Finally Home

Today marks FOUR WEEKS of me living in North Dakota. I can’t believe it. Boy, time flies! Lately life has seemed extra chaotic, busy, and overall full to the brim. Basically I got here, left to attend a convention for five days, had my family visit, and just when it feels like things are starting to settle… My weekends for the next three weeks are booked with events. This is one of those times I thank God for the fact that right now I work from home because otherwise, our house would be an absolute disaster.

But despite the chaos, our full to the brim schedules, and our messy house. Life here in North Dakota is beautiful. I am finally home and I have so much to be thankful for in life. These past four weeks mark the first couple pages of my new chapter. My beginnings in North Dakota. And these past few weeks have been nothing short of amazing…

I had my first semester in Combine College with my farmer during Wheat Harvest at the farm (Rohrich Farms).

Experiencing harvest first hand has left me with an even greater appreciation for farmers.

They work hard (much longer than 9-5), they don’t stop until the job is done and their success depends on the hand of Mother Nature.

But most importantly, farmers have a passion for what they do. Because if they didn’t, it wouldn’t be worth all the hardships.

And where would we all be without farmers..?

Everything is still growing, despite the lack of rain.
Farming has also taught me to always count your blessings and take them as they come.

We could use more rain. It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity of your crops suffering from lack of rain.

But, sometimes it’s important to put things into perspective and look on the brighter side of things.

Things could be a whole lot worse. So, even the little rain we have received, should be counted a blessing.

Rain, no rain. We keep on praying. And know that our lives and livelihoods are just part of a greater plan.

My family came to visit! After spending five days with them in the big city (St. Paul), I brought them back to NoDak.

They were thrown right in the midst of harvest, but they all took it like champs.

Mom rode in the Combine with Mark for half the day, Dad rode along on trips to the elevator, and my brother did all kinds of odd jobs.. Mostly being the go-for guy.

It was so nice to have them here. To give them a little piece of what my life is like here.

I can’t wait to have them out to visit again.

When I have time, I have been busy forging ahead on my house projects. I am happy to announce our office is ALMOST complete.

My bathroom is painted a lovely, very bright shade of sunshine yellow. (Or John Deere yellow as someone pointed out, Thank you.)

And plans have been made for the next project: Bedroom.

Stay tuned for updates.

As if life and farming didn’t consume enough of our time, my farmer and his business partner are in the midst of building a new business!

Construction has officially begun on the future site of Maverick Ag!

Foundations have been set, floor heat has been put in, and concrete is being poured. Talk about a labor of love.

Thank you to everyone who is making this possible for Mark and Matt by giving support and help when needed!

I got the amazing opportunity to capture this plane in action spraying this GORGEOUS field of sunflowers.

The inner photo-geek in me just died.

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day. I can’t wait to sit down and edit the rest of these!

Sunflowers are OFFICIALLY blooming in NoDak.

And it just makes me want to drive around and marvel at their beauty. With my camera, of course.

There is something about a seemingly endless field of sunflowers. It literally takes your breath away.

I look at these images and I can’t believe I live here. I am so blessed.

So that’s it. The beginnings of my life in North Dakota. My first pages of the new chapter, written. I told you it’s been nothing short of amazing. I am finally home. But to me, home just isn’t a place. It isn’t just four walls and a roof over your head. It’s so much more than that. It’s that feeling. It’s a person. And I am sure my farmer would agree. “For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”