Harvest has begun

As I watched Tony leave this morning, I found myself almost tearing up at the thought that he would begin harvesting his bean fields today.  The emotion of knowing that we had made it through a move, planting of crops, settling in to our new home and life and finally harvest was almost more than I could handle without at least one cup of coffee in me.  I could tell that he had a little more zip in his step today.  The combine would be out and harvesting would officially begin, today, Thursday, September 26.  Hallelujah!

Now begins long days and shorter nights, racing to get the crops picked before the first frost sets in.  Prayers will continue that we have a great yield and that somehow prices of corn will bounce back up to where they were earlier this year.  Prayers that our farmers stay safe and healthy.  What I know is that I can't control any of this and THAT is something that I have to remind myself of day in and day out.  Just because you do the work and work harder than most people doesn't mean that you are guaranteed financial success or even survival. I am nervous and worried but know God's great plan will carry us through.  Blind faith, complete faith and hope.  So proud of the Hinkle men.

Just trying to find my place

While driving to Fort Branch yesterday, which is about a half an hour south of Vincennes to drop off play yards that kept the twins contained and me sane for many, many months, I found myself thinking and reflecting (always dangerous).  With much joy and sadness, my little tornadoes have outgrown those North States play yards and now another wonderful soul can enjoy the benefits of containment of little people who make our heads spin, our hearts leap with joy and cause us to collapse completely exhausted at the end of the day.  It is amazing how much one can process when you don't have kids screaming, tractor videos going on in the background or rounds of twinkle, twinkle being sung at a level that could be heard two counties over.

I LIVE IN KNOX COUNTY.  I LIVE IN VINCENNES.  

MY HUSBAND IS A FARMER.  

Yep, that is what kept shouting at me this time in my car.  How the heck did I get here?!  Oh, right, I made that choice a little over a year ago.  We made the choice to leave our lives in Indianapolis for better opportunities for our children and us.  Small town life, family and fellowship.

So...many of you have asked how we are doing, how is the adjustment, what is small town life like...?  So many questions and I love how mysterious our life seems to be to the outside world.  Well here are your answers from my perspective.

TONY - My husband is amazing.  He is thriving and happy.  His work is hard, never ending, challenging and also boring, annoying, exciting and fulfilling.  He gets to work day in and day out with his brothers and dad.  I can honestly say that I have never seen him more relaxed and happy in my entire life. Tony is your classic introvert, yet here he is my social butterfly.  He makes the introductions in social settings, he has the connections...talk about a role reversal.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't know that he is where is suppose to be.

EMILY - My adaptable child who can fit in no matter where she goes.  She seems to really like Franklin Elementary and has made a few friends.  She misses Greenbriar and her buddies but I think she is making her own little spot in Mrs. Allen's 1st grade class.

Em with her 1st Vincennes buddy, Caden, and Olivia, her oldest and dearest friend from Indy.

Em with Mercedes, her new friend from school.

She has joined the Vincennes Swim Club and is like fish (I think that we have found her sport).  What I realize is that everything she does, she does with purpose and persistence.  Time is on her side and she will continue to find where she belongs.

MAC and HARRISON (Tractor/Combine as we like to call them).  I think that if you asked them, they would say, "why didn't we move here sooner?"  Tractors and trains, lots of mud and cows and pumpkins.  What else do little boys need?

Seeing the boys and also Em with Tony's family just makes my heart smile.  So much love and support and I can see just how happy and blessed not only the kiddos are but also their parents.

ME - I am just trying to find my place in this town.  I feel like that new kid in gym class when you are picking teams, praying that I won't get picked last or that no one wants me on their team.  "Pick me!  Pick me!" my inner voice screams. Vincennes is a great town and the people are friendly and nice.  I know that with time, I will make connections and find where I am suppose to be and what my purpose is.  Right now, I am a mom and a wife, trying to raise 3 kids and support my husband in a job that few would ever take on.  God has put me here for a reason and I do believe that we are living out his plan for us.

SO I have to put on my big girl panties, be brave and ultimately have faith that I can let go of my city girl self to embrace the beauty that a country girl can see, live and love.

SO...

TRACTOR SHOW!

From the moment that Mac wakes up and raises his sweet little head, two words will ring out from his tiny little mouth.  TRACTOR SHOW!  It will start off soft and almost like a question, "tractor show?"  As I carry him down the stairs in the morning, the words get louder.  By the time we reach the hallway on our way to the family room, he has broken out into a full on chant including arm movements.  "Tractor show, tractor show, tractor show."  You feel like you are at a rally for tractors and this is a routine that we have gone through for the past two months or so and it continues today.  He never waivers on his request, even if I suggest music or possibly Curious George.  He will just look at me like I have three heads, cock his head and respond very flatly, "tractor show."

Well, when several members of our family suggested we take the kids to Elnora for the 29th Annual White River Valley Association Antique Show, you better believe we jumped at that chance (Elnora is another wonderful small town in the county over).  Trent, my brother-in-law, said that it would be a lot like the State Fair but with more local fare.  Man, was he spot on with that description.

So, let's just say that I spent the first half hour in complete and total amazement.  I have never seen so many tractors, combines and other farm equipment in one place in my entire life.  The little boys have been enjoying John Deere tractor videos and I felt like I was living them right then and there.  I saw tractors from 1914, a Johnny Popper Model D from 1924, John Deere 1954 tractor...man, I could go on and on.  And if you thought I was excited, you should have seen the little boys.  You would have thought that they would have gone crazy but they just stood and stared.  So many tractors in one place...what was a little boy to do?!

We arrived just as the tractor parade was beginning and spent a good half hour watching all different types and brands of tractors, combines, mowers and other equipment go by.  One word, AWESOME! 

We spent most of our afternoon with the tractors.  The boys and Em finally warmed up, literally, and wanted to get on every tractor that they saw.  Thankfully, a few kind souls allowed our children to live out their lifelong dream of sitting on an antique tractor (ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but you can see the joy on their faces).

So excited that Aunt Penny could join us!

We did walk around a bit but it was hot and really, really crowded so our trip was a little shorter than I had hoped.  I had to laugh at this picture below because I look like such a city slicker with my sun hat and big glasses compared to the rest of the folks at the event.  Silly Leigh!

The event did not disappoint and we can't wait to go back next year.

Pumpkins, Pupkins, Pokins and Putkins.

So I have tried to write this post about 100 times but find myself struggling to get it all down on paper.  Not because I don't have anything to say about pumpkins but because I have too much.  I LOVE the pumpkin fields around my families' homes.  Every time we go out to the farm, we see hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins.  The boys start screaming "pupkin, pupkin, pupkin" or "pokin, pokin" and sometimes even "putkins".  Yeah, I find myself screaming the same thing too.  How silly is that?!  I mean they are just pumpkins, we see them every year in a store, we buy them, put them on our porches, sometimes carve them and that is it.  But this is different, so different.  I have seen these pumpkins grow from seeds, to vines, to blossoms and now full on pumpkins.  It might be the coolest thing I have ever experienced.  Seeing them doesn't get old and I find myself looking forward to the next time I will be out in the pumpkin patch.

Migrant workers pile up the pumpkins so that workers can load them in buses
and wagons to be transported back to farms and eventually to grocery stores
and markets across the country.  Thanks Tammy Yochum for this great pic!

Mouzin Farms rented the land around the Hinkle compound to grow pumpkins this year.  In June and even July, the fields weren't that impressive.  With all the rain that we had, it took awhile for the pumpkin crop to get going.  Even after the the vines came up, I wasn't sure if there would be a lot of pumpkins to look at. The pictures below were taken on July 19th (we have pumpkins, a little green but they are starting to grow).  The fields still look pretty bare.

Harrison touching a "young" pumpkin.

Oliva and Thomas Weintraut enjoying the pumpkin fields on their visit in July.

Once August hit and the heat settled in, the pumpkins took off.  Did you know that farmers put bee boxes near the pumpkin fields so that the bees can pollinate the pumpkin plants?  Without pollination, we would not have pumpkins.  Did you know that the state of Illinois grows over 90% of the processed pumpkins in the US.  I personally believe that number is lower because there are more and more pumpkins being grown in southern Indiana.  Here is a fun link to learn more about pumpkins.  http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/facts.cfm

What I am blown away at is how much labor is involved with harvesting these orange wonders.  The workers harvesting the fields around my sister and brother-in-law's home were from Florida.  These men would take what looked like hedge clippers and walk through the fields and clip the pumpkins that were ripe and ready to go.  Another group would pick and line up all the pumpkins.  Finally another group would form an assembly line, pick and then toss one by one the pumpkins to the man next to them until it got to the wagon or bus.  Once there, one man was responsible for stacking, very carefully, all the pumpkins for transportation.  I have been told that this is an art and takes much skill to maximize the number of pumpkins on the wagon or bus while making sure that none fall off during transportation.

A bus load ready to head to Mouzin Farms for processing.

Pumpkins up close in the bus.

The little boys and I have especially enjoyed the pumpkin fields this year.  Harrison is OBSESSED with pumpkins.  He will pick them up and carry them around like a baby.  He runs from one pumpkin to the next, each one seeming more exciting then the first.  Mac follows right behind, touches the pumpkin and yells, "pupkin!".

Tammy, my sister-in-law, told me that they are planning on picking the fields three times and then will be done.  Let me just say that the Hinkle house will have more pumpkins then they know what to do with this year because I have a feeling there will be plenty of pumpkins left after Mouzin Farms is done with them. The invitation is open if you want to come to Knox County to pick your pumpkins :).  The more the merrier.  No worries, I will post a picture of all of our pumpkins on our beautiful front porch once we are done.  This city girl can't wait for fall to officially be here to celebrate her favorite time of year.  But, I think I may be able to celebrate a little early since the pumpkin crop is in full bloom.  Cheers to the BEST time of year!

Yes I will take a pork chop the size of Texas, please.

What a farm week it has been!  The little boys, Tony and I went to JL Farm Equipment Co., Inc. for "Customer Appreciation Day" on Wednesday.  Now, when I here Customer Appreciation Day, I think "deep discounts on items and maybe a cupcake or some chocolate."  Yeah, JL does customer appreciation a little differently.  I have never seen so many trucks, farmers and blue jeans in a limited space in my entire life. To say that the little boys were in farm heaven is an understatement.  So many tractors and combines, plus cookies and ice cream.  It was truly the Disney of the little boy world and my little boys had an express pass to all the attractions.  It is really hard to put into words what this event was like so I will narrate via picture.

Yes, every vehicle in attendance is a truck except for our lame minivan.  Talk about being a fish out of water.

3 farm boys enjoying the day.

Yes, all farmers standing in line to eat.  Eat what, you might ask? Well, pork chops from Dewig Meats which is local and amazing.  Now, I will tell you that I WAS looking all cute in my khaki shorts and turquoise shirt that said "I kissed a farmer and I liked it." Tony bought it for me and I felt "all country" wearing it.  Yeah, I might have been a smidge out of place but I totally owned it and smiled at all those blue jean farmers.

Dewig Meats, which is a local meat provider and butcher grilled up our grub (http://www.dewigmeats.com/).  Pork chops I swear as big as my head and so juicy. My stomach starts grumbling and my mouth begins to water just thinking about those chops.

See as big as Texas and was so good that I found myself eating it by hand and nibbling as much as I could off the bone.  Anyone who knows me knows how much I HATE eating meat off the bone so you have to know that is was pretty incredible meat.

Simply Simple

I woke up this morning feeling exhausted.  Not a great way to start your Monday but it was my reality.  With the exhaustion comes the need to be cranky, lazy and just plain blah... As I sent Em off with Tony to catch the bus, I felt and saw the beauty of today and decided to fight that exhaustion with all my might.  I wanted to enjoy this beautiful Monday with my little guys, not wish it away or waste it away inside while they watched endless hours of tractor videos.  So I powered through my second cup of coffee, got the boys dressed and decided that we should take a walk.  Of course, after getting both them and me ready, I was even more exhausted and I really just wanted to turn right around and head to the couch.  Thankfully, I just kept moving with the boys right out the front door.

It was simply gorgeous outside and I instantly gained some energy.  We started our walk only to make it a few yards and had to stop because there was a small mound of dirt.  As I watched the little boys play in this piddly pile of dirt, it dawned on me that I had access to endless amounts of dirt.  Why weren't we there, playing and enjoying the day.  This city girl had almost forgotten where she was and why she was here.

So I scooped them up and to the FARM we went.

Most of the soil around the farm is sand which is AWESOME, making it the largest sandbox EVER!  As we headed out to the farm, I realized that it had been almost 2 weeks since I had been out there.  Too long!  Just driving down Main Street road made me feel more at ease, calmer and more at peace.  I found myself smiling, almost chuckling, as the boys shouted "big tractor, combine, pumpkin, corn, and MOO."  Melons were overflowing in wagons and corn was so high that I couldn't see around bends.  The overall view of healthy, farm fields was breathtaking (sounds strange I know but watching the corn wave in the wind created this amazing picture...wish you all could be here to see it).

Upon arriving, we found our "perfect sandbox" which sits right at the end of the road that leads to the fields by the house. With combines, tractors and a few snack cups in hand the boys got right down to it and so did I.  Not too long after beginning "our great dig" as I like to call it, Tony pulled up on the John Deere.  Exciting things were happening just down the dirt road and he invited us to join him.  An excavator was there to dig up a couple of trees.  Well for anyone who is a boy or who has boys, you know that this is quite the event.  We once again scooped up the boys and relocated them down the road.  We found a shady spot (which is very hard to do because Jerry has just about dug up all the trees) and resumed our sand playing.  Just down the road, we could see the excavator working to dig up dirt and eventually the trees.  My boys were in heaven.

We played for well over an hour in that spot digging, dumping, oohing and aahing at the dirt and the trees falling.  It was the most fun that I have had in a long time.  The joy that I gained from watching my two boys play in the dirt and to see their two faces when the tree came crashing down was just priceless.  My sister-in-law brought the Ranger down and Harrison even enjoyed a speedy ride on it.  It was like we were at Disney World for little boys.  They don't need much, actually less is more in their case.  Having their mom and aunt, a little dirt, some combines and an excavator is all they really need.

I love this quote from Laura Ingalls Wilder because it reminded that it is quite simply, the simple things in life that we gain the most joy from.

"It's the simple things in life that make living worthwhile 

- sweet fundamental things such as love." 

-Laura Ingalls Wilder

First Day of the First Grade

We are well into the first full week of school and I am finding it hard to believe that my sweet, little girl is in first grade.  Like all parents, I continue to find myself saying, "where has the time gone."  One week ago today, we put her on the bus to a school where we really knew no one.  Talk about an overwhelming feeling to an already overwhelming day.  I felt a little more at ease knowing that my brother-in-law, Trent, was driving her.  What a wonderful surprise and blessing!  Trent will fill in as needed for the the schools and I sure was glad that the original bus drivers decided that they "just didn't want to drive this year."  Emily was totally surprised too and I hope made her transition a little bit easier.

I am constantly amazed by my daughter.  She is smart and so wise, too wise for a 6 year old.  We have always said that she is an old soul.  Her beauty, well, it is pretty overwhelming.  Her heart is pure gold and the kindness and generosity that she shows towards others, especially her crazy brothers is rather humbling.  I am so very proud of her and I hope that when I grow up I can be as amazing as she is.

I remember the night before school started laying in bed with her and asking her how she felt about going to a new school.  "Mom, I am excited and I can't wait to begin school," she said.  Then there was a long pause.  "But mom, what if the kids laugh at me or what if no one wants to play with me as recess?"  Like any mom, my heart sunk.  I have been having those same thoughts too, because I know how kids can be.  I want to shield my children from all the hurt that is out there but that is not reality or the real world.  I could keep them in a little bubble but then that is not life.  Life is beautiful and amazing but is also ugly, mean and painful.  I thought, I thought really hard about what I was going to say, "Well, some kids may laugh at you but because you are funny, not to make fun.  And some kids might not be as nice on the first day because they are scared and nervous just like you.  And if some kids are mean, remember that they just don't know any better.  You're sorry they are like that and move on.  Remember, we love you, God loves you and you are one amazing, awesome first grader who EVERYONE will want to meet."  My answer was a little long winded so I got the usual "ok mom, I need to get to bed because I have big day tomorrow."  Love my big girl!

The first day went well and the first week, very exciting and fun for this little city girl.  As each day passes, both big and little CITY GIRL gain more confidence and comfort in this quaint, beautiful town.