Snapshots of a Kansas Farm

Last weekend we made it to one year of marriage!  It is hard to believe how fast time flies when you are having fun!  We spent the weekend celebrating another marriage, my parent's 25th wedding anniversary.  Somehow we managed to plan a surprise party and keep them out of the loop until they walked in on Saturday night!  We had a blast spending time with my family and their friends.   Over sixty people showed up to celebrate.  Thank you to everyone who came!

Thanks to my aunt for making a barn quilt block on the cake!

We made them toast like 25 years ago!

The next day (our actual anniversary) we celebrated at Dairy Queen with my parents.  Doesn't get much better than a chicken strip basket!

My parents got us two apple trees for our anniversary.  They will look great next to our pear trees.  The orchard is growing!  There is some significance to getting apple trees.  Our first dance song was "Hey Pretty Girl" by Kip Moore.  In the song he sings, "plant some roots and some apple trees."  My mom wanted to be clever and give us some apple trees to plant in our orchard.  The trees are planted and a post is soon to come!

We are so happy to be a seasoned married couple of one whole year!  We look forward to many years to come with each other!

It is a new year!  Time to put goals on paper to forget or fail at, right?  This year is different.  (I hope!) I have goals and I intend to keep up with it!  Will you join my challenge?  Use my goals or edit them to fit you!  I plan to give updates along the way.

2013 was a great year, let's make this one even better!

1. Lose weight - I have lost 8 lbs since starting my goal after Christmas!
2. Get in the best shape of my life - Unfortunately our exercise equipment is out of commission while the floor in My Purple Palace is waiting to be finished.
3. Eat healthier - I hope to eat more green beans and carrots this year! (Small steps for the picky eater)
4. Stay in touch with friends better - Now that we are grown up, my friends are scattered all over the state, country, and world.  Facebook, texting, etc. help, but how often do we not take the time to actually have a conversation.
5. Keep the house ready for company at all times - I currently have the house as clean as it can be for having one room completely emptied into the living room!

6. Do one load of laundry - (Thanks for the idea, Kelly!)

7. Do the dishes every morning - It sure makes the kitchen feel better to have everything clean and put away!

8. Take a picture of something with my camera...EVERY DAY - I want to have a record of everything that happens this year!

9. Learn a new skill each month - I am going to learn a new crochet stitch or pattern and maybe pick up sewing!

10. Cook at least one new recipe a month - I am a picky eater so I tend to cook in my comfort zone. 

11. Write more - I would like to start writing a letter with a friend, like a pen pal!

12. Finish our house projects - We have a long list!  It is all written down and ready to have projects checked off the list.

13. Have an open house for friends and family when our house is finished - I would love to have my family and friends come up to see our house when it is finished!  Be ready for an invite!

14. Get more involved in the community - We want to get more involved in the community and church this year!

And an obvious goal for life, cherish every day with Redbeard, Scraggly, Andie, and Custer - I am very lucky to call them my family!  I must enjoy every day this year!

Join me on my year long journey to be a better me by January 1, 2015!

1. I am not super woman - No matter how hard I try I can not do it all.  I feel like I should be able to keep the house clean, be active in the community, help out on the farm, and work on my hobbies, but I can't.  Something has to give.  Sometimes the house isn't as clean as I would like it to be because of everything else going on in my life.  It is definitely a balance.  I am learning to be okay with balance instead of perfection.

2. I get mad at the long days - I know, I know...I grew up on a farm, I knew what I was getting into, right?  No amount of preparation can truly get you ready to marry a farmer.  I will admit I had an idea, but an idea and real life are far from the same.  It is hard when all the plans in the world won't guarantee a trip to town with your man.  It gets easier as time goes by.  I find things to keep me busy when the hours get long and thank God for every minute I have with him.

3. I don't mind getting dirty...as long as I have WORK clothes on! - I have never been accused of being a REAL country girl.  I love participating in activities like working on the farm, hunting, and fishing, but I really like being girly, also.  I suppose I don't let people see the "farm girl" side of me much.  Most people see the dress and heels on Sunday morning kind of girl.  I am learning to embrace my "farm girl" side.  This starts with putting on Redbeard's hunting clothes and walking around the wilderness in oversized head to toe camoflauge.  Would I rather be dressed in purple head to toe with jewels and sparkles all over?  Yes, but somehow I think the deer would see me.

4. I cry...sometimes a lot - People who really know me, know that I am an extreme crier.  Every emotion causes me to cry.  I will let tear gush out of my face when someone I love has happy news and will share the pain with someone who is hurting.  This is the way I was built.  As I have matured, I have learned how to control my tears.  Sometimes all the control in the world isn't enough to stop me from crying...and that is okay.

5. Life didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but I do have the life I needed - I am a control freak.  I LOVE to be in control.  That is probably why I tend to get over-involved.  I dive head first into activities.  At one point in college I was taking 18 credit hours, helping teach a class, serving as president of three organizations, and trying to be a good girlfriend all at the same time.  Redbeard told me I was crazy and I thought it was normal.  This led to me taking a break from the craziness after college.  I only planned a wedding with my mom, helped my dad on the farm, and prepared to marry my best friend for four months after graduation.  When we got married, I decided it was finally time for life to be the way I wanted it to be.  I would be this trophy wife, dressed up every day with full makeup catering to my husband's every need.  That didn't happen.  I take care of him, but I also take care of me.  I never thought I would be sitting in north central Kansas as a stay at home farmer's wife, but I am sure thankful for the life I didn't know I wanted.

We are excited to have our new puppy, Custer!  

My mom is the sweetest person I know.  That being said she can be rude and embarrassing.  The first thing she ever said to me was not very nice.  I don't let her forget it either.  The first words out of her mouth when I was born were, "She sure has a big face."  Thanks MOM!  I like to think I grew into my big face.  Since my mom has already let this picture out into the world wide web, I will share the evidence.  

My first picture

Mom doesn't let me forget any of the embarrassing things I said or did.  She remembers EVERY detail.  She let me think that the song "Rock-a-bye baby" went, "Rock-a-bye baby in the tree trunk."  She thought it was so cute that she didn't have the heart to tell me I was wrong.  She also convinced me that I was born with big, orange feet.  I believed her for longer than I care to admit.  There is never a dull moment when she is around.

The most important thing you should know about my mom is her loving and caring attitude.  She has always taken care of my dad and me.  She knows what I need before I even know.  I like to think she has a PhD in Jessie.  I once tried on about 50 swimsuits and left with nothing.  A week later she handed me a package with a swimsuit she ordered online.  It fit perfectly. The following year she bought me two other perfect swimsuits the same way.  

In high school, I went to Europe for two weeks and my mom had a secret plan to redo my bedroom and bathroom.  People questioned her redecorating without my input.  As I said in My Purple Palace, a purple room was my dream.  She pulled it off without the slightest hint.  It was just how I wanted it to look and it was a wonderful surprise when I returned home.

When it came to the wedding, she was my professional wedding planner.  She picked out the bridesmaids' dresses and shoes online.  I saw them for the first time when they arrived.  I told people that I trust her taste and judgement so much that I could show up to the wedding and it would be just how I dreamed. 

Earlier today she made me a cappuccino without asking if I wanted one...I really wanted one.  It was delicious as you can tell.  

My mom puts others before herself.  She pours her heart into her job at the local elementary school.  The kids love her as much as she loves them.  She has worked there for 17 years and enjoys every day.  She makes a difference in their lives, just like she made a difference in my life.  I am married and on my own and I still ask myself, "What would Momma do?"