Drying Up Cows & A Suprise!

We are still busy with preparations this past week and have a bunch more to do.  The count down until calving is 8 days, but for the past two years we have always had one cow calve a week early.  So that always puts an extra edge to the preparations.

Danny and his dad dried up our remaining 20 milk cows yesterday (Friday) morning.  Our SCC was creeping up (as is not uncommon for late lactation cows and cows that are milked once a day).  So, in trying to be merciful to our milkman, who I think was wondering what the point was in us shipping so little milk, we dried up the remaining cows.  It will be a short but very sweet break from milking.

Today (Saturday), we went to a conference in Lancaster.  There were TONS of really amazing topics being discussed.  Dr. Huber was there and spoke about glyphosates and gave Danny and I a lot to think about when it comes to feeding GM (genetically modified) feed.  Here are some links if you wish to hear more--I would really encourage you to take a look at them:  Mercola's link , Green Pasture's Link, Non-GMO link.  These are by no means an exhaustive list.  Please, do the research.  We also heard speakers talk about vitamins and minerals and the body, Danny went to a breakout session on fermenting foods, I went to one on pruning fruit trees (our poor, pitiful trees need some sort of help), and overall we were extremely blessed to be there and share in the wealth of knowledge. 

While we were there, Danny's brother, Nathan, went up to our farm to move the cows in the afternoon so they could get some more hay...and this is the picture he sent Danny along with a frantic phone call

Brio started out our calving year with a red and white dutch belt bull, and 251 is making sure that the little guy is
cleaned off while he eats.

Sigh, so much for a break (grin).  Apparently, we are holding to tradition and CALVING SEASON HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN for spring 2012!  In looking at this I will strive to hold tight to God's commands to

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,"  

~Philippians 2:  14-15

and also to

"Rejoice always;

pray without ceasing;

in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

~1 Thessalonians 5:  16-19

(italics mine)

As a Christian, I am held to a higher standard.  The verses above are some that I stuggle with, because I find it so easy to grumble and whine and complain, but that isn't God's will, nor His desire for us.  Part of the light of God that I can shine into the world simply comes from choosing to be thankful in EVERYTHING.  Everyone can grumble and complain, but I challenge myself and whoever reads this, that is a follower of Christ--give thanks.  In my mind, grumbling is what lazy people do, it is the easy thing to do, it is the natural thing to do, but when I gave my life to Christ, the natural man had to be put to death and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me.  The challenge, the path that takes effort, is to give thanks, to look for the good, and to see the blessings that God has bestowed on us amidst the trials.

So, I will give thanks for this new little life on our farm.  I am thankful that it was a bull calf, because I can send him to the auction and may still get a few days without having my baby girls to take care of.  I am thankful that the heifer that had him didn't have a problem delivering him.  I am thankful that he is alive, and I am thankful that it was a beautiful day and the weather was not rainy, which makes for an easier transition on the heifer that calved.  If I take the time to look there really are so many things to be thankful for.

God bless you all.