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Thankful

I am thankful.

Thankful that we live in a country where we are free to choose our professions and can do what we love .

Thankful for all those that have fought through the years for that freedom.

Thankful for those who continue the fight.

May we never forget.  Happy Memorial Day!

New Additions

We had some new additions to the farm this weekend.

Our Australian Blue Heeler momma, Foxy, had 8 puppies.  What a woman!  She is a great momma, this is her second litter and she has done great with both of them.  What is extra special(to us) about this event is that we own the daddy too.  He was the first dog that W and I got right after we married.  We got him because the blue heeler that W had before we got married was getting on up in age and now we have puppies to replace Doc as he is getting on up in age.  Doc has been an amazing cow dog - afraid of nothing.  He always has had this mischievous look and has never let a cow - even those temper-mental mommas  - push him around.  We have a many of funny Doc stories (maybe I will have to share a few sometime).  For a long time he was our child. HAHA.

Another thing about the blue heelers that live at our house is that they are in deed cow dogs.  Those dogs love nothing else in life but to see a truck or a gator heading to the cow field because they know it is working time.

It is always interesting to watch a new litter grow and the personalities develop.  It's also fun to watch their coloring develop. 

But for this weekend, these two have kept a watch on the dog house and Miss Maddie has made sure that Daddy kept the dog feeder full so "Foxy can feed the puppies."  Lindsleigh just ooohs at them.

Oh by the way - anyone want a puppy? :)

~sarah

Wordless Wednesday: He and I

Hunk of Meat Monday: Deep Dish Pizza

With Maddie playing soccer a couple of nights a week lately, I have been looking for easy, hearty meals that I can prepare ahead of time or in the time that we are home from school getting out and time to head back to town for the game.  Last week I came across this recipe for a Deep Dish Pizza (get the full recipe by clicking on the link) by Christy Jordan on Southern Plate.  It was a hit with the girls and William.

All you need for the filling is: Ground Beef, Pizza Sauce or Spaghetti Sauce, Italian Seasoning, Parmesan Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, an Onion, and Pepper.

Start by browning your beef in a skillet.

Then, dice the onion and add to the browning beef.

 

While it is browning, prepare your 9x13 baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray and then covering the bottom of it with the mozzarella cheese.

When the beef and onion is finished browning, drain and then stir in the the pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce.  Note: I chose to use just a basic spaghetti sauce from a jar because I am just not the biggest fan of pizza sauce.

Then prepare the crust mixture of All Purpose Flour, eggs, bit of Salt and a little vegetable oil.  Mix those ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour over your meat mixture.

Top off with the Parmesan cheese and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

While it is baking you will have time to put some clothes in the washer and help little ones with their homework.

After the pizza has baked -

and you have served it to your hungry crowd don't be surprised if you get these results from a little one who had a fight with a M&M earlier in the day.

(yes I do wash her face, but blue M&M is tough to get off)

I

See other Hunk of Meat Monday recipes at Beyer Beware

Wordless Wednesday: "I'm a Soccer Mom"

She Twirls

and whirls

listens

and plays.

She cheers and watches.

A Bull Sale...from a 5 year old

Last Saturday while I was traveling to Atlanta for American Farm Bureau Convention - Maddie and William had to go to a Bull Sale.  Yes I said HAD to because we needed 3 new bulls and it is getting close to time to turn the bulls in, so we needed the bulls.  

Now very early on in her life Maddie took over the cow herd and now all the cows and bulls are hers - according to her.  She just lets her Daddy and PaPaw manage, feed, vaccinate, and help birth them.  She doesn't even let Lindsleigh claim any.  Since calving season is now on the farm every day when she gets home from school she has to get the calving report from her Daddy and if she can sneak out with him on Saturday mornings she goes on at least one cow check a week...so she is trying to earn her cowgirl stripes.
Knowing this was going to be a long day for our little 5 year old, I packed her a bag with many things to do inside.  One activity I gave her was to take pictures of the  bull sale so she could share it with me when I returned home.  Thank goodness for digital photography because this child would break us going through film.  Here are a few of the 39 shots she took - 

A pen of bulls that Daddy and PaPaw were checking out:

Of course no Maddie photo shoot is complete without a shot of herself:

The sale ring:

Some of her other busy work:

And finally the new bulls made it back to the farm:

 

Needless to say she had a very fun day with her Daddy and PaPaw while taking care of her cow herd!