How Time Flies

 Where did time go? It's been two months since I have posted pictures and comments. . .couldn't be because the Harker Family was running 10 directions. Well, the last three months have been adventurous. Cattle shows, puppies, spring planting, spring break and a wedding. So, I've hit the rewind button and here's a quick replay of our spring.

Luke took his heifer to the Bill Rogers Classic. . .two shows, one day. He did a fantastic job. However, there was one minor problem. . .Chase didn't get to show Sunshine. He had his heart set on showing in one ring, but another Hereford heifer was in heat in Luke's class. Playing the safe route, we opted to not let Chase show. Needless to say, he was a little unhappy.


Being the quick thinker in the family, I set up a make shift show ring in the parking lot. As you can see from the photo. . .we ended the day with smiles!

Actually, we ended the day being the talk of the barn. Every show heifer needs to be slick sheared in the spring so she can start growing good hair for the summer show season. Rather than have a mess of red and white hair in the clipping room in the barn at home, we peeled Sunshine at the show. Perfect time to teach Luke & Chase how to use a pair of clippers. . .and the perfect conversation piece. I believe Chase's comment was "Don't those people have anything else better to do than stare! Geez, haven't they ever seen a heifer clipped before!"

Puppies, puppies and more puppies. Katie, our red Heeler, had 8 puppies - 6 red pups and 2 blue pups. April was filled with yips, yelps and incessant laughter. In two weeks, three of the puppies were named. Runaway. . .independent red female that would stay with the rest of the pups, so the boys named her appropriately.  Rascal. . ..the blue male that became Chase's pet and pride & joy. He wouldn't let the neighbor, Vance, buy anything but Rascal. Vance said he wanted the best pup and Chase said Rascal was the best pup. Gracie. . .the red female the boys said they were keeping. However, being the kind-hearted, generous souls that Luke & Chase are, they sold Gracie to a family with three kids who had just lost their red Heeler to an accident three weeks earlier. Those are the moments that make parents proud.

Just one picture of my second project,  habit, obsession, and love. . .gardening. I'm always in the middle of a project and always moving my flowers. I love to flower garden. How did that happen? Well, roughly 13 years ago, while Danny sat in the lazy boy of our apartment in Montana, he commented on the reproductivity of my Longaberger baskets. He said they reproduced faster than rabbits.  I took that as a hint to find a new obsession, so when we built our house three years later, I took on flower gardening. To this date, there have been no more comments on the reproductivity of Longaberger baskets and many comments on how gorgeous my flowers look.  If you are interested in any perennials, drop me an email. I'd love to share a pot of flowers with you!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The trips to northern Indiana are always adventurous. Swimming, fishing, catching baby frogs, all at Great Grandma Harrold's farm pond. Luke says the frogs and fish are great...he could spend days there. Chase says the water is the best part...he doesn't wrinkle near as bad in great grandma's pond. Mom thinks the best part is that their 90 year old great-grandma still baits their hooks and fishes with them.

 

 According to Webster's Dictionary, the meaning of love is. . .is a deep and tender feeling of affection for or devotion to a person. According to Luke & Chase, love means holding hands, hugs, kisses (eewww, gross was what followed after the word) and licks from puppies. To me, it means so much more. It means. . . . to love unconditionally without expecting anything in return, to spend the rest of your life with that "ONE" person, and love makes this world a safer place.

In May, we were exposed to plenty of LOVE. We were blessed to witness the love that Casey & Aleesa Dickerson have for each other on May 22nd. Chase and I were both in the wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony. Then on May 31st, we celebrated 13 years of love. LOVE. . .it makes this world a safer place.