We survived the holidays and we’re trying to get back into the groove of things. I cooked and baked like a domestic goddess the whole month of December. Basically I’m burned out. I’d like to tell the family to just please eat cereal for the whole month of January. Can you imagine?! Here are a few highlights of our downhome Christmas……………..
One of those really cold and foggy mornings. So, does that mean 30 days later we are going to have inclement weather?!?! Help me if we do! This is our little farm house decked out for the holidays. 
I did my annual Santa hat photo shoot with the calves. It takes forever to get a decent picture. All they do is shake their head and the hat falls into the poop. They think it’s total nonsense and I think it’s totally cute. 
My family came to visit and that made it special. We always feel left out because we can’t travel for the holidays. So, they come to us and we always have a great time. My brother comes from the big city so this is a big thing to get him out into the dirty barn. He borrowed some boots and a coat and helped Candace and Marshall feed calves. Yee haw! 
My parents were also here. I wish they would come more often. My Mom loves to clean and you know my farm house is always dirty! What a lovely couple! 
I made peanut butter balls. These were Marshall’s favorite. I baked more cookies than I did candy. My mouth is watering just looking at these……..
Christmas eve was the best. I fixed mulled cider and we had a shrimp boil. We were sipping and feasting all night.
I line the table with a plastic tablecloth and then lay down newspaper and just dump the whole mess right in the middle of the table. We eat with our hands or if you must….I’ll let you have a fork…..and of course lots of melted butter.
……..and then we all fell into a heavy food coma. We slept for hours and hours. Haha Only the “chic” is allowed to do that.
Aside from all the food and fun, we continued to milk the bossy bovines morning and evening. They never take a holiday. We are survivors. I’m still trying to get all decorations back into storage. I’m ready for spring………………………Carol
This star is at the top of the silo……70 feet high. I’ve been dreaming of this for years. Michael built the star with scrap wood. Candace wrapped it with lights and here we are…..ready for the “lifting ceremony”. Can we do it?!?!
Michael hooked a pulley at the top of the ladder and threaded a long rope through it and pulled it back down to the bottom.
We took the rope and tied it to the star while Michael started pulling from the top. He tied the rope to his leg while slowly climbing down. Marshall and Candace held on to the star and started the slow climb up.
When Michael and Candace met in the middle they switched gears. Candace tied the rope to her leg and Michael grabbed the star and followed it the rest of the way while Candace climbed down. 
Slowly but surely the star reached the top. At this point Candace thought her leg was going to fall off and Marshall and I were trying to figure out how to tie the rope at the bottom.
Candace was crying HELP! My leg! My leg! Tie the rope! Quick! My leg is going to fall off! Hurry! 
Marshall wasn’t too alarmed. He had to get a good chuckle in first before he helped rescue “big sis”.
Once we had the star at the top then it was time to stabilize it. Michael and Candace took zip-ties and tied everything down tight. Meanwhile at the bottom…….we have Marshall taking it easy. 
This whole process took about 45 minutes. Michael was so glad to get back on solid ground he kissed the grass. He said he did ask himself while hanging on the top….is this star worth dying for? 
We couldn’t wait until after chores that night to have our lighting ceremony. Marshall had a big empty 55 gallon drum he was beating on for the “drumroll”…. Michael was screaming out “Joy To The World” while holding the electrical cord ready to plug in…. Candace and I were recording and chanting. Yep, we get excited around here! 
Christmas may be over but we aren’t going to take it down just yet. It took too much time and effort to get this monster to the top. It’s staying up for the month of January. 
Michael and Candace stood and admired their hard work for awhile. I certainly don’t want to climb that silo. Yikes! So that’s the “star of the show” around here. Isn’t it awesome………………………..Carol
Here we go……starting another season of baby calves. I’m still recovering from last year. How can this be happening so soon again?! It’s a muddy mess! I just want it to dry out and give us a break…..no rain until spring kind of break. 
We’re setting out hutches every week to try and keep up with the count. And of course along with that comes all that bedding down to do. Piles like this are scattered along the row and we have to distribute it into all the hutches for the new calves. You do remember how to use a pitchfork….right?! We’re talking some serious cardio here. It keeps you warm on those freezing cold days. I’m trying to think of one good thing about winter………………???
This is me on the farm with 20 inches of rain. I’m so tired of trudging through mud. It’s maddening! I was feeding calves…stepped backwards…tripped over a concrete cinder block…and fell flat into the mud! Splat! And I had just washed all my chore clothes the night before. Needless to say…I picked up that concrete cinder block and heaved it through the air along with a mighty war cry!! It’s amazing what you can do when the adrenaline starts pumping!! Haha I may have a few anger issues…maybe?! 
Little tiger here wants to say Hello. I think they’re so cute when just newborn….but they require so much time and energy. It’s like starting a family all over again. Lord have mercy! Help me! They keep me super busy!
And that’s not all. I was caught in a weak moment and bought the little “chic” a vest to wear when it gets freezing cold. I used to think that “pet clothes” were insane……now I’m joining the ranks. I give up! My survival tip is this…..I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me…..I say this a thousand times a day….sometimes more. It’s amazing what I can get done in a day………………Carol
On your birthday…you bound out of bed…grab a coffee to go…and race to the barn because you can’t wait to milk those bossy bovines! NOT! On second thought…you throw the alarm against the wall and go back to sleep! Wake up an hour later and quickly grab your “black” coffee before trudging out the door. I’m only smiling because it’s my birthday! 
I looked everywhere for #49 but could not find her. I finally decided she’s dead (not a good sign) and instead I settled on #39. That’s going to be my age from now on. I’m not mentally prepared for the 50’s and that’s that! 
I’m so sorry to my Facebook friends that you have to see this picture again. Candace and I got off the farm for a few hours and had a little girl fun. I bought myself a cake and have been enjoying every bite. 
We had to be back for evening chores because the farmer was busy doing field work and the boys were off at school. So celebration time will continue until we all get our fill. I just want to get this week over with and “mooooove” on. Another year older…………………Carol
Our middle child (Michael) left for college. This is move-in day. He is the work horse behind our operation. So now, we have to step up our game. ….and I thought I was already high-steppin’. Luckily, he comes home on weekends and he helps us get caught up. 
We’ve also been doing a lot of “cattle work”. We had quite a few cows that were missing ear tags, and so we spent one day putting in brand new earrings…..as I like to call them. Fancy cows! We also did a preg-check. That’s when the vet comes out and we check all the cows to see who’s pregnant or open. That was a long day. Help me!
Hay…..so much hay. We finally conquered the beast….but not without long days and late nights. Here we are just finishing up on the biggest field. Woo-hoo! Oh wait….we still need to haul it all home. Ugh!
This was my view for days. Mowing hay….round and round. I sat in the tractor with my ear buds in and my big water jug. I shift into survival mode on days like this. 
Very poor quality picture….but another view from another day. I can mow hay…rake hay…bale hay…haul hay! I admit that I suck at baling. The monitor is always screaming at me and telling me things I don’t understand. So, the big boys usually do that and I’ll stick with what I’m good at.
Late night hauling. We had over 300 bales to haul in. The farm girls did the driving back and forth while Earl loaded the wagons for us. It was 1:30 before we wrapped up that project. Needless to say….I was pooped! 
We’ve also been bombarded with kittens. Two litters have showed up at the barn. Look at those cat eyes. They’re saying….just shoot me now! haha We help her out and feed them warm cows milk.
And there you have it. When I’m not doing the dirty work I’m busy in the yard and flower gardens. I’ve got some monster pumpkins growing out there. Can’t wait to show you………………………….Carol
We have misters running throughout the lot area where the cows are waiting to be milked. They run off of well water and it is nice and cold. They love it!
Doesn’t that look cool?! When the cows first come up to the barn in the afternoon, they are very hot. Cows don’t sweat….they pant! So, within 10 minutes of standing underneath the water, they’ll be chewing their cud. That means they’re feeling comfortable and content. 
They hang out with their friends and do a little herd gossip while they cool off. Sometimes they talk trash about the “milkmaid”….other times they’re mad at Bubba (the bull)….then other times they have a battle between breeds. Jersey versus Holstein! Seriously, they are so much like humans. I can read them like a book………
If you look closely the misters are connected to the PVC pipe above. I am the master of replacing misters. I go through packages of these little dudes every summer. The well water has sediment and they need to be replaced periodically. I stand on my tall step ladder and hope I don’t lose my balance. It is totally safe…..I know what I’m doing. I think?! 
And then we have ice cream. Real ice cream. Made with cows milk. Do I need to say anything else? I believe this particular flavor was “coffee, almond and fudge. Now, go buy a gallon and chill out…..it’s hot! Your favorite Milkmaid………………Carol
This is my life…..on the farm. When the mud gets this deep, a person needs to be very careful. The mud will act as quick sand and suck you right down into the endless abyss and they’ll never find you again. Amen! Thank God for muck boots! 
Yea, I know. I should’ve known better, than to go through this mud hole. It is possible to get the 4-wheeler stuck. Especially when you get 10 inches of rain within a weeks time. Total madness! The farmer pulled me out with the tractor…..I just got a “look” from him….nothing else was said. Haha 
This is what our pasture has looked like for most of the year….and this is the better part. As soon as it starts to dry up…..here comes another rain storm. Our pasture is so rutted up and rough right now. The tractor creates massive ruts and then with 100 plus cows marching through every day….it’s almost impossible to get around.
We finally gave the 4-wheeler a rest and started using our trusty little tractor to go feed my calves. It has served us well over the years and has seen its better days, but still keeps on running. Nothing runs like a Deere……John Deere! I like that green! 
We’re probably the driest right now than we have been in months. The weatherman says there’s more rain on the way. Help! I’ll take that sunshine any day. So will the “big girls”….they’re getting sassy……and so am I………………….Carol
Here are a few random “dairy photos” to let you know what’s happening on the farm. This cute little stinker is only a few days old. We’ve had a handful of babies this last week. As soon as I get a batch weaned…here comes another group of new ones. My work is never done…… 
The “tween” group. They are very naughty….just like human tweens. There’s a lot of “trash talk” happening at the water hole. I know what they’re saying….and it’s not good. They create drama. They push their boundaries every day. 
Big girl wants to give you a gentle reminder to drink milk! She works hard every day to help with supply and demand. She doesn’t care what flavor….white, strawberry, or chocolate. Just drink! 
Our little preemie born just 2 days ago. It’s healthy and very aggressive. It sure is weenie, though. I’ll have to keep a close eye on it. Those little ones sometimes have a rough row to hoe. Alright then……here’s to dairy month. Who’s up for some milk and cookies……………………Carol
This is my basic milkmaid attire. Bad hair…don’t care. There is no makeup in the milk barn. I wear the same clothes day after day. They’re faded from being washed in hot water every night….but the smell still remains. I live in muck boots, and have to buy a new pair about every 6 months. Whenever my feet say “Ouch”. 
Some of my best friends are in the form of “bovines”. So much of the herd is what I have raised from baby on up. They see me every morning and evening…7 days a week. We have bad days and good days. Sometimes we even fight, but we have to get along. 
Then there’s Miss Daisy. Very curious. At least her nose is clean. Have you ever watched a cow clean their nose? Wish I could do that! Especially in the winter time when it’s cold and I have to wipe my nose on my coat sleeve and just keep goin’. Yes, a true milkmaid will do that……. 
I still have a handful of baby calves to feed, but nothing like last winter. Everything is so much easier when the weather warms up. We found this little tyke right after it was born. Mama was mighty proud! 
I clean up once in a great while. At least for special occasions….like Mother’s Day. These are my little “peeps” all grown up now. I am now the smallest person in the family. “Little but mighty” is that what they say? I’m just trying to survive………………Carol
Just look at all the bitterness. That’s snow and ice on the cows. They tolerate the cold weather much better than I do. 
We had a very wet winter and lots of freezing temperatures…mud everywhere and horrible ruts all throughout the pastures. It would rain torrents and then a deep freeze would come. This is only the tip of the iceberg. 
This is what we used on the cows all winter long. You need to protect their “tits” ( every dairyman says that and we don’t think nuthin’ of it ) from frostbite. This stuff works like magic. We didn’t have any problems as long as we put this salve on them every time. We pre-dip with iodine and post with this salve. Keeps the cows happy and the humans from getting kicked. 
Underneath all the heavy layers are Michael and Marshall. We have become experts at layering and staying warm….except for our fingers. My hands get so cold while feeding calves that I’ll dip them into the warm milk to take away the “sting” and then hurry on down the line. By the time I get back to the barn I can’t decide if I want to scream or cry they’re “burning” so bad. Don’t ever tell a milkmaid that you love wintertime……. 
We had just enough snow for one small snowman. They spent all this time building the cute little guy and then after they got done, they took the 4-wheeler….raced straight for him….and squashed him like a bug. Don’t mess with farm kids either. 
An early morning sunrise. One of the few beautiful things about winter. I’m so happy that is behind us and we’re enjoying all the beauty of spring. Ahhhhh…..new life everywhere. I plan to go “hog wild” on the gardening this summer……………………..Carol