Working on Day 3

Snow in South Carolina is a big thing...

an event to be celebrated, enjoyed, and then...

gone when you wake up the next morning!

it's a weather related one night stand...

not this time...

it began snowing late Sunday night...

snowed most of the day Monday...

began sleeting last night..

this morning we woke up to a total forest...

it looked all nice and pretty...

like fresh snow waiting to be enjoyed...

but it wasn't...

one look at my porch steps told me differently...

it was 6 inches of snow with 1/2 inch of ice on top

being a farm wife i didn't have the option of hanging out inside the house all day...

someone has to feed baby calves,

check on ewes,

 and make sure all the kids are accounted for and okay

(goat kids people).

i began my morning by filling up 5 1-gallon jugs

 to haul hot water to the barn to mix milk ...

i loaded the jugs

my soon to be 3 year old

 into the make shift wagon/sled

and pulled the whole contrapation

kid and all to the barn...

the path was slick

my son thought it was WAY more fun to go fast than i did

but we made it...unharmed down the hill to the barn

the calves were happy to see us

as the milk warms their tummy

for the most part everything was fine

we did have a calf that needed special attention

he wasn't doing good last night and this morning was worse

he wouldn't get up or drink...

tubing him was useless

its discouraging...

i have spent the last 5 days morning and night

feeding him

ensuring his health

but the weather has gotten the better of him

you learn that with the gift of life comes death

you deal with it and move on

the ewes however were fine...

we are starting to see many of them bagging up...

preparing for lambing

the kids crazy as ever...

jumping all over their mom...

the hay bales...

and my son

and one of the previously weak calves had greatly improved!

I am happy to report i didn't have to

tube a single calf this morning!!!

For you non-farming folks..

To tube a calf you mix up a bottle of milk

pour it into a hard plastic iv bag kinda thing

this bag has a long semi stiff plastic tube on the end of it

you must keep the tube bag right side up

until you are ready to give the calf milk

otherwise you are wasting...

time...

milk...

and money!!!

You then take the semi stiff tube and place it in the calf's mouth

making sure the tube is on the left side of the calf's mouth

you ease it down the calf's throat

the entire time you have to make sure you are on the left side

the left side goes to the stomach

the right goes to the lungs

once you are certain you have the tube in the calf's stomach

your turn your bag upside down and milk gravity feeds into the calf's stomach

this is a great way to feed  calves that aren't doing well

it helps ensure the calf is getting enough to eat

with weak calves it is also good

as the calves don't have to use up all their energy sucking down a bottle..

so after my morning rounds...

we headed back up to the house...

going up hill is much harder than walking down hill...

especially if your little man rocks the make shift sled thingy.

he enjoyed playing outside for a while...

we attempted to venture out to pick up

milk for us...

another bag of milk for the calves...

feed for the calves...

and a few other random supplies...

no such luck...

we are stuck again...

this time in front of our porch door...

William's not going to like this...

(he had to pull us out last night too)

i spent the rest of the day...

doing laundry...

catching up on emails...

hanging out with wild man...

(who is teaching teddy bear to ride the rocking horse)

and explaining why we can't go outside

and ride Bartow or Force today...

instead i caught him with a bottle

of apple barrel paint...

redecorating his chalkboard wall...

the chaise lounge...

and himself...

we are looking at day 3 of being at home tomorrow...

i got the call about an hour ago...

no school tomorrow...

I suppose i could do some lesson plans...

but really i plan to sew...

i don't know what yet but i will be making something!!!

Until then have a great evening!!

Just another day...on the farm

Yesterday was the first day back at school

 after a wonderful two week break. 

It was hectic...

to say the least...

but I was able to get there somewhat early

finished lesson plans for the rest of the month

review some ideas

and see my lovely students again

Today on the other hand did not start out well...

I woke up late (bad way to start the day)

Then as I got the hot water ready to mix milk for calves

 Wyatt woke up

he wanted to stay in the house

to watch Clifford while I fed calves

(this isn't unusual as it takes him a while to wake up and he would prefer to snooze with teddy)

so I got bundled up and headed to the barn

I had mixed up one bottle and was feeding the 1st calf when...

 I heard him holler from the house

 next I him crying and closer

my heart stopped i was worried that something was wrong

but no when i got to him nothing was wrong

other than he had run outside

forgot to put on his shoes or coat

and said he was

"Fzeeezing"

He came on down to the barn with me

to help finish feeding up

feeding the calves was a challenge as they are still young...

just a few days old

it takes longer to feed them

the 1st calf drank OK...a little slow but not too bad

the 2nd calf wasn't interested...

he drank about a 1/4 of a bottle

and decided he was done..

this caused me lots of

 FRUSTRATION!!!

I fussed...

tried not to cuss...

and prayed that he would just eat

i broke down and called William...

explaining how this wasn't going to work

as it was already 6:50

I needed to leave the house in 20 minutes

he listened with a sympathetic ear

said it would be OK

 (he doesn't have a clue sometime)

then said if the calf drank some milk he would be fine until this evening

so i moved on to the 3rd calf...

thank God for a smart calf...

he drank the bottle without me even having to get in the pen...

AMEN..an answer to one of my prayers

I was finally headed back to the house

got dressed 

round up the little man

to head south to the barn

I was only 5 minutes late to work

but still in my world that might as well be an hour

i was off beat and stressed

the day ended with me being...

exhausted...

when we got home

 it started again...

William's clothes needed to be ironed

for tomorrows Farm Bureau training

the horses and sheep needed hay...

dogs needed feed and water...

and the cats were running wild...

Wyatt insisted on playing baseball

we still have to feed up tonight,

cook supper,

update my classroom website,

bathe the little man,

wash dishes,

and

hopefully

spend some time with my hubby

So what's a day at your house like?

do you have to feed calves?

wash clothes?

chase a two year old?

I am sure you have to fulfill many of the same requirements

as I do

maybe without the calves and sheep included

perhaps there is not a calf licking the back of your pants

while you chase a two year

or a horse trying to nibble said child's hair

instead of the hay

but still the same basic things

Until next time I hope you all have a blessed day!!

P.S. maybe soon I can share pictures...if I get a new camera

Break is almost over!!

As a teacher, I relish my breaks here and there. 

Today is officially the last day I was able to sleep in late,

not get out of my pjs *i'm still in them at 3:30*

let the Little Man run wild and play outside

I still have things i want to do today,

that may or may not get accomplished.

like bake another loaf or two of bread,

make a few more head bands, 

and take down the few remaining decorations that are scattered

but for the most part its back to our old routine with a few changes

1. practicing our word, number and color of the day after school

2. sitting down at the table to supper each night

3. Wyatt has a bedtime...for us 8 or 8:30 since you never know when William will be home

4. William and I spending some time just the two of us discussing what's important

for me the changes will be even more...as my 105 things to do this year is already kicking my tail!

I am not going to bed tonight until...

I have read my devotions and study God's word

finished my lesson plans

 packed my lunch

clothes laid out

 the house is in order...somewhat

at least no dirty dishes,

laundry in the laundry room,

clean clothes put away,

and the den where you can walk through it

(without tripping on another John Deere tractor)

I would upload pics to go along with all these wonderful things but the camera has seen its better days...

Still praying I won the Pioneer Woman giveaway for a Nikon D90...

So until tomorrow...have a blessed day and a wonderful evening with your family

HSM's Goals for 2011

I have lots of things I want to accomplish.

Some of these things are easy to accomplish within a day or two,

others will require committment over time to make them a reality.

So let's begin:

1. Spend more QUALITY time with William & Wyatt

2. Keep the house in order EVERYDAY

3. Never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink

4. Read my bible DAILY...and pray about it

5. Potty train Wyatt

6. Blog everyday

7. Keep my gradebook up to date

8. Have my lesson plans done a week ahead of time

9. Update my school webpage weekly

10. write on the farm blog each week

11. begin an adopt a cow/ewe program

12. adovcate for modern production agriculture...family farms are a good thing

13. declutter my house once and for all

14. sit down to supper with the boys EVERY night

15. dress nicer...especially when going out...even to make an early morning wal-mart run

16. take better care of myself

17. attend WIC each month

18. Set aside time each week to coordinate SCBAP and BRE activities

19. have another baby

20. finsih redecorating Wyatt's room...finally

21. feed up nightly before william gets home

22. practice my photography and photoshop skills

23. complete wyatt's 2nd scrapbook

24. scrapbook our family farm

25. help others understand why modern agriculture is important

26. plant a garden

27. learn to can

28. clean out the car shed...and put a car in there..LOL

29. landscape the yard

30. bake a fresh loaf of bread each week

31. increase my compassion level

32. become more patince and understanding

33. teach wyatt to count

34. teach wyatt his ABC's

35. help Wyatt learn to ride on his own...meaning Bartow moves without me leading him

36. be more frugal with my money

37. enjoy the little moments in life

38. sew at least twice a week

39. set aside time to craft with Wyatt each week

40. listen to William

41. don't complain as much

42. make 5 dresses for me

43. don't go overboard for Christmas and birthdays

44. talk to my sister regularly about life not just to complain

45. witness to someone

46. take a family vacation...no working

47. attend the NAILE

48. help Wyatt to show his heifer this fall

49. sew summer outfits for Wyatt

50. give handmade gifts for every occasion

51. don't wait to the last minute to make gifts

52. finish my classroom bulletin board

53. update or change the bulletin board once a month

54. design a storage system for my crafting and sewing supplies

55. bake cookies and cakes from scratch

56. buy a Sam's club membership

57. take Wyatt to Toys'r'us

58. keep a gallon of Sweet tea in the fridge

59. be prepared for people to visit

60. paint the dresser and add bookshelf to make hutch for kitchen

61. get caught up on laundry

62. clean off and organize back porch

63. clean off and organize side porch

64. wash all the windows in the house...inside and out

65. replace broken/torn window screens

66. create a welcome sign for porch

67. put up a farm sign

68. organize farm records

69. set up a mini home office (somewhere)

70. make curtains for the master bedroom

71. finish a full sized quilt

72. have movie night once a week

73. judge at least 3 livestock shows

74. clean out the old feed room...new door...new window...drywall...make it into a farm office???

75. build a chicken pen...and put hens in it

76. host a show clinic

77. attend 4 sheep sales

78. buy a new (to me) car/truck

79. set a bedtime for Wyatt and STICK to it

80. write letters..not just emails

81. mail thank you notes

82. take family photos

83. do a group family photo with my sister's family

84. mail birthday cards

85. become a retro housewife that works a full time job

86. wear a dress at least twice a week

87. get a manicure more often

88. move more often...as in walk not houses

89. create easy to follow tutorials at least twice a month

90. share my favorite recipes

91. help with Ag in the classroom

92. plant a school yard garden

93. host a farm tour

94. help plan a YF&R day for York and Chester counties

95. drink more water

96. donate items i don't need or use anymore

97. recycle more

98. set a good example for my students

99. help Wyatt learn his Catcheism questions/answers

100. be more thoughtful

101. tell people i'm thankful for them

102. manage my time better

103. host giveaways on HSM

ok so i think that is everything...i am sure i will add to the list as time goes on but right now thats it!  So what do you have on your list for 2011?  Share with me...I always enjoy reading comments!

The end of 2010

The last day of 2010 wasn't spent the way I had planned.

No actually the last 2 weeks of 2010 haven't been spent the way I planned.

I dreamed that the little man I and would sleep in and snuggle,

my house would sparkle without me having to try,

the weather would be nice and a little nip in the air,

Bartow and Force would get exercised and Wyatt would be able to ride Bartow alone.

I would sew up a storm and finish me a couple of 50's inspired shirt dresses

so that I could become a vintage housewife

My hubby would have a hardy supper on the table nightly when he came home

and everything would be fed up by sundown

But in reality I have spent the last two weeks rising most days before the sun as shed a ray

cleaning constantly since Hurricane Wyatt arrive with each passing hour with more force than before

the weather has gone from bone chilling cold to I'm breaking a sweat working cows

I have caught the two horses but Bartow still just stands there when Wyatt is on him

I have sew two things this entire break and they were Christmas gifts.

I am so not a vintage housewife (as I am currently lounging in my yoga pants)

My hubby has eaten cereal at least twice in the past two weeks and probably had pizza 3 or 4 times

and he still has to feed up when he gets home in the evening.

Today I spent my morning hours helping out Paw Paw with a few cows that proved to be a little more hardheaded than expected.

We began by moving the show heifers out to pasture with the herd bull,

not our original plan but they been shut up in show fields for the past 9 months and could use a diet prior to getting bred...as much as Pet and Gracie hated it they have temporarily entered the world of semi-grown up cattle...then we had planned to move 2 cows and 2 calves across the road to a barn where it is easier to feed them and they have more grazing room..

now this should have been about an hour job at the MOST..however it took forever to load the two cows onto the trailer...we fought and fought and fought with them to get on the trailer...

i thought that Paw Paw was about to lose his religion...

Wyatt even gave up and went to the house with Grandma...

but we got them moved and had a wonderful lunch with Grandma & Paw Paw

now I think its time for the little man and i to take a nap...

I'll dream of a new camera since my died on Christmas day and I can't seem to fix it...

Wyatt will dream of bullriding at the WNFR...

and maybe just maybe when I wake up

I'll clean the house and cook some supper for my hardworking hubby

Stay tune tomorrow I will be posting my New Year's Resolutions...ALL of them!!

Christmas on the Farm

Many of you know that my husband is a full time farmer and for a farm family Christmas is a little different.  No matter the day God's creatures have to be cared for.  So EARLY Saturday morning before even your most excited little one rolled out of bed we had opened presents, had breakfast, fed baby calves, and William was milking the herd.  This is a typical holiday for us.  I don't mind the early rising or the cold air in the early morning because we get to experience a one of a kind holiday every year. 

 This was our living room before the little man attacked the mound of presents.  Now typically he doesn't get tons of presents but this year I went a little overboard because I got some AMAZING deals on his favorite toys...John Deere Tractors!!!  The little man is amazing, he can wake up before most adults and still have the most wonderful attitude.

This year I was able to learn something new. Our little man is 2 going on 80! On Christmas morning he hiked to the barn with me to feed baby calves and check on the lambs and goats, then hiked back up the hill to feed the horses and dogs all the while being a trooper in the cold air. As we were in the barn feeding Wyatt said that he could mix up the milk for the calves of course I was a little more than nervous...subfreezing temps, hot water, and a 2 year old isn't a good mix. But he (with supervision of course) took the jugs of water and poured it into the milk buckets, added a cup of powdered milk to each and whisked them like a pro! It was an amazing moment to see that some of the values we are trying to instill in him were being implemented even at a young age. He didn't whine or complain he was enjoying his time with me having fun working on the farm. It was wonderful!!

Christmas day continued with visits to family (after milking of course).  Wyatt loves to head to Nana & Pop's.  They live on the main part of the farm and he likes to play and spend time with his cousin, Ashley.  We got a very rare treat on Christmas evening...it started snowing!!  Technically we didn't get a white Christmas (not 1 inch prior to midnight) but we did have a white day after!! And Wyatt loved it!  The snow was too soft and powdery to use the real sled so we made use of a feed trough and pulled little man to the barn in it.  He loved the homemade sled. 

 Living on a farm gives you a chance to take some amazing photos through out the year.  I love to catch the landscape covered with snow from various angles.  This is looking out the end of the barn. 

 This is another angle from the end of the barn but this one is special because the house you can just see at the end of the field is the original home place for little man's best friend and my hubby's maternal grandfather, Paw Paw.  It was a beautiful chance to capture a glimpse of family traditions.

 And of course I couldn't resist the chance to get a picture of some of the animals in the snow.  I didn't take many this time but I am sure I will have more chances as the winter progresses. 

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful holiday and remembered the true reason for the celebration...the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

God Bless,

Teaching Tuesday

Teaching Tuesday!

Teaching is like therapy for me.  I love being in the classroom (hence the reason I am returning this fall).  However teaching isn't just about delivery information to someone.  It is about the relationship you build as you help someone learn a new process, skill or knowledge set.  There are so many things about teaching I love.  I am going to use this feature to TEACH you a little about what I love...Family Farms...

(My sister, cousin, & I at my Grandparents farm in GA with my Granddaddy.)

Agriculture is what my life thrives on....I love the fact that my husband is a full time farmer.  We raise sheep, beef cattle and dairy cattle plus we have a few horses.  Let me clarify...because for many out there you might think we have a few head of each.  We raise about 50 head of sheep, 300 head of beef cattle and milk 115 head of dairy cattle.  We are a family farm and proud to say that we are American Farmers. 

America's farmers are the world's most productive. Today, each U.S. farmer produces food and fiber for 155 people in the United States and abroad.  That's a lot of production for a small percentage of the population. 

The number one question I get when I talk about farms is aren't all farms factory farms now??  And the answer is NO NO NO!!! I am not a factory farmer and neither are the majority of farms in the U.S.  You might view us as a corporation because due to taxes and liability we are Nance Farms, LLC, but we are family owned and operated just as most American farms are! Today 98 percent of all U.S. farms are owned by individuals, family partnerships or family corporations. Just 2 percent of America's farms and ranches are owned by non-family corporations.

These two simple facts are the two most important facts farmers and their families need American Consumers to know.    I realize that many times in the media we (Farmers) are betrayed as the bad people, we use chemicals on our crops and antibiotics for our animals. 

 And yes we use fertilizers on our fields to help our land produce better crops, however we also leave behind plant matter to decay to improve our soils and no longer have the erosion issues of a generation ago. 

And yes if we have a sick animal they receive antibiotics just as you do if you go to the doctor.  Healthy animals produce faster, better, and more meat and milk for consumers. 

We are teaching the next generation to grow up and become stewards of the land and environment.  We spend our days working and our nights researching the last news about our industry.  I can't believe how many people don't realize that to be an American farmer you must have:

 

Faith in God, confident, and a desire.  I hope you all have learned a little about Family Farms in America.  If you have any questions please feel free to ask! 

Ummm...what about that sew through a book thing???

So I just realized that I was suppose to start a new blogging series LAST WEEK!!!  My plan was to sew through a semi-newly released book and discuss the pros and cons...Well two things have hindered that process...

1) I checked out 15 semi new sewing books from the library and could decide on which book to choose.  I had narrowed it down to 3 and still could make a final decision....Who Wants to be a Millionare would not be a good game for me (I take a REALLY REALLY long time to decide anything). 

2) 2 of the 3 books had patterns that needed to be used to construct the items...well I could have made copies on the plotter at work but not everyone has that access plus I really prefer to cut up my orginals and use them (I know, I know...don't lecture me about the irrationality of that statement). 

So what am I going to do instead??? I am not really sure (SHOCKING, LOL).  I have a few ideas but still trying to determine what would be best.  I do have some projects from the 3 books that didn't require patterns so I plan to make those for you...and discuss the pros and cons...the book idea is coming just not yet...

In other news I am heading to Washington, D.C. in July and need some advice.  I have a limited amount of site seeing time...have you been to D.C....what was the best sites...anything CAN'T miss???  I will be in a workshop most days from 8:30 until 5.  But hopefully I will be more prepared to discuss the agriculture way of life with you after this training...

I hope you enjoyed the random pictures...

BTW...what are you interested in hearing about...my sewing adventures and misadventures...pattern reviews...farm life...mom life...all of the above???  Leave some comment love...Thanks!

Christmas presents

Since most of the presents have been given here is an idea of what I have been up to.  This year I made presents for the majority of our family.  Here is my completion list.

3 checkbook covers
5 tote bags
1 black apple doll
1 crayon roll
5 zippered bags
15 hairbows
1 hairbow holder
2 throw blankets
4 dish towels
1 ipod cover
4 pony tail holders

I think that covers it for now... I still have somethings to make before Monday.  I hope to post pictures of all my creations soon.  Have a wonderful Christmas and holiday celebration!

What Farm Wives do at 2 a.m. on a Friday Night/Saturday Morning

Many people spend their Friday and Saturday night at a bar or with friends having a good time. However farm wives, and many mothers spend their time catching up on unfinished projects. That is how I spent my Friday night. I purchased cloth weeks ago to make a pair of overalls, some seat belt covers, and a blanket for my son I just never got around to actually creating any of it.

So Friday night I decided I would stay up late and create a master piece for my son's Christmas outfit (yes, I know Christmas is 4 months away, but I have to start now). I tucked the boys into bed and got started. I laid out my cloth and my patterns. Made sure everything I need was at hand. I began cutting. Things were going great until I when to start piecing the overalls. I discovered rather quickly that I didn't cut mirror images for one piece. So I made the necessary adjustments, cut another piece and sewed the overalls together. I was so satifisifying to finish a project in one sitting. I couldn't believe that all I had left to do was hem the legs. I went to bed feeling very proud of myself.

Pride is a pack of lions in more ways than one. Saturday was full of volunteer work, helping around the farm and cleaning house. When I finally got around to inspecting my work on Sunday I noticed something dreadful... the overalls were made out of a lightweight cord fabric..the cord on one half of the overall are vertical and on the other half hortizonal! Back to the drawing board.... hopefully I can fix my mistake this weekend...

Where do I begin...

Hello All,

I am new to the blog scene however after reading many other blogs I feel that sharing my experiences with the world just might be useful to someone out there. My husband and I have been married almost 4 years and have a beautiful little boy. I work outside the home even though I wish I didn't have to. My day job is Environmental Outreach Coordinator for our county. My real job is being a full-time mom, farm hand, and domestic diva for my family.

We are located deep in the Bible belt in South Carolina. We have been raised very traditionally and conservatively and remain that way. Many of our family outings center around church events, 4-H activities, and farm life. I want my son and future children (God willing) to have a good example to follow in faith and family, so I believe we must make that a priority in our own lives. We do our best to set the standards high but as all people we have our downfalls.

My husband, William, is a full time farmer. We raise purebred sheep, beef cattle and operate a dairy farm. It is a huge undertaking and we have help from William's family. We are bless to be farming the same land that William's ansectors have farmed since the 1800's, maybe earlier.

I did not grow up in the area, my family is scattered all over the Southeast and Western part of the US. I have family in Georgia (my home state), Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, California, and Arizona. To keep up with my family we all have Facebook or Myspace.

I grew up in Middle Georgia. I could throw a rock from my back door and hit my grandparents house. I never realized until their influence on my life until after my Granny passed away. They instilled values and traditions in me that I hope to pass on to my children. My Granny loved to cook (fry) and create crafts. I learned to season a cast iron pan, sew a quilt, and crochet from her. My mother taught me how to bake cakes and make candy. I hope to share some of these skills and many others I have learned over the years with all of you in the coming months. Have a great day!

The Homespun Momma