And it’s JAKE’S BIRTHDAY!

Twelve years ago today at 7:45 am, I gave birth to Jacob Warren Hart and it was the best birth ever. Why? It was the only one I had DRUGS for! The other three kids were all natural and after I had Jake I kicked myself for not doing drugs for the first three! It was so easy laying there having contractions and not feeling them. OHHHHH it was so nice!

Anyway, Jake had his breakfast of choice this morning, French Toast and later today he will have a friend over. We’ll have chocolate cake and ice cream and open presents.

He also has a game tonight, if it doesn’t get rained out!

They boys are still working on the hay mower, it’s a good thing it’s going to rain!

Good Morning from a cloudy and about to rain any minute Knolltop!

My day is getting away from me! All day yesterday I thought I would post on this blog, but I’ve had computer issues again so I found myself trying to play catch up!

Last night I had a dairy leaders meeting but they had to go on without their secretary, I had a baseball game to attend!

And today I’m playing dispatcher again. I’m not very good at it either. I wish I had a better memory, there are things that just go in one ear and out the other…that is not a good thing when you’re a mom! I’m hoping it will get better with age….maybe?

The boys are busy getting the baler and mower ready to go, it’s slow going, they keep getting interrupted with work requests. But they love tinkering with all that equipment!

Oh, yes, Jake’s game report. They won! Jake pitched and had a great game batting! They will play the same team tomorrow night.

I have one Jake story to relate before I end this post. Monday night we had a storm blow through. There were tornado watches out, but not knowing the degree of seriousness, Jake was worried. Playing cards with Sarah and I, Jake got real somber and I asked him what was wrong.

“I’m afraid the tornado is going to come through and kill us.”

I replied, “Well, do you know where you’ll go if you die? Heaven or Hell?”

Jake said, “Yeah, I’m going to heaven.”

I replied, “Then if you’re sure you’re going to heaven when you die, what are you afraid of? There is no fear when you know you have a relationship with Jesus and you’re headed to heaven.”

Jake said, “Well…sob..whimper….whimper…….I wanted to play more baseball.”

With that I reached over and gave him a big hug, trying not to bust out laughing and assured him, “God is building a special place just for you Jake, it even says that in His Word. And he knows exactly what you like and I bet he might even have a baseball diamond in your spot in heaven!”

Pretty soon the whimpering stopped and we resumed our game of “Spoons.” By the way, I lost.

Everyone is good here, I’m a little late this morning, haven’t even had breakfast yet. Since we’ve been out of school, I’m not in a rush to get back into the house. So everything is a little late.

So, since I have to cook I think I’ll post some pictures instead.

Jake was tormenting the girls on Memorial Day.

Can you tell what this is?
A birds nest! The orange color woven throughout the nest is orange twine from the hay bales. Even birds find binder twine useful in their homes!
JW played a few melodies on his guitar while we sat by the fire on Memorial Day weekend. He didn’t know I was taking this picture, otherwise he wouldn’t have cooperated!

What’s a holiday without a friendly game of football. JW, Luke and Jake with their friends Zach, the little one and Dewey the other big boy.

Now that breakfast is over, I’ve got bunches to do!
Later!

Good Morning from a sunny Knolltop!

Bobby and I just got home from the school where they had the elementary awards ceremony. Jake got a presidential award….sounds so impressive doesn’t it?

The kids have a half day of school today and then they are done for the summer!!!! I think we’ll mow this afternoon and get on some planting tasks. They don’t know that yet!

Jake has a game tonight and then Luke has basketball practice. What a schedule, it never ends!

Good Morning from a sunny Knolltop. Wait, I’ve got to go make a cup of coffee! There, that’s better, now I can write.

Yesterday we went up to Jake’s field day, they played games and had a lot of fun, I took a couple of pictures that I will share.

On Monday night we had the sports banquet where the boys were honored. Luke earned his varsity letter, as a freshman and since JW earned his as a freshman too, this year he received a pin to put on his varsity jacket. Now Luke will have to get a varsity jacket! Jake was the manager of the team and got a certificate too!

Then last night Jake was supposed to have his first game but the Waldron team didn’t show, so they scrimmaged the Pony League team. Nonetheless I took some pictures of Jake pitching!
When the scrimmage was over, Dad and son went over every detail because….well….that’s just what those two do!

Good Tuesday morning from an overcast and had been raining Knolltop.

I just got done doing Rural Route Radio with Trent Loos and not Kyle Bauer. I guess Kyle was in some meeting in South Dakota or Minnesota or somewhere. It must be an important one, he won’t even answer my emails! He’s one of those you can catch emailing on his Blackberry in a meeting, so if he’s not emailing me, either my question about the weather in SD isn’t important enough to interrupt his meeting with an answer or he’s actually decided to be responsible and put his phone on silent!

Anyway, I got to sit in for Kyle and the guest was a farmer from Nebraska who had been arrested several times for protesting in front of abortion clinics. It was a very interesting hour!

We are starting to calve the 15 cows that are due in the next couple of months. And so far we don’t have any keepers, meaning the three calves that were born were bulls, well actually one was a set of twins a bull and a heifer, so the heifer is infertile.

Although I enjoy having new calves to feed, Jake hates it! He doesn’t like feeding calves that can’t drink a bottle down in less than a minute and 30 seconds.

One baseball season ended and another is beginning. Tonight Jake will have his first little league game! The great thing about this is, the big boys will be home to milk while Bobby and I go to the game!

I’d better get, the dishes aren’t done yet!

Good Monday Morning from a rainy Knolltop. The sun came up this morning and it was beautiful, but then the rain moved in.

We had a busy weekend here, on Saturday we fed the baseball team breakfast before they played in their district game. My BFF Sue and I made sausage biscuits and granola bars and took it up to the field where the team was taking BP before they left for Homer. I didn’t think they would eat much, being nervous about the game and having eaten at home before they came in, but boy was I wrong! They ate like boys like to eat! And I love to feed boys like that!

We traveled to Homer where we lost in the first game. Then mom, dad, Sarah and I went to the famed Cascarelli’s Pizza for lunch, so it really wasn’t such a bad day afterall!

Yesterday, JW and I made the trek to Grand Rapids to watch a friend play in the State volleyball tournament. Walking into a huge room with 28 volleyball courts was fun! Every court was full of athletic girls playing their best. You could stand in one spot and turn in every direction to find really good volleyball being played! I loved it!

JW had to be back in time for graduation, he’s in the Top 10 in his class and they have to participate in the ceremony. Luke had to play in the band. Neither were thrilled to go, but both enjoyed listening to their former FFA teacher, Mike Everett make the commencement speech.

Well, it’s time for more work! We had twins born last week, now we have another calf in the pasture this morning, I have to go prepare it’s spot in the barn!

Later – !

Yesterday morning I was goofing off with Angie and we had a great time. But this morning, it’s back to the grind. I’ve got a long list of things to get done and posting some pictures on this blog is not one of them. So I’ve got to get this done quickly so I can get back to the real work at hand!

We had a great Memorial Day weekend. Some friends of ours from Indonesia were here for a visit and their oldest daughter, Jennifer, spent the day with us. She and Sarah are good friends. We started with a parade and then came home and goofed off outside most of the day.Sarah and Jennifer enjoying some sunshine. It was cold for Jen, she’s used to weather in the 90s, not the 70s!

Luke in the center had to march in the parade, he wasn’t too happy about it, but I enjoyed watching him!

Then the miracle came Tuesday night when the two children who get along the least spent an hour outside playing volleyball together. JW and Sarah spend most of their days tolerating each other. One day they will get along, just like my big brother Rex and I. We fought most of our childhood years but now get along beautifully.

When JW and Sarah first went out, I made a mad dash with my camera out to the front porch and snuck a few shots of them together. I figured they would be fighting within minutes, but I was pleasantly surprised when an hour later they both came back in red faced and civil!

Okay, I’ve interrupted a million times while doing this post…I guess I’d better get going!

I know, it’s been a week since I blogged! Sorry!

Okay, it’s raining here in on the Knolltop, but that’s okay, my flowers need it. Those that are planted and those that are still in their flats!

Actually, I’m not at home, I’ve having coffee with my BFF Angie in Jonesville. We were looking things up on her computer and I thought while we were sipping coffee and eating day old, over priced muffins I would post on the blog!

I can’t write much about Angie, since she’s reading as I type, otherwise I would tell you much she weighs, her heartburn troubles and how tan she is…is it fake and bake or garden glow? Oh wait, she just told me she has her pool open, so I guess as a crop farmer’s wife she’s got nothing to do so she sits by the pool every day sipping lemonade, unlike us dairy farm wives who’s work is never ending and we have farmers’ tans not bikini lines!

Oh, and let’s not forget the horse show she has this weekend, yes, she’s one of those…..I’m telling you, this crop farming is the way to go!

Okay, enough about Angie, I’ve got too much talking to do, and I can’t talk and type. So I’ll share pictures of Memorial Day weekend and the miraculous event that happened Tuesday night. Yes, parenting has it’s downs but it also has it’s ups too!

My second cup of coffee was just poured, gotta go!