Bushy Head

Last summer John would not touch grass, leaves or anything that was living and came from outside, I've never been sure exactly why so we just kept handing him things. This summer he can't get enough of the front bushes. While dad was building ramps and gardening bench John was busy pulling little branches off the bush and decorating things with them. It was quite entertaining and got even better when I asked him if he was going to wear them like a hat.



Of course it was even better when he decided to just stick his head in the bush :)

Gardening John Style

Mark and I have been racking our brains trying to figure more ways for John to enjoy nature, outdoors and all those good kid things like playing in dirt. On the same day that Mark built John's ramps he also put up his first gardening bench. We have had a great time going out each day and seeing the progress that the plants have made and playing in the dirt and water. John and I are so very blessed to have this great guy who builds things just for us, just because he loves us!

New Ramps

When John first got his chair on the day before Thanksgiving 2008 we had less than an hours notice that the chair would be arriving and in our excitement realized that we had no ramps and it couldn't come in the house. Our sidewalk has 3 little places that need ramps and so Mark hurriedly put together ramps with the wood that he had in the basement and the chair was able to come in and be played with as soon as it arrived and John got to do a few driveway test drives.

Mark is amazing at putting together things that can outlast any and all expectations. Fast forward to June 2010 and it was time for new ramps, well at least new tops, as you can see they are awesome and more importantly receive boy approval!

We're Baaackkkk!

Well okay we didn't really go anywhere other than up to Omaha for John's appointment last Tuesday, but still today is the day of back to real life. Staying home for vacation was cool and interesting and although we greatly missed getting to see Shorty, my sister's youngest, graduate from high school and visiting with family and friends this has been the most relaxing vacation we've ever had. I have some pictures and news to share, John had a great appointment, Mark built ramps and a planter bench and we stripped wallpaper and painted our kitchen and dining room. I'll get to those over the next couple days, but for now real life calls, the laundry needs to be switched, bread for hamburger buns needs to be started and since I've taken 2 weeks off from cleaning house it seems like I should do that too ;)

Assigned Seating

We're not sure how or even why this has come about, but it's really cool and we love it. When John is sitting on the potty and Mellon comes in to see him, she has her assigned place to lay, when she comes in he points to the spot and she goes and lays down there. If she leaves and comes back she returns to her spot. If I'm in the bathroom with him she is in that spot, if I'm not, same spot. She can even leave and return with toys to play with but she is right back in her spot with them. Of course this does not stop her from stealing his pants and underwear before she settles into her spot, but hey she's only 17 weeks old tomorrow and her fearless leader is 6!

Strawberries of Contentment

Two friends wisdom has helped me start to find contentment where we live. The first friend told me several years ago, jokingly, but it was too close to true that I never went outside, just stuck my arm out for the mail. When she said that I knew it was true and I knew why, there are no mountains to look at, no elk or herds of deer, no perfect blue days, no being able to see 100 miles off and watch the storms roll across the prairie, no mountain streams, no snow on the mountains, did you get it there are no mountains here!

My other friend moved to the mountains several years back, she posted pictures of her new home and I cried and cried, in part for joy for my friend because she got to live in such a gorgeous place but mostly just out of selfishness because I didn't. Recently I was complaining again about the lack of scenery here, it's just boring mid-west stuff, corn, more corn, soybeans and trees, oh what I would give for wide stretches of sage brush, yards with no grass and only a tree here or there but not this tree tree everywhere of here. That same day the lady that delivers our milk came, she brought asparagus, fresh spinach and we got to order more chickens, all grown locally, all organic or as close as possible, all scrumptiously delicious and all affordable. That's when my friend told me 'you can't feed your family scenery.' Wise friends are irreplaceable.

I am learning to be content, I am learning that content is a choice, I have known this all my life, my parents were wise teachers of this, and yet again I find that I am a child in the lessons of life and again I am learning them. My husband has a good call to two little churches who need him and who he delights to serve, my son has things both for his health and his education within reach here, I have a good doctor who is actually helping me get healthier and while there may not be mountains the strawberries are delicious, the milk lady will be back each week and I'm even finding that the more I go outside the more I find that I like here. There may not be mountains, but the clouds are beautiful, the trees are amazing to watch when I look at them as individuals and not as a mass of scenery blocking green, and each day that passes I find that I grow more content, thanks be to God, both for the place that I live and the wise friends who help me to really see.

Pryomania is Environmental

John is signing fire!



John is signing more fire!



John's dad is telling me that he put more gas on the fire than he intended but oh well. I love these guys, there is never a dull day or a small fire.