Christmas 2009

Wow Christmas this year has come and gone so quickly. I am loving the sunshine & the lack of
snow this year. However, the kids are not impressed that they havent used their sleds much. Every day without snow & cold is one day closer to spring.


December is a especially busy month for us. Brian & Brevin both have birthdays before Christmas so that includes lots of parties with family. My side of the family has always celebrated Christmas for supper on the 25th. Santa has always been a tradition of the Brookins family since I was a kid. He is always expected & every kid has cried atleast once during his arrival. Now that they are older, they enjoy hopping up on his lap for their new pair of John Deere socks!!

We took a day trip & headed up to the Bass Pro Shop in Portage to do some shopping and just to get away. The Boys in the family really enjoyed themselves. Looking at guns, bow & arrows, ammunition etc...... Here are some pics of the girls, trying to enjoy themselves................


One of us is afraid of that bear & the other isn't . We ended up at the movie theater. Which was more fun for Linds & I.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

What a Beautiful sight!!!

WE CAN SEE!

Harvest has always been a stressful time for our family. Last year was a disaster, with us still picking in December. This year has been so awesome, almost so good, we dont want to talk about it for fear of something happening. Totally blessed to be almost finished!

So today they were picking the corn around our house. It is always strange in the summer when the corn gets tall enough that we are blocked in on all 3 sides, then in the fall, when it all comes down, it is another adjustment.

The dogs didn't know what to do as all the equipment came into THEIR fields. They were chasing the tires on the semi and barking most of the day. What a big event for all of us.

179 MORE DAYS!!!

Brycen woke up this morning with dread and told me that there were 179 more days of school left! I laughed & told him that he should wear a sign on his back today that says "179 more days" that would be too funny. So I can definately say that none of my kids were ready to go back to school.

Brian & I were discussing last night that this year is a big year for all of our kids. Brycen's 1st year of high school. Lindsey's 1st year at Fairfield. Brevin's 1st year in the big hallway at the elementary school.

I am proud that I got their pic this year. Remembering last year when the bus arrived 10 minutes early on the 1st day of school & they had to RUN all the way down the lane. (something they totally HATE to do). I felt so bad last year thinking it was their 1st day & they were running. So this year, they went down plenty early.

Summer always goes too fast, it seems like we just had the last day of school in May. I am not ready for them to go back. I am doing all the chores today that I got to assign to them all summer. Laundry, feeding the animals, hanging up the laundry. I am doing them with dread.

So as I sit here, I am reminded how much i dislike the 1st day of school too. I am anxious for them to come home & one thing I do know is................................

MY HOUSE IS TOO QUIET!!!

All done, now what?

Fair is over, am I sad? now what do you think? : ) I do miss seeing the kids in the yard walking the pigs & them working together everyday cleaning the pen. But the fair just isnt my favorite place to be in the summer. Too Hot, too many people, too much stress & drama.

Our Favorite pig, Tank did the best this year. We all loved walking him around the yard. He had a great personality & was easy. Brycen ended up getting Champion in his breed on show day & took him back out the next day for open show. (with a different judge, you never know what will happen) He got Champion of his breed again that day. Very unusual to get it twice. The breeder bought him back and is taking him to the State fair to show him there. We will be anxious to see how he does.

WHATS next??

SCHOOL

The dining room table is completely covered in school supplies. Why is it that we have 5 art boxes, (only need 1). tons of spiral notebooks because there is still paper left in them from last year, and i'm not even going to count the crayons leftover or pencils!! Guess I wont need to be buying very much this year.

Gearing up!

Fair time is almost here.

show shoes that fit everyone - check

blue jeans that fit everyone - check

pigs, shaved & as clean as they can be - check

snacks bought - check

show box packed - Almost.

Saturday morning. here we come!

Let the games begin!!

Summer Camp experience

I had the opportunity to go to our church's jr high summer camp this year in Ohio. 3 nights, 4 days. They were looking for a couple more cooks. Lindsey was going & she didn't care if I tagged along. Not knowing what to expect, I journeyed along with the 100+students & adults. The first night, after all our work was done, I found myself out by the water (always a fav place for me). I could hear the kids behind me having their worship time & it was great to just be able to get away & spend some alone time of my own w/God.

Here is where I slept, with 2 other ladies from church; the head cook & the nurse. Unfortunately no air conditioning & a very HOT week, but we survived.

This is the kitchen where we cooked all the meals. It was GREAT because it did have air conditioning. It was always a cool 68 in here & we hung out as long as we could.

Over all a GREAT experience, I would do it again next year & I even got my sunset pic!!!

unexpected changes

So the storm last Wednesday night really came at us hard. As Brian was running to the basement to join us, we heard the small whistle sound outside & knew it wouldn't be a pretty sight when we went back upstairs. Well, we sent Brian up the steps first & he warned us that it looks like a war zone out there. Big tree branches everywhere, flag pole bent, silo roof completely twisted off & on the ground, there was a big branch that came down & ruined my clothes line, knocked the grill over & landed in the pond its base just a couple feet from my kitchen window. But thru it all, God's hand was so evident. All this that was ruined, is just "STUFF" and can be replaced. We still have our house & each other. My parents house had a electric pole that broke off & landed in their tree, live wires all around their house & 6 electric poles all the way down our road had either broken off & landed in the corn fields or were bent.
So thankful we have generators that have kept our power on enough to be able to run all that needs to be ran. Today is day 6 of the poor John Deere tractor still running non-stop fueling the generator. We spent 2 days cleaning up branches, cutting down trees that were ruined & just walking around being amazed at how something so quick can do so much damage.

Here are some pics

3 Things

So today I have accomplished 3 things that i really dont like doing.
1. Washed windows (big one for me)
2. Weeded the strawberry patch
3. Got my eyebrows done! (1st time ever & will never again!)
the last one was the worst. I thought I was going to come out of the chair! Luckily it was my sister & I could scream in her face as she was tearing my precious hairs out! I wonder if she was secretly enjoying herself. Isn't that what big sisters do? At 40 yrs old, she is still picking on me! ha ha.

My 15 yr old

So I must brag a little, isn't he handsome? :) Brycen is such a quiet, kindhearted kid. We are so proud of how much he has already accomplished. I can't believe he is 15 already. God has completely blessed us as parents and I am thankful for who he has become & am excited to see all that God has in store for him.

Happy B.day Bryce

Gradu - tations!!

Cannot believe that my oldest will 15 on Saturday. Man i'm feeling very old! He is so ready to enter high school. Tonight is the 8th grade graduation. They say it isn't a very exciting ceremony "like watching paint dry on the walls" we will see how bad it really is.
Lindsey will have her 6th grade graduation next week. She is nervous to go to the high school, but I know once she gets there, she will be fine. MY BABIES are growing up too fast!

Spading with a puppy.

I did not say I was spading my puppy, I said spading with a puppy! Very stressful. She loves to follow me around during the day, yesterday I got out the shovel & started with the idea to spade around all the landscape in the back flower beds. She of course was right there with me. Everytime I threw a clump of sod she picked it up & carried it through the yard. Of course, after seeing me digging, she thought she could do the same. I tried to be patient with her & it was nice to take a break & sit down & play w/her.

Laundry is also fun w/her. One of the first times I hung out the laundry, she of course was right there, digging in the basket for a treasure. Before I knew it, she had one of Brian's white socks & was dragging it thru the dirt. I yelled at her, she looked back at me & with a strut, took off through the yard, finally I caught up with her, hung the dirty sock up on the line, knowing it wouldn't matter to Brian. I told the kids if they find their underware in the driveway it is not my fault!! :)

We have told the kids that they can't leave anything important in the grass (shoes especially) or she will take & chew it up. Well, I have not listened to myself very well because one of my crocks have been missing for over 24 hrs. now. I have walked through the yards & still cant find where she carried it off to.
We love Bella & are thankful she will grow up!!!

I'm so excited

This is the 1st year that I didn't have to help put up the trampoline!! My kids are getting so old and it is really nice. I didn't even know that they were putting it up until I looked out & saw them. I usually put it off for as long as I can because it takes a while & once it is up, it is just something else to mow around. they were so proud of themselves & stayed out there most of the day. Can u see the monkey in the tree??

Our new puppy

Say Hello to little

"Bella". We have been discussing getting a puppy

before lady gets too old & set in her ways. We always pictured a english shephard like lady until Brian saw the sign down the road for "Great Pyrenees puppies". we looked them up on the internet & realized these dogs were sheep dogs, (which we have none of) but they are good watch dogs & "gentle giants". Made a road trip farther south to Flora & picked her up on a day the kids had off & here she is. Not gonna stay small for long, but hopefully she will learn to stay home!! Lady is doing fairly well with her & has only nipped at her a few times. Bella is so much more playful and Lady doesn't know what to think of her. The 10 pm & 6 am potty breaks from the barn to the corn field are getting tiresome for my OLD bones. Hope she learns to hold it soon!!

sunny day

After school today, here is where I caught Brevin. Doing what he loves most. Playing with fire. During the summer he always begs to build a fire in the firepit. We had put it away for the winter, so I told him it was ok for him to get it out & build "his fire". I knew it would get him to pick up all the little twigs in the yards to start it, and so he got it going really quick. I am now getting out the hot dogs and he is going to make our supper! he love this and will stick by his fire until bedtime!

giving it a try

Well, since I love reading other peoples blogs, I thought it would be fun to give this a try. Our life can be crazy at times & it is fun to journal about all the crazyness that goes on around here. Hope you enjoy!