One of my favorite Christmas traditions

This past week has been CRAZY!

When I got home from Washington, DC on Saturday, I knew I was going to have to hit the ground running since I had only purchased one gift for Christmas. On Monday, the race began. Every day it was a trip to the big city to find the perfect gift for each name on my list. I was still looking for those gifts last night and am still short one (that I know of). It has been one of the longest weeks ever! Thank goodness Jamie didn’t have to work on Monday and was able to tag along with ideas and pointers for her sisters.

Wednesday night was the night set aside to head to the mall for the annual Santa picture. I didn’t get any bad vibes about doing it until we were standing in line (a very long line) with a whole bunch of little, little kids. And, of course, the camera was having issues so we had to wait. At least I didn’t have to try to keep my kids happy and deal with the crying like most of the other parents did. However, while we were standing there, I was informed by my kids they were the oldest ones in line and this would probably be the last year for this tradition. Ok, I suppose I have gotten away with it a lot longer than I ever anticipated. I decided tonight, though, that I would share the “firsts” and a few “in betweens” just in case this IS the last year. While I was looking through the book, the pictures I saw reconfirmed the reason why I have insisted on this tradition. It’s great fun to see how the girls have changed from 1986 to present.

Today was spent entirely in the kitchen. It started fairly early this morning and ended about two hours ago. I haven’t made holiday sweets in quite a long time. We always make our traditional sugar cookies for Santa but nothing more than that. I used to make goodies to give to my neighbors along with a Swedish Kringle. BUT, it got to be too much and trying to be Martha Stewart was killing the holiday fun. Today just about killed the holiday fun once again. So much work and most of it will probably get thrown away in a week or so. We started the morning making Oreo balls, Mocha balls, some sort of Frito chewy treat, bugle snacks dipped in white almond bark and an m&m candy (looked like an ice cream cone), spritz cookies, cut out sugar cookies and brownies frosted with cookie dough. Tomorrow afternoon will be spent decorating the sugar cookies and making Jim’s favorite – peanut brittle. Guess what…there’s zero calories in all of this 🙂

As I’m typing this, my personal elf, Miss Callie, is wrapping my presents. I think Christmas is actually going to happen in the Zeorian household after all!

Gosh…I look so young! The first year of being a mommy – 1986. Jamie was NOT happy about sitting next to that big man dressed in a red suit. That’s why I’m in the picture, too.

1988 – Jamie was almost 3 and Jenna was 7 months.

1994 – Taylor had just joined our family 7 weeks prior to the picture. Jamie was almost 9 and Jenna was 6.

1997 – Fourth and final addition to the family. Callie was 2 1/2 months old, Jamie nearly 12, Jenna 9 and Taylor 3.

2000 – Jamie was too cool to join the sisters for the Santa picture. She was nearly 15 years old at the time. Jenna is 12, Taylor is 6 and Callie is 3.

2003 – Jamie decided to jump back in the pictures in 2001. She is 17, Jenna is 15, Taylor is 9 and Callie is 6.

2006 – This was taken on Jamie’s 21st birthday, Jenna is 18, Taylor is 12 and Callie is 9.

2009 – Jamie is nearly 24, Jenna is 21, Taylor is 15 and Callie is 12.

P.S. Happy 26th birthday, Jamie!

Out of the Country

Dec8 by nebraskawheatie

Yep, we literally were out of the country!

The U.S. Custom Harvesters Board of Directors were invited by the Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters – www.acchi.com – to attend their annual convention and meeting in Calgary, Alberta. Jim and I decided it was time to make a trip north and participate. Kent Braathen and Roger (and Lisa) Sammons were also able to attend. (You can click on the address to view the ACCHI website.)

What a wonderful experience!! Over the past 30 years, there’s been a lot of history between our two groups – and some of it not so good. My feelings are it’s time for a change. After all, we are all harvesters and we have a job that needs to be done – “harvest the crops that feed the world”. The same problems that affect the U.S. harvesters also affect the Canadian harvesters. The attendees welcomed us and made us feel like we were part of their family. “Family” – a common denominator of the two groups. We ARE family and that feeling is felt when attending both group’s conventions. There’s nothing quite like being a member of the harvesting family!

After the convention was over on Saturday, we headed for the Calgary Tower for lunch. Then the snow began. Not much snow (maybe 4 inches) but who wants to go out when that begins to put a damper on things? So, for the evening, we opted for pizza and stories in the hotel room with the others who were still hanging around.

On Sunday, we took a quick trip out of Calgary and headed to Banff for an afternoon of sightseeing. We stopped at a majestic old hotel and walked around it for a while and then headed for the gondola ride up the side of a mountain. BEAUTIFUL!! I was certainly wishing we had more time to take in all the beauty that Banff and Canada had to offer.

The trip was way too quick but definitely worth it. Thank you, Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters, Inc. for making me feel so welcome! You are an amazing bunch of people. Now I can’t wait til summer so I can be watching for you on the road.

We’ve seen this lake many times from the ground. This is Fort Peck Reservoir. Was so much fun to see from the air!

A perfect picture of an agriculture quilt!

Downtown Calgary from the hotel window.

Jim and Kent Braathen

The Olympic ski jump where “Cool Runnings” was filmed.

The view from inside the gondola on our way back down the mountain.

Goodbye Calgary!

More pictures can be viewed on the Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking FB page.

The PERFECT Tree

Nov28 by nebraskawheatie

The above picture is the end result of an afternoon spent looking for the PERFECT tree!

After what seemed to be an untraditional Thanksgiving weekend due to Grandma being in the hospital, it ended on a holiday note.

Grandma is doing MUCH better! After watching her struggle for every breath for a couple of days, it appears she’s progressing well enough to be moved out of ICU tomorrow. Thank you for the prayers! Once again, I am reminded God IS in control!

I LOVE Christmas! And will try to do all I can to enjoy it as long as I can. The tradition of getting the Christmas tree up and decorated over Thanksgiving weekend began long ago in our household. After growing up with an artificial tree for most of my childhood, I decided that when I got married, I would have a real one. My tree of choice is a cedar tree from a local farmer’s pasture. Through the years, it has been Jim’s job to find the tree. He would take the older girls along with him while I stayed home with the younger ones. As the years have gone by and the kids have grown, we all go. Our tradition is being carried on through the newly established Hermesch household.

We headed for the pasture yesterday afternoon. The temperature was a little on the “nippy” side but the sun was shining. If you didn’t have a hat and mittens, you certainly would have been wishing for them. The brisk air definitely helped remind us that Christmas is just around the corner. Hey…at least we didn’t have to walk through snow!

Curt & Jamie found their tree first.

Some years, it takes us forever to find the PERFECT tree. There’s usually too many decisions and you never know if the one beyond will be better than the previous one spotted. By the time the PERFECT tree is found, we’ve walked further away from the pickup than you would have ever guessed. This means that all the hills you’ve just gone up and down will have to be retraced dragging a tree. It tends to be a good workout!

“Give me the saw, Taylor, this one’s mine”. Jenna

We ended up finding four trees – one for us, Curt & Jamie, Jenna and Taylor. It’s just fun carrying the Christmas spirit into your own little world (bedroom).

This is our PERFECT tree!

The PERFECT tree is always in the eye of the beholder. And, through the years I’ve found that even the not-so-perfect tree will look beautiful once it is decorated. Our trees tend to become a part of the family (silly, I know) and are dearly loved. The Christmas music is turned on while we put on the lights and the decorations. The girls make sure their special ornaments are put on year after year – as do I. It wouldn’t be right not to put on the same ones that we’ve always put on. Once decorated and boxes are put away, we turn off all the lights and admire our newest member of the family. Magically, the tree has become more than a tree. As far as we’re concerned, it grew in that pasture specifically for the purpose of providing us the memories of searching for it and becoming a part of our Christmas traditions. It’s so hard to take it down when Christmas is over. Probably because that means one more year of Christmas tradition and memories have come and gone. For now, though, welcome to the family dear PERFECT tree!

It wasn’t supposed to be like that.

Nov25 by nebraskawheatie

Thanksgiving…a day of family, food and memories. That’s how it’s supposed to be!

Yesterday morning, Jim’s mom called me early to let me know she wasn’t going to be able to attend our Thanksgiving meal. She and I had talked the night before and I knew she wasn’t 100%. I could tell she was out of breath. Yesterday morning, though, she was a lot worse. Worse enough that I woke Jim up and told him he had to take her somewhere for help. He didn’t even argue with me. He got up, got dressed and called his sister. Here’s an instance of seeing how God works in our lives. Maureen (Jim’s sister) usually has a house full on Thanksgiving. Not this year. She had Thanksgiving on Sunday (a little weird, I thought) and wouldn’t be celebrating on Thursday. So, when Jim called her, she was able to drop everything and head to Omaha with him (without leaving food preparations and a house full of people). God is so good all the time!

Our meal was supposed to be ready at 12:30. It was placed on hold until further notice. Our crowd was slim as Jamie and Curt were in Kansas with Curt’s family. Jim wasn’t there and neither was his mom. So, those of us that were here just sat around the kitchen table and in the living room watching tv. The time seemed to drag. Once in a while Jim would call with an update. Finally, at 1:00, he said he’d be home at 2:00 to eat. The cooking began, once again. At 2:00, Jim called and said he didn’t feel like he could leave the hospital and we were to go ahead and eat without him. We said our grace and began feasting. It sure didn’t taste as good as it should have. As I was staring at my plate, I got to thinking about the previous years and it hit me – this was the first time in over 30 years that I hadn’t been sitting at the table on Thanksgiving with Jim. Weird. He was where he needed to be. We all missed him. He showed up – about 3:30 – with information about Grandma. She was in ICU and was resting but had a very tiresome day. Her Thanksgiving included a lot of poking, prodding and testing. The doctor diagnosed the shortness of breath was due to fluid built up around her heart and in her lungs (as a result of congestive heart failure). She was wore out from struggling for every breath she took. How often do we take that next breath for granted? All the time. Makes me want to take a DEEP breath right now!

(The girls in their after turkey coma state)

God prepared us for yesterday even before we realized why. Grandma is still in ICU but is resting more comfortably. Today, she was tired but thankful for the company she had throughout the day. I hope she rests well tonight and knows that God is watching over her. Thanksgiving wasn’t supposed to be like that. We were supposed to celebrate the day just like we have every other year…

94 years of life

Nov21 by nebraskawheatie

My Grandma turned 94 on Saturday. This means she was born in 1917.

1917…so many years ago and so many changes she’s experienced. I didn’t go visit her on her birthday because I assumed she would have a lot of other company there helping her celebrate. Taylor and I went to see her yesterday and found out no one was there on her special day. That was the beginning of several “twangs” I felt in my heart and my stomach. I should have been there! Grandma’s level of anxiety is so much less when there’s not so much activity in her room and in her life. Too many at one time overwhelms her because she can’t see very well and she can’t hear very well. She wants to be an active participant in the conversation and can’t focus when there’s more than one conversation happening.

Yesterday, while Taylor and I sat there with her, Grandma was in a very chatty mood. She smiled a lot and offered stories I had never heard before. I told her about going to Lincoln on Friday night to watch Taylor at All-State Choir. She asked what songs they sang and the only one I knew she would know was “My Country Tis of Thee”. She smiled from ear to ear, “Really? My Country Tis of Thee?” and then broke out in song. It was a moment that melted my heart! I really didn’t know Grandma liked to sing. She said she sang a lot as a kid and whistled all the time. Really? That’s Taylor! Whistling all the time. And in shrill notes that aggravate the heck out of me! Grandma told us the story of whistling really loud each time she had to go out and call the cows in. The cows got to know her whistle and when they heard it they’d know she and her dog were on their way. This brought tears to my eyes. My Grandma was once a little girl – someone who sang and whistled and enjoyed being with her 9 brothers and sisters. It was at this moment that I wished that I could have one of those days that I mentioned in a previous posting. A day that would take me back in time to allow me to see my Grandma as a little girl and view the simplicity of her life at that time. Grandma can’t whistle anymore. When she got dentures, the dentist took away her whistle. When she told us that story, it was Taylor who started to cry. Whenever Taylor whistles, I will probably still get agitated with the shrillness, but it will forever take on a whole different feeling – I will think of my Grandma.

Grandma also told of the time that she (as a 5 or 6-year-old girl) had to go up on stage for a school play. She could STILL remember her line. It goes something like this:

When I got up on stage, my heart went twitter pat, twitter pat. I heard someone in the audience ask, “Who’s sweet little girl is that?”

I can picture a little blond-headed 5 year old being scared to death up on stage and Grandma said, “My heart really was going twitter pat, twitter pat”. 🙂 Grandma was once a little girl, someone’s daughter, sister, and best friend. I have always known her as Grandma.

The memories I hold near and dear to my heart include her famous fried chicken with bread and gravy, Christmas and Easter, fishing, her cookie drawer, sitting in her lap, and “fixing” her hair. When I was little, we didn’t get to go see her very often. She lived 2 1/2 hours away. But, when we did, it was the BEST! I can still remember the overwhelming feelings of sadness as I would watch her house go out of sight in the rear view mirror. I felt that same feeling yesterday. I love you, Grandma! And I hope that one day, I’ll be a grandma just like you who unknowingly creates that sort of love in a little ones heart!

What a difference a day makes!

Nov3 by nebraskawheatie

So exactly 24 hours ago, we had snow on the ground here in Eastern Nebraska! Yep…the day before yesterday it was BEAUTIFUL – near 70 degrees. Yesterday, however, we had a taste of what’s to come. We had pouring rain, thunder and then thunder snow. It went from 45 degrees to 30 in a matter of minutes. By the time it was all said and done, we had more than an inch of wet snow on the ground.

When Taylor got home, she informed me that it was THE BEST day ever! Not only because it was her 17th birthday but she had answered a question or a poll or something that asked her if she could have any one thing for her birthday, what would it be? She answered…to have Jordan (our dog) back in our lives. Well, Jordan LOVED snow. She loved chasing snow – either coming out of a snow blower or thrown snow balls or she could roll her own snow balls with her nose and throw them up in the air only to catch them again. So, Taylor was convinced that it snowed only for her and for her to know that Jordan was with her. 🙂 Love it, Tate!

Today, however, it’s beautiful once again. Not 70 degrees beautiful but over 50 and the sun is shining. No more white stuff to be seen anywhere.

Yesterday was also the beginning of the fall puzzle that must be put together before winter can truly arrive. The puzzle I’m referring to is the arranging of the equipment in the shed. We’ve rented a shed for 20+ years and it has gradually gotten smaller and smaller every year. Why? The equipment keeps getting bigger and bigger. The shed we rent is not one like you’d see in a farmer’s yard. It’s sides are rounded and not very big. Twenty some years ago, it was perfect! I wish I could wiggle my nose and create a much larger one with heat and a cement floor for Mr. Jim to be able to work in. We should have just bit the bullet 20 some years ago and bought our own. Hindsight is always 20/20! So, as I began telling you, we started putting the puzzle together yesterday. Jim wanted to get the two heads (MacDon flex head and the corn head) out of the weather first. Working from the back of the shed, of course, to the front. One piece of the puzzle that we won’t have to find a spot for will be a trailer house. That should help! By the time it’s all together, Jim will have organized and fit and moved and removed each piece of our Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking puzzle until it’s just perfect…with little room to spare! Once this chore is complete, harvest will truly be over for 2011 and Jim will begin his next yearly adventure – hauling propane. I heard him say he’ll start that after November 15th, giving him a little time to kick back before his REAL job begins! During the winter, he’ll work harder than he does in the summer and will put in over 70 hours per week. By the time April rolls around, he’ll be welcoming the upcoming harvest routine once again (and so will we).

We didn’t have a full blown 17th birthday party for Taylor like we sometimes do. She opted to have a smaller, more intimate one and wanted to do the cooking. Really? Who wants to cook on your birthday? Tate!! She’s an awesome cook and didn’t even realize it until this past summer. She was forced to be the harvest cook after Jenna retired and she has stepped up to the plate in all her glory! She really likes to bake. So, for supper, she created bread bowls and we had two kinds of soup – cheesy broccoli and chili. She also made her own cake – a pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling. It was DELICIOUS!

17?….I remember 17 – how can I be the mother of THREE daughters that have reached that age? Callie, you’ve got a few more years to catch up – but please don’t hurry! Happy birthday, Tate! Love you!

Taylor is reading her card out loud to find out what we got her. I ordered a Ukulele but it’s still in transit from Hawaii. That’s what she wanted!

Something must have been REAL funny!

Now THAT’S funny!

She FINALLY got to the end to see what she’s getting.

Trying to look like her card.

This is what Taylor likes to do…rub things on her face.

NICE girls!

Happy November 1st!

Nov1 by nebraskawheatie

For the last 20 some years, I’ve been involved with Halloween. It came to a sudden stop last night.

Since Jamie was born, costumes have been thought about and created – sometimes at the very last minute. School parties and parades marked the day nearly every year. I bet I could count only a couple of times that I didn’t walk around our little town. The two times I can think of was in 1994 when I was VERY pregnant with Taylor (she will celebrate her 17th birthday tomorrow) and in 1997 because Halloween was cancelled due to an ice/snow storm.

Last night was a beautiful night for the little goblins. Very rare, too. Most Halloween’s, I remember having to come back to the house midway through trick or treating for more gloves, hats and heavier coats. So many fun memories. However, that is done in the Zeorian household. Callie dressed up, but she went to another town with her friends. Taylor dressed up – only to help hand out candy at Jamie and Curt’s house. I was here most of the night by myself handing out candy – and very little of it. We only had about 25 kids, at the most, this year. Signs of the times? or just that our little village is lacking kids?

Brook and Jillian stopped by at the end of their trick or treating to let me see their costumes. I got to take a picture of them. So, the tradition continues with a new generation of spooks! Because of my moving out of the flurry of Halloween activity, I felt like it would be a good time to go through some of our past Halloween memories. I didn’t get every year represented but enough to give you an idea of the happenings in our house for the past 20+ years.

It’s beautiful here today in Nebraska! The doors are open and the clothes are on the line. It’s a day like today that I’m missing Jordan (our dog) really bad! She would have enjoyed soaking up the sun today.