Last week I listened to Rural Route Radio with Trent Loos and Kyle Bauer and they discussed the family out east that perished in a manure pit while trying to save each other. Farm safety should be a top priority on any farm…but often it’s only until you have a tragedy like ours that you decide to change.

On April 13, 1999 Bobby was backing into the barn wtih a load of corn silage in the skid steer and didn’t see our son Jake, then only 22 months old. He backed over him, felt the lump but thought it was a lump of feed. When he got off the skid steer to start the mixer he saw Jake’s sweatshirt between the tires and realized what he had done. He carried him into me where I had begun milking. There is no scarier feeling than to see your screaming child with a blue face, droplets of blood coming from his eyes and nose and knowing you can do nothing but wait for the ambulance to arrive.

He was taken to the local hospital and life flighted to a children’s hospital 2.5 hours away from us. With no cell phones and a 2.5 hour drive, I can’t begin to explain to you the wide range of emotions we went through as we made that long trek not knowing that when we arrived if he would be dead or alive.

I had to convince myself that he had died so it wouldn’t be so difficult when I actually was told the news. In my mind, I planned his funeral, cleaned out his room and thought about what our daily lives would be like without Jake. As a mom I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt for not keeping him safe and knew I would have to live with that the rest of my life.

When we arrived, my dad met us in the parking lot and when he said Jake was still alive, I broke down in tears.

After a week in intensive care on a ventilator, they finally determined Jake had a broken femur. He spent the next 8 weeks in a body cast and believe me a body cast with a hole in the back to change his diaper wasn’t a pleasant experience for any of us. But we were so happy that God saved Jake we really didn’t care what we had to endure.

Jake is now a normal little boy with ambitions of farming. He can now drive that skid steer but safety on our farm is very important. We didn’t change our focus on farm safety for just a couple of weeks, it has become a lifestyle change. And every time I’m asked to speak, I include this story because you can never stress safety enough and because if God can save my child, I want to give him as much credit as possible.

Last week I listened to Rural Route Radio with Trent Loos and Kyle Bauer and they discussed the family out east that perished in a manure pit while trying to save each other. Farm safety should be a top priority on any farm…but often it’s only until you have a tragedy like ours that you decide to change.

On April 13, 1999 Bobby was backing into the barn wtih a load of corn silage in the skid steer and didn’t see our son Jake, then only 22 months old. He backed over him, felt the lump but thought it was a lump of feed. When he got off the skid steer to start the mixer he saw Jake’s sweatshirt between the tires and realized what he had done. He carried him into me where I had begun milking. There is no scarier feeling than to see your screaming child with a blue face, droplets of blood coming from his eyes and nose and knowing you can do nothing but wait for the ambulance to arrive.

He was taken to the local hospital and life flighted to a children’s hospital 2.5 hours away from us. With no cell phones and a 2.5 hour drive, I can’t begin to explain to you the wide range of emotions we went through as we made that long trek not knowing that when we arrived if he would be dead or alive.

I had to convince myself that he had died so it wouldn’t be so difficult when I actually was told the news. In my mind, I planned his funeral, cleaned out his room and thought about what our daily lives would be like without Jake. As a mom I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt for not keeping him safe and knew I would have to live with that the rest of my life.

When we arrived, my dad met us in the parking lot and when he said Jake was still alive, I broke down in tears.

After a week in intensive care on a ventilator, they finally determined Jake had a broken femur. He spent the next 8 weeks in a body cast and believe me a body cast with a hole in the back to change his diaper wasn’t a pleasant experience for any of us. But we were so happy that God saved Jake we really didn’t care what we had to endure.

Jake is now a normal little boy with ambitions of farming. He can now drive that skid steer but safety on our farm is very important. We didn’t change our focus on farm safety for just a couple of weeks, it has become a lifestyle change. And every time I’m asked to speak, I include this story because you can never stress safety enough and because if God can save my child, I want to give him as much credit as possible.

It’s been hot and humid and it’s going to be that way again today. Yesterday afternoon I took the kids swimming at our neighbors. Someone asked me about “our” pool. Let me explain…we have some friends who live a few miles away, they have a dairy farm and their kids are grown. They’ve also got a really nice pool and hot tub that no one uses because they are all gone. So we go over there frequently and they love it because we keep the pool stirred up. Anyone who has ever owned a pool knows it’s easier to keep clean when people use it. So we feel it’s our duty to help keep the pool clean. I feel so decadent going over there because it’s a beautiful setting, with lots of outdoor furniture. So I take my bottled water and a magazine or a book and I read for a while then I get in a cool off and then I get out and read some more. We had a bonus yesterday, the lady of the house came and visited with me the whole time and when we left she gave us ice cream! They are very generous friends and we really are spoiled!

By the way…a friend of mine sent me an article about women being the boss in the home. The article had some research that pointed to women being in charge and men just standing by and saying, “Okay honey, whatever you say.”

I don’t think that’s the norm, but maybe I’m misled. Tell me, how is it in your household? Who says “jump” and who says “how high?” in your home?

It’s been hot and humid and it’s going to be that way again today. Yesterday afternoon I took the kids swimming at our neighbors. Someone asked me about “our” pool. Let me explain…we have some friends who live a few miles away, they have a dairy farm and their kids are grown. They’ve also got a really nice pool and hot tub that no one uses because they are all gone. So we go over there frequently and they love it because we keep the pool stirred up. Anyone who has ever owned a pool knows it’s easier to keep clean when people use it. So we feel it’s our duty to help keep the pool clean. I feel so decadent going over there because it’s a beautiful setting, with lots of outdoor furniture. So I take my bottled water and a magazine or a book and I read for a while then I get in a cool off and then I get out and read some more. We had a bonus yesterday, the lady of the house came and visited with me the whole time and when we left she gave us ice cream! They are very generous friends and we really are spoiled!

By the way…a friend of mine sent me an article about women being the boss in the home. The article had some research that pointed to women being in charge and men just standing by and saying, “Okay honey, whatever you say.”

I don’t think that’s the norm, but maybe I’m misled. Tell me, how is it in your household? Who says “jump” and who says “how high?” in your home?

Yesterday was going along pretty well until we decided we would go pick up straw in the field last night after chores. We started out in the pick up, Jake was driving, Luke was stacking and Bobby and I were carrying them to the truck. This would’ve worked just fine if everyone had done it MY way. But there were three other males who had their own ideas of how we should navigate through the field from bale to bale.

My idea was to drive down row after row, stopping at each bale, picking it up and going to the next bale. But other people thought that we would do two rows at a time with the truck down the middle carrying the bales to the truck. Remember it’s 85 and humid. So my question is, why make all the work for yourself? It’s the end of the day, you’re already hot and tired, why carry bales 25 and 30 yards when you can drive right up to them? Am I lazy? Or efficient? I choose the latter.

When we went back for our second load I volunteered to drive the truck. Afterall, I had my exercise for the day. Plus, while Jake was driving he slammed on the brakes, on accident of course and sent the load tumbling which resulted in a pretty miffed Luke. Luke is one of the main work horses on the knolltop, we have to keep him happy and satisfied!

After we loaded up the truck and a hay wagon we headed home…we tried to head home, the truck decided it wanted to act up and it looks like we might need some transmission work done now. So we had to walk back home and get the tractor. Luke ran all the way and unhooked the tractor from the spreader and brought it to us…I was still walking….

We pulled the load home and now there it sits….waiting to be unloaded. Although my birthday started out to be a great day, it didn’t end up that way….oh well, it was a birthday to remember.

Oh, yes, and icing on the cake….Sarah went home to wash up the dishes while we pulled the truck home and she dropped something on her kitten on accident…yes it’s dead now. So I hugged a tearful Sarah and prayed for her last night before crashing into bed.

Anyone else have days like this?

Yesterday was going along pretty well until we decided we would go pick up straw in the field last night after chores. We started out in the pick up, Jake was driving, Luke was stacking and Bobby and I were carrying them to the truck. This would’ve worked just fine if everyone had done it MY way. But there were three other males who had their own ideas of how we should navigate through the field from bale to bale.

My idea was to drive down row after row, stopping at each bale, picking it up and going to the next bale. But other people thought that we would do two rows at a time with the truck down the middle carrying the bales to the truck. Remember it’s 85 and humid. So my question is, why make all the work for yourself? It’s the end of the day, you’re already hot and tired, why carry bales 25 and 30 yards when you can drive right up to them? Am I lazy? Or efficient? I choose the latter.

When we went back for our second load I volunteered to drive the truck. Afterall, I had my exercise for the day. Plus, while Jake was driving he slammed on the brakes, on accident of course and sent the load tumbling which resulted in a pretty miffed Luke. Luke is one of the main work horses on the knolltop, we have to keep him happy and satisfied!

After we loaded up the truck and a hay wagon we headed home…we tried to head home, the truck decided it wanted to act up and it looks like we might need some transmission work done now. So we had to walk back home and get the tractor. Luke ran all the way and unhooked the tractor from the spreader and brought it to us…I was still walking….

We pulled the load home and now there it sits….waiting to be unloaded. Although my birthday started out to be a great day, it didn’t end up that way….oh well, it was a birthday to remember.

Oh, yes, and icing on the cake….Sarah went home to wash up the dishes while we pulled the truck home and she dropped something on her kitten on accident…yes it’s dead now. So I hugged a tearful Sarah and prayed for her last night before crashing into bed.

Anyone else have days like this?

It’s time to harvest wheat in my neck of the woods. And yesterday Jake spent the day with the neighbors on their combine. He’s there today too… I can just imagine what kind of help he is. He was trying to explain to me what kind of repairs they had to make to the combine, I can’t imagine too many since it’s just going through it’s second season of harvesting crops.

Sarah’s with the other neighbor at a 4-H meeting, Luke is baling straw and JW is at my mom’s house for the weekend. So it’s been a very quiet day today around here.

Yesterday I took some pictures of Jake at the wheat field…he loves this farming stuff!

It’s time to harvest wheat in my neck of the woods. And yesterday Jake spent the day with the neighbors on their combine. He’s there today too… I can just imagine what kind of help he is. He was trying to explain to me what kind of repairs they had to make to the combine, I can’t imagine too many since it’s just going through it’s second season of harvesting crops.

Sarah’s with the other neighbor at a 4-H meeting, Luke is baling straw and JW is at my mom’s house for the weekend. So it’s been a very quiet day today around here.

Yesterday I took some pictures of Jake at the wheat field…he loves this farming stuff!

We are busy getting ready for Dairy Days. That is our state Holstein Show in East Lansing. It is a week of fun and exhaustion but one we just can’t miss, it’s like the county fair, who can miss the county fair? Anyway we are busy getting ready for it, yesterday we went to town and bought all the shavings we need for bedding and I made out my order for NASCO. That’s where we get most of our show supplies since the local places don’t have what we want. And it’s always cheaper in NASCO.

The kids worked with their heifers and helped Bobby fix the manure spreader while I wrote my column and a feature story.

Today I get to go renew my license and get new tags for the truck and the van….how fun! 🙁 JW’s excited because he gets to schedule his driving test, I can’t believe that he will be alone in a vehicle in less than a month….watch out world!

I finally found my hoe! So today, instead of using a rake, I will get to use a hoe in the garden that is in desperate need of attention.

We are busy getting ready for Dairy Days. That is our state Holstein Show in East Lansing. It is a week of fun and exhaustion but one we just can’t miss, it’s like the county fair, who can miss the county fair? Anyway we are busy getting ready for it, yesterday we went to town and bought all the shavings we need for bedding and I made out my order for NASCO. That’s where we get most of our show supplies since the local places don’t have what we want. And it’s always cheaper in NASCO.

The kids worked with their heifers and helped Bobby fix the manure spreader while I wrote my column and a feature story.

Today I get to go renew my license and get new tags for the truck and the van….how fun! 🙁 JW’s excited because he gets to schedule his driving test, I can’t believe that he will be alone in a vehicle in less than a month….watch out world!

I finally found my hoe! So today, instead of using a rake, I will get to use a hoe in the garden that is in desperate need of attention.