My Mom's shoes

Last week I spent some time in my mom's shoes. YIKES!

For those of you who don't know, my parents live on a farm and ranch. Their house is dubbed "Grand Central Station". I have three older brothers who also are back farming/ranching with my Dad so they are coming and going all the time. Right now there is only one hired hand that is living in one of my parents houses close to GCS. Oh, did I mention I also have a sister that lives only 9 miles away?

My super mom watches her grandchildren when her schedule allows it, which means every Monday and Wednesday during the school year. This year on Mondays Mom had a 4yr boy, just 2 yr girl, 5 month girl, and three month girl. On Wednesdays, same kids but not the 3 month old. All the girls get picked up by their mothers who are teachers at Sylvan and they only teach half days and the boy waits for his three older siblings to get off the bus at "Grammie and Papa's" Sometimes other cousins like to get dropped off too, then get taken home with their fathers or until their moms come back and get them. So there are alot of kids around....alot.

I should also mention that I have another sister who lives by Wichita. She and I are the only ones not living within 20 miles of my parents and since she moved from Kansas City to Wichita she is now 15 minutes closer to our parents than I am. If you are counting that is six total, three girls, three boys of my parents.

Now I come to visit and help out as my Dad got an infection in his leg....cellulitis and was in the hospital for a week. He is O.K. but is still receiving two IV treatments a day still and this whole process is in the third week. O.K. so I come to visit as MY house was going to be a hard place to be with kids as our plumbing was getting totally replaced by Orrin's Uncle Larry. Thanks Larry! We have awesome water pressure everywhere now.

I come with my THREE kids and add a little spice to the mix. As if it needed any. Mom also makes hot meals twice a day for anyone and everyone that happens to be around or if they aren't promptly makes them a lunch. OY.

I did survive three hours by myself with seven kids four and under. I kept saying to myself...if people with multiples can do it...so can I. Here are the run down of ages...two 4 yr boys, one almost three yr boy, one almost two yr girl, one 14 month girl, one five month girl, and one three month girl. I was to have help from another sister-in-law but her kindergartner was sick, but on Wednesday I had her awesome help.

I really hope my Mom stays in good health forever so I won't be called on to fill her shoes for over that three hours. But if she can do it, I can too. Just not as well. :) She is an awesome farm mom and now grandmother.


My Dad's leg in the hospital two weeks ago.



Let's spend some time coloring!!!! My three kids and a nephew and niece!



You are never too old to play dress-up in Grandma's clothes!!! Who else loves polyester???!!!!! See I wasn't busy all the time!

Accidents Happen

Well, accidents happen to everyone. We have had our fair share on this farm however this weekend has been pretty accident-prone.
First off I want to say that this is NOT our semi or trailer but it is our bales (which much to Orrin's dismay have not been weighed yet to calculate the price per ton) and it is very, very close to our house. Oh and I forgot...that's our fence we have to fix now. So it is someonelse's mistake but definitely our problem. We now have to glorious duty of helping with putting it back on its wheels with our equipment and our time. Joy. We don't like it but nor can we just say "Sorry, your problem." Argh...the guilty conscience is a mighty weapon to rural, Christian people.
We have to keep repeating to ourselves....treat them how you would want to be treated!
Everyone has accidents...my big one involved my middle son and it got him hurt. One of a mother's worst fears is hurting her child. I was making Unbaked Peanut Butter Cookies, a staple while I was growing up and it involves boiling corn syrup and sugar...so a hot stove. When I was moving the hot pan from the stove to the counter to spoon the cookies onto parchment paper is when it happened. A previously uninterested son chose that moment to see what was going on and put his hand on the freshly vacated burner. His hand was burned and I felt it was my fault by not keeping my eye on the stove. My pride of making yummy cookies for my children was gone and in its place was a sick feeling. I wonder if this is how God feels when he sees one of His children sin? I hate the feeling of failure and am always disappointed with myself, however I can't seem to make myself "hover" over my children to ensure their constant safety. I know that I can't always be there and they must learn some lessons on their own. I have a feeling that I could have reminded my son a million times that the stove was hot but it took him getting hurt to always remember that lesson. Is that how God deals with us? When we sin He could take away the consequences but when we have to face them...it impacts us so much more. We remember! So accidents happen because we forget or don't heed the warnings but in the end it makes us remember so much better.
Well, that's it for Deep Thoughts by Beth. :)
Unbaked Peanut Butter Cookies
1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
2 c. peanut butter
6 c. corn flakes
Mix sugar and syrup in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and mix well. Mix in corn flakes. Drop from a teaspoon on waxed paper or parchment paper.
Below is a picture of my friend's little boy and my little girl enjoying Polly!

Starting out

I guess I have entered into the world of blogging. I know several people with blogs from what their families are doing to what issues most concern them. I believe that I will be a mix of things from the F's....Faith, Family, Farm, Friends.

Today I am waiting for one of my best friends to come visit my family for a few days with her little son. Although he is only seven months old, I look forward to exposing him to his first baby calf. We have two bottle calves right now that we feed twice a day. Both were born twins and Orrin pulled them off so their sibling could stay with their mom. We hope we have to feed these two throughout the calving season because otherwise another calf would have had to die. These are "adoption" calves. We are saving these calves for a momma cow who has lost her calf.

I have decided to name them Polly (the Gelbvieh calf-more redish/brown) and Molly (the Black Angus calf). You know....Polly Holle and Molly Holle!

Orrin gets a little frustrated at them, and I do too! They both demand to be fed but can't quite figure out that if they concentrate on their OWN bottle instead of the other calf's it would go smoother. Instead I end up coming back in the house covered from the hip down in calf slobber and smelling of milk replacer. But they are so cute so I forgive them!

Calving season is going well as evidenced by us having two extra calves. Some years we are calling neighbors and scouring the sale barns for baby calves to buy to put on a cow that has lost her calf. It is then a whole ordeal to get the cow to accept the new calf. Orrin has found the best way is to skin the dead calf from shoulder to hip and then tie the skin on the new calf with twine. That way there the new calf smells just like the dead calf. We make sure to put the cow and new calf in a stall together so they can bond quicker. It is easier for some than others but we try hard to give each cow a chance to prove herself as a mother.

The weather isn't cooperating well today. It has continued to snow most of the day with a wet heavy snow. The ground is not frozen so under the snow is a layer of mud. The good thing is the temperature is not so cold nor is the wind blowing. We can't wait for it to dry out and be sunny and warm!