It’s another beautiful morning here on the Knolltop. Milking is done and I’m in to get breakfast and another cup of coffee and then it’s back out to finish up. We’ll drive seperate to church this morning, JW and I have a Junior Holstein meeting in Lansing so we’ll just take off right after church. I’m looking forward to a captive teenager in my van so we can just talk about life without interruptions. Usually we get into some theological talk and I don’t have the answers so then we just turn to farming.

JW had his first win of the season yesterday! He got to pitch in the second game and they won, so he got the win, he was pretty excited and so was his daddy!
After sitting out in a beautiful day we all acquired our first sunburn of the year and boy does it burn this morning. When we came home we ate dinner, yes we eat at a strange time at 3:30 in the afternoon, but that’s because I don’t want to cook after chores in the evening and it’s healthier for us. JW went to work for the neighbor and Luke went to a friends house. The two younger kids had a friend over and I just worked on laundry and clean up. After chores, the we dehorned some calves, that’s a job I hate, but am so glad when it’s done.
All during chore time Sarah kept begging me to come jumprope with her so after I visited with the neighbors and the work was all done, Sarah, Jake and I jumped rope. Jake is awful at it, while Sarah knows all the rhymes that go with jumping.
Of course Jake demanded equal time, so we had to play baseball after that. With JW’s antics and Sarah’s frustration with her brother who wouldn’t take the game seriously, I quit after the second inning. I still had laundry to do and it was time to get showers and retire for the evening.

JW had his first win of the season yesterday! He got to pitch in the second game and they won, so he got the win, he was pretty excited and so was his daddy!
After sitting out in a beautiful day we all acquired our first sunburn of the year and boy does it burn this morning. When we came home we ate dinner, yes we eat at a strange time at 3:30 in the afternoon, but that’s because I don’t want to cook after chores in the evening and it’s healthier for us. JW went to work for the neighbor and Luke went to a friends house. The two younger kids had a friend over and I just worked on laundry and clean up. After chores, the we dehorned some calves, that’s a job I hate, but am so glad when it’s done.
All during chore time Sarah kept begging me to come jumprope with her so after I visited with the neighbors and the work was all done, Sarah, Jake and I jumped rope. Jake is awful at it, while Sarah knows all the rhymes that go with jumping.
Of course Jake demanded equal time, so we had to play baseball after that. With JW’s antics and Sarah’s frustration with her brother who wouldn’t take the game seriously, I quit after the second inning. I still had laundry to do and it was time to get showers and retire for the evening.

On this beautiful sunny morning on the Knolltop, we are getting ready for yet another baseball game. It’s a double header ladies and gentlemen so there won’t be any fence building, calf pen cleaning or lawn mowing done today. We will spend the majority of our time between milkings at the ball field. I can’t think of anything else I love more than watching my kids, so I’m glad to put down the barbed wire, pliers and fence stretcher for the afternoon. By the way, they won yesterday, actually they mercied them!

On this beautiful sunny morning on the Knolltop, we are getting ready for yet another baseball game. It’s a double header ladies and gentlemen so there won’t be any fence building, calf pen cleaning or lawn mowing done today. We will spend the majority of our time between milkings at the ball field. I can’t think of anything else I love more than watching my kids, so I’m glad to put down the barbed wire, pliers and fence stretcher for the afternoon. By the way, they won yesterday, actually they mercied them!

That seems to be the two things we focus on in the spring, making sure the cows give milk so we can afford to drive to baseball games. The bull rider, JW is playing baseball this spring so that makes for a tricky schedule at Knolltop. Since Big Daddy has a passion for baseball and watching every single pitch of every single game that all his kids play in, he is the one who gets to go to the games while I stay home and tend to the farm. So today when they travel west I will be down in the barn, taking care of business with the radio cranked up as loud as I need it without having to listen to anyone complain about it!

That seems to be the two things we focus on in the spring, making sure the cows give milk so we can afford to drive to baseball games. The bull rider, JW is playing baseball this spring so that makes for a tricky schedule at Knolltop. Since Big Daddy has a passion for baseball and watching every single pitch of every single game that all his kids play in, he is the one who gets to go to the games while I stay home and tend to the farm. So today when they travel west I will be down in the barn, taking care of business with the radio cranked up as loud as I need it without having to listen to anyone complain about it!

Today was Big Daddy’s 49th birthday. He’s much younger looking so I know he doesn’t mind me using his age. The kids made a cow blanket for him and our daughter Sarah made the cake. The boys are still working at the neighbors so we’re waiting for them to get home before we gorge on cake and ice cream!

Today was Big Daddy’s 49th birthday. He’s much younger looking so I know he doesn’t mind me using his age. The kids made a cow blanket for him and our daughter Sarah made the cake. The boys are still working at the neighbors so we’re waiting for them to get home before we gorge on cake and ice cream!

Good Morning from the Knolltop here in southern Michigan. Knolltop Farm is a dairy farm that my husband and I along with our four children operate. We have registered Holsteins and it’s a small family farm.
This morning on the Knolltop it’s sunny and about 40 out. We’ve milked the cows, I’ve taken the kids to school and now it’s time to head back out to the barn for more chores. I’ll be back in just in time to write my weekly column and then head to an appointment with my husband.