Catching Up on Wednesday

It's been a short while since I've posted, so here's what I've been up to!

-Last week was mostly spent shuffling Kyle back and forth to baseball camp. This is his second year to attend and I think he enjoyed it pretty well. It was interesting for him because he doesn't play on a little league team like pretty much everyone there and never has...he just enjoys baseball! It was interesting to see the dynamics of this camp, as everyone there was kind of clique-y. Most kids have played on the same team since they were barely potty-trained, and it wasn't quite as geared toward kids who don't play much baseball. I could easily get on a soapbox about my thoughts on little league, but I'll spare you for now and say that I'm happy that Kyle enjoyed himself!

-Upon coming home last week, I was informed that I inadvertently acquired a summer job--I'll be cleaning my church. It doesn't require too much work, but it'll give me something else to do to keep me occupied this summer! I'll probably go up there tomorrow and get started.

-It's June, which means that wheat harvest has swept across the area! This year my dad cut most of the wheat for hay or put it to pasture, which left us with about 30 acres to harvest. The good news about this is that it took him about 2.5 days to finish, which is almost record time for us! Honestly, I think we're all happy about it not taking much time! The time after harvest is always much more relaxing because there really isn't much of a rush to get much done in the field until it's time to sow.

-I have two roles that I usually fulfill during harvest. The first is washing combine windows. I've washed windows for as long as I can remember, but the beauty of that job is that as long as someone younger (and more agile) comes along, your job can generally be outsourced to them! (That's how it worked for Gina and Emily when I came along...) My other role is harvest cook. Back in the day, we'd have to move meals out to the field, which takes quite a bit of doing if we're being honest. These days, since it's a shorter harvest and only the three of us here, we just eat our meals whenever everyone comes in for the night. Granted, I don't go out to help as much, but I pick up other inside tasks, like laundry and dishes so that everything can stay afloat. I was pretty proud of myself and all that I came up with for meals, but I was the most proud of my shrimp stir fry that I made! My dad appreciates good cooking, but isn't always quick to throw out high praises. He raved about the stir fry for a couple of days, even telling me that "it's better than what he makes". (That's saying something!) Stir fry is becoming one of my new favorite things to make, as it's easy and decently healthy. Maybe I'll get around to posting my recipe sometime soon!

-I'm not sure how I got this far without mentioning it, but Thomas is LOVING his job! Last week and this week are the two introductory weeks, where the company eases them into everything. I'm impressed by how well-planned and comprehensive this training is. I think he's starting to adjust to life in NWA, although it is his first time to ever live completely on his own without anyone he knows well nearby. There's a bit of a learning curve there, for sure. I remember how I felt moving to Stillwater, and it took a few weeks for me to feel completely okay with being "on my own". He'll get there, I'm sure! He also informed me that his relocation to a field office will likely take place in about 8 months, which puts us in February. I don't know what to think about any of it, but I'm trying not to stress over a situation that hasn't happened yet. For all I know, his relocation could be better, but it's too soon to say. Stay tuned for more on that as it unfolds! Next week will be his first week actually in the corporate offices full-time, so I can't wait to update on how that goes!

-To celebrate the end of harvest, Dad decided to have a fish fry last Saturday. I was very pumped about this...I LOVE fish fries! It was originally going to be for all of us except Thomas, who was staying in NWA for the weekend. It ended up being all of us except Gina's clan, but WITH Thomas. They celebrated Jeremy's dad's birthday last weekend, and Thomas was lonesome in AR, so they went to the lake and he came here. I was excited to get to see him after not expecting to, but I missed seeing the Mattsons. Cody was fresh from a week at scout camp, so he was full of stories about his time in the great outdoors! We had catfish, jalapeno poppers, coleslaw, french fries, tater tots, fruit salad, and Mom's peanut butter cake. Surprisingly, we made just enough of everything and had almost no leftovers! It was a great evening!

-This week, Mom and I are shuffling the four older boys to Totus Tuus at church. Wyatt and Andy went last year and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. This year, Cody and Kyle joined them. All are seeming to love it! This year, they've raved about Tomas, the seminarian, and all that he's taught them about Mass. I can already see a positive change in them...I'll forever love this program!

-On Friday, I get to visit three of my long-lost friends, Sierra, Tonisha, and Mary! It worked out that I was able to schedule a car service appointment in Edmond and get to have lunch with Sierra, then meet Toe and Mary later in the afternoon. I'm SO looking forward to seeing them...I can't wait!

-On a last note, we're gearing up for our Father's Day fried chicken feast! Thomas has never experienced this, so he's pretty excited. We have the traditional menu of fried chicken, potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn, and assorted pies. I'm already looking forward to it, even if I know it'll be crazy unhealthy...life's short, eat the good food while you still can!

On that note, have a great week and try to stay cool out there!