Peightonism

Peighty, daddy, and I were walking to the car after the Prairie Days parade in Clarkfield, when she told daddy to watch out for the "tree poop".  Her "tree poop" was pine cones that fell off the tree!

CDA, Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree

Things with God's Garden Preschool didn't work out due to a number of reasons such as lack of support from the church, lack of funding, economy and families not being able to afford the tuition, and the main reason...wasn't God's plan.  After a lot of prayer, I applied for a preschool assistant position in Head Start at Bert Raney Elementary in Granite Falls.  I interviewed at 9 and was offered the job.  One of the benefits of working for Head Start is that they will pay for my education to return to school and get my degree in Early Childhood Education, whether is be my CDA renewal, Associates, Bachelor's or even Master's.  I am currently waiting for my CDA renewal to processed and am currently taking 12 credits this summer to obtain my AS in Child Development through MNWest.  It is nice that I get to obtain my degrees through online classes.  I am quite overwhelmed with the class load this summer semester, but am thankful for the opportunity and want to obtain my degrees as soon as I can!
I doubt my abilities, but take each day as it comes.  My focus is Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength".

My Little Dubba

Preston Bradley Dandurand

It is so hard to believe that my oldest is a 2012 Yellow Medicine East High School Graduate!  I am so proud of Preston!  He has really had to work hard for his diploma!   During 4th quarter, we found out that he was a credit and a half short in order to graduate.  He had to do a full semester on social studies and a half credit of english in a matter of about 8 weeks.  He had to do over 100 packets in that amount of time.  His attitude when he found out this information was so negative and he felt so hopeless.  With the support of Denine Rutledge and some encouragement from us. and A LOT of hardwork from Preston, HE DID IT!  He graduated with 2 1/2 extra credits!  

His plan for college is to attend Ridgewater College, majoring in Agri-Business and then (hopefully) transferring to SMSU to obtain his Bachelor's Degree.  He will be living at home and commuting to Willmar.  Along with school, he will be working at a Marina in Willmar and possibly at Menard's as well.

He has become quite the young man.  My prayer for him is that he will finish school and get his degree, find a good job, save some money, and renew his relationship with God!

Timber!

So, on day 4 (August 19th) of us living on the farm, Paxton decides to climb our big maple in the front of the house. As you can probably guess where this is going, he falls from the tree, breaking his fall with his left wrist. Glasses go flying and left wrist is completely discombobulated! After a super fast ride to the medical center, a quick x-ray, and doctor visit....we are then on our way, quite rapidly, to Marshall where the Orthopedist is awaiting our arrival at the hospital. One look at the x-ray, a little IV, some pain killers, and Paxton is in surgery getting 3 pins put in his wrist,along with a beautiful blue cast!

He was such a trooper through the whole thing...he was in a lot of pain right up until surgery. He fractured the growth plate in his wrist and dislocated his radius to a pretty bad degree! $8400 later and out for the football season, he is recooperating quite well and is getting the pins out on September 20 and then either a replacement cast or a splint for the remaining 2 weeks! Not a great way to start out his freshman year, but we are very thankful that he didn't get more hurt than that!

Of course, Brad is out of town on a business trip during the action...missing out again, on a wonderfully stressful situation....I think God purposely makes him absent for these things...lol!

Farm Life Is For Us!

Life for the Dandurands' has been busy to say the least! We moved to the farm the middle of August (a few days shy from a whole month). Life out here is great! It is so peaceful and private! I love just being outside and enjoying the little simplicities like gardening, mowing, pulling weeds, taking care of the puppies and the chickens, and watching Peighton enjoy farm life. These times are my therapy from all the business going on in the house and in our lives!

Brad has been really busy with the business and trying to keep up with work, the house, the grove, etc. There is a lot to do on the farm both with the house and the outbuildings, but it is so rewarding getting the opportunity to completely make it our own! Brad's parents have been such Godsends to us! They are always lending a helping hand. It is so nice to be around family again!

The boys have started school again and that has been a wonderful thing for both of them. The summer was getting to be too long! Now they seem to have a purpose again.

Preston got in with a wrong crowd over the summer and it is nice to see him off that path and unto a more straighter one! He is now hanging out with a great group of guys that enjoy fishing and just hanging out! We were really starting to worry about him and the path he was going down! Thank you, Jesus for bringing him back to where he needs to be! It is so nice to see the boys enjoying the farm, too. They go out and shoot their guns, ride dirt bike, mow the lawn, enjoy bonfires, etc. They enjoy being boys with a lot of room to move.

Paxton has had an eventful first few weeks of farm life....he was climbing our big maple in the front yard and fell out of it breaking his wrist, requiring surgery and 3 pins (see my next blog entry for the continued story)!

And then there is Peighton...to watch farm life through her eyes is priceless! She loves to play with the puppies, always making sure they have plenty of water and usually a bath or two while replenishing their water. She loves her chickens and looks forward to collecting eggs each day, 10 times a day she is checking to see how they are doing and if they have laid more eggs. When they do provide eggs she says" Thank you chickens for the eggs!" She stays so busy on the farm from morning until night! She rides her four wheeler around, plays with the puppies, collects eggs and hangs out in the chicken coop with them, picks produce from the garden, and her latest adventure is picking up "walmarts" from the ground of our walnut trees. She is so happy out here that nothing else seems to matter! I love seeing life in her way!

Well, my update entry of farm life must be cut short as the laundry room is calling my name...must paint and add the final touches so we can finally do laundry at our house...another simplicity that I will no longer take for granted!

Chloe and Company

Chloe, our BullMastiff that we got from Brad's Uncle Ernie, came to us skinny and pregnant...breed by his American Bulldog. Chloe delivered 12 puppies on July 1st. The 12th pup however was a stillborn male. It was such an amazing opportunity to be there during the delivery of all the pups. I was in Chloe's whelping box with her for over 9 hours! There are light brindle, dark brindle, and tan pups. They are so adorable! When the stillborn pup was born, that was hard to take! I have never been a part of the delivery of animals, since we always have gotten our dogs fixed before that point. You get so attached to your pets, it is devastating when you loose one! After a week, the pups were doing great,except for one we named Patch, because he had a little white tuft of fur on his neck. He began to really take steps back, wasn't growing and nursing. I began feeding him multiple times a day to try to save him, but it wasn't God's plan! Patch died on July 8th! The other 10 puppies (5 female and 5 male) are doing great! They are growing and nursing and their eyes are starting to open! They are so beautiful! We are looking to sell all of them but 1 or 2. We are getting so attached to them that it will be hard to see them go!

Peighton named the first born pup, Claire and she has named one Zsa Zsa, and she thinks daddy should name his pup Jackson. Where she comes up with these name is beyond me!

Feeling Lost In Minnesota

I know that God has a plan for my life, but when it isn't revealed and I am totally walking by faith, that makes for major confusion and hope that I am walking in His will. I look back on leaving Arizona and going to Colorado and I see God's hand on that move and decision because of Brad's heart condition and the amazing care he received while in Colorado, but as I was going through it, I didn't understand His plan at all. I am very grateful to be out of Colorado, but it seems that everything we try to do here, just doesn't turn out right. I am trying to start this Christian Preschool and I feel like I am swimming upstream like a salmon against the current! My intentions are good, I have a lot of experience and passion for teaching preschool, but I find myself up against so many odds!

I know part of it is that I am trying to do this on my own and not seeking God's direction and guidance. I feel like I have grown so far away from God and not letting Him take control of my life and what He has planned for it.

I feel so frustrated and overwhelmed with all that needs to be done for the Preschool to open in September:

1. licensing through the state of MN (and the state is shutdown)

2. financing to buy all the preschool supplies and furniture, licensing, and CDA

3. enrollment numbers (lack there of...only two kids are enrolled and one is mine)

4. getting my CDA credential completed

Not only am I feeling lost, but we all feel displaced in our own way. Paxton and Preston just got back from a two week vacation in Arizona, so their hearts are back their, along with mine! Brad has been traveling a lot for work in IN, KY, and OH. He hates being away from home, but doesn't really know why we are in Minnesota. I think if we were given the opportunity to move back to AZ, we would all agree to do it.

Preston is a senior this year, and I am so worried about what will happen to him. He has a lot of growing up to do and is pretty lazy without ambition. I really wonder what he will do after high school! He makes some pretty dumb decisions at times, not thinking about the outcome!

Our whole family has fallen away from our relationship with God. We have found a church that we think would be a good fit, but since we are not in the Granite community, it make it more difficult, since we feel so disconnected. Once we move out onto the farm, I know things will feel more real and we will feel more connected!

We have a huge move to the farm coming up as well and all the work that goes with that!

Not to mention, we are the owners of 7 chickens, 2 rabbits, 3 adult dogs, and 10 new puppies!

My garden has weeds galore..needs watering and WEEDING!!!!!!

We have bills to pay, dental work needed, truck to pay to fix, etc.

Life is just so overwhelming right now! I just want to climb in the arms of Jesus and just hide out in His love! Jesus take the wheel of my life!