Work......and more work!

No, i have not disappeared off the face of the earth. I've been busy. Sometimes I'm not sure what I'm doing to keep busy, but I am. The days are going by like crazy, and just to bug all of you-it's only 2 months till Christmas! But, we're not counting, are we??!
The last couple weeks have been filled with a little of everything. Firstly lets deal with work. Yes, I am now working full-time for the winter. I've picked up shifts for this month to work full-time, and next month, starting mid November, I'm the one and only one in my position. Hmmm, how will this go??? I'm not sure, but so far so good. My husband and boys have picked it up at home and its going well. They are fairly self sufficient. And, for me, I actually slept for 5 1/2 hrs after one night shift. For me, thats quite something! I don't sleep well during the day after I've worked nights. So, I am gearing up for 4-12 hr days starting tomorrow, and then I'll have 8 days off. That's the price you pay with 12 hour shifts and wanting consecutive days off.
Then there's hockey-I am back as trainer for the Ice Dawgs. I love volunteering for this team. It gives me a great position for watching the best sport in this country. What better place to watch the game, than from the bench. And, I get to meet some awesome kids, playing the game they love. Jayde and Kyle attended a hockey camp last weekend. Thankfully, it was local, and driving wasn't a big issue. They started their winter season this week as well.
The boys are still playing volleyball at school, and that means only one more week of early morning and after school practices and games. Jayde has a tournament tomorrow and next Thursday. Kyle has a tournament coming up, but doesn't know when it is.
Jayde turned 14 on Wednesday. This child is growing up beyond his years. And sometimes we need to remind him that he is not the adult in this home. Sometimes it may seem like he's more grown up, :-), but he is still our firstborn!!
It's also meant time on the farm needs to be spent getting ready for winter. Del has been setting up panels, trying to 'catch' the animals out on pasture, and bring them home. Sometimes its easier said than done. Field work has kind of ground to a halt-it's just not that easy to work the stubble into the fields when there's more water and muck than dry dirt. Today was an awesome day for working outside. I actually went for a walk, and then I pulled my flowers. Probably the last double digit temperature day for awhile!
It's also 3 months tonight since Katelyn's passing. That thought is followed by an incredible amount of emotion. Reality is, she is just not here. As I was pulling flowers today, I was reminded of the last time I saw her. She was at our house for our family get together in July. And she was lounging around outside, just relaxing and enjoying the fine day we had together. I'm so grateful for the memories of that day. Our lives may go on, but she will always be suspended in time, young and vivacous, looking forward to her future, and all it was going to offer her.
My mom is doing quite well. She has completed Round 2 of Chemo, and tolerated it much better than round 1. Chemo will be held off now until a CT is had, and an appt with her oncologist, the first week of Nov. My dad is getting ready for cataract surgery next Tuesday. They are getting out a bit, and having alot of company.
I'm cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and now I'm off to do some baking before Del is home from work. He wants me to help him outside so I have to finish my 'inside' work. Jayde is off at a Youth function in the city, and Kyle went to visit Nathan after school. Just Del and I for the next couple of hours. Wonder how much we can get done......

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! For me, its Monday morning. I just got off working 2 nights, and i slept this morning. So, for me its now Morning, get it??? I know, for someone who doesn't work shift work, it just doesn't make sense! I have a bun dough rising on the counter. I'm trying to catch up on housework and laundry today, as the rest of the week looks rather full. Tuesday-in the city with mom for an oncology appt, and a concert in the evening. Wednesday-I have an all day inservice at work. Thursday & Friday-back at work. Next weekend, the boys have volleyball and hockey, and I have hockey on Saturday evening. Now this last week, lets see.... my memory is failing. I sat with mom for an afternoon at chemo, on Wednesday. We had a wonderful time-chatting, visiting with the nurse, shopping by catalogue, reading, and such. Mom seemed to tolerate the treatment quite well. The rest of the week, hmmmm, I hauled some bales, read, visited with friends, hockey game on Friday, and the regular stuff. The week went too quickly. Those weeks off of work always go too quickly! Yesterday, we went to Del's parents for lunch and the afternoon. Had the traditional meal there, chicken, potatoes, coleslaw, applesauce, gravy, corn, fresh brown bread, and of course, pumpkin pie for dessert. I even had my traditional afternoon nap there!Here we are at thanksgiving weekend. The time set aside each year to be thankful. I guess its nice to focus on it once in a awhile, but I'm thinking we should focus on it all the time. I find it easy to complain-but theres always someone who has got it going a little worse than I. I was catching up with a friend the other night, and we were comparing the sucky year we were having-his sounded even worse than mine! How much loss is someone suppose to be able to handle??? So, I need to write a thankful list for me. Here it goes--friends-near and far, thru thick and thin-family-yes, we've gotten closer this year. we are not divided, we are unified.-extended family-yes, relationships have re-established-Del, Jayde, & Kyle-they are the best. What a blessing they are to me!!!-home and such......-job-ya, some days It doesn't feel like a blessing, but it is!-beautiful fall foliage-it's been awesome this year!!!-and, I guess I need to be thankful for the water we have-yes, there's plenty of it to be thankful for!This list is never ending. There are so many things to be thankful for. And this list is not prioritzed in any form. They are all so important!I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! I wish you all plenty of quality time with family. I also wish all of you a safe and peaceful week!I'm off to put the bun dough on pans. Then I've put it off long enough-gotta get the garage cleaned out for winter!!!

early thanksgiving

My mom-looking wonderful
My 'new' cousin, Kathi, husband, Gerald, and Abigail, Brittany, & Jen
My brother, Roger, rotovating my garden area
Kyle, cutting grass in front of the house
part of the front yard-awesome fall colors!
My big boy, Jayde
Sunday afternoon walk-Alyssa, Michelle, Stacey, Beth, & Anita
My sister, Vicky, my mom & dad
Beth, my mom, & Jessica
Anita, and my wondeful Husband, Del

A week has passed.......filled, of course! We have finished combining and baling straw, boys have had volleyball, Del & I have gone to work regularily, etc......... Mom had her bloodwork repeated, which looked alot better, in prep for chemo again on wednesday. Jayde spent Saturday on the field, deep-tilling. I got to work at home on Saturday, cooking and such. Regular stuff. Sunday, the Friesen family got together to celebrate Thanksgiving. My 2 oldest nephew and their families couldn't attend, but everyone else was there, along with my 'new' cousin, Kathi, her husband, Gerald, and their girls-Abigail, Brittany, & Jen. What a good time was had. Excellent food. Great visiting. Went on an awesome walk around the gravel pits.(we were at Rog & Anita's). Took alot of pictures! My dad wanted to sing together, and I have to admit I offended him by telling him some people didn't really want to sing. We listened to Alyssa play the piano, and Roger played along with the guitar. That was beautiful. I don't know what everyone else was thinking, but my thoughts went something like this: Missing Kate, pondering moms next few months, and really appreciating the family around you. Listening to music, for me, is like speaking to your inner soul. I know everyone doesn't have this feeling, but its almost universal. There is something about music that reaches deep down and touches the outer and inner aspects of you, and makes you feel and think things that you don't allow yourself to go to normally. The music that Alyssa and Rog created yesterday was like listening to heaven itself. Could you just imagine Katleyn being in on that? Her spirit of love was present. Or transcending peace to everyone. The blessing of time given. The blessing of time together. The blessing of family. Take it and hold on. Treasure it. A gift, accept it with gratefulness.

I received my package from my aunt. Last week, Del started reading the binder, and Saturday evening he finished it. My husband, the guy who has never read a book, read all 62 pages. I waited until this morning to start it. And now, I don't want to do my work at home. Once you start , you want to get to the ending. I've read half today. Now I have to get some work done in my house.

It's raining once again. I'm so glad we finished combining. What a relief. It's been a frustrating year of farming, once again. The crop proved to be below average in yield and quality. Not quite the results we were looking for with the high input cost required in putting it in the ground. Time will tell as how this will turn out.....