Tables and chairs!

Praise be to God----we have tables and chairs reserved for our wedding at last! :)  We can get them from the Christine Community Center, so that will be very handy to have them so near the church.

Ohhhh, there is so very much to tell...about James and Jenny's wedding and the craft fair that Michael took me to and the bridal shower...... And I have pictures too, but don't have the needed ambition to get them over to my computer from my phone tonight, so that will have to wait a while yet.

Lauretta came over last night, just to visit and talk about wedding plans, and we watched a movie (to take a break from all things wedding related). We're both very much looking forward to our wedding days (and are practicing walking in our wedding shoes to get them broke in a bit, both the shoes for our own weddings, and the shoes for each others').

The guys now have the bins and conveyor moved to Steele. They had to get them from Woodworth, ND and ended up renting  a trailer and also Andrew bought a low-boy trailer at the ORR auction last Friday.  While they were loading a bin, a chain dropped and smashed Andrew's telehandler windshield in, so that wasn't helpful, but at least everyone was kept safe. PTL!

Michael is coming tomorrow evening. We are hosting a Project Appleseed shoot at the farm here on Saturday and Sunday, so it will be a blessing to have him here to help prepare on Friday!!  Plus, it will just be nice to have him here. :)   He's bringing the freezer he bought for us, and it's full of the beef he had butchered for our wedding and our future lives together.  There was a mixup at the butcher-shop, so our menu is changing slightly, as we need to figure out what to do with hamburger, rather than the roasts we were planning on using for pulled beef.  Hmmmm

I babysat yesterday and today, and will again tomorrow.   In mid-October, Paula's mom will come and stay for a while and babysit, so I can prepare for the wedding; get married; and go on a lovely honeymoon with my beloved. I can hardly wait!

Will blogging ever be "Back to normal"?

Paula and I were talking about my blog yesterday and were commenting how it might never again be on a daily basis that I post about our lives. Life is just getting fuller and busier than it has ever been before! 

BUT, I do not plan to completely abandon this little spot on the Web, so I hope some of you will check in from time to time still. :)

God answered our prayers favorably and we were able to sell our calf to a lady west of Jamestown. Michael & I delivered the heifer to her new owners on Friday morning, before going to our next pre-marriage counseling session with the Kyners and then going from there to the Crystal Springs Baptist camp for the Labor Day Family Camp work day. Andrew met us there later and brought over the camper. 

 While the guys helped with putting sheetrock up in a building on the campgrounds, I was busy picking rocks (yes, picking rocks!) and scrubbing decks and tables and chairs off.

Mr. Israel Wayne and his wife, Brook were the speakers at camp this time. It was really neat to meet Brook finally, as I feel like I've known her for a long time from reading about her and Israel's betrothal when I was a young teenager. She's very sweet and gentle, just the way I'd imagined her to be. 

Before I post the few pictures I have from camp, here are a couple of the ever-growing-and-changing boy, Vonn Gunner. :)  I babysat yesterday and today and will have this little guy here tomorrow. 

 He still enjoys his bottle from time to time. :)

OH, and Jacob and I got a pen set up and let the turkeys outside. They're really enjoying their new freedom.

I've been busy with trying to keep up with the garden, although I'm feeling quite behind. I've made a lot of pickles and tomato sauce, and yesterday made peach jam and chokecherry jelly. Today I started dehydrating zucchini. Tomorrow I need to turn my attention to tomatoes again. AND cabbage that Michael's mom sent me...

~~~ 

Back to camp:

Saturday and Sunday were both cloudy and cool days, not very ideal for playing in the water, but that didn't stop everybody.

 Water-skiing was popular, as usual.

 ...And guess who learned how it's done??

 Yep, my guy!

Doesn't he look like a pro already? :)

This was right before we decided to go change and go swimming (and went down the water slide a few times too). That didn't last long though, before it was time to warm up again. 

 One of our camp friends captured this moment on her camera.  Michael and I were on separate teams in the "Amazing race", and we had just received our instructions and were just getting up from the tables to get started, when I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see who it might be.... :)  

I sure do love my Michael!!

 My mom came over on Sunday for the day. We all went home Sunday night.

Monday (Labor Day), we got to work. My dad, Michael, my brothers and I cleaned up the mess of old stinky grain on the pavement behind our new business in Steele, (Mid Dakota Grain Processing), and Michael also mowed the lawn up there and I took the big weed-whacker around the building and under a bin, but then ran out of string and had to stop. 

 Andrew was knocking down old dusty stuff...

 ...as was Michael...

 Jacob and I swept it together and Dad loaded it up...

 I should have taken a "Before" picture, but believe me when I say that this is a huge improvement.

This last picture is, well, just because. :)

Michael and I got a little more wedding planning done before he had to leave Tuesday morning.

AND we have some big news!!!  

Michael and I purchased our first vehicle together!! :) We want something reliable and fuel efficient for our honeymoon (and for other times too, but especially for that). Our car is currently at Michael's place, as Michael's Pastor, Dan rode with Michael to Fargo and drove it home for us. I'll share pictures at another time. I have to see it first...

This weekend, I/we'll be heading for Minnesota for Michael's brother, James' wedding!  SO much love and joy is in the air these days. 

THANK YOU, LORD.

First clean grain!

Mid Dakota Grain Processing, LLC did it's very first grain cleaning job today!! :)  Hooray!  The guys are still working on some improvements, and have lots of plans for the future, but at least it's up and operating now.

My mom went to Bismarck today and also picked up our Azure order in Dawson. I had placed a good sized order and bought a bunch of spices to fill my cupboards with, so now my food can have flavor again! NICE.

After babysitting today, I went over to our neighbor's (Duane & Shirley) house, as they had a ring-bearer pillow that they donated to our wedding (and some cake pans too). :)  We had a really nice visit and I got to see pictures of some of the places they've traveled too (honeymoon ideas).

This evening, I've been making phone calls, trying to get our one and only bottle calf sold (the ad is on Bismanonline) and attempting to find tables and chairs that we can use for our wedding, as we need a bunch more.  Anybody have suggestions??

And now it's time for sleep. Awwwww

God is so good.

More fun...

It's been a very busy week!!

My mom's childhood (and current) friend, Anna and her husband came from Grand Forks and stayed a few days. Anna is a talented seamstress and will be doing all our dress altering (and Lauretta's). So, a couple evenings were spent in having our flower girls and ring bearers come over to try on their wedding clothes and to get them pinned for alteration. Then, Anna pinned my wedding gown, and Laurettas. We had a lot of fun!

I've been busy babysitting. The guys got all of our wheat combined, so the oats is next. My mom is getting more of her moving boxes unpacked everyday, and has decided on and ordered her dress for Michael and my wedding. :)

This evening, Heather C. and her brother stopped in on their way home from visiting friends and Heather picked up (and tried on) her bridesmaid dress and shoes. We had a very nice couple-hour long visit, and they just left a few minutes ago.

Tomorrow is the start of a new busy week. I'm trying to remember to count each day as a blessing, even when I want them to pass by faster. ;)

Scratching things off the list...

It's so nice to feel that you've accomplished a lot at the end of a day!  This was one of those kinds of days. :)

TODAY IT IS 2 MONTHS UNTIL MICHAEL AND I ARE WED!

I babysat Vonn here for over 8 hours (Zach brought him over), and Vonn was a good boy today and I was able to do wedding planning, as well as getting caught up on the apples (cut them up and added spices and sweetener and put them in the freezer for baking pies this winter).

• Reserved a block of rooms at another hotel in Wahpeton because there was a difficulty that came up with the original one (information can be found on our wedding website, which I updated today : http://www.mywedding.com/michaelandcora/
• Enjoyed seeing RSVPs starting to come in on the website!!  
• Talked to my sweetheart about a project we're working on together for the wedding day, oh, and about a car we're talking about buying
• Figured out how many mints we'll probably need and Kathy and my Aunt Peggy and her sister have agreed to make those--yay!
• Talked to Mrs. Geiger who is making the dessert for our wedding and figured that all out
• Texted to Katie (Michael's Aunt's sister) the rest of the flower order that I'd like for the tables at our wedding and wrote out a check for the total to send her way tomorrow
• Got answers back from Amy (the church's wedding coordinator) about kitchen related things
• E-mailed and Pinterested back and forth with Lauretta's future mother-in-law, Laurie who is helping me with decorations and I think we're making a lot of headway there with a new idea she had today
• Talked to Paula to figure out this week's babysitting schedule and about when she'll bring the Littles over when Anna is here--to get their wedding outfits fitted if they are too big.

I think I'll sleep even better than usual tonight. :)

Wedding planning....

.....There is more to it than I'd thought! But, for the most part, it is enjoyable. Just time consuming.

Guess who came to see me/us yesterday? Yep. My sweetheart. :)  He had to leave again today. While Michael was here, we were up at Mid Dakota Grain Processing (our grain cleaning business in Steele), doing several different things that needed doing. The guys hauled up the misc. extra cleaners that have been sitting in the shop for a long time and put them in the building.  They also pulled some trees out of places where they weren't supposed to be.  I was the cleaning lady and got a little start on tidying up the office and washing windows. Oh, what a mess.

My dad bought a huge conveyor on an online auction, so he went to Grand Forks and pulled that all the way home on Thursday.  My dad also found several hopper-bins and another conveyor on BisMan, which I am buying, but which aren't picked up yet. Andrew has been busy designing a logo for the business.  Mom's kept busy cooking for everyone, and she's been sick a lot (she thinks from the chemical/paint/carpet smells of the new house), so she'd appreciate prayers.

On Tuesday, I went up to Bismarck with Lauretta and we spent the day shopping for wedding supplies. Fun! I've also been busy babysitting.

Today, Michael and I and my parents talked a lot about the menu for the wedding. A very important topic, I assure you. :)

God is so good. I feel so very blessed to have Michael as an ever-growing part of my life. 

And at that very moment,  my phone rang.... It was Michael. I'd offered to talk to help keep him awake. He's home now....and it is time for me to sleep. 

Ketchup time...

Oops, I mean, "Catch up" time.

This is nearly disgraceful, how much time has passed since I posted last. *shocked face*

I shall attempt to get caught up here yet this evening, although I may let the pictures do most of the speaking.

That Friday (over a week ago), Andrew decided he would indeed attend the Lake Itasca music festival, so my mom and I were able to catch a ride with him there. Michael arrived before us, so gave us a warm welcome. :) 

 After listening to the music for a couple hours, Michael, my mom, and I went to see the Mississippi headwaters. Michael had been there earlier in the day and wanted to take us, and I'm really glad we went!

 Our destination...

 Michael, crossing the mighty Mississippi!

 "Nothing to it". :)

 My mom crossed in a different fashion...

 The trails were so pleasant there, as long as you were careful to stay away from the poison ivy...

 Michael found some Touch-me-nots which I'd never touched before, but now I have.  What a fun little plant! 

 Too bad this one blurred, as I love pictures of my sweetheart and I. :) He's so tall.....or am I just short? Hmmm

 The next day (Saturday), my mom, Kathy, Jenny's mom (Dana), James, Jenny, Michael & I headed down towards Litchfield, MN to eat a delicious meal that Michael's grandma Joyce and Rachael had prepared. Then, it was off to the double bridal shower that Michael's Aunt's had planned for Jenny and I.

 The party was held in a lovely gazebo (and yes, it was raining when we got there).   One of the Aunts had worked hard to get both our wedding colors incorporated into the decorations..... Jenny's yellow and my watermelon, with red and green highlights here and there. :)

 The cake with two sets of rings on it...

 The Brides-to-be, Jenny and me...

 Guess who? 

 My future family: 

Jenny, Rachael (Michael's sister), and Kathy (Michael's mom)

 Loved the hats they made for us!

 Someone called these guys to come help load things up after the shower was over. Of course, we had to get a picture with them. :) 

So, do Michael and James look like brothers?  They sure act like brothers!

 The four of us "love birds" went shopping in St. Cloud that evening. 

We made a rather long stop at Tip Top Tux... I have pictures of that, but they will remain a surprise for the time being.

Back at the farm, I like to go out to the barn to help with a few chores, although they all have their routine, so I feel more in the way than anything at times. But, I was able to help Michael move the electric fences around, and managed to get stung by a bee for the first time in my life. It was nice to find out that I'm not allergic to the venom. 

 The next day, Sunday was MICHAEL'S 26th BIRTHDAY!!! 

We all went to church, then Randall (the small town near their farm) had a community meal, so we all went to that and ate almost too much. Michael and I went to a movie later in the day (after he opened his presents).

Monday morning, we helped my mom load up Michael's car with shower gifts and her luggage and she headed for home. Michael and I headed for the fairgrounds to help set up for the fair, but most of that was already done, so we just walked around and looked at the grounds before heading to our next destination:

PAWS Floral in Atwater, MN. Michael's aunt Kim's sister, Katie is the owner there and we picked out flowers for our wedding. That went a lot faster than I thought it might.

While in the area, we toured the college that Michael attended; Michael showed me his aunt's dairy where he used to work and stay over the winter months; and Michael took me out to eat at a Mexican restaurant.

Along the way, we stopped to get a picture with this big bird. :)

 The next day found us touring the church where we'll be married (please pardon the bug splots)...

 I was told to get pictures of the kitchen, so I did....

 Then, on the way to my family's farm, we stopped in Jamestown to have our next marriage counseling session with the Kyners. :)

Michael stayed at our place until Saturday afternoon, so we got a lot of wedding planning accomplished, mainly focusing on getting the invitations ready (addressed, stamped, sealed).

On August 12th, Michael and I wished each other a happy anniversary, as it was one year since we first said "Hello" to each other. :) God has done many marvelous things in that year!!!  
I'm SO grateful. 

My mom asked Michael to put up some curtain rods in the new house, so he did that. This is in the guest room, where Michael stays now when he visits.

 The Morning Glories are taking over the chair!

 My dad and Jacob (and Andrew, before he left to combine for neighbors) worked on building the deck for the new house today. 

I babysat Vonn today, and made some more pickles and banana bread.

And now I really need to post this and get some sleep, as tomorrow will be another busy day.