40 days of Preperation

 Today is Ash Wednesday and as you can see the kids we have already attended mass and gotten our ashes. The marking of ashes on our foreheads helps us remember that we are only on this world for a short time and that we need to prepare ourselves and live our lives in a way that will help us get to heaven. We have all came from ashes and to ashes some day we will all return. I truly enjoy Ash Wednesday and all the symbolism it holds.
   Another reason for celebrating Ash Wednesday is that it marks the first day of Lent. Lent is 40 days where we prepare ourselves for Jesus rising from the dead on Easter Sunday. It is a time of self reflection and correction. These 40 days are to serve as an annual house cleaning of our souls.  We should all aim to be a clean and perfect as we can in thanksgiving for the amazing gift Jesus gave us by concurring death and opening the way to eternal life. The Easter season is my favorite time of year for a number of reasons and I hope I can make this Lenten season we are now entering a very powerful and meaningful one for myself and my family.
     Reflecting on what the next 40 days of Lent will hold for me I also started thinking about the changes that I will see on the farm in these days leading up to Easter. Looking back at what happened last year at this time has gotten me very excited. It is making real the spring fever that I have been starting to feel and getting me excited for all the new life that is just around the corner.

   First off calving season is just around the corner. The calving barn has been prepared and cow TV is up and going . During the next 40 days most of our 140 cows we will have their baby for the year. I pray that it all goes smoothly very few complications or deaths. Here is a post I did during calving season last year about one of my daughter Mary's favorite cows, Sad News.

    This time of year is also when the piglets are born that the kids will be showing this next summer at the fair. It is amazing how fast these little guys grow. Here is the post I did when we visited my brother in laws pig farm, Visiting a Pig Farm.

      The next 40 days will also bring warmer weather which I am very excited about. Today there was a high of  3 degrees with a wicked wind chill that just cuts through you. I look at these pictures of  the kids playing in the mud and can't wait for these days to come, but I also know that when I am dealing with mud coated cloths and kids I may be singing a different tune. Here is a post I did on a beautiful day we had at the end of March, A Beautiful Busy Day.

      I was also excited to see that last year I was hanging cloths on the line during lent time. It is a little extra work but I have always enjoyed hanging cloths on the line and letting the fresh air dry them. What I wouldn't give to be out in the sun right now hanging cloths on the line and later bringing inside the fresh smells of spring. Here is a post on Spring Cleaning.

    After taking this trip though my past posts I am getting very excited and ready to dive into this Lenten season and prepare my heart, home, and farm for all the beautiful gifts and joys that are awaiting us throughout and at the end of the next 40 days. Here is one more post with many cute kids and calves, 30 and Counting. Bring on the new life and warm weather and may you have a blessed Ash Wednesday and Lenten Season.

Bull bidding

    This next summer we have aquired another pasture that we will put cattle in. We like to have a bull in each of our pastures to breed the cows there. This addition of another pasture means we are in need of another bull. My dad and husband have been to many bull sales over the last month or so and have seen many nice animals but have been waiting for the right animal at the right price. There are many factors that go into picking out a bull. The animal is given numbers in regards to how big its offspring should be at birth, this is especially important when breeding a bull to a first calf heifer. Some bulls are known as calving ease bulls because the calves should be a smaller size. The bull is also scored on how big the offspring should be at weaning time and market weight. There are other numbers and figures I don't quite understand but my husband does so that is what's important. 

   So all that brings us to today. This morning Paul told me that the Hook family was having their bull sale this afternoon and he was going. The Hook family is a wonderful neighbor family whom Paul worked for during high school and we have become good friends with. I thought it might be fun to go to the sale as a family and let the kids experience a cattle sale. 

First we went out and looked at the animals. Mary is my animal lover and had to say hi to a few. They were quite friendly. Like was interested in them too. Paul looked them all over closly and found a few he liked. Let's hope they go for the right price. 

Inside the auction ring the kids and I sat through a few bulls being sold. Paul was nervous that the kids would make a bid as they were moving all around. After a while we went back outside because the kids said it was getting to loud for them with the auctioneer and the yiping ring men. 

Mary and Rose found some farm kitties to snuggle so they were happy. 

And Luke found some things with a steering wheel so he was happy. It was a beautiful fun day and a successful one too. Paul did buy a bull so we are ready for the next breeding season and we are happy that we could get it from such a great farming family. 

I am programmed to LOVE you

   The kids and I just got done making their valentines and I think they are so cute. As you can see we had to make a whole army of them with three kids in school. We have made these robots in the past and since we were making so many this year we went for the simplified version. In the past we have put starburst feet on them. In the past we also made a book mark out of a paint color card with a bit of ribbon tied to the top and then taped that to the back of the robot. The ribbon looked like antenie. If you can't tell by the picture the body is a juice box, the head a box of nerds (although as you can see we ran out of those and substituted another boxed candy), and the arms are laffy taffy. 

       We have a lot of fun with Valentine's Day and wish you a happy day filled with love and loved ones.    

The Truck!!!!!

     Introducing the Lanoue families new ride, our brand new Chevy Silverado. We are ecstatic and so honored to have received such and amazing prize and recognition for all our work in ag promotion. Paul and I were blessed with the opportunity to compete earlier this year in the Farm Bureau  Young Farmer and Rancher Excellence in Agriculture competition and won the national contest and the truck you see here is our prize. See this post where I talk about what the competition involves Excellenge in Agriculture.

      We had a wonderful reception at our local dealership Lockwood Motors with many wonderful supporters of Farm Bureau and the Young Farmer and Rancher Program. As you see we got the kids our to school to help us celebrate. They are just as excited, if not more, about the new truck. Paul and I have been wanting and waiting for a truck for many years and are so excited the day has come where we can call one of these great machines ours.

     Here area bunch of photos my mom was so kind in taking for me during the reception. You can view them and get every minute of the excitement. Such a fun time full of great energy.

 

Luke and Rose spent most of their time in the cap testing every button and honking the horn.

Yes Paul you now own a Victory Red truck.

Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Papp presented Paul and I with the keys to the truck.

Chevy representatives came and we are honored at the wonderful prize the have given us and their support of Farm Bureau

AGNITION also presented us with a prize they were giving to us in a Generate product they will apply free of cost to 100 acers of our land this next spring. Thanks AGNITION.

The Farm Bureau staff put on a wonderful reception with a cake and drinks.

The kids were excited to see a candy boque and made sure to sample many of them.

 

Once again thank you to the great Farm Bureau Staff and friends who have helped us along the way. This truck wouldn't be ours without your great support and guidance.

      Thank you once again to all those who have helped us along the way and also to all of you out there who support agriculture in your daily lives. It is because of all of you that Paul and I have the passion and energy to keep spreading the wonderful new of agriculture today. We love our life connected to agriculture and growing food and love telling this story to all we meet. It is just the red cherry on top that we are honored with such an amazing prize. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you again to everyone we truly feel we couln't have gotten this without you.