As I write this 2 fields have been successfully harvested and the upcoming possibility of rain has slowed progress as it normally does in May.  One hay mower made it's way to a new home in Iowa and has been replaced by a newer semi truck and hay rake.  It is still debatable whether or not the old hay rake will stick around or not.  Corn and bean fields have been planted all around us.  Hopefully our beans will be planted sometime in the next week.  Jeremy is learning the inbuy generic cialis online without a prescription.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/023.jpg”>s and outs of juggling a regular job and farming.  Thankfully it is a slow time for his job.

Paul and I are counting down the few days left of school.  We've enjoyed celebrating his 7th Birthday despite the hectic time of year.  The school even planned their field trip to the zoo on his Birthday!  Next week he graduates from Kindergarten.  He's not sure how he feels about that yet.  He is very comfortable where he is.  Many of the fields I will be scouting have been planted and will be emerging soon.

A late frost last Monday made me glad the garden wasn't planted.  But now I am anxious to get the tilling done and get the plants in the ground. Next year I am definitely learning towards a No-till garden.  However this year we've been adding some gypsum and

manure and also making the garden slightly bigger.

We saw some beautiful hills, pecan groves, cattle pastures, and parks we would like to visit some day.  Finally about 11:15 that evening we found our destination in Tampa, Florida.

Unfortunately the girls did not sleep in much Easter morning or any morning for that matter!  We had brought a ham with us and put it in the crockpot so we could have an Easter Dinner with all the family.  We spent the week enjoying the pool, visiting with family, and at the beach.  The kids did very well and took turns sleeping in the big bed or sleeping bag.  Even Amy, who had been in a crib up to that point! The weather was very nice!  We visited some new places and re-visited some older ones!

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We headed north on the following Friday. Traffic wasn't too bad until we got to Birmingham.  We made it through finally and stayed at a slightly better hotel in northern Alabama.

The next morning we parted

ways with my Dad and traveled to Columbia, TN for Mule Days!  Paul had to get a cowboy hat!  He looks great in it!  We really enjoyed watching the National Pulling Mule competition and seeing the WIDE variety of mules ready for almost anything from riding to working to driving.  They were all sizes and colors.  We stayed several hours.  I would love to get a few more long ears and visit again once the kids are riding better!  Overall it was a very awesome restful trip!  We made it home late Saturday night.

It is hard to say when we will get to take another vacation or where we will end up!  But

this one worked out great with the kids!  I'm very thankful to have some giving relatives who opened up their house to us!

2013 has brought as many if not more changes than the previous years have

to the Sweeten Family. In January, Jeremy accepted a job as an agronomist for a forage and cover crop company. While he wasn’t looking for a job, we felt it was an opportunity he shouldn’t turn down. It has been a challenge to sync his new schedule which now requires some travel, with his fire fighter’s class and my school schedule. The job brings a long the perk of enabling us to pay off debt and he will get summers off to farm!

It was about that same time in January, that we discovered that our fourth child is on his/her way! While I have had a few early ultrasounds, the baby is doing well and is due September 25th.

The kids are growing fast and are looking forwards to having a new baby. They are divided as to whether they want a boy or girl. They have really enjoyed playing in the snow! Paul of course is convince a brother will be 10 times better than his current sisters.

While gearing up for the summer scouting season, I am also preparing for leaving my teaching position. I have been treated very well my first year back into teaching. It has been a very tough decision. Jeremy’s job

has really changed a lot of things. However I have always wanted to be a stay at home Mom. We’ve gone over finances and prayed a lot.

We ordered soybeans for several fields this year, and Jeremy has taken a lot of forage crop seed orders. I will be scouting at least as much as I did last year. We also sold the extra hay mower and are making plans to buy a new rake. So even with the snow still melting, we will be ready for the 2013 farming season. It will be here before we know it!

We continue to grow both spiritually and in numbers.  So this year it was decided to do a picture directory!  I thought our picture came out well!

Jeremy had his longest hay season ever.  It began in mid-March with planting some annuals, and finally ended about December 8 with a broken tractor and a broken baler.  So Jeremy will have plenty to do this winter!  It was without a doubt our most challenging year, with the early start, drought, new big square baler, fencing building, and no heifers!  We do have a few steers cheap viagra that will be ready to butcher next year as well as Barney and Rusty.  So Jeremy has still had a few daily chores. We continue to learn to trust God to show us where he wants the farm to go.

My job with Ivy Tech ended in July.  It was looking pretty bleak at that time for the farming year.  So I scrambled to get my teaching license renewed and was rewarded with my first Agriculture teaching position!  Paul and I started school on the same day! He loves school and is doing well as a kindergartner. I am doing well also.  It has been nice to be on the school schedule and the girls enjoy going to the sitters on a regular schedule. We were all ready for Chrismas Break!

Paul is reading many sight words. He can count over 100 and loves to play games on PBS kids. He seems to have outgrown his love of Thomas train, but is still a big fan of Cars. He changed his favorite color to Green this summer. He loves recess and lunch. The only issue his teacher has had is he wants to rush through his assignments. He is nearly to my shoulder!

We celebrated Amy & Ruth’s Birthday on December 15th this year.  Ruth turned 4, is completely potty  trained, loves Dora, babies, the color purple.  She knows her colors and can count to 10. She will chatter your ear off about tractors, combines, and kitties.

Amy will be 2 and loves anything the other two love. She is very loving and even lets me rock her on occasion!  She is catching up to Ruth in size, which makes life interesting. Her favorite animal are cats, and she also love to imitate elephants!

I was able to write my second devotional/planner, and am really happy with the results.  It is amazing what you can get done, with the Holy Spirit whispering in your ear!  Please let me know if you would like one!  I’m hoping to start next years during my summer break!  My Agronomy business is also growing! I picked up some soil sampling, though it was interesting getting samples pulled between school and Jeremy’s busy fall.  I have plans to continue scouting during my summer break.

Jeremy is really enjoying his time with the local emergency response unit and is taking classes to be on the fire department as a fire fighter as well.  He also has been cutting firewood and is working on wood for the 2013-14 season!

We hope and pray everyone has a wondeful

Christmas season!

order viagra“300″ height=”225″ />And we are still attempting to finish the hay season! Jeremy is sneaking out to the woods whenever he can to hunt for deer. Paul has gone with him, and he has promised Ruth she may go as well. It took 12 days to make one field of hay due to the rain, and just bad drying weather. Such is life on a forage farm!

The garden is done for the season and the kids and I cleaned up most

of the outdoor toys. We have been enjoying several weeks of crisp weather outside, and a warm woodstove inside. The fall jackets are out and the winter ones are not far behind. We had Rusty and Barney’s feet trimmed, so they should be good until spring. We have been enjoying harvest parties with

campfires & s’mores. Paul had his first school pictures and they turned out great!

At school we just finished up soils judging and are getting ready for National FFA convention and Forestry judging. For every thing we mark off our lists, two more are added it seems. However we seem to all be adjusted to our new routine, which has been a big blessing.

September is here and seems to be in a huge hurry! The kids and I spent the first Saturday of September working on the house. We also made salsa on Labor Day! It was so nice to be able to stay

home and get a few things caught up! I even did some baking and we had muffins for most of the week for breakfast!

Then the second Saturday arrived and with it, the local festival and a parade float for the church. This Saturday wasn’t a complete loss as we didn’t have to be there until 1:30. So the kids and I went and rode on the parade. I think this was our third year!

This third Saturday was my nephew, John’s 4th Birthday. So after sleeping in a bit, we rushed around the house getting a few things done, then heading out to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. It was awesome weather, so the zoo was pretty crowded.

But we enjoyed a quick lunch, complete with Birthday cupcakes, and then spent a somewhat crazy afternoon at the zoo. Amy didn’t

want to leave the first few animals we saw, she just wanted to watch! She soon got the idea, something else good was coming! Though I think both she and Ruth would have watched the giraffe eat lettuce all day.

Ruth however did not cooperate for any good pictures for a Christmas card. It was a good day, though and I will have to find other time to work on the house in between FFA responsibilities and lesson plans! I think we will be staying home next weekend, so maybe then!

While we’ve been out having fun, Jeremy has been working in between rains putting up as much hay as possible. Prices continue to be good, but making the hay is challenging due to the fall weather. We also have some oats planted that Jeremy will bale & wrap in the next 4-6 weeks. They are looking very good!

We are also making plans to buy a few beef cows this spring. Then we have some acreage coming out of the CRP program that we are debating whether to go right to a hay crop or do a year of beans in. Add to that some new acres rented, and the 2013 season is sounding better all the time!kids and I spent the first Saturday of September working on the house. We also made salsa on Labor Day! It was so nice to be able to stay home and get a few things caught up! I even did some baking and we had muffins for most of the week for breakfast!

buying viagraeight=”300″ />We are two weeks into the school year! Life is still on the crazy side, but we are getting into the routine. Paul’s favorite

parts of school are recess, lunch, and the bus ride. However, he appears to be doing well at his studies. So far everything is review and working on staying in the lines, writing better, etc.

We enjoyed going to open house this last week. Paul was our guide, and showed us the library, computer lab, gyms, and lunch room. They served ice cream! The girls really enjoyed seeing the school.

Paul has lots of new friends. Jeremy gets Paul onto the bus then runs the girls to the sitter. Most days Jeremy gets him off the bus. Which is a nice advantage of a farming schedule.

However this last week has been very busy getting 4th cutting and custom work done. My school is 20 miles away, but thankfully I can pretty easily get home before Paul. My classes are going well. I had forgotten how time flies once things get going. Finding time for myself is going to be a challenge. Especially with housework and lesson planning.

While we’ve had rain the last few weeks, the crops have struggled and yields continue to be lower. Jeremy will be baling cornstalks and even some corn for a few farmers.

I think we are all looking forward to getting this season behind us. Though trying to make the best of the situation. God has been watching over us and teaching us new things!Rich Text AreaToolbarBold (Ctrl + B)Italic (Ctrl + I)Strikethrough (Alt + Shift + D)Unordered list (Alt + Shift + U)Ordered list (Alt + Shift + O)Blockquote (Alt + Shift + Q)Align Left (Alt + Shift + L)Align Center (Alt + Shift + C)Align Right (Alt + Shift + R)Insert/edit link (Alt + Shift + A)Unlink (Alt + Shift + S)Insert More Tag (Alt + Shift + T)Toggle spellchecker (Alt + Shift + N)▼
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We are two weeks into the school year! Life is still on the crazy side, but we are getting into the routine. Paul’s favorite parts of school are recess, lunch, and the bus ride. However, he appears to be doing well at his studies. So far everything is review and working on staying in the lines, writing better, etc.
We enjoyed going to open house this last week. Paul was our guide, and showed us the library, computer lab, gyms, and lunch room. They served ice cream! The girls really enjoyed seeing the school.

Paul has lots of new friends. Jeremy gets Paul onto the bus then runs the girls to the

sitter. Most days Jeremy gets him off the bus. Which is a nice advantage of a farming schedule.
However this last week has been very busy getting 4th cutting and custom work done. My school is 20 miles away, but thankfully I can pretty easily get home before Paul. My classes are going well. I had forgotten how time flies once things get going. Finding time for myself is going to be a challenge. Especially with housework and lesson planning.
While we’ve had rain the last few weeks, the crops have struggled and yields continue to be lower. Jeremy will be baling cornstalks and even some corn for a few farmers.
I think we are all looking forward to getting this season behind us. Though trying to make the best of the situation. God has been watching over us and teaching us new things!
Path:

While I grew up eating home canned produce, I have always opted to freeze what little produce we’ve had in the past. I never really learned. I have several hand-me-down pressure cookers, but they stay unused in my cupboards. I will stick with water bath canning for now.

It appears to have gone well! All the jars sealed well. I had a little extra relish that we put in the fridge to eat now. I was really glad to see the end of the cucumbers, but they were quickly replaced with green beans!

Instead of using freezer bags, I got out my new still in the box vacuum sealer (from multiple Christmas’s ago). I also had picked up some freeze and steam bags, so the kids and I tried those! We ended up with 6 bags of beans. They look yummy!

The tomatoes are just beginning to go crazy. I didn’t plant canning tomatoes this year. We have an odd assortment of beefsteak, and some stripys and black heirloom varieties from a friend.

I am hoping that we get to make some salsa, tomato sauce, and maybe some whole tomatoes canned before school starts in just over a week, for both Paul and I!

Yes both Paul and I are going back to school. Paul to kindergarten, and me to teach 7-12 Agriculture at a local school. It will be a new adventure for all of us. It

is exciting to finally be using my degree for its intended use!

Jeremy has been busy salvaging rained on hay and going to a shooting competition. He really needed the break. The rain is a blessing and we have plans to make a lot more hay this fall. The kids and I have had fun feeding the steers and even sleeping one night in the tent. But we are ready for his return today!

We have been having some fun too. I introduced some friends to our local Christian Library (Our Father’s Library) and Jeremy found a way to go to a shooting match and get paid for his time pulling targets while there! Once I am done with my current job,

I want to enjoy some more fun with the kids and work more on the garden.

Waiting on God doesn’t mean we are sitting around expecting the perfect income source to drop in our laps. I am forever scouring job sites and tweaking my resume and cover letters. Once I get my CPR re-certification I will even be licensed to teach again! I know God has the perfect fit for me out there and I do not want to miss it!

Jeremy is making as much hay as he can. This week he has had some welcome interruptions- two thunderstorms complete with significant rain! While one missed a few fields, the water has been a balm to the thirsty plants and our weary souls. We are trying to be extra careful with our income, so we do not get behind (if possible) in the upcoming slim time. We have full confidence that God is taking care of us and will be opening doors for us in HIS time. As much as we yearn for that day, we must attend to today and our responsibilitiesto it.

Luke 8:15

As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.