Our Thanksgiving...

(our traditional Gratitude Tree)

Thanksgiving was many things for us this year.....It was...

*a very tender letter from The Missionary Boy..to The Farmer...which invoked many tears..

*a full memory card from the camera of the The Missionary Boy...complete with a couple of short videos;)

*a Thanksgiving breakfast with family we don't see enough....

*a great Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Grandma Vicki....

*a trip to the movies Thanksgiving night...with all the cousins

*great conversation and great food shared with "The Brotherhood" and their wives

(I sure do like those brothers of mine!  They are an impressive group of men!)

*Shopping with PreShie

(found was the most fantastic Christmas dress I think she has ever owned!)

*a couple of chance meetings with two very dear friends I haven't seen in years

*another movie with my kids;)

*a special temple sealing where a cousins new baby was sealed to her and her husband

(it was the most delightful experience I have had in awhile...what a special little baby!)

*an early morning trip to the temple for baptisms...for the Darlings and their cousins,

followed by a yummy breakfast...

It was the perfect Thanksgiving weekend...filled with wonderful family...incredible food...

and a lot of gratitude for it all!!

The Farmer's Daughter....

(Thanks Aunt Kim...as always your photos are amazing!!)

He is smitten with her....and she adores him...

The best Daddy/Daughter relationship ever!!!

He Said He Was "Working".....

"Working".....yep......working!"

I guess my first clue should have been...when I overheard someone in the background...

(of a phone call) ask if The Farmer would like some more of the

"Flied Lice"....you know....Fried Rice.

It was then I knew...he was sitting in Chinatown having a meal...working????...

That is some hard work if you ask me!

The Farmer has spent this past week in the San Francisco area.  He covered alot of territory...and

got some important things done, as well as have a little fun.  He's good at that....

having a little fun along the way;)  It will be great to get him home!

Here are a few comments made by The Farmer's children this week....

*Hey...where's my Dad?

*(by the end of the week...) Hey...is my Dad coming home????

*Hey...isn't California the place you go to find "hot chicks"????  (oh wow!)

*...Can I call my Dad???.....why isn't he answering his phone???

*Why does my Dad only like Chineese food?

*Where is my Dad again???

From the looks of the above comments...you would think that The Farmer has been gone

for years!!!!  The Darlings really do miss him when he is gone....

And...so do I!!

Messages From The Chalkboard....

This Makes A Mom Pretty Darn Happy!

Last week I found myself traveling for most of the week....although I love the city that we

traveled to...I am really tired of traveling!  I just wanted to be home with my kids...soaking them up!

While on the plane I checked my mail and this is what I found!

Another sweet family from The Missionary Boy's ward in England, took

a picture of he and his companion at a Halloween gathering and sent it to us.

It just made my day!

I sure do appreciate the love and kindness of the members in his area...they are taking

great care of him...and he loves them very much!

It was a Tender Mercy for a Mom who was missing her missionary Missionary Boy!

Today....Through Her Eyes.....

And...this is her!

Great photos PreShie!!

The Last Few Days....

I have done alot of this....

Mexico....Texas.....Arizona.....Idaho....Arizona....Texas....and...Mexico.

This was all in just a few days....

Auntie and the new hubby, had an Open House in Boise...
and a dear brother of mine...and myself...thought it would be fun to visit a place we had
never been...as well as support Auntie. 

I had never been to this part of Idaho and didn't really know what to expect.

I did know, however....thanks to The Farmer...that it was going to be cold...snowing....

and more cold.  When we arrived in Boise...it was in the midst of snow flurries...and it

was beautiful!  We spent the next day exploring the area....visiting....laughing..(alot)...

and exploring more!  It was a wonderful couple of days and I enjoyed so much...

spending time with a dear brother! 

Boise was just lovely.

We happened upon a Veteran's Day Parade...

a great Farmer's Market....

And some interesting causes that were seeking support.

p.s. it was a very interesting group of people who were signing the petition....and let's just say

they didn't look too sick to me....they looked pretty healthy and pretty happy!;)

The parade was well attended.  It reminded me how very much we do owe to

out Veteran's.  The open house was nice...it was wonderful to have long lost cousins arrive...and

even though years have passed....family is always the same...wonderful, supportative and just

a really great time!!  It was so great to catch up and commit to not loose touch again!

I was home for almost 24 hours...long enough to wash some clothing...and pack again.

The Grandparents S. arrived to hang out with The Darlings...and off I went again...

And now I am here....yes....again....and

Ahhhhhhhhhh, I do love Chicago!

Mexico.....Texas (El Paso, Dallas).....Kansas City....Chicago.....and in a couple of days...

I will do it all again!!!

It's All About The Burrito.....

Recently I have learned that the Eskimo's have as many as 100 different words to describe the

word "snow"....because it is such a big part of their lives.  Likewise, in this culture the Burrito

plays an equally important role in most every home......most everyday!

A burrito can be  filled with just about anything....and trust me....they are!

For instance in the southern part of Mexico, they are filled with crickets and stink bugs...

and according to The Farmer they really didn't taste too bad.  It's the thought that is painful!

When a burrito stand is exceptionally good...the word spreads fast.

In our town...there are MANY locations to purchase a burrito.  And while we are traveling

there are certain locations that we are sure to stop...because of good burritos.

Infact we have been known to find certain burrito vendors...in certain towns...because

after sampling many different vendors burritos...his are the best!

(But you have to arrive early in the day...otherwise you are out of luck!!)

While visiting with one of my brother-in-laws the other day, he asked if we had been to the

newly discovered burrito stand on the far end of town. 

 He told me where it was located...and told me that people drive

a great distance to eat a burrito from this place.  I asked him why he thought it was so good,

and he thought for a moment...and said he didn't really know why...just that the ingredients seemed

really fresh and the tortillas were made fresh each day.  Now....burritos are a very important

part of the food of this area.  They are simple to make...and they are eaten daily for

atleast one meal...maybe two.  Here would be an example.....

At our house, we very often begin the day with a Breakfast Burrito.

This would have eggs, sauteed vegetbles and a little bit of bacon or sausage.

The are warm and filling...and keep The Darlings...and The Farmer full until lunchtime.

Then for lunch, the working class take burritos with them to their various jobs and when

lunchtime arrives...a small fire is constructed and the burritos are warmed and toasted

over an open fire.  The Boy spent much of his youth in the orchards or on the farms,

working along side the "workmen"...he would never allow me to fix him a lunch to take...

but would tell me that the men would bring extra burritos for him to enjoy...and he would rather

eat those than anything else in the world.  He would then return home and tell me how very

yummy those burritos were...and I should really learn to make beans like the wives of

the men he worked with.  On days he wasn't working...or at school....he would seek out

burritos to satisfy his hunger pains.  He is a true conisuer of the burrito.

Ask him the best locations in our town to get a burrito...and he is sure to name serveral locations

and why each one was good.  When his mission call arrived...that was one of my first comments..

"Where will he find a burrito in England...???"

I am sure that is something he is really missing.

This new burrito stand has fast become our favoirte!

The Farmer's brother was right....they are very good burritos.  Just a little side note about

The Farmer's brother....he should really become a local food critic...in fact maybe he should

write a blog about our local food;)....He has been to most all local eating establishments....

and is happy to tell you which is good...and which is not! 

(just a suggestion....hehe!)

The Rooster's personal favoirte is...Papa con queso...and a little chile...

The Farmer's favorite is shredded beef..a la Mexicana....which he says is pretty dang good.

(I haven't eaten it because it is too spicy for me!)

The Frijol con Asadero (a yummy local cheese)...is always tasty....

And yesterday The Farmer tried the chile relleno burrito...which...again...he said was great!

(Frijol con Asadero)

Shredded beef....A La Mexicana....

The Rooster spent another day...yesterday...at The Farm thrashing the beans....he worked a

long and full day, in fact we couldn't find him around 7:30 last night....and after calling his name...

inside and outside the house...I walked into his bedroom and found him sound asleep

tucked into his bed.  He was a tired Rooster.

While The Rooster was working....we headed to the burrito stand and purchased several burritos

and took them to him for his lunch.  He was very happy when the burritos arrived!!

Burritos...a simple staple of life in our nieghborhood.....

And we sure do appreciate a great burrito when we find one!!

Thrashing The Beans....

Farming...if you had told me I would be a farmer's wife many years ago....

I would not have believed you!

In fact, my Mother very often tells me that she can't believe I am living the life I am living!

Some days it is really, really good...and some days it's not.  We have had our share of crop

failure...actually sometimes I feel like we have had more than our share!;)

The thing I do love about farming is the life my children have been able to live because of it.

They know how things grow.

They know that things live and things die...very often out of our control.

They also know what it feels like to work hard...and pray with all the faith they can

gather...that whatever we are growing at the moment, will be blessed to yield well and be protected from

the elements.  The Farmer has done a good job at shielding them from the stresses related to farming...

and his been quick to teach them gratitude when the harvest is boutiful.  Farming teaches many things

to children.  It teaches them frugality...It teaches them hard work....It teaches them faith.....

It teaches them how good it feels to be rewarded for your hard work. The Boy learned early on

how to take apart a motor and put it back together...and now is able to fix most anything that is broken...

I often say..."with a piece of bailing wire"....The Darlings know that this is a family operation and without

them it won't work as well as it should...that they have a responsibility to help.

Yesterday, The Rooster, had a vacation day from school.  As usual...he really wanted to spend his day

at The Farm...driving a tractor.  So, The Farmer heard his plea...and loaded him into his truck and

headed to The Farm.  What The Rooster didn't know was that Bean Thrashing was going on at The Farm....

and The Farmer had other plans for him.  Tractor driving...you bet....but that would be AFTER...he

helped with the Thrashing of the beans.  So, off they went...The Rooster with tractor dreams in his mind...

and The Farmer with hard work on his mind.

The Rooster spent the day picking up mounds of beans that had been left to dry in the field.  The mounds

were thrown upon a trailer...this is all done by hand...walking....scooping up a mound of beans, with a pitch fork...and then tossing it onto the back of a trailer...walking again....scooping again....well you get the idea.

This went on ALL day..and very often The Rooster would send a text message that would say something

like...."hey, I am ready to come home...can you come get me..."  to which The Farmer would

reply..."sure...in a little while....keep working..."  The Rooster got to take his turn driving the tractor that

was hauling the beans....but then...the other men wanted to drive the tractor too...that is the fun part of the

job...so he had to wait for his turn.  Once the beans were loaded, the tractor headed for the thrashing

machines.  By this time...it was early evening and The Farmer invited me for a drive to The Farm...it

was time to pick up The Rooster and bring him home.  When we arrived we found The Rooster on top of

the wagon...scooping the mounds of beans into the thrashing machine.

AND HE WAS HAPPY!!!

The Farmer said this on our way to The Farm..."You watch...The Rooster will be really tired from his long

day of work...but he will be happy and he will feel like he really accomplished something great!"

The Farmer was right.

The thrashing maching was blowing bean fodder everywhere!

And...I made the grave mistake of standing down wind...and found myself covered with fodder

in just a few seconds....It was very itchy!!!

As the beans run through the thrashing machine...they are separated...the beans go one direction..

into bags that are waiting...and the fodder is thrown another direction.  Later it is bailed and used for cattle feed.  Another lesson in farming...leave nothing to waste!

You can really see in the background of this picture how dusty it was!

The process was fun to watch...even more fun...was watching The Rooster feel joy for

his long day of working hard.

When we arrived home he announced...."do you know what I had to eat today??"

Knowing he had arrived at The Farm without a lunch...I asked "what did you eat today???"

Happily he replied..."two bean with cheese...two papa's con queso....(all burritos) and

they tasted really good!  I think they were the best I have eaten!"  And I replied...

"food tastes pretty good when you have been working hard...doesn't it??"

The Rooster replied..."Oh...yes it does!"

Once home...The Rooster headed for the shower....and can I just say...

the shower was FULL of bean fodder when he was done.....another sign of a good days work!!