The Little Things.

The Griggs household has been having a bit of trouble the last 6 weeks. Nothing huge. Nothing devastating. Nothing heartbreaking. Just little things. The new dryer still doesn't work because Papa hasn't had time to get into it, a bit of cow trouble and car trouble. Nothing that costs too much but little things that catch you by surprise and still need dealing with. Our milk fridge smelled all of a sudden ( the freezer quit working and the meat inside made a mess and leaked into the fridge. It's cleaned up now.), the stray cats started fighting with our cats under the house, the laying hens keep unplugging their light and water so that they are cold and thirsty. The appliances went crazy and almost half of them stopped working. The moose is eating the cow hay outside the pen almost as fast as the cow is on the inside (some electric fence should stop him but we only figured it out yesterday when Papa caught him at it.), a shelving project that should take about 3 MAX hours has taken a full month and is still no where near being finished, never mind the bunk beds Papa was going to build weeks ago. We ran out of pine firewood and Papa went out to cut a tree down and brought in a small load but the rest of it is buried under a foot or more of snow because the Travelall stopped working. Several people consistently forgetting milk jars and we had a serious problem. One night when Papa got home from work he put his supper in the microwave and lights or appliances on 5 different breakers went out for no apparent reason and not everything on each breaker went out. He flipped the breakers a few times and they came back on all alone 15 minutes later!! I told Papa "What are we supposed to be learning??" Normally when something like this happens we agree that God is trying to teach us something. Something we need to be learning. It started New Years Eve and hasn't really given us much of a break since. It's just the little stuff. Some of which I can't even remember because it was so minor but every thing plays a part in it. The kids tried to stop sleeping and napping one week, the animals are uncooperative, the phones conk out at odd times, the brand new meat saw we bought this summer is in parts because the saw doesn't line up!! It's never even been plugged in!! Pig butchering has been put off at least 4 times because the saw isn't working and no one seems to be able to figure out what the problem is. Not even the company we bought it from!! Stupid things, irritating things. I got stuck 2 times in 4 trips!! Since when?? I don't think I've ever been stuck before!! I told my mom about some of it one day and she laughed at me!! LOL. She thinks it's because we've been married 10 years this Fall. She told me she thinks a couple should have a wedding shower every 10 years because things start breaking down at 10 years and you have to buy everything again anyway!! I pointed out that we haven't had any of the stuff that's breaking down for 10 years, living in 2 countries the way we have we've very little of the same appliances, and she said it didn't seem to matter. 10 years and everything breaks down. I'm not too sure that's it but it's a good a theory as any I guess. What I find interesting is that 2 praying woman (you know who you are and Thank You) have told me in the last month right out of the blue that they are praying for us. That tells me it's probably something big. Now if we could only figure it out. :) I'm hoping we figure it out soon as my poor hands are chapping in several places from all the washing up. My one thumb is split constantly and burns every time water hits it. Nothing seems to help it heal. Our family dishes wouldn't be so bad but because we sell milk I wash up to 25 gallon jars a week!! Never mind milk dishes 2 times a day. I love our cow but I really miss my dishwasher!!! It surely is a time of testing and trials in it's own small way. I'm just very thankful it's only the small stuff. No one is sick or injured, lost or dying, as with the books (which was another thing, and the lack of water)... it's only things. I'd rather it be things then beings. Human beings that is!! Thank you LORD!! God Bless and have a great day, and if you think of it would you pray for the Griggs family that they would understand what they are to learn!!

Oh and if anybody has any ideas or thoughts I'd love to hear them. On either the little things or my horrible hands. :)