Operation Healthy Balance

Yesterday, I experienced a new "first" in my life.  Someone that I had extended my support, love, compassion and understanding to purposely took me aside and told me how much I meant to them; how I had changed there life and made then "feel" again; how I allowed them to heal and they are meaningful. This person was my uncle who through years of dealing with depression was a broken man.  He felt unworthy of love and harboured tremendous pain and guilt.  He has lived with us on the farm for 3 years.  First with my parents and now in a fixed up house on a farm property we bought last year.  He has had to undergo many physical and emotional battles but has started to finally triumph in his own life.  He works with us as a farm hand and can always be counted on for tractor work, chores, wood cutting, lawn mowing, house repairs or just about anything you need; he is earning his keep so to speak and to be brutally honest his presence is so wonderful.  Not o...

Larrin has decided to take part in Movember this year. He's decided to go for a modified 'Hacksaw Jim Duggan' look. Off to a great start....

 The outcome of 'horse therapy'. Arlen and Grandpa...strike a pose! Birthday flowers delivered at work! No explanation needed! My sweet Kali! Boys going back to school...very proud of the little men they have become.

It's hard to believe we have been doing the Halloween wagon ride for 4 years now.  It's even harder to believe that it didn't rain despite of "Sandy". I managed to leave work one hour early, dash to the dollar store to buy cheap decorations, go home, get the halloween lights out and start decorating.  Larrin had the wagon ready with the straw seating and the boys helped me decorate.  We felt a few drops of rain while we were putting the final decorating touches on so we screamed "rain rain go away...."  To our surprise it seemed to work. Add a few sleeping bags, blankets, excited kids and hot chocolate and we were ready for the night. My "friend of a friend", Chelsea, captured the night in pictures.  She is very talented and artistic so I totally rely on her for photos of the event.  Here is her blog post about it.  See if you can pick out Chase (ghostbuster Ray), Karson (psychotic blood bathed lunatic of some sort) and Arlen (red devil ma...