I got to be on Rural Route this morning…how much fun. We talked about farm safety and I got to share my story about Jake’s accident. I’m so glad when I get to share about how God performed that miracle and I hope that others will hear that story and learn not to take their kids safety for granted and to make sure you know where they are!

I got to be on Rural Route this morning…how much fun. We talked about farm safety and I got to share my story about Jake’s accident. I’m so glad when I get to share about how God performed that miracle and I hope that others will hear that story and learn not to take their kids safety for granted and to make sure you know where they are!

Yes it can… we could have some badly needed rain. We are so dry I feel like I’m living in Arizona! My corn isn’t looking so hot, but I guess it’s good enough for those blasted coons! They’ve invaded but they quickly realize as they munch on the top third of the ear, it’s not quite ready yet, so they move on to the next immature ear and destroy that one and so on and so on. I hate them and I’m going to help them meet their maker tonight! Anyone who wants to steal food from my kids mouths is going to have to do battle with me!

Anyway…today is writing day. I’ve got a couple of columns to write and a feature story for the Agriview. My story subject is coming down tonight after chores so I can interview him and then I’ll write the story in the morning. Deadlines…I love ’em!

Yes it can… we could have some badly needed rain. We are so dry I feel like I’m living in Arizona! My corn isn’t looking so hot, but I guess it’s good enough for those blasted coons! They’ve invaded but they quickly realize as they munch on the top third of the ear, it’s not quite ready yet, so they move on to the next immature ear and destroy that one and so on and so on. I hate them and I’m going to help them meet their maker tonight! Anyone who wants to steal food from my kids mouths is going to have to do battle with me!

Anyway…today is writing day. I’ve got a couple of columns to write and a feature story for the Agriview. My story subject is coming down tonight after chores so I can interview him and then I’ll write the story in the morning. Deadlines…I love ’em!

The baseball season for the Hart family is officially over. Last night we went to the last game! Half of me is sad, but the other half knows that the work load will be lighter with all hands on deck every night in the barn!

To celebrate the end of the season, we had ice cream and a couple of friends spent the night. They watched the All-Star game until midnight, only to watch the National League lose….again. I hate that!

Today will be a day of washing heifers, working with heifers and running errands. All the straw is in the barn and now we can really work on getting ready for the show. We’re only taking three heifers, so this should be a cinch. But the last time I said that, I really paid for it…so I guess I should keep my mouth shut.

Better go cook breakfast for the gang. On the breakfast menu is blueberry pancakes, sausage and home made cinnamon syrup with perked coffee of course!

The baseball season for the Hart family is officially over. Last night we went to the last game! Half of me is sad, but the other half knows that the work load will be lighter with all hands on deck every night in the barn!

To celebrate the end of the season, we had ice cream and a couple of friends spent the night. They watched the All-Star game until midnight, only to watch the National League lose….again. I hate that!

Today will be a day of washing heifers, working with heifers and running errands. All the straw is in the barn and now we can really work on getting ready for the show. We’re only taking three heifers, so this should be a cinch. But the last time I said that, I really paid for it…so I guess I should keep my mouth shut.

Better go cook breakfast for the gang. On the breakfast menu is blueberry pancakes, sausage and home made cinnamon syrup with perked coffee of course!

Last week I listened to Rural Route Radio with Trent Loos and Kyle Bauer and they discussed the family out east that perished in a manure pit while trying to save each other. Farm safety should be a top priority on any farm…but often it’s only until you have a tragedy like ours that you decide to change.

On April 13, 1999 Bobby was backing into the barn wtih a load of corn silage in the skid steer and didn’t see our son Jake, then only 22 months old. He backed over him, felt the lump but thought it was a lump of feed. When he got off the skid steer to start the mixer he saw Jake’s sweatshirt between the tires and realized what he had done. He carried him into me where I had begun milking. There is no scarier feeling than to see your screaming child with a blue face, droplets of blood coming from his eyes and nose and knowing you can do nothing but wait for the ambulance to arrive.

He was taken to the local hospital and life flighted to a children’s hospital 2.5 hours away from us. With no cell phones and a 2.5 hour drive, I can’t begin to explain to you the wide range of emotions we went through as we made that long trek not knowing that when we arrived if he would be dead or alive.

I had to convince myself that he had died so it wouldn’t be so difficult when I actually was told the news. In my mind, I planned his funeral, cleaned out his room and thought about what our daily lives would be like without Jake. As a mom I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt for not keeping him safe and knew I would have to live with that the rest of my life.

When we arrived, my dad met us in the parking lot and when he said Jake was still alive, I broke down in tears.

After a week in intensive care on a ventilator, they finally determined Jake had a broken femur. He spent the next 8 weeks in a body cast and believe me a body cast with a hole in the back to change his diaper wasn’t a pleasant experience for any of us. But we were so happy that God saved Jake we really didn’t care what we had to endure.

Jake is now a normal little boy with ambitions of farming. He can now drive that skid steer but safety on our farm is very important. We didn’t change our focus on farm safety for just a couple of weeks, it has become a lifestyle change. And every time I’m asked to speak, I include this story because you can never stress safety enough and because if God can save my child, I want to give him as much credit as possible.

Last week I listened to Rural Route Radio with Trent Loos and Kyle Bauer and they discussed the family out east that perished in a manure pit while trying to save each other. Farm safety should be a top priority on any farm…but often it’s only until you have a tragedy like ours that you decide to change.

On April 13, 1999 Bobby was backing into the barn wtih a load of corn silage in the skid steer and didn’t see our son Jake, then only 22 months old. He backed over him, felt the lump but thought it was a lump of feed. When he got off the skid steer to start the mixer he saw Jake’s sweatshirt between the tires and realized what he had done. He carried him into me where I had begun milking. There is no scarier feeling than to see your screaming child with a blue face, droplets of blood coming from his eyes and nose and knowing you can do nothing but wait for the ambulance to arrive.

He was taken to the local hospital and life flighted to a children’s hospital 2.5 hours away from us. With no cell phones and a 2.5 hour drive, I can’t begin to explain to you the wide range of emotions we went through as we made that long trek not knowing that when we arrived if he would be dead or alive.

I had to convince myself that he had died so it wouldn’t be so difficult when I actually was told the news. In my mind, I planned his funeral, cleaned out his room and thought about what our daily lives would be like without Jake. As a mom I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt for not keeping him safe and knew I would have to live with that the rest of my life.

When we arrived, my dad met us in the parking lot and when he said Jake was still alive, I broke down in tears.

After a week in intensive care on a ventilator, they finally determined Jake had a broken femur. He spent the next 8 weeks in a body cast and believe me a body cast with a hole in the back to change his diaper wasn’t a pleasant experience for any of us. But we were so happy that God saved Jake we really didn’t care what we had to endure.

Jake is now a normal little boy with ambitions of farming. He can now drive that skid steer but safety on our farm is very important. We didn’t change our focus on farm safety for just a couple of weeks, it has become a lifestyle change. And every time I’m asked to speak, I include this story because you can never stress safety enough and because if God can save my child, I want to give him as much credit as possible.

It’s been hot and humid and it’s going to be that way again today. Yesterday afternoon I took the kids swimming at our neighbors. Someone asked me about “our” pool. Let me explain…we have some friends who live a few miles away, they have a dairy farm and their kids are grown. They’ve also got a really nice pool and hot tub that no one uses because they are all gone. So we go over there frequently and they love it because we keep the pool stirred up. Anyone who has ever owned a pool knows it’s easier to keep clean when people use it. So we feel it’s our duty to help keep the pool clean. I feel so decadent going over there because it’s a beautiful setting, with lots of outdoor furniture. So I take my bottled water and a magazine or a book and I read for a while then I get in a cool off and then I get out and read some more. We had a bonus yesterday, the lady of the house came and visited with me the whole time and when we left she gave us ice cream! They are very generous friends and we really are spoiled!

By the way…a friend of mine sent me an article about women being the boss in the home. The article had some research that pointed to women being in charge and men just standing by and saying, “Okay honey, whatever you say.”

I don’t think that’s the norm, but maybe I’m misled. Tell me, how is it in your household? Who says “jump” and who says “how high?” in your home?

It’s been hot and humid and it’s going to be that way again today. Yesterday afternoon I took the kids swimming at our neighbors. Someone asked me about “our” pool. Let me explain…we have some friends who live a few miles away, they have a dairy farm and their kids are grown. They’ve also got a really nice pool and hot tub that no one uses because they are all gone. So we go over there frequently and they love it because we keep the pool stirred up. Anyone who has ever owned a pool knows it’s easier to keep clean when people use it. So we feel it’s our duty to help keep the pool clean. I feel so decadent going over there because it’s a beautiful setting, with lots of outdoor furniture. So I take my bottled water and a magazine or a book and I read for a while then I get in a cool off and then I get out and read some more. We had a bonus yesterday, the lady of the house came and visited with me the whole time and when we left she gave us ice cream! They are very generous friends and we really are spoiled!

By the way…a friend of mine sent me an article about women being the boss in the home. The article had some research that pointed to women being in charge and men just standing by and saying, “Okay honey, whatever you say.”

I don’t think that’s the norm, but maybe I’m misled. Tell me, how is it in your household? Who says “jump” and who says “how high?” in your home?