meeting a love story face to face

1237066_10100299663010020_1663191947_nWe had visitors in Jordan the other day. Before our “chance” visit, I knew Jenny (aka @jenlynndewey) and Mark (aka @sunflowerfarmer) only through social media…Twitter, Facebook and Jenny’s blog,  jldphotographblog.com.  Who would have guessed my simple question, “Coming through Jordan?” on a Facebook status would result in meeting a love story face to face?

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what? another week is gone?

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You know, when you get involved with the day-to-day stuff that being in the field is all about, the last thing that gets done is posting on Nebraska Wheatie! Oh…I think about it at the end of the day but most times, taking my shower and finishing up the what-needs-to-be-done-before-you-go-to-bed chores takes precedence. And then, all at once, another week has gone by! No wonder it feels like the summer has zoomed by!

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just long enough

Well, we made it to what could be our final stop for the 2013 harvest season. Coming back to Jordan feels like returning home! We’ve been coming here since 1981. My Grandpa & Grandma were looking for wheat to cut when we stopped here 32 years ago. Who would have known just how important this little town would become to the Z Crew!

img_4491Before we left Denton, Jim and I cleaned the combine and header – AGAIN. My job…the header. Yuck! I sent Taylor & Callie a text and asked them if they missed this mess.

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feeding 20 million

While we were in Limon, CO, the girls and I took our turn one evening to help with the supper meal. Although everything worked out just fine, it seemed like an overwhelming task considering we have a “Barbie” sized oven to cook in. After I mentioned the items the girls and I cooked in my post, it began only 17 days ago, I had a couple of people ask me for the recipes. If you read the post, you’ll also understand the title of this post.  I will share the recipes with you – but first, I have to tell a story about the cookbook they came from.

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smile because it happened

dr-seuss-quote1So…it’s really going to happen.

Taylor and Callie will be packing up their stuff tomorrow. They have decided that it would be best to head home from Limon rather than make the big move to Denton, MT with us only to turn around and head home. Good choice, I suppose. However, for those of you who have followed our journey for at least a year, you know I don’t handle the goodbye very well. After the girls have left, the reminders of them being here with us are everywhere. Even their towels make me cry. Nothing new. You would think by now it just wouldn’t affect me like that. WRONG! So, tonight, I’m trying to soak in all the giggles, the yelling and the chatter between the two of them because in a couple of nights, that will be gone.  I’ll have tomorrow with them and then I probably won’t see them again for six weeks.  Ugh!

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better than expected

It’s been a few days since I felt like I had time to play catch up with my writing. We’re still in Garden City and still cutting wheat. Considering the summer, I feel we’re fortunate to say this!

And…I’m feeling quite fortunate to tell you the wheat we’re cutting for our farmer is doing much better than expected! The dry land wheat has averaged 30 bushels per acre with a weight of 62 lbs. Gary, the farm manager, told me before we started that the dry land was going to do better than the irrigated due to the late freezes they had in April. He said it would be lucky to make 20 bushels per acre. We’re cutting that irrigated now – it’s averaging 65 bushels per acre! The weight is the same 62-63 lbs. The Yellow Beast doesn’t know what to do with good wheat and moving at a slower pace.

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Z Crew is Gonna Hire Out as Rain Makers!

Last night, the conversation went sort of like this:

“Dad, will you cut wheat tomorrow?” – Taylor

“We should be able to, if it doesn’t rain tonight”. – Jim

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Feeling a Little Blue Tonight (Video)

I should have more pictures to share but I don’t. But what I do have is a video that Taylor put together for the All Aboard Wheat Harvest. She and Jim had an uneventful trip (a good thing) to Shattuck, OK and back again.

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Wordless Wednesday – Mr. Eli

913904_10151599471891147_1797574066_oOne of many pictures Eli’s Aunt Jenna took prior to leaving for Germany. We’ll have to wait until she returns from her extended trip before I can share more. Proud Grandma! 🙂

 

STILL waiting!

Jamie’s due date was Monday, April 1. Tomorrow will be the week beyond the day she was expecting to give birth.

IMG_3138Last week’s doctor appointment      

I saw her today. Poor girl…she is MISERABLE! We had some really yummy peach/apricot wine (thanks Dale!) to sample this evening. She decided she’d have a few sips. She was paying for it big time with severe heart burn the rest of the evening. I remember being at the point she is now – just ready for my body to be back to “normal”.

While she was sitting here, she pointed to her belly and exclaimed, “watch this!”  I made it over to her just in time to see her lop-sided belly start to  move. One jab over here – another over there. While the whole family was gathered around her very swollen belly, we all began trying to coach that baby to make its appearance SOON! “Please, baby, come tomorrow”. “Stop being a bad baby and make your appearance”. “Come out NOW”!

She asked me to go to her dr. appointment tomorrow. No turning that request down! Maybe it will be her last. Jim’s birthday is Tuesday. I wonder if this baby is just waiting for Tuesday to roll around so it can celebrate his/her special day with Grandpa?

On another note, I hung clothes on the line today AND began cleaning garden debris from the flower gardens. I just can’t believe how therapeutic it is to dig in the dirt! My back is yelling a little tonight but I’m hoping I can get back out there again soon! It’s been a LONG winter and it sounds like the “S” word is making its way back in the forecast later this week.

It will soon start feeling like harvest is around the corner. The trailer house is coming out of storage on Wednesday. It has an appointment to get a few issues taken care of before the big trip south. I’m anxious for harvest to roll around but I’m NOT anxious to leave a six-week old baby and come home to a five month old. I will miss so much – it makes me want to cry!