Getting ready for fair

Well time is winding down fair will be here before we know it. After today we have exactly 15 days till fair. We have so much to do I'am trying not to get overwhelmed. Seems like that is a little hard to do. I shaved three goats today three more to go. We have to also shave the cows yet. The kids gave their cows baths today and used their new blower. They were so excited to get to use it. I wish we could use it more than one week out of the year for what it cost.

Our Garden is doing good just have not had anything ripe to can yet. My luck it will all get ripe about fair week. Guess I won't be canning then will have to do canning after fair. We had fried zucchini from the garden last night oh so good. We have had lettuce many times so far from the garden. It is so fresh tasting unlike the store.

We had to go out to the pasture today and catch a calf. We had a a cow calf but it was dead when we got it pulled it. So we went to get her a new one from a dairy farm. She never took to it well but he could eat. Well we dehorned and banded him then put them in the pasture. He got maggots in his horn and did not feel good enough to follow her around to eat so we had to bring him up. Now we can treat him and make sure he eats. If I was in charge she would be on a one way trip to the auction on Wednesday. But it is not so she will get a free year of eating without contributing nothing before the next calf.

Matt just cut our second cutting hay and got 25 round bales we were pretty happy with that. We wrapped like I explained in one of my older posts.

Well have a great day all and God bless you.

Being a light

Here is a cute story I read in my husbands farm paper.
A doctor arrived at a mountain cabin to deliver a baby. They had no electricity so the doctor said, "Hold the latern over your wife." The baby arrived. Then another and the father ran out of the house. "Come back witht the light," asid the doctor. "No, sir," answered the father. "The light's attracting them." The light does attract, and wherever you find the Lord's light, you'll find the Lord's people. It draws man closer to all who are the Lord's The Bible says, "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Hello

Hello all had a pretty easy morning so far. On the agenda today is some errands for fair stuff for the kids. Avery has to rent a gate to put up by his cow at fair so we have to pick it up and paint it. For Kassandra we have to build her gate. Seems like their is always something to do.The kids took their cows on their morning walk and Praise the Lord Walter did great today. For those of you who do not know that is Avery's cow. Kassandra's is named Aden. It was pretty funny we picked her name from a baby name book and when we realized what we named hers it was the Amish guys name at the mill where we go. Matt and Avery are getting the tractor started so they can hook it up to the sickle bar mower. Matt is going to cut hay today. He has a friend from work who is going to bale it for him. Even if it rains we will still get it up because they wrap it and make what is called silage bales. What they do is bale it wet, wrap it in plastic and let it sit 30 days. After that it has heated and fermented. You have silage in a bale. Matt also planted some oats back on the wheat ground and when ripe he is also going to cut it an bale it for hay. I'm just working on washing laundry well waiting and of course writing this. I have my niece today who I watch 4 days a week from 5:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. She is 2 so much fun to watch them grow. We found out her mom is going to have another baby. We will be expecting the new baby on Jan. 25th as it is a planed c-section so we know when it is coming. I will also watch this new bundle of joy. You know as I write this telling all the things we have going on and are able to do we are so very blessed. There is days when I want to complain because I can't have something or do something. But you know I have learned I need to be content in all things I do and have. Most people can not wake up in the morning walk out in fresh country air,milk animals for their milk or go get just layed eggs from the chicken boxes. My children are healthy free to grow and explore. I have a husband who loves me very much and takes very good care of me an my children. I live in the land of the free where I can do things that sometimes I take for granted that most people can't. How very blessed we are so not matter what is going on ,what you don't have or a bill you can't pay. Trust in the Lord for he will take care of you and most of all This is the day the Lord has made ; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation wheter well fed or hungry wheter living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Proverbs2:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Quite day on the Farm

All was pretty quite here on the farm today. My oldest son Anthony came over today and played video games with Avery. Also to see me today is my birthday. I just folded laundry today. I have been washing it for the last two weeks and just been putting it in baskets. Everyone would like it in their drawers. We are going to Battle Creek tonight to eat for my Birthday and run some errands. By the way if you are wondering I'am 36 this year four more years till 40 but I'am looking forward to getting older. God takes us threw so many seasons of life and I'am looking forward to experiencing them all. Have a great night.

More pictures

This is our blue heeler Bailey.

This is our milk cow Tessa.

Here is two of our goats Hannah and Audrey.

Here I'am crocheting a blanket for Kassandra. Not the best picture but you make do with what you have.

Here I'am milking the goats. Can't get milk no fresher than this.

More pictures

This is my precious niece Mayce.

This is Anthony with his buck.

This is my handsome husband Matthew who I love very much.

This is Avery at a tractor show.

Here is Avery holding some of our baby goats.

Pictures

Here is Wesley going to Homecoming. He has poison ivy in eye. He looks so happy.

This is Kassandra my little princess.

Our ducks laying in the snow
.

Some of our chickens.

One of our fields after we got snow and lots of ice.

Recipe For Chocolate Waffles

Here is a recipe my family loves I guess you would say it is a famliy favorite. They are really good if you warm up strawberry jam so it is like syrup and whipping cream on top yummy.
Chocolate Waffles
2 cups flour
5 tsp. b.p.
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted shortening (I use butter)
1 tsp vanilla
Combine dry ingredients. Beat eggs. Add milk, shortening and vanilla to eggs, then mix into dry ingredients. Bake in a hot waffle iron. Serve with hot syrup, whipped cream or ice cream.
For my family I double this. They can warm them up the next day or you can freeze them for later. Enjoy.

Encouragment From The Bible

Philippians 3:7-14
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead . Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Kids 4-h Projects

Well for all that might be new and not know me an my family I will bring you up to speed on some things. My daughter who is 10 and my son who is 13 are taking new animals this year to fair. My son decided to talk a full grown beef steer which is about 1,100 to 1,200 pounds. My daughter is doing a dairy starter calf which will weigh about 400 pounds at fair time. Well needless to say my son's cow has been loco from the start. He would rather kill you than do as you say. My daughter's calf just does not want to walk at all. So she rides her bike behind it well I walk it. I told her we can't take her bike to fair and ride it around the ring. I told her she will have to find another way to make it go. My son's cow is coming around he has his good days and bad days. We have only 21 days until fair. Needless to say after all it has been a year of learning for all of us. Even though frustrating at times we are going to do it again next year and this year is not over. In fact they are each going to do a steer and a dairy starter calf. Yikes what a year it will be lots of work. It has been so good because it has gave me lots of quality time with each child. The reason for that is because I walk with them when they walk their cows lots of exercise for me bonus. We will be taking goats to show also. My son has a market weather to show and sell. I feel so blessed to be able to do these things with my children.

About our family and farm

Well I guess I got ahead of my self in my posting. I will tell you about our family and farm. We live in Southern Michigan on a 165 acre farm which we plant beans,corn,oats,wheat and hay. We also have feeder steers,brood cows,chickens pigs,rabbits and goats. Our farm is run by my husband Matthew,my father Harry,my brother Marty,Myself and our children. I'am a stay at home mother and I homeschool our children. I milk goats and a cow for our own milk. No store bought garbage milk for us they have done God knows what to. My husband Matthew works off the farm also at wal-mart distribution center three days a week. It is nice because it gives him four days a week to be home to do farm work. It seems like those four days just fly bye and we never get enough done. We have a big garden which we grow a variety of things. I can what we grow to get us threw winter so we don't have to buy out of the store. I love to bake and cook. I make all our bread and desserts no store bought for us. Two of our children are moved out and the other two still at home very involved with the farm. They are both active in 4-h showing beef steers,dairy starter calves and goats. We are so thankful for all the blessings God has bestowed about us. Thank you for visiting our site.

Fun at the mud bogs

Hello everyone just thought I would write a little today. Yeaterday we went to some friends house for a mud bogging rally. It was lots of fun the kids had a blast. I guess the funniest thing was watching grown men go out in the mud and trying to drive their trucks around. It was a good day to just be away from the farm and not do any work. Well things are pretty quite aroung here today. Matt is working and me an the kids are just relaxing today. Worked witht their 4-h animals today. They have to give them baths later today when it warms up. I took about 12 goats to the auction last Monday so they only leaves me 8 to milk. It is so nice and quick to milk now I love it. We did our straw and got 66 round bales, 700 square bales of straw. That sure will be nice this winter for our bedding hopefully we don't have to buy any. Next week we are cutting our hay again so it will be time to bale again. Sure is nice having our own hay. Seems like summer is flying bye. The kids only have 21 days till fair. It just seems like when living on a farm the work never ends. You get one thing accomplished and there is something else to start doing. Owell so much fun I would not want to be doing anything else. Well have a great day all and remember God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1