I guess Dad's in the "moving" mode, because the gas barrel is empty right now so he decided to move it! It is now where the rabbits were, so I'm looking for a new home for the rabbit cages. I'm taking suggestions. Use the comment box below.

Dad told Iowa County he was going to repair the middle driveway, and they said they have a new intern who will make you do it over if you don't let him do it! So.... here is Iowa County fixing the driveway (new water pipe, etc). Dad told them semis would be using it to construct our new hog barn, so it looks like Interstate 80 now that it's done!

Loner

This chicken is the only white one on the place. She was hatched in FFA and brought to our house. The other hens would have nothing to do with her. For a while she lived in Doug's shop. I spent a lot of time looking for her eggs. In order to keep her laying in the same spot, you have to leave one egg (marking with an X helps you tell the old one from the new ones). When I got new chicks, I thought certainly they'd accept her, but no. She moved into Grandpa's garage and lived in the top rafters. One day I came into the chicken shed and discovered her roosting next to the other hens. Keeping her distance, mind you, but still they allowed her to live with them. This whole process took about two years. In today's sermon, Christ's peace broke down the dividing wall of hostility. I wondered how much longer it takes people to accept someone who is different from the flock.

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.