2013 – A Photo Journey

I love looking back on our year and reflecting the good, the bad, and the excellent. This year, I thought a photo journey of highlights from our year might help you to see what happens on our farm and in our family over a years time.

January started out with a pretty good cold snap. When Laura was home on break, we tested out the “throwing water into the air” theory to see what would happen. We were pretty excited that it worked! And yes, it was really cold, and she was out in a t-shirt. She takes after her mom in that regard!

CarolynCares January
Laura tossing water into the air

February was still pretty cold. Last winter, we had snow 8 months in a row. It gets to the point where you just want to curl up with a hot cup of Russian Tea and a good book…and stay there until spring!

Russian Tea mix
Russian Tea mix

March brought Anna’s senior recital at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. She is a percussionist, so her recital covered many different percussion instruments, including clay pots. Many friends and relatives came to support her, and to share in the day.

Anna playing the toms
Anna playing the toms

April brought a bit of warmer weather, and some thawing. We started to plan our field work schedule and get equipment ready for spring planting.

Spring thaw
Spring thaw

By mid-May, we were finally able to see the growth of the barley. It is always exciting to see the plants emerge, and the landscape turn from brown to a gentle green.

Rows of barley
Rows of barley

We had a very eventful June. We hosted the final stop of our county Farm Bureau’s I Met a Farmer tour. The tour participants traveled to a dairy farm, pig farm, beef farm, and then to our crop farm. They had supper in our newly built shop (finished that day!), and then were brought back to the starting point. Most of the participants have no agriculture experience, or are at least 15 years removed from the farm. They are business people and leaders in their communities across our county. This is an excellent way to teach them about agriculture in their area, and it puts a face on farming. I’m looking forward to our 3rd Tour in 2014!

Jonathan explaining our farm to tour participants
Jonathan explaining our farm to tour participants

The other major event in June was our Century Farm Appreciation Party. Click on the link to read more about the day. It was so nice to be able to celebrate this milestone with those who have helped to make our farm what it is today – family, friends, neighbors, grain buyers, seed dealers, co-op employees, elevator employees…the list could go on, but so must this post!

CarolynCares June Celebration
The invitation

In July, I took a leap of faith, and signed up as a vendor at the brand new Cottonwood Central Park Market farmers market. I started CO Baked Goods, bringing homemade baked goods like scones, caramel and cinnamon rolls, and pound cakes to the Market. It was a fun adventure, and I hope to continue this year with an expanded selection of baking.

Maple Bacon Scones
Maple Bacon Scones

I love attending the Minnesota State Fair. This year, we had the opportunity to work at the Farm Bureau building for a few hours one morning. We brought Flat Ryan along for some fun. He met many of our Farm Bureau friends, including Eric Kuehl from St Cloud. After our shift ended, we explored the fair grounds and found friends to visit, foods to try, and animals to admire.

Eric and Flat Ryan
Eric and Flat Ryan

Our crops were growing well, we had cover crops planted on the harvested small grain fields, and were anticipating the dry down of the soybeans when a major storm blew through on September 19th. The sunrise was beautiful that day, but soon, it was as black as midnight. We had rain, hail, and wind gusts in excess of 60 miles per hour. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach the whole time. It was a farmer’s nightmare. After the storm passed, it was time to assess the damage. Most of our corn had been affected, as was our neighbors. It wasn’t laying flat, like that of friends a couple miles away, but it was messy. We could only hope that the stalks were simply leaning, and not broken. This would allow the corn to continue to mature without heavy yield losses.

Black skies at 8:17 am Sept 19
Black skies at 8:17 am Sept 19

October means harvest in our part of the world. Despite the storm in September, our yields were good. Harvest was going well, with only a few bumps along the way. We ended up combining our corn mostly one direction due to the winds, so it took us a little longer than normal. We were thankful for no injuries or illness while putting long hours in. We also remembered to take the time to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. Our office during harvest has great views of beautiful sunsets and full moons.

Full Moon Rising
Full Moon Rising

November is a time to give thanks for the blessings, the trials, and those things that make you who you are. We were fortunate to be able to host Thanksgiving this year. We had 17 people around the dining room table, and I am thankful for each and every one of them. We missed those who couldn’t be there, but they are loved just as much. It has been a few years since my family and Jonathan’s family have been together for a holiday. We thought it would be fun to introduce Anna’s boyfriend to as many family members as possible while he was here. The entire family welcomed him, and we all hope he stays around for awhile!

Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving Dinner

That brings us to December. What a busy time of the year! It is easy to get yourself stressed out, and to try to keep up with all the cool pins on Pinterest. This year, my decorating was minimal, as was my baking. I know that next year may be different, but for this year, simple was better. My family was okay with the simple approach this year. They realize that Christmas is more about the family time and the miracle of Jesus’ birth than the decorations or the cookies. I am blessed!

Happy New Year from our family to yours!
Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Here’s looking forward to 2014, and another great year of farming, faith building, family, friends, food, and fun!

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throwback Thursday – Snowy Winters

When we lived in our little one story house, we had a few winters with a lot of snow. The winter of 1996-1997 had record snows. There were many days when we would be completely snowed in. The gravel road we lived on was not a priority, so it wasn’t plowed out right away.

After one particularly bad storm that brought a lot of wind, we were  looking out of our huge living room windows at the dog…standing at roof level. The whole house was surrounded up the to roof by snow! Christina thought it was pretty funny when Jonathan and Anna (who was properly dressed for playing in the snow) walked over the drift and looked in the window. We opened it, and I handed Christina to Jonathan out the window. This is my favorite winter snow photo!

Jonathan, Christina, and Sampson Winter 1996
Jonathan, Christina, and Sampson Winter 1996-1997

 

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 30: Christmas

CarolynCares Christmas

What is your favorite thing about Christmas? For me, it is the memories of Christmases past, and the wonder and excitement as we remember the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in looking forward that we gloss over the true miracles and wonder of the first Christmas.

Some of my favorite memories are not of the gifts received, but of the traditions we had for decorating. We had one of those huge stereos that were major furniture pieces. We would play Christmas records (you know, the vinyl records that required a record player with a needle) while we put the artificial tree together, strung the lights, and placed the ornaments on the tree. When I hear certain songs, I can smell the dusty plastic of the old tree, and see exactly where it was standing in our living room. We each had the opportunity to pick an album to listen to. My favorite had to be Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians “Twas the Night Before Christmas” – the version with the Norman Rockwell cover.

When I married and had the opportunity to start my own traditions, playing music while decorating is one thing I kept from my childhood. We tried to incorporate some of the traditions from Jonathan’s side as well, such as hanging a large lighted star on the windmill. The lutefisk on Christmas Eve wasn’t one that carried over, though!  Starting new traditions with our daughters wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. Not all of my ideas turned out to be great ones. It is fun to hear what they remember most about Christmases when they were younger. Everyone remembers things so differently.

Today we’ll be setting up our Christmas tree. I’ll be playing some of my favorite Christmas CD’s (still a little sad that my favorite album didn’t get remastered for CD release), and probably making a few Christmas cookies for the girls to take back to school. I am thankful for the memories made on days like this. I am also thankful for the December snows, the happy Christmas greetings shared between friends and strangers alike, and the wonder of the Christmas story.

Thank you so much for following along on my 30 Days of Thanksgiving! I’ll still be writing, but not every day. Just for fun, I’ll leave you with this…

Want to see other 30 Day Challenge blogs? Head over to Holly Spangler’s blog to find the link!

Wordless Wednesday – Halloween Before Pinterest

This is maybe a Semi-Wordless Wednesday… How did we find ideas for making Halloween costumes before the days of internet let alone before Pinterest? Thankfully, there were some good parent magazines, and Golden Story Books. We had three blonde little girls. When they were little we dressed them as the three little pigs one year, and the three blind mice another. Sadly, I can’t find a photo of the mice. So, here are the three little pigs:

The Three Little Pigs
The Three Little Pigs

Throwback Thursday – Back to School

A few posts ago, I shared a photo of my second day of kindergarten. I think it’s only fair that I share a photo of Jonathan and his sisters on their first day of school.

Anita, Jonathan, Sally 1st day of school 1973
Anita, Jonathan, Sally
1st day of school 1973

I just love looking back at photos from our school days. It reminds me of a simpler time of life when the biggest thing we had to worry about was what to wear on the first day of school, and who we were going to sit with at lunch. Sometimes I wish for simpler days, but then I sit back and take a look at all the blessings in my life. Life is good.

25 Years Later, Still in Love!

Today Jonathan and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. I am so thankful that God brought us together…and that Jonathan was wanting to be a pig farmer and not a dairy farmer. I am so not a morning person.

August 20, 1988
August 20, 1988
December 24, 2012
December 24, 2012

Our hair may have turned a bit gray – or thinned some. We’re both a bit fluffier – me more than him. We move a little slower after a day of filling the planter. But I think it’s safe to say, we’re still in love after 25 years. I love you, Jonathan!

If you want to read more about how this city girl became a farm wife, read my very first ever blog post, Why I Care.

 

 

Cousins – Then and Now

There is a photo from a family gathering years ago that both my mom and I just love. We have no idea what prompted the pose – if it was just a quick there they are lets take their photo moment, or if we were told to pose there. However the photo came about, it is one of my favorites.

Then:

Connie, Judy, Carolyn, Pam
Connie, Judy, Carolyn, Pam

I want you all to notice how my outfit, socks, and shoes match. I still like matching shoe colors to outfits.

At our family reunion this past weekend, we chartered a bus to take us around to the places where our Grandparents lived. Two lawn chairs made the trip with us.

Now:

Connie, Judy, Carolyn, Pam
Connie, Judy, Carolyn, Pam

We had an awesome time at our reunion weekend. I loved hanging out with my cousins, and look forward to the next get together.

Now, however, it is back to reality. Wheat harvest starts this afternoon. I am pretty sure I will be thinking over conversations and laughing to myself while I’m sitting in the combine. Oh, how I love my family!

 

It’s Family Reunion Time!

I spent most of the week at Farm Fest, a three day farm show in Minnesota. Farm Bureau has a pork chop stand (tent) where I help out. I’ve spent three very full, tiring, awesome days hanging out with MN Farm Bureau staff people that I absolutely love. It is one of those I-am-so-tired-I-can-hardly-function-but-I-can’t-wait-to-do-it-again events. Today, I slept in until 8, and it felt so good. I’m starting to feel the time crunch now, though. I have a mountain of laundry to do, a recipe to attempt, and a salad to make…oh, and I need to pack. Why? It’s family reunion time!

This year started out kind of rough. I lost two uncles on my dad’s side in a span of about two weeks. All of the cousins agreed that we really needed something else to bring us together – something happy.  We set a date, started a family Facebook page (okay, my very organized cousin took charge, and I’m very thankful she did), and started dreaming of what this weekend would look like. After all of the RSVP’s were in, the excitement really started to build for me. We’ll have over 60 members of the Clarence and Annabelle Bredlow family descending on Thornton, Iowa in the next 24 hours.

Grandpa (Clarence) and Grandma (Annabelle) Bredlow
Grandpa (Clarence) and Grandma (Annabelle) Bredlow

The photo above is exactly how I remember my grandparents. Grandma was almost always in a dress, and if she was in the house, she was barefoot. Grandpa had a ring of hair, with tiny little prickly hairs on the top of his head. I don’t remember how it started, but I always greeted him with a “pinch” and a kiss on the top of his head, then I would rub the little prickly hairs. Weird – probably. I also have a zillion memories of him rush through my head whenever I smell the combination of Doublemint gum and used motor oil. Grandpa worked at the Standard Oil Station in Clear Lake, Iowa when I was young, and always carried a pack of Doublemint gum in his pocket.

I also remember all the wonderful Christmases and summer visits we had with Grandpa and Grandma Bredlow and the “Iowa” cousins. Some summers we would all gather at Grandpa and Grandma’s house for Independence Day, and watch the parade go by in front of their house. Christmas was always a big deal. We would head down to Iowa, sometimes late at night, to make it in time for the Christmas celebration. The hosting duties were spread around, but many times I remember sitting at a very long table in Grandma’s basement, or sitting at the kid’s table in Aunt Letha’s basement. There was always a ton of laughter, love, and food.

Bredlow Cousins at Christmas
Bredlow Cousins at Christmas

I am so excited to see my aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings..and all the in-laws that come with them. I am looking forward to spending a weekend with all the people who have helped to shape me into the person I am today. We may be a bit rowdy at times, but there is so much love in this bunch. I can’t help but think about how amazed and proud Grandpa and Grandma would be of this crew.

Bredlow Cousins, January 2013
Bredlow Cousins, January 2013

Now, I really need to get some laundry done! Have a great weekend!

 

 

Throwback Thursday – School Starts Soon!

All three of our daughters are in college, so the rush to buy school supplies has ended for us. That doesn’t mean I don’t like shopping for notebooks, folders, pens, and pencils. Truth is, I love when stores set out their school supplies! Running errands this week made me very happy, and reminded me of going school shopping with my mom when I was little.

This photo is from my second day of kindergarten. The bus forgot to pick up the kids in our neighborhood on the first day, so my mom had to drive us to school! I miss the days of eating Spagettios and watching Captain Kangaroo before getting on the bus for afternoon kindergarten. Life was so much simpler then.

Hopping on the Anoka-Hennepin Dist 11 bus
Hopping on the Anoka-Hennepin Dist 11 bus