A public shout out

I feel compelled to share something today.  I don't often post twice in one day, but I just want to say this:  The Dairy Farmer and I have awesome kids.

That doesn't mean that The DF and I are awesome parents.....I am sure we are messing up our kids pretty good.  I often tell the oldest that I am sorry she is our starter child.  The one on which we learn what not to do.  But, we have been blessed by God with these two....he has given us very special kids and entrusted them to us....and I am pretty sure I don't tell them enough. 

I'm hoping that they read this some day and understand how much we love and appreciate them (and I am going to start them a "therapy" fund for when they get older and realize that we really didn't know what we were doing).

Today, in particular, it was again brought to my attention that I have awesome kids.  You see, dairy farming isn't an easy job.  Most of the time, it's pretty stressful, and I can only imagine how hard it must be when you are a kid.  We try hard to run our farm and still have "a life."  But, sometimes work gets in the way of life and sometimes it can suck. 

This weekend was an example.  Grandma wanted to have her grand babies for a sleepover.  That was not a problem but they had to wake up early and be home by 7:30am to go to work....on a Saturday.  I don't know if you remember your Saturdays when you were 12.....but I sure know that mine consisted of SLEEPING IN!  It was my day off after a long week of school.  Saturdays were long, lazy days that belonged to me.  But, not for my kids, they work every single weekend. 

Of course, one of them came home ill.  Which put another kink in our "life."  Luckily, we have wonderful friends and they came through to take Jr. Edition to the demo derby Saturday night, something he looks forward to for the entire year.  He got home late and fell into bed....only to be awakened early this morning to again, help feed calves.  He willingly got out of his comfy bed and stumbled out to the barn, allowing his sister, who had been up vomiting during the night, to sleep in. 

Now, today was a special day....because a very special friend was having a birthday party this afternoon.  Jr. and I headed over while The DF stayed with the sick one.   We had a lovely afternoon visiting, but just as a "kids vs. adults" wiffle ball game was about to start, I had to call Jr. over and tell him we had to go home to work. 

I was expecting a heavy sigh, or an "oh man", but Jr. said goodbye to his bud, thanked the parents and got in the car.  WOW.  I complimented him on how mature he is and thanked him for being so willing to go home.  Jr. looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and said "it is what it is."   WOW.  I am sure, when you are 10 yrs old, there isn't anything harder than watching a bunch of your friends go off to play, while you leave to go to work.  I have awesome kids.    

I do love our farm life.  We are lucky that we have employees who are reliable and allow us to have a life.  We aren't tied down all the time, but it is a 24-7, 365 job. Well....way of life actually, and it's a life that is teaching my kids responsibility, reliability, the value of hard work, the value of a dollar.....and that we are here to be good stewards of the land and take care of God's creatures.  Their lives are entrusted to us and if we do not take care of them....they will die.   A hard lesson to learn when you are a kid......we lost a little calf today. 

Well, that's really all I needed to say.  I just wanted to have a proud momma moment and remind myself that I have awesome kids.  Oh.....at this moment, The Dairy Farmer took Jr. back to the birthday party, thank goodness for holiday weekends and friends who live real close!