Christmas 2020 Letter!! Santa, I know him!!!

“All throughout my history
Your faithfulness has walked beside me
The winter storms made way for spring
In every season, from where I’m standing
I see the evidence of Your goodness
All over my life, all over my life
I see Your promises in fulfillment
All over my life, all over my life
Help me remember when I’m weak
Fear may come but fear will leave
You lead my heart to victory
You are my strength and You always will be…”   (Evidence, Josh Baldwin)

2020 has been an exercise in finding the evidence of His goodness amidst the crazy of humanity.  We have been made uncomfortable in circumstances, challenged in our faith and inconvenienced by reality.  All the things going on around us have impacted us in ways we probably don’t even know yet, but the evidence of God’s goodness has been evident throughout the year.

In January, we moved James down to the farm where he lives with Grandma.  He works at Compeer Financial and works for farmers in his spare time.  We are so glad that James and Grandma have had each other’s company this year.

March 2020 landed three 20-year olds back home to live with us after we had mourned their moving out and gotten into a routine with just the two of us home.  How blessed were we to have a couple extra months of the triplets living together for the last time?  (That’s up for debate.) Bill and I had to make room in the freezer for the return of chicken nuggets, corn dogs, and pizza.  Milk had to be purchased.  The washer and dryer got busy.  People were awake in this home after 9PM.  We had to relearn how to live together.    

As winter ended and colors reappeared, we got sick of staying at home and were elated to get our camper out of storage and find freedom.  We invented a campground at Mike and Lynette’s and got to see most of my family over Memorial weekend.  We went up the North Shore of Minnesota with Steve and Janelle, who remain our weekend camping warrior team.  We also squeezed in a great week in the Tetons and Yellowstone with Steve and Kathleen Fischer after our trip with them to Alaska had to be cancelled.  We are not so good at hunkering down, but we did it on the down low.

In June, we decided to start the process of looking for a lake lot.  We weren’t necessarily going to buy one yet, and mostly we wanted to become educated on what was out there and where we might want to be.  We looked on a Friday night and Saturday morning, we put in an offer on our lot on Crystal Lake.  That’s how we seem to do things.  After some soul searching and conversations with our kids, we decided that we don’t need the Horace house and a year-round lake home.  It took some months of me adjusting my heart and working into the truth that our kids’ childhood home wouldn’t be our forever home, but once I got there, we started the process of looking for a small easy-to-maintain place in West Fargo where we will continue to live as our primary home while we build what will be our retirement home at the lake.  After all, Piepers don’t sit around very well, and we needed an empty nest hobby.  We will move into the little house in a month and then this spring will start the process of turning the lake lot into a home, doing as much of the work as we can by ourselves. Bored on a weekend?  Want to pound nails?  Give us a call, we are your people.

In August, Andy and Calista got married.  It was a most beautiful day with perfect weather for their outside service and reception in a barn.  They live in a campus apartment in Wahpeton while they are both finishing their degrees there.  It will be fun to see where they land and what their lives look like a year from now. 

Alli and Karalyn are halfway through their junior years. Alli will take 4.5 years to finish all of her education as she is adding the special education extension to her elementary ed major.  To do this requires longer student teaching.  Karalyn will start some PT shadowing this semester and starts looking at PT grad school options soon.  The girls and all their people pop in and out of our lives often.  “Dad, want to go to Cold Stone?”  “Mom, can we have a party at the house?”  We hope all these friends continue to keep us up to date on their lives as they move on from NDSU and out of our circle.  What a gift it is to know so many quality people and to know our children are surrounded by true friends.

So, 2020, what did you throw at us?  Everything: losing a wheel while driving down the interstate, more time with our kids, weathered hands, a new daughter-in-law, run away burn barrels, clarity on what relationships we treasure and a bounty of time to spend with those friends and family, a lake home adventure, poison ivy, two new nieces-in-law (is that a thing?), crocs, a new grandniece, the $7.99 dance, circumstances that lead us to realign priorities, stripping at the public access, a day with a wrecker, time to enjoy quietly together, and precious reminders everywhere of His goodness.  Like sweatpants are acceptable in public now.  THAT is God’s goodness.

Where are your feet?  That is a well-known trick to calm anxiety.  Where are you and are you ok in that moment and in your current circumstances?  Currently, my feet are reclined in my little old lady chair with two doods curled up on the floor by me. The Christmas tree is lit (the whole house had to be decorated one last time for Alli), I have heat and fuzzy blankets, I am thinking about what I want to eat when I finish this. I have piles of moving boxes stacked, ready for what lies ahead.  My feet are great (thighs, not as much, but that is what New Years are for.)  Turn off the news, turn off social media, and look for the fulfillment of His promises, Jesus being the most important of those. 

Weathered but Gentle

Every time I drive through Montana, I picture one of those cheesy romance novels set deep in the woods where some guy named Ryder or Chance or Weston or Zane or better yet, all four of these guys, who happen to be brothers who live on a ranch set in a mountain valley complete with a creek and acres of backwoods land where they are totally independent and find no need for women (except of course when they venture into town once every other week for a tool or beer, they turn all the girls’ heads.)  Enter beautiful city-slicker girl, maybe brought as part of a witness protection program or maybe she experienced some trauma and needs a safe place to find healing and restoration – you know, some plot that sets her up as needing a rescuer, except she is headstrong, stubborn, and does not see the need.  You know how it goes…  Anyway, we drove through Montana this last week and laughed about how Ryder/Zane/Chance/Weston is weathered but tender once he realizes he actually does need this woman.  Pieces of our road trip novel fell into place as we ventured around Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.  Did you know these novel guys can all fly fish and do so when they need to cool down after a long day of roping calves and mending fences?  The book cover looks like this (I have never read this book and it might be rated X, I don’t know, am not endorsing, but some of us need visual support to better our understanding.)

In trip planning, we quickly learned who the type A’s were – hint: not me.  The type A’s gladly get up before the 5 AM wake up call, fill their water bottles, and volunteer to take the first shifts driving while the type B (is that a thing?) people crawl into the back seat with blankets and pillows and plan for the first nap of the day.  The type B’s probably will spring to life about 10 AM after the day’s first Mt. Dew and M&M snack.  Type A’s will appreciate when the B’s take over driving, pick up the tempo, and turn up some good music while making great time towards the first destination while the A’s climb in the backseat and clean up snack trash.  First destination: Cody, WY.

We made awesome time across the beautiful states of North Dakota and Montana, where crops and cattle soak in the hot sun and then down through those romantic mountain valleys where cool streams tumble around rocks that slid down mountain sides, creating character in the river current.  We snacked on trail mix as all granola munching, tree hugging, wool sock – hiking boot wearing travelers do.  (We also downed Pringles, Oreos, and Andes Mints, because this is 2020 and why ignore the good things God has provided for us?)  As we drove the mountainous terrain, we also shared the joy found in Jolly Ranchers because its what ranchers eat, its right in the name, and also because flatlanders’ ears might not be used to sudden elevation changes greater than those experienced when cruising down a entrance ramp.

We spent a few hours in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.  If you know me, and of course you do, strangers don’t really read my blog anymore since I went on the down low, you know that museums and I just really do not mix.  I am not about learning on vacation.  That seems a little oxymoronish to me.  (Type B for those who have lost track.)  This place prides itself on being five museums in one location.  It is pretty large and had rubber gloves, face masks, and hand sanitizer all over.  No one was really using any of it, but they had it.  We tried the hand sanitizer out.  We had heard about distilleries making sanitizers for the greater good, and this might have been a batch gone bad, but I think it’s germ-killing success was found in the fact that it caused us to need to go find a real sink with soap to wash that smell off our poor hands.  I miss the days of those cute little cucumber-melon or vanilla cookie or even the lesser desired eucalyptus-spearmint that may or may not have actually killed germs but made me smell yummy, now replaced with rotten-gin or fermented schnapps, or regurgitated vodka for my enjoyment safety.

Our first place to explore in the museum was the bathroom.  But when that was out of the way, we got serious and walked right to the ice cream vendor.  We kept walking past that vendor and into the Plains Indian Museum.  I wish I had a good memory, because that was a great area of learning that I actually would have liked to retain, but its summer, and this is a vacation, and my brain has dialed down.  I can perform daily functions, but I can’t seem to think.  Indian bead work is amazing.

This is how I museum.

 

We then ventured into the Wild Bill Museum.  Having been married to a Bill for 25 years, I can say that there are too many Wild Bill’s to keep track of from that era and the current day.  I was quite confused by Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill, Bill P, etc.  Did you know that Wild Bill Hickock is actually named James?  It was like I was at a Pieper family museum.  Why would they call James “Bill”?  That does not even make sense.

Next wing was the Draper Natural History Museum where we could learn about the things we would experience in Yellowstone sans throngs of people and sulfur blasts.  It was at this point that I perfected my crow call, learned about Bison wallowing, and decided that Buffalo Bill Cody’s bride “looked lovely in an elegant toilet.”  Kid you not – that is what the display says.  Weddings have really escalated.

After getting chased down by wolverines, the four of us saw that the next museum was the Whitney Western Art Museum.  Kept walking. Right past the entry door.  Next?

 

The next museum was the New Cody Firearms Museum.  This is where the men and women separated and I went to the gift shop with Kathleen.  It was my favorite museum of all.  So many cute Bison things.  So many stuffed animals, key rings, tie-died shirts, magnets, shot glasses; you know, all the things that turn beginner or mediocre tourists into good, seasoned tourists.

Our time at the museum was up – we were all quite proud of ourselves making such a mature decision on the very first day of The Great Road Trip of 2020.

I booked the housing for most of this trip and knew this night would provide us a gem.  Finding A Western Rose Motel was a piece of cake.  I had studied Trip Advisor reviews and because we knew our stay there was more of a crash and burn style stay, we didn’t require anything fancy, and we all four stayed in one room.  Bill and I have been on a Schitt’s Creek binge, so when we opened the lobby door, we instantly felt like we knew the lady AKA Stevie (I don’t remember the real lady’s name, but she was so very kind, helpful, and warm and we shared a good laugh at my comparing their family motel to the Rose Bud hotel.)  The room was nothing fancy, in fact, it didn’t even try to be.  It was clean and I didn’t feel like I was going to catch a disease or bug infestation, so other than the fact that the doors open right up into the parking slots, which means it is a perfect setting for a gruesome crime scene, this place was worth saving the cost of the spendy hotels in town.  This motel brags “open the door to your room and you’re outside.”  Well that goes both ways – someone opens my door and they are inside MY ROOM.  You know what they say, “When in the wild west, do wild things!” so we hitched the car to the post and sauntered in for a decent night’s stay.  Also, I slept furthest from the door so perpetrators had to get through the other three before they got to me.

By 6:00, we were ready to call it a night, but that would be stupid and a waste of vacation time, so we hit the big town of Cody to see what was happening.  Of course every night in Cody is Rodeo night, but since none of us were too hyped to experience that, we opted to belly up to the best ice cream shop in town instead.  People watching was fantastic.  Authentic cowboys graced us with their presence and not only were they rocking the weathered look, but they also sported the armed and dangerous look.  Females sporting knives on their belts, guys I just knew had a pistol hidden in their boots…their bandanas weren’t part of the Covid craze but were legit…I recognized these people from the Wild West Museum.

After that, we walked through more souvenir shops because there is a granddaughter involved (NOT OURS) who needed, and we mean NEEDED some bear stuff.  Then, and we are all very proud at the maturity we showed here, we went into a photography studio and spoke with a phenomenal photographer who told us about the stories behind some of his work.  We walked through the galleries noting how each piece of art spoke to different members of our party differently, whether it be the color palette, subject material, exposure, lighting choice, or simply the medium.  We left empty handed though because I was pretty sure I could take some good pics in the park with my iPhone and that’s pretty much the same thing.

By the time we accomplished all this souvenir shopping and pretending to be photography buffs, we were exhausted from the long day away from home.  We headed back to the motel, cranked the noise machine so we didn’t hear parking lot noise or worse, and drifted off to a happy place soon to be woken rudely by another alarm set by the type A adventure crew.  Here is to the long drive and our couple hours in Cody, WY.  YEEEEHAW.

The First Half

A morning in the life of Piepers’ Stay At Home Directive

3:30 AM – check the clock.  I have been awake for a while now, I have no idea for how long.  Probably a little anxiety, but mostly a to-do list a mile long running through my head along with song lyrics, funny memories, creative ideas, remnants of the dream I was having about someone chasing me around with a live mouse.  You know, all the good stuff that circles the drain at 3:30 AM.

 

5:45 AM – first dog fuzz all up in my face.  They are wondering if we are every getting up.  In pre-stay-at-home-life, we got up at 5:00.  So they are both wondering why their breakfast has turned into brunch. I hit dead-man act and resign to not move for as long as I can to trick them into thinking I am still asleep.

 

6:15 AM  – Bill gets up.  He thinks he is super quiet about it, but between him and the other two furry guys that sleep in our room, the day has officially begun.  Bill might be heading out the door to donate plasma.  Or heading out for a quick 9 mile run.  But I am staying tucked in as long as I can.

 

6:30 AM – I pick up my phone and read the emails that came in overnight.  Check Facebook.  Check Instagram.  Check Twitter.  Looking for a meme that makes me laugh or inspires me to actually get out of bed.  Might find one on Facebook in between all the freaking out but all Twitter has is a bunch of F-bomb dropping angry people.  Move on. Social Media is an addictive dumping ground of ish with splatters of hope.

 

6:45 AM – Hear Andy leave for work.  Smile.  Andy is up and out the door for work at 6:45.  Andy doesn’t like to do anything other than hunt and fish before noon.  But he goes to work every day.  Every Single Day.  Proud mom moment.  Smile, because this kid is killin it!!  Keep scrolling on phone.

 

7:00 – Peel out of bed.  Head to shower because not showering daily is the first step of giving up hope.  Before stepping in shower, weigh in.  Cant be gaining the Covid 19.  We have a wedding this summer and before lockdown, I was well on my way to my ideal weight.  Now I am just hoping to hold my ground.  Dang you, candy and pop. Must weigh every day. While weighing, note that my Frozen pedicure is holding its own, which is a shame.

 

7:15 – take a close up look in the mirror.  Might be something exciting to do like pluck a rogue eyebrow or chin hair that showed up overnight.  Decide if I am going full make-up or just enough to cover my lack of sleep while video teaching.

 

7:17 – pick out favorite pair of sweatpants and decide what level of a hoodie day it is.  Favorite hoodie, medium hoodie, bleach stained hoodie?  I am so thankful for my sweatpant and hoodie collection.  I like to think it is because I am a camper.  On to socks – warm socks, thin ankle socks.  The day is so young and I have already made so many decisions.

7:30 – walk to the kitchen.  Pass thermostat which has yet to figure out we are now home all day.  It is 64 degrees in the house.  Bump it to 71.  Resolve to drink tea.  Accidently grab Swiss Miss and Cool Whip instead.  Fill up the fav mug to the brim.

7:32 – Switch laundry quick – Alli’s work clothes are washed daily.  Walk past snacks stored in laundry room.  Somehow Rice Krispie bar jumps into hoodie pouch.  Grab pop cans to replenish fridge for Bill.  Note that there aren’t many left, he has been drinking them warm, but I have caught on.  Text Alli, tell her to buy more.

7:35 –  Open up the flood gates known as work. Cant wait to see the graphs the kids make of how often they have showered and brushed their teeth.  First student email comes in.  Data not looking good.

7:36 – second student email comes in.  They aren’t showering.

7:36 – third student email comes in.  They aren’t brushing teeth.

7:37 – fourth student email comes in.  They aren’t. They haven’t gotten off the couch for weeks. They are living their best teenage lives.

7:38 – Hot Chocolate is already gone and I am pondering my first Mt. Dew – it is a breakfast pop.

8:00 – Actually allow myself to be seen as “available” for coworkers and students.  Walk away quick to switch laundry.  Get sidetracked by fuzzy dogs.  Forget I am working.

8:30 – Check on heat situation.  Head back to my cold hard wood dining room chair and table we used to eat at, I mean office.  Wrap up in blankets and try not to let the teeth chatter.

9:00 – Official Office Hours open!!!!!  No one cares.  They know I am available 24/7 and take advantage of that.  Student emails at 10:30 at night?  Yep.  Parent calls all evening?  Yep.  That’s part of this new game we are all playing.

9:07 – start working on the paperwork pile that never ends –  NEVER ENDS

9:10 – over it.  Open Amazon. Look for office chairs.

9:30 – Hear one of the girls’ alarms go off.  They have class.  Doesn’t mean I will see them – they learn from bed now.  All Karalyn has worn for week is PJ’s and scrubs – not even sweatpants.  She lays in there with her laptop, twelve blankets and a bag of Pretzels.  “My Body is a Temple,” She says as I peek my head in to make sure she is alive.

10:00 AM – Doorbell rings.  Dogs go nuts.  I am losing my mind with all the barking.  But the thrill of anticipation pulses in my veins.  What could the delivery man be bringing today? Its nice to see another human, even if its through the doorbell app. This week, the delivery highlight was Karalyn’s YELLOW CROCS!!  She got a free pair from the company because she is a health care worker.  AND THEY SENT BISON YELLOW!!!!!  There was much joy and celebrating.  Already this morning, the Fed Ex guy dropped her off another package.  Bill was so excited, he delivered it to her door.  She is still sleeping but we are just imagining what it could be.  Alli and Karalyn both ordered new Webkinz so they can revamp their Webkinz worlds from their childhoods, but they could not have gotten here already.  That package is just laying there taunting me.

10:05 – Bill comes up from his work dungeon for the first of MANY handfuls of peanut butter cups.  While maybe not enough of an emergency to require a trip to the grocery store on its own, we are so thankful that Alli has picked up tons of hours at our local grocery store so she can replenish all the candy and chocolate milk on a daily basis.

11:30 – After holding two classes with my students and laughing together about what the lack of social interaction is doing to our brains, decided that I can eat lunch.  Forage through the fridge and pantry.  Although full, there is nothing to eat.  But I spy bacon.  Bacon makes me happy.  Fry bacon.  Decide to throw in an egg to make it legit.  Karalyn rambles out to make chicken nuggets or corn dogs.  She doesn’t talk much, just fired up the oven and retreats to her oasis.  Start thinking about where we will order supper from.

11:35 –  Must walk around.  Wooden chair is killing my back.  Check on Alli.  She is sitting on her futon, temporary desk in front of her.  Lap top open and the mirage of classwork being done appears.  Look closer.  iPad is also on, with Netflix playing.  Yes, people, that is also how online learning looks from this end.  I am aware. Notice the other side of her room is set up with her beloved pig and a pig book.  Seems she has recorded a read aloud for her 1^st graders.

12:00 – Bacon makes me thirsty.  Drink another Dew.  And the salt made me need sugar.  Accidently eat a cookie or two.  Grab a handful of chips for first afternoon snack. And head back to work.  Its afternoon!

 

The first part of our stay at home experiment has been pretty low key.  We stayed home and did what we were told, because that was the information we had.  Now the second part might look different as we might be those people who feel like it is time to get this train rolling again.  Bill heads back into the office to work starting tomorrow.  Life is going to work towards finding our new normal, and this sure isn’t it.

Through this time, we learned a lot of things.  First, our kids are amazing.  Karalyn masks and shields up for her residents and those who know her understand what a big deal that is.  She doesn’t even wear jeans because they aren’t comfortable.  Alli’s career-aligned job closed down so she picked back up at the grocery store.  She has NO desire to work there, but does it because she is a very hard worker.  She chose to bag groceries and be exposed to all of the crap that entails so she can pay tuition.  She does not enjoy the empty spaces that were left behind when her friends all moved back home and cannot wait for everything to open back up and for her social calendar to fill back up.  Andy continues to work his Monday-Friday internship, driving 120 miles a day to get there and back.  Evenings and weekends, he is looking for things to do, this boy doesn’t sit still well. Social distancing to him means staying away from home.  But he is staying busy pretty responsibly.  Most of his interests are outside and don’t involve large groups of people.  None of them have lost their cool or gotten angry about this pause in their “normal.”  It just is what it is and they are taking it like champs.

We talk to James daily, even if it is just a few snaps.  He is an ag lender guy by day and now a farm hand by evening and weekend.  He is out plowing his own path and although his plan was to come home often to see us (ok, he wasn’t coming to see us, but close enough, right?) and cant right now, we know he is where he has wanted to be since he was a pre-schooler.

I wanted to capture this mostly for myself.  Some day, I will look back and remember this time as the very short period of life when we slowed down and remembered what was important.  Faith is vital – knowing our purpose is way bigger than a few weeks of inconvenience – that is what grounds me.  Our people are important.  Precious bonus time was spent with our kids – this is the last time the triplets will live together, and we got to host the reunion.  Being responsible with what we are given is important.  Being willing to serve others and be generous with what we have is important. (Thank you to neighbors and friends who sewed face masks for us for FREE!! Thank you to the community workers who continued to serve so we could be safe and happy – we are fully aware that this house is only a safe shelter because of the many people who provide services we need.) Priorities have been realigned.  ‘Essential’ has renewed meaning.

A couple years ago, when life hit the apex of insanity, over and over I heard, “Be still.”  I studied that passage, talked to others about the meaning, and even bought the wall hanging as a reminder, as being still was NOT a skill I had.  This has been a quick little blip on the radar to remind me how to be still and to listen and to communicate with God about his calling and direction in my life.

Now I need to go shower because I just finished bleaching down the doorknobs and light switches.  And it is almost time for online church.

Christmas “Break”

Long long ago, back when Christmas break was a vast promise land in front of me, I set forth great ideals for what would occur during these two glorious weeks.  First, Graduation.  Second, Bison win.  Third, Christmas.  Fourth (second half of break), clean, organize, paint, redecorate.  Here is how it actually played out.

First, Graduation.  James graduated from NDSU with his BS in Crop and Weed Science.  He figured out that his three and a half years of college cost about $48,000.  About half of that was covered by scholarship, and the other half, he paid out of pocket.  He earned all that money farming, interning for farm-related industries, and worked for the barley boys at NDSU.  He came out with money in the bank and retirement accounts started.  He now is moving to the farm and has a great job lined up making way more than I do.  Ask his 1st grade teacher…this has been his life plan since the very beginning.  I am proud of him, he is ready to go, he knows what he is getting in to, and it still sucks a little.  Mostly for the little sister who feels everything deeply:

“When I was 5, I loved hugs. More specifically, I loved hugging my big brother James. It got to a point where Mom had to step in and limit me to one hug a day, but I just loved that guy so much!! And I still do. This fall, I achieved my childhood dreams– I had made it into his ‘inner circle’. Life Mission: Accomplished. But now that he leaves on his next big grand adventure, I’m not quite sure how I am going to handle that. I’m also not quite sure how to write all the things I want to say about James, so here is a list of my favorite things about him:

• He likes to build Lego skyscrapers only to destroy them while pretending to be a tornado, thunderstorm, hurricane, or other like weather issues.
• He once picked me up from my dorm and drove me around until 2am just because I told him I was having a rough night
• When I’m on his team during tube wars, I know that he will do his best to make sure I don’t get ripped off the tube and die
• He is so knowledgeable about the Bible that it’s insane!
• When I was really struggling in high school, he pulled me up and forced me out of my comfort zone. He reminded me of who I was and exactly what it was that I needed: Jesus.
• If you need a laugh, just go to his apartment. It is constant shenanigans and it is so funny.
• Sometimes (OK, all the times) he compares his life to farming. For example, in fall 2019 he said that “relationships are like corn”. Why? I’m not really sure. But it’s written in my phone and it’s funny. Like James.
• I can always count on him to play hide and seek with me at the farm (which is where he will live now. Weird!)
• He will drop anything to pray with and/or talk to anyone at anytime
• He once ran up and down the stairs just because he got a video game for Christmas
• He used to pay me and Karalyn to watch Lord of the Rings with him, and also to clean his room (Gram, keep this in mind when you may need extra cash haha)

So basically, James is the best person ever and I love him a whole lot and you can bet your buttons that I cry every time I even think of him leaving Fargo. Seriously, all you have to do is mention it and I’m in tears. James, you are going to have a bright and beautiful future. I am so proud of you (especially for graduating even when you miss so much class!) I will miss you more than words can say.  Don’t forget about your favorite sister who most definitely still needs you a lot.”

And his other half, Mich. (Because every one needs a trusty side kick like Mich.)

“I remember the first time I met James, and we found out we both loved agriculture. We did a “yard swap” which is when you pull up your farmyard on google maps and share it with a friend. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship! James is a very intelligent guy with lots of wisdom. If there’s ever a question I need answered he’s the guy I go to. Over the past few years he has given me so much wisdom that has been extended to many others through me. Jimmy is also known for his intentionality. My goodness if there’s a guy who is down to earth and intentional with people it would be James. From hanging out with good friends to catching up with an old buddy, James excels at that! Of course, Jimbo is a hoot and a half when you’re around him too. He’s always got something funny to say, and there is no one else he would rather be than James!”

I have reminded all the spare “children” that he has brought into our family that just because he isn’t around doesn’t mean they are not still expected to drop in for supper and game night.  And James, this may not be your home, but it is still home. Other than the fact that we changed the locks and codes, you are always welcome.

Then we moved on to stage 2 of Christmas break – Bison win.  This is Alli’s world.  We attend, we yell like crazed lunatics and frequent the Cold Stone stand, we are huge fans, but it is definitely Alli’s world we are stepping into.  Bison games are her passion.  The team got the job done, pictures were taken, the Beer Song was played and we came home elated that once again, Alli will be traveling with her bass drum down to Texas for the National Championship.

Stage three was all the Christmasy things.  As every good Christmas break does, this year brought the stomach flu, this time to Andy.  He managed to open gifts with us in between trips to the bathroom and naps.  No joke.  He would sleep in between gifts.  He managed to pose for a family pic and no one else caught it!  (Probably because Gram and bleach attacked the house!)  You ask, “Why didn’t you wait to open until he was feeling better?”  Well, because the girls once again worked their butts off caring for other people and we had some intense work scheduled to schedule around.

And then extended family arrived and we continued the party.  We experienced a most beautiful winter week with them and made many memories walking, sledding, eating and most importantly, watching countless horrible Christmas movies.  Horrible.

Family made it out of town before…

…the Great Blizzard of Christmas 2019 blew into town and all the plans came screeching to a halt.  Pajamas were worn for days.  Hair product and make up sat untouched.  Left over Christmas goodies were consumed in bulk.  Farm Sim was played for hours.  All self control was lost.  We lost Andy to his overnight snow removal job. The dogs didn’t even want to pee without a path.

So now I am left with two days left of my huge break.  I have only organized one drawer, the bathroom hasn’t been painted yet, but I did manage to write finals for 4 of my classes over break so that’s a fun fact.  Two days to finish all the things I wanted to accomplish.  By myself.  Because the kids loaded up a caravan and headed to Montana to ski.

Merry Christmas to our friends and family – we hope you enjoyed forced downtime with the ones you love or at least can tolerate.  May the new year be filled with much blessings and great memories in the making.  And lots of naps.

 

 

 

I Own This Place

I, Walter Feeny, own this place.  Last year, the kids packed up and left, but I stayed.  I held down the fort, I kept mom and dad together, I warmed them through the long winter.  I claimed a couch position and broke it in to fit me perfectly. I created evening routines,  teaching the adults to pop me some corn while I watched TV and then dragging my blanket to the bedroom at 9:00, training the humans to go to bed earlier (tricky, I know).  I perfected sitting very cutely, staring at humans with food until they shared.  I had this place running as smoothly as Michael Jackson’s favorite criminal.

Then, the loud mess returned. Those dang kids came back.  Not just for a visit, but for some sort of extended stay.  They sat on my reserved couch cushion.  They stayed up way past our house bedtime.  They stinkin’ ate their pizza crusts and all their popcorn.  (HELLO??? Those are mine!) They are always coming and going so napping is interrupted around here now.

I needed these people to remember who runs the show, so I have been working on a secret project and completed it while the adult humans were camping for a week.  It took me a lot of time, but it was worth it, I have a message to send to those kids.

First, to Alli.  I know you moved home first and in less than a week, you move back out.  This barely gave me enough time to train you to take me on daily walks.  We were on a roll there for a while, but then you quit.  Something about working three jobs?  Well, guess what? You go ahead and move right back out, because your piles of packed stuff are taking over some of my favorite places in this house. Who is the boss around here?

I AM!!!

Second, to KP.  What the heck, KP?  Don’t you know the couch is mine?  I even got mom to get me new pillows while you were off at college.  Then you come home and nap in my spot ALL. THE. TIME.  Get your own couch!!  What?  You are taking the downstairs couch when you move out in a month?  Well, why? I had plans to eat my popcorn in there this winter.  I was making slow progress, but it was happening.  Guess what, KP?  This house is MINE.

Andy. Andy. Andy.  You never really left, did you?  But you also didn’t take care of me while you still “lived” at home.  You and your friends would waltz in here at 2 AM, forcing me to bark off warning shots to the folks and honestly kinda making them crazy.  Why can’t you come home at a reasonable time, like 9:00 when the rest of us go to bed?  And when you move out this fall, I hear great things about the adults fumigating, deep cleaning, and maybe (fingers crossed big time) making your old room into my room.  Yes, yes, Andy, it is time for you to go, because quite frankly, I am the man of the house now, and I want that baby gate down so I can go downstairs alone without risking my life.

Last but not least, James.  James who?  He hasn’t lived here for years.  I mean, he doesn’t even have a bedroom here anymore.  It’s now called “Andy’s B&B” but not for long!!  Once in a while, you come here and make me sit on your lap, but the breaking news for you is this: when you guys aren’t here, I can sit wherever I want.  I can be a lap dog, a leaning against a wall dog, a snuggling really cute on a bed so I can get whatever I want dog, or lay in the shade dog.  No one tells me where to be when you aren’t around.  I am my own man.  I hear you graduate this year.  Well, congratulations, I graduated to head dog when all you kids left the house.

None of you matter.  I matter around here.  It is all about me, so I took over EVERY. SINGLE. PICTURE. FRAME in this house.  They are all me now.  Every one of them.  This family is about me.

This is no joke.

So if you could make this transition back out of the house a little less painful for us all (because I hear this is the last time we will all live together?  Ever?) I would appreciate it.  This process of watching boxes of stuff stack up and pile up and take over our family existence sucks quite frankly.  In or out?  Just pick one.  This back and forth thing is hard on me.

Survivor

This week, Bill and I ventured off to an island without any forewarning about what lie ahead of us in our escapades.  We packed everything we thought we would need to persevere through any trial and storm that would come our way.  Armed with a map that wasn’t sure what was going on, we found our way to Campers’ Paradise in Nevis, MN.

First things first, if we were going to compete in this game of survivor, we needed to locate shelter.  After searching the island, we decided campsite 47 was perfect for us and we scavenged through what we had brought in order to have a safe place to sleep the first night.

Our co-warriors met us at the site and together, we built camaraderie over some mean games of Sequence, pontoon rides, and still-warm chocolate chip cookies with hot chocolate. (Thank you, Cooks, your hospitality is unmatched!)

Every camp needs a team flag, and we were sure to put ours out so opposing campers would know this was our territory.

(Also, a highlight of the week was when one of us (me) was walking down a trail in her NDSU hoodie and passed a poor gentleman wearing his Iowa Hawkeye football shirt and she looked him straight in the eye and said, “Good morning!” and smiled, cuz us Bison fans are nice like that, even when we beat you.)

 

The second order of action was to locate a source of water and nourishment.  This took a little extra work.  We searched new areas of the island to successfully find water.  Food was a little more challenging and we found ourselves on miles and miles of bike rides to secure nourishment.

Somehow, every vacation we go on ends up centering around how often one of us *ahem Bill* can get his hands on some ice cream. (If you are ever even near Dorset when the Dorset House is open, you are doing a disservice to mankind if you don’t go out of your way for some ice cream.)

Two by two, we voted people off our island.  Team Fischer left us after a few days, when we snuffed out their tiki torches and sent them home.   (But we followed them for a while, because ice cream.)

Monday, we felt warn down and spent because we were the only two left to do all the work of our once-strong tribe.  We ventured into new territory and found ourselves a couple new friends and formed an alliance.  Again, we bonded over ice cream, but returned to camp alone to face the next challenges.

The elements were brutal at times, with one or two mosquitoes pestering us and storms falling apart just as they were about to reach us.  Because of the intense conditions, Bill was only able to bike 105 miles and run 24 miles this week.  I biked 23 miles and am super proud of that because I am allergic to exercise.  But I overcome. For the team.

 

The temperatures ranged from 45 at night to 75 during the day, so taking mid-day naps required blankies at times and fire was a must to keep appendages warm.

 

Cell signal was strong, so not only were we able to stay up on The Bachelorette and discuss the episode with our girls, but also Bill was able to get away from it all in his own special way.

I set up my own office and did a little work myself.  Inspired by my surroundings, I found myself wondering how we could graph things like loon calls per hour…

…or chipmunk visits per day

…or flower colors found on a hike

…or number of bear/turtle/deer sightings…

…or rocks per stack

…or maybe the best graph would be ice cream calories per day in comparison to weight each morning.  Because we ended our adventure the way all Pieper adventures end.  One last ice cream.  My diet has been derailed.

We outwitted (how many does it take to light the stove?)

 

outplayed (pickleball anyone?)

and outlasted (7 more nights in the camper, and to this date, no one has peed in the camper toilet – one of my rules.)  Now we start laundry and take a nap.

Here’s to surviving one of the best weeks ever adventuring with friends and relaxing together.  Campers’ Paradise, we WILL be back.

I am Hangry

I am hangry and there is a very clear reason for it.  I got on the scale this morning after ignoring reality for what very clearly has been way too long.  Things have gotten out of control.  Last year I went through a period of time when influenza, combined with my beloved piece of junk digestive system, got me all out of whack and I could eat one thing without getting sick and even that wasn’t guaranteed: bananas.  I mean, this girl sure does love bananas but after a while…  And combine that beautiful gem of a situation with the most horrible circumstances one of our girls found herself in spilling over onto mom, and basically, without effort I lost a lot of weight and some may think I was too skinny but I liked how when I wore leggings, I didn’t muffin out the top, and how jeans didn’t feel like traps set by Satan, and even how my big baggie sweatshirt collection was almost like dresses.  Not kidding.  I was put on three meds, trying to get the stomach back under control and I began eating anything I could gag down and keep in.  Because my doctor threatened me with a hospital stay if I didn’t.  And I tell you this so you understand why I look how I look now.  The food choices I made were not the best, but Mountain Dew became my go-to beverage, and monster bars are a staple of the “get fat quick” diet.  I gained my weight back and then kinda forgot to put on the brakes.  And here I am. A bloated sugar addict.

So, back to 9:00 AM, June 3, when after seeing myself in graduation party pictures, I stepped on the scale.  I had no idea.  Things are bad.  So at 9:01 AM, on June 3, 2019,  my summer diet began.  I am only eating two things now, celery and water.  And to speed things up, I picked myself up catalyst.

Just kidding.  Sorta.

I am very official with this.  I have great skills that will come in handy.  First, I am putting myself on a behavior plan.  Complete with progress monitoring.  I have very measurable goals.  I also am telling the whole world so if you see me and my very crabby face, you will understand.

I started strong today.  Within just a simple hour, I had to tighten my slides.  I was already losing weight just by thinking about it (because I am a man.)

(This picture is proof that with the perfect camera angle, anyone can have thigh gap.)

I put on my favorite (largest size) exercise leggings to inspire myself to be active in all my choices today.  And then I went to the chiropractor, who informed me I have a pulled muscle in my hip and I am not sure I heard him right, but I am pretty sure he told me to never exercise again because it is dangerous to my health.  And then I went to my massage therapist and experienced 90 minutes of shear torture as she tried to whip this body into some sort of functioning unit.   So, people, this metamorphosis has to be done all by changing what foods go in my mouth.  Crap.  One strong moment for me was when I could be seen munching on baby spuds and water while driving around rather than my preferred cheese curds and Coke.  I consider that a win.

Karalyn and I also went grocery shopping.  We bought all the sorts of health-approved foods.  But forgot both water and celery.  My brain was foggy from not eating anything good.  Like, seriously, I hadn’t had McDonalds or Oreos.

When I got home and settled in to my reality, I had to cuddle under a blanket (early signs of shock) and take two Excedrin extra strength.

Dinner was cooked and served to me while I was still snuggled up in my little old lady chair.  I am miserable, but give me a week and I will feel so much better.  Because my pants wont hurt me.

And some day, my smile will return.  And I will be ok again.  Until then, I am so sorry.

Thought About You

We made it thought the first year – the year our three became independent young men and women while Bill and I were left here to figure out who we were.  And guess what?  We made it – through some ups and downs – through good and bad – through pain and celebration. We added to our family circle.  We said goodbye to some.  We honed skills, we tried new things, we changed.

We learned a lot of things.  First, we learned that the kids are very capable.  The three have the skills and the resiliency to make it through a school year and all the fun freshman year brings.  Oh, and it brings some crazy stuff.   Our eldest learned how important the people he surrounds himself are.  And we learned that we are very capable.  Capable of being things other than “the Pieper parents”  (even if it is still our favorite title.)

 

We learned that Walter is indeed my therapy dog.  And Bill’s.

We learned how to cook for two. And how to eat out more often.  And now we learn how to lose the weight that those new skills brought.

We learned that our kids will continue the Pieper tradition of hosting large groups in our home.  They will fill the home with laughter and friendship, now beginning at 8PM and lasting long past our new old-people bedtimes.  We just got a noise machine.

We learned that we can Netflix binge like bosses. And keep up with so many shows now that our schedule is empty.  How good is New Amsterdam??  And Schooled?  And The Kids are Alright?  And the Bachelorette starts again next week.

We learned that we are a tight-knit family.  Today, our three had medical procedures.  One in one place, and two in another.  All three needed to know each other were ok and awake as soon as they had their wits about them.  Karalyn graced the recovery room with her very own rendition of a song.  Loudly, she belted out Tim McGraw’s Thought About You.   I wonder, how much do they think of each other?  And I already know the answer. All the time.  All.  The.  Time.

I thought about songs that make us feel better
I thought about faith that ties it all together
I thought about now, then thought about forever
I thought about fire and how we walked through it
The times I got it right, the times I blew it
I thought about real, I thought about good, I thought about true
And I thought about you
I thought about you.

Maybe as often as we think about each of them.

So now, we are parents to three 19-year-olds who have refined dreams and huge futures.  At their age, so much is unknown but they each know how to trust that God knows exactly where they need to be and when, and He will guide them through all the obstacles and the fields of wild flowers.  He knows.

We are also parents (somehow??) to a senior who will graduate after one more semester.  Where will he end up?  God knows this too.  I wish I did, because it does a little heart palpitating to this mom to know deep down that he is actually moving towards not living in my town anymore. And that is hard for me.  My kids have always been a quick drive away and he can land anywhere now.  And not just for a college year but forever.  And I am excited for him.  I just wish I knew so I could prepare.

So the trio is back under our roof until July.  I kinda think this is the last time they will all live together.  That’s weird for all of us.

Now we learn how to lose our quiet evenings.

We relearn how to keep 5 of us organized.

We relearn how to buy and prepare all the instant foods they love.

We relearn how to keep the washer and dryer going constantly.

We relearn how to play driveway Tetris.

We relearn patience.

And we love our life, together again.

As You Find Me

Go ahead, open this beauty in another tab, and let the words soak in.  Hillsong United “As You Find Me”

“I’ve been strong
And I’ve been broken within a moment
I’ve been faithful
And I’ve been reckless at every bend
I’ve held everything together
And watched it shatter
I’ve stood tall and I have crumbled
In the same breath”

I spent some time allowing the first verses of Psalms 1 to sink into my heart the past couple days.

I hear God saying that although I may stumble in my steps sometimes, I am to keep moving toward what He has created me to do.  I am not to walk the wrong way or stand or sit in the wrong place.  And when I can’t keep moving the right way, that is when the people He has put into my life will take my hands and pull me in the right direction.

As You Find Me says,  “Your love’s too good to leave me here.”

This all is awesome to hear when things are hard.  God finds me in my junk and brings me out of it into where I am supposed to be.  We hear this all the time.

How about when things are good?  When we are content where we are?  When we are at peace?  Maybe His love is too good to leave us there too.

 

The Family Car

A little over 19 years ago, I laid on the ultrasound table hearing the *at the time overly frightening* news that I was pregnant with triplets.  I remember those couple hours of scanning vividly.  I remember what the technician said about the rise in my stay-at-home mom value.  I remember slipping into the bathroom and secretly shedding some tears because I also remember the thoughts that flooded my mind.  But most of all, I remember Bill saying, “There goes my new truck!”

Bill and James had picked out a new truck just days earlier.  They even had chosen the color and Bill was within days of pulling the trigger and driving that truck home.  Needless to say, he didn’t get his truck.  Instead, he brought a beautiful mini-van home for our brood.  And he didn’t complain.  And he didn’t wallow.

Fast forward to the teenage years when smushing six, along with our stuff and a big black lab into a mini-van was pretty much torture, another family vehicle decision was made and we bought the Yukon XL.  It was like driving a school bus.  It hauled 11 people – no joke, we had a fourth row we could put in.  We hauled so many kids all over with that thing.  Our family is road-trip-warrior-level trained.  We can drive like beasts. And we did.  So many memories in the Yukon.

Boundary Waters, Colorado, Philmont Scout Ranch, Camping Trips, Boating Trips, so many trips to the farm and to the cities, Root Beer explosions, permanent puke buckets, moving kids in and out of dorms, hunting trips, Pieper Taxi Service, rust grinding repairs, mechanical training victim, Christmas lights in PJ’s.   This girl has been through a lot with us.

But those miles wracked up and that beautiful trusty vehicle is past her prime.  Last week, Bill and I decided it was time for another new vehicle.  Long story short, right next to the Yukon sits our new-to-us 2018 Ford 150.  His name is Ramsey, and all the Dave Ramsey fans in the house will understand the name.  And the time has come to shine up the Yukon and find her a new home.  And I am struggling with it!!!

It’s not because I am attached to the vehicle, although she has been a trusty friend.  It’s because I no longer have a way to haul my whole family anywhere together.  Legally, anyway.  I mentioned this little fear of mine to one of my kids this week and the response was, “Mom, when was the last time we all rode together anywhere?”  And the truth is that this summer will be two years since our last whole family trip anywhere in the same vehicle.  It is time to let that idea go.  But it is weird.  And don’t even start me on the upcoming sale of our boat…don’t you know my favorite days have been spent with my family in and behind that boat???

So now when the Piepermobile hits the road, it will most likely be the three of us, just Bill, Walter, and me, heading to DQ to get Walt his pup cup.  Because who knows where the kids will be – they are flying away.