tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44749074791749223602010-03-09T22:20:06.844-07:00This is real life on the farm with four kidsErinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.comBlogger402125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-38198504307193976272010-02-24T11:13:00.000-07:002010-02-24T11:13:20.322-07:002010-02-24T11:13:20.322-07:00

Do you ever have that eerie feeling . . . like someone is watching you? These days, I feel that way every time I go out to check for new calves. It's especially eerie at midnight. I'm hoping it's the same feeling that the Humane Society of the United States is experiencing right now after the establishment of humanewatch.org. It's a new website designed to provide transparency into the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com6http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/02/ever-feel-like-you-are-being-watched.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-56719422485335120602010-02-20T14:27:00.000-07:002010-02-20T14:27:42.682-07:002010-02-20T14:27:42.682-07:00

Our first calf was born last night. Rather than choosing the pile of straw next to a windbreak, or the shelter of the barn, the first-time mama selected a pile of snow as her birthing bed.  The calf was hastily relocated to a warmer environment, but the same scenario is bound to play out over and over again in the next few weeks. Snowbanks are plentiful, and cows with common sense are in short

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com5http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/02/positive-thinking.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-5776090464667504752010-02-08T20:44:00.000-07:002010-02-08T20:44:13.309-07:002010-02-08T20:44:13.309-07:00

I'm not an HBO subscriber, but I made an exception this month so we could watch the film "Temple Grandin." It was worth the $15. Riley has watched it three times. He wants everyone he knows to watch it. You can read my take on it by clicking here.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com2http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/02/what-ive-been-writing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-48136837067617906312010-01-25T13:04:00.001-07:002010-01-25T13:06:36.986-07:002010-01-25T13:06:36.986-07:00

Just a few examples of why it has been a bit difficult to feed the animals lately.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com16http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/01/after-storm.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-63176722505286821182010-01-14T20:35:00.000-07:002010-01-14T20:35:59.426-07:002010-01-14T20:35:59.426-07:00

I've often discussed the fact that the rewards of this lifestyle are not always monetary. If there are monetary rewards, they quickly disappear into a newer piece of machinery, into the ground to be next year's crop, or into the upkeep of the place. However, the rewards of this lifestyle are plentiful. You just have to look for them. Sometimes, when it's below zero for days on end, you have to

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com3http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/01/details.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-84851719603897879132010-01-07T21:47:00.001-07:002010-01-07T21:50:15.016-07:002010-01-07T21:50:15.016-07:00

My brain needs a break from writing, so I've been sifting through photos of our holiday activities. Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order. I dare you not to smile when you look at that last one.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com1http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/01/favorites.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-5304917862910326522010-01-05T08:57:00.000-07:002010-01-05T08:57:54.990-07:002010-01-05T08:57:54.990-07:00

If you're feeding with the tractor, you may as well plow the road as well.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com2http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/01/multitasking.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-38050445126250790252010-01-04T14:59:00.000-07:002010-01-04T14:59:34.785-07:002010-01-04T14:59:34.785-07:00

One of my favorite sayings is "Bloom where you're planted."  It's a visual description of my life philosophy. Happiness is not a result of having everything you've ever wanted. It's a result of wanting what you have.  So when Christmas vacation plans are interrupted by illness and bad weather, it's natural for me to take the opportunity to pass along a lesson or two. Instead of thinking

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com2http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2010/01/bloom-where-youre-planted.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-50403808836837848062009-12-21T11:41:00.000-07:002009-12-21T11:41:54.428-07:002009-12-21T11:41:54.428-07:00

By popular demand, I have once again compiled our family’s adventures into the annual Christmas letter. Unlike other letters you may receive, ours lacks the depiction of the perfect family complete with 2.1 children who are on the honor roll. Our kids forget to flush, fight with their siblings, walk through the house with muddy boots, and pick their noses in church. With that in mind, I hope

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com9http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/12/christmas-tradition.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-27780195612570506442009-12-16T20:43:00.000-07:002009-12-16T20:43:52.814-07:002009-12-16T20:43:52.814-07:00

The last month of the year finds me scrambling to finish projects, finalize farm bookkeeping, and find the perfect Christmas gift for everyone on my list. It’s a frenzied time of baking, cleaning, and making sure the girls don’t spill anything on their Christmas dresses. I must carefully wrap each gift so I can later pick up the shreds of paper strewn across the living room floor. I painstakingly

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com7http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/12/new-decade.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-17319007587819066642009-12-15T10:37:00.000-07:002009-12-15T10:37:00.960-07:002009-12-15T10:37:00.960-07:00

What happens when a mom tries to capture perfection for the annual Christmas card? Ah, well. This is about as close to perfect as it gets around here.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com5http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/12/perfection.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-44066827011065602992009-11-18T22:41:00.005-07:002009-11-18T22:59:02.972-07:002009-11-18T22:59:02.972-07:00

The tale of 40 roosters begins last June with the arrival of two cheeping boxes at the local post office. The little cheepers numbered 50 in all, the idea being that approximately half of them would become the new flock of laying hens and the other half would become chicken dinner. Alas, the plan went awry. Even I, a novice chicken farmer and self proclaimed chicken hater, could see that

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com7http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/11/tale-of-40-roosters.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-66492711110952600792009-11-16T08:34:00.003-07:002009-11-16T14:06:55.557-07:002009-11-16T14:06:55.557-07:00

Having become a slacker blogger, I have trouble knowing where to start when I decide it's finally time to do a new post. I usually take a look at my photo files to remember what we've been up to lately, but I've been slacking so badly that I now have six months of events and activities that have gone unblogged.Instead of reaching back to May for a blog update, I'm introducing a new concept that

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com6http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/11/backwards-blogging-part-1.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-62064722635149607952009-11-10T16:25:00.002-07:002009-11-10T17:09:46.780-07:002009-11-10T17:09:46.780-07:00

After passing his hunter's safety course earlier this fall, Riley has been anxious to shoot something besides pop cans and paper targets. Last Saturday, he got his chance.I'm told that the first buck is something special for a boy. I suppose it's a rite of passage that goes back to a time when providing for one's family involved putting meat on the table - literally. It was an integral component

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com11http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/11/rite-of-passage.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-5672807147770372122009-11-04T21:15:00.003-07:002009-11-04T21:47:21.170-07:002009-11-04T21:47:21.170-07:00

My baby is four. I would be concerned about that if I weren't so distracted by the fact that my oldest child is 12. Four also happens to be one of my favorite ages, so I'm trying to enjoy the time for what it is instead of lamenting the idea of my kids growing up too fast.It also helps to have fun parties. This one was all about piggies. Pink piggies, to be exact.The guest of honor was a pink

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com9http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/11/pink-piggy-party-pictures.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-83993547263214702262009-10-22T21:14:00.003-06:002009-10-22T21:24:48.211-06:002009-10-22T21:24:48.211-06:00

Today marks an important occasion: selling and shipping the calves.As the cows rounded the corner toward home, I realized that we're rounding a corner, too. Today we're transitioning into the next year in the cattle business. We choose a group of female calves to keep, and in another year they will replace older cows that have reached the end of their careers. The cows will transition through

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com5http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/10/rounding-corner.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-49447501817328366512009-10-12T08:41:00.004-06:002009-10-12T13:26:16.202-06:002009-10-12T13:26:16.202-06:00

I have this thing with birthday cakes.You can read about it here and here.I also have this thing with chickens.You can read about it here.Combining the two seemed like a really, really unwise idea, but my boy wanted a chicken cake. Who am I to deny him his birthday wish?So I set out to make a chicken cake, armed with a glass measuring bowl, a custard cup, and a coffee mug.Add a some frosting, a

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com9http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/10/i-am-chicken.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-61521792811518184172009-10-08T22:25:00.001-06:002009-10-08T22:25:54.080-06:002009-10-08T22:25:54.080-06:00

When my first baby was born, I was 21. I was a college graduate, a farmer’s wife, and a newspaper reporter. I was pretty sure I could handle parenting. I had it all under control. I found motherhood to be fairly easy. The baby needed held, fed, changed, burped, and entertained. I could handle all those tasks with ease. I could do several of those tasks simultaneously while stirring the gravy

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com7http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/10/evolution.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-21380860227368774492009-10-02T20:49:00.000-06:002009-10-03T15:59:23.159-06:002009-10-03T15:59:23.159-06:00

My sister and I weren't the best of friends growing up.With six years separating us, we didn't have much in common. My, how times have changed. Now that we're adults, we find that we sometimes have too much in common.We frequently show up for family events wearing the same outfit, the same shoes, the same jewelry, and the same hairstyle. We make spaghetti for dinner on the same night. We married

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com5http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/10/blondies.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-55439964491279269602009-09-03T19:22:00.001-06:002009-09-03T19:25:53.460-06:002009-09-03T19:25:53.460-06:00

Mama always says to wash up before dinner.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com9http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/09/mama-always-says.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-71215352580943555852009-08-26T17:55:00.002-06:002009-08-26T21:15:43.332-06:002009-08-26T21:15:43.332-06:00

Next year when I'm taking the "First Day of School" photos, I should remember the following:a) Don't force the poor children to squint into the sun.b) Convince Matthew that I said, "Say cheese," not "Be cheesy."c) Keep in mind that sixth graders are not keen on Mom taking "First Day of School" photos (or subsequently following them to school and showing up in their classroom to take another photo

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com10http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/08/note-to-self.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-48084696799003406562009-08-12T08:31:00.003-06:002009-08-12T09:39:14.629-06:002009-08-12T09:39:14.629-06:00

This time of year, my husband feels a bit like a boomerang. He is caught between the two major components of our livelihood: crops and cattle.We're midway through harvesting winter wheat, which means he spends at least 14 hours a day - and usually longer - in the field and on the road hauling the grain to storage.But when the weather prohibits harvesting, he's catapulted into the cattle side of

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com15http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/08/boomerang.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-44337632386418691632009-08-05T22:32:00.000-06:002009-08-05T22:33:21.380-06:002009-08-05T22:33:21.380-06:00

Wondering where we've been lately?Gone fishin', of course.The fish bites were a bit sparse, but the experience was the stuff of which summertime memories are made.Digging worms, wading in mud, learning to cast with Grandpa. . .It's the way summer ought to be spent.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com7http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/08/gone-fishin.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-75719205448925566472009-07-28T18:59:00.002-06:002009-07-28T21:54:34.837-06:002009-07-28T21:54:34.837-06:00

He may never be an Olympic athlete, but he's a gold medalist nonetheless.Riley took 15 exhibits in 3 project areas to the County Fair. He came home with 15 blue ribbons and 3 first place medallions in Electricity, Robotics, and Photography.This is a blatant brag. I'm proud of him. I'm proud of how he worked on his projects without (much) complaining, how he completed his books before interview

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com18http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/07/its-my-blog-and-ill-brag-if-i-want-to_28.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4474907479174922360.post-19617880476117713482009-07-23T12:26:00.004-06:002009-07-23T14:58:57.098-06:002009-07-23T14:58:57.098-06:00

Sometimes living in Montana can be like taking a step back in time.My cousin's recent wedding was a case in point. In the city, the bride and groom are likely to hire a limo as a means of transportation to and from their wedding. Out here, you're more likely to wave goodbye as the bride and groom look out from an old pickup truck or a horse and buggy.In my cousin's case, it was a stage coach

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07916444397293421413noreply@blogger.com5http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/2009/07/back-in-time.html