Loving and Learning on the High Plains: 2012 by the Numbers

January:

3,278

The number of miles we drove (round trip) to visit my family in Pennsylvania for a belated Christmas. It was a wonderful time, with my family there in PA, and my sister and her family from Alaska. We caught up with old friends, visited the PA Farm Show, and had a wonderful time.

While we were there, our youngest son, Wyatt, accepted Christ into his heart. I know the angels rejoiced! Shortly after we returned home Mayda turned 6. Fun times!

February:
24
The number of doughnuts we made (and ate) on Fat Tuesday or Fastnacht Day. It was a busy month of school and field trips.

March:

100

The number of row-feet of potatoes we planted. We laid the foundations for a nice garden, planting radishes and lettuce as well. The mild spring meant we were picking produce earlier than ever.

Warm weather meant an outdoor lunch in March!

April:

140

The number of chicks in our barn in April. We received 100 Cornish cross, and 25 egg layer types in the mail, and then I bought 15 more fryers at the feed store the next week. It was a real adventure! We were in love with all those cute fuzzy butts!

May:

96

The number of blessings actually counted that month. It was a joy to join other women everywhere counting blessings with Ann Voskamp. Several other times in the year I blogged my blessings as well. So far I've put names on over 432 blessings. What a difference a perspective of Gratitude can bring.

June:

21

The number of softball and baseball games attended, plus tournaments. It was the first year for both Tyler and Emma, and we spent about 3 evenings a week driving to games here and in the neighboring towns. We got really good at packing a cooler for supper and finding the best shade. Tyler's team took second place for their club age group. Emma had a blast pitching and found she has a real knack for it. My Dad and brother, Tim, were able to come watch the kids play, so that was really special.

July:

1.6

The number of miles to the top of the local landmark, the Scottsbluff National Monument. The cousins and the kids climbed it (with the aged adults huffing and puffing along) the day before Tyler turned 11. We celebrated that with a day swimming at the lake. It was a busy month ending with a trip to visit Ben's folks for a county fair carnival tradition. The carnival is one of our favorite family traditions and when we get home from their fair, ours is just beginning.

August:

5-H

This is the number you get when you add homeschoolers to 4-H. The fair is always fun and usually occurs about the same time my garden thinks I should spend 24 hours a day canning produce. Even so, we spent every day of the week at the county fair and the kids had a blast. Tyler and Emma entered photography exhibits this year, in addition to showing rabbits and chickens. Mayda also showed a rabbit for the first time. It was really neat! Emma also turned 10 this month and we celebrated by camping at the lake. I can hardly believe she is in the double digits!

Emma's purple ribbon photo.

September:

4

The number of students in our homeschool, since Wyatt turned 5 in September. We started back at the books on Labor Day (appropriate, yes?), and the kids have been having fun learning ever since. Wyatt is doing Kindergarten with My Father's World curriculum, and I'm amazed at how much he has soaked up already. The garden was wrapping up early due to the heat and drought, but we did get a second round of lettuce that lasted into October.

first day of school

October:

858

The number of square feet on the National Geographic Asia Map, which we explored when it came to our town. October was filled with fun school outings, as well as our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

November:

70

The number of Van Gogh paintings we visited in person at the Denver Art Museum. It was a wonderful opportunity and we were so thankful to get to go. As for thankfulness, we were also very thankful to spend Thanksgiving with Ben's folks and while there we saw many aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as his grandma, Beth, who is recovering from hip surgery. We also enjoyed a visit from my folks that month, and my grandma, Bettie, turned 86!

December:

90

The number of Christmas cards I bought back in January, but didn't get mailed until the week of Christmas... without even a letter inside. Procrastination at its best. I think I was just enjoying the Christmas season so thoroughly I didn't want to sit down and get them done! But we did get a lovely picture to put in, thanks to my sister Jessica, who was visiting from PA this month. We also enjoyed a Christmas program at church, where Emma was able to play Mary. We can hardly believe how the year has flown, and have innumerable blessings to count as we look around us. More numbers I suppose. ;)