Mommin' Through Life

This past weekend, we loaded up 2 pigs and 2 of our 4 children and headed south to sell some of our fine swine at an annual sale. After finally getting everything packed for our overnight stay, we were finally on the road. After piling bags upon bags, because taking a baby and 2.5-year-old on a road trip requires several extra outfits, toys, diapers and more, it felt like our truck was loaded to the max! Not to mention the 2 pigs in the hog box in the back and the additional supplies needed for them. When we arrived at the fairgrounds, we began to unload the kids, our 2 fine swine and all of the pig supplies. Before I continue, I should share with you how incredibly in love with pigs the 2.5-year-old is. Let’s just say he was in “hog heaven”!  He was also more interested in helping everyone else unload their hogs instead of helping his own parents! (Anyone who needs some help on their farm, just contact our little one!) As we prepped the pigs the next morning for the show, pr...

It's Friday afternoon and the sun is shining! What more could a person want? Oh ya, I forgot to mention that is is a brisk 40 degrees outside. We were teased earlier this week with two days of 60-degree weather and I'm so ready for that to return! I'm currently on day No. 2 of potty training my 2.5-year-old son. My patience is holding out better than I thought it would after changing wet underwear and so far only one poopy set of undies. I've heard the story of people being able to potty train their kiddos in three days...THREE DAYS?! Well, I'm giving that a shot. I may not be successful in getting him 100 percent potty trained, but if we get 50 to 75 percent of the way there, I'll be thrilled. I realize there will be set backs, but I am trying to keep a positive and hopeful mind. Has anyone else noticed the chitter-chatter of the birds each morning of this week? Isn't that an encouraging sign that spring is almost here? I've seen a handful of Robin...

My kids are on a 2-hour delay today after not having school for four days straight, talk about a mom who is about to lose her mind! Anyone else feel me?! This has also allowed me time to FINALLY sit down and write. My 7-week-old is snoozing in her swing and the three boys are playing and the hog chores are done outside, all before 9 a.m.!  On the 15 th of this month, I made one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. After nearly four years of working as an associate editor at The Farmer’s Exchange newspaper, I decided to resign. Why? Well, there are several reasons and I could bore you with all of those reasons, but I won’t. The biggest reason I chose to not return to work is my babies at home and the amount of money it would take each month to put them in childcare. When more than 50 percent of your monthly paycheck would go towards childcare, it becomes a serious consideration to turn your working-mom body into a stay-at-home mom body.  Upon this dec...

W ill Rogers once said, "The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer." As I read that quote the other day, I thought about how true that was. Just in the past week there has been a farmer who lost his combine to a fire and a farmer whose barn went up in flames. I also read about a community that stepped up to help harvest crops that belonged to a farmer with cancer. Talk about having some optimism despite tragedy and loss! I’ve discussed my childhood before and growing up on a dairy farm. However, pondering what Will Rogers said brought back a lot of memories from when I grew up; some good memories and some bad, some happy and sad. One memory I won’t ever forget is when I was awaken one night by hearing a cow heavily breathing right outside my window. Well, for those who have raised animals, we all know what it means when they are breathing heavy ... they probably have been running. Upon going outside, my siblings, parents and I didn’t find ...

A few weeks ago my husband came in from mowing our yard and said, "Remember those rotten pumpkins from last fall that I tossed across the road by the mailbox?" I replied with one of those "trying-to-remember" looks on my face that every wife knows, "Uh, sure." With excitement he said, "Well, guess what. They grew some pumpkins!" As the season of thankfulness approaches us within the next month leading up to Thanksgiving, the story of our volunteer pumpkins is more than just a story, but a blessing. It’s not always the big things in life that bring us the most joy, but the little things sometimes give us the greatest reward. Our 5- and 3-year-old boys sure were excited to be able to walk with us across the road to pick a couple of pumpkins that night. They even helped me decorate our home with them! Life brings us so many obstacles and trials that I often think we forget to look at the little things as blessings just as much as the b...

In May 2012, I was a graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Communication.  Of course I thought I was going to land a job that promised the big bucks and an early retirement.  But, as we all know, trying to make our own plans for our lives doesn't usually work and will almost ALWAYS backfire.  And my expectations of the big bucks and easy life ended up not being quite what I expected. During the past 18 months of working at Homestead Dairy, LLC., in northern Indiana, I have learned so much.  Learning how a 3,500-cow dairy works and how short your patience can get when trying to get 14-20 two-day old heifers on the bucket; the scars on my hands from their sharp teeth can help tell that story.  Or the days trying to beat the rain to get the calves fed their milk and back in their hutches before it down poured rain.  I also ran into the issue of language barriers working the the Mexican men.  There were times where thing...

Famous recording artist, Jordin Sparks, hits it right on the head when it comes to her song, "One Step At a Time."  We live and we learn to take One step at a time There's no need to rush It's like learning to fly Or falling in love It's gonna happen when it's Supposed to happen and we Find the reasons why One step at a time As I read over those lyrics and they keep playing in my head like a broken record throughout my day, I remind myself with the possible changes ahead, that I have to take things "one step at a time."  There is no point in holding off on things just because a career change or a possible move new town to call "home," I must keep living my life the way I have been.   Looking forward into my future, I find myself wondering where I will be in a few weeks, will I work another brutal winter at the dairy or will I find myself sitting in a nice, warm and cozy office in downtown Indy?  Or what about commitments I hav...

Arriving home late last night from a trip to Best Buy, I stepped out of my car to walk into the house and looked out at the baby calves to check on them before heading inside.  As I checked them with a 30-second scan, I noticed something wasn't right.  The trip to Best Buy was with my sister, who isn't a fan of being outside in the dark late at night, and like normal she scurried into the house as soon as she stepped out of the car.  But before she made it to the door I told her to stop and look at the calves. Growing up, just off of a major busy highway, it wasn't unusual from time to time during the wee hours of the morning to get a knock on our door or hear the phone ringing only to be made aware that we had cows roaming the neighborhood or running alongside the road. There was even a time where we had cows, almost the entire herd of 120 head, get out.  Talk about an eerie feeling having a cow breathing really heavy while looking in your window at night....

Patience.  I have been challenged with this powerful and intimidating word for over a year now.  One of the Fruits of the Spirits, it is ever so present in my life than it has ever been.  Whether its going through a time of trial or joy, patience never leaves my side.   Throughout the past several months, I've endured many days of frustration with many challenges thrown my way.  However, having my heart in the right spot, I knew that my patience was being tested each and every time I began to get frustrated with where my life was at the current moment.   My current job has many frustrations along with language barriers and cultural differences; some bad and some good.  It hasn't been easy and I just remind myself that God must have quite a sense of humor to keep me where I am.  Or maybe, just maybe, I'm fulfilling His plan each day as I rise.  You never know what's going to come your way in life.  But trusti...

From spaghetti ice cream, the worlds largest boar to the numerous questions about dairy cows from consumers and the public sharing what you know about your animals happens at no greater place than the Indiana State Fair. A few weeks ago, I spent six days at the state fair, myself along with many other exhibitors of dairy cattle get to be reminded each day of why we do what we do.  We are quizzed by the public on our knowledge of our animals, receive some questions we never would dream of being asked and having the opportunity to brighten a child's day when allowing them to pet a cow. The late nights and early mornings sometimes cause stress between families and show crews, but at the end of the day and the time we spend at the fair, we do it all for one reason. That reason is shown through our care and passion that we have for these bovine creatures. Each year, I look forward to the state fair. Not only for the new friends I make, but the communication that I am able to perfo...

It always seems that as one thing happens in life, it begins a domino affect.  Never knowing how long the trials and triumphs will last.  Some days, we feel like we know exactly where our lives are headed and then at other moments, we struggle to understand the things we are going through and why life just isn't happening the way we desire it to.   Facing one of the most challenging events in my life a year ago, I have found joy in that time of trial, pain, and confusion.  Many days I wonder why God allowed me to go through that time, but as the days go by, I don't regret what I went through.  What I remind myself daily, is that a sinner like me, had God right beside me through the entire experience.  Many times we wonder why we are faced with such challenges, but why aren't we thanking God for staying right beside us during those times instead of complaining about the obstacles that He put in our way?  As time ticks on, I won't deny that I str...

Ever have it when you have a million things running through your mind and it seems as if that hamster living in your brain never takes a rest?  That's me...right now.  It seems as if every turn I take, every door I open or every chance I take, I'm faced with a million thoughts, questions and find my mind wandering all over the place.   The last nine months of my life have definitely felt like I have been on a roller coaster...sort of like the Superman roller coaster at Six Flags.  You start sitting up on the ride until it turns you so you are facing the ground then off it goes!  Once the ride is complete you are sat back up and feel like life is back to normal.  Trying to find that "normal" is what's been challenging me lately.  Right as I seem to feel like I'm getting back to my old self and starting to move on, let go and live for the future...it happens. SMACK! Someone makes a comment, brings something up or I am faced with something th...

Growing up on a dairy farm hasn't always been easy, but it has been the best experience of my life.  After my parents got rid of the cattle in November of 2010, my family experienced a major change of life.  2011 has brought many good and positive things to my family and I as well as a few negatives, which is expected.  Life isn't about living it perfect but about going through the obstacles and events that are put in your way that help you learn from your past and make your future brighter.     Celebrating the birth of the first grandchild in my family was one of the highlights of our summer.  Not only did our family receive a new addition, but my aunt and uncle also became grandparents for the first time the same day my parents did.  Adalyn Jean, sure is a blessing to my family and she brings so much joy into all of our lives. We also have another exciting addition to our family that will arrive early June of 2012.  My parents, siblings a...

Thanksgiving is more than turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and all the other Thanksgiving traditional foods served.  There is more to Thanksgiving than traveling to see friends and family, more than doing chores on the farm early to get to a family gathering, watching the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, or the beloved dog show.  Many get wrapped up in all the festivities but often forget to thank the person who made these holidays a major part of our lives. If it wasn't for God, there would be no turkey, no ham, no food at all.  Through his never ending grace and mercy He provides for our bodies by allowing us to take care of his land and people by growing crops and raising animals to feed the world.  Some individuals this Thanksgiving, are mourning the loss of a loved one, a husband, a grandfather, an uncle, a brother, a father.  Even though we hurt here on earth from this indiviual passing through this world and finally reaching his final d...

The agriculture industry is in a constant battle about animal welfare and care and it has become a very serious issue over the past couple of years. However, I feel that many farmers don’t necessarily know how to react when attacked by certain animal-rights activist groups or even just the general public. Not every individual is an excellent speaker in front of an audience, but as for farmers, being proud of what you do and how you take care of your animals and land speaks louder than words itself. Each year my family travels to the Indiana State Fair and I always look forward to that time. Not only do I look forward to showing our dairy cattle, but I have a passion for talking with the public about what we do with our cows and how we care for them like they are a part of our family. I always like to tell them that we have a sign in our barn that says, “In this barn, every cow is a lady. Treat her with kindness.” As we milk the cows at the state fair, we usually get a large c...

Born in the frigid winters, dairy-loving state of Wisconsin, my passion for the dairy industry and dairy cattle was born there.  Spending only a short time of my life there, a little less than the first year of my life, I still feel like I'm at home whenever I travel to Wisconsin.  Speaking of the feeling of being at home, I recently traveled to Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo and in a couple weeks will leave the states for the FIRST time and travel to The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto.  I'm not sure if I will enjoy my trip out of the states, but am certainly looking forward to this new adventure for me.  I'm not sure I'll feel like I'm at home when I am in Toronto! It is silly sometimes, I refer to my college apartment as home. It seems like home at times...I mean I only spend 4.5 days a week at it, the rest of the week I either travel to Illinois to work or the place where I truly feel at home.  But, at times I catch myself and think...hmmm...

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, co-worker, longest friend, lover, or even a complete stranger) but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way. Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.  Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints in our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized y...