Good Morning from a clear, but cold Knolltop.

We’ve had a sick ward again around here over the weekend. Bobby has been sick and is now in recovery mode. I hope I’m not next!

It was a busy weekend at our State Sale and show. I spent Saturday at the Pavilion working the show, it was fun, but tiring. And now we’re back into the work week. The kids are off for spring break, so I have some projects for them…they just don’t know yet! Oh, won’t they be excited when they find out!?

Here are a couple of pictures from the show:
JW took bids at the Michigan Junior Holstein Association semen sale…he did a good job and enjoyed himself….I think he’s got a future there!Sarah and Shelley Hardy spent some quality time together ringside.
Luke, JW and Wyatt Schuler showing off their gang signs…don’t ask!
JW and his cousin….distant cousin Kaylee Sweers enjoying some family time. She is so cute!

That’s your review, I’ll post more tomorrow. It’s time for the barn!

Good Morning from a cloudy Knolltop. It’s supposed to get sunny today, maybe in time for the baseball game this afternoon.

On Tuesday the boys lost. Luke caught, JW played left field. Today they play Reading, a good team that’s not in their league. JW will pitch tonight…that will be exciting. Although I didn’t get pictures of the first game, hopefully I’ll remember the camera tonight. I did however take pictures of Luke’s birthday last night, but I just have to load them onto the computer. I made a lemon cake from scratch…a new recipe and yes, it turned out like a new recipe, not too good. It was okay, it had a good flavor, but just didn’t look all that great.

After the cake, JW took Luke out for ice cream, that was his birthday present to him. I think I would like that kind of gift!

I’m in from the barn, have the house picked up and actually vacuumed so now it’s time for more bookwork!

It’s a party cloudy morning on the Knolltop with promise of a kind of warm day.
No more sick kids in the house today. They are all recovered and back in school. Now I have to disinfect every blanket and pillow they touched while laying around being sick!

The cows have been going out these last few days. Most of it due to the nice weather, but the fact that we’re low on bedding is a contributing factor too. It’s amazing how frugal a person can get when they have to be. And what dairy farmer isn’t frugal in this economy with $9.00 milk?

While the News on TV continues to be negative, I will continue to believe we will make it through. The other day it was funny, I was driving down the road thinking about life and the farm and the economy and all of a sudden I saw the light at the end of the tunnel with a twinge of hope. It was like God was saying “You’re going to make it through, don’t worry.” I can’t describe the feeling, but it was comforting. It was kind of like a year ago when I was having a really bad day and my folks were down for the day. My dad came up to me and asked how I was. With a quiver in my voice I said, “Not very good.” He just hugged me. He didn’t offer to fix it, he didn’t offer any advice, he just hugged me and that’s all I needed.

Sometimes a hug is just what the doctor ordered. You’d better hug someone today!

Good Morning from a sick and recovering Knolltop.
It’s been a sick ward around here with the couch and love seat both occupied with sick kids. The rest of us have tried to stay clear of the coughing and vomiting…and so far so good. No one else is sick except JW and Jake.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been awakened in the middle of the night to the sounds of a kid moaning and groaning and calling for mom. But it happened Saturday night and made me thankful for older children! Those days of toddlers screaming in the wee hours of the morning will haunt every mom from the birth of motherhood til her death. And make her appreciate a good nights sleep!

It’s sunny but chilly this morning and promising to be a beautiful day! The boys have their first game on Tuesday at home, Luke’s 16th birthday is on Wednesday, along with his cousin, Adam’s birthday, they have another home game on Thursday, the Michigan State Holstein Sale is on Friday and the show is on Saturday. Breathe!

A busy life is a good life…idle hands is the devil’s workshop…right?

Okay, life is way too busy when I can’t post on this blog everyday! AHHH!!!!

But life has not gotten so busy that the laundry isn’t done…don’t let me fool you, I still have lots of it, but there isn’t a mountain like I’ve had in the past. Thanks to my Sarah girl…when I head out to milk the cows at night she folds the five basket of clothes and does the dishes and anything else I ask her to do while I milk. I love having her! I think I’ll keep her….no, wait, she beat me in Gin Rummy last night…..nah..I’ll keep her!

I now have a CD of basketball pictures so I’ll have to load them on and post them here…just a minute, let me do that right now.Here’s Luke #22 jumping for a rebound or shooting, not sure which…???

Here’s JW #12 waiting to give that guy a real good shove…he likes to push and shove…that’s what he does best…push and shove. Isn’t he cute? And so strong????
There’s Lukie again…doing a layup.

I thought Grandma and Nana would like a closer picture of Luke…just holding a basketball isn’t all that exciting but you can see him a little better. And most of the pictures are of Luke because the man who took them spent a lot of time taking the JV because his son is in their grade…so he is partial to these boys. I have some of Jake I’ll put up another day…for now it’s time for work, or something.

Good Morning from a cooler Knolltop. It’s cooler now than it was when we went to the barn this morning.
We had the boys winter sports banquet last night. It was long….but nice. Luke received the best all around player award. JW and Luke both received basketball pins and certificates. Jake was even recognized as the manager.
Managing is Jake’s life these days. Now he’s been asked to be the baseball manager and this morning when he stumbled down to the breakfast table he said, “This baseball managing is wearin’ me out!” Sarah and I just looked at each other and laughed.

Today I’ve got to clean my house, it’s been neglected…terribly! So, I’d better get on it!

Good Morning from a clear, going to be a warm Knolltop! We are experiencing beautiful weather here on the hill….and I love it!
Because I haven’t been bombarded with a mess of emails this morning I can actually take some time to write on this blog.
Last Friday Lori and I traveled to Grand Rapids, Ohio for a Women in Agriculture event. We spent the day with so many wonderful women who were from farms, worked in the allied industry or were retired from the farm. These ladies were so much fun and looked so good. Although my nails are never done and I always feel like I look like I just stepped out of the barn, slapped some MaryKay on, threw on some clothes and took the long pieces of straw out of my hair, these ladies were nothing of the sort…and it’s not like I thought they would be either!
They were not what the rest of the world sees as the stereotypical farm wife. They were professionals and they dressed the part. Young and old they were all just beautiful women!

They were a hoot too. We sat with a group of friends at lunch. They told stories on each other and it wasn’t until they told some really good stories that they realized I was the keynote speaker and then they started to get worried. I just sat and smiled….until I got the mic in my hand. While I didn’t poke too much fun at June, I did have a good time telling on my new friend!

With basketball season over, baseball season is here and in one week the boys will(weather permitting) play their first game (at home mom). I hope the weather holds out because I’m really looking forward to this season…my favorite sport to watch!

Well, it’s time for the treadmill after I brush the cobwebs off of it…I haven’t seen it for awhile although I feel like I’m on it daily!

Good afternoon from a very sunny Knolltop.
I’m still alive and well, just over my head with writing! We had a great weekend with some yard work and beautiful weather.
We had more calves born over the weekend and Jake is beside himself. He hates having so many babies at the same time to feed. But he’s soldiering his way through.

I had a real treat this morning, I was on Rural Route Radio with Trent and Hank Vogler. Kyle Bauer is out on vacation so I got to stand in for him and it was so much fun!

Now it’s time for more writing for Dairy Agenda Today.

More about my time with the Women in Agriculture later.

It’s a very cold morning here on the Knolltop. But it’s clear so the sun is shining and it makes it feel warmer.

Last night we went to the boys basketball game and the varsity won, so they will be playing again on Friday against Waldron.

I’ve been so busy this past week trying to keep up with all the dairy news around the world for Dairy Agenda Today I’ve forgotten to post here! Of course it would help my memory if I actually got some sleep, staying up for 10 days straight, surviving on coffee and sweetrolls(I quit smoking…costs too much) it’s hard to keep going. That $10 a week that I’m getting paid from Dairy Agenda Today will come in handy for sure. Honestly, that’s the only reason I’m doing it…for the money.

Well, today we will take JW and some other boys up to MSU for the State FFA convention. It began yesterday and I couldn’t go this year because …well…you know why…I can’t earn my $10 this week if I don’t stay here and work. They are having an ice cream social for all the kids in their region tonight at the hotel so I made some hot fudge syrup to take for them. It’s cheaper than running to the store and buying it!

So I’m off now to bed the barn….later!
PS I’m only joking about the smoking…really I didn’t quit….I’ve never started!

Good Morning from a rainy Knolltop! Although it’s gloomy, I rather have rain like this than snow! I’ve even got snowdrops up in my flower beds! Everyday I look out my laundry room window to check to see if the snowdrops are up and they are!!!! Spring is right around the corner!

Last night the Varsity boys team played a small school out of Jackson called Divinci Institute and our boys beat them bad. The Divinci team had two girls on it and when they went in to play, our boys got a very bewildered look on their face like they just weren’t sure how to deal with them. It was very funny.

In fact, toward the last minute of the game one of the girls finally got the ball and went up to shoot, (I was rooting for her to make the basket because her male teammates wouldn’t pass her the ball to save their lives!) and she put it up only to have one of our players block her shot. And the funny part of it was, our player just kind of tapped it, he didn’t give it a good slam like he normally does, he just kind of put his hand up there and slapped lightly at it. The look on his face was priceless as he looked around to see if maybe he shouldn’t have done that. He had this nervous grin like, “ah…maybe I should’ve just let he take the shot, Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to block your shot…sorry…really…sorry.”

So the boys will move on to play Wednesday night against a team the should beat easily….but you never know.

This afternoon, Luke has band festival and tonight Sarah has an AAU volleyball meeting. The State FFA convention starts tomorrow but JW won’t go up until Thursday for that and I’m not going….way too busy. I’ve got to speak in Ohio on Friday at a Women in Agriculture Event, so I’ve got to stay home and find time to actually do my original job of being a mom, then milkmaid, then writer, then ……you know the routine!