Weight Loss

 

Just over 2 years ago I decided to do something about my weight. 

I was not happy with the way I looked but more importantly, with a history of heart disease in my family, I wanted to get healthier.

My sister had just bought a fitness center so I talked to her and we came up with a plan for me to follow. 

She was also trying to lose weight so we were each others weight loss buddy.

I did some exercising (I am not a fan of exercise), starting eating healthier foods, practiced portion control (weighing my food) and cut back to 1200 calories a day, tracking everything I ate on www.myfitnesspal.com.  It basically was a lifestyle change.

Slowly I could see the weight come off.

Now 2 years later, I am 65 lbs. lighter!

It took me about 8 months to take the weight off and I have maintained for about a year and a half now.

I found I can maintain at 1500 calories a day.  I no longer track my food online, just try to keep a total in my head and I now know portions and do not have to weigh my food. I also did not eliminate anything out of my diet.  I know I would fail if I didn't allow myself the occasional sweet or pasta!

 

Here are the before and after pictures that my sister took of me.

 







 

Mother/Daughter Tattoos

Now that my daughter is an adult, I find that we have become best friends. 

We are so much alike it's scary sometimes.

We think alike, we like a lot of the same things and she even looks somewhat like me.

 

 

A few months ago, Courtney approached me about getting matching tattoos.

We both have a previous tattoo and both agree that tattoos should mean something.

So, the searching began looking for the "perfect" tattoo.

It took quite awhile but we finally found one that we both loved and both thought symbolized our relationship.

It is the infinity sign with a heart and the word love....meaning LOVE YOU FOREVER.

We made an appointment a few weeks ago and finally got our matching tattoos!

 

 Courtney went first.....

 And then it was my turn!

 

 

 

 Courtney's tattoo

 

 

 

 

We both LOVE our tattoos.

College Graduation

 

 

Our son Jeremy graduated from South Dakota State University this last weekend!

 

He earned degrees in...

Agronomy

and

Ag-Business

 

 

 

 

 Jeremy is proud to be a SDSU Jackrabbit graduate! 

 

 



 

Mom (and dad) are really proud of him too!

 

 

Jeremy joined FarmHouse fraternity while attending SDSU.  Here he is with one of his HS buddies and now his FH fraternity brother Stephen!

 

Jeremy really enjoyed his college career and being a FarmHouse fraternity member! 

He has gained many great experiences and life-long friends and fraternity brothers these last 5 years!

 

 

 

 

 

Jeremy has decided to join us in the farming and livestock operations and is also working part-time as an Agronomist.



Girls Weekend

 

 

 

I am a 4-H Shooting Sports Archery Instructor and our State Match was held last weekend.

So....I traveled to Pierre to watch my Shooters compete.

Traveling alone is no fun so I talked my daughter Courtney into going along with me. 

We made sure to take some time to have a little "girl time" and have some fun too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's kinda fun now that she is 21 and able to go to the bar and have a few drinks with me!

Cancer

 

 

 

My sister Cheryl was diagnosed with colorectal cancer a year and a half ago.

 

She has been through chemo, radiation, surgery to remove the cancer and place an ostomy, hospitalization for dehydration after the first surgery and surgery to reverse the sodomy.

 

She was a trooper through it all, not even missing a day of work through all the chemo and radiation.  Her job requires a lot of manual labor so that is quite a feat in my eyes!

She is my hero!

 

 

 Cheryl has had several clean check-ups in the last year and we feel so blessed and thankful!

The power of prayer is amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

We had a whole community behind us!  

They were praying for her......

 and they lined up a benefit for her to help with the incredible medical expenses that come along with cancer, even with good insurance.

The above picture shows all the items that were donated for the silent auction.

A poker run, live auction, pork feed and raffle were also held to help raise money.

We are so blessed to live in such and amazing community and with wonderful friends and relatives that pitched in to help!

 

 

 

 

All 4 of us siblings and my mom and Grandma were there for the benefit. 

There are only 4 of us kids but it had been several years since we had all been together.

 

I am going to take this chance to remind all of you to have your colonoscopy done if you are over the age of 50, earlier if colorectal cancer runs in your family or if you are experiencing any symptoms!  It is a relatively easy diagnostic test and well worth the effort!

 

Give your loved ones a hug and tell them how much you love them....often!

 

God is good!

Calving

 

 

Calving this year has really been challenging!

 

 

 

Several spring snow storms have made things pretty difficult here and it's really starting to catch up with this Frazzled Farm Wife! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cows do have some shelter but checking for new calves has been an around-the-clock job. 

I have been taking the 3am night shift and anybody that know me, knows that I like my sleep!

 Oh what a frazzled farm wife will do for the good of the livestock!

 

 

 

Bedding them down has been a never-ending job and
 getting the Gator stuck in the snow/mud is getting us frustrated too!

 

 

Our dog Madyson is my calving buddy and a huge help to us!

  She helps distract the cow so we can grab the new calf and also helps chase the cows where we need them (most of the time anyway, she does chase them to the wrong spot sometimes).

Every new calf is hauled to the pasture once it is born. 

Usually the mom follows the calf on the calf carrier behind the 4 wheeler. 

Once in awhile we get a stubborn cow and have to chase it to the pasture.

 

 

 

 

If we have a cold or wet calf or during snow storms, we haul it to the barn to get warmed up and dried off before it goes out to the pasture.

  

 

We have been in rain, snow, sleet, mud and frost this year. 

It has been a CRAZY year for calving!

 

 

Yesterday the cold, damp weather was starting to catch up to the calves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ran around treating calves that looked sick and hauled those that were a little worse off up behind the barn a tubed some electrolytes into them. 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been treating all along but yesterday and today were by far the worst days we have had for having sick calves.

 

 

 

Here are the 5 sickest calves we have all treated and snuggled up for tonight in the barn.

 

 

Let's hope tomorrow brings us some sunshine and warm temperatures!



Vegas

 

 

 

 

Chad and I went to Vegas last year for our third time. 

We enjoy Vegas but decided it was going to be awhile before we go back again.....

 

 

Until our daughter turned 21 in February....


For her 21st birthday she asked for a trip to Vegas with her mom and grandmas and
any aunts that could go.

I thought it was a little strange but decided I had better act on it because it won't be too many years and she won't want to hang out with her mom!!

I got on the phone with her Gram Phyllis that lives on the other side of the state and she was all over the idea!
 I called  Gram Sharon that lives a mile away and she was interested too.
Unfortunately none of the aunts could do it at this time.

So the planning began...tricky since Courtney is in college and can't miss many classes!
The day before we decided on a date and booked, Gram Sharon decided that she didn't want to go so we invited Gramp Pat that lives on the other side of the state with Gram Phyllis to join us since he has wanted to travel with Gram for a long time now. 

Gram Phyllis, Gramp Pat, Courtney and I will be flying to Vegas the end of May.  It's a few months after her birthday but hey, the date worked for the 4 of us that are going! 

As the time grows closer, I am getting more and more excited!  I haven't traveled with my mom since I was very little and it's going to be a blast to travel with my daughter/best friend!