Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed has many different meanings. It can be the feeling a new mother has as she deals with that new baby. It can be a person who doesn't know the meaning of the word "no" and gets themselves involved in 20 different projects. It can be the person facing a major event or undertaking, perhaps a widow who has never done the bill paying in her household. I am feeling overwhelmed, but not for any of the above scenarios. Mine is different. It is my children and the maturity I see in them each day.

Suzanna has a major project due very soon at school. Despite the nasty weather and no school last week, she continued, without being nagged by mom, to work on it and it will be completed well ahead of the due date. It is Kathryn, with her tenacity in practicing piano. She is faithful to sit and practice at least a half hour nearly every night. The improvement in her ability is obvious. Finally, and the one who really overwhelmed me last evening, is Thomas. Hubby has been putting in some long hours over the past few weeks. Last night I told Thomas he would be working late and that Thomas would need to take care of the chores. Without rolling his eyes, mumbling under his breath or putting it off, he immediately went to the phone, called his dad, and got instructions on what needed to be done. Wow, I was stunned. To see him take the initiative and take care of what his dad asked of him, left me very overwhelmed.

It is amazing to see our kids grow up and mature before our eyes. And to see something you are trying to teach them, responsibility, being put in action by all three kids leaves me proud and willing to continue mothering and teaching them as they continue to grow.

I don't want to be a mama!

Kathryn is our nature lover. All things furry are her friends. Mom has a number of porch kitties and one of last years batch is wild. However, she decided that moms porch was the best place to have her kitten....and leave it. After waiting 24 hours for her to return, Kathryn and mom decided she had abandoned it. They fixed up a batch of kitten formula, put it in a bottle and worked to save the life of the kitten.

So far, so good. BUT.....Kathryn has had a huge dose of what it is to be a mother of a newborn. And it isn't easy! The kitten sleeps in a box beside her bed and as all newborns will do, it doesn't sleep for long before it is demanding yet another feeding. This morning, after being woke up at 2, 3 and 4am, she informed me that she really likes this kitten best when it was sound asleep. I told her that was when I liked her best at this age too! She wondered why it was so hard for the kitten to settle down. I told her it is a baby and doesn't know what it wants. Sorta like she was as a baby.

Kathryn was a tough baby. I think it was at least 7 months before she slept nights. Perhaps a bit of payback in the form of a small grey kitten??

Simple Pleasures

There is a saying about simple pleasures being the best, and I guess I have to agree.

I will share a few of my simple pleasures, starting with a beautiful, sunny, spring morning. The view from my front window is pretty special this morning as well. The kids are on break this week and the Great Lakes Spring Holstein Show is coming up in just a couple weeks. What fun to see Thomas & Kathryn out in the pasture this morning, "capturing" their heifers for a little practice time at the halter. I can hear Lydia the lamb, who really isn't just a lamb anymore, hollering for attention from her pasture. The guinea hens just finished breakfast, cleaning up what the steer left around his feed pan. The goldfinches at my feeder are showing the faint signs of yellowing up and the robins have been hopping around my backyard.

Spring always returns....... Thank you God, for the promises of renewal that comes in Spring!

Letting go or holding on

A missionary that our church supports passed away yesterday after a very short illness. I didn't really know him, he and his wife obviously spent most of their time on the mission field. Despite that, I am struggling a bit with sadness at his passing. I think I know why. I can't imagine being as strong as his wife has been as she faced the possibility of his passing.

She kept their supporting churches up to date on his condition through e-mails, which our Pastor forwarded on to the rest of us. In each e-mail, she spoke of her willingness to "let him go to Jesus", or that she held him up to God in her open hand, or that she knew she would be reunited with him in Heaven.

I know that my husband is headed for Heaven when he dies, as I am too. BUT, I don't know if I could be as brave as her. I am sure in her dark moments alone, she fought the desire to keep holding on. But isn't it amazing that God ultimately gave her a peace, which allowed her to be an amazing testimony to me! The first picture I have in my mind when facing such a moment is with my arms wrapped tightly around the waist of my husband and my legs woven around his legs, forcing him to drag me along as he passed from this life into Glory. Perhaps instead, I can recall the testimony of Louise Barnard and recognize that the Lord gives us the strength and ability to face the dark moment of saying goodbye to the love of our life.

Obviously, I pray that such a moment is years and years away. Hopefully, in my VERY old age, I can recall the lesson learned from Mrs. Barnard.

Missing the forest for the trees....

Age-old proverb, but how true it is in our lives.

There have been some changes in my horse business in the last three months. Most took tons of prayer, thought and more than a couple tears. Now that the changes are in place, I am learning a new way of looking at my business. In the past, my focus has been getting these horses into the show ring to showcase their quality and eventually make that perfect connection that leads to a successful sale. This focus was taught by the horse trainer we were using.

So as we switched to a new trainer at the beginning of the year, my focus was once again on the show ring. To the point that I was ready to do a second switch to yet another trainer in an effort to keep costs to a minimum. As I discussed this decision with the current trainer, he moved my focus to a completely different direction. Why was I worrying about the show ring and all the expenses that go with it??? Because that was where trainer Mike's focus had always been, was my reply. Well, Lee is switching that up. We are now focusing on turning out a great product, advertising it hard and getting him sold so that someone else can take on the expenses of showing "their" horse in the show ring.

How many times are we out of focus? Confident and committed to a notion that is not the ultimate direction we should be heading? It doesn't matter how committed you are to that idea, if it is the wrong direction, we need to rein it in (pardon the pun) and rethink what we are doing and why we are doing it. Lee described what he was "hearing" from me and quickly assessed what direction I needed to be heading with my horse business. And he was right, no matter how much fun it is to have your horse in the show ring, as a breeder, my focus needs to be on getting these horses sold as early in their career as possible. The same goes in my Christian walk. I must be constantly assessing where I am and where God wants me to be. And not be afraid of changing my focus when God shows me a better way.

Non-resolution Resolution

I am not a New Year's resolution maker, but I did decide that I needed to revive my blog from the total neglect it has suffered for the past 5 months. Okay, I got taken in by the simplicity of Face book. Do you know how easy it is to post a simple one or two sentence statement about what you are doing, how you are feeling or where you are headed is? Easy!!! The world is all about easy isn't it? But easy isn't always good. Although most of my blogs are simple fare, notes about the kids, horses or some other part of life, occasionally I have put serious thought and idea to the keyboard and come out with something I am pretty pleased with. And to sit still long enough to create something a reader might learn from is good for me. So here I sit for a few minutes.....and hopefully I will do this more often.

Dog shows, lamb training, horse conditioning and back to school

Busy days continue here at the zoo. Kathryn and Emma competed in the State 4-H Dog Show Saturday. They are now full-fledged 4-Her's and actually get placed in their classes now. It was the first time Kathryn had ever done showmanship and they placed 5th in their class. They also did agility and obedience, but didn't place in either class. We got lots of good hints and know what they need to work on between now and fair week.

Kathryn has been working with her lamb, Lydia, too. Considering the first time she ever put a halter on the lamb, it fell over on it's side and laid there like it was dying, things have definitely improved. She can now lead Lydia the traditional way of having a hand under her chin and one at the back of her head. The other three lambs we got to replace the lambs that were killed have tamed down a lot and Kathryn can actually pet one of them. She is the animal charmer.

I have been working our filly, Annie, in preparation for the Michigan Morgan Futurity. I hauled her up to Mason yesterday so that Horse Trainer Mike can take over and finish her halter work. The show is this weekend. Storm will be showing as well. She has grown up and filled out a lot over the course of the summer. I really could see the difference since she has been gone all year.

Finally, the girls and I are heading to town to get school shoes. Yes, like it or not, they head back to school on Thursday. Thomas wasn't in the mood to "shop", so he went to work with his dad. I will still need to run him to the local Shoe Show store and get some dress shoes. Parent-Teacher orientation will be tomorrow night and then back to our routine on Thursday. Summer where did you go?? And just in time for the "dog days".

Where have I been???

Enjoying summer. We had the chance to travel up to Mackinaw City a week ago and what a great time we had. We toured Fort Michlamackinaw, the Mackinaw City Lighthouse and the Old Mill. Great chance for the kids to expand on the Michigan History unit they all have studied at school. Nothing better than experiencing things first hand.

We had the opportunity to attend the wedding of hubby's niece Elissa as well. What an amazing wedding. She married a man she met while attended Spring Arbor University. They are headed to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he is from, to be missionaries in one of the many slums in that city. Gui, her new husband, has a tremendous burden for the unsaved in his city and Elissa is equally burdened for them. They are a great couple and though we will miss them, recognize that their decision is pretty special.

On the critter side of our world, the market chickens should arrive by mail today or tomorrow. That is the last project to get started on. Fair is about six weeks away!

And School is only a week and a half away!!!!! The kids start on the 20th.....and so goes summer.

The garden has begun to produce. I put up 18 quarts of green beans last week. The pickles are slowly providing enough to make a batch of 14 day sweet pickles. The sweet corn is growing, and there are TONS of green tomatoes out there. Waiting to get some peaches to can sometime this week. I love canning, so I am anxious for the chance to put shiny jars of fruits and veggies on the shelves in the basement.

On the run.....

it has been a crazy two weeks. We were busy getting ready for and then participating in Dairy Days at MSU. Suzanna placed well in showmanship, judging and management. She also had a reserve all Michigan junior owned heifer in one of her classes. Thomas learned the hard lesson of stubborn heifers. His was very uncooperative in the show ring and despite the frustration, he kept a smile on his face and says he will do it again. Kathryn placed in one of her showmanship classes as well.

I must say going from one in the project to three was a bit of an adjustment, but thankfully they worked well together. Thomas and Kathryn have spent three years watching Suzanna do it and I am sure that helped them a lot.

It was fun to have some of Trainer Mike's horse clients stop by and see how different it is to show cattle. They all wanted calves at home, not to show, just to pet.

Monday Kathryn and I were able to head to the Lenawee county fair with another family from our 4-H club and study the finer points of sheep showmanship. It was a wise choice to go and hopefully it will pay off in a couple months when the girls are showing at our fair. Today, Thomas and I took a trip over to Lenawee to get information about showing dairy starter steers. I think that will help him a lot and mom and dad too.

Now we are doing the mad pack to get away for a few days. We are headed way up north to a family wedding and then a few days around the Mackinaw bridge area for fun and relaxation. Supposedly the campground has WIFI, so I will try to post again while we are away.

Reacting.....

How do you react to news? Especially news that affects you? Perhaps political news? I am one who pays attention to what is going on in the world of politics. I grew up in a family that was very aware, I worked for a gentleman during my high school and college years who had spent time in Washington and knew a lot of the "movers and shakers" in politics during the 1980s. You couldn't help but be aware with Mr. Lipsett around. I was told once to get my head out of the MSU cow barn and report to work immediately at the new Conservative newspaper which had sprung up on campus. That was his style. He also said you needed to write letters to let people know your opinion of issues.

So jump forward a few years (lets not count how many!). I have really begun to follow Mr. Lipsett's advice. I am a letter writer.....well, maybe more of an emailer....but I am letting my opinion be known. My latest was to our US Congressman. There is a committee meeting on the Dairy industry today. He happens to serve on the agriculture committee and I sent him a letter to let him know my concerns relating to the dairy business. Yes, granted our family isn't making our living on dairy, but we are indirectly involved since the kids are raising replacement heifers. And they have been affected by the downturn of the milk price. So I made sure that our Congressman knew that.

Back when the stimulus was being voted on, both my senators and the congressman heard from me then too. Do I think I am going to change the world? Doubtful.....BUT I am involved! Even if it is one in many, my voice has been heard. Oh and a couple weeks ago, the voices of most farmers in our county were heard by our state Representative and he made his decision on a vote for the future of Agriculture in Michigan due to the overwhelming opinions he heard that day. React.....you may change something!

It's Summer and we're runnin' out of ice......

For those who don't recognize that line. It comes from the musical Oklahoma. It was the first thing that popped into my head this morning as I heard yet another report of the Michael Jackson memorial. I am a little tired of the whole saga.

I grew up in the 80s. He was a big deal then, and I have to admit enjoying some of the music he did. But then I got older and he got weirder (is that a word?). The insane focus that has been on him for the past week and a half is really over the top in my book. He was just a person!

How sad it is that people have come absolutely unglued at his passing. He is worshipped as a god. How wrong and how sad that there is this much sorrow for a man who could do nothing for these people. How different would the world be if they sought God the same way this human was sought and worshipped? Just a little food for thought.

Yikes.....time is flying!

And in two weeks, we will be headed for Dairy Days at MSU. I can't believe how summer is getting away from us.

The kids have been leading their heifers, but it would seem we have a stubborn bunch. Suzanna's younger heifer was better until she hurt her foot and we had to mess with her each day. Kathryn's heifer lead real well until she was dehorned and decided humans are something to be avoided at all costs. Thomas's heifer is the best of the three, until she decides to plant her front feet and stop walking. Could get interesting!

Kathryn's lamb, Lydia, is tame. She sees Kathryn and starts baaing at her. She loves to be scratched. She sleeps in the rabbit shack and one of the rabbits has figured out how to open his cage and gets out and hops around following Lydia. It is funny to watch.

Summer weather is here for the week, lots of sun and warm temperatures. Hope the garden gets going. It has been a rough spring for growing stuff.

It sure was hot!

There, I got that covered. Suzanna and I spent three days a MSU and the weather was just plain GROSS. We arrived Wednesday afternoon and it was at least 90 degrees out with 100 percent humidity. Of course, I had to park the car about a half mile from the dorm.

Suzanna took a dairy judging seminar and her classroom was air conditioned, so she got a little relief there. I took one about making ice cream. It was so hot the ice cream wouldn't freeze. The class host said it took double the ice from the previous year.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the evening entertainment. To begin with, the Wharton Center was air conditioned, and we were able to sit in cool comfort and listen to a group called "Fiddlers Unstrung". They were outstanding! It is a group of 17 high school students from Saline, MI and boy could they play.

Thursday was spent in seminars. We managed to visit the museum and tour a little bit of campus. I could show Suzanna my dorms from when I lived on campus. Thursday evening was the State Awards Assembly. We went to cheer on the four nominees from Hillsdale County. I am happy to report that we had the State Dairy winner. Congrats to Matt!

A check-in with daddy on the way back to the dorm provided the exciting news that Penny had calved sometime that afternoon and it was a heifer. Suzanna had already picked out a name, so the heifer will be known as Paige.

Friday was one more opportinity to attend our seminars. Suzanna's second session was on Historic Michigan barns. She now rides in the car, identifying was style of barn we are driving by and its condition. I took a class on Sheep Showmanship in an effort to help Kathryn out. I learned a lot and hopefully will remember it long enough to teach her a thing or two.

Needless to say, with a new heifer at home, Suzanna was ready to get home. We had to stop at the barn first on the way up the drive and meet the new heifer. What a cutie! We took Penny to her new home at a local dairy farm in the afternoon.

Kathryn impatiently waited until 6:30 when we finally went over a picked up Lydia, her new lamb. Believe me, the whole family spent a nervous night, praying that all was safe in the "beefed up" security of the sheep pen. Kathryn went out a couple times in the night, as did daddy and momma and Thomas. All was well at each check and we have been able to relax a little. Kathryn has spent time in the pen and the lamb is beginning to get used to her and the treats she has too.

Just a quite weekend at the zoo. This week we push on. With the nicer temperatures, the heifers are getting worked. Dairy Days is just a few short weeks away.

Dorm room......22 years ago

That would be the last time I slept in a dorm room. I am about to change that though. Suzanna and I are on our way to Michigan State for 4-H Exploration Days. She and I are roomies for the next three days. She is excited about this new experience. She has the chance to take to "classes" and spend time with fellow 4-Her's from around the state. I am the chaperon!

I will report on our adventures when we get back.

Property values.....

An acre of land around our area sells for more than $3,000. A farmer can get $60 or more cash rent on an acre of land. But I know an acre of land that is special and worth nothing to the "world" because it isn't earning any money.

Suzanna began playing softball in the Christian Softball Fellowship league when she turned 5. It was organized by a family about 10 years before she started playing so that kids could have a place to play ball that was just for fun. Great fellowship, recreation and with other believers. Thomas and Kathryn were thrilled when they reached 5 and could join up. Last year, the family that had originally organized it handed the reins over to myself and a friend. Our kids were devastated at the thought that there would be no ball, so we are continuing a tradition that has been going on for at least 20 years.

The games are played on a field in the country. The man who owned it passed away this past week. A friend went to the visitation yesterday, and was told by a family member that he believed that acre of land was the most valuable of any he owned. Wow! He recognized that the families that spent 6 Monday nights each year there were more important than the all money that spot of land could have earned him in the last 20 years. Amazing, huh?

So how do we value what we have? Do we consider the moments we take with our kids to be a burden? Taking us away from some important task? Or can we slow down and realize that sometimes the most valuable things in our lives earn us no money, no fame and no reward? Mr. P had it figured out and today he is in Heaven with his Lord.

Oh, and his family wants the games to continue, right there in that yard. So those Monday night games will go on.

Finding God in the darkness

It was a very dark weekend at the zoo.

Kathryn has been impatiently waiting for us to get everything ready for her sheep project. She had expressed an interest in raising sheep, but not the "kind they eat". So after a conversation with a fellow fair board member, we decided on Shetland sheep. They are a small, easy to raise wool breed and would be a great introduction to the world of shepherding.

We took possession of three freshly weaned lambs on Friday night. By Saturday morning it was all over already. Two neighborhood dogs got in with them in the night and all three died as a result. In addition, they also seriously harmed the kids market bunnies and the momma bunny too. Darkness was at the zoo.

As my hubby and I dealt with the vet, sheriff's department and comforting our children, I truly felt God in the midst of it all. In the heat of the moment with adrenalin pumping, it wasn't so easy, but as I began to reflect on the morning, it was obvious.

First, those dogs were still in the sheep pasture as Kathryn discovered that the lambs were hurt. She NEVER went inside....what the dogs might have done to her?? who knows, but she was protected. When I contacted 911, I was told that it could be awhile, since there were only two deputies patrolling the county and the State police were on duty at the racetrack. Yet, the sheriff's deputy pulled into our driveway within 15 minutes of my call. A call to the vet emergency line yielded a callback with about 5 minutes. He had just finished a call and would come to us next. He was there within minutes and was so kind to Kathryn as he explained to her the sad news that the third lamb would not live.

The biggest lesson I learned was how deep Kathryn's faith is at 10 years old. We sat together in the pasture for awhile after it was all over, the tears were flowing from both of us. And she asked the question that I had been asking, "why did God let this happen?" Obviously I didn't know the answer, but told her that despite the sadness we were feeling, God was still there, giving us comfort. I let her know that God allows things to happen, KNOWING that we grow closer to Him, and trust Him even more. She looked up and said "kinda like Job, that book is full of troubles, but he still trusted God." Wow, what more could I say?? She was already learning and growing, even through the tears she was shedding.

Shortly after we were married, our Pastor encouraged each family in the church to choose a verse and claim it for the year. That year, Mike and I chose Hebrews 13:5, which says "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He had said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." How many times have I gone back to that verse in years since choosing it. And yet again on Saturday and the days since, I have remembered it again and again.

End of an era....

Yesterday was not one of the best at Knolltop Morgans. Our "senior" broodmare Breezy has had a tough spring in terms of getting on cycle and getting bred. We have taken her down to the stallion twice, the second time she stayed for two cycles, in an effort to get one more foal. She is 23, which is old, but not ancient. It is not unusual to have a foal at that age, but for Breezy, it is the end.

The magic 18 day mark was yesterday, and the vet was out to check her. Unlike the check on trainer Mike's mare last week, there was no fist pump.....just a lot of silence, as he looked and looked and looked with no success. I was in tears with his announcement and he left the barn with very few words. He wanted her to be pregnant almost as much as I did, but it was not to be.

I knew the day was coming, and I am grateful for the beautiful foals we have gotten from her, but it is still sad to think there will be no more "Breezy Babies".

A simple 18 day pregnacy check

That's what I thought I was having the vet out for. Trainer Mike's mare has been here for the last two months. He sent her to me to utilize my vet to get her bred. At 18 days, an ultrasound can be done to check for a pregnancy. I scheduled to have him out, and his plan was to get here sometime this afternoon. That plan got pushed back a couple times and he finally arrived at about 9pm. In the end, it was a good thing he was that late. His simple ultrasound stop changed before he ever got to our place.

First, hubby called me on the 2-way radio to say I needed to give Penny's eye a check when I was outside. A quick check revealed potential pinkeye. Then Suzanna's newest heifer, Rhianna, was limping across the pasture. Observation there was that she had cut the back of her foot right at the hoof line. Two more things for Dr. C to look at when he got here.

We started with Libby and as I held her for the check, Dr. C did a fist pump into the air. An 18 day pregnancy on the right horn of her uterus. He predicts a filly. We will know in 11 months.

Next up, Fancy. This is the heifer who doesn't want to be caught. After several attempts to trap her in a corner and get a rope around her neck, we finally used Sami as bait to get Penny across the driveway and into the barn where we got her caught. Confirmation was made that it was pinkeye and it was treated.

On to Rhianna, who dinged her foot in a bad spot. He said it would be hard to get to heal up nicely, because of its location. It was going to keep getting dirt in it and might not look very nice when it came time to show her. So we rinsed it out really good and between daddy, the vet and Suzanna, got it wrapped with some vetwrap to keep the dirt out of it. She will get penicillin for four more days and we will be changing her bandage for a few days until the cut heals up.

Mission accomplished all around. As the vet backed his truck out of the yard, one brake was sticking and as he pulled forward and backed up a second time, his brake pad fell out from under his truck and it was leaking fluid. He got some brake fluid from my husband and headed down the road, planning his route with the fewest stops possible. And that is how a simple 18 day pregnancy check went.

God answers prayers......

I believe that statement. I have seen his answers to my prayers through my life. Big ones and little ones. Our earnest requests are heard and answered. Not always as we expect, nor as we think he should, and especially not as quick as we would like. But they are answered.

Early this morning was no exception. We have a couple house cats. Well, technically, we have three. Cassie, the calico, moved to the basement the day Emma joined the family and has rarely come up since. She hates me and usually hides when I head down the stairs. She lets the kids love on her as long as the dog doesn't come along. Anyway, back to my story. Our two upstairs cats are Butterscotch and HopSing. They like to take strolls in the yard when it is nice out. Monday afternoon, they both headed out. Butterscotch came back home, but HopSing did not. For the next 4 days we wondered, worried and prayed about HopSing. Much to our relief, at 5:30 this morning, I was woke up by a frantic cat yowling at the door. HopSing came flying through the door and meowed happily at me. My tears came instantly, and the first thought that went through my mind was to thank God for bringing this little cat back safely to our home.

I have no doubt she would have quite a story to tell if she could. There isn't a scratch on her, but she does seem a bit lighter. God answers prayers!!!!!!

His and hers....

I headed back down to Amish country to bring Breezy home. She has been on a three-week date with a stallion. For awhile it looked like we would have to retire the old gal. She was not remotely interested in the stallion. Thankfully, her mood improved, and she has been bred. We will know in a couple weeks if it was successful or not.

I enjoyed spending time deep in the Amish community. I asked a few questions about the way they live and discovered one thing that really made me chuckle. The stallion owners four children were wandering through the barnyard among the horses. The older girls were messing around with one horse in particular. I asked about the horse and he told me that was his wife driving horse. I quickly asked what he drove. He proudly pointed out a tall, lanky horse who he said was pretty fast. I quipped, his and hers, huh?? He laughed and agreed that his wife wanted quite and he liked something with a little more speed.