Joni and Steve dot com

I’m writing this post from the ER. Yesterday morning when the girls were driving to help work on removing fencing, they passed bee hives where the bee keepers were working in the fields (they were on the road and the hives were a distance away). As the girls were driving, a bee hit Emma in the forehead and stung her. She thought it was debris because it was a very hard hit. They pulled over and she reached up to feel the spot and pulled out a big stinger and the venom sac. It wasn’t until hours later when she returned that her face began to swell. I watched it very closely. The swelling stabilized. She had no trouble breathing and the swelling was localized to her forehead and between the eyes. We gave her Benadryl before bed and she woke up completely swollen, sweating and miserable. Needless to say, we high tailed it to the ER where we remain while they administer some meds. Thankfully, she didn’t have a life threatening reaction. Those almost always occur within minutes or a few hours of the sting. She’s uncomfortable but extremely tough.

The girls worked several hours yesterday removing barbed wire fencing that needs to be routinely replaced to keep the bison in pasture. They came back so satisfied and having absolutely loved the experience! They were dirty and had proud battle scars and went on and on about their day. Is ranch life in the future?

They worked alongside the awesome guys who keep this operation running smoothly. It was so good for the girls. Hard work is always good.

Stephen joined them for a bit and was allowed to drive the skid steer. It was a thrill for him.

Emma and I are sitting here talking about how (aside from the sting) yesterday was so magical. We love Mimi. Each of my kids has a fondness for her that they reserve for only those dearest to them. We are grateful for this time together and for her generosity of her time and incredible land. After dinner yesterday evening, we headed on the ATVs to these beautiful formations. We all went in different directions and climbed and watched the awe inspiring scenery as the sun set over the beautiful landscape.

We were told to look for prehistoric bones and teeth as the area is notorious for them. I was skeptical, but low and behold, as I was climbing, I saw these teeth in the rock. They’re thought to be between 30-70 million years old. How cool!

The stars were incredible last night. We spent time lying down watching shooting stats, satellites and even saw the International Space Station go by.

Hill found a toad at home in Indiana at the beginning of summer. He named it John. He’s convinced John took a ride in our RV and made it all the way to South Dakota and just last night decided to say hello. Thankfully Hill agreed to let John go last night to explore.

Well, Em’s meds are on board. She’ll be uncomfortable until the swelling decreases. We’re not sure how long that will take, but we’re grateful for this medical center and that she did not have a life threatening reaction. After discharge, we’ll get her some much needed rest.