Hello Friends and Family!
Well our little Edith made it through surgery without a hitch. We are very thankful for a wonderful surgeon and staff that did a fantastic job of the lip repair. We are also very thankful for a healthy baby, who may not be happy yet, but is getting there. Thank you all for your prayers.
Much Love,
Travis, Katie, and Edith

Holiday Letter

Dear Friends and Family,
Since it has been over a year since I last wrote I figured its time to start back up.  :)  It also helps that I have a lot of wonderful things to talk about.  First and foremost is that I serve an amazing God that has provided Handsome and I with a wonderful life!  He has gotten us through a lot over the last year.  Last fall and part of winter I spent going to physical therapy for my ankle and today I can do almost everything I could do before the break.  The cold weather makes me a little more aware of it, but it doesn't slow me down.  :)  The middle of November we were blessed with an apartment to move in to for the winter that was on a farm.  In spite of all the challenges that we had while living there, it was great to have a place to live during a very cold winter that was not a camper.  Lets just say though that Handsome and I will never be owners of goats, period.
In January we were blessed by Handsome's family to get to take a trip to Israel.  The entire family got to go, and it was a wonderful experience to get to see the land that God chose for His People.  At Easter, Handsome and I were excited to announce that we would be expecting a baby the end of October.  We spent much of the time over the next couple of months preparing for our baby girl's arrival.  We also got to celebrate Handsome's sister getting married in May.
In June at our 20 week ultrasound we found out that our baby girl would have a clef lip, and a possible clef palate.  It for sure wasn't the news that we planned on hearing, but after having a second ultrasound in Rochester they concluded that our baby girl was completely healthy other than the lip and we embraced the joy of a healthy baby.  Also in June we purchased a house on a little acreage just north of Mountain Lake.  We love it!  It is so nice to be in a house again, and to have space to have all of our stuff in one location.  We don't quite have all of our stuff all in one location yet, but it is definitely closer to being a reality.  Moxie also is very appreciative of the new place, because it has room for her to run and plenty of squirrels, rabbits, and birds to chase and sometimes kill.
Then in July we took a family vacation with Handsome's family to Canada where we celebrated the wedding of a cousin and just enjoyed some relaxation in beautiful Banff and Jasper National Parks.  I continued to work for KBQ until a few weeks before our baby was due, but have since taken on the job as a full time mom.  Our baby girl was born on October 29th, after quite a long delivery process.  I am definitely enjoying being a mother of a baby outside of the womb as opposed to inside the womb.  :)  She does have both a clef lip and palate, but honestly I wouldn't have her any other way.  She is beautiful and has the best smiles.  Another family that has a boy with clef lip and palate says that wide smiles are the best smiles, and its true!  There really isn't anything better than one of my little girl's smiles.  It lights a room up!

One of her many smiles!

We have spent much of the time following her birth with family, partially due to the holidays, but also due to the loss of both of my grandfathers.  My mom's dad passing away the day our girl was born and my dad's dad passing away here a couple of weeks ago.  Life has been a whirl wind, and for some reason I don't think its ever going to slow down.  A couple of days from now our little girl will go in for her first surgery, which will be for the lip repair.  Many have asked me how I'm doing and told me that they're praying for us, and I am so appreciative of your prayers.  Honestly I'm doing okay.  I'm excited to see how God is going to work through all of this.  Our little girl is so full of joy that she can't help but brighten everyone's day that she is around.  Something that Handsome and I did from the beginning of the pregnancy was to pray over her and bless her spirit.  Even though our earthly bodies can't understand language at conception our spirits are eternal and can understand a lot.  So we chose to speak to our little girl's spirit and to bless it.  I wholeheartedly believe that she is a joyful baby because of that.  My prayer is that everyone we meet in Rochester sees that joy and asks us about it.  :)
Handsome through all of this has continued to work for Easy Automation.  He is really growing in his job, and is very knowledgeable in his work.  He gets to travel quite a bit with it, and enjoys getting out of the office to see people and what they're doing on their farms.
Well I should get to bed, but I thought I would try to get this update out to all of you.  I'll try to do a little better on the communication front.  Thank you all for your love and support!
Blessings,
The Adventurous Farm Wife

Hello....I'm back!

Dear Family and Friends,
A lot has happened since my last post on here, so I'll give you all a brief update of the last year and a half.  The spring and summer of 2012 were filled to the max with long days working on the farm getting barns constructed and projects finished before Handsome and I moved to Kansas in August.  It was a lot of work with little to no play/vacation time.  However we did add a member to our family in late May.

Her name is Moxie Anne, she is an English Springer Spaniel, and we love her dearly as do most that meet her.  She is a sweet, exuberant (most of the time) dog, and she keeps us very entertained with all of her antics.  Handsome started back at K-State in August to finish up his degree in Agriculture Technology Management.  Since the summer was so hectic and we were planning on only being in Kansas for the duration of the school year, we decided to move in with my parents who live just 45 min away from campus.  It was a wonderful blessing to get to live with them for the school year.  The time seemed to fly by.  God was very good in providing for us, so that I didn't have to find a job.  My main "job" during this time was to stay at home and cook and clean.  I did a few odd jobs here and there, but nothing long term.  It was wonderful to be available for my parents, who are college students as well, and for Handsome when they got home and for random emergencies.  :)  Then in May as planned we packed up and moved back to the farm.  The difference from before is that this time we moved to the farm itself and are living in a camper.  Our plan was to be here for the summer and part of fall, so again it didn't make sense to find a more permanent place for only a few months.  Just for the record, living the life of a gypsy can be quite confusing at times.  :)  This summer has been quite interesting and different than we had planned.  Originally we were going to be remodeling the office for the farm, but other more pressing issues came up and it seems the "To Do" list is never ending.  Also while on vacation in Canada with Handsome's family I broke and dislocated my ankle.

It was near the beginning of our time, so it kind of put a damper on the vacation and shortened it quite a bit.  The Canadians were quite helpful, however I am definitely not looking forward to having socialized healthcare in the U.S.  Upon returning from vacation I went in for surgery and they put a plate and 8 screws in my ankle.  I spent about a month recuperating in Mountain Lake while Handsome went back to the farm to continue working on projects.  I'm walking on my foot again due to the wonders of a healing body and excellent surgeons.  I get the feeling though that I would lose a race with a tortoise at this point and time.  God created out bodies though to heal and I have no doubt that in no time I will be giving that tortoise a run? or rather walk for his money.  :)  We're getting ready to move again, in fact the end of this week.  Handsome starts a new job next Monday with Easy Automation Systems out of Welcome, MN and I start a new job with KBQ in Mountain Lake.  Definitely looking forward to being closer to family and all of the new opportunities and responsibilities.  As seems to be our pattern, we don't have a place to live in yet, so the camper is moving with us.  If you ever wonder what its like to be a gypsy, just ask me and I'll be happy to give you the pros and cons of it.  Anyways there is the last year and a half.  Sorry it got a little long winded.

As a side note Knocking on Heaven's Door is a favorite comic of mine and this one the other day really spoke to me and reminded me of how often I discredit the AWESOME things my God has done and is doing.  I have an AWESOME God who is greater than any hero that we can dream up...just saying.  :)


Have an AWESOME Week!
Love to you all,
The Adventurous Farm Wife

Favorite Flower: Orchids

Dear All,
I had a request about two weeks ago for a blog post on orchids.  You see, I really like orchids they're one of my favorite flowers.  I think that they bring an ordinary room to life.  : )  I got my first orchid as a senior in college.  I loved how it brought such cheer to my room and it gave me something to nurture.

Orchids are quite finicky about what kind of environment they like to live in, but once you understand the environment that they come from, it makes total sense.  Orchids are native plants to the rain forest.  They actually don't have a root base in the ground, but attach themselves to the bark of trees.  Orchids are not parasites, but rather have a symbiotic relationship with the trees, doing them no harm.  The information to glean then from understanding their natural environment is the following: orchids like bright light, but not direct light (they have filtered light in the rain forest, they don't rise above the tree canopy), orchids like to have moist roots, but not wet roots drowning in water (growing on trees the environment is quite humid, but the tree bark does not retain a lot of water, so when it rains the roots catch what water they can).  These two elements of orchids can make caring for them quite difficult.

However if you find yourself gifted with an orchid or desire to buy one, here are my suggestions, find a place in your house that gets bright, filtered light.  Sometimes the place you think will be the best spot isn't the best.  My orchids are currently in the window by my entryway.  I would have thought that the draft of cold air when the door is opened and closed would have bothered them, but since there is a heater vent right below the window the cold doesn't affect the flowers and they love it there.  Second make sure that the "dirt" that your orchid is planted in is more of a bark mulch than potting soil.  Potting soil holds too much moisture.  Bark allows for the water to get away from the roots, but also provide a humid environment for them.  Lastly watering your orchid.  A lot of orchids that you can buy are "Just-Add-Ice Orchids."

The problem I've found with watering orchids with ice is that it doesn't provide the plant with enough water and it tends to freeze the roots.  Remember orchids like warm tropical environments and ice doesn't fit with that.  My suggestion is to just water them one to two times a week and give them about two to three seconds of water.  Also it is good to get Orchid Miracle Grow and give your plants that every so often when you think they need a boost.  Those are a few of the things that I have learned about these beautiful plants.

Loving on my Plants,
The Adventurous Farm Wife

Perfect Timing

Dear All,

Good Morning!!!  It is a beautiful morning here in Minnesota and spring is definitely in the air...finally!  For a Kansas girl spring does not come to Minnesota as quickly as it comes to Kansas, which can be slightly depressing, but then again I do enjoy winter.  :-)  Anyways, lately I have really been reminded a lot by the Holy Spirit of God's Perfect and Amazing Timing.  I've been reading through the story of Moses the last couple of days and looking at it with logical thought and reasoning one could conclude the God's timing really stunk.  I mean why did God harden pharaoh's heart so that time after time pharaoh wouldn't let the Israelite people go, even though it would have been to his benefit?  Why suffer through all of those plagues?  However, God saw pharaoh's heart and knew that pharaoh wouldn't be convinced of God's sovereignty until it hit his home and family.  God wanted pharaoh to know that it was God and not pharaoh who decided timing.

I continually see God's Timing in Handsome and I's life as we construct these two barns.  This last week went so well that only God could have planned it.  The concrete crew for the farrowing barn arrived first thing Tuesday morning to set up forms for a pour on Thursday.  The weather Tuesday and Wednesday was perfect for forming, but was less than ideal for pouring.  They were ready to pour Thursday and the weather was perfect for pouring, absolutely gorgeous!  MPCA showed up on Thursday just in time to do their review of the farrowing barn pad and do a final look over the Breeding barn before we shut it up and prepare it for piggies to arrive next week!  Friday we had rainy weather all day, perfect for concrete curing!  Now mind you, everything with these projects hasn't gone perfectly the way that we wanted it to, but I have an idea it was perfectly how God wanted it to go.  Just like the Israelite people, Handsome and I, may not always understand why things go the way they do, but I think when we look back over it we'll see His Mighty Hand guiding us the entire way.  The important thing is to trust Him right now.

My God is Amazing and I hope you'll join me in praising Him for the great things He has done.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
The Adventurous Farm Wife

Catch UP

Dear Friends and Family,
Sorry its been awhile since I wrote last.  I keep having ideas to write about, but a lack of time to sit down and write about them.  However I have finally, it seems, caught up on things and have a bit of time to write this morning.  I had a lot of fun this weekend cooking/baking.  In fact in consumed my weekend, but I'm okay with that.  : )

One of the many goodies I made this weekend! So fun!
I hope our workers enjoy them.  : )

I have found from the last several weeks that during the week I rarely have the desire or time to cook/bake, but we need to eat.  Sooo, this means I cook and bake on the weekends.

This is what has been consuming our time during the week!

Handsome and I like to pack our lunches for work and we like to eat homemade food with few preservatives and artificial flavors.  In other words we don't like to pop open a can of soup and microwave it for lunch, one buying canned soup is expensive and two it doesn't taste nearly as good as homemade soup.  Just saying.  These wants though mean that I have to prepare ahead of time food that is easy to grab out of the frig and pack in a sack lunch early in the morning.  Here are a few things that I have learned:

1 - 8 oz Mason Jars are great for baking food in, packing in a sack lunch, and storing in the frig as well as once you're done eating the goodness out of them you don't have to throw anything away, wash and reuse.  : )

2 - Its important to have variety, so don't be afraid to try new recipes.  Yes, there will be a few recipes that you wish you hadn't tried, it just means that you're learning.  Learning = Good  : )

3 - Find recipes that make great leftovers.  Hot lunches are really nice to have, but can be bad if the leftovers don't heat up well.

4 - Salads are great so long as the dressing stays away from the lettuce until eating.  A great way to solve the dilemma of having too many containers is to put the dressing at the bottom of a mason jar, then add toppings, then the lettuce.  This keeps the lettuce separate from the dressing and makes for a colorful jar of goodness.  

5 - Above all, Have FUN!!!  Its easy to get frustrated and discouraged, but view providing meals for you and your spouse as an adventure.  Get creative and let your inspirations take form.  Meals can be exciting for your spouse, and when they are chances are they're bragging to their co-workers about what an amazing wife they have.  I know mine is.  : )

In other news:  The Breeding Barn is coming along really well!!!  Gilts are scheduled to be moved in next week!!!  It is so exciting to see our dreams becoming reality!  Our banker and insurance agent came and toured the barn last Friday and were extremely impressed.  At one point the Banker said, "So what you're telling me is this barn is going to be a state-of-the-art facility?"  Yes, sir it sure is.  : )  We're excited to move the gilts in and have our workers start working in it.  God is so Good!!!  He has shown Himself to be faithful and true to protect and provide for us.  It is our hope and prayer that our workers would see and experience this as they work in this facility.  

Anywho, sorry this got so long.  I'll try to get a few of the ideas that have been rolling around in my head written on here soon.  : )  Until then may God bless you all!

Much Love from Minnesota,

The Adventurous Farm Wife

Simple Joy

Dear All,

Sorry I haven't written in awhile.  I think that I have been suffering from a bit of writer's block.  *sigh*  However my mum really wanted to see pictures of this wonderful little thing that I made and suggested I write a post about it, so here it goes.

Notice all the pockets!!!  They are wonderful!  I added the one on the right.
I am considering moving it down to the bottom of the bag, so that it has a little more stability.

I recently started attending a bible study that my church hosts called "Bible Study Fellowship."  It is an interdenominational Bible Study and about 200 women from the community currently attend it.  I am enjoying the study thus far, however I noticed my second time there that all of the ladies had wonderfully creative and cute bags to carry all of their materials in.  I felt quite out of place, because I was carrying everything I had in my hands quite clumsily.  Now I'm not going to even go into the psychological ramifications of this feeling or the fact that there quite possibly are some jealousy issues that I need to deal with, I consider myself a bag lady and I was lacking, okay?  We'll work on the jealousy at another time.  :-)  However I have solved the problem with my own creativity and am quite proud of the results.  See as I was contemplating the fact of having no bag, my mind got to working, because I could not justify going out and spending a lot of money on materials or for that matter a pre-made bag.  What a dilemma!  

Then I thought well maybe I could confiscate a pair of Handsome's jeans to make myself a bag, but then I would have to make a flawless argument to him of why I needed his pair of jeans to make a bag.  I had a feeling that I would lose that one, as Handsome has the superior debate skills.  However I could use my own pair of pants for the bag and perhaps I could persuade Handsome of this endeavor.  Eureka!!!  I had a solution and I had the perfect pair of pants.  I had this wonderful pair of brown cargo pants that were in wonderful condition, because I rarely wore them.  At some point in time I must have sat down on a minuscule droplet of bleach resulting in a bright red spot very near the crotch.  This spot made it difficult for me to wear said pants for the overwhelming feeling that everyone was looking at my rear trying to figure out what the spot was.  *sigh*  

Okay rabbit trail over....I found my perfect pants for my bag.  I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of the process that I took to create the bag, but I did take a lot of my ideas from this blog: http://www.favecrafts.com/Sewn-Bags/Funky-Jeans-Bag.  I haven't decided if I am completely done with my bag yet or not, but I am thrilled that I was able to spend very little money on a bag that completely fits what I want in a bag.  :-)  I encourage each of you to think outside of the box when it comes to your wants.  The simple joy of creating something without spending money can not be over exaggerated.  

May God bless each of your creative endeavors with laughter and simple joy.

Blessings,

The Adventurous Farm Wife