A man that can till the earth

In college I had the opportunity to live in an apartment with five super Molly Mormon's.  I use the term 'Molly Mormon' with the up most respect.  These young ladies were crafty, cute, and creative.  They all owned cookbooks that they had tested and used from their families. We would trade off cooking dinner and I felt inferior to their amazing skills. They could sew, iron and clean.  Each one had its own way of beautifying our place and made our home a place of peace. I truly loved each one.  They left a lasting impression on me as to the duties of a house-wife and you will see why this is so significant as this story is told.
One particular roommate was gorgeous.  So beautiful! Blond hair, big blue eyes, cute clothes, big white smile, and a heart as big as Texas.  All of us loved her.  She helped everyone around her.  Often times we would take turns sitting on the end of her bed talking about our concerns.  Out of everyone, I considered her the most stereotypical 'Molly Mormon'.  I learned so much from her, that she basically helped me plan my wedding and reception.  Her one great claim to fame for me was her advice for picking a husband.  'A man that could till the Earth'  was what we should be seeking.  I am not sure she took it as literal as I did but she believed in it.  After meeting Isaac he asked me one day about my dream husband.  The phrase 'a man that could till the earth' immediately came to mind and I began to explain for the first time to anyone what that meant to me.

Growing up on our family ranch, I knew first hand what 'tilling the earth' meant.  I watched my mom and step dad build their place from the ground up.  My mom could weld, frame, pour concrete, drive a tractor, use a post hole digger, roof, and a million other skills I have yet to even try.  Our family always worked right along side her holding poles, digging ditches, and lifting metal.  A lot of our time was spent outside.  My family woke early and came in late.  Many times we would eat dinner at 9:00pm because we had been out finishing up a project.  Not much time was spent inside cleaning or cooking (which is probably why I still don't exactly love these tasks yet). I had never met anyone that could work harder than my mom, so my roommates advice to marry a man that could till the earth really did seem as wise, but unlikely advice.

All that changed when I saw Isaac, not met, but saw Isaac.  His size was incredible, almost amazing.  He was buff and big and strong.  After we started dating I found out that he was raised on a farm.  My first visit to his home town we baled hay together.  I was SO amazed that he could throw the bales up on the trailer faster then I could stack them.  He could toss the bales 15 ft from the field to the trailer and 8ft high up on the stack. We worked for hours, quietly working, just as I had did with my mom.  OH, he was my dream guy!  Still to this day he races himself to see how fast he can pull wire or put in receptacles.  Isaac will try to dig as many holes in a period of time as he can or cut up a tree faster than any lumberjack.  And not only can he out work you outside, he can deep clean a stove or bathtub to make it look new.  I am so grateful for how hard he works and how much pride he takes in his work. 

So it comes as no surprise that after sending Autumn off to school we have found how hard our little man Bruce can work.  He loves shovels, dirt, wood and rakes.  He can stack wood, mow the lawn (holding on to the handle right under me), dig holes and clean for HOURS.  Literally hours!  When the little boys sleep Bruce and I will be out in the yard working and working for hours until sweat is dripping from his little head. He will often just go out and work on his own by pulling weeds or digging in the garden. When Isaac is home on Saturday's building fence, Bruce will stay out the entire time holding nails or wire. I am such a proud mama!