View From My Office

Yes, it is true!! I FINALLY am back in the working world with my OWN OFFICE complete with lots of windows and a stereo and WHEELS, BIG WHEELS!!!! Grouchy started a custom harvest business with two combines, a grain wagon and a few semi trailers to haul grain. This season was the first season of the business, and we are cutting soybeans in south Louisiana in and about Grouchy's hometown. Originally, Grouchy thought he would train me to run one of the combines. I was all for it, but then he found a good friend of ours from our church in Louisiana who would help, so Grouchy hired David. Then Grouchy learned that David would be here for a limited time as he had other committments, he drafted me again. So I spent thirty minutes on a John Deere combine riding with a really nice young man while he cut wheat. Next, the same day (two days before I came from Idaho to LA to work) I was blessed to have our friend from our Idaho church, Bill (who also taught all of us to snow ski last winter), take two evening hour of his tiresome farming day to put me in his combine that's very similar to our two machines and make me learn and then then make me have to use my brain as he put me through the paces. So I flew to LA with Addie and Ainslee while my parents stayed in the guest house in ID and cared for Garrett as he started school and his developmental therapies. We landed in Louisiana at almost midnight on a Thursday night, and I was on the combine with David by the next morning. So Friday and Saturday David taught me and then rode in the extra seat while I got the hang of it. I then drove alone Sunday through Thursday night. Friday we moved the combines again and did work on them. We have another few hundred acres left, and they are almost ready to cut. I have had fun "working" since agriculture is near and dear to my heart. I just pray that someday Grouchy and I can have our own farming operation. It is our dream and goal for our future, and while it seemed like for years it would happen, the stars never lined up or God sheltered us from things we could not see. I still pray for it to happen, and I have faith that somehow it will.

Meanwhile, Garrett is back in Idaho doing five mornings per week in a special day class at the local public school. Medicaid, through the Katie Beckett program, allotted him 22 hours of weekly developmental therapy, and our local caregivers were willing to get trained and all, so his therapist are really our very dear friends who already know and love and understand Garrett. He has been thriving in their care and at school!!! I am so thankful to Andrea and Shelby for all the time and love they are putting into his therapy!!! I love you girls!!!!

As for Addie and Ainslee, they have been hanging out with some homeschool friends, cousins and grandparents along with aunts and uncles. Grouchy and I worked so much last week that we didn't see anybody for any reason besides David, the truck drivers, the farmers whose crops we were harvesting, and Grouchy's cousin, Bo. Bo rocks and made "work" so much more fun!! Grouchy fretted over his inability to teach me.....according to him.....and I truly loved operating the combine, crawling all over the machine learning to clean filters, add fluids, check oil, grease everything and even do some minor troubleshooting. I even got to hope off of my machine 5 times to dig dirt and fire ants out of the header...not fun!!! The days were goign by so fast because operating the machine means total concentration and focus each second. My brain needed that!! So while in LA, I still didn't get to go visit really. I saw a few people for a very short time. Sorry!!! I hope our next trip down will maybe be more leisurely!!! But then I would miss my office if that were the case!!!! I would love for my office to be coast to coast so I could enjoy it in Idaho too someday!!!

Please pray for our Mito kiddos tonight. So many are suffering and in need of grace and PEACE.

Also, the Muscular Dystrophy Telethon is on 6 pm to midnight this coming Sunday, and there are some seriously great artists headlining including Lady Antebellum (LOVE THEM!!!!), Darius Rucker (previously known as Hootie from Hootie and the Blowfish), Martina McBride and Celine Dion. Jerry Lewis retired after years and years of honorable service, and now it looks like MDA has modernized and revamped the show, and I think it will help things lots!! So tune in!! Also, if watching from a Baton Rouge, LA, channel, be on the lookout for our family's segment. They aired it the past two years and may use it again. Also look out for Addie in the MDA Camp viseo they may show from this past summer. We do hope we can make it to help at the telethon Sunday, even if only the kiddos make it.

Off to bed early after I design a piece to include Garrett's photo and Mito info to include with our bracelets we are selling. THANK YOU to those of you have purchased bracelets. If you need one, just comment below and I will get it to you!!!

Godspeed and WATCH THE MDA TELETHON PLEEEEEEASE!!!!
Clara-Leigh