Fun Friday and Love Notes!

This summer I have decided to dedicate Friday's to doing something fun with the kids!

We are calling it 

Fun Friday!

Life is going by too fast and these little lives aren't going to be little for long.

Soon they wont want to hang out with me.

Last Friday we loaded up our bikes in our beast of a farm truck and headed out to

 Fort Stevens State Park.

We rode from Coffenbury Lake to Battery Russell and then onto Peter Iredale.

They were sure to ask me if the shipwreck was there when I was little.

I think all kids think adults are SUPER old!

This morning I shared with the kids our plan for Fun Friday and they were jazzed!

I found this website a year or so ago and I just love the concept of spreading love all over.

The World Needs More Love Letters

is just about spreading love, giving someone a smile or even a little hope.

Writing a note and hiding it for a stranger to find can change a persons entire day!

If you know me at all you know I love love.

Love can be shown in so many ways.

A tender touch

A tight hug-my favorite

In words

Even in silence

I think if we loved more and pointed fingers less we could change the world.

I was surprised as I gathered the cards that the kids were so excited to get started.

We talked about Random Acts of Kindness and how maybe we would help someone that was having a bad day feel a little bit better

.

It's amazing how a lesson like that comes to light for kids sometimes so quickly.

On our way to guitar lessons today I stopped for coffee at Starbucks and the car in front of us paid for my coffee. 

Thanks Heidi!

Jameson excitedly said "HEY! That was a random act of kindness!"

We paid for the car behind us and Jameson beemed.

I love those learning moments.

Ryan, Madalyn and I  wrote out our cards while Jameson was at guitar and Jameson did his in the car.

We did 18 in all.

We labeled them like this so people would know they were for them

Mad even added some extra to hers

All the cards were written with zero prompting from me.

I didn't get to read all of them, but I did sneak a peek at some.

We headed to places in Warrenton and Astoria.

The kids were giddy in the car and couldn't wait to hide the cards!

I hope whomever finds them knows they were written with love in mind.

We then headed off to the pool for a swim!

The Linder/Stenblom kids are like little fishes.

I have planned for future Fun Fridays some geochaching, a trip to Tillamook Cheese Factory, a ride on the Rockaway Beach Steam Train and a day at Jasper Farms for a field day hosted by our 4h club.

We also have a few camping trips and our first Clatsop County Fair for Jameson.
We will probably be doing more love letter deliveries too because the kids loved it!

We are planning to pack as many memories into this summer as possible.

These three kids are only going to be 

8, 10 and 12 for this summer so we need to make the most of it!

Blessed is me...

One reason Mrs. Kraft is a bad ass

This beauty here is Jean Kraft.

She lived on our farm into her early 90's until she fell and broke her hip and had to be moved to assisted living in Seaside.

She lived alone at the farm when Johnny that big stud of a man leaning up against the tractor went to be with The Lord in 1994.

Oh, and she is also a bad ass.

Here's why.

When we bought the farm from her we also got to keep quite a few of her things including this mower

She pushed mowed our yard that is approximately the size of gigantic and very steep well into her 80's

In addition to the yard she also push mowed our driveway that is really long

Now, I have mowed this yard and driveway many many times.

On a riding mower!

Early this week I wanted to push mow some areas that the riding mower just can't get to.

I had never started the push mower before, but let's be honest how hard can it be.

Well, it was harder than I thought because I was doing it WRONG!

The Farmer was out tedding the hay field so I was on my own.

There are bars and levers and I didn't know what was what.

After trying what felt like a million pulls of the cord I gave up and hoped on the rider.

When The Farmer came home I informed him what a piece of junk the push mower was because I couldn't get it started. 

He informed me that it was not a piece of junk and that
"if Mrs. Kraft can start it you should be able to"

Oh..

I didn't know it was Mrs. Krafts mower.

So tonight I planned to conquer the mower and start that thing on the first pull!

And, I did.

I make my way down the driveway doing quite nicely getting as close as possible to the fence posts.

then..

Sputter sputter dead.

The mower was out of gas and I was at the end of the driveway.

I make my way to the barn for a gas can, thinking 

"that stupid mower I should just leave it there and get the rider! NO! If Mrs. Kraft can do it I can too"

Fill up the gas tank give the cord a pull and I'm on my way again.

I get the driveway done and the small grassy area by the stable and thought I should just move onto the yard!

NO NO NO 

I should NOT have.

I started our pretty strong around the trees and the fence line making a big circle of the yard making sure that all the trees and flower beds were nicely mowed around.

Now, you must be very very careful going down the hill because the mower will want to take off like it is in a NASCAR race and will drag you behind not caring if you fall or not.

You must push very very hard going UP the yard because the mower suddenly becomes the weight of a large tank.

As I am making my way around the yard The Farmer comes out from finishing his dinner and says
"What are you doing? Why don't you get the rider? Oh, are you trying to prove that if Mrs. Kraft can do it you can too?!"

To which I replied

"No, well, maybe I NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK!"

I started the mower at 5:30 and I didn't finish until almost 8:00

I also ran out of gas AGAIN.

At some point during the mowing I thought I really should just get the rider, but talked myself out of it.

The closer I got to getting done the more I wanted to quit and just leave that piece of crap in the yard until I had enough diesel to BURN IT!

Light it on fire and not even care!

When I pushed that mower over the last blades of bright green grass I felt like Rocky Balbo at the end of a winning fight!

I wanted to jump up and down with my fists in the air!

Until I had to push the mower up to the carport.

That is when I noticed my feet felt like I had walked of shards of glass that had been dipped in hot lava. 

My feet had been sliding back and forth in my shoes as I made my way up and down the yard about a hundred times making them a little raw.

My legs were shaking like I had just run a marathon and my hands were vibrating like I had run a jack hammer all day long.

I was sweating in places I didn't know you could sweat from.
I am not sure If I should wash or throw my tow strap of a bra and the rest of my clothes that are sweat covered.

As soon as I came inside I stepped into a nice hot shower so I could wash all those grossness right down the drain.

The scalding hot water never felt so good.

It was glorious except the feeling of hot glass shards on my feet.

I know, I know some of you are thinking I am just a sissy lala.

I assure you I am not.

But, if you still think I am 

I offer up this challenge to you.

Come mow our yard and driveway.

I will make sure the gas tank is full and the can is out for refilling.

It will need to be done again in 2-3 days and then in 2-3 after that and again after that.

You get the picture.

Our yard needs to be mowed a lot!

From now on I will be doing it on the rider and I have plans for The Farmer to bring home and excavator and dig up some of the yard so there is less to mow!

*hint hint Farmer

My only one explanation for why Mrs. Kraft could mow this yard

It is because she is truly a

Bad. Ass.

There is no question about it.

Blessed is me...