Good Morning from a very sunny Knolltop.
I’m not sick again, I’m not in mourning from the big loss on Monday night and a tornado hasn’t taken the farm. I just haven’t made this blog the priority it needs to be!

The kids are back in school now, but I got some good work out of them on Monday when they were off. And then Monday night as we were sitting down to our smorgasbord of high fat and sugar content of food Jake brought out this sign for the game. He had made a sign like they do at the games with an acrostic on it for CBS. It said “Cant Beet State,” yes that’s right he spelled the word beat incorrectly! That is what made it so hilarious! He was running around the livingroom like he was at the game. He was proud of his sign until after the first five minutes of the game when he decided that the sign was incorrect and UNC was, in fact, going to BEET State!

Well, a couple of bowls of chips and dip and a root beer float later….I really didn’t care who won, I was in misery because I ate too much!

Today is writing day, three columns to get done and then a baseball game….maybe…if the snow is all melted by 4 pm. Yes, we are dedicated baseball fanatics here in North Adams!

Snow? What snow? Snow in April? It’s totally normal nowadays. It’s been the norm for the past few years. The daffodils begin to bloom and boom, we get a blizzard that keeps the kids out of school and then I sit down and cry. Yes, the kids have an extra day off today because we got at least 6 inches of wet, heavy snow. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked out!
But really who cares? With MSU in the finals tonight, what else matters? Well, if the electricity goes out, then we’ve got a huge problem….but only until the generator is hooked up.

Now with the kids home I will get a little work out of them. They can’t do much outside, so they are my captives today…..oh, where will I make the little slaves work first.

Time to go crack the whip!

We are finally in recovery mode and the kids are glad of it. They all got to sleep in this morning!

First of all, I must say a big thank you to all who prayed for me. After I posted on the blog I went back to bed only to lay there and worry about not getting my column done. So after about an hour I decided to drag myself to the computer only to be greeted by two editors wondering if I was going to have a column, asking that it be sent before the end of the day.

I began to write and as I wrote I began to feel better and better. When I got done, I began to do some more work for Dairy Agenda Today and then I even felt like driving my daughter to town for practice and this is the topper, I actually got the dishes done! I started to wonder why I felt so good and so strong all of a sudden. Then I realized, it was answered prayer by those wonderful prayer warriors who read this blog! THANK YOU!

Breakfast is done, coffee cake is out of the oven and will taste really good with a cup of coffee when I come back in from the barn and start on my other job!

Thanks again….gotta head to the barn!

Good Morning from a still sick Knolltop.

I’ve had the flu for a couple of days and am still in bed…but I’ve been able to get to the computer to at least let my family know where I am…and to please PRAY!

I’m getting dizzy now…gotta go

Good morning from a cloudy but warming Knolltop.
The boys are out hauling manure today with Luke’s Farmall and now I see my John Deere A is hooked up to a spreader, they better not get any manure on the old girl!

I thought I’d add a few baseball pictures today since I’m in the picture mood!

This was on Luke’s birthday, they were showing off Luke’s driving permit, Napoleon Dynamite Style.The determination on JW’s face is so cute.
Luke is ready to catch JW’s pitch.
Luke putting his helmet back on after having to run and find JW’s wild pitch….or maybe not.In the huddle, JW looks like he’s getting spoken to by the coach, Luke looks like he’s praying…but probably not.

Okay, the boys just showed up with another spreader they went and picked up from the neighbors. Luke was driving, Jake was riding in the spreader….way too funny! Don’t worry, I got a picture!

Good Morning from a clear, but cold Knolltop.

We’ve had a sick ward again around here over the weekend. Bobby has been sick and is now in recovery mode. I hope I’m not next!

It was a busy weekend at our State Sale and show. I spent Saturday at the Pavilion working the show, it was fun, but tiring. And now we’re back into the work week. The kids are off for spring break, so I have some projects for them…they just don’t know yet! Oh, won’t they be excited when they find out!?

Here are a couple of pictures from the show:
JW took bids at the Michigan Junior Holstein Association semen sale…he did a good job and enjoyed himself….I think he’s got a future there!Sarah and Shelley Hardy spent some quality time together ringside.
Luke, JW and Wyatt Schuler showing off their gang signs…don’t ask!
JW and his cousin….distant cousin Kaylee Sweers enjoying some family time. She is so cute!

That’s your review, I’ll post more tomorrow. It’s time for the barn!

Good Morning from a cloudy Knolltop. It’s supposed to get sunny today, maybe in time for the baseball game this afternoon.

On Tuesday the boys lost. Luke caught, JW played left field. Today they play Reading, a good team that’s not in their league. JW will pitch tonight…that will be exciting. Although I didn’t get pictures of the first game, hopefully I’ll remember the camera tonight. I did however take pictures of Luke’s birthday last night, but I just have to load them onto the computer. I made a lemon cake from scratch…a new recipe and yes, it turned out like a new recipe, not too good. It was okay, it had a good flavor, but just didn’t look all that great.

After the cake, JW took Luke out for ice cream, that was his birthday present to him. I think I would like that kind of gift!

I’m in from the barn, have the house picked up and actually vacuumed so now it’s time for more bookwork!

It’s a party cloudy morning on the Knolltop with promise of a kind of warm day.
No more sick kids in the house today. They are all recovered and back in school. Now I have to disinfect every blanket and pillow they touched while laying around being sick!

The cows have been going out these last few days. Most of it due to the nice weather, but the fact that we’re low on bedding is a contributing factor too. It’s amazing how frugal a person can get when they have to be. And what dairy farmer isn’t frugal in this economy with $9.00 milk?

While the News on TV continues to be negative, I will continue to believe we will make it through. The other day it was funny, I was driving down the road thinking about life and the farm and the economy and all of a sudden I saw the light at the end of the tunnel with a twinge of hope. It was like God was saying “You’re going to make it through, don’t worry.” I can’t describe the feeling, but it was comforting. It was kind of like a year ago when I was having a really bad day and my folks were down for the day. My dad came up to me and asked how I was. With a quiver in my voice I said, “Not very good.” He just hugged me. He didn’t offer to fix it, he didn’t offer any advice, he just hugged me and that’s all I needed.

Sometimes a hug is just what the doctor ordered. You’d better hug someone today!

Good Morning from a sick and recovering Knolltop.
It’s been a sick ward around here with the couch and love seat both occupied with sick kids. The rest of us have tried to stay clear of the coughing and vomiting…and so far so good. No one else is sick except JW and Jake.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been awakened in the middle of the night to the sounds of a kid moaning and groaning and calling for mom. But it happened Saturday night and made me thankful for older children! Those days of toddlers screaming in the wee hours of the morning will haunt every mom from the birth of motherhood til her death. And make her appreciate a good nights sleep!

It’s sunny but chilly this morning and promising to be a beautiful day! The boys have their first game on Tuesday at home, Luke’s 16th birthday is on Wednesday, along with his cousin, Adam’s birthday, they have another home game on Thursday, the Michigan State Holstein Sale is on Friday and the show is on Saturday. Breathe!

A busy life is a good life…idle hands is the devil’s workshop…right?

Okay, life is way too busy when I can’t post on this blog everyday! AHHH!!!!

But life has not gotten so busy that the laundry isn’t done…don’t let me fool you, I still have lots of it, but there isn’t a mountain like I’ve had in the past. Thanks to my Sarah girl…when I head out to milk the cows at night she folds the five basket of clothes and does the dishes and anything else I ask her to do while I milk. I love having her! I think I’ll keep her….no, wait, she beat me in Gin Rummy last night…..nah..I’ll keep her!

I now have a CD of basketball pictures so I’ll have to load them on and post them here…just a minute, let me do that right now.Here’s Luke #22 jumping for a rebound or shooting, not sure which…???

Here’s JW #12 waiting to give that guy a real good shove…he likes to push and shove…that’s what he does best…push and shove. Isn’t he cute? And so strong????
There’s Lukie again…doing a layup.

I thought Grandma and Nana would like a closer picture of Luke…just holding a basketball isn’t all that exciting but you can see him a little better. And most of the pictures are of Luke because the man who took them spent a lot of time taking the JV because his son is in their grade…so he is partial to these boys. I have some of Jake I’ll put up another day…for now it’s time for work, or something.