It’s a cool, blustery, kind of rainy day on the Knolltop.  The chores are done for the morning and now Bobby is hauling manure….an endless job it seems.

It’s a strange Friday, we have no games tonight which is kind of nice. After chores we can just come in and relax instead of changing quick and heading to a school like we’ve done for the last three nights. 

While Bobby was at Sarah’s game and Jake was working the chain gang and JW was at class, Luke and I milked the cows and reconnected. Although I don’t always enjoy getting up early every morning or stopping everything I’m doing at 4:30 in the afternoon to go milk cows, when I get to spend an hour with one of my kids and we can carry on an unterrupted conversation about the Tigers, college plans, the ACT, the football season or whether Walmart spagettios are as good as Franco-American, then it makes it all worth it.

Many life decisions are made inbetween dipping, wiping and milking.

It happens every night they are home together. The quiet conversation between two brothers as they meet in the kitchen to catch up on each other’s lives.  They are as opposite as day and night. One is focused, the other is not. One is quiet, the other is not. One is endearing, the other is direct. But over the years they have followed each other around through good and bad and have cultivated a unbreakable bond.
Last night as I lay in bed I could hear them. One was doing dishes and the other eating spagettios out of a pan. Snickering and laughing their conversation could not be detected. It’s too hushed, too quiet, too private.
On one hand I would love to hear what they talk about, but on the other I realize it’s just meant for brothers to hear, not for moms. So I will continue to lay in my bed and listen to the brothers giggle and laugh knowing that as they share each other’s lives they continue to add a layer of strength onto their already solid friendship and thank God for siblings who love one another enough to share their lives with each other when they gather in the kitchen at night.

Needless to say it’s a busy place around the Knolltop with beautiful weather now hanging on for about three weeks.  I’ve gotten zilch done because this is the first week I’ve been home or without some major event happening in three weeks.

First I went to Harrisburg, PA for the All American Dairy Show with Danielle Nauman and had a great, but quick time.  We drove all night, not recommended for two middle aged women, got to the show and began our show coverage which didn’t quit until we left after the show. 

Then we had two days to get ready for the county fair. This wasn’t too bad since the kids are older and I’ve limited how many projects they take.  Plus the kids can take care of the cattle without me, which is sooooo nice. 

Then I left the next week for World Dairy Expo.  I had a great time there too, but I think I’m too old for this kind of schedule.  I feel like I’m still recovering.

I drove all night from Madison to get home at 5 am Friday morning.  I had a two hour nap and then had to get on with the preparation for Homecoming!  Luke and Jesse were on the court and it was a great evening…well except the loss to Pittsford…that really stunk. 

Now I’m playing catch up with the laundry and the house.  This morning I came in from the barn and Luke had something in the dryer.  I asked him what he was washing, he said underwear.  Uh oh, it was time for me to get on the laundry. Not that the kids doing their laundry is a bad thing, it’s very good, but I like to do it myself so they don’t have to fret about if they have clean underwear.  It just me, I guess.
Since blogger isn’t all that user friendly with pictures, I will post all the pictures here now. Ever since I started working for Dairy Agenda Today I’ve discovered the good and bad about blogger. And the picture posting isn’t so good.

This is ridicules that I haven’t posted a blog since April! Ahhhh!

I guess that Dairy Agenda Today blog gets all the attention. Not that I haven’t been compelled to post something here, almost every day there is something that occurs to me to post, but I just keep running out of time.  And of course I have a gillion pictures that I want to post but it seems whenever I post pictures here, they take forever to upload and I get frustrated! Boy does it feel good to get that off my chest!

Now, onto the matter at hand, why I’m blogging today. First off I need to get my jump start, it’s a sunny morning on the Knolltop! It’s going to be a beautiful day, just the kind of day I needed to get the mowing done since my grounds crew has gone back to school.

My fantasy football team, The Hart-Throbs is off and running and is the cause of upheaval in the family. I’m not sure it’s worth it.

I must have the dream team and don’t even know it.  Luke wants two of my players and the other night when I told him “NO, I’m not giving you Greg Jennings,” he sat on the couch and pouted. An 18 year old pouting is not a pretty site. All the while I’m receiving texts from my nephew who wants Larry Fitzgerald. He thought I was going to be a pushover for his sweet messages, “I love you Aunt Lissa” and “I love your red hair Aunt Lissa.” He soon discovered I’m not quite the soft touch he wanted me to be, but I will admit, he’s getting to me.

If that’s not enough, Jake is standing around coaching me on who to trade and who to keep. I trusted him until last night when he said, “Don’t give Larry to Adam, trade him to Luke so then Luke will give me Michael Vick.”

I would ask my football fanatic brother but he’s got a team in the league too, so there is no way I’m asking him for advice. I feel like I’m inside the beltway where every deal comes with strings attached!

Consequently it’s a delicate balance between keeping peace in the family and winning fantasy football. Now for the rest of the week I have to mull over keeping Larry or trading him and how will I get Michael Vick from Luke, although I have to admit, Peter Rivers is doing quite well for me…..

It’s prom night for Luke and his date, Jessie.  I took several pictures but when I uploaded them, they went sideways….so I’m just going to post this one for now.

The rain held off and the temps stayed warm as we enjoyed a double header against Battle Creek St. Philip last evening. Although the weather was looking ‘ify’ all day long, it turned out to be a lovely evening for a game. 

Luke was mobbed by the team as he jogged into home plate. It was a great scene but I’m afraid I didn’t get very good pictures as I was just too excited!  What made it better was Gramps and Grandma were there for the whole thing!

This is a rarity, Jessie wearing a Michigan State sweatshirt.  She’s a U of M fan from the inside out, but she got a little chilly and had to use Luke’s hoodie….so I had to get a picture of this, it may never happen again!

Then Luke had to walk his girl to her truck…too cute.

And for the rest of the night, Luke was all smiles.  There was no coaxing him to give me a grin for this shot, he couldn’t stop smiling after he went 5 for 6 on the night!

It seems like it’s been a long winter here on the Knolltop.  With the snow earlier and last week the tremendous ice storm, the folks in this neck of the woods have had enough winter.  The kids were off the entire week last week because of ice! Thankfully we didn’t lose power at all, oh my such a blessing from God!

Having a farm is truly a test of patience on a regular basis.  With so much equipment to keep running and livestock to keep healthy, some days you just think what else can go wrong?

A couple of Sunday’s ago, we were finishing up chores and like he’s been doing since he was in fifth grade, Luke backed the tractor and manure spreader under the gutter cleaner….well, almost.

I was milking at the time when I heard the tractor making noises that weren’t normal to just backing it down the hill.  No, I heard it making sounds like it was trying to get out of a bad situation.  And when a disgusted Luke walked into the barn (I could tell by his walk) I knew he got the tractor stuck.

My curiosity got the best of me and I had to go look to see just how bad it was.  And because of my handy camera on my phone, I was able to snap this picture while they weren’t looking.  I don’t think they appreciate my picture taking of all of their mishaps!

The tractor spent the night there, in it’s little hole until the neighbor came down the next morning with his heroic John Deere and saved the day.

Some days your patience is truly tested.

It’s been a very icy week here on the Knolltop!  The kids had the week off from school simply because a bunch of frozen water…who would’ve thought?

I had the privilege of speaking last week at the Michigan Farm Bureau Young Farmers group in a session called, Roles of Women in Agriculture.  Needless to say, I had a ball sharing with these ladies and getting to know a few more women in agriculture. 

While I was away from the farm, I had my own young lady in agriculture filling my shoes at home.  My daughter Sarah took over my role to make sure everyone had something to eat and then headed to the barn to milk the cows.  When I pulled in the driveway, I hurried out to the barn to help Sarah finish the chores.  While milking, she asked how my day went and then began asking what I shared with women.  I told her that women in agriculture are a very unique group.  They are determined, hard working and tenacious.  Then she asked what tenacious meant.  I told her it was someone who doesn’t give up, who works hard at getting something accomplished and won’t stop until it’s done. 

Then, like a light bulb turning on in my head I realized Sarah was a part of this unique group.  So I shared that with her and began telling her how impressive she is and how she displays all the wonderful qualities of this group of women. 

Then she said something that epitomized exactly what I had been saying, exactly what Women in Agriculture are all about; she said, “Whatever it takes to get the job done.”

I looked at her and said, “Wow, Sarah, do you realize that not every 15 year old girl has that kind of an attitude? You are one of a kind and I’m so glad that God gave you to me!”

Sarah continues to amaze me with her initiative to get things done and to work up to the level that is expected.  Not hearing any complaints when I ask her to do one more thing before she leaves the barn is so very satisfying for this mom. She is like a cool drink of water on a hot desert like day.  She is awesome!

Good Morning from a cold Knolltop.  It was 5 out this morning….but NO WIND!  YEEHAW!

I just wanted to alert you to another Knolltop Blog that is now available for your reading pleasure.  My son JW has created a blog called Knolltop Farm Kid. I’ve listed it on the right of this page.

While I’m here, let me give a Christmas update…..no tree…no fudge….no cards sent…..YET!  We will get the tree this weekend, I hope and then shopping next week.  Tonight the kids have their Christmas concert and tomorrow night Luke will have a basketball game. Sarah’s birthday is Sunday and I’ve yet to get her present.  I know what it will be, just haven’t gotten it yet. 

I hear the tractor so I’d better head out to bed the barn!

Good afternoon from a cold, windy Knolltop. 

Let me get this off my chest first; it’s cold outside and I don’t like it. I belong in the south. Actually, I think I was mis-born.  I should have been born in the south where you stay warm all the time and in the heat of the day you sit on the wrap around porch sipping iced tea or a Coke with the gentle breeze blowing, listening to the heat permeate the world around you feeling the humidity creep down your neck and trickle down your spine.

I know, that was way back before air conditioning.  Now everyone sits in the house and doesn’t go out until late at night when it cools off.  Nonetheless, I think my parents were supposed to be living down in Dixie but defiantly they chose to live in Michigan instead and have sentenced me to a life of bone chilling winters!  How’s that for blaming my parents for the weather?  HA!  Just joking mom!  Please don’t send my Christmas slippers back!!!!!

Here on the Knolltop, we are busy getting the barn ready for winter.  All the dry cows and heifers are now tied in the comfort stalls to keep the barn warm.  We have a bunch of dry cows that are due over the next few months.  I like looking at the heifers in the barn, to watch them grow and develop, up close and personal.  Usually they are put out in the steer barn for the winter and I only see them when they come up to eat the leftover cow feed in the bunk.  But now they are inside where I can keep track of their growth!

We got our Christmas ham delivered yesterday.  Some friends from Oklahoma generously sent us a ham for Christmas!  Although Robert continually takes jabs at the Big 10 and the lack of a football power, I listen to the poor, misguided soul.  Hey, I figure when you’re from Oklahoma, you need all the friends you can get! JOKE!  Please, don’t stop sending my heavenly ham!

Okay, now that I’ve offended two people, I’d better get off this computer and finish putting getting supper ready!  Have a great day!