Maybe You Are, Maybe You're Not

Maybe you've been wondering how we're faring after all of our changes during the past 8 weeks.

And maybe you're not, and I guess that's why I have struggled to write as of late. There's a lot, and I mean A LOT, more hectic, exhausting, happy, sad, interesting life stories out there, so please excuse me as I add to that pile.

First and foremost, we are adjusting.

And by adjusting, I mean, after selling our cows about a month ago, in the past week, we (and by we, I mean Joe), have purchased three new show animals: two heifers and a steer. They are currently being housed at their vacation homes until we get our more permanent set up, well, set up. Now, while three animals seems very, very small potatoes considering we (and again, I mean Joe) were dealing with 150 cows, calves, and all the chores that go along, having these three new friends gives Joe just a taste of the life of a cattleman.

Adjusting is the best word I can use to describe the past month. On Thanksgiving, we leisurely traveled to my father in law's, and spent the night, not worrying about any animal or crop or anything nearly 100 miles away. While that was heavenly to me, as I wasn't forced to pack up six kids for just a short day trip, but rather enjoy time spent on my father-in-law's farm, for Joe, it was strange. Thankfully, a few of our purebred cows are wintering on this farm, so Joe was able to get a little "fix" while we were there.

While there's much to do around here...a closet to demo to make room for a new basement staircase, papers to grade, babies to feed, kids to run around and chase after, the adjustment from farmer to non-farmer is hard. As I have written about many, many times, agriculture, especially when you're a producer, with your hands deep in the dirt and choring every day, it becomes a part of your soul.

It's not just a job, it's your whole life, so when that piece of your life's puzzle is removed, there's a lot of adjusting.

The kids have fared well, it's not like we've moved or anything. Our show animals will require daily chores, just in a different venue. And while my dad and my uncle still pull equipment out of the shed, just feet from our front door, there's a little piece of me that is slightly off, knowing that Joe really doesn't have to go out there and mess around in the shed, or take the Ranger across the road to check cows.

It's strange.

And we're adjusting.

Like I said before, it's not like we don't have plenty to do...our babies are growing and becoming a little more demanding. Our big kids are still filling our lives and calendars with their joyous activities, and Jack...well, he's three and is wearing. me. out. Joe is thriving as the community's new ag instructor, and I'm just trying to hold it all together and appear to have it all rolling along.

Notice I used the word, "appear," because six days out of seven, I'm NOT together, I just made it to the shower, before noon preschool pick up and had regular (although NOT the right size...ugh) clothes on.

We're all plugging away, trying to navigate our new roles, and when the first snow falls, we'll get over this weirdness and enjoy coffee and cocoa, knowing no cows of ours will be calving in a drift.

That's a good adjustment.