(Revised) Restful but still painful--with pictures added

I am in posting on Andrew's computer as I was exercising and missed the first part of Sunday night Bonanza at the Bornemanns. It's hard to pick up in the middle of something that's already begun--especially a love story which it sounds like it is tonight. I expect Jacob to show up in here at any minute, as he just can't stand the love scenes. "YUK", he says. Anyway, I will have to add the pictures of yesterday tomorrow when I can get back on my computer.

It's been a couple of restful days, but I'm still finding myself in pain today. You see, I am learning that even fun days can be stressful. STRESS EQUALS PAIN TO ONE WHO HAS HAD SEVERE NERVE DAMAGE LIKE I HAD IN 2006-2007. Even being overjoyed to have friends come, if it leads me to neglect my daily health care schedule, will cause me pain. Live and learn.

It was soooooooooooo nice, though, to have Lynette Dagley and her son, Ben, plus Hannah Stover come to visit us yesterday morning for our first ever swing set party. By the way, I said to Robert last night that our swing set party was a BIG success. He said, "It better be, it's a BIG swing set." :)

Everyone seemed to gravitate to the swing set and it was occupied all day except during meals. Jonathan and Jaidra Dagley came up from Mobridge for the day too, and brought Amanda with them, so she could catch a ride home with Ben after spending a week with the South Dakota Dagleys. Eli Dagley was also returning home from there--he's one of Lynette's grandsons.

Here is a picture of my long time friend (14 years) Lynette and I on the swings. I so admire how slim and trim Lynette keeps herself. You inspire me to keep working on my weight, Lynette!!! Thank you!! I feel kind of silly as I had just gotten out of the shower right before they got here and my hair is wet on the pictures. Lovely hairdo, Dawn! Oh well, as Robert likes to point out, "It's your smile that draws me to you, Dawn!" The wind was blowing up our skirts so it was nice and cool as I posed with my friend. :)

Cora and Hannah on the double swing--a little blurry so sorry.

Across the road, where I want to have my health center someday, there is this gorgeous tree that Cora just loves. We all stopped underneath it to have our pictures taken with our dear friends. Lynette and I enjoying the beautiful summer morning and each other. :)

Andrew crawled up the big stack of big bales to "Spy" on us ladies. Cora got him at it here, but not before he caught some pictures of us ladies down below him. :)

Shortly after this our friend, Chuck, stopped by to drop off a CD full of Andrew's graduation pictures. He took the pictures at the graduation but has been too busy to get them to us. He had just come back from the Steele vet clinic where he had taken his dog, Jack. Jack got in the way of the sickle mower and had gotten his foot cut off.

It was amazing how I was drawn to go do some AnimalTalk on Jack--Chuck didn't mind my taking the opportunity to expand my knowledge of working with animals. A lot of links came up to the foot and guess what? Jack needed to be balanced to the mower that took off his foot. Are you shocked? I'm not. :) This is a picture of Chuck and Jacob who are great pals--it looks as though Jacob had his mind on swinging instead of visiting though.

Anyway, we spent yesterday morning looking at the garden; the yards; and Andrew's graduation pictures . Then we had lunch together and while we were eating, Lynette leaned over and asked if I would teach my, "Voice lessons 101" class at the home school convention next year. Nothing like dropping a bomb--although it was a bomb with exciting possibilities. A few years ago I had shared the basics of good singing at the Dagley's music day in a little class I had called "Voice lessons 101". Lynette said that it was very helpful to her and she would like the information to be available to all home schooled students. I told her that I'd think about it.

After dishes were finished, we looked at the wedding pictures of friends and Lynette brought out Polly for a quick lesson in puppetry. I was trying to get her granddaughter, Valerie, to warm up to Polly but no such luck.

However, when Grandma Lynette put Polly on her hand and started talking, Valarie warmed right up and went over to meet Polly. I guess it matters who the puppeteer is when not working behind a screen and when working with children. Valarie and Polly became fast friends under Lynette's charming influence!

At one point in the afternoon I was looking for Cora. Guess where I found her? On the double swing with her dear friend, Amanda Dagley. I got this picture of them from the deck without them knowing that I took it. I think it's so awesome that, as Lynette and I treasure each other, so do our daughters.

Lest you think that the swing set was enjoyed only by the females, you are wrong. Robert and Jonathan were here most of the afternoon--to the point that Robert sun burnt his head. These 2 men have been friends for a long time and it was so great that they got to get caught up on their farming techniques. Robert has such a nice way of sharing with young men that really endears him to those who are seeking organic farming answers. :) Perhaps you can see Jonathan holding his daughter as he swang?

After dishes were finished, we visited and then Andrew worked with the Dagleys on their Prairie Days DVD project. During that time I wrote up a short overview of my lifetime vocal music experiences. They needed the writeup last week, as they are already beginning work on next year's convention. I was surprised to see how much singing I actually have done as I'd forgotten many things.

Lynette also shared with me that our friends, Steve Schadler and Christopher Scigliano, are working together on a project that will be introduced at the home school convention called the Dakota Survival Challenge. Both of these men have lived in survival situations in North Dakota successfully and they have much to share with us as we ponder an uncertain future. Then, next year at Prairie Days, those people who have signed up for the Dakota Survival Challenge at the convention, will share what they learned about surviving in emergency situations. It sounds like a very worthy project.

Ben, Lynette, Hannah, Eli, and Amanda left around 4:00. I got to know Jaidra better then and they accepted our invitation to stay for supper too. It was so nice to get to know Jonathan's family! They left for their home in Mobridge around 7:30 and we did chores and headed for bed.

It was such a lovely summer Sabbath day. However, I neglected my health care yesterday and I woke up at 3:30 this morning in terrible pain in my neck and head. I zapped; took a bunch of clove capsules; did some basic BodyTalk procedures and finally fell asleep around 5:00 this morning.

It's been a pretty quiet day here today as I'm taking it easy and Cora is too. We watched the movie, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. I recommend this movie wholeheartedly as a sample of the power of truth and perseverance. We had a strange experience when it was over though. It didn't seem like the movie would end there and we couldn't find the next part on U Tube. Finally Andrew found it on his computer and it said, THE END, where the other one had ended. I certainly wouldn't have written it to end with the hero in a state of exhaustion and he not in his sweetheart's arms. What a hopeless romantic I am and, come to think of it, Jacob never did show up in here. Maybe he's getting over the "Romance is rubbish" stage a little bit?

Well, Bonanza just ended and it's time for family prayer so I'll close for now. Check for pictures tomorrow.

Braddock Hall

Well, it's late and we're all pretty tired but the Braddock Hall is ready for a PARTY!!!!! Oh, what fun we had decorating today. I'll post pictures later of our preparations as I'm too tired to do all of that now. Mostly I'm writing to ask for prayer for our family tomorrow. Robert is still coughing a little so I'm hoping that our program will go well with our leader under par.

The weather took a turn for the worse. We accepted today that the campfire is out tomorrow night as it is RAINING CATS AND DOGS! We came home and got a bunch of our favorite games together to take along to play with those who will stay and play with us afterwards. I asked Andy this afternoon when he came over to help us get the piano out, "We can't have our campfire tomorrow night so would it be ok if we stay here and play games?" I meant, "Is there a time that we need to be out of here tomorrow?" He chuckled and said, "You look old enough not to need a curfew." I laughed and was glad that we have a back-up plan now that the good old outdoors has chosen to be so inhospitable. Oh well, I know that the Lord has a reason for everything. It's up to us to be happy in all circumstances and know that He has our good in mind at all times. Isn't that wonderful?

My friend, Becky Miller, called tonight and said that she can come early to help in the kitchen so I was glad for that. The food is pretty much ready to assemble. Tomorrow I'll need to warm the beans and the meat; make the punch; set out the buns; & put the salads together.

The boys mixed up their trail mix today when we were over there. This is Andrew's recipe so if he doesn't like it, it isn't my fault. :) This is a joke as I had my hands full to keep those boys out of it today so we have some left for our guests tomorrow. :) They took 4 cans of mixed nuts and added a bag of craisins (dried cranberries) and a bag of M & Ms. I wasn't too excited about the M & Ms, but it's Andrew's only graduation so I guess he can have a little sugar. We won't talk about the cake. :)

We also spent some time setting up the puppet stage over there. This is going to be a tricky deal and the only thing that makes me REALLY nervous. We're trying out a new idea in an attempt to save our neck and shoulders. Usually we lift our arms over the top of the stage. Well, Andrew said one day, "Why couldn't we just hold the puppets in front of us? That will save a lot of wear and tear on our arms and shoulders." GOOD IDEA. Anyway, he rigged us up a stage out of PVC pipe and an old sheet. We cut slits in the sheet and slid the puppets through from behind. I felt funny because I know that part of me was visible during the going in and out process but Robert said that he never even noticed. Puppets are so fascinating to people that the human isn't even the object of attention. I'm hoping that it will all go well.

Well, I better get some sleep so that I can keep up with my family tomorrow. I've been doing really well so far, thanks to just having done the master cleanse, but sleep is also a big part of good health. :)

Our family prayer time was really special tonight as it entered Andrew's brain that, tomorrow night at this time, everyone in our family will view him as a man. He's no longer my sweet little boy seen in the slide show we put together for the big event. I'll run the video of that ASAP as he is soooooo special to me!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so pleased with this son of mine--what an incredible man of God Andrew will be.

PLEASE KEEP OUR FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS TOMORROW!!!!!!!

WOW

I just had time to post the pictures that were taken on Sunday morning as we went to Eureka in the afternoon and I was working in Bismarck yesterday.

WOW--that is the only thing that I could think as I pondered a name for this post. The Lord is soooooooo wondrously able to meet all of our needs AND make us happy while He's doing it!!!

I've been dreading today for 2 weeks. I've been numb as my mind has tried to grasp that my mom is really gone. Countless times I've said to myself, "My mother is dead," because I know in my head that this is a fact but my heart doesn't seem to want to grasp it. I had always hoped that we would be able to work out our differences somehow and eventually have the mother/daughter relationship that I really wanted to have with her. Now I know that this will never be and, for the lack of that hope, I have grieved much these past 2 weeks. This is why I have been dreading mother's day this year.

Now my sweet children went and took all of that dread away. I wish that I had time to post the pictures they just took, but that will have to wait. Still I will say that Cora gave me the sweetest little wind chimes with a watering can full of daisies in it. I JUST LOVE DAISIES!!!! I'm writing a book about them actually but only God knows when that will ever get finished. :)

Then Cora handed me this large box. There was a handmade card which said, "Remember to take time to smell the flowers today. Love from Cora, Andrew, & Jacob. There's a picture of 2 red Holsteins grazing by an old cream can that somebody planted tulips in. One of the cows is leaning over and smelling the tulips--it is just soooo cute. Inside the box was something even cuter (I know that is not a word but I'm using it anyway because it's mother's day. How's that for an excuse? :)

The children bought me my very own hand puppet!!! I've wanted one for years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robert and I used to work with the puppet ministry in Bismarck Baptist Church. We used to play around with the puppets at night and made our children laugh so hard. :) Ever since then I've dreamed of our family having a puppet ministry. The children each have their own puppets and I have played with them a lot. NOW I HAVE MY VERY OWN SWEET LITTLE GIRL PUPPET!!!!! I was overjoyed to have the puppet but suddenly there was more emotions coming to the surface. Suddenly I was grieving, not only for my mother, but also for all of my children I miscarried. How I longed to hold them in my arms but that joy will have to wait awhile yet.

We're working up a puppet show for Andrew's graduation. We're going to use the Beverly Hill Billies but absolutely HAD to have a puppet for Ellie May. So yes, this little girl puppet has blond hair and pony tails and she is soooooooooooooo cute. I LOVE HER ALREADY. Cora will use her for the graduation, as she's doing Ellie May, and I'm going to use her Grandma Josephine puppet because I'm doing Grannie. OH IT'S JUST GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL CAN COME!!!! Who can resist a puppet?

Here we are together. Just so you can see, my little one isn't always a happy camper.

I'll post pictures of my little cutie later. I'm also running all of my favorite girl's names through my head because I haven't gotten to name a little girl in a looooooooooooooooooooong time.

Out to the barn,

Dawn

PS. I named her Polly. I thought of Pollyanna, who taught me how to play the glad game. So far, though, our puppets are named Joe, Josephine, Peter. Pollyanna just doesn't seem to go as well with Peter as Polly does. Also I like the thought of how Aunt Polly's heart was changed by love and learning to play the glad game. Have you ever heard of the glad game?