Happy Momma Moments

May & June were pretty awesome....  and I haven't taken time to share.  

Here you go - in no particular order!

Kind of a rare event to have all four of them at home at once these days...  this was FUN!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

She & Stacy had a very successful shopping trip!

Hanging out watching the Lake.  Peace.

This is where I go in my mind when I need a Calgon moment.

Alecia & M'Lynn enjoyed some relaxation as much as Mom.

6th Grandchild learning in the time honored tradition on G'pa's lap!

I think every frog should be given a boat ride before being released!

#1 son's cheering section at State Trap Shoot.  He tied his PR in the second round! :) 

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I am sooo proud of the kids and the way the worked together this weekend.

There's a long story involving tears over the health of Ms. Velvet.

I'll spare you the details. 

Just know the kids did awesome.

And we spoil our cows in their old age.

We love 'em like family.

And one gratis puppy photo.

Every morning, immediately after I leave this spot.....

Nope.  Not jealous.  Not at all.....

Oh, Goodness, I do love watching the baby calves!

We have five more expectant mothers to go and we will be done for the year.  

My Hubby will be done watching the cameras through the night when one of our cows is "close".

The girls will be done watching new mommas to make sure all is well with their milk supply.

Oh, and that all of the after-birth things happen correctly with no infection.

And that the calf is doing well - nursing, bodily functions, walking.  You know, the basics. :)

So many big and small steps and tasks that we do without thought.

And we love it.  Truly.

It does, however, consume most of our time.

Moving from maternity pen to birthing pen

from birthing pen to newborn pen

from newborn pen to big kid pen

from big kid pen to breeding pen (just for Momma cows, relax)

from breeding pen to bull exposure pen.

Every move requires that we make sure the water tank is of sufficient size

that there is adequate bunk space for all

Oh, and recalculating what each pen gets for grain and hay and such

many times it means cleaning the pen and re-bedding

We don't always get to time these things for good weather,

sometimes, we don't even get to choose daylight hours!

We're heading into hay making season, now that planting is done.

We can't just spend time on the animals, 

we need to make sure they have something to eat for the whole year.

It is a passion that our family shares and loves.

We bond over building fence and chasing cows

moving hay and cleaning mows

sore muscles and feeding mouths.

So how lucky am I that my family supports me in my new passion?

That they cheer me on in my Norwex adventure that takes time from my farm support staff role?

Pretty Damn Lucky.

And who would ever have thought that one person would be blessed with two careers to love?

Yep, Damn Lucky!

Truly, it is time for SPRING!!

Here they are again, my personal harbinger of Spring.  Love this Pussy Willow tree! Even though our temps are below normal and there are piles of snow here and there, this gives me the assurance we'll see green and lovely again!

Oh the joys of a 20 year sort!!  

This was just one of the treasures we found as we sorted through the accumulation of 20 years in the same home.  We were exhausted at the end of three very long days of opening, sorting, throwing and stowing, however, it was a perverse sort of fun going through all those memories with the kids and hubby.  The feeling of accomplishment when we reduced by more than 3/4 was soooo worth it!  I think, going forward, all of us will be more inclined to really analyse the importance of a "thing" down the road.  Perhaps a photo to capture the moment or accomplishment would suffice? 

 

I rewarded the girls with pedicures when we were all done - they stood alongside me through every hour of every day and didn't complain about their hijacked spring breaks once.

             

Our beloved "golden girls" are aging and I miss having farm fresh eggs - so in the midst of the 20 year sort, we bought some chicks.  They are now happily out in the hen house and growing quickly.  I can't wait for fresh eggs!

And, finally, our other sure indication that Spring has arrived - a new baby calf - complete with protective Momma!.  I love this time of year on the farm!

And what would Spring be without the urge to get into a good deep Spring Clean?!

I am so blessed to be using products that keep our family from coming into contact with toxic chemicals.  And WOW do they save time.  I do ALL the windows in our two story farm house in the time it used to take me to do the one big window in the living room.  No Joke.  

And the wonders of the mop system with Spring Mud make my heart sing!  Muddy paw prints (two legged and four legged!) - POOF! You're outta here!  No stress, just water and Norwex Microfiber.  Love it!

Maybe it's time for an update.....

January 30th 2013 Rocked my world.  Such a simple decision - to join the growing Norwex mission - has blessed me beyond measure in a year.  "Norwex checks all my boxes" is something that often comes out of my mouth when I talk to people. Since I'm a list person, this analogy makes sense in my silly brain.

What does that mean to me? 
* Company core values are something that resonates with me 
* Eliminating toxins in homes is a particular passion of mine - and has been for a long time 
* I can make a difference in our household budget and average about $75/hour. Totally worth my time - and I paid nothing to start.  I've actually never invested any non-Norwex money into my business.
* Recognition. The value of this to me personally surprised me. It feels good to be appreciated and encouraged. It doesn't hurt when they send free stuff, either, does it?!

* Meeting new people - at parties and at training - has been wonderful!

* Absolutely amazing support - Norwex is ready for you to be successful and they provide the tools to make it easy.  Seriously.  EASY.

The plan is to post a little more regularly. Share some of the amazing information that I am learning and what using Norwex can mean to you and your family.  For now, I'll just leave it as "life changing" for me and for my family and encourage you to do some clicking.  :)  

Learn More Here

Life is good at the Knapp Funny Farm

Introducing....

Kaya Li

Born January 30, 2012

10:30-something in the morning

7 lb 1 oz

19.5"

Happily welcomed by my sister, Stacy, her hubby Kai and big sister Raelynn

Aunt Shannon missed delivery day by, oh, 24 hours....  but very glad to have spent the weekend with Stacy and help with a few projects to reduce that huge 'to do' list that comes with 3rd trimester nesting!   So happy that the birth went well - and very quickly - and everyone is feeling good!  

What a joyous occasion!  

...now, when can I go visit?!

Saturday Morning Ritual

My workday starts at 7 a.m., so it isn't very often I "sleep in" on Saturday.  Not so for the rest of my family!  So, I usually have an hour or two of time to myself.  Quiet house. Quiet Mind.  Blissful!  Sometimes I tackle a project, but most often I make myself a cup of my personal recipe - what I fondly call my weenie coffee - and read a few chapters of my current book.  Just a small space of personal time in the midst of our busy family, and I treasure it.

Now I know you're dying to know all about weenie coffee...

This little recipe works nicely with a full cup of your favorite coffee, a packet of Nescafe Tasters Choice Instant Vanilla, or, as my original recipe called for, about two inches of coffee in the bottom of your cup.  The secret ingredient to this magic cup is the Hot Chocolate Mix that I use with the coffee.  It's called "Donna's Hot Chocolate" at our house because my good friend Donna shared the recipe after we got hooked on it at her house.  I promise, if you mix up a batch, you'll be hooked.  You need a large (as in that big Tupperware thatsa-bowl ) to mix and then some containers for storage.  I re-use a few of the ingredient containers, that way I can send some with the girls to college and have one at work.

Hot Chocolate Mix

8 Quart Size box Instant Milk

1 2# Can Nestle' Quick

2 small packages Instant Chocolate Pudding

1 16oz jar Coffee Creamer

2 C Powdered Sugar

1 C Granulated Sugar

1/2 C Cocoa

Carefully stir everything together and store.  You do use about 3 heaping Tablespoons for a cup of delicious hot cocoa.  As with any recipe, the better your ingredients the better the product.  I happened to have been gifted a container of Giardella Cocoa over Christmas, and this batch is divine!  

Thankful

I participated in a 'challenge' on facebook this November, while the men were not shaving...  Every day, share something for which you're thankful.  It sounds fairly simple and straight forward.  On the surface, it is simple and straight forward.  But as the month progressed, I found myself in a little bit of a struggle.  How much do I really want to share out there in facebook land?  How do I express the gratitude of an over-flowing heart for the simple gifts in my life?  Here are my posts...


Thankful, Day 30: I'm glad I accepted the challenge. "Practice the attitude of gratitude" can change your day. Every day.


Thankful, Day 29: New Toys, especially ones that disguise productivity in FUN! #1 Son purchased a new 4-wheeler and everyone's having a good time with it. Getting used a lot for chores, which means work is getting done with a lot more giggling going on!


Catching up...
Thankful, Day 28: Internet Free Weekend - loved it. Wasn't really intentional at first. Didn't want to miss a moment of family time!
Thankful, Day 27: Safe Travels - An unexpected round trip to CR area with the hubby - enjoyed the time together even if traffic was crazy. By 8 p.m., girls were safely back and settled at school. Always makes me breath easier once they're back!
Thankful, Day 26: Post-Thanksgiving snacking with friends. Fun evening!
Thankful, Day 25: Tradition - today begins, as it has every year in our marriage, the decorating of ze house. :) Christmas music is playing, the girls are giggling, and we're gearing up to make an absolute mess!

Thankful, Day 24: Family - by birth, by marriage, by choice. I am blessed. I hope you are spending the day with one, any or all of the above!


Thankful, Day 23: a short commute. When your internal alarm is still on "the old time" and your electronic alarm is mysteriously mute, a short commute is a blessing! :)

Thankful Day 22: Certainly thankful for the absence of headache. The time I treasure with family and friends will be much improved if it will simply stay gone!

Thankful, Day 21: Vehicles that warm up quickly and have added bonus of window and mirror defrosters. :)

Thankful, Day 20: My answer today is "D. All of the Above" - My house is full with all the kids home and a visit from Stacy Austin-Li and Raelynn; A nice reminder from Pastor Dan this a.m. to appreciate that there *is* a National Holiday to give us a special time to celebrate all we are thankful for, and hugs from great friends at church. Brody safely and successfully handled a rapid succession of mechanical failures while driving the 7060 and chisel plow yesterday. Yep, an "all of the above" kind of day! :)

Thankful, Day 19: Beyond grateful that Traci Skierka went to a conference a long while back, which gave her the knowledge to correctly diagnose my friend Kris who then began an education campaign that allowed LOTS of people - including many in my family - to be correctly treated for Lyme Disease.

Thankful, Day 18: I am thankful for Choices. To live in a country where we can choose to travel, or not. Choose to go to college, or not. Choose to pursue this - or that - career, or not. Choose to attend church, meeting, temple, mosque - or not. Choose to be involved; volunteer, or not. Choose to read about pretty much ANY topic, or not. Circumstances may seem to limit our choices, but at the base of everything, they are still there.

Thankful, Day 17: Farm Life. It's hard to explain the passion folks in agriculture have for their way of life. Viewed from the outside, it is just plain a lot of work - every day, every season, every year. From the inside, the satisfaction and challenge and LOVE of the land, the animals makes every minute worth it. Added bonus? Everybody eats. :)

Thankful, Day 16: A full night's sleep. Wondrous feeling!

Thankful, Day 15: Enjoying a beautiful sunrise, listening to praise music this morning on my way to work. It makes me smile, and brought to mind Pastor Dan's catch phrase - "God loves you, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

Thankful, Day 14: Having "the basics" covered - Employment, Roof, Food. Many are not as fortunate, and it's not something I should take for granted. (needing to remove the groan from "Monday"!)

Thankful, Day 13. Thank you Jane, for the words - Religious Freedom. I can't imagine my life without Faith.

Thankful, Day 12: Today I'm thankful for down time. Especially slower-paced productive down time. Still checking things off the list, but not obsessing about it!

Thankful, Day 11. Veterans. What you choose to do is humbling.

Thankful, Day 10. I'm stealing from Kay. Music. There are few things that can change my center faster than the right music. One of my favorites is Life 101.9.

Thankful, Day 9: my "family of origin". Mom & Dad (Bill Austin) taught Stacy and I to be independent thinkers, brought us up with Faith and Love and RULES. (one of my favorites is NO WHINING). Hey, Mom - it snowed! It's pretty! :)

Thankful, Day 8: Skype.

Thankful, Day 7: I'm a list geek, and today I'm thankful that my week's list does not look like last week's list; and that there is no carry-over from that hideous list into this week. "Gonna be a good day, Tater"

Giving Thanks, Day 6: Six is such a lovely number. Sometimes overwhelming, as our family conversational style can best be described as chaotic, but I love love love every minute of being the Mom. So thankful, and so blessed.

Thankful for some Brody time this morning. Don't get to see much of that boy this time of year.

Today, my Thankful item is easy. Happy, Happy Birthday to Alana. You have gifted me and my family with prayer, time, kindness, love and support too many times to count. What a blessing you and your girls are in our lives.

Riding the Thankful wave - with a little catching up to do:

3. SUNSHINE!

2. Crops are in and everyone is safe.

1. Amazing family time last weekend.