Christmas Break

This week I have had so much fun. My to do list was to get Bob's journal done before I go back to work and I pretty much have it done but the pictures. So Saturday we painted Bob's room and Monday I painted Duchess room Purplish and Misty blue it looks good I am really happy with it and Duchesses says it is a new me. She is funny I get such a kick out of her. Bob has been busy working cattle and running around with Papa this week. Papa calls and ask is Bob busy today. It is so funny.

I wish you all could see this a little better.

This is Bob's Classic Red or when Papa came to see it he said International Tractor Red.

Pups and kids

I hope you all had a great Christmas we sure did. The kids kind of got an early present this year we had some stray dogs come to the house a couple of weeks ago and they had 4 puppies. We would like to give this one away if anyone wants it. I think they were dumped out.

This is Duchess's Goldie.

This is Bob's Cowgirl

Chief has one too and I think her name will be dog not sure need something he can say.

She follows Chief everywhere which is good because Chief wonders he is just like Bob was and Bob had a dog named Red who went everywhere with him.

Chief's First Hair Cut

Friday was Chief's first hair cut he did so good sat so still for Mr. Ron we were so proud of him. However for $11.00 a hair cut times 3 boys I can clip cattle, sheep, and hogs for the shows, so maybe I need to learn how to do my boys too. What do you all think do you think I can. I did shave a old boyfriends head at State Fair I guess that is why we did not last long.lol

Burrrrrr.....

Well it was a 8 degrees this morning and that was at 9:00 when I looked outside down here in the bottom. I hate this weather. The sun was so nice but so unfair. It looked beautiful outside but I did not even go out but to church and home and to friends house to get some Christmas stuff took care of and that was it. My sister came down today to take some pictures of the kids on our stair case. By the way notice the brand new railing Jon put up for me. I am so proud of it. We had a great weekend we cleaned house and worked outside all day yesterday. Jon's folks are coming Christmas Eve down here so we are trying to get ready. Which is good it seems like to really get my house clean I have to invite people over. Casey even pledged the base boards in the living room. I am a terrible house cleaner. I never did get to the windows in the spring so I did all the downstairs windows yesterday. Today was nice though I got new curtain rods I had been saving $$$ for these for the last several months. Jon put those up today it was so cold out he worked in the house doing this and that until about 3:30 and started doing chores. He gave Col the day off today and he did all the feeding and checking cows and busting ice by himself. Col helped him all day yesterday hauling wood and unloading and cleaning up outside and stuff. I think he enjoyed it but he just said he had not done nothing when Neil came to visit us tonight and I think he is about to get tired of being inside I know I already have cabin fever and it has been one day stuck in this house. I think we need to put some heaters in out at the barn so we aren't stuck in the house all day.

This is Neil he loves to pick on Bob, Dutches, and Chief.

Neil came tonight he brought me back my bowl that I sent some left over chili in about 3-4 weeks ago, and guess what I fixed today. You got it Chili and sent some more home with him in the same bowl he brought back. I did re wash it you know college kids and boys for that matter. I feel sorry for him I tried to get him to stay the night these next couple of nights. Him and another guy live in this old old house no insulation, matter of fact a month ago he had the space heater on in the bathroom and he went to take a shower and there was a snake in the shower he said the bathroom was warm. I hate snakes and mice but this tells you how their house is I won't go over there he comes here. They do have a wood stove but it was 8-9 degrees this morning!!! I can't believe him some times. He did say he was looking for an apartment in Springdale which I hope he will get but I don't see him living in town very long the kid has never lived in town. But I do think it maybe good for him I will miss him though I doubt he stops by as much as he does now even if he does for food it does not matter he is family and Jon and I treat him like our own.

Until next time hope you all stay warm it is times like today I wish we had a heat pump to go along with our wood stove.

What a great morning!!!

I have to brag Bob is awesome!!

There is not very many 10 year olds that help like he does this summer he mowed 3 yards off and on ours, Nana and Papa's and sometimes Granny and Grandps.

He had to learn to fluff hay this year and when Jon left out for Hurricane Dolly he learned how to rake real fast because when he left Papa had cut 60 acres of hay. I know he is not my baby no more it does not seem. When Jon left seemed like he turned into the man of the house. I guess we watch to much John Wayne and Westerns around here. He helped me with everything and Papa too.


Earlier in the week it was sooooo cold. One morning it was a 15 down on the creek bottom. There is not very many 10 year olds who gets up and helps me chop ice for the horses and the show heifers(even though they are his heifers) and does not complain. Jon does all the chores at night with Bob's help and Bob and I do it in the morning. We also help Papa in the evenings when we are needed so sometimes I do all the chores down on the bottom and Jon stays and helps Papa.

I usually bust the ice while he mixes the feed. I guess it was Tuesday my arm got soaked and it was bus time so I had to beat it to Nana and Papa's so the kids could catch the bus and I got to open a early Christmas present to wear to work. Now I can laugh that day I could not. Ice water and 15 degrees is not fun. I also got to dig my shovel out of the water when I got home.

Today I am home it was so nice I got up fixed pancakes for the kids and Jon at 5:30. Put the kids on the bus and went and got the Christmas presents I had hid at Nana and Papa's house. It was about 58 degrees down on the creek bottom this morning so nice. I am going to go to Dutches Christmas Party today then pick up the kids and meet my sister so the kids can deliver the food we collected for the homeless shelter. Chief is getting a hair cut to day first time. Bill cut his Daddy's hair the first time and Bob's so we have to get Chief in before Bill retires on us. Then I have to run to Fayetteville tonight and get one more present and I am done. Yea!!!! I still have to wrap.

Have a good weekend!!!!!

What a great morning.

Christmas County Spelling Bee

Last Sunday night was the our church's children's Christmas Program. I loved it, it was so fun and cute. I think the kids enjoyed it.

There was some really long practices and I think Debbie wondered are we going to pull it off or not but the kids did great.

I hope they do one next year. I do miss the Country Church we got married in and I was raised in. We always had a Christmas program and it was not as we would say fancy but it was fun. It was always something you would see on the Hallmark channel or something. Kourtnee and I did the Candy Cane one year we had fun with it we made our own candy store with old canning jars old time. I went and dug in the old Thompson House (that is on the East side of the farm) that Lisa and I would always say was haunted to our friends and found all kinds of things. Now I would not step foot in it it would probably fall in. Lisa and I use to play in it all the time. I guess that is why not very many people came to our house Lisa and I was kind of mean to those city kids and tell them all kinds of stuff then mom would end up taking them home about 1 or 2 in the morning. Sorry I guess that is another story.

Last Sunday night was the our church's children's Christmas Program. I loved it, it was so fun and cute. I think the kids enjoyed it.

Christmas Card

I got all the Christmas Cards mailed out yesterday. Jon and I both have good size extended families so I got made 40 copies of the picture and still only have 2 left. When I got them developed I forgot to take the red eye out, which makes me so mad at myself. This is the only picture Chief would smile in and Col was not dressed in his best go figure. I hope you all can enjoy getting ready for the holidays. I love Christmas even though it was hard to get motivated this year but this year I think a lot of families will remember what Christmas is really about. I am as bad as anyone else and get wrapped up in the whole big Christmas gift buying and stuff. So this year has been really kind of enjoyable and I have not felt so rushed and felt like I had to try and get the best for everybody. Most all of the gifts are homemade. Which is stressful trying to get everything done. I am making Jayme my niece a Blue and Gold fleece blanket that has her name on it which I got 1 yard of each which total blanket cost $6.00 then I got her a cap from the Razorback store (the buy one get one for $.99 sale plus the day I got it was on the staff and faculty sale day 25% off everything in the store sale). I am putting together calendars for both Nana and Papa and Granny and Grandps of my sister Lisa and my kids and on Thanksgiving I had the kids put hand prints on dish towels to give to them too. I just have a few to get few things to make the kids and I do lots of baking.

You all should read this post off this blog I think my life and hers is a lot a like sometimes.

http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/ Letter to Santa

We are so Blessed!!!

You guys would be so proud of me I did not stay up worrying Sunday night about us selling calves. We did have a yearly note due and I gave it to God. Wow I don't think I have ever completely gave it all to him to worry with. Jon was so shocked I did not toss and turn or even get up Sunday night. Cattle prices took a huge fall yesterday as everything else and Jon had to sit from 12:30 to 6:00 till our calves sold. He left the sale barn at 6:30 and did not get home till 8:30 last night. It was one of the biggest sales they had this year. I guess everyone is needing Christmas money and who wants to feed a bunch of 500 lb calves all winter with the prices of feed so high. We only had 6 to sale this time which is not a lot I know but we sold all the others back in July and cattle were a little off then but we did make our payments then that is all we can ask. These 6 just did not make weight so we fed them out a little longer we do not sale anything on our place unless it weighs 500-600lbs or over you just don't make that much. We did have one heifer that weighed 400 and we took a loss there. The kids and I babied her and everything she just would not gain weight. Oh well you have that sometimes. Anyway we was not able to make the full payment with the cattle check but we was able to pay well over half of it at least. Then Jon got a call while he was waiting at the sale barn and a neighbor bought his little red s10 which has over 200,000 miles on it and has been sitting for 3 years it has little things wrong. But we are using that money to pay also. All I can say is God is so good!!

I need some ideas!!

Dutches takes her lunch everyday to school I need some ideas. She gets so tired of sandwich, roman noodles and all that any suggestions.

Oh, on the deer meat I like it ground up and I fix it like I would hamburger. However, Neil is never that nice so I brown it in oil and cook it like minute steak. I dip in in flour and the milk and egg mixture then season it with whatever I can find.


Here is something to try I had it yesterday at our Thanksgiving dinner at work and it was really good.

This is the recipe for Broccoli Cornbread.

2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
5 eggs
2 cups of Cottage Cheese
1 Med. Size onion finely chopped
1 ½ sticks of butter or margarine (melted)
16 oz. pkg. chopped broccoli (thawed)
Cheddar cheese (to sprinkle on top of bread)

Mix well, the above ingredients together. Pour into greased baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

· Sprinkle cheese over top when bread is done and just long enough to melt. J

New arrival

Well last night Jon pulled in with a new heifer. Bob was so excited I was late getting home from work and he called his daddy to see where I was at. (my cell was dead as usual still is I can't remember to plug the darn thing in) Jon had left to go get her after work he took the trailer with him to work to save him some time. When I pulled into Nana and Papa's Col met me at the door said his dad was just coming through town and headed home he had his shoes on and was even trying to help his little Sis get hers on and tied. So Nana and Papa helped me get them in the car. We just get such a kick out of the kids they are so funny normally I can't get them to leave Nana's and Papa's. On our way out of the drive way Jon's cousin stopped us and he wanted to show us his new deer he got yesterday and to ask if I would cook it for him after he skins it and does all that stuff he does (I don't even want to know its better I don't and I am even a country girl last time he brought the meat in Wal Mart sacks to me I did tell him to get some gallon size glade bags this time, like I said you don't want to know), which I can't say no he knows he has me wrapped around his finger even at 18 years old he has that grin and smile that even his mom can't tell him no. Finally at 6:00 we made it home Jon just unloaded the heifer and I had to use my car lights to look at her she is so pretty. We are all excited we start the breaking her to lead this weekend. Hopefully I can get some pictures.

Halloween

Friday was nuts we were so busy. I did get a new washing machine though that is so quite. After such a long day on Thursday we had 11 loads of cattle that we hauled out and for some reason I could not back the trailer up to the chute or the lot everytime I was asked I am so out of praticed. Anyway Friday we got a call about 11:00 that Dad (or Papa) already had a load of beef heifers bought up. So we went and got the big truck and trailer at Grandps house and aired up the tires and I followed Bob and Jon to the flooring place then to a appliance store. My washer has been giving me fits since July the spool was bent and would slosh water out so everytime it would need to fill up with water I would have to hold it. I got to pick out some tile for my kitchen and utility room too (or as we call it back porch). We did not get the tile but I am hoping soon maybe close to Christmas or right after would be nice. Then we went to eat and Jon and Bob went on to the sale barn and by the time they got there Dad had bought 72 head of beef heifers so I guess we won't be bored after all. Which is great I love cattle always have it relaxes me to go check cattle after being at work all day.

Also Granny and Pepa were in town (my inlaws) so I fixed dinner and Pepa helped the kids carve pumpkins which I was greatful because Jon and I were dead tired after I got supper done.

Duchess thought I needed some paint too, but I washed it off before we went to church I know I am no fun but Cheif kept getting his hands in it and stuff excues excues I know.

After all we did on Friday I got kids ready to trick or treat well I was so prepared. (NOT!!!) We did not buy costums because well its fun to make it up but the kids decided what they wanted to do maybe 2 minutes before we started to get ready. Bob was suppose to be a 50's guy but painted up kind of like the Kiss band (which did not turn out well with either child then Duchess decided she wanted to be a rock star so we painted her up kind of like Bob. Then Cheif was a 50's Dude. We had fun took the kids to the Harvest Festivle at church then we went trick or treating we got home at 11:00 but out here you might drive 3 miles to each house and we did not make it to everyone who expects us so next year I doubt we get to go to church.

Last Milking

Well Thursday morning was the last milking for my Dad or Papa is what my kiddo's will tell you. He has milked for 43 years twice a day. Mom and I finally got out and figured out when he started. My Grandmother said he started when he was 16 but Grandpa would not let him buy any of his own heard till he was 18. Let me tell you it is so different around there now. I do miss seeing the Holsteins out there every morning. Dad and Mom have really enjoyed sleeping in the last few mornings but with the time changing it is a little hard on them they are in the house at 6:00 and not 8:00 at night. I know the are a little bored Mom is loving it of course but Dad well it is going to be a while.

Bob took all the pictures inside the milk barn for me while hubby and I got things ready these were all taken Wed night before we sold. The kids and I skipped church to get ready.

This is where they wait before they get to go in the barn.

This is the milk tank where the milk is stored till the milk truck comes and gets it he usually come every other day unless its like around Thanksgiving and sometimes he has to come everyday because the cattle are giving lots of milk since we put them on the wheat field during the day unless it rains.


This is inside the milk barn we let our cows eat while they are being milked a lot of people do not do that anymore but Dad was going to have to re do the barn and stuff about 10 years ago when the inspector suggested this to us and that cost lots of $$$. Mom and I like it when they eat it distracts them and take a little of the edge off while they are being milked and less kicking the milker off and us when we put the milker on and off.

This is Nana doing her thing. That she is soo enjoying not doing anymore I think she misses the night milking but she does not say nothing she knows better.

This is Papa doing his thing. I think he really misses it.

This is some of the cows that we were not milking yet because they were getting ready to calve.

Tomorrow morning is the last Milking

I can't believe it tomorrow morning is the last milking if the money comes through. Jon and I are taking off work to help mom and dad out. It is bittersweet I guess. We are so excited that Dad and Mom get this break however, it will be weird to look across the field and not seeing the steins as we call them. Oh well there are a bunch of heifer's we have have already bought to replace them and more coming in when the final payment is in. I am sure Dad and Mom will enjoy getting to sleep in since Dad has not gotten to since he was 16 unless on vacation, and that did not happen very often I can remember 3 vacations that we went on and spent the night somewhere. As for all the fairs and far off rodeos that was my mother taking us Dad always stayed home and milked he would come then leave but never went to the far away stuff. Then when I moved out he would leave Jon and I with it some and they would take off somewhere. Then they got one hired hand after (the hired hands) his Dad died he was 15 and a great hand. Matter of fact I don't know what we would do with out him. Anyway tomorrow is bittersweet I guess for our family. Even my kids this morning said what are we going to do when we get home from school besides check the beef cattle no getting up the milk cows and helping Papa start milking, no washing down the milk barn in the summer time. I think Bob will really miss it. Duchess she won't but then she is 5 and all she did was help clean up or get the cows up in the summer time when we did not have bulls in with them. I guess we will see what tomorrow brings.

One of those Crazy weeks

This week has just been nuts. Seems like I have spent more time on the road that anything else. We live about 25 miles from where we work and then the kids go to school about 15 min from our house to town. Monday Duchess had gymnastics, Tuesday I had parent teacher conference for Bob, Wed was church, and Thursday was parent teacher Conference for Duchess. I hate weeks like these I feel so drained. Hurry hurry it seems. So I got nothing accomplished this. I guess I will be making up for some of it this weekend. I am so excited my husband is starting to work on the house again. We live in my Great Grandparents house my Grandma was born in this house and I love it. It still needs so much work. We have so much to tell our grandchildren and our kids about this house. When we married and we lived in what I always called the summer kitchen it was where all the canning was done and that was the gathering place in the summer when I was little. We had no kitchen cabinets no sink in the kitchen. Jon worked for a Poultry Supply store and they went together and got us a grill that was the best wedding present ever. I did dishes in the bathtub. We lived like this for about 2 1/2 months or so. When I cooked it had to be on the grill, electric skillet (thank goodness for electric) or slow cooker. I hated it then but I don't think I would want to change it now. We were re doing everything in the house and the Kitchen was the first project. It is still not done still on Plywood floors but as Jon says it is the best floor you will ever have and easy cleaning just take the shop vac to it. However, we started the house before we married about 6 mo to a 1yr before we married in July we will be married 12 years. It is time to start on the house again and get the floors all done don't you think? We ran out of money then saved then something happened to the Angus Bull we had so we had to buy another with the money I had been saving. Then we saved again and then something happened at the barn with the water and all the pipes had to be replaced out there so there you go welcome to farm life. But I can't say a whole lot we gutted a 2 story house that is over 100 year old house that has so many memories of good and bad times and as Jon says we have a roof over our heads, a wood stove to keep us warm what else could you ask for. So true, especially since it got so cold we had our first fire last night for the winter it felt so good. Even though it is taking Bob, Duchess, Jon, and I to keep Chief from getting into it. He tells us Hot but he is not scared. I will have to take some pictures of the house so you can see what we have done. Things are slowing down now with the fairs over with anyway for my family they are my sis and her family leaves next week for the American Royal in Kansas City to show some pigs. And my parents have decided to call it quits with the dairy farm which is another story. Dad (or Papa) has milked since he was 16. Its kind of sad in some ways. Jon laughs at me I will miss not seeing those black and white cows out there. I keep telling him to let me start milking but Jon and Dad laugh at me for even wanting to. We are keeping some heifers so if things don't work out we have about 75 to start milking next fall.

You know you're a farm wife...

I had to post this it is from BB's Blog she is a Farm wife in TN and it so true from me growing up and to now. I love the one if your date was at a Bull Sale that has happaned several times.


If your name is taped to the side of a cake pan;
If you call the implement dealer and he recognizes your voice;
If the vet’s number is on the speed dial of your phone;
If you know how to change the flat on your car, but can’t because the spare is on a flatbed;
If your second vehicle is still a pickup;
If your husband has ever used field equipment to maintain your yard;
If you’re in the habit of buying food stuff in bulk;
If a "night out" involves the local 4-H club;
If the word "auction" makes you tingle;
If you’ve ever washed off each other with a pressure washer;
If "a little bit of lunch" involves 6 courses and a dessert made from scratch;
If taking lunch to the field is as close as you get to a picnic;
If your rock garden was hand-picked;
If you can mend a pair of pants and the fence that ripped them;
If the shopping list in your purse includes the sizes of: filters, tires, overalls, chains, belts, lights, cables, spark plugs or shotgun shells;
If "Farm", "Ranch", "Country", "Cowboy" or "Antique" is in the name of your favorite magazine;
If your tan lines are somewhere below your shoulder and above your elbow;
If you ever went on a date to the bull sales;
If you’ve ever called your husband to supper, using a radio;
If being taken out to dinner has ever included a talk by a seed corn dealer;
If your driveway is longer than a stone’s throw;
If your mailbox looks like a piece of farm machinery;
If your wading pool has ever doubled as a stock tank, or vice versa;
If the daily paper is always a day late;
If you have a yard, but not a lawn;
If you have lots of machinery and each piece is worth more than your house;
If the neighbor’s house is best viewed with binoculars;
If the directions to your house include the words, "miles," "silos," "last," or "gravel road";
If the tractor and the combine have air conditioning and an FM radio but your car doesn’t;
If your storage shed is a barn;
If you measure travel in miles not minutes;
If your farm equipment has the latest global positioning technology and you still can’t find your husband;
If you consider "hot dish" a food group;
If your husband says, "Can you help me for a few minutes?" and you know that might be anywhere from a few minutes... to six hours;
If you plan your vacations around farm shows or calving or planting or harvesting;
If grass stains are the least of your laundry problems;
If your refrigerator contains medicine....livestock medicine;
If your car’s color is two-toned and one color is gravel road brown;
If you knew everyone in your high school graduation class;
If you’ve entertained the romantic notion of living in an old, country farmhouse with a fireplace;
If you use newspapers to help keep the kitchen floor clean;
If you’ve ever said, "Oh, it’s only a little mud.";
If you need a pair of vice grips to run a household appliance;
If you've used the loader to reach the windows when they needed washing;
If you’ve ever discovered a batch of kittens in your laundry basket;
If dinner is at noon and lunch is before and after dinner;
If you shovel the sidewalk, with a skid loader;
If quality time with your hubby means you'll have a flashlight in one hand and a wrench in the other;
If you know the difference between field corn and sweet corn;
If you buy your husband's "dress" socks at Campbell's Supply;
If family "pets" include deer, coons, pheasants, squirrels, foxes or birds:
If you can make a meal that can be ready in six minutes and will still be ready in two hours;
If your basement is really a cellar;
If "sharing a cab" has nothing to do with a taxi and everything to do with getting across the field;
If your job in town is considered a farm subsidy

SDC in the Fall

We went to Silver Dollar City on Saturday. We picked the kids up from school on Friday and spent the night and got to take Jon's mom out for dinner for her birthday I am just a little late it was in Aug. Oh well that is me I am always late on stuff like that. I always feel so bad seems like she always gets the short end of the stick on her birthday. Its at the end of Aug school is starting we are super busy with cattle starting to calve and the Fairs are getting ready to start up. I know excuses excuses. Cheif gives the best hugs anymore.

I love taking pictures of the triple C's and their Daddy.

Bob is somewhere up there.



Bob is so good to help out with Cheif.




Cheif loved the goats the Duchess and Bob thought we needed to get him one but
I don't think so we would really have Old McDonalds Farm.

I don't get to many pictures of Duchess and I.

Duchess loves the roller coastes especially Powder Keg!

But we had so much fun. We love going up in the fall it was such great weather not to hot not to cold it was wonderful. We even got to see one of our favorite groups Big Smith they are country some southern Gospel and rock a little mix they can sing about anything. They play once a year at George's but we have never got to go see them. That means we would have to find a sitter. If the kids can't go we usually don't go either. Our day will come one of these days its time for our kids right now. Even though I would love to at least have one weekend once a year or even every other year I am not picky. That will come too soon enough. Chief is 16 mo old already seems like it was yesterday that Bob was born. Bob is 10 and started raking hay this summer (yes he can drive a tractor better than our 17 year old hired hand and probably knows more about what to do than he does too) That is another story to tell. Duchess will be 6 and its like she is going on 13 wanting to pick out her own clothes loves to go shopping. Which I am not much of a shopper so everyone in the family gets a kick out of this she is like her Nana.

Anyway we had fun at SDC can't wait to go back at Christmas time and see all the lights we usually go around Thanksgiving so it gets me in the mood for Christmas.

Have to excuse all the pictures at the first I am trying to figure out how to do this but I will have to play with it.

coughing kids

Well this past weekend seemed like it lasted forever. Don't get me wrong I just hate being stuck inside all weekend with sick kids and myself. We did get to venture out Saturday night for our 4-H clubs banquet and then we were out on Sunday too. I did get a closet cleaned out but that is about it. I will be so glad when this stuff passes.

I am looking forward to this weekend as no we aren't going to anymore shows till after January even though the kids and I are trying to talk their Daddy into letting us go to a show Thanksgiving weekend in Oklahoma. We are going to go see the kids grandparents they have not seen them since the end of July so they are so excited. We are just going up for one night but be back on Saturday night. I can't wait either I love to go up there during the fall I love the weather and the trees and stuff. Hopefully I will have some Pictures when we get back.