Time Out!

Time out, your work has been interrupted.......for life.  It's been a bit crazy around here, but we took some time out for some important life events.  R graduated from Western Dakota Technical Institute in Fire Science last Saturday in Rapid City.  Every few days he'd ask if his dad was going to come so I knew how important it was to him.  M wouldn't commit for the longest time until some unfortunate events occurred, and we were physically and mentally exhausted.  I finally told him he had to go if only to get some rest and relaxation.  It helped that we had a rain shower the night before we were planning to leave.  We did our cow chores and hit the road on Friday morning, graduation was Saturday, and he headed home on Sunday.

When R started his program there were 36 in his class.  By the beginning of the second year there were 14.  At the beginning of the last semester there were 12 and only 6 graduated.  Some failed a class during the last semester and some didn't take a required class.  How do you let that happen?  We were very proud of how R applied himself and excelled.  We could see how he had grown up every time he came home.

While M was on his way home, M's aunt, uncle, cousins, girlfriend and I were busy cleaning his apartment and moving him out.  It wasn't as bad as it could have been and didn't take as long as I thought it might when I first walked in.  He had two roommates but one was one of those who had failed a class and didn't graduate so had left town on Friday.  The other was on his way to a job in Idaho.  At least for now, R is ready to be back to his cows, and we are very happy to have him back!  His auntie might be in deep depression without him, however.

We headed home on Monday morning hoping to make it back for the other big event in our lives....the birth of our first grandchild.  K was scheduled to be induced that morning.  We thought about going home by way of Glasgow, but when we got to the point where we had to decide which way we were going, nothing much was happening so we came home.  R wanted to get the trailer home so he could start to unload his stuff.  We got home about 6, and I headed to Glasgow about 8 so I wouldn't have to drive in the dark.

Sawyer Grace made her appearance at 1:56 am on May 21 to a welcoming party of K's parents and sister, her best friend and me.  We were all on pins and needles when we knew her arrival was imminent.   I cried when I heard her first cry and found out that she was a she!  It seemed like forever until we got to see her, and she was so delicate and beautiful.

Sawyer, about an hour old

J had a motel room but stayed at the hospital, but I went there and went to bed about 4:20 am, 22 hours after I had gotten up.  I started getting texts and calls about 6:30 so didn't get much sleep.  I went back to the hospital to see the new family before I came home.  I was hoping to get a nap, but that didn't happen.

Such a little angel!

J took the day off and then brought K and the baby home on Wednesday before heading back to the field.  He has been seeding at the place that is the fartherest away, unfortunately, so spent a couple of nights in the tractor, poor guy.  We can see the end so it can't come soon enough.  We had rain again last night and tonight so everyone can take a breath.  I really don't know how the guys do what they do day after day with little rest.  I don't go as hard or fast as they do, and I'm exhausted.  I'm hoping that one of these days the dark circles under my eyes will disappear!