The Trip by the Numbers.

As promised in my previous post, I am going to share with you a few details from our trip. Remember friends, a trip is what you take with kids in tow, a vacation is what you reap in......retirement.

I don't share these things to boast that we got a break from home, but hopefully to help others be able to get a break as well.

This year the kids and I went back to Flint, Texas. We spent one week here after Rick left and in that fog completely missed everything that East Texas has to offer. This time around we were able to enjoy the educational opportunities, the history of the area, and the locals at the church we attended and the resort.

Being just the kids and I, none of which can drive yet, I opted for the two day trip down and back, and we spent about two weeks at the villages.  You can learn more about how I find these arrangements in a previous post:You CAN afford a vacation!

One of the reasons I enjoy homeschooling is that we can go on our schedule. It is rewarding to read and study our country's history, then go see the sites in person.

While we had a great time and some growth as a family, it wasn't as relaxing as some envision. The issues with the dairy industry followed us there, along with odds and ends- like the car I had at the mechanics and a few farm issues.  As you picture us basking in the sun, edit that to keeping 5 kids busy during endless days of rain and a lot of cooking, cleaning, laundry and lunch packing.

The kids enjoyed themselves and all the activities that the resort has to offer. We did a lot of hiking and walking of the grounds, card playing and HGTV watching.I can honestly say I have played enough mini golf to last me a few years now. Maybe more.

I tried to do this trip as frugal as I could. I paid for the condo last year. We were given a gift card for eating out at Christmas, which we used for travel down and back, and one time of eating out per week. I packed lunches for the other days if we were not at the condo over lunchtime. The kids paid for their own activities, and we found many free attractions.  Two of my girlfriends gave me a gift card for coffee (thank you!), and also helped with snacks.  Fuel costs could have been better with anything but a F350 passenger van, however there are not many more vehicles that can fit all 6 of us AND our stuff, that would get better than our average of 13.8 mpg.

Below is a snapshot of our costs. Actual out of pocket costs for this trip were about $2,100.00., with most of the lodging paid for in advance. At the end of the day what I gathered from this spreadsheet is that I need to save about $25/person/day of "vacation" that we wish to take.

On the last day there was sun and humidity before the next set of storms rolled in. I was able to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and watch the kids play in our mostly deserted unit parking lot. The kids played in the pool, we packed most everything up, ate at a place called The Purple Pig, and talked of what they missed from home. I sat on the back deck for the first time that last night.

I can see why other #solomoms wouldn't do these things. It's exhausting. It's hard to watch everyone. In fact, we had to pull #5 out from under water, not once, but twice. He's fine. But there was no swimming on the way home. That was enough of that!

If there was a year to not spend money on a trip, it is this one. But just like most of you get two days per week away from your workplace, we need that time away as well. It's the price of sanity. It's also my effort to do everything that I can to give these kids somewhat of a normal life.  To give them exposure to different cultures, different areas of the US, to stand on ground that was once a POW camp and see what big city life entails. They are still shortchanged in a few areas, but they will not be able to honestly say that I didn't give it my best.

A few snapshots of our trip.....

The "Why" of Seasonal Calving...Even Now

Today we "dried up the cows".

Kid #3 got up bright and early at 4am to help this year! She was in charge of grouping the treatment and teat sealant.

The whole team helped out.  We missed you Felicia and Sam!

At dry off, we milk on one side of the parlor, then prepare each cow for her time spent not milking, while she finalizes growing that calf that we look forward to in the Spring.

Per tradition, we enjoy breakfast together after wards.

Being a "seasonal" producer simply means that our cow's reproduction cycles are all on the same schedule. Instead of calving the same number of cows each month, year around, we have them all on the same schedule, as close together as feasible. In April (most of them) will have their calf.  In July, we will put the bulls in for "breeding season".  Late January or mid February the cows will naturally decrease in milk production, so we "dry them off".  We take 6-8 weeks for parlor maintenance and calving prep, then we do it all over again.

Why you ask?

1.  On a pasture based system, it is common sense to have your cow's peak production time (shortly after calving) line up with the pasture's peak production. Peak grass for peak production.

2.  On a pasture based system, the most expensive time to feed a cow is in the winter.  If you have cows entering into their peak production phase during winter, you also need to meet her needs with high quality feed.  It is less expensive to spend 6-8 weeks providing only dry cow quality hay, and a mineral supplement, instead of milk cow quality hay and grain.

3.  We can manage the herd as one group, all year long.  The only time this differs is during April, May, and the first part of June, when we keep the dry cows separate from the milk cows.

4.  We are not raising calves over the winter.

5.  We get a break from milking and can focus on other aspects of the farm.

But...
What about the milk checks?

Its no secret the status of the dairy industry right now.  If you're a farmer, every other post in your social media news feed is about the price, the problem, the politics, and the people of dairy.

We operate more like a cash crop producer, except we receive income over a longer period of time throughout the year. We have to prepare ahead of time for when the checks don't come.  In normal years, we are able to put enough into our savings account to cover the costs when we are "dry".

It needs to be noted that our expenses are considerably less during this time. We are not running vacuum pumps, tank compressors, lights, etc.  We are not buying cow grain, parlor supplies....

Starting last June, after my trip from New Zealand, we began a very strategic plan of attack for how we were going to deal with the STILL low prices, in preparation for this year.

1.  We got around to selling things we had replaced. Two tractors and a PTO generator.

2.  When it quit raining in July, we supplemented the cows with hay in the pasture, so we wouldn't be spending fuel and time hauling manure from the barn.

3.  We hauled out the pit immediately following the cows.  This way, we had about 20 days of regrowth when we rotated back around, helping reduce how much extra hay we had to feed.

4.  We patched every little hole in the feed trough to reduce grain waste in the parlor.

5.  When we got rain and warm weather in October, and the pasture started to come back, we ran a poly wire off of the home farm onto the rental farm, and took the milk cows down there to graze. They are able to eat more tonnage of forage than we can harvest by machine. And all it cost us was the time spent "babysitting the cows".

6.  We checked the cows for pregnancy in early November instead of the next January. We sold our 8 open cows as soon as we could, so they didn't eat expensive feed and take up barn space when we knew they were not going to have a calf.

7.  We very carefully ordered feed and supplies so we would run the grain bins completely out right before we dried the cows off.  We also ran out of the winter teat dip one milking prior!

8.  We milked into February instead of drying off on January 31st, like the past two seasons.  This will give us a (very small) check in March.

9.  We did not replace or hire anyone additional to fill in for the employees that went back to school or on leave, or quit.  We each just picked up a few more afternoon milkings per week.

10.  We are continuing to look into niche markets, such as expanding the grass fed beef.

None of these are the "magic bullet".  But I do think it helps to be as proactive as we possibly can, and keep an open mind.  Look at things differently.  I have, and will, invest personal money into the business this year if needed, but I hope that later this year things turn around, and in the long run, pay myself back.  I do believe farming is a business and needs to be operated that way.

So now that the cows are dry......

One of our list of tasks to be completed.

The kids and I will take a break away from the farm at some point.  Another aspect of the industry right now is the stress level.  Yes, the co-ops are sending out suicide prevention letters with the milk checks.  That is not a rumor.  One of the downfalls of living where you work is never really being completely "off". Unless you're at a meeting. Does that count as having a day "off"? This break helps us rejuvenate, renew, relax and refocus.  The farm is only as healthy as I am.  And if you know anything about our story you know how important it is that I stay healthy.  A side note-other ways I manage this aspect are taking supplements of D3, Biotin, Turmeric, Emergen C, and a multi-vitamin. I try to exercise when I can, although the past few months have been challenging. I talk to trusted friends and they help me hammer out ideas. And they do a lot of listening!

How can we afford to take a break away from the farm at this point?  How can we not?

Next, I will share with you how we managed to get away. Stay warm, friends.

Before You Jump Ship

...read this.

I have pondered on whether I share this or not for a few days now.  Whether it was too personal or not. Whether it would make a difference or not.

Suicide prevention has not been my soap box. Nor will it be. Our situation was not the status quo "Rick was depressed, he committed suicide." Depression may have been a contributing factor but that was not the mold for him.

#5. #5 needed some extra attention. As much as I detest fender riding and children not properly sitting on a "buddy" seat, I sat him on the original buddy seat (my lap), strapped him in with me in the skid loader and fed the cows.

Later that evening after supper was cleaned up, he walked into the kitchen, whimpering. He is almost 5. He was 3 when Rick left. #5 is improving on his speech but I am laying it out exactly as he said it.

#5:  Me sad. Pick me up. (Crying)
Me: Why are you sad?
#5:  Us dad died. Me miss us dad.
Me: We all miss Daddy. Daddy is with Jesus          now.
#5:  Us dad move back into your room.
Me: Daddy is with Jesus. He is not coming
        back. (#5 sobbing hard)
#5:  Me miss Dad!........

I held him close. #3 went and got his favorite monkey. Then laid on the couch with him while I got the snack ready. Anything else that was planned for the evening was now set aside.

People say the little boys probably won't remember. Maybe as they get older some things will fade over time. Take my word for it, that is an awful amount of pain for such a small body to feel. This is the first I have seen him cry like that concerning Rick.

The kids tend to only remember the good things, and that is ok.  It may be selective subconsciously on their part, and occasionally I have to remind them of his illness.

This is where most articles go into preaching mode. The best line to end with would have been "It's not about you.". Ending just your pain, creating lifelong challenges for others. However that is not entirely true either.  You need to take care of yourself so you can care for others.

Jesus first
Others second
Yourself last.

Until you get to that breaking point then it's

Breathe
Relax
Escape (for a little bit )
Ask ....for help with kids, errands, etc.
Kneel.

Where Did the Time Go.....

Hello Readers!

Yes, we are still here. Yes it's been awhile! 'Tis the farm and family life.  In the past couple of months we finished calving, welcomed new employees, made hay,  I experienced an awesome trip to New Zealand, started breeding season, made more hay, went to the county fair...and so it goes.

This past weekend the older boys and I went back to "Pulltown"!  The national tractor pulling championships in Bowling Green Ohio have been a part of our family for about 10 years now.  Rick would go each year and we would take turns going with him. We took last year off, and this year I took both older boys for what I believe to be the best time ever!

One of the most appreciated aspects of the two days we attend the pull is the people.  Here are our "regulars"

On my right, your left, is Jack. Jack has been here for a very long time. Jack reassures that there won't ever be anybody that sits to my right since he claims those seats for leg room. Jack's claim to a good life is that at 78 years young he has never drank an ounce of alcohol or smoked a cigarette.  Jack is like the family patriarch at the tractor pulls for our little section there.

On my left, or your right, is Jonathan. Jonathan is another staple to our little section. Although he is an avid John Deere fan, we enjoy his laughter, his stories and talking about farming with him. During this year's pull he helped me locate some hay for sale for next winter. Jonathan is great at keeping up with the basics of what we have going on with the farm and the kids. Although we missed last year, the minute we rounded the corner in front of the bleachers he waved and pointed to the seats in front of him, where we sit. He knew right away who we were and the smile on his face was the most welcoming thing we had seen that day.

Right above kid #1's right shoulder, is a gentleman in a grey shirt. He joined our group in 2015 but his seats were relocated a little bit too far away for our liking, LOL. We miss having him and his wife a little closer. They farm in Virginia, crops and beef cattle, and we enjoy getting caught up with them at the pull.

This year we had some new folks sit in front of us. They were a lot of fun. We enjoyed getting to know them and having milk shakes from the 4H stand (which apparently is a thing for my family. Story here, for another time.....), french fries, and lots of banter about red and green tractors. The great thing about this little group that we sit with every year is that they feel like family. It's a ton of clean fun.

Biggby at Bowling Green! 

Only at Bowling Green....I asked if they got a bulk discount. Explosive laughter!

One of our favorite semi trucks 

When it's 90 degrees and very humid out and you only pack just enough shirts, you end up at TSC nailing down this bargain at $3.19! Less than the sticker price!  I am sure our seat mates appreciated the change! 

One of our favorite pullers

The time with the older boys was well spent. They are witty, fun, relaxed, and easy to travel with.  It was fun to hear the other guys ask THEM about the teams, the tractors, and to hear how much the boys actually know,  and how well they carry conversations with adults.  I was grateful to be able to provide them an opportunity to do something they enjoy without the littles, and to give them a break from home. Thank you to Carol, Mom, Dad, Cheryl and Kelly (and anyone else that I was not made aware of) for helping with the littles while we were gone. And of course, the team members for taking care of things at the farm.

While we were gone, I read this devotion:

...I want you to enjoy not only My Presence but also My Peace. I came into your world to guide your feet into the way of Peace. When you are anxious or fearful, it is as if you are doubting My promises to supply all you need. My followers tend to think of worry as natural, even inevitable. At worst, they consider it their personal problem or quirk-harming no one but themselves. But the truth is, your tendency to be anxious grieves Me. Awareness of My pain can help motivate you to break free from this hurtful habit. Seek to bring Me Joy by walking trustingly with Me along the path of Peace.
Philippians 4:19  And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I thought about this all weekend.  Sometimes I think we relate "don't worry about it" with "don't think about it". The truth of the matter is, there are things we have to deal with. There are phone calls that have to be made, people that have to be lined up to work, issues that need to be dealt with. Often we cannot just put them aside and not deal with them in order to not "worry" about them. What a fine line it is to make that call or decision and then immediately give the results over to Jesus and stop worrying (or letting it fester within you) about it.  There have been a lot of decisions lately where tough calls had to be made. There are also millions of dead squirrels due to indecisiveness. Don't be a dead squirrel. But once you cross the road, don't fester about whether you picked the right tree. Trust that Jesus will provide what you need. This is obviously just my take on it. I have a lot of work to do here.

Until next time friends-

Confessions From the Parlor Pit....

...it's not always sunshine and roses here. Surprised? I didn't think so....but just in case you should know we're merely real farmers of Pewamo who are faced with real struggles of the dairy industry on a daily basis.  This past week was no exception!  Check out the #fridayfive!

It started out awesome.....

The dishwasher broke. Apparently it had been leaking for a long time underneath, resulting in a wet moldy sub floor.  My brother and sister in law, and her dad, did this project in 24 hrs.  It's an incredible addition to my kitchen.  A dishwasher that works; an extra sink; the counter space we had always planned on but never finished.  For a family of 6 with 7 in the house often (nanny, grandma, etc.), the dishwasher is a great tool to have.  The simple things in life we take for granted......

Monday I was reminded that it was Rebecca's birthday. You know, the American Girl doll?  What? You didn't remember either?  After lunch I arranged the help so I could drive into town....and because NOBODY drives 14 miles for a clearance cake for a doll, I also arranged a quick lunch with a great friend, then happen to pick up a cake at the store. To me that sounds much more frugal than making a special trip just for a clearance cake for a doll who somehow has got her name on the birthday calendar.  Later that day, when they realized what I had done, kid #1 says "wow Mom, it sure took you a long time to pick up that cake." Ha!

We are training first calf heifers to the milking parlor. For the most part, they are doing great.  They are very calm, docile and healthy (thank you Mom and Dad for helping to raise them at the heifer ranch).  However....sometimes they do not index correctly in the parlor. Or they try to pass the other cows. Most of the time they correct it themselves.  Not this time.  So, while I supported the heifer to keep her from rolling into the pit, Our newest team member followed carefully detailed directions from me perfectly, and closed the entry gate, switched the gates outside to direct cows into the holding pen, opened the exit gate, which let the un-milked cows go back into the holding pen. Then I was able to put her leg back onto the platform, where she promptly got up and walked out as if nothing ever happened. Then we simply "try again". It went as it should the second time around for that side.

Whenever I can get time I work on the fence.  I got all the way around the perimeter fence, and am now putting up the rest of the poly tapes, which divide the paddocks. We have got a lot of rain. That is probably an understatement.  If anything, this is God helping me not feel so bad about not having the cows out on pasture on time. It's too wet.

However, we are all ready for the grazing season.  Sometimes there are things on the list that when you don't get to them in time, they make themselves a priority. This was one of those items.  The gates that keep the cows from getting out were very attractive scratching posts for the cows exiting the parlor.  So much so that one cow broke a top board (wood gates), then knocked it off....then jumped over it.  Cows who know the luxury of green grass have incredibly fast reaction times!  However, so do the kids.  While milking I thought "I think I hear something....." Then the team member and I saw the rear end of a cow clear the downed gate with no problem what so ever. The older set of boys were holding them from going out the drive (while yelling for me).  After we got them back and a different gate in place, he says "lots of learning opportunities this week!"

There are lots of learning opportunities every week.  I told him that I appreciated him seeing it that way.  All we can do is our best-so we simply look at what we should have done differently and "try again".  Those things that happen as a result of me or the team members not completing other tasks, we have to either learn to prioritize better, work harder, or let go.  We are good at prioritizing. It has always been feed, water, shelter/care of the animals first, then projects/extras after that.  We have worked hard.  My payroll proves that. So we (I. I need to do this better) need to let these other things roll off our back a little faster.  Given the circumstances of the weather, the amount of help we have, and other factors within the industry, we (I) can only get so much done in a day.  Sure, I could have forgone that very rare lunch with the friend and the cake for Rebecca, but sanity is also important. And the bible is pretty clear that God and people come first.

We're just people.  We try our best. We screw it up. We try again. The only REAL problem is when you quit trying.  Many thanks to those who continue to encourage me (us).

"Everything's Bigger In Texas"

....Trucks. Hats. Sam Houston Statues. Fevers.

Hello Friends!

As usual, we took our annual vacation after we dried the cows up.  This is very precious time for us.  Living where you work creates special challenges. Sometimes to truly be "off" you also have to be "absent".  One of our favorite benefits of seasonal dairying is having the opportunity to get away together. All of us. For more than 2 or 3 nights.

Last year we went to Texas too.  Less than a month after our farmer left I drove the kids south over 2 days. That was pivotal. That was God showing us/them that we could do it. There was still life and adventure out there.  And sun, and warmth......it's still there!

For the first time ever, we vacationed in the same state, just a different area.  Don't be surprised if we go back next year.

It wouldn't be a trip without a stop at Lambert's Cafe....

Home of the "throwed roll".  Oh to correct the bread throwing after you leave here!  We stayed in Little Rock after this, unknowingly right next to a TSC.  As the kids and I walked across the parking lot at night, then back again with our clearance treasures,  we laughed.  They thought walking to TSC was "the best thing ever".

We visited a local church, celebrated the super bowl in house (40 minutes north of the actual event), and took a ferry to the USS Texas.  The battleship visit corresponded to Kid #1's history unit.  While this was unplanned, it reminded me how thankful I am that we get to visit the places the kids study about. History comes to life.

At this point one of the kids started to not feel well. Like every good parent I assumed it to be travel related, gave the appropriate medicine, and announced to the kids that we were going to tour the Anheuser Busch plant.  Because lots of things are fermented.  The kids took this tour head on, answered all the crop questions correctly, asked 5 questions the tour guide couldn't answer, and really made Marcus, our guide, earn his tip. He was great!  If the kids start growing hops it's not because we are avid drinkers but because they can do math and the milk market right now is not that great......Marcus also said we needed to eat at What-A-Burger.  This also happens to be the chain that Lane Frost (pro bull rider) took his future wife Kelly for dinner in the movie 8 seconds....(useless information).

One of our favorite activities was joining the local home school group at the Rosenberg Railroad Museum for a class on the transcontinental railroad.  The kids participated in the one hour class with other local homeschoolers, then we looked at the rail yard.  Their fellow classmates for the day were also 4Hers.  I can truly say, we felt like family.  It was a great break from the noise and congestion of north Houston.  Thank you so much Rosenberg friends!

Then this happened.  All 5 kids were sick over a period of 1.5 weeks, up to 4 of them at one time. I was very grateful it was just high fevers, headaches, body aches, and the like.  Not much to clean up there if you know what I mean!  However, we had a pause in all of the activity, and took turns staying with the sick kids.  This made the nights short too, as I had to get up and check them and administer medicine.  Vacations aren't suppose to be relaxing anyway, right? It did give us time to do a little shopping:

I tried to get Dad to go home with that car but it's still at the Ford dealership.  However, we were blessed to find one of two vehicles that I am in need of.  In true Dave Ramsey style we not only walked away, but drove away from this Ford Explorer when the seller wouldn't accept my offer. He called us back!  My brother and his father in law had come down on the train and they drove it back to Michigan for me.  One down....one to go.  And yes....I bought them lunch at What-A-Burger. (also paid for their travel expenses, don't worry).

As the kids started to feel better we made one last educational side trip to Waco, visiting the Silos at Magnolia, and the Texas Ranger Museum.

On the way home we burned off some energy at a trampoline park...(how much is a parent willing to pay to tire kids out before you put them in a hotel room? A lot. The answer is A LOT.).

 

 

As we left Little Rock on the way home, we seen the Wix Filter truck. One of the kids said "Hey Mom! If we go back in and talk to him we can deduct the whole trip!"  That's my boy!



We are full speed ahead into prepping for calving season and dealership open houses home school field trips.

Until next time, Texas.