Family Life - January and February 2022

It is March already! And we are almost through it too! So I am once again combing two months for a family update because it is almost time for a March update! January was an intense month for our family on the farm with a series of winter storms. Kentucky weather is quite unpredictable, but one thing that is most often the case is that we get the worst of our winter weather after the first of the year and sometimes as late as March. This year, January was the month of serious weather for us. Our intense weather follows a similar pattern every year. It begins out warm, sometimes up in the 50s (one time this year is was up in the 60s), but then it begins to rain and the temperature drops and the rain can change to freezing rain and sleet, then ice and eventually snow. This is the most difficult weather on the cattle in that they are wet from the rain and then with the temperature dropping so low, it can be very serious for them. It is intense on the cattle crew as well as we simply try to keep all the cattle alive, keep an eye on mamas that are due to calve, young babies already born, keep all the cattle fed with hay (sometimes supplementing with some grain to provide extra support for them), jacket those calves that are struggling, chop ice to provide water for all the groups, and keep hoses drained to avoid the water pipes from freezing and bursting! 

Storm #1
"The crew" all bundled up and heading out.

A highlight memory from this winter was when Hope and I were trying to get
a hypothermic calf and her mother up to the barn. Hope was going to hold the
calf on the 4-wheeler and I was going to drive and we were hoping the cow 
would follow, but when it became clear the mother wasn't going to cooperate, 
I went back to the barn for some feed, a feed trough, and some more help. Upon
returning, we assigned positions and began the slow walk back to the barn with Hope
holding the calf in the feed trough while Olivia pulled it with the 4-wheeler and 
Leah and I following with the cow. Only a short way into our journey, the 4-wheeler got 
stuck in the deep snow (it had been predicted only about 3 inches, but we were over 6
at this point) and so leaving the calf sitting in the trough, Olivia and I pulled the plastic
 liner out of the frame and began pulling it up the hill. Being that it was plastic, the liner
acted much like a sled would and for the most part, it pulled pretty easily, but going 
uphill made for a good workout! The calf and mama got the barn safely and baby 
recovered fine. =)

Hope is such a faithful worker in every kind of weather. From getting up in 
the middle of the night to check on mamas, being out in the late hours
to make sure everything has been completed, sacrificing herself to keep babies 
alive, and continuing everyday to give of herself for the success of the farm, 
she is a blessing and a wonderful role model.

 It is such a blessing to be able to work together as 
siblings!

 I had the joy of getting to work with Hope at different times this winter.
Trying to catch calves to jacket, hauling calves on the 4-wheeler,  
checking coyote traps, laughing at our frozen hair, and wrestling a
calf in the snow we were trying to get with his mama, winters are
hard, but carry a lot of good memories that bind us together. 

In late January, with no regrets about leaving the cold, I flew to
Florida for a week of prison ministry. 

My "prison friend" AmyGrace and I. Our friendship has been surrounded
by pencils. The first day we met, we sharpened over 1000 pencils for the
upcoming seminars and now, almost 4 years later, well it hasn't changed...
we still sharpen pencils!

Before driving south for the week, our girls team was able to 
take some time to steal away to Panama City Beach. 

Early morning travels.

"The Girls Team"

On Valentine's Day, Caden took Olivia, Hope, and I out for dinner. 
He was so sweet!

For their 29th wedding anniversary, Mom and Dad took a little getaway down
into Tennessee where they visited the National Confederate Museum (our family 
greatly enjoys the War Between the States).

Hope's 17th birthday!

Olivia's 19th birthday!

Gathering to pray over Olivia. 

Emma and Stephen found out the gender of their baby!
We all voted whether we thought it was a boy or girl and then 
popped a balloon that was filled with appropriate colored confetti. 
I voted girl...but was wrong! I am getting nephew in July!!!