Love Is....

Love Is....

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Fun Saturday


I started my day with breakfast in bed from my husband!  This is not unusual as it happens every weekend for which I am grateful.  I, then, headed to town for the Calligraphy class put on by Pastor Jake.  My friend Stella came with her nephew.  It was lot of fun.  You can see my practice strokes above.  I look forward to improving so that I can bless others with a pretty, handwritten, old-fashioned letter.

Yummy, Fresh Lunch!

Boy Choy and Sliced Apples.

Our Chickens Enjoying Their Day in the Garden.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Fort Morgan Store

Today, I got to travel down to Fort Morgan, Colorado with our Human Resources lady for our North Regional Quarterly Safety Meeting.  We had alot of fun driving down together.  She picked me up at my office at 8 am after our local safety meeting.  I had a gentleman come in from the local fire department to talk about first aid and CPR.  It went really well as it stemmed good discussion.

I had Amy stop because I thought this was LEPA in Colorado
(turns out it is not).  We are on the cutting edge of this with our
first system set to run this Spring in Bridgeport, Nebraska.

Amy and I went to the meeting and got back relatively late on Friday evening.  When I got back to the office to get my car, my boss was still there.  I gave him a run-down of the whole day and told him that I felt we are in good shape as far as safety goes.  It was a good day with lots of nice people and a beautiful tractor store.


After work, as late as it was, I still needed to get in my workout for the day.  With Heath's inspiration and encouragement along with him so graciously cooking supper, I got it done!  Biking in the living room.  Drives the dogs nuts!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Service Seminar and AWANA

What a day!  Phew!  Directly below, you can see the service seminar we put on at work.  It took some getting together, but it turned out really nice.  We had one of our guys cook pork and beans and we ended up having a great turnout.


Wednesday night, AWANA.  Tonight, we had 9 kids at one point in the nursery!  WOW!  We did it though!  Overall, it was alot of fun!  Most of the evening everyone was happy and getting along well.  Occasionally, someone would get upset, but Heath is super good at getting things back to happy again.  Good patience and compassion practice!


 At the end of this day, when we finally got home, Briggsy still wanted to play fetch.  We played with him for a while before crashing into bed.


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

My Dogs Love *RUNNING* ~ Cannot Deny It!


Just seeing me put on my running shoes or begin stretching....excitement arises!

5:54 pm Sunset as we are finishing up our run.

I wore them both out!

Monday, February 23, 2015

Lessons

It is staying lighter, longer!  Photo Taken:  5:26 pm!

A night spent learning how to fit-whole body-onto-HUGE bed.



There you go Buddy!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Lots of Rest


My buddy and I rested together most all of Sunday.  Mama even missed church to rest.  Not really feeling bad, just tired.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Random Adventure to Minnesota

Wednesday at AWANA

Heath:  "So Honey, do you want to go with us to get that tractor?"
Kinsey:  "Where?"
Heath:  "Minnesota."

So, on Wednesday, I totally thought that he was kidding until I got home on Friday night after work and his dad was already here waiting on us to leave.  I threw some clothes in a bag and curled up in the back seat of his dad's F-150 pulling the trailer.  We stopped in Bridgeport for some BBQ pulled pork, brisket, and beans.  YUMMY!  Full belly and exhausted from the week of work and training, I passed out until we arrived at our destination of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  At this point it is waaay past my bedtime, so we grab our bag and hauled into the hotel room to crash for a few hours before getting up to finish our journey into Pipestone, Minnesota.  With only an hour left to go tomorrow, to get our tractor, we decided to sleep in until 6 am (somewhere in there was a time change).

*********************************************************************************

We ate the continental breakfast and headed out, both boys (Heath and his dad) are all rested up and ready to drive.  I fell asleep again!  I must have been exhausted as they had to wake me up to see the unique sights.  We came upon this awesome little wonder right before re arrived in Pipestone.  This farm probably had 30 old windmills on it of all shapes, sizes, heights, colors, and materials.  Great photo-opt!



Shortly after this stop, we arrived dat Titan Machinery.  Much to my surprise Titan Machinery is a Case dealer-red tractors.  Initially turned off because we were going to purchase a green tractor at a red store, I decided to give it a chance as we bundled up to walk into the store.  When we got inside, the salesman was on a phone and rudely shouted to the Parts guy to take us into the back and show us the tractor.  The Parts gentleman did as he was told.  He deposited us into the shop and left us to start looking over the tractor.

Garry and Heath began giving the tractor a thorough look-over and then the salesman arrived.  His first comments were that he couldn't believe we drove all of the way from Nebraska for this old thing.  I precisely went up, shook his hand, and introduced myself and then Heath and Garry.  He opened the shop door so Garry could take her for a spin.  The 18* F with humidity made it very cold.  Thank goodness for the sunshine!  We decided it would be a great fit for us and it is in good shape for how old it is.  With a little negotiation Heath got them talked down to a great price and they threw in a new battery!  Time to load her up!

T.E.A.M. ~ WORK

T.E.A.M. ~ WORK

T.E.A.M. ~ WORK

Our New Tractor!

When we got all loaded up, we headed out to explore some of Garry's old stompin' ground on our way back home.

First stop, Mitchell, South Dakota, the home of the Corn Palace.  Pretty cool place.  Super cold out, so we didn't stay long.  I was able to snap a few photos before my fingers went numb.  I will share those in a collage.  These beautiful, ornate scenes are created from different types of corn, corn stalks, milo, and other corn-type fibers.  It really is an amazing feat!


Next stop, an old family cabin of Garry's down by the river.  Very quiet place to relax, rest, rejuvenate, and restore your soul.


More Teamwork!

Our last stop was the old home place where Garry grew up.  Some out-of-state hunters purchased the property and home and have created an absolutely beautiful habitat for the wildlife, especially the pheasants.  The place looks wonderful!  I wish I would have taken a few photos!

We arrived back home safe and sound at a decent hour tonight in time to unpack and relax.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

~My Buddy~


Big dog relaxing on his bed with his ball.  You can just barely see the top of Mya's back as she is trying to 'share' his bed with him.  The charcoal colored bed is actually Mya's but they usually switch at night.  The beds are up by the couch right now because when we use the pellet stove, they get way too hot over by the window.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Birdies and AWANA

Feeding Scraps to Birdies in the Morning

It is so fun getting to see the birds awake in the mornings.  Alot of times they are still sleeping when I do chores early in the morning.  It's fun to see them excited when I open their gate.  They are usually up with the sun and ready to get out when I arrive.

We had AWANA tonight with the kids.  It was alot of fun!  I am still so amazed by the wonderful volunteers who make Wednesday nights so special.  It starts when we walk in to a lovely meal prepared and served to us.  It goes all the way through the night with the teachers, the leaders, the kids, the parents, the verse listeners, the game time people...truly AMAZING!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Monday, February 16, 2015

Beautiful Day for a Walk on the River Trail

~God's Love Shines On My Walk~

Beautiful Sunset Over the Monument

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Yummy * Healthy * Fresh

We got asparagus in our
*Bountiful Basket* this week.

Our Chickens are Laying Green and Blue Eggs!
Way to Go Ladies!  Keep Up the Good Work!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Men's Breakfast and Sweetheart Supper

Woah, busy but awesome day!  Heath had the monthly Men's Breakfast this morning at 8 am.  He was in charge of the cooking so he made his famous biscuits and gravy.  He was up early working away in the kitchen.  He made the gravy here and put it in a crockpot to transport it to the church where he made fresh, hot biscuits.  This meal was a hit paired with coffee and orange juice.  I know many people had seconds!

I got to go with Heath to the church this morning to start preparing for our evening Sweetheart Supper.  I started sorting out dishes, blowing up balloons, getting out silverware with the help of my mother-in-law.  It was alot of fun!  We just worked away in the kitchen preparing for the evening with worship music playing from my computer.


Once the Men's Breakfast was over, we had Heath and Garry's help moving tables and chairs and putting up decorations and table cloths.  While they were busy doing this, Pastor Jake introduced to me the idea of calligraphy.  He wants to pass along this beautiful form of writing to the younger generations to carry out.  He approached me knowing that I like to take photos and that I send alot of old-fashioned, hand-written cards.  What a neat opportunity he gave me when putting the pens in my hand as a gift!  Thank you Pastor Jake.

Things really started shaping up when the tables and chairs and decorations were ready.  We set the tables with nameplates and individual roses at each couple's seat.  Once we got everything how we wanted it, we made a quick Walmart run for the French bread and salad.  Ready for a little break, we headed home to relax for about an hour before showering and heading back to the church to get the wonderful homemade lasagne in the oven and the salad tossed.  We got ice in the glasses, the garlic bread made, and the nuts and desserts prepared.  Heath did most of the cooking and I did most of the serving.  It worked out really well.


What a wonderful evening!  This event was through the Young Married group at Monument Bible Church.  Heath and I decided to head up this event.  We were able to get all the food arranged, cooked, and served and Mindy and Josh hosted the event.  They did the speaking at the dinner and kept things moving.  They showed some funny marriage video clips, the wedding slideshow we prepared, and created conversation pieces while we served.  (The slideshow had our guests wedding photo and their anniversary date.)  We had a special guest remote in via Skype from Illinois!  Koreen, Heath's cousin, sang and played her guitar for us!

It was a wonderful evening with 15 couples in attendance.  We had a fun photo booth set up to take everyone's picture as well as child care provided.  We thank all involved to make this a relaxing and romantic evening for those in attendance.

Us throughout the day.  You can tell from the fancy picture that this was the last thing of our day!

Tonight's Menu:

Mixed Nuts
Tossed Salad
Garlic Bread
Homemade Lasagna
Assorted Cheesecake Squares
Coffee
*FUN~FELLOWSHIP~LOVE*

If you would like to see more photos of the event, please see the following:  http://www.wildatheart1438.com/sweetheartsupper2015.

Happy wedding anniversary to Dr. and Mrs. Erny Bussinger!!

Friday, February 13, 2015

Valentine's Day


Oh, Honey!  How super sweet!  Amidst last-minute details in planning for our Sweetheart Supper for tomorrow, he stops to celebrate us and how far we have come together.  Thank you for your wonderful romance, love, and support.  You are a true blessing!  I love you too!

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Train Derailment

Late last night, on our way home from AWANA, we went to check out the damage from the train derailment just outside of Bayard.  This is super close to our house where these twenty-something loaded coal cars derailed.  We passed so many HUGE excavators and large machinery headed to the scene.  They had traffic blocked off to one lane and lots of big lights to help the men and women do their work.

We just had our railroad safety meeting last week at work.  I had a gentleman come in from the Union Pacific Operation Life Saver come speak with us.  This is so sad this has happened.  My prayers are being sent for these people to work safely and get to return home each night to their family.

The site is incredible with mangled steel and coal everywhere.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Wednesday

Yesterday, Heath had his quarterly check-up with his diabetes doctor in Longmont, Colorado.  He left early to get down there and I couldn't go with him this time because it was during the week.  It sounds like it went well and that he is going to  live another day!  PRAISES!  :)

I had training for our new PFW/accounting system today for most of the day.  Since it is Wednesday and we have AWANA tonight, I went home at lunch to let the dogs out.  This is what I got home to:

Surprise!  From one end of the house to the other.

After cleaning this up, I walked around outside with the dogs for a few minutes.  The birds were relaxing under the trees on the island.  Everyone was pretty content with this beautiful day....other than the dogs who proved to me that they would rather be outside.  LOL!


A picture Heath took of me while we were playing with the kids tonight at AWANA.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

*L*O*V*E*


This is the 'photo memory' puzzle that I had made for our 1st Anniversary.  (Good ole' Walmart.com~you can make just about anything you want!)  It is sitting on the table right outside of our bedroom.  Puzzles are a fun, non-thinking, non-physically active thing to do together.  It's fun!  I didn't realize how much fun they are until we sat down together and started one a while back.  It's a challenge but teaches us patience and allows us precious time together.  Give it a try sometime!  :)

The jars are another fun thing!  Mittie Mae and my Mama both gave me some awesome, fun ideas for these projects.  I took two plain glass, large Mason Jars and decorated them both to our style.  Heath's is red for the Huskers and mine is decorated with my favorite colors, yellow and blue.  The *bright-colored* paper in the bowl is for notes.  The idea is to place an example of a blessing your spouse is to you into their jar.  For example, I have put in several--including several duplicates because he is JUST that AWESOME--wonderful supper, laundry, patience with me, his love for me, etc.

Just some fun ideas that have helped spice up our marriage.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Fellowship


Today, I had the wonderful privilege to meet up with Mrs. Coxbill for lunch.  We met at Subway and got to sit and talk through our lunch.  It was wonderful!  Marsha and her husband Dick go to our church and they also swim with me in the mornings at the Y.M.C.A.  It is always wonderful to see them swimming together when I arrive in the mornings.

We heard that Marsha and Dick make some amazing lasagna, so we asked them for some help.  They volunteered last Saturday to come over and show us/help us to make it.  We made two huge pans and froze it for our Sweetheart Supper coming up at the church on Valentine's day.  It looks and smells wonderful!  It was an awesome opportunity to have them into our home to share some fellowship while cooking.  Thank you for all of your help, love, and support Coxbill's!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Beautiful Sunday!


After church, we spent some time out at Gram and Pa's house.  Heath and Garry worked together while Barb and I went for a walk.  Beautiful, warm day!

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Beautiful, Beautiful!


The sun was just beautiful the way it was coming in on our kitchen table.  And *LOOK* our windows are open (in February)!  I told you western Nebraska weather is awesome!


Talk about ~beauty~ this is our peacock Petey.  He decided to 'strut' for us today and he was loving showing off his stuff!  Check out some photos I was able to capture of him.

This evening, I went to pick up our Bountiful Basket at the mall for this week.  Afterwards, I got to attend a "Girl Talk" evening at my friend Audrey's church.  It was all women and such a neat atmosphere.  When the evening was over, we both decided we were hungry, so we headed for Applebee's.  Her family got to join us and it was an awesome evening just sitting with a family with so much respect and love for each other and the Lord.  Audrey and Raul just lost their oldest son.  Thank you Lord for the opportunity to spend the evening with such precious hearts.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Friday * Fun * Day


This is what my desk looked like after our Friday Morning Meeting.  The boys must have had some extra time on their hands.  (If you can't tell from the photo, they switched everything around so it is backwards.)


This is the view from my walk....a clear comparison between yesterday, the 5th, and today, the 6th.  Crazy western Nebraska weather.  It is so awesome!  The trail is cleared either way for us to enjoy.


OH, LIFE ON A FARM!  So BleSSeD!




Petey the Peacock


To conclude this fun day, Heath and I got to represent 21st Century Water Technologies at the KNEB Farm and Ranch Show steak supper at the Mitchell Fairgrounds.