The Next Chapter....Page One.

Today was an exciting day for the future of the dairy!

Earlier this year we signed a contract agreeing to rent my parent's farm. They have retired from milking cows, and have sold their herd and the robotic milkers, which means we can now occupy the farm....and today we moved the calves over.  This is pivotal for our operation, allowing us to streamline hay production, herd management, and most importantly keep up with the natural* herd growth.

Currently, all of our young stock is being raised on a rental farm that is adjacent to the home farm. The facilities at the farm have been well loved and well used over the years.  As you can see here, the old hip roof barn offers little space-just enough to use it as a corral to load the cattle onto the trailer.

 

It took two trips but less than 2 hours to move the calves over.  Rick had done some prep work to the old barn yard to have it ready for the calves, including this new post;

 

a bedded pack for the calves to lay on;

and a hay feeder that will hold enough hay for a couple of days.

 



It was exciting to see them get off the trailer and check out their new winter home.

We will also move the bred heifers over, then bring them back home shortly before calving season begins.  During the grazing season we will graze the heifers on half of the acreage, and we will make winter feed (high moisture balage) off the other half.

Renting my parents farm for replacement heifers and hay production frees up our adjacent rental farm at home for the milk cows.  This will allow us to milk up to 150 cows this next year. The lane system and paddocks are already set up, ready to be added onto the rotation.  The past couple of years we have had to sell cows to keep our numbers low enough for the amount of pasture we have available.  One might suggest that we supplement with extra forage, but that would add extra expense and labor, and while it might still be profitable, we are graziers....we stick to our roots.

This also streamlines our hay production.  Currently, we are renting 5 separate farms for hay production.  They are smaller in size and one is 12 miles from the home farm-which is quite the trip when you're hauling bales.  We have chosen to not rent 2 of the farms** and one of them is due to be rotated out of hay production. By giving up three of our current hay farms and renting my parents farm instead, we gain 72 additional acres to graze and make hay from (the other 48 equal the three we gave up) while only increasing our expenses by less than $1,000.00***.  And we're 5 miles closer!

So our heifers have better winter housing, we're not traveling all over the county hauling hay, we can milk more cows at home (exclusively grazing) and the farm is still being operated by the same family.

I'm excited for our kids to have the opportunity to go to "Grandpa's & Grandma's" to do chores.  It was an experience I got when I was a teenager, and I know they will enjoy it when they're old enough.  I'm looking forward to a simplified system of young stock and hay at one farm, and milk cows at the other.

once again....here we go!  History in the making...

*If you recall, we only retain about 30 replacement heifers each spring.  We sell all other heifer calves and all of our bull calves.  Even with this growth control in place, we still end up with plenty of cows to milk. While we are perfectly content with the size that we are, we're looking forward to this modest change in numbers and not having to pick which ones to sell.

**Note to farmers-this was actually our choice-we didn't "lose" the farms or find them unaffordable.  We have looked at the big picture and seen an opportunity to simplify our dairy operation and hay production. So please....no rumors :)

***This number includes the costs of hay that we had to purchase to finish out the winter.  With the new rental farm, along with good growing conditions, we should not have to purchase any additional winter feed.

 







Projects & Parties...

A friend made a comment to me the other day. He said, "I love how you're keeping everyone on edge about the blog! I keep checking to see if you've wrote again yet!"  I had never thought about it that way, but just in case you are one of those who have been waiting, here's what we've been up to...

After an incident with the wood stove last winter, we put up a separate chimney for the stove to get us through the winter.  Before this heating season we had to replace the stone chimney, move both of them over, and encase them-simply because we didn't like the look of two stainless steel missiles going up the side of the house.

I asked our contractor if he was going to dirty up the new siding so it would match the old siding.  He said maybe after he was done playing football with the boys...which he did on every lunch and afternoon break.  He has all girls at home, so it was a win-win situation :).

We also made a quick trip to Pennsylvania.  On our way we went past this:

We seen the driver safely sitting in the police car, so we were then able to mourn the loss of this new Ford pick up.  Fortunately for us we passed the scene before the fire trucks arrived, so we weren't caught up in that particular back up.  However, we did experience a 10 mile back up in PA due to another accident.  I was reminded how great God has been.  We have drove that stretch of road (535 miles worth) many times over, and he has watched over us and kept us safe.  It is so easy to look back and be grateful for the good that God has done, but how hard it is to be grateful for what he is doing today, merely because we have yet to see the end result.

While in PA, we visited our 4th cousin's farm for the first time.  We had a great time!  They operate a grass-based farm with a split calving season, fall and spring.  Most all of their farm has been transitioned to organic, and they recently began providing milk for Trickling Springs Creamery of Chambersburg.  We learned about their ag. plastic recycling, their chicken processing, and talked of plans and ideas for the future.  It was a very refreshing and rejuvenating visit, and we really enjoyed talking with people who are excited about grazing and the future of the dairy industry.

We got to see the treasures in the shop....we have friends who would have REALLY enjoyed this!  Note: there was a couple red tractors in the back....,..

Mobile chicken processor.  Read: Coolest thing ever!

While the boy's cows were a bit small for the parlor, they had the right idea......

We are so proud of the Geisinger family!

We stopped by the creamery for some product :)

 

The real reason we went to PA was for this lady...

Who celebrates her 90th birthday this month!  Rick and his siblings threw a surprise birthday party for her, at her house (slightly tricky, but they pulled it off!).

I know you have already heard enough about the game, but we couldn't resist this picture.  It was an eventful evening as we really thought we were going to have to congratulate our nephew on his team's win.....but....NO!  So, we said he could have his cake and eat it too....off of a State plate. LOL! 

One proud Grandma!

I got up early to run the next day, and this is what I found.  No, his head is not completely covered ( I checked).  These kids never cease to amaze me!

We had a lot of time on the road to talk and think, so we worked on some long range farm plans.  While we wrote out our 1 yr., 5yr., and 10yr. goals, I encouraged us to think farther outside the box than we ever have, and not let what we presume to be reality squash the potential opportunities for our business.

I read these verses this morning, and it really made me think that we don't trust God enough to really let go and let him work.  Are we missing out on opportunities because we don't fully trust and just go with the plans he lays before us?

Proverbs 20:24  The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?
Psalm 20:4  May he grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed.
Psalm 37:23  The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.

How awesome is that?!

Just Another Farm Blog

In case you missed it, I love to read.

I love to read so much, that in grade school I would get into trouble.  I wrongfully thought that when we switched subjects, I could sneak in a page underneath my desk top while I got out my books.  Well, you know how one can never stop at just one page...how awful it must have been for my teacher to have to discipline me for reading! ;) (Sorry, Mrs. E.)

I have learned that I have to be very disciplined in my reading as an adult, or it will consume my life.  The last book I read for nothing more than pure enjoyment, was on the way up to the Mackinaw Bridge.  I remember pulling out of the drive, and then seeing the bridge.  My poor family!

That was the last book I have read, other than the Bible.  Now, I limit myself to two articles daily.  In the morning I scroll down through my FB and pick two things to read.  Most all of them allow me to gain information-new ideas on homeschooling, parenting or farming.  Some of them are more news oriented and keep me up to date.

Lately I have noticed exactly how many Farm-Wife-Blogs there are.  A Million.

Okay, maybe just a couple of hundred, but I think just about every farm wife out there is blogging.  I've been able to put these blogs into categories:

The Seller:  Many farm wives use their blog for eventual sale of items that they made by hand or grew on their farm.  Often the items are a part of a story, the family's history, and have sentimental value.  Two that I enjoy are The Renaissance Housewife and Wilcox Heritage Farm.

The Educator:  Some Farm wives have taken it upon themselves to help educate other non-farmers about the agricultural industry.  These vary greatly-there are post about very basic farm happenings and posts about political policy.

The Story-Teller:  Some of the best stories come straight off the farm and many of them, along with the lessons learned, are told on blogs.  Often there is nothing to buy and no side to take; they just leave you with thoughts and different perceptions of agriculture-or maybe even your own life.

While I have a couple of friends that offer awesome home made or home grown goods to sell, most of the blogs I've read lately are of the attempt to educate type.  The one thing that is very consistent in all of them is that the writer feels that if others do no agree with their viewpoint, that they need to be "educated."

Think about that for a minute. (warning...soap box moment coming)

There is a huge "education" movement within the Ag. industry.  Many of the major players in our industry honestly feel that people who don't agree with them simply do not know any better.  They need to be educated.

This bugs me. Mostly because sometimes I do not agree with them-and I am a farmer.

Just because someone has a different opinion, viewpoint, or does not agree with you, does not mean that they are not educated.  I have heard the word "education" so much now in the Ag. world, that I almost see it as a direct insult to the non-agricultural based consumer.

Consumers (a wonderful label put on people who shop and spend money on goods) are not stupid.  In fact, many of them are very educated.  They can read and do research.  They can understand agricultural terms and practices.

another instance....

At a conference recently it was noted that the world's population would level off and eventually decline because women were becoming more educated about birth control.  WOW! As if ALL women who had children did so because they didn't know how to prevent it.  You would have been so proud of me, reader.  I did not gasp (out loud) or make a scene.  I let it go!  Until now, that is...

(off the box now!)

So.....where am I going with this?

Here.  This blog.  I've been thinking about the point of this blog.

I am not a seller.

I am not an educator-or at least the type that is prevalent today.

Storytelling-maybe.

I have shared many wonderful memories that have been well received.  I shared helpful hints for larger families concerning the day-to-day issues.  I have shared some of our daily happenings and events from our farm.  I have shared what intensive grazing is, what seasonal grazing is, and the mind-set that most grazers share.  If there was any education done, it was not to change any person's mind, it was to simply offer an understanding of why we do what we do.  I have always been very careful to use "I" or "we" statements in place of "you" statements.  I have been very careful to point out that there are many different ways to farm, to home school, etc., and that one way is not necessarily  better than the other.  I have shared the awesome ways in which Christ has blessed us here.  Relationships are important to us.  This blog has helped us bridge, create and sustain relationships.  With family and friends all across the nation (and world)  this blog has helped us stay connected.

...but we don't fit into any of those categories.  We're kind of out there, floating around, like miss-fit toys don't have a specific tote they belong in.  By the way, that drives me up the wall!

I'm going to re-evaluate the blog.  Is it worth the time? ( I do wonder sometimes how other frequent bloggers find the time to write so often).  Does it need a more focused topic, or is it fine the way that it is?  Has it run it's course?

One of most challenging aspects of the blog is the fact that the most interesting happenings don't get wrote about because I'm busy doing them.  It is not convenient to carry the camera all the time and stop all the action to take pictures.  We've got work to do!

So, there's a decision to be made.  We've either got to give it our best, or not do it at all.  What we don't want to be is just another farm blog.

Red is in the Shed! It's Locked!

It goes against everything we have preached to fellow farmers.  It rusts, rots, and depreciates.  In fact, it's probably been on more depreciation schedules than we can count.  It really has no purpose, other than the occasional parade for advertisement.  It will not haul hay, cattle trailers, or even fit all of us in it.

Our New Truck.

Actually, Our New Old Truck.

After 13 years of farm ownership we splurged.  We've been shopping for awhile now, and finally found "the one".  Its a 1978 Ford F250 4x4 with a 460 engine (if that matters to you).

Back in the day, when Rick and I met, we owned 4 trucks between us.  And a Ford Explorer. No kidding.  A little heavy on the vehicles.  Knowing that we were going to be applying for loans to start the dairy, we started to weed out things not needed and sold them, in attempt to have as little debt as possible before we went to the bank.  It was hard, but we sold two of them right off.  Rick's 79 Ford eventually left the farm on a trailer to the scrap yard, and mine (the last truck) was sold when we needed a tank compressor to cool the milk in the barn.  It was heartbreaking as the buyer loaded it up onto a roll back truck. Lots of memories from Big Blue.

But, that's life, right?  We knew the sacrifices that were to made if we were going to be successful.  In fact, we actually farmed with no truck at all up until 2005 or so.  We had to borrow one every time we needed one for something.  That is not easy when you farm full time!  But God saw us through.

I found Red online-but she lived in Texas.  When I scrolled through the 51 photos, my heart jumped and I couldn't wait to show Rick.  I told him I was ready. She was the one!

We have friends who own a trucking business and Rick arranged for them (and him) to pick it up.  They team drove the semi to Fort Worth during what was suppose to be our family's fall camping trip.  We all know about sacrifices, so I went camping with the kids while Rick went to Texas.  I think he got the better end of the deal :)


They had a pretty light load going down....

They enjoyed some Texas fare....


 And a trip to the Peterbuilt Factory...AND a dinner at Lambert's....

 

Loading the truck on trailer-it was 105 degrees.
 

Home!

My Grandpa really liked trucks and had a few nice ones in his day.  When I took her for a drive down to the neighbors and back, I thought about him.  Oh how I wanted to show him!  Grandpa signed on my first loan to buy Big Blue.  How neat would it be to show him Red. How neat would it be to show him that after all those sacrifices, we got one back.  There's a song that describes that drive...

If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away

 

 

God is great.  There are many times that He has made us wait for things that we longed for.  Some of those things were little and not really important.  Some of those things were big and led us through very trying times while we waited.  Some of those things are things that require long term hard work and dedication, and you don't get them until you realize that they are just things, and you don't really need them after all.  This is probably one of those-but I also believe that God wants us to enjoy our time here on earth.  I don't believe His intentions include all the struggles we face today.

 

Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

 

Thanks, God!

 

For those who were wondering.....its paid for. :)

 

 

Fair Week-In Pictures

American Girl apron, sewed and entered by our daughter



Talking with the judge

Reserve Champion Showman

"2015"

Our son and "Buster"

....they're all pets at the fair!

"SALE FACE!"
(A little fun at the show box)

Not everything is easy......

Learning to be content with a 2nd place ribbon.

Single design model interview

Awards Ceremony

3rd place B.B. Gun

We had a wonderful week!  We met two new incredible families that we look forward to getting to know better as our kids grow up in 4-H together.  We had wins, losses, and reunions with friends we haven't seen in over 10 years.  We laughed, we cried, and grew stronger as a family.  We thank God for placing us in a county that cares deeply about kids and their future.  Thanks to all of our friends and family who walk along beside us in support.

-Terri

An Irritated Oddball

We saw a friend at a gas station awhile back.  In conversation, when we inquired about the kids, we somehow got onto the topic of college. Our friend said that all of his kids would have to go to college, because unlike ours, they don't have anything to "fall back on".  His exact quote was
"Your kids have farming to fall back on".

This irritated me to no end.  First of all, farming is not a "fall-back" career. Farming is not what you do because you were unsuccessful somewhere else.  Farming is not what you do when you are unable to go to college.  Believe it or not, you actually have to be pretty smart & sharp to be a farmer.

Farming is a choice.  Many farmers have college degrees in different segments of agriculture.  I have a college education...and I choose to be a farmer. I'm not a farmer because I couldn't make it elsewhere. Farming was my FIRST career choice.

Secondly-having kids does not mean they will be handed our business.  It's our business-not their's.  If they choose to farm, they may still go to college.  If they choose to farm, they will have to make the investment just like we did.  If they end up with a mediocre work ethic (even after our tireless parenting efforts) that result in a failure elsewhere-they probably won't work here either.

Are our kids at an advantage because we choose to farm and own our own business? Maybe.  But it was us who CREATED that advantage.  There is no law saying that other parents cannot create an advantage for their kids.  Buy a couple of lawn mowers, create a business, and teach your kids how to work, how to interact with people, and how to manage their money (or find a neighbor who needs some help and have them work-even if it's volunteering at first).  We did....but do we deserve all the credit?  Of course not.  It is By the grace of God that I am what I am (1 Corinthians 15:10 ) and we remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)  There were many days this adventure survived on a prayer!

One of Family Life Radio's daily devotions touched on this well:

How Hard Work Does Pay Off

When the brothers were growing up, their friends felt sorry for them. They were always doing chores assigned by their mom and dad: weeding the garden, running errands, carrying out the garbage. Yet, when the boys reached adulthood, they earned more money and had more job satisfaction. Even more, they experienced better marriages and closer relationships with their own children. They were healthier and lived longer.

This story comes from a remarkable 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 boys from inner-city Boston. Regardless of intelligence, family income, ethnic background or amount of education, those who had worked as boys—even at simple household chores—enjoyed happier and more productive lives than those who had not.

Parents, be sure to give your children responsibilities and hold them accountable. As you do, you’re not only setting them up for future success and satisfaction, you’re giving them an opportunity to honor today’s verse and reap its eternal benefit of pleasing the Lord.
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  -  Colossians 3:20 (ESV)

No, our farm was not a fall-back plan.  It was very, very intentional!


As long as we're on irritations, let me share another one.  We're on a roll, right?

Farm Women Work.

Do you know that some farmers are actually women?  Do you know how many times the assumption is made that within the farm family unit, it is the husband that does the work and the wife that cares for the kids, the home, and the huge garden that somehow is a requirement to prove your success as a "farm wife".  I bet you can see her in your mind right now-her apron floating around her as she stirs the pot on the stove.

Well, let me stir that pot.

I am a farmer.

I am a wife.

I am a mother.

I am not a farm wife-at least not the kind that society envisions.

I work outside daily.  I milk the cows, I feed the calves.  I helped cows deliver many of those calves.  I mow the hay. I rake the hay.  I haul the hay (we hire the baling done).  I shovel manure.  I can do anything that my husband can do.  My husband does many of things that people perceive to be women's work.  My husband and I both work inside and we both work outside.  Every single day.  We both help with the kids. Every single day.

At a run one time I mentioned that Rick didn't even have to practice running-and he still runs well. The response I got was this:

"He doesn't have to-he works all day."

...yeah. So do I.  I don't have to practice running because I'm doing less physical activity than he is.  I have to practice because my body is different, and that's just the way that God made me.  So on top of all of our daily work, I have to add in a run. 

A friend said I was just an oddball.  She said,"some women do way more than just the books (she laughs-we have an ongoing joke about "the books").  Some women call themselves farmers and don't do anything on the farm-not even the books."  She reminded me that I am a part of a very, very small percentage of people.  Farmers in general account for less than 2% of the population.  Those that are women are significantly less.  She encouraged me to just "let it go", noting that people just don't understand.  As the days go by there are less and less people who do.

I am reminded that there is only One whom I work for-and recognition for hard work from others really doesn't matter.

Colossians 4: 23-24 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.  Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.


Bottom Line?

Be intentional in work, and do your very best-work hard for God, and let go of the rest.


  

Tractors, Trailers, and Pasture, Oh My!

Happy June!

We had some awesome things happen last week.

First, our fourth grader received a response from a business letter he wrote for his English class.  He wrote the marketing division of TOMY international, who markets 1/64th scale tractors, mainly for John Deere.  He wrote to them over a month ago, and had come to terms with the fact he might not get anything back.

Well....he did. And it was not just a letter!  It was a box, with requested catalog AND a few "samples" of their products.  They also enclosed a neat letter to him.  We were all very surprised!

Trust me-he was way more excited than this!

Secondly, we made a big decision here on the farm.  We decided to sell the remaining dry cows!  We are currently milking 127.  Having only about 115 acres of grazing land available on the home farm, we are well stocked, or even overstocked within the milking herd.  We kept one cow of  kid #2, an open heifer for freezer beef, and a heifer that did not get bred that belongs to Kid #4.  We're going to give her another shot this year.  So, we only have one more cow left to freshen!

It was actually difficult to sell those extra cows.  The normal mindset of a typical dairyman would keep anything that was healthy, and only sell the cows that had problems.  However, one of the benefits of grazing is a very low cull rate (% cows that leave the farm), so unless we are constantly growing exponentially, we have extra cattle to sell.  We handle this two ways.  We only keep a total of 30 heifer calves each spring, and sell the remaining heifer calves-up to another 35-40.  Can you imagine how many cows we would have if we kept all those heifers?  Secondly,  we cull cows a little more freely here because we have had so many replacements available.  We will still have to cull a couple from the milking herd before the end of the year, but that will actually be a good thing. By the time we go into winter, we need to have the herd down to about 120 or we will not have enough space at the feed bunk.  Winter is also the most expensive time to care for a cow, so why not milk more during the grazing season, and a few less in the winter?

Rick and I shared a good laugh about some of our favorites before they left....

Good-bye, dry cows!  Thank you for your years of service!  Best wishes at your new farm!

AND.....we had a pasture walk!  A pasture walk is where a group of forage focused folks meet at a farm and literally walk the pasture.  We talk about new seedings, old seedings, grass mixes, fencing, lane construction, anything that has to do with grazing.  We gave a farm overview near the parlor, discussed the compost barn, then a took a walk down the new lane.  We walked all the way to the north end of the farm to the new seeding where we have our regular pasture mix and pasja turnips planted. THEN, we walked all the way back to the house for ice cream and toasted marshmallows at the fire pit.  We had a great time!  It's always good to gather with like minded people to gain insight, new ideas and suggestions.

We've been finishing up first cutting this week.  High quality hay is important to us, so we waited until the alfalfa was in the bud stage to cut.  This means that our first cutting was a tad later than some of the other farms, but that's okay!  We are content with 3-4 cuttings of the best hay we can make.

Row #1!  We put up almost 400 bales for 1st cutting.

Sometimes important things get neglected during these busy spring months.  We go from calving to planting and from planting to haying.  But we try to find those little ways to remind each other that we don't take the other for granted.....

One of the kids said "We're just going to have to keep those bales together somehow!"

1st Quarter Finish Line

...is fast approaching.  Do you realize that 1/4 of 2015 is nearly over?  It still feels like we've just begun!

How are those new year's resolutions holding up?  Just asking....you know God gives you a new start each day.  If you lacked a little bit this first quarter, you can start over today. Now. 

It is rainy today. The kids are quietly going about their schoolwork, the littles playing contently.  Its a good time to look back and see where we're at...are we on track?  Are we going in the right direction?

Personally, I set a goal of running 500 miles this year.  That equates to 41.6 miles per month.  January was half over when I decided on this, so I started behind as it was.  Currently I'm at 113.3...meaning I would have to put in another 9.7 this week.  This is going to be challenging during calving season, and you know what? I might not make it....but I'm going to give it my best.  Isn't that all God requires?

I've also been working on being more "available" to the kids.  This means I stop and help them more, instead of saying "in a minute" or "after I (do this)."  Stopping and helping them first, actually helps me get more done. Imagine that.

We're not as far as I would have liked in school.  It looks like we will be doing school until the end of May.  When I think about the time we took off, for different reasons, I see that it was not wasted.  We made the right choice to include those other learning or serving opportunities.  I have listened intently to the children...their reading skills, their knowledge level...and I'm trying to relax a tad.  They are learning, a lot more than I realize. Its going to be okay!

From the big picture point of view, the farm is doing well.  With dwindling milk prices and a huge tax bill, we buckled down and have been careful with our spending, and still have some left for April (win!) before we ship milk again.  The price of beef is still high, so we look forward to selling bull calves this year.  We're doing as much prep for calving and planting season as we can, and our team members have been a great help in this.  We look forward to reaping the benefits of the improvements that we made last year, including the new cow lane (which has not been used yet) and the new calf pens.  Being able to put calves into groups more promptly is going to be a huge help.  Rick also reminds me that we will have more help this Spring than last.  The outlook is good.

We have had some major challenges however.  One of our main tractors went in to get a clutch replaced.  One of the parts they need is not available anywhere in the U.S.  It is in Japan, and they will not get it until late May.  This is crippling for us-we are currently renting a friend's tractor, but spring will come and they will need it.  Please pray that we either come up the part quickly, or an idea to fix the one that is broken for the time being.  We need use of the tractor. 

Our tractor waits at the dealership....in pieces.

We are also on the horizon of making some changes this fall.  On paper the plan cash flows well and is good for the farm and our family, but it will stretch us a bit as managers and take us a step out of the comfort zone we're in now.  However, the business will not grow if we don't ever take any risks.  One promenate business owner that we know well, said yesterday on Family Life Radio that when most people look back to the 30-40yr age range, they wished they had "taken more risks and spent more time with the kids."  So it will be, then.  Please pray for continued guidance and direction.

If you have been following us on facebook, you have shared with us the joy of new life on the farm.  We have had 3 new lambs born from the ewes that Rick bought last year.  What fun!  The boys have also bought their calves for 4-H, and now have them home and are taking good care of them.  We don't pay for the input costs of their projects, and since they have a couple years' under their belts, they were able to pay for the calves with their own money (win!) and not take a loan from Mom.  Yes, we are getting somewhere!  Slow and steady wins the race.  While 4-H has more to offer than the money, it is an integral part.  Our boys enjoy 4-H for many reasons other than the money, but we are teaching them to not let their projects/hobbies financially drain them.

I encourage you to take a minute and reflect on the last quarter.  Are you where you thought you would be?  Do you need to make a change of direction?  Spring is a time of new life and beginnings, it is not too late!  Happy Spring!

The Homeschooler's "vacation"

....is more like an extended school field trip.

We can't help it.  We love to learn!

This might be our vacation, and we may not be doing bookwork, but we never stop learning.

Myrtle Beach State Park...a little lesson in southern nature.

Hershey Chocolate World...apparently, they get milk from cows that all swing their tails in unison.  The tour showed how their chocolate bars are made.

Up close and personal with a sting ray at the Huntington State Park, South Carolina.

Pennsylvania Railroad Museum



Guided tour of the Heritage Trail, Mammoth Cave State Park

Historic Tour of Mammoth Cave.  We made it through Fat Man's Misery...wearing the two year old!

Outside the entrance of Mammoth Cave

Cooter's....a ton of historic artifacts from one of our favorite shows!

The kids didn't think I could do it.

Well, I showed them!

Flips and all!

The lesson here...don't say that Mama can't!

We also walked 7 miles of trails...not at one time.  Wow, Kid # 5 is a climber!

Abraham Lincoln's birthplace

Rick and the two older boys also toured the corvette plant, then we all toured the national corvette museum.  So the boys watched how they made $80,000.00 cars then we toured where a handful fell into the sinkhole.  Most of them were donated or on display, compliments of other people.

Earlier in the week we visited the parents of some old-order Mennonite friends of ours.  They happen to be hosting a "work bee" and many men were there to cut wood.  The horses walked on a treadmill that turned a series of belts that ran the saw. The men moved the wood through the saw to make small pieces for the wood stove.  One of the kids said "wow mom-that was VERY educational!".  Obviously, I didn't ask if I could take pictures.  But we did bring home their best wishes for their son and his family.

My dad said once he thought kids learned just as much from visiting historic places and landmarks as they did from history class at school.  Once again Dad.....you're right.