October Recap

October has felt really tiring this year for some reason. I know a major part of it has been allergies for me, but also some very restless nights to start the month, coupled with Kendrick battling an ear infection as well as a respiratory infection. I also feel like I just don't have the energy most days to put one foot in front of the other (especially by the day's end), so wrangling two little ones through harvest has proven challenging. As usual by this point in every pregnancy, I begin anticipating the end, when I'm tired only in my head but not also in my body. With a grueling 19 more weeks to go, I need to snap out of that mindset already, or it's going to be a very, very long winter!

We haven't had any super major things going on, beyond, you know, having the big anatomy scan in the middle of the month to find out the gender of this little one!! :)

That being said, the weather could not have been better. Seriously. It has been GORGEOUS! We've spent a ridiculous amount of time outside, and the boys have been rolling in the leaves like it's their job. We've been out to the farm to "help" Daddy and Grandpa with the farming for harvest this year, and in between all of that, we've had a fun trip with friends to Grandpa's Fun Farm in Worthington, a fun Fall Fest with our church body, family pictures, lots (and lots) of raking, playing in the leaves, another couple fun local Fall festivals, pumpkin carving, celebrating birthdays (Grandpa's and mine) and, of course, trick or treating for Halloween.

And really, the boys have been VERY good overall. We have our tantrummy days, but for the most part, they're very sweet and kind and helpful. It helped that I ended up somehow having an entire day to myself in Mankato one Saturday, which gave me a chance to unwind and just really enjoy myself while the boys were having fun in Worthington with Grandma and Jess while Mark and his Dad worked on bringing in the harvest.

Mostly, we spent a lot of time outside soaking in the last few longish days of autumn before the long, cold, dark winter sets in. Granted, it was significantly less time than I would prefer outside this time of year, but I did try, even with the limited energy I've had.

As always, Mark has been out in the field helping with harvest again this year, although this has been one of the least-demanding harvests I've ever experienced in the ten years I've been with Mark! We made it through completely unscathed, and I wasn't completely overwhelmed even once, really, which says a lot! Thankfully, I won't have to go through another planting season pregnant, but this year it WILL be with a preschooler, a toddler and a newborn, so that should be fun :)

We've just so thoroughly enjoyed having a few days here and there of just kicking back and enjoying the colors and leaves and what not, but it has been a struggle for me with my innerds being squished up so much so that it's hard to breathe normally, and I can't chase after the kiddos as much.

We finished off the month with a sweet visit with Mark's Aunt Karen and Uncle Del, then trick or treating for Halloween, and just like that...it's November. (Full recap of the weekend HERE.)

Looking Ahead...

I have a feeling the rest of this year is going to just totally sneak up on us. As of right now, it seems like the month is fairly unscheduled, but I know we will fill that up quickly!

The first two weekends of the month are hunting weekends for Mark, so we won't be seeing him too much. This coming weekend, I'll be down in Humboldt with the boys to visit my Mom while my sister and her family are out of town, and then one of the next two weekends after that, we're planing on doing a "Friendsgiving" meal at our home, which we haven't done in ages, with some of our friends from the Worthington area.

At this point, we have zero plans for actual Thanksgiving (which is crazy, as we're usually OVER-booked for the holidays), but we're certain that will fill up easily as well.

And really, beyond "have a baby in March", there's nothing else really major on our calendar for the rest of the year or next. (And yes, for those of you who know how much I live for vacation time in the middle of winter, it's killing me inside to know that I get to face an entire Minnesota winter being 7...8...and then 9 months pregnant with no reprise from the snow and cold...but it's mind-boggling to think about taking all of us on a plane somewhere to escape it as well).

Maybe I'll have more exciting things to talk about next month. Until then, however...have a blessed November!

Harvest 2015

Another year has come and gone, and we're thrilled to have Harvest 2015 in the books. This year was a drastically lighter load than years past, due in part to some equipment being down (and therefore making for a slow going that Kent could easily keep up with), and due in part to having bigger equipment to get the job done faster. With harvest going into mid-October coupled with 3 weeks without precipitation, the corn also had a chance to dry down well enough that it eliminated the expense of having to dry it before hauling it in.

The boys and I joined Mark for a bit to "help" with driving the tractor and riding in the combine with Daddy and Grandpa, so I thought I'd share some of the great memories I was able to capture that day :) I love to watch my boys develop a love for farming like their Daddy and the generations before him. I know Grandpa Lance would be proud knowing that although he can't be here with them showing them the ropes, they're developing that love as well.

Kendrick is still a little scared in the tractor without Mommy riding along. I ended up staying with him for this combine ride.

Once Mama was on board, he was totally fine with the whole thing.

After that, he was totally ready to take the reigns and haul a load in to the elevator.

Another harvest in the books! There's still some tillage to do, and then getting everything put away, but that's mostly it.

The picture below just blows my mind. It's hard to believe that it has been 2 full harvests since Kent's accident, and it warms my heart to see Mark and for him to have his Dad still not just alive, but back doing what he loves, and doing it well. I'll never forget the phone call, and the subsequent weeks to follow when we didn't even know if he'd make it out alive, and the six weeks of back and forth trips to Sioux Falls as he slipped in and out of the ICU, Acute and finally Rehabilitation center. Mark will never forget that day for as long as he lives; the day he almost lost his Dad. And I'm so grateful that we have Kent here to continue on this legacy of farming, and teaching my boys the value of hard work.