Hutterite for a day...

Well, a few hours!

Today we got up early and headed to Cut Bank for Kolbe's first Junior High football game. It was SO fun! My Bo is getting to be so grown up. I have especially enjoyed the last few weeks with him, as he's been fun to laugh and tease with. Parts of this phase, the 'teenager', scare me to pieces, so its nice to enjoy it! Its amazing how much a year can do for a boy. He's grown SO much...and he was a different kid out there today! He had some AMAZING hits, and some good runs...and, one that was entirely in the wrong direction. But...Nate and I agreed that watching him in sports is going to be a fun ride. Not because he's going to be all-American. But, it is going to be enjoyable.
On the way home we decided to drop by our friend Sam Wipf's...our hutterite friend! This man has always been SO good to our family. And we thoroughly enjoy him and his sweet wife. So, he's been asking us to come and see the colony for  a while. We did this last year too...but today there was NO door closed to us. He love love loves the kids...especially Landri. So he scoops her up into his arms at every chance. Sometimes she squirms out and whines...and others she scrunches up her nose and gives a cheesey smile, letting him love on her! Its so cute! He walked us first to the turkey barn...eh, okay. Then we headed into the milking parlor. Holy batman! So amazingly hi-tech! There are six cows on both sides of the room, with an aisle down the middle. They all push in, then stand in their places while they are cleaned and prepared..then hooked to the electric pumps. The pumps monitor how much milk has been pumped by this cow, both for its earlier milking in the day and its current milking. The kids were totally fascinated, and we watched two sets be milked. The system automatically back-washes itself with disinfectant in between cows...Next we headed into the barns where the bigger calves were. They were about 4-5 months old...and I couldn't believe their similarity to a puppy! They loved attention...and were fighting to get their heads through the grates to be petted...and would lick your hands. Yuck...but fun! And so clean. I was amazed. Then we went to the barn where the baby calves were. One was just born in the middle of the night. Again...pretty much glorified puppies! Landri was a little more comfortable with this size of cow and walked right up to the stahl, only to have the excited calf pop its head right through for some attention and knock her end over end! Sooooo funny! We had a good laugh, and she hid back a bit...until she saw the next cute calf in the next stahl! From there we toured the machinist shops, which were slightly less interesting to the kids but incredible for Nate and I. So impressed with the cleanliness of everthing! We saw all of Sam's secret stashes of paint/laquer and supplies tucked in this closet and that throughout the colony. And every strange store room had a fridge, stocked with???? BEER! :) We saw the feed rooms, the fertilizer shop, and the cement shop. And because our children are truly spoiled...and live a life of leisure...Avery was giddy when she saw the large square pond off behind the pig barn, certain that was where they swim. Um. No. Sam cringed and carefully explained it was 'human....waste.' Ewwww. I don't think Aves figured out what he was talking about! The last stop, and I think favorite of the kids on the tour, was the pig barn. So stinky! But there were babies, 2 days old, nursing on their moms...and squealing! Man...it was noisy! So of course Eli leaned in to get a good look and the momma, being a bit protective, popped up her big ugly head and snorted at him! I think he had a heart attack! He jumped a good foot in the air! I was bent over laughing so hard...we didn't stay long in there, as Sam warned us the stench would quickly overtake our clothes and skin. It was a no brainer...I didn't want to smell like that! We stopped by Sam's home and visited with his two daughters and wife. His wife is the sweetest thing! She also loved the children, but couldn't get enough of Landri. She would take her face in her hands,  rub her cheeks over and over again...desperate to snuggle her. Lu wasn't entirely cooperative, though she did offer up one hug and many smiles and giggles for her.
As we loaded the vehicle with a HUGE box of pork steaks...and varied other pork cuts...as well as the huge box of produce he let us 'shop' out of their big refridgerated shop...we were touched and grateful that he was our friend. Not because he gives us things. That is a perk, sure. But he is a genuinely kind man. He inspected our tires, worried that they are in desperate need of replacement. He urged us to drive very slowly on the gravel...so as to make sure out tires were okay. He told us to love our little family...said we are blessed...and cautioned us about the trying times to come as our little ones grow.
It is amazing to me to see this 'people' as just people. They are no different than me. Sure, they speak a different language, wear distinguishing clothing...but they are often misconceived, misunderstood and judged for their lifestyle. And really, its their faith. And that is something I can understand. I think my faith is misconceived and misunderstood. I might blend in a little easier...but I envy the quietness and simpleness of their life. No way of life is without sorrow...children stray...and there are health issues and struggles that plague us the same.
It was seriously SUCH a fun day. I left feeling such an immense grattitude to my Heavenly Father for good people.
Nate unloaded all the goodies when we got home and as he passed me in the kitchen he said, "Sam worries about us." Huh? "Well, he worries about knowing we have a big family and knowing how expensive things are. He likes helping us." While we are in no means going without...or in need....I felt the love of my Heavenly Father today through this good man. And my children are all convinced they could easily adapt to Hutterite life.