Yes, I know, it has been way too long. Just trying to keep up with everything here, at the Jobe’s family farm, has been way overwhelming recently. It just has been hard to get on here and write about what all has been going on, but here is a little update….

First of all, my last blog was about learning Face book. Well, I have it down pat and love it. It is such a nice tool to keep in touch with family and friends and know what is going on in each of their lives. I find myself on it daily, and that is one reason for not writing on here more.

Let’s see, I bought a new car. Well, it isn’t “New”, but it is to me. It is used Impala, 2008. I love it and I have my moon roof and self starter I wanted to have. I am not going to carpool this year, and I needed a car that wasn’t in the shop more than out. My old car was in the shop being fixed more than out, so it was time for a new one.

We had to also replace our dishwasher and washing machine this year. Both broke! We have had Murphy’s Law here for some time, and it can go away anytime! It has been a very expensive summer here on the farm.

 Not only is everything breaking, but we have had 5 grad parties, 2 weddings, and now a funeral. Then, Nathan had wisdom teeth pulled, needs a crown, and so do I. I also have grad pictures coming up yet! Where is that money tree?

Then, farming is not a money maker at all, and we seem to be pulling out money for parts, oil, gas, paying for renting land, twine, every time we turn around. I know, that is farming, but for some reason, it is getting harder by the year. I keep telling my hubby we could buy a lot of beef for what we are putting into those beef cows. Yet, it is his hobby he loves, and wants to keep doing it.

Then, if that isn’t enough, a very good friend and neighbor died this week of a rare cancer that took him in just days. It is such a sad story, and he was only 53, and leaves behind a wife, and three children. They had a dairy farm across from us and we have been friends and neighbors for year. They of course had to sell their milk cows; which was their main income. He is certainly going to be missed and was a good man. We use to see the barn lights on over at their farm every morning while we drank our coffee, and now it is dark over there; just seems so unreal it happened. Darn Cancer!

I have been to the campground, but not enough to make me happy. My schedule has been so busy that every day I have something to do, and can’t seem to get my butt out there. We did have our annual 4^th of July potluck out there this year, and that was great! We have been swimming only a few times because our weather has been so bad this year. Then, when it is nice, I can’t seem to get there! Next week I have something going on every day! Monday, I have a girlfriend come to visit, Tuesday, I have a woman coming out to help Nathan with some things, Wed. Nathan has a doctor’s appointment, Thursday, Nathans has his grad pictures taken, and Friday we are going to the county fair. However, the weekend is open so far, and I intend to get there after the fair on Friday! Then, I want to stay for a few days, but I do have a dentist and hair appointment, but that is it that week! So, FAR….Summer goes way too fast.

Then, it is back to work the 8^th of Sept. I do miss the kids though and I sure could use the money! It will be different for me this year as I am going to be in the high school and not the elementary, and a new boss in the EBD room. We also have some new staff members joining us this year, too.

It is funny, at the end of the year, you can’t wait to leave and need that break, but by the time school comes around again, you are ready to do it all over. That is way it is important to make sure you take that break during the summer so you don’t get burnt out. Special Ed/ EBD is a hard job, and the burn out rate is high, so those summer vacations are important to us.  

I didn’t even grow a tomato this year, only flowers and I am glad I didn’t because as busy as I have been, I don’t know when I could do it all. But our family will not be short berries this year. We went out and picked bowls full of raspberries at my mother-in-laws, and then we found a blue berry patch, so we have lots of wild blue berries, too. Then, yesterday, my husband came home with two crates of strawberries! Our freezer is full of berries for this winter.

My hubby and the boys have been cutting the wood for winter. Yes, we are doing that again. We bought enough wood last year to heat the house this year as well. I hope this winter isn’t a cold one, and I see our crab apple tree has red coming on the apples already!

Haying this year was not good. Our hay crop was very thin and it looks like we will barely have enough hay for ourselves this year. Usually we have some extra to see, but it looks like we will not have that this year. Again, that will hurt us some. It has been such a weird year; our hay was so thin, that our baler didn’t even want to bale it. It has been so bad; we had to feed hay to the cows all summer!

Nathan had a birthday and is now 18 years old! I keep teasing him that he is an adult now! One more year, and all my kids will be out of high school! Wow!

We took a nice trip to see the grandkids last weekend and boy are they getting big. Kyle starts school this Fall, and the other two grandkids are much taller than I am.

Well, for now that is it. I will try to get on here more often and keep this updated better than I have been. If you like, get on facebook and join; be part of my friends list to know more day by day what is going  on at the Jobe’s Family Farm….~Nancy