Little By Little

When I went to camp as a child there was a song we often sang called "Little By Little". Well this is the theme song of our spring on the farm this year!  Little by little we are getting the seed in the ground!

If you have been following our blog throughout the winter you know that we had a unusually large amount of snow. Well with the LOTS of snow we had, and the late spring, things have been quite soggy on the fields. We were very thankful to finally be able to start seeding on the 13th of May. We put in a few very long days and one all nighter (making a farm record of how many acres we seeded in a 24 hr period!) because the forecast said more rain was on the way. And sure enough we got another nice bit of rain which halted our seeding for a few more days. But thankfully, near the end of last week, we were able to get started seeding again. Basically now we are caught up to the dry ground and now have to wait for the very BIG and very SOGGY pot holes to dry. About now we could also be singing the "Have Patience" song because this morning we woke up to more rain....but that's ok...it will help our seeded crops grow :) We always welcome rain....for without rain....nothing grows!!!

Every farming year is different. Sometimes things go like clockwork...and other years....well...they don't! But we are so thankful that we serve a God who know what He is doing!!! What peace and rest to know that He is in control and that He will take care of us like He promises in His Word. I can't even imagine the amount of stress we would be feeling right now if it weren't for the fact that we serve a MIGHTY GOD! And that in our years of farming He has proven over and over again that even if things seem impossible to us in the natural.....He is way BIGGER than what seems impossible! His ways are not our ways.....and that's a GOOD thing....cause I am pretty sure we would mess things up royally!!!

So this spring has been another lesson in trust....trusting that God has a perfect plan. And finding that spot where we rest and the other spot where we go, go, go!!!! We are thankful that we are now seeing the end of our seeding season and look forward to what the rest of the summer will bring! Now maybe we can focus on getting our garden it :)

Well this was an attempt at an update. If it seems like I just wrote about seeding....that's because that is our life right now. Even when we are not seeding.....we are seeding....if you know what I mean. It is always on our minds :)

Here is a scripture verse that I have been thinking a lot about lately.

  "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, 

and cold and heat, and summer and winter,

 and day and night shall not cease ." 

Genesis 8:22 
What a beautiful promise!!!

How We Do Things Series: Harvest

We have been so blessed to have perfect weather for combining this week! We have been able to get lots done and hope to continue to get lots done while the weather is nice.

I have been combining on and off since we started farming 18 years ago. Even though it's very busy, harvest is my favorite time of the year. It's a time where we get the crops safe in the bins and get to see the fruit of all the work that went into planting and caring for the crops. When the fields are combined we can breathe a sigh of relief as we don't have to be concerned of frost, disease, bugs, hail, wind, drought or too much rain. We know that the Lord gives and He takes away and even though He will always take care of us, it's hard to think that all our work could be gone in a flash

This year started off very challenging because we had lots and lots of rain making very hard to get the crops in. Mud bogging was the name of the game this year! But just when the crops were planted the weather changed and things started to dry. We were very thankful for that! Mark and I have always said that we would never complain about too much rain. At least when there is rain things still have a chance of growing compared to a drought!nbsp;

Even though we did have a fair bit of drowned out crop we are thankful for the yields we are getting, considering in spring we were wondering if we would even have a crop!

As much as I like to be out there in the action of the field I do miss being at home and being a homemaker. And as the season goes on, the kids miss us more and more too and eventually we end up with them all in the field with us! So to help with that this year I made a schedule.....yup.....another schedule! Every day the kids look at the chart and see who goes in Mom's combine, Dad's combine, with Jen in the grain cart, with Josh trucking and who stays home (they always have the option to stay home if they would rather). That way the girls who have to send meals out to the field know who's with who and what to pack where! Eventually everyone is rotated through the different "stations". Instead of scheduling by days of the week I did days 1-5 because farming/combining is not a Monday - Friday thing! So far this has worked out really well and I have enjoyed having different kids along each day. There is the odd day that kids jump in with Mark before we get them organized and then he has them for the day! Especially Josiah as he really love to hang out with his Daddy! He announces as soon as he's dressed each morning, "I'm going combining!".....even on Sunday :)

But this year I have a constant buddy....a buddy in training! 

Caleb is learning to drive the combine this year and he's doing a super, great job! As I like to do around here, I  am trying to work myself out of a job by training him! And hopefully next year he can take over for me! With all these boys coming up I figure my days in the field are nearly coming to an end! 

So here's a run down of how we do things:

In the morning, before we head out to the fields the guys grease, check over and fill fuel in the combines. Then one combine goes out to the field and takes a test of the grain to see if it is ready to combine. We bring it home, test it in the tester and then if it's dry we all start our engines and head out to the field. This could be before lunch or after lunch, depending on what the weather is like that day.

Everyday we have 5 main workers out in the field. 

Gramps (Mark's Dad) drives the Red Energizer Bunny (keeps going and going, when it isn't stopped that is!) Its a 1680 Case combine

Mark drives the Big Boy (9600 John Deere)

 Caleb & I drive the Lil Boy (9500 John Deere)

Jen drives the "Ford Tough" tractor pulling the grain cart

and Josh keeps very busy driving the semi (2001 Kenworth) and grain truck (1998 Ford).

When we get to the field we go up and down, up and down, up and down....I think you get the picture.....until the field is done! How long does it take to combine a field? Well that depends on how dry the straw is (the wetter it is, the slower we drive), how big the field is (average field would probably be around 150 acres), and if there are any breakdowns!

The combines, combine. Jen buzzes around and pick up the grain on the go. She empties the grain from the grain cart into the trucks and Josh dumps the grain into the bins. 

But not all the work is done on the field. The ones who stay at home (this year it's Megan, Kerri and Rebecca) have a very important role in all this! 

The home crew is also the go-fer-it. This is anything from getting parts from town, bringing needed items to the field (like diapers...hee hee!), transporting people, moving around vehicles and anything else that needs doin'!

And then of course there is all the household stuff that still needs to be done like taking care of kids, canning gardening produce, cleaning...yup, they are a busy bunch too!

But probably the #1 thing of the home crew is that they FEED US! Nothing worse than sitting in the field hungry with no food around! For lunch they make lunches and send them along with the crew. Lunches in the field are looked forward to by all the young-ins!  For supper the girls package it up divide it into boxes/coolers for hungry ones in each combine/ tractor and deliver it out to the field where everyone eats on the go. Josh often ends up on the yard so he gets fed there.

Some of the younger kids go home at supper time while the older ones get to stay until later on. They think it's a big treat to stay out in the field after supper. I think they feel all grown up working till after dark!

Our quitting time varies each night depending on the weather or the weather forecast, wetness of the straw and ability to keep eyes open! Quitting time can be anywhere from 10:00 or 11:00 pm till the wee hours of the morning. Once in awhile we even pull an all nighter....those are always great fun!!!!! Let me tell you from experience that there is not many times harder to stay awake then when you are driving a slightly vibrating combine, in the dark, going 2 miles an hour!!! Hand me the toothpicks please! My fear has always been that I would fall asleep and wake up combining someone else's field! It's never happened though :)

And when harvest is done, we are usually exhausted but thankful for the provisions God has granted us! 

And that's a very quick run down of our harvest season! Any questions?

Oh and BTW....to the question Sharon had about the bin video. "what is the square in the middle of the bin concrete?"  Sorry for taking so long to answer! The square is where we put something called "aeration". We cover the square with tin strips that have holes in them and on the outside of the bin there is a hole where we put a big fan that blows LOTS of air into the bin, under the tin strips and blows up through the holes into the grain. This gives us the ability to harvest the grain a bit wetter and helps it not to spoil. Not all of our bins have this, but it sure is handy! Thanks for your question!

Bin the 2nd

As if harvest season isn't busy enough we decided to put up 2 huge grain bins this season!
We were hoping to put them up when it wasn't so busy, and thinking harvest would be a little later this year because of the later start we had in seeding we concentrated on other important projects...well, as always, farming is full of surprises! Harvest came like a whirlwind and so....we had to juggle busy times with BUSIER TIMES!!!!

So when we were able to break from harvest, we worked like silly to put up  bins!
The first bin I have no pictures or video from. I realized how sad that was and so for the second bin I made sure I got some good footage! I had to sneak away, and it didn't take long before I was being called back, but at least I was able to get some memories on tape! For the parts that are missing...sorry, but I just couldn't sneak away!

And just because I like to share everything (well almost :) with my blog readers, here is a shorter version of the footage I took (Megan was kind enough to put this together the way I wanted it...thanks Meg!)

Enjoy! And if I left anything out that you are curious about, please ask! I don't always think to explain things because.....well, they are just normal to me :)

Picking up the Pace

Just wanted to direct you all to our daughter-in-law Rebecca's blog to see a part of what we've been up to around here. She did a great job of capturing our latest project....putting up a 9000 bushel bin in 17+ hours. Legs were running, hands were flying, and bodies were exhausted...but we got 'er done!

It always amazes me to see what our family can do when we work together! Everyone was helping from 4 yrs. old to 40......ummm something!!! From fetching ice water, to holding bolts, to cleaning up garbage, to handing the tools, to gopher, to standing up on really high ladders, to figuring, to taking pictures (thanks Becca)......everybody had  a part! The saying "Many hands make light work." is so true. Another blessing of a large family. Thank you Lord for safety and strength and another task done. Well, almost, we still have one more to put up!!!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like.....

Winter :)

Yesterday we had another dump of snow. 

And even though all of my flesh wants to focus on the negative I will focus instead on this.

It was such a beautiful snowfall, snowflakes gently falling.

Brought such peace and calm.

And now all the mud and dirt has been covered by a pure white blanket of snow.

It reminds me of how if I ask Him, God forgives and covers the filthiness of my sin.

And because of this, the snow was worth it.

Thanks for the reminder, I love you God :)

   Though your sins are like scarlet,     

  

They shall be as white as snow; 

      

Though they are red like crimson, 

They shall be as wool. 

Isaiah 1:18

In Response

Well as you could tell by Megan's last post, my girls can hardly stand it when I leave my blog neglected. I am glad they keep me on my toes! Lately time has been hours turned into minutes turned into hours turned into days and before I know it a whole week is over! How time flies!


Let's start with the chicken pox. Wow, where do I start? Really, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I felt bad for the youngins' and there was really not much I could do besides smother them in anti-itch stuff.  It hurt them even to be touched, so looks of sympathy were about all I could give. They really were troopers through it all! I am so proud of them. Even Joey, though he was a very miserable boy for a few days, did really well. I have never seen a child so covered in anything! Literally from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. Finally the spots are starting to disappear. And the noisy household is back! I like quiet sometimes, but if it means my kids have to be sick to get it, I would rather not!!!

Ok, now onto life on the farm. The guys have been working at getting lots and lots of grain hauled into the elevators. The drive is about an hour one way. Three loads a day x 2 hours a load = lots and lots of driving in a week. But the prices we are getting for the grain make it all worth it! Joshua has been doing most of the hauling while Mark keeps things organized here at home. What a blessing to have such a capable and hard working son!

On another farm note, calving has begun on a sad note. We have had one calf so far, and that calf didn't survive. We think it was probably premature. There should be more calves to follow real soon. I love this time of year. There is just something so beautiful about new life.

Talking about new life, we are not seeing anything new in the weather. We are still living in a deep freeze and I think that most Manitobans would agree with me when I say, I WANT SPRING!!!!! There, I said it, I want spring, I really do!!!! There is one thing I can be thankful for when it comes to the freezing cold.....NO MUD!!!! On kind of another note, since it has been so cold for so long we have almost run out of wood to keep our house warm, so we get to have some more bonding time soon and will be going to the bush and getting more wood! Should be fun! Memories.

Because it has still been cold we have still been playing lots of hockey. I wish we would have counted the hours we spent on the ice this winter....for it was many many! What a great motivation to get some fresh air and exercise! So thankful for a husband who has put so much time and effort into doing something like this for our family to enjoy together!

We hauled in 2 loads of cattle this week. Another long drive, 2 hours one way. Every year around this time we sell our 2 year old fattened cattle. Soon someone will be enjoying some really yummy beef! We also filled our freezers right full with hamburger, steak, roasts, and farmer sausage a week ago. I am so thankful to be able to grow and enjoy our own beef! The kiddos take turns coming with us. They come in pairs. It is a highlight of the year for them. When we came home the other night Mikaya knew it was Brooke's and her turn next so she came to me right after supper and asked when we were leaving. I clearly explained that we wouldn't be going again for a lot of sleeps. She seemed to understand and went running off to play. Then a few minutes later she came back and asked if we were going right now!!!! Silly girl :)

The other day I was holding Jaden and he was gnawing on my hand and all of a sudden I felt something sharp! Sure enough I felt his little gums and he has a tooth on the bottom! Not sure why I am so surprised? He is over 7 months old! He just seems so much bigger now! Of course the way he pulls himself all over the floor helps him seem bigger too!

I always have to chuckle at how I teach and teach and teach our toddlers to share and then they share half of their potty treat with their 7 month old sibling and I freak out!!! That's what Joey did to Jaden the other day, just popped it right in his mouth. Thankfully Brooke was there watching the whole thing, so we took it away quickly. Then I had to go on to explain to Joey, who was so proud of himself, that he must not share his food with Jaden! I guess we'll find out if he got the picture. It is so sweet to see the special bond that these two brothers have. They communicate in their own little way. For all I know they could be making plans of mischief to be carried out a year from now. Maybe I should learn their language! ;)

Since Megan wanted me to update the blog I must tell you a couple of things about her. She got braces. This is something that dentists have been wanting to give her for years but we never felt it was the right time. Then a few weeks ago, a very sweet dentist friend offered them to her at no cost! We were so blown away by this couple's generosity! What a blessing they have been. Her mouth was very sore for a few days, but now she can eat well again! Oh, I should tell you why she has braces. She has a tooth on the top that is way up in her gum, so the top braces are to pull that tooth down into place.  Also I need to tell you that Megan got a different camera plus a lense she has been wanting. She found a great deal on a used one and after lots of research and pondering she decided to get it. I was very proud of her and the way she didn't just jump at the first camera she saw and liked. Instead she looked carefully at her options and made a great choice. She is looking forward to doing  a photo shoot of 2 adorable twin girls soon. And of course she has already done a photo shoot with Jaden. Apparently he really did not co-operate though. I guess he thinks it's his job to challenge her on her baby taking skills!!!!

Jen cut all the boys hair this week. They really needed it a couple of weeks ago but they got the chicken pox and it has taken until now for enough of them to be scabbed over so it wouldn't be painful. They look like different boys!!! It's amazing what a simple haircut can do!

Kerri took over my recipe blog since I wasn't doing much with that either. She likes to cook and bake so I am sure she will keep it up much better than me. She is also working on organizing all of our recipes! Mark got me this Demy for my birthday last year so we have been working at getting all of our recipes in there. Slow process, but it will be great when it is finished!

I have been working really hard this school year on getting the boys to memorize more scripture verses. Lately I have given them a little extra incentive. After we are finished our devotions I ask them to recite a verse and the reference from the list that we have been learning. For each verse they say they get a animal cookie and if they can say the verse and reference they get 2 animal crackers. They each take turns and each verse can only be recited once each morning! So far it's worked really well. I am so excited to have them hide these verses in their hearts for the times when they need to draw from them. We have covered topics like obedience, truth, wholesome talk, diligence, Godly thoughts....and more that I can't think of right now. Megan laminated them all and we hung them on the wall. It was great until Joey figured out that sticky tac has the consistency of gum and proceeded to take them down and remove the sticky tac and chew on it!!!! So now over half of them are down, waiting for me to buy more sticky tac!!! I wonder, with all the people we have in this house, how he can get away with this and not be caught! I think he is sneaky!!!

If you have read Jen's blog you know that Mark and I are on a little get-away. We usually go away for a couple of get-aways in a year. Nowhere far, just time away to focus on our relationship. We go for Mark's birthday and then again for my birthday/our anniversary which are 5 days apart. But this one here is a bonus, a calm before the busy. When we get home calving will be in full swing and before we know it, it will be seeding and then things stay busy until fall. So I am thankful for this time away, I am thankful for wonderful, responsible (don't let Jen's posts fool you :) children at home, who are taking good care of things! What a blessing they all are!

Well, by now I am sure that you are sorry I even attempted to update this blog!!!! Talk about random, ramblings!!!! I'm scared to even scroll to the top and see how long this is!!!! And unlike Megan, I did all words and NO PICTURES....sorry Meg!!!  So until next time...whenever that may be :)

Snowy Days

Since everyone seems to be talking about snow these days, I thought I would join in.
It's snowing here again today, big beautiful flakes.
Actually, we have had quite a bit of snow this winter.
It comes in little dumps here and there.....and it stays.
All winter long...it stays.
We won't see grass until around April or so.

Do I ever get tired of snow?
Truthfully, there are some days where I would like to sit out on the deck and hear the birds sing,
or be able to go outside without having to dress like a big marshmellow,
or having the kids be able to play outside for hours at a time without worrying about frost-bite,
or not having my nose hairs stick together when I step outside,
or being able to take off your gloves for more that 5 seconds and have your fingers feel like they are ready to fall off,
or being able to go for a walk without having to walk with big boots that make me feel clumsy,
or not losing "who knows what" that the kids leave around the yard, which we won't find until spring.

Do I enjoy snow and winter?

Truthfully, I DO!!!
I love the way the snowflakes fall so peacefully. Seriously, if you want to know what peaceful looks and sounds like, watch snowflakes fall on a calm day. Millions of snowflakes fall, and not a sound! It really is amazing! Reminds me of our Amazing Creator.

I love the time we get to spend playing hockey as a family every day on our rink. Couldn't do that without cold weather. Of course our little guys might think they could do with a rink without the snow that they have had to shovel and shovel and shovel off this year. Hey, it's a great way to get rid of some boyish energy :-)

I love the way snow is so pure and white. There is not much more beautiful than a fresh blanket of snow that sparkles in the sunlight.

I love the way the winter makes a fire feel so warm and cozy.

So ya, I guess it's a mix. I wouldn't want to have winter all the time, but a season of it is okay.
But once warmer weather comes, you can be sure I will be one of the first to be enjoying it.

No just to figure out how to skip all the mud 
that comes once the snow melts :-)


Here are the evergreens behind our house heavy with snow.

This is looking out our front window

Looking out the south window.

The deck I like to sit on in the summer and hear the birds sing.

The birds should really come and clean off their roof

before it caves in.....

Oh by the way, if we get too much heavy snow, we really have to do that.....clean the snow off the roof of our house. That's always a fun job. Most often we get a nice big wind that blows the snow off instead.

This is what the pond looked like in the summer.....



And this is what it looks like now.....
So glad we decided to take the fish inside for the winter :-)





So to all of our southern friends who are enjoying their recent snowfall......
hope you have a great time with it.
And when your snow is melted and gone and you are sitting on your deck listening to the birds,
please remember your Canadian friends who are still buried :-)

It's That Time Again!

With the threat of colder weather in the forcast......even snow....yikes!!!

We have been busy the last week preparing for it.

Cleaning up the garden

Bringing in the carrots and potatoes

Getting wood to heat the house

Cleaning out the skating shack

Cleaning up all the flowers and pots

Taking the fish out of the pond and draining it

Cleaning out the garden shed

Putting away the bikes and toys

Taking down the trampoline

and today....

Bringing the cows home from the pastures.

We have 3 pastures. One is almost 8 miles from our house, one just a couple of miles and the other right in the back of our yard.

We have about 35 cows. We send them, their calves and the bulls out to the pasture in the spring when the grass starts to get nice and green and lush.

They stay out there all summer until this time of year when we bring them back home for the winter.

The 2 year old calves are in the pasture behind the yard. They too come onto the yard for the winter where we fatten them up until January or so when we sell them either to buyers or our neighbors and friends who want them for beef.

This year we decided to do things a little differently than the past few years.

We have a cattle trailer that we haul the cows back and forth to the pasture.

It takes a bit of time to load the gates, take all the gates off the trailer, set them up, pen up the cows, load them, haul them and then take down all the gates and put them back on the trailer and then set the gates back up at home.....whew, makes me tired just talking about it!

So this year we thought we would see how it would work to drive them home, meaning them walking and us driving in front of, behind them and beside them.
We all had a job.....

Megan and I had the very easy job (but don't tell anybody!) of sitting in the truck and stopping the cows from going down the wrong roads. Jennifer was leading the cows with a tractor that had a bale on it (kind of like the carrot in front of the horse :) Mark was on the 4 wheeler and Josh was in the half ton. They were the busiest of us all, keeping the cows on the right track. And Rebecca was behind the cows taking up the lead in their truck. Zachary, Nathan, Brooke and Mikaya were keeping Megan and I entertained. Caleb and Jesse were helped Josh hoop and hollar at the cows to keep them moving. Kerri was at home cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and babysitting. Joey, Andy and Jaden were concentrating on being good little boys for their sister/auntie :) And then our sweet neighbor friends saw us sitting at the roadside waiting and asked if we needed help. So she blocked the road the other direction. Thanks Teresa and boys :)

Coming down the first leg of the journey

Second leg of the journey (Jen in front, Josh on the right and Mark on the left)

Good cows......just follow the bale!

And now we're going down the home stretch! Almost there!!!

Rebecca in the back

You can see Josh and Rebecca's house in the distance

 

So how did it go you ask?

Well I think it was pretty easy....really....I just sat there....visited....listened to music....

But if you would ask Mark.....well let's just say he ended up splattered with mud and soaked from the rain and puddles! But he did say that maybe the cows would be better next year since they would know the way?

And Josh???? Well I didn't ask him, but secretly I think he enjoyed spinning around with the truck up and down ditches, over bumps and through the fields!!!! But don't tell him I said that cause he wouldn't actually admit to likin' chasing cows :)

Jen had a pretty good time too. She was glad she was in the tractor watching the action instead of having to keep the cows in line.
So maybe...just maybe we will do it again next year :)