Stop! I'm not ready for this.

I have to admit. Since starting interim, I have enjoyed having a collegue. Even when things are crazy, you have someone to share the burden with, someone to bounce I ideas off, someone to divide and conqueor the duties with and not lose your mind.
Example." If you are doing the funeral on Thursday morning, I'll prepare confirmation class for Wednesday." 
It works. We can't be everywhere at once, so we divide the duties as needed. Until your collegue goes on vacation. Then you are the only one to handle the barrage. I was use to this when I was a solo pastor. You make your priorities. You take things as they come. When everything starts happening at once. You get through things the best you can and you do it.
But truthfully. I'm out of solo pastor experience. I have a prayer service tomorrow. A funeral on Friday. And i'm pretty sure that I will be getting ready for another funeral over the weekend.
Now, I'm completely competent. I can handle this. It is part of the call. It's part of my job. I will be fine...But truthfully...I'm really, really missing my collegue right now. Divide and conqueor would be a really nice thing right now. But...it's not an option. So, I'll do what needs to be done...Then...hopefully...sleep.

100 days!

It is 100 days until my due date! I can't believe it, can you?  It's a tough day at the farm. Rain again last night has made it so we can't seed again today. So, we got one day of seeding in and now we are stopped again.
I'm at work today. My collegue is on vacay and guess what? Less than 24 hours after he left. Someone died and now I have a funeral to prepare for Friday. Prayer service on Thursday night. Go figure. I should have seen it coming.

I'll lead bible study tomorrow. That should be fun. I like the lesson.

I'm trying to get a bit ahead in the week, just in case anything else happens.

I think I will like the staying home thing. I get more comfortable with it every day. I've been riding on the tractor with Dustin quite a bit lately and talking it out is making it a bit easier as well.  The nice part is that, I know that I don't want to do anything until at least January. That gives me a lot of time for family and time to think.

I've had a conversation with the associate to the bishop about what's next and we are leaving it very open. I'll let him know when I am ready to do anything. So, I'm feeling good about that decision.

Right now, I'm just happy that I can enjoy the time and not worry about the next thing.

Next?

I will be finished with my current interim position at the end of July. I'm not sure when there new pastor will be starting, but I think I would like 6 weeks at home before the baby comes.
They are voting on extending a call to someone on Sunday. I'm assuming that it will be a positive vote and I'm also assuming that the pastor will take the call when offered.
I'm excited for the church. To have someone permanent and to move on in a positive direction. I'm excited that they are voting on calling a woman. I've been told that I probably helped in their openness to those considerations. So, that feels good.
I do feel a bit in limbo. Excited for them. Sad for myself. Excited to hear them making plans. But out of the loop because I remember. Wait. I won't be here.

I'm not completely certain what is next. I interviewed for a half time ministry related position, but I didn't come out excited, so I will not pursue it further.

I know that I will be home until January. And I might choose to stay home longer than that. I'm needed at the farm. I'm needed with my family. But it also makes me nervous. I feel like a huge part of my identity is wrapped up in my career. Something I worked hard for and do well, (most of the time).

I'm trying to get comfortable with the idea of SAHMom/Farmer. I'm trying to see that contribution to the family as valuable. Right now, I'm able to put a value on my contribution. Paycheck, health insurance. Staying at home has a value that is not as tangible and I need to get my head around it. 

So, Next? I don't know. I just don't know...

Changes

I can't say a lot now, but I have learned that life could be in the process of changing very soon. I'll learn more in the next couple days.
Have no fear. Dustin, Ian, the fetus, and I are all fine and healthy.
More breaking news as it becomes available.

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY! But not forever or anything!

It is a rather dreary day in North Dakota, at least our part of it. We have only seen the sun fleetingly since Sunday. Sunday at noon, it looked beautiful. By 3:30 rain and dreariness.
I've taken the rain delays in the field in stride. I've been coming into church. I took vacation to help seed and it rained most of the time (with one day of snow!)
I'm sure I'll still get plenty of time in the planter, but not for awhile. When we can go again...It will be go, go, go until we are done.
My may calendar looks rather bare, but I can't believe it is true. It must just be that I haven't written everything down for the month. Graduation isnt' even written in yet. We have three invites. We will go to our neice's for sure. So, that will wipe out another one, so we'll just have to get the gift together for that one.  I think we'll head to Litchville-Marion as well.
Reyna and Marty's wedding was beautiful. It was a fun weekend and fun to get away for a little time without Ian. I love my son, but sometimes it is nice to get to sleep in and act like my life is my own.
So, this week has been filled with trying to get caught up on the last two weeks of my life that I haven't been here.
The best part of the week has been lunch with the girls. TWO DAYS IN A ROW! I so could take on life as a lady who lunches. But by Wednesday I'll be back to spit-up, laundry, and a finicky eater. (My son, not my husband!) 
Dustin has been a very productive little bee today. He and my little cuz (he's also our hired man, as well as my little cousin!) worked on finishing up the wiring project in our house that needed completion. We got a new breaker box and some stuff had to be connected to it yet. They also fixed my stove, so I can cook again (Oh, the Joy of now not knowing what to make and not having an excuse for picking up chicken anymore!)
I think I will actually make a meal tonight. (Don't faint people, I do cook on a regular basis.) I usually enjoy it.
I have turned a corner with the finicky eating toddler. Raw fruits. Watermelon, grapes, cantaloup. I can't get him to eat veggies other than cucumbers and celery anymore, so fruit it is.  Watching Ian eat the celery is kinda entertaining. He only has 7 teeth!
I'm hoping that once he can eat raw veg out of the garden I will convert him over to vegetables.  He ate chicken last night and it wasn't the nugget kind! He ate real chicken! I'm so proud. Relieved. Maybe he will move onto other exciting meats. Like hamburger!  A girl can dream.
In baby news. This little one is kicking and jumping up a storm. She likes to tap dance on my bladder and I can't imagine how bad it gets as she gets bigger.
Well, that's all for now. Have a great day!

It's a Girl!

I was right. The ultrasound last Thursday confirmed my hunch. We are having a little girl.  I'm very excited that we will have one of each, but I also thought it would be really cool to have two boys close in age. So, really, I would have been thrilled with either.
Everything is looking good.
I've added the countdown ticker in an appropriate color now.
Pink

I have changed my background too, but that's not because we are having a girl. I've been feeling girly and love the brown and pink together, so it was perfect.

I'm amazed that we are over half way through this pregnancy. I've been a lot calmer because I know what pregnancy feels  like. It's been interesting what is similar this time and what is different. I'm much more calm about delivery and my birthplan and feel much more levelheaded about it.

I was so hyped up last time. The unknown. The baby coming early and my body not being ready. I thought I was prepared, but really was completely caught off guard and so I didn't go through with the plan I had in my head. I kinda went blindly. I know this time, I won't have that same reaction. I will be in more control of the process and comfortable asking for what I need to make the birth easier for myself.

I might be growing up! 'Bout time, since I'm having my second kid and all.

The Three Days

It is Maundy Thursday. It is hard to believe that this time has gone so quickly. We had a 2:00 service today and will have the larger one at 7:00 p.m.  This is also first communion for the 5th graders. I think I have everything ready.
Tomorrow there is a community service starting at noon.
There is a regular Good Friday service at 7:00 p.m.


I think I have everything ready for this as well. I THINK. There's always something that goes a little crazy or doesn't go quite right. I think it should go well.

I'm very tired this week. Pregnancy and Marathon days of worship are something I have never experienced before. I wasn't serving a church when I was pregnant with Ian, so I had no idea that it would wear me out this much. Of course, Ian is also walking and doing so much more. I wasn't chasing a toddler the last time I was pregnant.

Easter Sunday will be a day of three services.
7:AM, 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM

MONDAY! SWEET SLEEP! THANK YOU BABY JESUS!