Sat down thinking I was going to write a post and then I turned on Fixer Upper. Is anyone really surprised that I was side tracked by Chip and Jo?! I was just thinking about the little things in life that keep me on track and looking for the positive and you know what? I feel like Chip is a good example of what we need to be. Not afraid to show our silly side while getting business taken care of. I was working at the office on Saturday morning with high expectations for the looming stack on my desk. To say I didn’t get much accomplished was an understatement. The systems I needed to use weren’t working, I was having to do excessive calculations by hand. This was followed by a meeting that went longer than expected. I got home feeling defeated and my husband brought me right back to where I needed to be. He said “that’s one more policy done than you had when you went in this morning.” He was sooooo right. He looked for the positive while all I could see was the negative. Isn’t this part of the reason God places people in our lives? To bring us right back on track and to keep us honest. We are in a class at church together and just tonight we discussed surrounding yourself with people who you want to emulate. Again glad he placed my husband in my life to reign me back in. And with that here is my Tuesday Ten: 1. What’s for supper: We had spaghetti. I have been back on track with meal planning and love the meal planning pages in my Heart of the Farm Planner (https://www.heartofthefarmplanner.com). Even better there are freezer inventory pages. (insert praising hand emoji) 2. What am I listening to: Catching up on EntreLeadership. This is my favorite podcast hands down. So many things to pick up on even if you aren’t an entrepreneur. 3. Weather: We got some nasty snow rain mix today. The roads were not treated so pretty icy but nothing a good Minnesotan can’t handle. 4. Weekend plans: We are road tripping with another couple to a college friendswedding. So fun to be able to reconnect with our friends from our NDSU days. 5. Watching: I think you already know the answer. ;) 6. Boy moment of the week: So many new words, he just keeps melting my heart. There are talks of transitioning to a big kid bed soon with a new bundle arriving in June. This makes me really want to spend extra time snuggling with him. They are only little for such a short period of time. 7. Girl moment of the week: We have been experimenting with dressing ourselves lately and the results…while I bet you can about imagine, pretty psychedelic. We were floral on floral on floral yesterday. She looked like a fresh breath of spring. 8. Recipe of the week: Looking at trying some sweet and sour chicken. I’ll report back. 9. Reading: Not sure I am going to make my goal for the year, I need to pick one up and get to it. 10. Farm moment of the week: Teaching our little boy to say John Deere and my sweet parents bringing a bottle lamb up for the kids to see. My Dad typically watches the kiddos on Wednesday but with lambing he takes a couple weeks off. They were worried the lamb would be too big by the time we return to our regular schedule for the kiddos to enjoy. -Lisa
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I tried writing this to words about a week ago and the words were not there. True proof that his timing is always better than mine whether I choose to believe it or not. He has a way of teaching us like no other teacher. He knows the right time for all things in life even when they do not seem fair, right or just. In 2016 my word was Trust, which somehow perfectly leads me into my word for 2017: PATIENCE. Last year was about letting things go into his hands fully knowing that he can handle my ups and downs. The struggle with this is not knowing how long the ups or down will last.
Trust and patience are true reminders to me that no matter the hectic schedule he has a plan much greater than mine. This plan may take seconds to play out or years. He is the only one who truly knows. As a person who embraces new challenges and wants to be challenged I sometimes struggle with patience. Wanting to advance in my career while putting a family first is at the forefront of this struggle. I am a learner and growth junky. This does not always pair well with patience. Letting things happen at their own pace is a hard for me. The time we have here is limited and being committed to his timing will continue to teach me the act of being patient. His timing may not always seem perfect to us, but I believe he is always teaching us even if the lesson is years down the road. The patience to ride out the tough times will teach us far more than we can imagine. Learning the act of being patient will also guide me in my home life. Letting the kids be little and savoring the extra book at bedtime instead of mentally going through my to do list. Snuggling on the couch with my husband instead of folding clothes. The patience comes in savoring this time. I rarely stop moving when at home but I am beginning to wonder what I am missing as I focus so much on the to dos instead of the right nows. So here is to a year of growth and understanding that his timing is far better than ours and that patience is so much more than staying calm while asking your three year old to put her socks on for the umpteenth time. Almost two weeks into the New Year and life has kept its pace. January through the end of March are crazy busy for me with crop insurance deadlines equaling extra time at the office while savoring the minutes at home with my family. I recently watched a video that Dave Ramsey put out specifically on accomplishing goals in the New Year. His words of encouragement on making your life better lead me to this weeks Tuesday Ten. So here it is a look at my goals for the upcoming year:
This list makes me very excited! I wasn’t sure if I should stop at ten, but if these items are getting crossed off faster than expected I can add to it. I get asked how do I do it with a young family, a full time job, a farming husband and I tell people it’s life. My blessings are wide and deep. The craziness is eased by extra hugs and kisses from a two year old and a four year old that begs to help me lay out my next quilt top. These goals will hopefully allow me more time to do the things I love while spending meaningful quality time with those closest to me. So here is to a year of crushing goals and loving hard. -Lisa We are in a cold spell in Minnesota right now (queue polar vortex) and I am wearing ALL the layers. Thank goodness for autostart and garages. My husband would tell you the same, but he would add a heated shop and tractors with cabs to the items he is thankful for.
In the winter farming slows down on our operation in the sense of time in the field. Winter equals time to fix equipment, tax planning, continuing education, budgeting, and researching inputs and their costs for the upcoming growing season. There is no doubt that winter is somewhat slower, but it is busy in its own sense. At our farm we take Fridays off to make up for the long hours worked during the growing season. Our biggest equipment maintenance for the winter is on our beet lifter. It takes four guys about three days to get it tore down to the bones. We fix what we can on our own and the grab rolls are sent off the farm for yearly maintenance. The grab rolls purpose is to clean the beets and feed them through the lifter. Depending on the workload of the remanufacture business the grab rolls can be off the farm for up to two weeks. Once back they are the last item to get put back on the lifter and it usually takes a day. Winter work is typically slower so there are a few added coffee breaks and side conversations that add to project timelines. Maintenance will continue the remainder of the winter on other pieces of equipment and trucks as well as hauling stored grain to elevators. I know as grain farmers our winters are slower than livestock producers which makes me appreciate that sector of agriculture even more. Growing up on a small sheep operation gave me a glimpse into how hard these livestock producers work year round. No matter the temperature the animals must be fed and watered. There is no week long vacations or time off. The animals need tending, daily. More or less all famers work hard regardless of the time of the year. I’m forever thankful for the seasonality and ability to enjoy suppers around a table or in a tractor. The ability to watch sunsets from the top of the grain leg or from our living room windows. In the case of livestock producers, watching new life enter the world during lambing or calving seasons. No matter the season, life on the farm carries on. Holy smokes it's 2017 and I haven't blogged in ages. A new year always brings about resolutions. I'm not really a fan of resolutions, but I am a fan of setting goals and choosing a word to live by and pray over for the year. More on that in the days to come.
Back to the New Year. Our New Year's Eve was a low key evening with family and plenty of food. My sister made a delicious white choclate mousse served with fresh fruit. I could have ate the whole bowl, it tasted like a mix of homemade ice cream and homemade pudding. It also made me want homemade tapioca pudding. For the main meal we had hoisin wings, cocktail meatballs, meat and cheese tray, cold veggies and dip...the list does go on but I will spare you. My husband teases that I picked up the genes from my mom's side of the family where we make enough food to feed those invited times three. Needless to say the leftovers are an added benefit to not having to cook much this week. With that here's another edition of the Tuesday Ten. 1. What's for supper? I somewhat answered that above. Some leftovers and tonight I used leftover ham to make a rice, vegetable and ham hotdish. In typical fashion I made enought to feed an army so our leftovers have grown yet again. 2. What am I listening to? Nothing on a consitent basis, but I would like to get back into listening to podcasts. 3. How's the weather? COLD, this weekend brought about 6 inches of snow followed by a dip in temp and an increase in wind. 4. What are our weekend plans? Enjoying time at home before my busy season kicks in. Busy season = Saturdays at the office. 5. What are we watching? Fixer Upper. 6. Boy mom moment of the past week: Learning lots of new words and testing the limits. He broke one of my favorite decorations this week when he knocked it off the dining room table. I need to remind myself that objects are not as important as those little hands accidently braking them. ;) 7. Girl mom moment of the past week: Enjoying sips of coffee with her dad in the morning. 8. Favorite recipe of the week: My sisters white choclate mousse! I don't have the recipe YET, but hopefully soon. 9. What am I reading: The back of my eyelids. Whoever said you get energy back in the second trimester must not have been chasing two kiddos around. 10. Farm moment of the week: It's pretty quiet on the farm, working on the beet lifter and budgets (really that is what the guys are working on, I'm a spectator and a third ear when needed). |
Welcome!I'm Lisa, a farm wife turned city slicker. A child of God, wife and mother. I'm a dreamer relying on God's grace to get me through. Archives
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