Our "family" just expanded by 20!

Our newest additions.

(They were rather shy!)

We have about 8 laying hens and way too many roosters that are around one year old. This spring we are adding about twenty more chicks that should be laying this summer!

(This little lady was a little sleepy)

If my hubby gets his way, we will add a few more chicks by Easter time. I am thinking that 20 chicks is plenty for now. 

(Aren't they just so cute!?!?!)

We currently get a couple dozen eggs a week, all different colors: white, brown, and greenish. I love seeing all the hens and roosters roam all around the farm looking for bugs and anything that might taste yummy to them!


We are so happy to add these little gals to our family, they bring happiness with their cute fur and little cheeps!

Love,
Dakota

Tasty Tuesday

Just like the "Golden Girls" my sister and I love cheesecake!! We usually buy the tray of different flavors of cheesecake that cost like $15. Then my sister tried a recipe for home made cheesecake. So we of coarse had to try it. It was delicious! Even though we just did a plain one I could only imagine what it would take like with strawberries. :) I wanted to share this little treasure in case you were a cheesecake lover like we are!

Here are the ingredients:

3 packets of soft cream cheese 

1 small can of sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs 

1 tsp of vanilla 

Directions:

Take 3 packets of soft cream cheese mix it up then add 1 small can of sweetened condensed milk, 3 eggs, and 1 tsp of vanilla mix well for 2 mins with mixer. Then pour onto any kind of crust (I used a gram cracker crust) and bake at 300 for 1 hour. Let it sit out for 1 hour then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving! 

This is what it will look like after mixing it for two mins 

Here is the crust I used 

It's ready for the oven!!

Fresh out the oven!! Yummy!!!:)

Like I said earlier this is just simple awesome regular cheesecake, but you can add any flavor such as strawberry, chocolate, blueberry, etc to add a twist of flavor. I hope you can enjoy this cheesecake as much as my sister and I did!:) 

Love,

Taylor ❤️

Fitting in family time

I am normally a homebody - I just like to be at home, cleaning, cooking, crafting, lounging. It is just who I am. Even though I definitely enjoy a night out every so often, I usually can only stand so much time away from my home. Jerrad really likes to be home too, just doesn't get to be there often due to traveling for work and the cattle we raise. Those cows keep him so busy when he is back from work on the weekends. Usually, my hubby is gone all day Friday and Saturday, and then Sundays after church he is most likely at the farm as well. He is the hardest working man I have ever met. I usually kiss him goodbye around 7:30 or 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and don't see him until at least 6 p.m., if I am lucky. 

Since our normal schedule doesn't include much family time, we have to fit it in as best we can. That means that this last Saturday, Little Man and I loaded up with him after chores to go over to a corn field and pull posts and roll up electric wire. Well, I actually drove the truck while Jerrad pulled posts and threw them in the back, and Parker just hung out in the back of the pickup - front of the pickup - my lap - anywhere he was occupied. 

We brought some snacks so that we wouldn't starve - we didn't get lunch until 4 pm, so we still starved HAHA.

Jerrad had to be cold out there even though he had many layers on. The wind was blowing and it was 30 degrees.

I enjoyed the warmth of the pickup!! :) 

Love from my family to yours, 

Dakota 

"Normal"

I always struggle with the word "normal". I know, in life there really aren't "normal" circumstances or such. But I can't help but to think of how "un-normal" our family is. I can't help but to think it isn't fair. This kind of thinking is so selfish and ridiculous I know, but like I said, I can't help these feelings.

Even though I am married, I am often a "single parent", like EVERY week!!! I would be lying if I tried to sugar coat it and act like it didn't bother me, but it does. I am left with a feeling of loneliness every week when my husband leaves on Sunday afternoons to travel 6 hours away for work. He doesn't return until Thursday evenings. 

I truly wish I knew what it felt like to sleep next to my husband every night. I wish I knew what it would be like to spend every evening during the week across the table from the man who stole my heart. Our life together has always consisted of him being gone every week, so you would think that I would be used to it by now. It's quite the opposite honestly, it gets harder and harder to deal with the loneliness and I miss him more, and more, and more. As Parker grows older and realizes that his daddy isn't there for multiple days during the week, it's tough! 

I realize that some people may think that I knew when I married the man, so it's what I chose. It is!! Exactly, I didn't care if I got one day with this man or three, I knew God worked a miracle in uniting us together. He is my highschool sweetheart, odd for a highschool girl to date a guy that was only home on the weekends, but we were made for each other. We compliment each other in every way possible to compliment another person. 

Even though I am so passionate about this guy, and am so lonely without him during the week, I know that this is Gods plan. He is making our love SO strong right now!!!! He knows what we need, he is delivering that, even though it may bring heart ache. Our God has plans for us, he is working on us and answering our prayers. I know that God will lead my husband to a job somewhere close to home soon, I can feel His plan working in our family. 

On the other hand, I know how truly blessed I am to have a husband that isn't gone for year, on the other side of the country, and at least is home on the weekends. I am blessed to have a husband with a great job, that he loves doing. I am blessed to have a husband with such a strong work-ethic! He works 40 hours in 3.5 days and them comes home and works cattle EVERY DAY, he works 7 days a week and most likely more than 80 hours a week. I am blessed. 

May God bless you!

Dakota

Around the Farm on Friday

When I get a job as a nurse I want to be an OB nurse to be able to witness new life being brought into this world! It's a beautiful thing! Well even if I am not able to have my dream job, this time of the year, I get to witness new life being brought into this world on our farm all the time! :) We still have quite a few calves that need to make an appearance, but yesterday I was able to be around when a mama decided to have her baby! She did need some help. I am really glad when we as humans need help with having a baby that they don't put chains on and slowly pull the baby out! But we are talking about animals and it is at the pace of the cows contractions (sometimes). I love the baby calves! They loved the weather yesterday! They were running around with their tales sticking up! Soo cute! I couldn't picture myself anywhere else but on the farm this is my Home! 

Getting ready for baby!!! :)

Baby fresh from the womb!! A Heifer! (Girl)

Additional pictures: the one on the left is a heifer and the wife faced one is a bull 

Twins!!!!!:) she will be a busy mama! 

Love, 

Taylor ❤️