Forgive me followers, for I have sinned....

It has been two weeks since my last post.

Whew...forgive me for keeping you all hanging! You know, sometimes life just gets in the way. I've had a busy few weeks! It's been quite a juggle of school, mommy duties, wife duties, and the whole purchasing/renovating a house thing. But, I will survive! =)

The first week of school was a little overwhelming, but I can say with confidence, that I have finally adjusted. I put my big girl panties on, haven't been late, gotten lost, or confused my schedule lately. This week I had three exams and I passed with flying colors! I can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I can handle this! I can also say that I, without a doubt, know that this field of work is my calling. It has comes so natural. Thank heavens.

So, lets back it up a few weeks. I've been meaning to share my very latest experience with the farming gig, but for obvious reasons, I just haven't gotten around to it.

Before I get into that though, I have to share one thing. Every time I think "I just didn't get around to it", I think of a sermon I heard years ago where my preacher spoke to us about the "round toit". Long story short, he preached about how we often say we will get around to it, and life gets so in the way that we forget to make time for what's most important in our lives. I know I've used the saying a million times, and I feel guilty each and every time because I think, what have I not gotten around to lately? Especially in a religious since. So, if I have any bit of advice for you today, it is...make time for God and those you love. Don't always think you will get a "round toit". What have you not gotten around to today?

ANYWAY...pardon the interruption! I always seem to get off on some random tangent in the midst of getting to the real point of my story.

David has finally wrapped up this "session" as I call it of this years tobacco. For several weeks now actually he has had his tobacco cut and hung. What a relief! It couldn't have been better timing. He has been such a HUGE help as I have started school. It feels so good to have him around!

So the day before I started school, David got a wild hair and actually asked if I would help him cut tobacco. (Whaaattt?) Of course, I was thrilled that he asked me to help! And obviously, I had no idea what I was getting into! It topped the charts on the "hardest things I've ever done" list.

And as usual, I made sure I got pictures of myself doing it! I just HAD to document my experience. I guess I can officially check it off my bucket list. hahahaha....

Me, the bandana, and my tomahawk. 

Did I mention this was one of the hardest things I've ever done? Oh yeah, I did. What I didn't mention is what a MAN I had to be while doing it. I popped a squat like a man, blew my nose like a man (because I was still battling a cold & couldn't find anything to blow my nose with), and drank from a dirty water cooler that who knows who's mouth had been on...like a man. Yep, I played the part alright...and I got after it, just to make sure David knew I was tough! ;) I cut while David speared. I think I put a pretty good dent in the patch, if I do say so myself!

At one point though, I stopped and asked him if he was turned off by my dirty, nasty, stinky, slave-working self. Luckily he said it made him love me even more! tehehe.

Posing in front of the patch.

All patched up. In a fair amount of pain.

Something's in my eye.

Unfortunately, my virgin hands didn't withstand the manual labor for long! I had a glove on my left hand (the one I was grabbing the tobacco stalks with), but did not have a glove on my right hand, which I was using to cut the tobacco. P.S. I was using a tomahawk that honestly looked like it came straight out of a history museum in the "Cowboys and Indians" section!!!

Probably no more than 8 stalks into the patch I noticed my hand started stinging and looked down to see that my skin was literally peeling off my fingers in MULTIPLE places. Ouch.

So David, being the loving husband that he is (ha),  rigged me up with electrical tape, as you can see in the above pictures, and I got right back to it. This scores me major wifey points if you ask me.

The next day at school, once I finally made it to class, my hands were so sore and raw that I couldn't write my name! My teachers were probably wondering what level of education I had previously, judging by my chicken scratch.

The best little helper!

Oaks was right up in the mix for a while, before heading off on the 4-wheeler with Papa. He loved every second of it of course. He found a stick and started mimicking me. I think he did more damage than he did good..considering he whacked more than a few stalks down to nothing, but it was the cutest thing ever!

The farmer and his wife.

All in all, I can probably say with certainty that I will never volunteer to help with cutting again. It was kinda horrible. I was rewarded with a terrible headache afterwards and was out of commission for the rest of the day. However, I'm proud of myself and can say that I am getting pretty darn good at this farmer's wife gig. =)

Have a lovely labor day weekend my friends,

Loren