Planting. Fixing. Hay making. Gardening. Mulching. Growing. Fixing. Long days. Working. Always the fixing. Exhaustion. Busy from sunup to way past sundown.
Kevin has been working his marathon days in the field this week. I’m glad. I truly am. After all, I would like to eat and buy stuff next year. The crops must get in. The work must be done.
He got a new planter this year and has basically rebuilt the whole thing. I, honestly, can’t tell any difference when I look at it and don’t know what he’s talking about most of the time. But I stand there supportively when the guys who DO know what all he’s invested in it are giving him kudos. I know how talented he is and am so very proud of him!
We’ve had rain delays too–the hay mower almost got stuck in the field the other day, but he pulled out in the nick of time.
Iowa is about 70% planted which only serves to add to the pressure of “getting it done”. It’s frustrating when you try to tell someone you’re proud and excited that it was the first day planting and they respond with “I see fields with corn coming up all over the place. First day? What!?”
Yeah, I know. 70% of fields are done. I just said that. It’s frustrating how few people understand what farming is all about and how much is out of our control. How much faith a farmer has to have in God to take care of the rest. How much faith a farmer’s wife must have in her farmer.
He’s had break downs every day but he just keeps on fixing. The piles of seed corn in our garage are dwindling. He’s working at breakneck pace. He still makes me coffee for the morning. He’s exhausted. He doesn’t have enough time to stop to eat.
Yet, when we take him pizza out to the field he takes time to listen to the tales of the day (which in some of our children’s cases, take a v.e.r.y. long time to tell). He puts all the children up on a hay bale just to make them laugh. He nuzzles the baby. He kisses his daughters and tells them they are beautiful. He tosses his son up in the air and chases him round and round.
Sometimes, I am jealous and irritated and think mean thoughts to myself like “Oh, yeah, well even if he’s trying to do the work of three men and a small boy all at once, at least he doesn’t have someone following right behind him undoing the work he just did. At least he’s lean and strong and can still bend over properly. He should have more energy than me, he’s not growing a human.”
He’s working so hard. He’s doing his best.
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. We’re going to just do the same thing we’ve been doing the past few weeks. I’m going to mother our precious gifts from God. He’s going to provide for us. We honor one another by taking care of “our” area. We honor one another by respecting the talents and giftings God has given us.
Soon there will be time to sit down together and just be. Not now. But that is one wonderful thing about life on the farm. There are seasons and it changes. Soon it will be different. But for now, it is like this.
Great post…reminiscent of when I first started reading your blog! You were the first blog I ever started "following." I used to check in daily to see if you had an update. This was all before I figured out Google Reader. Ha! I found you from your article in Country magazine. Take care…can't wait to see Baby E.
These can be trying times. When all seems to break at once, and you with the baby growing inside, and so busy. I hope the Lord will give you a peaceful spirit all over your body and life today. A restful time for all of you. I am going to get a photo of the Gnarly Tree nex time I am at the college and see if it blooming yet…seems to be a late bloomer. Happy Mother's Day, Jessica.
I really enjoyed this post. Even though Gene is not a farmer, I experience this with the Army life. We can have moments, even a year or more if there is a deployment, of absolute insanity and then a chance to rest.
I often feel the similar moments of resentment and I like that you bring it back to showing gratitude and honor.
I hope you had a good an enjoyable Mother's Day despite the fact that it most likely was not like you wanted it to be. *hugs*
I totally got everything you just wrote. It's a charmed life for sure. 🙂 and I have to add… You and your baby belly are awesome!
Britt
Happy Mother's Day week Jessica. You deserve a whole week to relax and celebrate. I hope you were able to at least one day.