Women in my family, on both sides, have a history of living long, full lives. They were educated, they worked, they raised families, and they were (and are) independent and opinionated. I can only hope to continue that legacy. Thank you to all the women who made me – my great-grandmas, grandmas, and my mom – for doing hard things so that I could grow up and never feel less-than because I’m a woman.
Thinking back I marvel at how naive we were, and how amazing it was welcoming that sweet boy into the world. We were completely unprepared for the all-consuming transition to parenthood, and I don’t think we’ve looked at anything in our lives the same since that day. A child changes your priorities and your focus in a way that is simply indescribable. As I reflected, I thought of these things I’ve learned the past four years. I don’t know if these are things I wish I’d known, or things I never quite believed, or things new parents need to hear, but regardless, here are my four things:
Work is important in our family. David and I were both raised with strong work ethics, and it’s really a core value for both of us. It’s not that we don’t believe in leisure, but we really appreciate the satisfaction of a job well done, and we don’t shy away from something because it’s “too much work”. It’s important to both of us to to pass this on to our children, and that’s one of the reasons we farm.
We bought the dairy in 2012 from David’s dad and Uncle Richard who had farmed here their entire lives. They grew up in what is now our house and raised their families working here side by side. I didn’t know either of them until they were nearing retirement, and I used to joke that I should film their antics for a YouTube series with a working title of “Fun on the Farm with Richard and Jerry”. My favorite such moment was a time that they were using a truck to pull-start a tractor (because sometimes tractors that don’t want to will start if they’re already moving). I don’t remember which was in the truck and which was on the tractor, but the one on the tractor was yelling something and the one in the truck had the windows up AND was on his phone. That was just par for the course.
I’m in a few Facebook groups focused on feeding kids, and I see this question daily. There are so many options available. There are even dozens of versions of cows’ … Continue reading What milk do you give your kids?
Friday David and I celebrated 10 years of wedded bliss (plus all those other emotions that married couples experience). David is a fantastic partner in farming, parenting, and life in … Continue reading Our First Decade
Saturday one of my substituted items in my grocery pickup order was Keebler mint cookies in place of Great Value mint cookies. Free upgrade, right?! Unfortunately not in this house thanks to food allergies. My oldest son Dominic loves to have cookies as a treat after dinner, but he can’t safely eat the Keebler brand because their chocolate contains milk, one of his many allergens.
In the last year and a half I’ve really refined my process, and with the recently expanded interest in eating meals at home as well as grocery pickup/delivery, I thought I’d share. I work Monday through Friday, and during normal times, I spend a couple of hours a day commuting. Sundays are usually busy with church and such, so Saturday mornings are my preferred time for errands.
The last couple of weeks have definitely been a new challenge, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of it (even though I definitely still hope they can both get back to daycare this week). Here’s what I think we’re doing right, and what I think we can improve:
HeimDairy 