MERRY CHRISTMAS

Congratulations! You found the Brenneman Boast blog online. We hope you enjoy reading about our family's year told through Diane's eyes. May our God bring unfathomable peace to our world. Happy New Year!

Teenagers abound

Mo is nearly 17, a junior at Iowa Mennonite School. She plays softball and we have a "bottle bat" engraved with her name at home for this year because she got the highest hit percentage. She starts varsity basketball this year as point guard. In both sports, she's known for her quickness and speed (she loves to steal bases), and in basketball she's so scrappy its hard to steal the ball from her successfully. She was in the Wizard of Oz and enjoys driving. I've taken out insurance on her thumbs because she topped 3000 text messages in one month! Since she makes the honor role, guess I can't complain. She's very responsible and just completed her first overnight trip to Cedar Falls, driving herself and Brent. (I harvested and prayed).
Brent, 13, is and 8th grader at Mid-Prairie Middle School. He and his friends grow their hair long and shaggy. I think he's really hoping for a mullet! He also got A's and B's and is lobbying to be paid for his grades. Hmpf! Video games take up way too much time in his life, and his buds have sleepovers just so they can play together. Screen time is a constant battle in our house. He plays town baseball and made the All-Stars this year. After 3 days of games an hour away, we learned we really are NOT a weekend sports family. He's planning on going out for basketball this year, but mostly to get out of choir. I make him join at least one thing in Middle School, and he recently came up with this bargain. He's a big help with harvest and can drive the grain cart beside the combine and unload "on the fly" (non-farmers: that's while moving). He would so like to be taller than his sister, but not quite yet. Grandma Malm says his uncles didn't shoot up until the end of high school, and he is all Malm, so I expect the same for him.

Harvest finished December 3!!!

It's been over 30 years since Brennemans harvested in December, according to Doug. What a weird year... too wet to get planted....rained all summer...too wet to harvest in October. Yields did pretty well considering. The cows sure did grin when they finally got out onto the corn fields. Weaning was late, too. It was hard to get good hay made with all the summer rain, so we chopped an extra bag of corn but I know Doug is still worried.

Interim Pastorate

In September, I started working half-time as an interim pastor for Washington Mennonite Church. It's a great way to "try on" the pastorate with family. Doug called in a panic the first night was at work: how was Brent going to get to the football game? I smiled and said, "Guess you'll have to figure that out yourself." :) The congregation is flexible about harvest, much appreciated. Grant Nebel, also half-time, continues as pastor. He's a farmer too. I've known him for quite a while, and we're having fun working together. I'm there 6 months- a year. It keeps me busy with the farm and serving as moderator of Central Plains Mennonite Conference.

Three generations of Brennemans: Harold (86), Brent (13), Doug (53) pose just before it's time to take down great grandpa Ed's Model T shed. It was moved to the silo for a shelter for the unloading auger. I guess it was old enough if it sheltered one of the first cars made in America.

Brent home sick?

Brent thought he was too sick to go to school. (How DOES a parent tell?) I told him if he stayed home he had to read. He chose to read a book to Duke the Dachshund. Appropriate choice, eh?

Basket ball cake doesn't bounce

Mo made her basketball team secret sister a round cake and spent 2 hours decorating it. Each little star pushed into the cake and piped in the seams. As she was designing a box to transport it in, it fell off the counter!!! Good thing we took the pix because she included a picture of what it was "supposed" to look like when she gave it to her friend anyway.