Home At Last

And, this is what I came home to...Yes, Ted is putting in a pool. He also had a fence built the rest of the way around our house, and planted sod in our courtyard.

Here is a dog run for our dogs. The wall on the inside is only 4 feet high. It is really big, and the dogs love having their own space to run, play, and rest. We love it too, because now they aren't digging up our yard, and pooping everywhere.

Dog run fence.

We are getting rod iron installed next week, and will have two gates in the front of our house. I am sooo excited!

Ted also had the land cleared, so our yard is now ready for landscaping!

Here is the grass! We have a lawn...somewhat.

Grass!!!

Here is the block wall on the south side.

Ted working on the pool. I love how close it is to the house. We will be able to walk out the back door and jump right in.

I think Ted is trying to swim...or hoping for that to happen soon.

Ahhh...yes, the backstroke. This is quite entertaining.

Getting things set up for water! Can't wait!

One of the many Idaho sunsets I enjoyed while I was there.

Dumping the last load of Hard White Wheat before the storm hits.

My ride. I love this tractor. After being in huge trucks and tractors for 3 weeks, it was scary coming home and riding in a car, and going 65 mph.

The last few rows of grain. Adam would cut a row, and we would move the pipe into the row. Then, he would go back and cut the remaining grain.

As we were finishing up our last corner, it was amazing to see the storm clouds merge together. As we pulled out of the field with our equipment, it started raining. Our prayers for no rain, were answered.

Storm clouds gathering around the farm.

Adam and I. We took a little break and snapped a few photos before finishing up for the night. Our days/nights lasted about 12 hours of working without stop, and we ate lunch/snacks throughout the day. It was a lot of fun!

My mom and I on the farm. Glad Adam took this picture, or else I probably wouldn't have gotten one of the two of us.

My mom and Adam are two of the hardest workers I know.

My mom always has her cell phone handy. I am glad I captured this picture.

The sunsets in Idaho are something to marvel about.

This is where I lived for the last 3 weeks. At least there is air conditioning and heating! :)

Afternoon lighting on the grain.

I had to jump out and grab a picture of the grain cart unloading into the semi trailer. Thanks to our dear friends, and neighbors, the Murdock family, who generously loaned us a couple trucks, we were able to get our harvesting done very quickly.

Pierce and Morgan in the tractor. Helping me out! Gotta love it!

Morgan was so nice! She drove the tractor for me one morning, and strapped Pierce in the buddy seat with his car seat. It was too cute! I had to take a picture.

We let Lissa drive the pickups around the farm. She loved driving. I can't believe she will be getting her licence soon.

Lissa couldn't believe how big the combine was, especially the header.

Lissa, demonstrating how large the tractor is compared to a person.

The moon was full, and it took our breath away.

This picture is from the back yard of Ted and my old house.

I loved how the sun was penetrating the clouds with it's rays.

General Mills grain bins

General Mills, where we take our Hard White Wheat.

Our linear over our hay crop. Love this picture!

Unloading the semi at the mill.

Working on the combine header. This was a pain. It took us a couple days to get this working correctly.

Unloading into the grain cart. This in one of our first loads.

First of all, I have to mention how beautiful Idaho is! Not only is it beautiful from the ground, but also from the sky. I flew in and out of Idaho Falls, and loved the view from the window. The pivots make large green, gold, and brown patchwork circles across the terrain, the Snake River twists and turns through the valley, and the mountains are untouched. On my flight into Idaho Falls, there was a lady sitting behind me, and she was freaked out about landing. If any of you have flown into the tiny airport, you know that there is a short runway for small planes to land, and pretty much open fields surrounding it. Well, as we came in for the landing, she started hyperventilating. As we got closer to the ground, she grabbed the back of my seat and started complaining about how she hates landings. Like usual, there was a breeze (20 mph breeze), and so the plane would tip, turn, and sometimes jolt downward, which would make her yelp. I felt bad for the guy sitting next to her. But, eventually, we landed. And she bolted off the plane as soon as the door opened. Hope her lunch stayed down.

Secondly, I have to say how cold it is! While I was there, the average daytime temperature was between 60 and 70 degrees. The night temperature got down to freezing one night! Sooo cold!!! I had forgotten the wind as well. It seems like there is constant breeze, which is nice on the days it gets above 80 degrees, but on the other days, it makes it jacket weather.

I had a lot of fun spending time with my mom and brother. We worked on the combine header for a couple days, diagnosed and fixed breakdowns, moved linears, moved pipe, drove tractors and trucks, combined the grain, loaded trailers with hay, and talked on walky-talky's all day. It has been a good year since we have spent so much time together, and it felt good to get to closer with both of them.

Adam is starting to fill out through his chest, like my dad. It is crazy seeing him bulk up. Since we were young, he resembled my Grandpa Hancock, but he is taking on more of the Hales side now. Adam and Morgan's little guy, Pierce, is seriously the most precious person I have ever met. He is constantly smiling, and is incredibly smart. He is learning how to wave, can already say mama and papa, and will say "hey" if you aren't paying enough attention to him. He grabs things, and moves his arms with skill. When music is playing, he gets excited and makes noise, like he wants to sing along. He is already pretty much standing on his own, and even though his is only 6 months old, he is fitting into 12 month old baby clothes. Such an amazing and intelligent little man. He looks identical to Adam, and loves people. The whole time I was there, he didn't cry, which is quite something!

My mom is doing well. She is dating, and doing a lot of activities with her friends. I can't believe how young she looks! She has lost about 30 pounds, and is as skinny as me! This isn't a huge shock, because she is already tiny, but she looks really good. We went shopping together, and had a lot of fun. She enjoys going dancing on the weekends, and sings in an LDS singles chior that performs once a month at special firesides and events. A couple weeks ago, Craig Jessop from the Mormon Tabernacle Chior, came and directed them. My mom loved it. Like always, she works too hard. I only got a couple hours of down time to actually talk to her, but she likes staying busy, and the farm is her love and life. She still has the horses, cats, dogs, and chickens. It is incredible how she keeps up with everything. She outworks me, and I am 35 years younger than her! What an amazing woman.

Lissa, Ted's little sister, came down and spent a couple days with us on the farm. It was great having her around. She is very intelligent and bright. We went up and visited my friend Miriam, and we both noticed how fantastic she is with kids, and how she has a good head on her shoulders (meaning she is very grounded). When I have kids, I am calling Lissa for help and advice. She is very talented at playing the piano and singing. In the mornings, she would play our piano and fill the house with a harmonious spirit. I really set the stage for a wonderful day. Lissa is in the stage of life where she is trying to figure out who she is, and what she is supposed to be doing in life. The decisions she is making will influence her life forever, and she is already aware of that. I wish I was on top of things as she is at her age. She is going to go far in life, and have a great impact on many for good.

Jon, Ted's brother, came down for a night and it was an immense blessing for my family. He gave my brother, Lissa, and me, a priesthood blessing, and stood with Adam as he blessed my mom. It was incredbile. Jon has a powerful spirit that is beyond description. He has huge dreams, and I believe he will fulfill them. After his mission (and probably school), he would like to start a college, because he would like to have an impact for good upon the world, and he figures being a founder of a college would be a big sphere of influencing people. This dream is a wonderful thing, which could, in fact, touch the lives of many. I believe that he can fulfill this dream. He is going to be a powerful missionary. His testimony is strong and vibrant. He has a spirit deeper than the ocean, and he sees more than I could ever imagine. We had the opportunity to talk for a couple hours, and he amazes me. It is uplifting being around him. Seeing someone who has achieved a spiritual power that literally controls the human body, is beyond words. I admire and look up to him. He is a wealth of inspiration.

I also got to spend some time with my mother and father-in-law. They are truly amazing people. They have so much going on in their lives, and they have raised brilliant children. I look at each one of the kids, and see potential beyond grasp. I feel truly blessed to have in-laws that are full of love, respect, and honor. I cherish them everyday, and feel priveledged to be a part of the Garling Team.

I spent an afternoon with my friend Miriam. She is adorable! She has a new little baby boy, Cammon, who is precious. He is so tiny! After holding Pierce, Cammon feels like a feather. Adney, her oldest son, is such a good brother, and loves his little brother. He will kiss him, and make sure Miriam is taking good care of Cammon. Kyle and Miriam gave Adney some rabbits, and he loves them. He showed us his rabbits, both black, and loves to chase them around their pen. We went to the park and enjoyed the sun, and a little squirl that kept the kids entertained. Seriously, this squirrel would let the kids chase him, then take food from them, and climb a tree. It was too funny! Miriam is an incredbile mom, and takes excellent care of her two boys. She is an inspiration to me. She is another person I am going to be getting tips from once I have kids. :)

I spent a couple hours with my friend, Katie. She is pregnant, and having a baby boy December 15th. I am sooo excited for her. She is starting to show, and it is too cute! She is my friend who helped Ted and I move to Arizona with her husband, Jared. She is still in young womens, and takes on a lot of responsibility. She amazes me with her creativity. She makes the most beautiful scrapbooks, cards, and home decor. If only I could have an eye for detail and creativity like she does!

So, while I was in Idaho, I had this awesome thing done, called Foot Zoning. Basically, it is reflexology, but more intense. I loved it! It is incredible how much healing can be done through pressure points. Now, I am on the search for a good foot zoner in Arizona, because it is amazing! I have never had anything like this done before, and it by far, outdoes anything else I have had. Ted needs to go, and get balanced, so I am on the prowl.

Well, this has turned out to be a really long post. I guess a lot has happened in 3 weeks. Hope all is well for everyone else! It is GREAT to be home!!! I missed Ted so much! I doubt I will ever have an extended stay like that ever again. It is too hard being away from the one you love.