Born in a barn......

Merry CHRISTmas from our family to yours!!  As I sat taking a break tonight I noticed another friends post on facebook..... it read "remember the babe "born in a barn"   talk about humbling..... my savior came and was born in a barn.... they laid him the cattle's feeder, no fancy bed for him.  Wow and at times we complain about this or that.  It is really humbling........

So, in the morning as we head back out to the barn to milk the cows and goats, feed the calves, cows, ducks ect.... it will have a little different outlook.  What a better place to spend a little time to remember where that first Christmas took place......  Merry Christmas!

Deer Season

We (the guys) worked hard getting the corn off so they could enjoy deer season.  And that they did!  Here are a few pictures of the big ones! 

Opening day Liza got this 6 point!!  This was her first year hunting!  She got to share the joy of it with her Bumpa!  She was out in the blind with him!  The best part for her was that Bumpa got to dress it out for her!!

Then Daddy and M went out hunting together.  M shot her 5 point and they waited a few minutes to leave the blind and Daddy saw this big 8 point so he decided to get his while he was at it!!

Abby went out hunting also, she got a doe.  Ben didn't get anything during firearm, just during early doe when he got 2 of them!. Needless to say we (hubby again!) spent the next few days out cutting them up with one of our hired men!  I am sooooo thankful for all his help!   Liza and I  had to grind the hamburger, make the sausage, bag it, and can some when it was brought in.  As fast as it is going I think we are going to have to get a few more.  Glad most of the family likes it~

FINISHED

We have finished the corn!!!!  Just in time for deer season!  That was kind of our the guys goal!  We have 3 dumped trucks full of corn to have roasted.  We get the corn roasted to feed to the calves. 

Around here those that aren't in the barn still milking are getting there gear together to go out in the morning hunting!  The girls are just as excited as the guys!  Let's just say we have lots of camo, orange gear, and snacks all ready!  I am going to TRY and get up with them to get a few pictures and see them off!   :)   Happy Hunting

Vacation!

The engine on our combine was leaking really bad, so before we went on vacation my hubby took it out and took it to a guy to get fixed.  We went on vacation and had a great time!  It was a lot of time driving, but it wasn't to bad with so many drivers now!  We put around 2,000 miles on the van in a week!  Some of the highlights were

making cookies with Grandma!

Seeing the ocean!

Going to the lobster pound and seeing lobster.  lol okay, maybe not a highlight... more of a memory!

and then having lobster that night for dinner.  (well, at least a few of them had lobster~ I don't care for the smell, let only the taste)

Doing some country line dancing, swing dancing, and some 1800's ones as well!

Getting together with some friends for a time of singing!

Talking the boat out for a ride!

Visiting Fort Knox!

Taking a few family pictures!

 

We really enjoyed seeing the fort! 

The girls!

 

Now, that we are home.... and much waiting the engine is done and put back in the combine!!!!!!  Now on to finishing up the last 91 acres of corn that we still have standing! We have been very blessed with a great crop of corn this year!  Blessings~

SANDY

We are getting hit with the effects of SANDY... we are having really strong winds.  Being that we live only a couple miles off the lake we ran out tonight to see the record high waves.  WOW~ it is unreal......  here are a few pictures of tonight.  They say tomorrow is going to be worse.

I will try and take a drive out to the lake again tomorrow. 

Pictures just don't do it justice.

Hunting~

Some of the girls went out for the youth deer season here!  They were so excited about it!  So, to make it even more fun for them we made them some cookies!

Here are my hunting girls..

Happy hunting!

Doing Corn

We finished up all of our high moisture corn.  While they guys were out combining I sent Abby out with the camera to take a few pictures!!  Hope you enjoy them!

 

Here is one of the fields of corn! 

The combine taking the corn off from the stalk. 

 

After the corn is removed and the hopper is full on the combine it is then put into dumps trucks and taken back to the farm.

Where is is dumped off into a hopper and then augered up through a roller mill.  Where each kernal of corn is cracked. 

Running it through the roller mill makes the corn easier for the cow to  digest.



making sure the ag bag isn't getting to big.  Each of the lines are to measure 11"
 

It is a dusty job.  But sure a good feeling knowing that we have enough feed put up for the cows to enjoy all year!     Happy Harvesting!

Country living

This is what we call country living!!  Playing with corn instead of toys!

Ahhh the good life!

Always something

Today we started back with bowling every Friday for the older children as part of school.  They really enjoyed that!!  It makes for a busy day though, because we have violin in the morning.  They are getting ready for the fall recital.  I really hate to say that.... I am really not wanting to let go of summer.  I think it is because I know that after fall comes........... you got it.  I don't even want to mention that word~ (winter) 
Tonight I get to spend the evening in with the 2 little girls.  My hubby and son are out getting ready to start combining corn tomorrow morning.  Abby is out feeding calves and moving some of them around.  Liza and M are both out milking the cows. And Cassi is milking the goats.  Yep, as I said it is always something.....  but, even though we always have things to do around the farm and it isn't just a 9-5 job, we wouldn't trade it!  We really enjoy being able to work together as a family! 

Farm Life!

Here are just a few pictures from around the farm today!  Hope you enjoy!

ever feel like something is watching you!

Cluck Edward and Sissy

isn't she cute? She was just dropped off here the other night~ 

 

a few of our goats!

taking the combined out to make sure it works before we start doing corn next week.

Miss Elli~  : )

pumping the pits....

We have had some guys out pumping the manure pits.  I know it sounds like a really gross job.... well it kind of is!  But, it makes great fertilizer!  We know exactly how much it put on the fields!  We want to make sure each field has the right amount of nitrogen. Manure has an organic matter which you can't buy in fertilizers. 

we have the manure tested to see exactly what the levels are in it each time we pump the pit.

the thicker sand at the bottom gets spread

while the more liquid stuff gets pumped into tankers and then put on the fields.

 

The fields are plowed as quickly as possible after the manures is applied.  We don't want to loose any of the nutrients from the manure.

finishing up silage

Today we finished up our corn silage!  We are so thankful for the great crop of corn we got this year! 

these are just a couple pictures of packing the pile today.  My hubby is out measuring it so we can run and get some plastic to cover it with!  Tomorrow will be fun covering the pile~ it is a 1900 ton pile.  Or 40' wide  X 250' long.....  hmmmm what can I find to be busy with so I don't have to throw tires?  LOL I will try and get some picture!

Corn Silage

We have really been blessed this year.  With as dry as this summer has been God has sent enough rain to get a great crop of corn! 

We started chopping it today!  It is sure a nice feeling knowing that we will have enough silage to make it through the year!

Hope everyone has a safe harvest this year!

Our 4th

It was so nice to take part of the day off to celebrate the 4th!  We also celebrated my mother in laws birthday.  We had a cook out our place with a few friends.  Followed by heading out to the lake to do some water skiing! 

The girls got lots of sun!

I don't think I could ever get tired of looking at the lake it is just beautiful!

those that weren't out on the boat enjoyed floating around on the lake!
Elli even fell asleep out on the raft!
Then most of my guys had to head home to do up chores.  Abby~calves, Cassi~ feed and milk the goats, Liza and M~ milk cows, Ben~feed the cows. That left me with the 2 little girls at the lake.

I had the easy part!  They both slept!  After chores were finished they all headed back to the lake and we had a bonfire on the beach and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows!   

The guys even did a little firework show for us!

country living

We finished up first cutting of today!!  Got the pile all covered and then spent the evening with the girls.  The older two went into band tonight.  They have another concert coming up the end of the month that they are getting ready for.
Here are a few pictures from this evening!

M feeding a new baby calf!

Elli petting the goats!

milking the goat

Cassi with one of the goats

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