A Welcome Rain Day

 The rain started at about 6am this morning and rained till about lunch time. I have not looked in our gauge yet but out neighbors down the road got 4 inches. MacGregor in some places got 6 inches! I quite like rain days, usually not in harvest but we only have canola down as well as some fresh cut hay from yesterday. Since it was freshly cut it shouldn't have hurt it too badly. Needless to say, these puddles provided the boys with a lot of fun, and laundry for me :) lol.

I went to take these two out so they could watch their siblings but I realized I left my double stroller sitting out in the rain :(

Ashley

Combining Barley & Creating Elephant Toothpaste :)

 We were camping on the wknd and it was beastly hot. We went home for the afternoon on Saturday and were home by 1pm on Sunday. I didn't get many pics but this one I love, our two kids just playing and enjoying eachother. So cute. Hoping to go again this wknd, but I don't think we will go if this heat keeps up.

 Getting ready to fill another bin! We are focused on combining barley right now.

 Baling barley straw right behind the combine.

 Tanner riding with Grandpa combining.

 I have been letting the boys play outside in the morning but after lunch it's just too hot out there for them. Especially since we have basically no shade. They were asking what they could do by 2pm. So I pulled out my Kids board on good old Pinterest. We made Elephant Toothpaste! They thought it was the coolest thing. So that entertained them for a total of fifteen minutes, but it seemed to stimulate their imagination again and it wasn't long they were hauling cows, baling and combining again. Oh yes and bucking bulls. On a stick horse, lol.

 It's a fast little experiment that involves yeast, water, Dawn detergent, food coloring and peroxide. Plus it had substance so they could actually play in it for awhile!

Last night for supper I made stew, corn on the cob, a fresh cuc and tomato salad, sliced tomatoes and cookies for dessert. I tried something that I had read about a couple of times. I cooked my corn on the cob in a cooler. Yep, in a cooler. Throw your corn in and cover with boiling hot water for at least 30 min. Do not open in the meantime!! (Mine was probably in there for an hour before the guys came in) It was DELICIOUS! So if you ever find your stove too full while cooking a harvest meal, just throw your corn in a cooler :)!

Tonight they are still combining barley and they are getting pizza, cheese bread and caeser salad for supper. Icecream for dessert bc it's SO DAMN HOT! I have been very tempted many times today to take everything out of my fridge, shelves and all and climb in....lol.

Anyways, I hope you are all having a safe and productive harvest. Chow for now.
Ashley

Another pinterest project completed.

I found this old frame at the MCC awhile ago, it had a more natural look to it. It had a coat of varnish on it which I sanded off. Overnight I soaked a piece of steel wool in a jar with a third cup of coffee grinds and fill the rest of the jar with vinegar. The next day I rubbed the steel wool on my frame, two coats, I let it dry in between each coat. It didn't look any different until it actually dried in the sun. Brush the coffee grounds off, staple chicken wire to the back and clothespin pictures to it! Cute or what! I wished I had taken a before picture if the frame. Anyway, finally another project done.

Ashley

Swathing barley

Yay! Finally accomplished a Pinterest project!

Mason jar soap dispenser.

Mommies should be born with GPS and Extendable arms.

Today was interesting to say the least. Here is a little taste:

9am - Text my play-date Mommy to inform her that our 9:30 play-date will have to be moved to 10 instead. Things are running late at the Nelson Ranch.

9:45am - Zooming down our road to my date, driving past Keystone Concrete and realize: CRAP, I told my Hubby I would make him a lunch and drop it off at work. (Insert A LOT of big colorful grumbles courtesy of yours truly) So I turn around and head home to make a lunch like a good wifey.

9:59am - Drop lunch off. But the boss lady and another co-worker of my Hubby's inform me that he actually went home at about 8:10am this morning to farm. ^$#!&^^%(*&_*(^&^#% Insert lack of communication skills!

10:03am - Zoom off to my already late date. Insert more colorful grumbles bc I'm late.

10:15am - Arrive at play-date and have a splendid visit. It was too short.

11:45am - Load up the kidlets to zoom back home to prepare for the next adventure of the day.

12:45pm - We pick up Grandma to go shopping in Brandon.

Everything went smoothly till about.....let's say 5pm.

5pm - We leave The Home Depot and go to Home Hardware. Grandma stays in the van with kidlets. I come out to my daughter screaming and Grandma trying to console her. Can't find suckie anywhere!!!!!!

5:15pm - After searching everywhere, the only thing I can thing of is that maybe her string got caught in the cart at Home Depot.

5:23pm - Sure enough, there is, sitting in the cart. Insert screaming daughter this whole entire time. (She is very much needing a nap at this point) THIS IS WHY MOMMIES NEED GPS! On suckies, blankies, etc.

5:45pm - Pull up to the lights, have to have a Timmies stop before we hit for home.  Realize that I forgot to pick up the beer my Hubby requested! &^$$(^%)*& We only drove past fifty million vendors throughout the whole day!

6:15pm - Driving home and Tanner's blankie fell down between the seats where he could not reach it. And neither myself or Grandma could reach it while we were driving. And I was NOT stopping just for that. And that is why Mommies need extendable arms.

It is now 10:27pm and I am hitting the sack.

 Tomorrow is a brand new day! This was NOT a bad day, just an interesting one. There was still lots of laughs and good times.

Cheers!
Ashley

Combining Winter Wheat & Making Apple Juice

Let the 2013 Harvest begin!

This juicer makes 100% pure apple juice. No extra sugar or water added. It is so delicious and the best part is we are not consuming the extra sugar we do not need!

Cheers!
Ashley

Apple's, cucumbers & sunsets.

The kids and I went to pick veggies out of my grandma's garden tonight. She is away for awhile and knew I didn't have a garden. So I picked her cucs and some tomatoes. I also picked up some cucs from my Aunt, I hope to make them into dills tomorrow. After we were done that we went to my Dad's for a visit. We found that his apples were ready! So I guess I'll be doing something with them this week as well.

Ashley

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary ~ August 9th

 Here we were five years ago!! Our wedding day was such a blast! We had so much fun.

And he were are now! (It is terrible that this is the most recent family pic I have) I don't even have one of just my Hubby and I! It is amazing what all happens in five years. Our family has grown from two to four. We have moved from our house trailer into our new house. The new house was a big bonding experience and test to our marriage! ;) We are farming more acres and have more cows than when we were first married. We have one cat and two dogs. (Had three dogs and lost one) My Hubby is still working at the same job, I have since graduated from college, had a job as an Agronomist and after two maternity leaves I am now a full-time stay at home Mommy who also looks after other children.

Here is our Pride & Joy!

Cheers!
Have a wonderful evening (despite the rain :()
Ashley