doctors appointment to go to..... It felt really strange to leave the nursing home when it was still a bit light outside!

Mother had a good feast nearly all prepared when I returned and the guys spent most of the day in the shop, as it was so nice outside (above freezing even!) We have hopes that Spring will come. :) I love the Spring time, don't you?

The sunshine room...

Have you ever heard of Dr. Mercola's Sunsplash tanning machine(s)? Well, my Mom has read a lot about the health benefits of them (you can get Vit. D in the Winter months too and stay happy and healthy!) and decided a couple months ago (when she'd saved up her money!) to order 2 of the standing machines: 1 for here at home for us all to use if we so desire and 1 for up in the room she's renting that she used to have her office in. (It's just across the hall from her current office.)



Our guys mounted 1 of the units a while back, but not many people have used it yet, as the room isn't really set up...



(The sign in the hallway window. :) )

We frequently find good deals on BisManOnline and yesterday, my dad found a really good buy on some used office cubicles. They ended up being located only a few blocks away from where my mom's office is, so we didn't even have to haul them very far.



Today, while Mom was doing sessions in the other room, the fellas and I assembled about half of the pieces of "Wall" to make a separate area in the back of the room for people to use the SunSplash in. We're not sure what we'll use the rest of the material for...?



Several of the pieces are very tall!



Dad, holding the wall section in place while Andrew Alan-wrenches it together. :)

And TA-DAAA~

This picture:

...reminds me of THIS SONG!

Here is a picture of Mother in her office with the portable wall we built in the background. This side of the wall is the waiting room side and the other side is where she does her BT sessions. There is a really pretty cream colored rose pattern on the other side, but I didn't get a picture of that today for some reason....

While Mom was busy with clients, the rest of us ran all over town doing errands. We went to the library for a while; Dad got some tax forums; the guys wanted to stop at Precision Small Engines to check on how much a new motor for our big lawn mower would cost (and it costs WAY too much, so they'll look at getting a used one!); we went to NAPA for some parts; also to another mechanical sort of place that I can't remember the name of right now; the guys took me to KT Animal Supply so I could buy 5 fish for my aquarium; we went to an auto sales/workshop place so Andrew could ask advice for some pickup problems he was having, which proved to just be a bad design on the part of Dodge; Dad met up with a guy named Dave (another BisMan deal) and bought a stronger compressor for the shop air compressor (is that what it's called, guys?); we went to Sams for a few items; also to Staples for labels for our grains; and then we picked Mom back up and she took us out to the Texas Roadhouse for supper, as she'd been wanting to do that for a few months now as a thank you for what we've done to help her get her office set up. We were all SO FULL when we left there, and yet, when we got home and Mom was washing up for milking, I began to think of what I should make for supper, as it's just such a habit to do so. :)

That was our busy day! I hope you all had a productive 24 hours as well.