Monday mornings in Missouri--Meet Maci

Meet our newest family member, Maci. She part Boxer and part Lab. She's about 6 weeks old, was born Jan. 4th. The kids are obssessed already. The Farmer is smitten and I have taken probably as many pictures of her as I did our kids when they arrived.

We are debating whether she will be a inside dog or not so we are trying to start potty training. Of course everyone wants to do the fun stuff and I was the one who cleaned the 'oops' up last night. Wish us luck as we jump into this new adventure.

Would blog longer, but have to continue to puppy proof my house, you forget pretty quickly what all is down low until there's someone investigating them up close and personal.

Typing with a footwarmer asleep at my feet,
From Tulip~
KH

Tune in Tuesdays--Nicholas Sparks

For this entry I would like to share not only one book, but an author who I like to read. His name is Nicholas Sparks. I will admit I saw Message in a Bottle and Nights in Rodanthe as movies, before I realized they were part of such a great list of books from this author. Once I discovered them, I read them as quickly as I could get my hands on them. Many of his books are not only bestsellers, I believe about 8 have been movies, and in my opinion, pretty good movies with decent adaptions of the books.

MOVIES: (and if I remember them, the leading man AND MY RATING of him, LOL)
                 The Notebook (where we all first fell in love with Ryan Gosling, at least me)
                 The Guardian
                 A Walk to Remember
                 Message in a Bottle (Kevin Costner, yummy, but ending is the reason DH doesn't like me picking movies, he only likes happily ever after)
                 Nights in Rodanthe (Richard Gere, meow, didn't let DH watch this one, I knew better, LOL)
                 Dear John (Channing Tatum!)
                 The Lucky One (Zack Efron, not bad)
And coming out for Valentines Day, Safe Haven (starring another one of my boyfriends, Josh Duhamel)

Some of the Books that haven't been movies: The Best of Me, The Choice (positively gut wrenching), The Rescue, A Bend in the Road, The Wedding, At First Sight and True Believer.

I am not sure I have listed them all, but wow, these are ones I have read and they are wonderful, every one of them. Mostly I would say these books are of the romance novel type, but most have some unexpected twist to them, which draws the reader in. Coupled with the plot is a beautifully described setting, that makes me want to travel to the southeastern part of this country every time I pick up his books. Books are basically set in modern times, but he does a wonderful job of adding in back story that helps set the stage as well as sharing a glimpse into the future that helps readers like myself who are nosey enough to want to know even after a beautiful well written ending, what happens next? ;)

The books are what I would call a 'short read' although I think they are considered novels, most are readable in a few days tops, of course maybe I should explain, when I get caught up in the story, I can rarely put the books down outside of doing what I absolutely have to, so I can get them read that quickly. I was sick a few days ago and re-read, The Choice and A Bend in the Road BOTH in one day, but it was a day that I didn't feel like doing much else. The only warnings that I will share are these: they aren't always 100% happily ever afters and you will be drawn practically instantly!

Trying to get some 'to-do's' done so maybe I can convince The Farmer that date night to see the movie would be fun,
From Tulip~
KH

Liebster Blog Award

Jamie at This Uncharted Rhoade nominated our blog for this award today. It's for blogs with less than 200 followers. Kinda of a 'Kudos to you' for up and coming bloggers.

I was nominated by a blogger who is working hard to help farm families like ours tell our story. I have to say that I think sometimes that my blog is set at our farm and might not always be farm related, but I try to show my readers that we are first and foremost a farm family and we live a well rounded life full of variety.

In order to 'accept' the award, I need to follow some rules and they are:
1. Each blogger should post 11 random facts about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you, then create 11 new questions for the bloggers you pass the award to.
3. Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to pass the award to and link them in your post.
4. Go back to their page and tell them about the award. 5. No tag backs.


So #1, 11 random facts.........
1. My mother grandmother and myself were all 23 when we had our first child, and we are each other's first child. My husband, his dad and his dad's mother were all 28 when their first born child was born and they are all firstborns, does that make sense? Hope so because I have retyped that four times trying to think of a better way to expain it and this is as good as it gets.  

2. A self proclaimed night owl, I always say I can get to 5am way easier than  I can start there.  

3. I was sad for the longest time when my big boys wanted to wrestle and didn't play basketball, then I was sad this year when the littlest didn't want to wrestle, but quickly got over it when I watched him play basketball.  

4. I am left handed, so is my dad and my oldest son. I used to get mad when Mom would not let me do things because it looked so backwards to her, but now I understand when I try to help Jenna do things, it's very hard to teach her and try to start things backward so its easier for her.  

5. I have been 19 states, would love to see the other 31 and lots of the rest of the world. Particularly Europe and maybe Australia.  

6. If money were no object, I would go back to college and I think I would like to be a history teacher. I would also have a maid, new living room furniture and buy The Farmer a new truck.  

7. I think my lucky number is 5, its the date of my birthday, it's how many years older The Farmer is than me, and there's 5 people in my house that I would lay down my life for I love them that much.  

8. I talk to my grandmother every day, I know at my age that is a privilege.  

9. I have the same New Years Resolution every year and that is to simplify my life, organize it, and maintain it.  

10. The week of the Missouri State Fair is possibly something that I look forward to as much or more than I do my kids birthdays, our wedding anniversary and Christmas.  

11. For someone who loves to talk/type/write as much as I do, this was hard to do and I know as soon as I 'publish' this blog post, I will think of 30 other things I could have written.  

Answer the Questions from my nominating blog friend:  

1. Why did you start blogging? I started about 6 years ago, way before facebook (at least before I was on it) as a way to share our stories. My consistancy on regular blogging has waxed and waned a lot through the years and I have evolved my reasons for blogging a lot over that time as well.

2. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Warm bread out of the oven, buttered. Or actually anything baked, but only while it is still warm, thankfully, I am never as interested after it cools.

3. If you could have the perfect day, doing anything at all, what would you do? I would sleep in, then maybe sew while watching Field of Dreams or any of my list of favorite movies, then I would enjoy an evening with those I love who I don't get to see very often and we would stay up till the wee morning hours just laughing and telling stories.

4. What would your dream car (or truck) be? Since my life currently requires me to have a 'mom vehicle' although its not a mini-van............. I will go the other direction and say that I want something much sportier, like a brand-new gun-metal grey Dodge Charger (not that I have thought about this MUCH)

5. What's your favorite type of music? rock and country from 70's and 80's

6. What one thing would you be completely lost without? My husband and kids first and foremost, but the rest of my family too!

7. What's your biggest pet peeve? Irresponsible adults

8. Are you an early bird or a night owl? Night Owl, ALL THE WAY!!!!

9. What was your favorite gift you received last Christmas? A blingy football ring, can't wait to see how it sparkles under those 'Friday Night Lights' (Go Panthers!!!!)

10. Mayo or Miracle Whip? Mayo (Hellman's)

11. If had to live out the rest of your life as an animal, what would you be? That's a tough one, I could say a host of things here for many many reasons............hmmmmmmm I will  have to get back on this one.  


Pick 11 bloggers to award this prize to. (that's going to be hard, especially since I read such a wide variety of blogs)  

Here goes:
Julie at In Between the Sunsets

Melinda at Farm Livin' is the Life for Me

Mylene at Life in Hatton

Laurie at Country Linked

Nicole at Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom

Lori at Girls in the Garden

Sue at Innkeeper Insights/Inn at Harbour Ridge

Chris at the Canote Notes

GloriAnn at Under the Influence of Oreos

Tami at My Ms Adventures

Meredith at Material Girl Quilt Shop


Now for their 11 questions to answer:

1. Give us your 30 second commercial for your blog.
2. What makes you smile?
3. What's your super power, real or for pretend?
4. Who's your hero and why are they so cool?
5. And your motto on life would be?
6. Stuck on a deserted island and you have your choice of 5 things, what would they be?
7. In a perfect world where you would be right now?
8. Within your family, what do think has been influenced you the most, your spot in the birth order, the cousins you grew up with, your parents teachings, or something else and if so what?
9. Tell some of your favorites and why they make the list.
10. Which sport reminds you most of life and what lessons have you learned from it?
11. If you could turn back time or freeze a particular time, when would that be and why?

Okay friends I look forward to reading your posts!
Typing till after midnight on my second post of the day,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Monday Morning in Missouri

Back in the fall, I created for myself 'writing prompts' for this blog. My thought was that in my busy life, that opportunity to blog is sometimes small and a prompt to help get me started might be the difference between adding an entry and not. Since I began doing that, I believe this might be the first time I have added a Monday one, which I planned to share something about this great state that we live in. I wanted to share with the readers places and things about Missouri that we love. When I am compiling that list in my head, this place is right up there, if not my favorite place besides home. That place is:



The Happily Ever After Room, we consider this OUR room!

 The Inn at Harbour Ridge


This is a wonderful family owned Bed and Breakfast at the Lake of the Ozarks. It's about 2 and a half hours from home, making it far enough away to feel like a vacation, but close enough to be manageable as a 2 day/night trip and in our busy lives, most of the time that is about all the longer I can get The Farmer to goof off. Ron and Sue Westenhaver, the innkeepers are wonderful hosts. The food is delicious and filling to the point of one other meal that day will be enough! The Inn is beautifully decorated. The beds are mostly king sized. The rooms have either a two-some tub which is a extra large bathtub with jetted water, a multi-headed shower, a hottub or ALL THREE!

Our favorite room is 'The Happily Ever After' suite. We consider it our room, but are willing to share since we can't get down there often enough. There are several other 'themed' rooms, with similar accommodations. All rooms have beds made up with The Comphy Co sheets that are so wonderful that we splurged last year and bought a set for at home. I never realized just how pampered we were until we stayed in a motel awhile back and it felt like we were sleeping on sand paper.

If you are looking for something nice to do with the one you love,  I would like to suggest that you take them to the Inn at Harbour Ridge. I would say once you've been there, you will count down the days until you can go back. I know that for us, its the if we can get things planned here to go there, its always a 'yes' when one asks the other if you are ready to go back.

Wishing I was at the Inn today and hoping to get back there soon,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Silent Saturday (hoping to have a Sewing Sunday!)



Sam winning at Kirksville 2-2-13




Updating show string pen in barn



The oldest loading alfalfa to sell



The Farmer is still the best stacker




Pay it forward gift for a friend

Would really like to blog or sew or read or goof off, but its another busy Saturday,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Friday at the Farm--The Circle of Life

At the farm, the circle of life is shown in example after example DAILY. New calves are born, sometimes we lose a few, most do fine. That time of year is upon us now. There's a population explosion occuring right now. Baby calves are sprinkled throughout our pastures, and in many stalls of our barns. Soon there will be a new crop of barn kittens with their blue eyes looking down at us from the hay lofts where their mommas have stashed them for safe keeping as we come in to do our daily chores and feeding. When we had hogs, there were ALWAYS babies, maybe not daily, but every few weeks there were.
Babies, regardless of the species, remind us that life goes on. There's always hope to be found in tomorrow. This end of the cycle or circle of life is mostly pleasant. Watching animals grow, change and mature is a satisfying thing that we are always thankful to witness.
Most of the time, we don't see the end of the cycle with the livestock we produce. As the producers, we simply grow the animal, we aren't the processors, that's a whole other cycle (and whole other blog story) Our job as producers is to feed and care properly for the animals to ensure the consistent high quality product that you, the consumer, has come to expect.
As our kids grew and joined 4H, we began teaching them this circle. It began with their first heifer. They each showed a heifer in their first year of 4H. It was the beginning of their own herd and the beginning of the cycle. When the cow was the proper age, we let the kids research and pick a donor bull and we then AI-ed (artificially insemenated) the heifer. When she delivered her calf, based on its sex, we decide what role it will play, a male could be raised as a bull, or a steer, and if its a steer of the right age, could be next years' show steer. A female, if her structure is something that we find suitable, she will likely be retained as a brood cow, and may or may not be shown.
At our farm, we breed about 40% to AI and 60% natural service. My sister and brother in law are dealers for ABS, so the farm is their 'research' area where they try new semen available and we can have better field tests for what works best for us. We generally sync the cows that will be AI-ed, so that they all come into heat at the same time. Some of the semen we use, is from bulls known to throw good 'club calves' that way the kids have several options for next years show string and we sometimes have a few extras to sell to other 4hers. Our bulls for the natural service cows are all registered Angus.
When the kids' cows start producing more calves than what the kids show in a year, this is when they start doing a couple of things, first 'paying' the farm for the feed that their cattle eat, by allowing the farm to retain a percentage of the profits from their yearly calf crop. They also get to put some money in their college funds.
As kids growing up on the farm, our kids have seen calves born, in fact it seems as toddlers and little children they are fascinated by it, so they have never be 'grossed out' by, it's something that they have always been around. They've seen both AI and natural service happen. As they've grown their ever evolving and maturing questions have made the official 'birds and bees' talk kind of barely necessary, (at least the basics!) When we have sold cattle, either at the sale barn, or as butcher beef to the locker, we've explained thoroughly what the next steps in the process are. They've seen most of those steps happen. They know where their food comes from and are proud to be a part of feeding the world.  Now, do we ourselves eat their show steers? No, not usually and the kids would prefer not to. But they know that if the love and pampering those steers get has anything to do with the final product, they are proud to say, that they likely taste wonderful!
Having a fairly vast knowledge of the circle of life with animals is a great tool when we have to share parts of it with them as far as the two legged world is concerned. It doesn't make accepting it, especially the end of the cycle any easier. Moments like losing a friend or family member is just as hard for us as well. But I am kind of thankful to have the farming analogies to teach them that the cycle continues.
I think that raising kids on the farm is almost like having a cheat sheet to parenting. They learn a lot about life, assume responsibility in the care of their animals, and develop work ethic. Being a visual learner myself and living in the Show Me state, its reassuring to be able to teach the Circle of Life (and many other lessons) with LIVE PROPS at any given time.
Waiting for the farmer to return from the Sale Barn, after completing our part in the circle,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Thankfulness Thursday--Aunt Ethel

Probably some of my most popular posts of the past have been the tribute posts to those I love. Not opening with that line to pat myself on the back, but to warn you now, this one made me cry typing it, so you might want to get a kleenex before continuing to read it. In observation, I think we are all more creative about the things that we are pasionate about, love unconditionally and the people we deeply and truly love.
Today is one of those kind of posts. Let me introduce you to my Aunt Ethel. She's my dad's youngest sister. She's the mother to the cousin I am probably closest to, certainly in age, but in so many other aspects of our lives. As a child growing up, most of my dad's immediate family lived about 2 hours away from us. That didn't mean we weren't close. I have many memories of weekends spent in Granite City. Weeks spent there in the summer, trips to the St Louis zoo and Grant's Farm, playing with my cousins, being at my grandparents and Aunt Ethel's back yard on Briarcliff. I thought always that their closeness was due in part to such similar lifestyles and interests. My dad and uncle were truck drivers, they liked to hunt and fish. Now raising my own children to an age, where they are just starting to come into their own, I realize that 4 kids in 10 years, is similar to the 5 in 10 yrs that they were and its easy to be best friends with your siblings when there are many of you, fairly close in age.
I am the only Granddaughter on my dad's side of the family, did that make me spoiled rotten? Quite likely. But as I grew up, I was quite jealous of my aunts, who seemed to do everything together. Of course 3 sisters, living in the same town, raising 5 boys in 6 years among them, they likely worked together to maintain civil order.
As a little girl I spent a week here and there in Granite City with time divided among my grandparents and my aunts. After my grandfather passed away, my grandmother lived with my Aunt Ethel. We were pretty close to her anyway, as my dad and my Uncle Jim were as close as if they had been siblings. They enjoyed many an outdoor adventure together. They fished all summer and hunted all winter. I can't imagine the number of bluegill and rabbits that met their demise on those trips. So when we visited GC, we stayed at Aunt Ethel's. They visited us regularly as well, living in a small rural town, there was ample hunting and fishing opportunities, close at hand.
Along with Aunt Ethel, comes Kenneth Earl Swann, 3 months and 4 days older than me. This fact really griped me as a kid and but entertains the heck out of me as an adult. Being so close in age has made us good friends our entire lives. I am sure that no one else gets us and I sure we neither one care. I recently had a facebook friend comment, why did that guy say, whatever it was he said that particular day, they were wanting me to be as concerned as they were, I had to ask a second time what? Then I just smiled and said cousins, unless you've got the great ones I have, you wouldn't understand. We live several miles away from each other and don't get to talk often, but within seconds of answering the phone its always like we talked yesterday. A three word text tells the other one exactly that we know what's up, we understand and we love ya.
Every person has their 'thing'. You know the thing that everyone says you are great at! My Aunt Ethel would be the first one to say that hers wasn't cooking or sewing and we'd all laugh and be able to share a hilarious example of the truth in those statements. But my Aunt has a more special gift than something as basic as that. Her gift is people and making them feel loved.
Aunt  Ethel has never known a stranger. She never forgets a face. Having grown up in multiple towns, she has a wealth of friends in all. She's the one who keeps in touch with all of the family. She loves keeping up with everyones lives because of her sincere love of people. Because of that love, she makes a point to truly get to know you. She will move heaven and earth to help anyone with anything. She'd fight like a momma protecting her cubs to defend anyone she loves who has been done wrong.
Aunt Ethel is the perfect hostess. She always goes that extra mile to make time spent at her home enjoyable. She does that many ways. She's got a knack for decorating her home to be warm and inviting, casual and comfortable. She takes special care in adding touches to celebrate the holidays. Holidays is just another place that she shines. I have a collection of ornaments that span 30 years that my Aunt Ethel gave me, as do my cousins, her kids and several other people that she loves. We received special ones the year we got married and when new babies were born. She went to great pains seeking out just the right ornament to share with family and friends. Aunt Ethel knows that it is always more blessed to give than receive.
As I became an adult and got married, I was lucky enough that Aunt Ethel moved closeby. I enjoyed her help and influence as I sat up my own home. She always had the best advice and made suggestions that turned into some of my family's best and most treasured items. She was close to me my whole life, but those years when she was physically closeby were during an important transition time in my life, coming of age, getting married and starting a family. I think of the things we did, talks we had and how they have influenced who I am today. I know that my Aunt Ethel has been a blessing not only in my life but in the lives of so many.
I had kids before Kenny and when I was expecting Cody, I think she was almost as excited as my parents and David's. She was at the hospital when he was born. (She kept my dad distracted when labor was getting intense, I will never forget her sharing that story of her ushering him outside 'for a smoke' when I apparently got VOCAL in my attempts to bring forth my first born!!!!) She moved away to be closer to her own child before the rest of my kids were born, but all of my children know the love of their Aunt Ethel, even if it's been from afar.
In recent years she's been fighting a debilatating disease, Parkinson's. It's taken so much from her physically. Most devastating to those of us who love her is that it's taken her uncanny natural God given ability to show and tell others just how much she loves them. But all of us know how much she loves, as she's shown us all over and over for so many years. One look in her eyes and we still know. Her love is her legacy and it will live on.
Struggling with the slow goodbye,
From Tulip~
KH

What'sfor Dinner Wednesday--Super Bowl Snacks

This week with the Super Bowl coming up I decided to add a few of our family favorite snack foods. Whether you are hosting or attending a party, or just need a quick to throw together snack, any of the items will be easy to prepare and you may likely have the ingredients in your pantry.
#1 Lil Smokies, or as my family lovingly calls them, 'Heart Attacks on a Stick'
          1 pkg Little Smokies, I buy the beef ones if available.
          1 pound pkg of bacon
          Tooth picks
          Brown Sugar
          9x13 pan
          Aluminum Foil
Cut the bacon into thirds. Wrap each third slice of bacon around a smokie and pin together with a toothpick. Place in the 9x13 pan arranging the entire package into one layer. Sprinkle with a layer of brown sugar on top of the smokies. Cover pan with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour. Serve immediately or keep warm in a crockpot.

#2 Layered Mexican Dip

Layer  in a casserole or shallow dish the following items:
            Cream Cheese, softened; Refried Beans, Salsa, Grated Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Lettuce and topped with small dollops of sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips. Can be made ahead if stored covered in the refrigerator.

#3 Toffee Apple Dip
        1 pkg of cream cheese softened, 1/2 pkg of Heath Bar Bits, 1/3 C of brown sugar

Place all three ingredients into a quart sized freezer bag, seal and knead until ingredients are evenly mixed. Keep refrigerated. Before serving allow to sit out for a few minutes to softened slightly. Serve with apple slices. Also great on graham crackers.

These are a few of my 'go-to'  recipes for parties and gatherings. I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does. Hoping to see you again more regularly in blogland, sorry for the long break between posts.

Posting from Cody's laptop and spending lots of time fixing mistakes created while getting used to his keyboard,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

What's For Dinner Wednesday

Hello All! Hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas with family, friends, fellowship and food. I have been on a short 'blogging hiatus'. I just had so many other projects going that I didn't give myself the time to blog and I've missed it terribly. (think that next year I will either A. not say yes to so much or B. write some blogs ahead and post them in December) I haven't posted since Dec 6th, totally feels like just yesterday, this month has flown!

Today's post is going only be part of 'What's for dinner?' It's Pear Crisp made from one of my favorite cookbooks. The cookbook was given to me by 'brother from another mother' Brent Gibbons. It's just one of the recipes in a great collection from "Two Chicks from the Sticks" their website Their cookbook is all baked items and I have made several of them, they are all wonderful.
Here's the recipe:  ***WARNING THIS IS FROM MEMORY, MY COOKBOOK IS A WHOLE ROOM AWAY AND I AM FEELING LAZY, BUT HAVE MADE THIS ENOUGH TIMES TO REMEMBER IT, PROBABLY ;)
Filling: 5 cups of pears, peeled, cored and diced (I just sliced, we have pears from FFA fruit sales and we are eating them up, but this is our favorite way to eat them!) 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon (I just shook some)
Topping: 3/4 C oatmeal, 3/4 flour, 3/4 brown sugar, 1 stick of butter melted, 1 tsp each baking soda and powder.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, lightly grease 8x8 pan (you will note from picture my skills at following directions)
Combine filling ingredients and place in pan (or combine them IN the pan, like I did)
Combine topping ingredients with a pastry blender, or a fork, or YOUR HANDS, its whatever, until it forms pea sized crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over filling and bake for 30 minutes-ish or until topping is browned and filling is bubbling. ENJOY!
I think tonight we will be having this with Spaghetti and Meatballs, Bread Machine Basic One Hour Loaf of White Bread and Salads. The oldest invited his girlfriend out to supper, so I will say this dessert serves 7, that's if it no one discovers it before supper!
Enjoying a day of doing what I please with no where to go and glad to be inside as its pretty cold outside,
From Tulip~
KH
:)

Thankfulness Thursday---2 of my very good friends

Today I am going to tell you about two of my very good friends. Much time is spent with these friends. They are my therapy. They help me create. Yes they are my sewing machines. Here they are:



We spend LOTS of time together. They know my secrets. They never tell. We make things that make people smile. It makes us happy too. One or the other are generally ready at moments notice to help me make gifts, things for our household, repair things. They've seen Halloween costumes, pillowcases, curtains, quilts, and bags. They've helped me hem pants, patch jeans and so much more.
When other things aren't necessarily going the way I want them to, I just get one of them out and we work it out. They don't judge, they just say, let's meditate on this for a while, what are we going to make that's fun today?
Now granted it's a give and take relationship. While they take care of me, I also have to care for them. New needles, remove the lint, oil them up. But its like a lot of friendships, what one lacks, they other fills in with. With them I can do great things. Without, not so much. I found that out recently when one wa away at the 'doctor' and the other cracked its bobbin, and none around for a quick replacement. A quick trip to the store and we were back in business.
Making lots of Christmas things that will make lots of people smile with my two best friends whom I am thankful for,
From Tulip~
KH
:)