Highs and Lows...

The last week and a half surrounding Christmas came with some highs and some lows. On Thursday night before Christmas Weekend we had our first lamb make her appearance on the farm. Lyndin was totally in love and had to push mamma lamb out of the way so she could pet the baby. It was an awesome experience to see Lyndin so excited and not afraid to be in the pen. So now our nightly routine has added checking for baby lambs and goats. Thankfully Lyndin cannot make it over the gates otherwise I would be in a lot of trouble. 

After the high of a baby lamb we noticed that one of the cows that I AI'd and due in a month was acting strange. After some investigation we discovered she aborted her calf and after all we could do to keep it alive it took it's last breath. With both of us crying, Will looked at me and said, "I am so proud of you." Not know what he was referring to I asked him why and he stated "Your AI stuck!" I couldn't help but smile because after all the work we go through to build our herd and all the lows that we face, Will say the positive! I was so upset that we lost the calf but knew we did everything we could to save it. So now we move on and look forward to the next calves to be born and praying they wait until their due dates.

Christmas went off without a hitch. Lyndin loved opening presents even if they were not hers. She doesn't understand why she is getting presents, but she enjoyed playing with her cousins and friends.

Christmas night we were hit with another set back. It was terribly windy and all of a sudden I heard something so I went to the door to look and all I could see was the lights flickering on and off. So Will bundled up and went outside with the flashlight. As Lyndin and I watched from inside I noticed that I could see his flashlight shinning in the sky while he was in the calving barn........The wind took the roof off on the end of our shed. Luckily no cattle were hurt and the roof can be fixed so insurance was called and hopefully we will be back in business soon. Thankfully we have other pens and shelters that we can move cattle around to. It just all seems to hit at once.

Once we get through New Year's we will all be happy to be back to our "normal" routine.

Baby! It's cold outside!

We had a brisk start to our holiday season with negative temperatures as the highs. We welcomed Will's mom, sister and nephew home for Africa to celebrate Christmas with them. It was quite a cultural shock for them with the cold temperatures. His nephew has never seen snow and is hoping it warms up enough outside for him to enjoy it.

We started off the Christmas season by taking Lyndin to see Santa. She was a good sport, but wasn't into him. Maybe next year!

On Thursday, we met up with Will's dad and friend to enjoy supper together as they had just gotten back from warmer temperatures. They sure enjoyed their time away and the nice weather. We were meeting in Sumner so we were able to witness their new light display at the city part. What an awesome display that corresponds to music. It was neat to show Will's nephew the lights.

Friday and Saturday we received quite a bit of snow and then blowing wind. We were suppose to venture down to Cedar Rapids for the Glaser family Christmas, but after careful consideration we decided it was best not to go. Luckily we were not the only ones that made that decision so it will be rescheduled.

Sunday in negative 19 degree weather we celebrated Christmas with Will's brother and his family. Lyndin was able to meet the newest member to the family and loved it. She loves being bigger than someone as that doesn't happen very often.

This week is work as normal. I am taking Friday off to spend with Lyndin before the busy holiday weekend. We are doing Christmas with my family on Friday night, Christmas Eve church and seafood with my parents and Will's mom, sister and nephew and will spend Christmas day with my mom's side. Will's family is leaving right after Christmas and we will enjoy having Christmas with Will's "brothers" and their families across the road next week. I always look forward to that one as Lyndin loves all the "cousins".

Happy Holidays and God Bless!

Is Christmas over yet?

It is December 12th and I am ready for Christmas to be over. As if our lives were not busy enough, we through in extra parties, suppers, gifts and errands to be done. I have never been a big fan of Christmas as it has become a commercialized holiday and the true meaning has gotten lost. It is not about gifts and Santa, it is about celebrating our Lord and Saviors birth. We have 2 weeks worth of non stop things we need to attend along with work and chores at home. I learned really quickly that the farm doesn't stop even though Christmas is upon us. Actually it gets busier. Once again we have snow on the ground before the ground had a chance to freeze so we are doing chores in a sloppy mess. We don't have warm enough or big enough cabs for Lyndin to ride with so Will is stuck to doing chores by himself. Luckily they only take about an hour as being in zero degree weather for to long is hard on a person. Lyndin unhappily watches from the house and prayers for it to warm up. It has been hard on us both having to be inside, but with this cold weather inside it the best option.

We have gotten Lyndin a few small gifts from Santa for her to open so she can experience some of the hype even though she won't understand what is going on. On Wednesday we will go to the annual Soup with Santa in Lawler. We will see how she will behave this year as she is more aware of her surroundings. Then we start Christmas celebrates on Thursday until after Christmas.

I look forward to seeing all our family and friends and getting to spend time with them, but is Christmas over yet?

Failing as a mom once again

As I woke up this morning with my husband long gone deer hunting I saw snow on the ground and a messy house. I look at Lyndin who is up smiling and ready to start the day, but I guarantee that her idea of fun is not laundry and house cleaning. My anxiety heighten and my stress level soars as I wonder how I am going to get this done. Instantly I feel like a mom failure as I can't handle it all.

I have struggled with depression most of my life and still actively do and after having Lyndin my depression added on anxiety and it is a whole new ballgame. When we were pregnant Will had all these ideas of what being a father would be like, how fun and easy it would be. I on the other hand knew I would be doing most of it alone, but I never realized how hard it would be. Don't get me wrong, Will is a great father when he is here. The times he is not here is a struggle.

As I sit here on a Sunday I am somewhat resentful that Will is out doing something he loves, having a hobby isn't something I have been able to do since Lyndin was born. Hell I even have to find a babysitter on the Saturday mornings I work. I just wish he would understand how much we give up to be a mom and how little they sacrifice.

So here is to another day of wishing I could get the house clean but instead I will do whatever it takes to make Lyndin happy and pickup what I can.

Somewhat back to "normal"

Harvest has finally finished with just some fall tillage to be done but delivering tile has picked up. Fortunately tile delivery doesn't go late into the night so will gets to spend evenings at home. Lyndin loves having daddy home and so do I. Friday night my parents watch Lyndin so Will and I could go on a date. It was so nice to be able to have an adult conversation without little urruptions. We talked through our plan of attack for getting cows home and what we need to do before we can move into the farm home. It is hard to believe that this is the first weekend where the weather has been in the 30s. Up until Thursday I was wearing capris and we were able to play outside after work. Luckily they are talking a warm up this next week.

Saturday night Will and Lyndin did some field work while I went shopping with one of my girlfriends. It was so nice to be able to look through clothes and try things on without hearing moans from will. It was a much needed break. This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving and planing on brining cows home this weekend. Things get all sorts of hectic then. Onto the next adventure....calving season.

Is Harvest Over Yet?

I must say that this has been one of the longest harvest I can ever remember. Maybe it is the fact that I have Lyndin reminding me everyday how much she misses seeing dada or the fact that Will has been in the field everyday since September 25. Either way, it has been long and they are only about 3/4 done. Luckily it has been going smoothly with the biggest problem being the lack of storage due to the awesome yields.

Now with a few cows and the weaned calves at home, my responsibilities have picked up around the farm (as if I needed more). Since Will doesn't make it home before dark, Lyndin and I are in charge of animal welfare checks. She loves making sure everyone is doing good and will do whatever it takes to try to touch the animals. She loves playing with the calves, goats, sheep, chickens and dogs and I know they all enjoy the attention. It is hard to believe that in a few years she will be able to drive the skid loader and do the chores on her own, but for now, riding with mommy will have to do.

As hard as being a "single parent" during harvest is I wouldn't trade having my daughter grow up on a farm for anything. Thankfully I have a great support system of family and friends to help me out when I need some extra hands.

PS: After the last few rodeos Lyndin and I have had with wrangling loose cows, Will is finally going to get off early tonight to fix some fences. Fingers crossed that we can keep them from free ranging on the road for awhile.

Where is dad?

Lyndin and I got our job done of making corn stalk bales so to celebrate I took Lyndin to the park after work.

The bales might still be sitting in the field, but they are made and wrapped as they are talking rain tonight. So once again Will is working late hauling beans to try to beat the rain.

Last year lyndin didn't notice the absence of her dad during this time of year as she was only a month old, but this year she has defiantly noticed. She did a great job riding in the tractor with me but she was always on the look out for dad to show up. She gets to spend a couple minutes with him usually everyday as we meet to discuss what needs to be done for the night, but then she spends the rest of the night crying out for dada. She is truly daddy's little girl. 

Luckily she has her daycare family to make up for her missing dad as they give her extra snuggles, but her attitude has also grown and she makes her upset known. 

I hate to break it to her but life isn't about to slow down. We haven't even had the opportunity to wean calves and get them home, which is a relief to me as there are less chores in my shoulders. So I hope she enjoyed the break tonight as we got the opportunity to play at the park and run around outside and we even did some laundry and cleaning. 

Unfortunately, she won't get to see Dada today, but her is hoping she does tomorrow. IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! RIGHT?

It's Go Time...

The skies have cleared up for a couple days In a row and we started harvest at well, slow speed. After working out a few kinks corn is coming out with good test weights and moisture. With corn fields coming out that means corn stalk bales can be made. After getting a rake and bailing for hay last year we made the switch to making our own corn stalk bales. Last year worked out perfect as I was still on maternity leave and riding in the tractor put Lyndin asleep. This year lyndin and I are on bale duty again as will is busy in the field. Lyndin and I managed to get stalks chopped after work a couple nights. Thankfully they are talking a couple more clear days before chances of rain she I am going to take advantage of it. I am hoping to rake stalks tomorrow and Saturday morning and start bailing Saturday afternoon and Sunday. I will be much happier when the bales are made and wrap and home, but right now I will take being made and sitting in the field. In the winter months we rely on corn stalk bales for bedding and food supplement and with the bad winter they are predicting they will be heavily relied on this year.

So here is to harvest 2016. Ready or not here we come.

Happy Anniversary

Will and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary yesterday and honestly it was just another day. Will bailed hay and after work I stained our deck while my mom spent some time with Lyndin and we wouldn't have wanted the day any other way. When we were planning our wedding, both Will and I agreed that it wasn't going to be "the happiest day of our lives" as we knew there were so many more momentous moments in our future and we both quickly agreed that the day our children were born would be the happiest days of our lives. Planning a wedding you quickly overlook what the actual day is about. It isn't about the party or the piece of paper you sign, it is about the commitment you make to each other. Will and I wrote our own vows to each other as a way to truly say what we promise to do for each other. Although some days are harder than others to honor those vows, as bills get tight or tensions grow high, but through it all, we truly LOVE EACH OTHER. So to us, a wedding anniversary should be everyday not just honoring the day you got married. We decided to unite ourselves as a team with the help of God, long before we ever "got married". So cheers to celebrating our commitment to each other today and everyday!

Another week has come and gone...

I can't believe that we are in the middle of September and still flooding. We received more rain this week in what seems like a never ending cycle. We were fortunate enough to have our chopping done on Labor Day but many neighbors and friends are struggling to get through the fields. We have heard of farmers pulling the forage wagons through the field with 2 tractors and burying the chopper up to its axles just to try to fill a bag before the corn gets to dry. It hard to image what combining will be like. Could you image burying a combine in a wet field?

This week has been a trying week for me. I have been fighting a terrible headache for over a week. I have heard there was a virus going around that is mimicking allergies, so maybe that is what I have. My headache turned into a full blown migraine and resulted in a day home to rest. My migraine has lessened back down to a headache with the help of the chiropractor and pills but still not being able to hold food down and worse yet, Will is now showing the same symptoms. Mom and dad sick and lyndin still as active as ever is not a good combination.   I pray Will recovers faster than I am as he has hay cut with another field to do and then needs to rake and bale before they start combining. Will it ever get easier?

Life on the farm will get really hectic really soon so I am enjoying the nights of having nothing to do before the nights of having too much to do come.

What a great weekend....

Well we survived the Bierle/Stange wedding in fine form. Tired and wore out but we survived. I don't think they could have ask for a better day. The weather was a perfect 70 degrees, the sun was shining and love was in the air. We had the opportunity to welcome a lot of new people into our "family" and I think will and the brides brother will become good friends.

This weekend definitely brought back a lot of memories to two years ago on September 20, 2014. The day Will and I became a family, at least legally anyway. We both walked down the same aisle 2 years ago as we did on Saturday and listened to the same pastor pronounce them husband and wife. A lot of the guest were the same as at our wedding and the love that I experienced between the bride and the groom was just as strong as will and my love. I can honestly say that being married is one of the hardest but most rewarding things I have ever experienced. Marriage that they show on TV is a joke as it is not all roses, night outs and moon light conversations. It is a lot of disagreements, cleaning house, dates are when you need to go to Waterloo and when you have a night alone all you want to do is sleep. Will and I were blessed to get pregnant just a few short months after getting married so we never really had the honeymoon phase, but I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Before we got married we were already "playing house" and had our everyday routine down so I guess that was our honeymoon phase.

It was great to kind of reminisce back this weekend as we both stood beside our good friends as they continue on their journey called life.

Where is the boat?

As if flooding once this year wasn't bad enough, we are flooding again. We have experienced one of the wettest summers that I can ever remember. We are usually begging for rain in July and August and this year school was canceled in August due to flooding. We are one of the few around that has silage chopped and the field we chopped was under water today. Our cows are luckily on higher ground and are avoiding the flooding but not everyone is that lucky. Houses that were starting to clean up the mess of a few weeks ago and now filling up again. Farmers are starting to wonder if we will be able to get the corn and beans out of the field and doing another cutting of hay seems impossible now. The next few weeks and months will prove to be interesting.

On a happy note...Tomorrow, will and I have the honor of standing next to our good friends as they become husband and wife. After finding a new hait stylist to do my hair for the wedding tomorrow as mine is currently flooded i am ready for it.
The weather is suppose to be perfect at 68 degrees and no chance for rain. We are not going to let this flooding slow us down even if we have to detour a few washed out roads to keep the party going.

Why....is everything so hard.

When something brakes down or cattle get out or in tonight's case sheep. When late nights and early mornings get to us or we just don't have enough money to pay a bill I often wonder why we I still love the cattle. Will has always dreamed of having his own cattle herd and being his loving wife I want to do everything possible to keep that dream a reality, but some days when the bills pile up and money is going out more than coming in I often start to question it. Being a farmers wife is hard work, but add on being a full time employee and full time mother, being a farmers wife seems impossible. I often struggle with balance in my life as I want to help Will but also have 2 other major obligations to attend to and not only is he a full time farmer he is also a full time employee so our marriage easily gets lost.

My role at the farm has changed since having Lyndin. Before Lyndin I was right beside Will mending fence, sorting cattle and making sure everything is working. Now I take a back seat and manage the herd on paper and rely on Will and the help of neighbors and family to keep everything operational. We have both had to make changes in how we do things. Instead of me seeing the calves grow first hand, I see them grow through pictures and reports from Will and Will has had to learn to keep track of cows and calves on paper to report back to me what needs to be done. It has been an adjustment but we are both managing.

With a break in the heat on Sunday we as a family got to spend some time at the pastures. Being over there makes me realize that all the struggles are worth it. The calves look awesome and we are fortunate enough to own a lot of beautiful acres. The reason we endure all the struggles is so Lyndin and our future children can have a love for cattle like we do.

Labor of love weekend.

We had a 3 day weekend due to Labor Day. While most people use it for one last hurrah before summer is over, we used the time to pull in a tile line, fix cattle fence and chop silage. We did take some time to go over to the pastures and spend some time with Wills cousins getting their input on our cattle while catching up on life's happening. Monday we celebrated my dad's birthday with a BBQ at my sisters house. The cousins love spending time together.

It is hard to believe that summer is coming to an end and after the weather we had on Sunday, fall is quickly approaching. I'm sure Will is going to be heading to the fields within a couple weeks to start harvest but not before the last cutting of hay. Cows will be coming home soon and in a few months we will be getting rid of this year's calf crop and starting on next year's.

Bills will be due and tensions are usually high trying to get the most money for the calves so we don't have to spend much out of pocket. My farming dream is to someday have the cows self sustain themselves but that isn't quite a reality yet.

So here is to another summer gone. Bonyoage.

WOW! Where has time gone!

Wow. It is hard to believe that today is September 1st. It seems like I was just starting this blog and had big plans of sharing our everyday lives with you, the readers, but time has seemed to escape me.

Calving season seems to go off without a hitch. I few bumps every now and then, but that is to be expected on a farm. Cows and calves were moved to green grass on a rainy day off from field work and are almost ready to come home. With all the rain we had this year, grass was not a problem. The problem was all the RAIN. Our Boyd pasture FLOODED. It is a 40 acre pasture that runs along a river and only around 5 acres was above water. Needless to say we had to pull the pairs out and some came to the home farm while other went to West Union pastures. They all adjusted well to their new homes, at least for the time being.

We added some dorper sheep to the farm and Lyndin LOVES them. We have 5 ewes and 1 ram. They are considered hair sheep so we don't need to sheer them. They have been doing a great job eating the weeds in the unused cattle pens which were a sight for sore eyes. The goats and sheep have finally leaned to co-mingle. We will have to see how the sheep and cattle get along along with figuring out how to feed them separately as the sheep can not have the cattle mineral.

We went and watched a few open cattle shows this summer and Will really go the itch to be back showing. Lyndin definitely loves the calves and is now starting to walk so I would say next year she will be in the show ring. Will already has is plan of attack for next years show string.

Lyndin turned one on August 11. Where has the time gone? She is walking/running. Loves doing chicken chores as she has learned to feed them grass out of her hand and enjoys everything outside. She has picked up a new habit of stomping her feet and throwing a fit when we have to go inside. I guess it could be worse, she could hate outside. She loves going to check cows and getting cow licks. She is pretty brave with the cattle as long as one of us is holding her.

The show calves we sold last year had a very successful year. We have heard from quite a few families that they won their classes and a few one the whole show. It is nice that they let us know as many of them go miles away. We were fortunate to have a family in Decorah, Iowa buy some calves for their competitive rate of gain class and we are happy to say that they took the show with a 5.49lb daily rate a gain and won their class. Pretty impressive when a steer that big can still work, but we are use to that.

We are starting to market this years calves and I can honestly say that these are our best calves to date. Each year the quality improves making it easier to sell calves. We still have a few show steers and heifers left, if anyone is interested. We are hoping to expand our market and sell to even more families, so they all can enjoy V56 cattle.

Well, I better say farewell for now. Hopefully I will do better at keeping up with this. If you are every interested in what we are up to, check out our website. www.v56cows.com or on facebook!

Technology and the farm

It amazing me that at 5.5 months Lyndin seems to know what is going on on TV or likes to look at my phone and knows that if she taps the screen things move. It is crazy how big of an influence technology has on us. When I met Will 5 years ago he had a "dumb" phone and didn't know a thing about computers and all of his notes and tax things were just on pieces of paper. Of course I rely on computers and my smart phone daily so he quickly moved into the times. Once we got him a smart phone and a laptop it didn't take long to quickly realize how convenient it was. Using quickbooks for accounting and spreadsheets for cattle inventory has made things so much easier. We are both on the same page and can keep everything up to date instead of always looking for that piece of paper that one note was on. Of course he still finds it convenient to use paper and pen on some occasions but makes sure to enter it into the iPad or laptop before he looses it. It is crazy to think that technology is running the world. Some may think that is a bad thing but I am not so sure. I was able to complete most of my college education online allowing me to work full time while attending school. We are able to stay in contact with Will's family who live in Africa like they are across the street and we can advertise our cattle all around the United States.

I agree that there is a time and place for technology though. It seems like having a verbal conversation anymore is something of the past thanks to text messaging and emails. Kids and their electronics has made communicating with them impossible, outdoor activities a thing of the past and having an imagination doesn't exist anymore. Will and I hope that we can limit Lyndin's technology use but still give her the best possible advantage to excel at using it. I disagree with electronics being a babysitter and a replacement for conversation and we as parents need to realize that social interaction is just as important as the game they want to play.

I challenge you to look at your technology use. When you are having a conversation are you looking at your phone? At the dinner table is your phone on the table with you. I think we can all take a step away from technology and our electronics and enjoy have quality time with what is right in front of us....people!

#Calfwatch2016

#Calfwatch2016 is in full swing with 2 calves being born last night around 11:00pm. I was in bed sleeping when all of a sudden I heard Will yelling at me for help. Luckily Lyndin is a good sleeping and didn't hear a thing. So out we go with one calf on the ground and another one with feet out. We are calving out 20 heifers right now so keeping a watchful eye is essential. We purchased a purebred Angus bull (Viper, as we nicknamed him) last April to use on the heifers in hopes of small birth weight calves and he held up his end of the bargain. It is crazy to see little 60 pound calves walking around when I am so use to the 80 - 90 lb Simmental calves. This morning they both got their ear tags as well as their mothers getting their V56 Tags as they are officially apart of the V56 herd now. The next few weeks will be busy welcoming new life around the farm. Last year we kidded out 8 goats and calved at the same time. This year the goats made their arrival around Christmas, so they are already running around like crazy. I love this time of year as all the hard work is finally showing the rewards. I can't wait for Lyndin to see the baby calves as she loves watching the cows for the window. I am sure they will put on a show for her. So 2 down and a lot to go. Wish us luck!

Trivia Question...

How many steers were born at V56 farms last year?

My Weekend Well Spent

You know you are a farmers wife when you get off work early from your full time job and instead of going to get Lyndin, I spent a couple hours working with V56 Loaded to the Max, or Max as we call him.

Max is a purebred Simmental ET (embryo transfer) bull that we are taking to sell at the 2016 Iowa Beef Expo on Monday, February 15. We are so honored that we have high quality genetics suitable for selling there. Max is great to work with a loves getting brushed and walks great on the halter. He and I make a good pair so hopefully someone will see his potential and add him to their herd. I also managed to find a babysitter for Lyndin on Sunday so I could give him a good bath and blow his hair. The things I do for our cattle.

I am looking forward to beef expo, but nervous at the same time. Lyndin will be spending Friday night - Monday night with my parents. I am so thankful that I get to go with Will and have some time to ourselves as we never get that anymore. We know that Lyndin is in great hands so that makes things easier on us. I guess I should be use to my vacations being cattle shows by now!

I had to work Saturday morning in town so Will and Lyndin spent the morning bumming. I heard they ate green beans and apples along with watching cartoons. What a great time for them to bond.

If you know of anyone looking for a fabulous bull please let them know about V56 Loaded to the Max. We take pride in our cattle and honestly a good payday would be much appreciated as I am sure you know that feeder market is down!

Check out Lot 73 at the ‪#‎IOWABEEFEXPO‬.

V56 Loaded to the Max (ASA#3031634)

DOB: 3/5/15

SIRE: REMINGTON LOCK N LOAD54U (ASA #2503661)

DAM: Daphne to the Max (ASA# 2379655)

ET Calf

Red

http://issuu.com/rmkde…/…/2016_ibe_catalog_final_corrected/1

Video available on our website. www.v56cows.com

Welcome to The Maurer Family Farm

A big HELLO as I start my new adventure of putting our crazy life into words. I often find myself wondering where the time has gone and thought this would be a good place to keep track of the remarkable events in our life. The farm life is well....great! It definitely throws us curve balls ALL THE TIME but I wouldn't want to raise Lyndin anywhere else. Let me start off with some introductions before we get to far. 

My name is Heather and I was born and raised on an acreage outside of New Hampton, Iowa (population 2800). Of course growing up I wanted nothing more than to get out of my little hometown and be something big, but as time went on I found myself wanting to stay put. After high school I moved to town and commuted for my College Education. After meeting Will, through a blind date, I was elated to find out that he was a 'farm boy' and lived on the family farm. Fast forward 5 years later and we are married and have a beautiful daughter, Lyndin. I work full time in town at a job I love, but am also very active in the daily farming operation.

My husband, Will, was born and raised on the family farm. We live on 140 acres which is great in the Winter to run cows on. He has been around cattle his entire life so starting his own herd was always a dream. After leaving the farm to pursue college and "The Real World", he came back to where his heart was.

We currently have 79 head of breeding stock, mostly Simmentals and Shorthorns, along with 5 purebred Simmental herd bulls. I also have started to AI cattle along with hiring out embryo work. It is never a dull moment at the farm because as soon as things seem to be running smooth, you can guarantee something will break. In the summer the cattle graze on pasture in Fayette County (30 minute drive). As of December 1, 2015 we are fortunate enough to own all our own pasture land with the purchase of an additional 130 acres. Besides cattle, I have incorporated my love of goats into a small fainting goat herd which adds a lot of laughs. Life on the Maurer Family Farm is often hectic but I wouldn't have it any other way!