Harvest 2012 is officially over....

Wish I had pictures...

but...

Pictures or not...

July 28 2012 is the official ending of harvest.

It usually starts about now.

A very unusual year.

BUT...

As dry as it has been...

Harvest this year yielded more then it did last year.

That's right.

With all the moisture there was a lot of winter kill.

So there was more this year then last.

Not by much but it has been a miracle.

The Lord is mindful our our little farm supporting three families.

I haven't been home much this week...

With therapy twice and our temple assignment.

I love our temple assignment.

Our time went so quickly...

I hope someday we will be able to do more then one day.

Therapy Monday...

I was sent to the hospital to have an ultrasound for blood clots.

Negative, as I told them...

but they do have to cover their bases.

I did take some pictures of the yard.

I didn't pull any of the volunteer flowers...

I just wanted to see what would grow.

It has been quite a show...

We did get some rain this week.

Not much...

What I do in watering 24-6

The Lord can do in just a few little showers.

Amazing...

It has been so quiet this week.

No grandchildren here working for the farm.

I have Creamies in the freezer...

That brings a few in to say hi and ask for a creamie.

Saturday Stan took  seven of them to haul rocks off the field.

They worked really hard...

Especially little Reigan only five.

wish I had sent the camera with them...

that would have produced some fun pictures...

with all of them up in the loader with the rocks they were picking.

I had the stitches out of my knee and mobility is coming back

I have a ways to get to get full rotation because it has been bad since November of last year.

A good friend, Mark Herdon stopped in to say hi.

What a treat to see them.

I should have grabbed my camera.

BUT...

I was just getting home from therapy as they were leaving...

Not brains after a day in town.

He and his family are beautiful.

So good to see them

We also received two wedding invitations for missionaries we knew in Orland.

Life goes on and they look really good.

I have had some quiet time this week to actually ponder the scriptures I have been reading.

We all know the story of Lehi taking his family out of Jerusalem.

We all know the anguish Lamen and Lemuel gave their parents and younger brothers.

There were a few places that touched my heart.

One...

When Sariah questioned Lehi about being a visionary man and the chance her boys wouldn't come back after going back to Jerusalem for the brass plates.

 Lehi agreed with her in that he was a visionary man...

They are all safe because of that...

Then it said 'he comforted her'.  

That had to be such a tender moment.

Two...

When Lehi had his 'dream'.

I cannot imagine his anguish in seeing that his two oldest sons were not going to choose to follow the Lord.

He did talk to them about it...

He tried so hard.

The grief he and his wife must have felt.

Also this week...

Nick, our son (in law) who died five years ago...

Has a brother Spencer.

Spencer and his wife Amy were not even close to being active in the church five years ago.

In fact Amy wasn't even a member.

A year ago Spencer baptized Amy and his oldest child.

Just awhile ago they were all sealed together in the temple.

This last week Amy lost their baby being six months pregnant.

Trinity Michelle Weaver.

My heart breaks.

It isn't easy losing a child.

Parents should never have to go through that.

Yet...

It is part of our growth.

Nick Ruth and Audrey are on the otherside.

Little Trinity is in good hands.

Birthday's and Miracles...

Harvest is still happening...

It is a fun time to be on the farm.

The guys had some down time on our own wheat...

It was to green to cut.

So they helped Gale Wight cut his wheat.

The Wight family is a Juniper Pioneer family.

They were one of the original families here in Juniper.

Campbell's

Nelson's

Wights..

Are the families that are still here from the first people to settle in Juniper.

Gale's dad Blaine and Uncle Harv were here together.

Both were really cattlemen at heart.

I believe it was their dad that had a lumber mill for awhile.

Last Sunday night Mary Megan and Gabby came out to see Nathan...

The next day was Gabby's birthday.

She is 11.

She wanted a 'watermelon' cake.

Easy peezy.

Cut the end off a water melon and stick candles in it.

 Ben's family came over as well.

Stan even got done with home teaching in time to make a showing.

Thursday Chris took Mary Lynne and I to Malta to Luana Barrett's 93 birthday party.

Luana and I are kindred spirits.

We have a lot in common.

She had eleven pregnancies...

As did I ( just cheated, as she says, and had two in one of those pregnancies)

We are both the product of an alcoholic father...

We both lost of parents at a very young age.

We both love the Gospel of Jesus Christ...

She is my example.

I want to be like her when I grow up.

Luana above with Bishop Jeff Johnson

Below with Sister Jennette Johnson

 Ada Parke was the same age...

They were both the oldest members of our ward.

Then Luana took the lead July 19.

 Nadine Sunburg in for forefront.

She takes Luana to the doctor and helps out there when needed.

(She sat at our table and we did talk about the fact that she taught Sarah Beth and Ben in the 2nd grade)

 Delsie Teeter.

These older ladies call each other every day to check on each other.

What a Sorority to belong to.

 Mary Lynne Nelson...

Another very dear friend of mine and Luana's.

I also want to be like her when I grow up...

wait a minute...

She is three years younger then me...

 Barbara on the right with her husband Kieth and her baby brother Joe Junior.

Rachel is a neighbor to Luana.

This is a saint of a lady.

She is everywhere helping others.

She and her husband Moris take very good care of Luana...

Especially since her eternal companion passed away.

Miracles....

Last week, the day of the Relief Society dinner in my yard...

I had everything done and decided to lie down on the floor with my feet up and relax.

While there I had the thought come to me that I should call Dr Larsen's office to see how far out it was to schedule surgery on my knee.

I had my iPad and phone right there...

I looked up the number...

Made the call.

There wasn't anything till the first of August...

I was busy in August and so it would have to be September or October.

She said she would call me back IF there was a cancellation the next week.

(The doctor was going to be out of town July 23rd on.)

The next day I went out to work...

I was really into spraying weeds when I felt an urgency to come into the house.

I figured it was because I needed to prepare some food for the mens lunch...

which I proceeded to do.

The phone rang and it was the Doctor's office.

Jill said there was a cancellation for the next day could I be there?

NO!

That was our temple day in Twin Falls.

She said that she had done some arranging for July 17 and there was an opening then.

I thought that would work.

I had to go in that afternoon to have the pre-op.

So glad I had dinner on the way.

Becky came out and finished it up for me.

Thanks Becky.

I had all the tests and was headed out of Cache Valley when I got a call from the doctor's office.

My potassium levels were extremely low and I needed a supplement.

They phoned the prescription into Kents in Tremonton where I could pick it up on my way home.

At home I Googled low potassium.

It is caused by over use of stool softeners and or laxatives.

Also anorexia and bulimia can cause low potassium levels.

Well I was taking a stool softener every night as prescribed by the doctor.

I had noticed my joints swelling and the back doctor was concerned about the swelling in my joints.

Low potassium can cause a lot of problems with a bodies vital organs...

It can cause heart failure.

The Lord wasn't concerned about my knee...

He was concerned for my health...

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father...

The urgent promptings I had were a miracle and a blessing in deed.

 ( I was also extremely tired and anxious for weeks before as well. Which is now going away.)

Tuesday July 17 Chris took me to Logan for my surgery.

She is an angel.  

She was so attentive.

I didn't lack for anything.

She saw a need and it was taken care of.

Thank You Chris...

 for your gift of being such a great care giver.

She stopped on our way home from the surgery to get some groceries and medication.

Only the pharmacy was closed...

oops.

Becky brought out the pain medication the next day...

by then I didn't need it but oh well.

I am so grateful for Becky's coming and going and help as well.

She was here to help me with meals for everyone...

AND..

to get those stupid TED hose on me.

My granddaughter Dani did the garden watering for me while I was down.

What would I do without the blessing of family?

 My knee after surgery...

It was wrapped a lot around my knee and from my foot up to my thigh.

I used crutches for a couple of days...

All that for two little incisions and stitches.

Chris took me in Thursday after Luana's party to have therapy.

First thing they did was take the crutches away...

Second was to cut off that bandage.  

FREEDOM!

Chris also helped me with some shopping...

And...

Helped me at therapy...

And...

Was attentive and could remember what I need to do.

My leg Sunday in TED hose.

I am supposed to keep them on ALL the time...

I woke up Sunday morning without it on...

I must have taken it off in my sleep.

They certainly are not very comfortable. 

I light of the tragedy in Colorado this last week...

I am forwarding a link my daughter Mary sent from a Christian blogger.

It states my feelings exactly.

http://aminiatureclaypot.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/so-you-still-think-god-is-a-merciful-god/

Harvest 2012

Harvest is USUALLY the end of July first of August...

Sometimes later...

Stan said the earliest he could remember harvest starting was the 15 of July.

July11, 2012...

 They went down to the field and tried it out...

Came back with a load of wheat, and some boys that are pretty excited about harvest.

 Truck pulling into the yard...

 Ben leveling it out a bit so the truck sits level...

 Juniper Salute...

Dylan above and Jordan below...

 Nate thinks he is hiding from the camera...

 The first dump of the season...

 A beautiful time of year...

 Nate loves his job on the farm...

He gets to drive.

Jordan took my camera to the field for some shots of Ben cutting the grain.

I told him to get some pictures of the combine...

Typical 12 year old...

Took pictures of all the parts of the combine imaginable...

Glad he did get some of the combine cutting the grain.

The guys always  have the water wagon ready for a fire...

Especially this year where it is so hot and dry...

Harvesting the garden may be another story.

It looks good, but for mid July it is way behind...

with the wind and a few late frosts who knows what we will get.

Especially if we get an early frost in August.

The tomatoes are still in double tires...

We hope the heat will collect and help them to grow.

Front porch cleaned finally along with the windows.

Jayden and Sierra and of course Reigan helped rid the porch and patio and outside walls and windows of bird poop and dust and salt from the Salt Lake.

Steve trying it out with a Creamie in hand...

It works!

The house was finally clean after weeks of lots of family and fun...

The yard was ready to go...

Tuesday July 10 2012

24 Sisters from the Malta 1st ward...

Made the trek to Juniper for our...

Annual garden party...

or

Hen party at Gwen said.

This is something that was started before our mission...

They asked us before we returned if they could do it again this year...

I wondered if things would grow and look good and welcoming...

but it was a  beautiful evening and everything was perfect.

 The skies and wind threatened right up to the time the sisters began arriving...

BUT...

it did cool things off...

and it was perfect.

The rest of the week we went and did our assignment in the temple...

I also had a preop appointment to get ready for knee surgery next Tuesday...

It is time...

Past time in fact.

Saturday Chris and her girls took me to Loa Utah for the Allen reunion...

My maternal grandmother was an Allen...

I haven't made it to very many of these...

Now my cousin and I are in charge of the next one...

Loa is right in the very center of Utah in a high mountain valley.

We went over a pass that was 8400+ feet.

And dropped just a little into this quaint beautiful little valley.

The secenery was beautiful .

It was overcast cloudy and rainy...

That cooled it down and we had a wonderful trip.

 The clouds low on the mountain is a beautiful sight.

 A rest area in the high mountains...

WHAT A BLESSING...

The little park where we met...

 It was great to see Bryant and Edna once again...

Susan (my double cuz') brought them...Didn't get her picture.

Granny Grace's family.

(I took pictures of pictures)

 Owen Patra Trilba Grace Chester Mary Dan Lillie

Trilba Grace Lillie Dan Owen Patra Mary Ruth

I have the two pictures because Ruth was in the bottom one and Chester was in the top one.

A daughter Mishia died in child birth...

The sad part of that is that the baby that lived...

Also died in child birth...

BUT there were family there representing her.

We traveled six hours there and back...

We spent two hours there...

BUT...

It was worth it to see cousins I hadn't seen for ages...

Then to meet some I have never met before...

Family is so important...

It is important to remember those who came before...

We need to honor the heritage they left us...

Being able to see other country and people is a joy and blessing...
But there is no place like home.
This is what we saw as we climbed the hill to our mountain home...

Reigan asked her mom...
"What is Heavenly Father's phone number?"
Chris answered 'Prayer'
Reigan thought about that...
then said...
"I think it is..
 Come Follow Me."