We Will Sing a New Song...: One Fine, October, Sunday Afternoon...

We've been extremely busy as of late. Trey has been working very long hours, (a lot of 12 hour days), and I've been busy doing my things here at home and more. Last Thursday Trey and the guys put the floor in the 1800's log cabin that we are restoring. On Friday they put the porch floor down (I even got to help hammer in some boards! I know it probably sounds funny, but I LOVE hammering in nails! Thanks Dad, for teaching me how to use a hammer all those wonderful years ago.) Saturday morning the guys set up their homemade compound machine to hoist the square logs up to the top of what has already been built and started the second story of the cabin. It is very hard labor and dangerous, too! While the guys were hard at work on the cabin, we ladies were busy, busy inside! Prairie Fest is this coming weekend and we were doing some last minute preparation on our period costumes. We made wool jackets for the little boys, wool pinafores for the young girls and wool capes for the ladies. I still have to make my own cape, talk about last minute! Also Amanda was there for a visit and she made a dress and pinafore for Moriah and a shirt for Justus. It was like a sweat shop in the McDaniel's kitchen; we had three sewing machines going and really could have used a fourth. There was material everywhere and someone was constantly cutting out fabric for the next piece of clothing. When there are 16 people (most of which are growing like weeds!) to clothe in period costume, it can get a little crazy! We accomplished a lot and had so much fun together, though!

When you get so busy doing important things that need to be done, it is easy to exhaust yourself. Working long hours for a short period of time is okay, but if you continue in that for very long, there will soon be nothing left of you. Trey and I haven't had much time together lately, and I've been missing him like crazy! I get lonely for him when I only see him at meal times and when we drop into bed, exhausted from the long day. I want to be near Trey and do as much together as possible! The years keep passing and the work will always be there, but the people we love may not always be. Relationships, especially between Husband and Wife are more important than any physical achievement you will ever have. It is important to take time to communicate with each other and share common interests and goals. The fewer common interests that you share the further apart you drift. I am so thankful that Trey and I share so many of the same interests! It does take work sometimes, though, to be interested in what your spouse is, but as a result you are both blessed!

Directly after worship on Sunday we left for an afternoon of togetherness! We drove down South to the Shawnee National Forest and Fern Cliff. We spread our blanket upon the grass at the edge of a beautiful lake and had a picnic. There was hardly a person in sight as we enjoyed quietly observing the lake and wildlife around us. We went for a short hike and discovered a field full of clover. I could not resist jumping right in the center of it and lying down! It was so relaxing and peaceful.