Madalyns second favorite day ever.

Last year Madalyn didn't participate in any dance classes; much to her dismay.

During her basketball season, which was dreadful, she made it very clear that she NEVER wanted to play basketball again!

On a drive home from practice one night she looked over at me from her spot in the front seat (stop judging you judgy judgerton) and said
"I don't want to play basketball. I want to dance [as she clutched her hands over her heart] it is in me!"

Ya, ya I know.

This year she is in dance at Encore Studio with the beloved Miss Tia as her teacher.

She is participating in jazz and tap and she loves it.

She always has her dance bag packed and when we are getting ready to head to class she fills up a water bottle and grabs a snack for afterwards.

Encore is always participating in fun adventures from pregame dancing to dancing in the Disneyland Christmas parade.

Well, Friday night Mad had the privilege of dancing at a Blazer basketball game.

Honestly, I was dreading it.

We had to buy a new outfit including new boots, tickets to the game that we wouldn't stay to watch, leave early from work, take the kids out of school early and add two dress rehearsals to our already busy two weeks.

I would do it all again.

When I picked her up early from school she ran to the car.

When we got home she ran inside, grabbed her dance bag and ran to the truck.

She talked the ENTIRE way to Portland and kept asking "are we almost there?" "are we going to be late?"

These questions started before Knappa

When we parked in the parking garage I climbed in the backseat to fix her hair and put her makeup on.

She was so so excited.

I was a little nervous, ok a lot nervous.

As we walked over to the Rose Garden she was calm, cool and collected.

Not a hint of nerves and I think she would have ran to the box office if we would have let her.

We dropped her with her group with a little pep talk told her we loved her and off she went.

 

She did great and I am so proud of her.

She danced her little heart out.

(Mad is in the center)

When she was finished she ran off the floor with a big smile.

We picked her up at our designated meeting area and as she clutched The Farmers hand and we headed to the truck I thought
"we are in this for the long haul so I better get used to it"

She beamed with pride and she said she had
"so much fun."

After dinner at Red Robin she promptly fell asleep in the truck after what was her
"favorite day next to zip lining"

Blessed is me...

Help us name our farm!

The Farmer and I are having a heck of time coming up with a farm name of our own.

Our farm has always been known as The Kraft Dairy.

While that wasn't the official name of the dairy it is what everyone knows it as.

Oh, the dairy started out as The Kraft Dairy,

but after a cease and desist letter from the Kraft Corp they had to changed the name to
Johnny and Jeans Dairy.

As most of you know we feel very fortunate to live here and we love our home.

We also love the potential of it. 

This place used to be a busy dairy.

Our barn still houses the milking stalls, sinks, tank and bottler.

When we bought the farm Johnnys notes were on the chalkboard in the milk house.

Those have since been scratched over by little hands.

While we aren't sure that we want to milk cows we do know that we want to farm our land and everyone knows you need a farm name for that.

Some think we should go with the obvious "Linder Farms"

Well, that is already taken by a farm in Idaho and when you Google the name a whole slew of things come up because apparently they have a pretty amazing corn maze and all sorts of other attractions.

It looks to be a pretty fun place to go!

We need something different I think, but we haven't found one we love.

So let's have a contest!

 You share your farm name suggestions and if we pick your name we will give you a dozen eggs from our happy little hens and a fresh chicken butchered by yours truly!

Well, The Farmer will be doing the chopping off of the head and I will do the rest.

Here is some info about us and the farm.

Jeremy is The Farmer.

Kallie is the Farmers Wife.

Jameson Rockefeller is The Farmers son.

Madalyn Faith is The Farmers daughter.

Our 4000 sq ft barn was built by a kit you could order from Sears or Montgomery Ward.

It was built in the early to mid 1900's.

The original farm house burned.

The current house was moved to the property from Fort Clatsop and was formerly a munitions bunker.

Johnny's birth name was Ragnavald and he immigrated from Norway.
Jean was raised in Clatsop County and her maiden name is Waterhouse. Her family were loggers.

They milked Jersey cows and had Draft horses
Jean loved the barn kitties and Johnny made moonshine.
My Great Grandparents leased pasture from Johnny and Jean before The Farmers parents did.

Everyone knows how we feel about Jesus! 

Love that guy.

Johnny died in 1994, the year I graduated high school.

Jean currently lives in Seaside.

They had no children.

 

So, what do you think?

What should we name our farm that we love so much?

I can't wait to hear your suggestions!

Blessed is me...

I drink Starbucks coffee and own a small business

Yesterday I was heading home from a mini road trip with my AWESOME friend Natalie when we stopped at one of my favorite burger joints.

Bugerville!

I enjoyed the deliciousness that is a pepper bacon cheeseburger.

While I was there I inquired where the nearest Starbucks was because I love a road trip coffee.

The young man behind the counter said
"There is a Dutch Bros (gross) that way and such and such (I can't remember the name) coffee shop that way. The such and such shop is locally owned and the DB is a franchise in case you want to shop local"
I replied:
"Dutch Bros are typically locally own franchises" I then leaned closer and said "and you work at a franchise"

He meekly replied "I know" and got back to work.

I am not a fan of the thinking that just because a business isn't perceived as "local" that we shouldn't support it.
Often I get flack when people see me with my giant cup of goodness from Starbucks.

People ask why I would drink coffee from a place as vile as a dirty corporation like Starbucks; especially since I own a small business.

So, here is why.

I like it.

That's it. 

I like Starbucks coffee.

To be honest I like all sorts of coffee and frequent many "local" places

Journeys End and Downtown Coffee (both owned by the same family) has by far the best iced white chocolate americano in Clatsop County and

14th Street Coffee has thick foamy perfectly made caramel lattes.

Coffee Addictions butter beer latte.
Ivy League (now closed) had a concoction called "the squatch"

Here is the bone I have with the shop local crap people try to guilt me with.

I work hard for my money and I get to spend it where I want to.
I also think people let the "shop local" mantra work when it fits for them. 

For instance where do you buy your groceries?

 Fred Meyer? Costco? Safeway?

Where do you buy your clothes?

Online? Maurices? Fred Meyer?
Where do you get your prescriptions?
Walgreens? Costco? Fred Meyer?

Those are NOT what some consider local businesses, but I bet all you "shop local" pushers shop there.

All of these businesses may be "big box" and  "corporations", but they also employ our LOCAL friends, family and the people who spend money in our community.

Yes, I own a small business, but I don't expect people to support me just because I am local.

I strive for great customer service, excellent cuts, colors etc, educated stylists and therapists.

I work my tail off to ensure the best we have to offer.
I support the businesses that support me and that I like.

That. Is. It.

There are also places I will not support and I don't care if they are local or not.

If your business name has a cuss word and I have to explain to my kids why. I will not come in.
If I order lunch from you and you hang the phone up on me because you're "busy". I will not come back in.
Being a "local" business doesn't give you a right to peoples business.
Running a top notch place with great customer service and quality products makes for a place people WANT to go to!

When you see me with my coffee of choice it's ok if you don't agree with where I bought it from because chances are you like something I don't agree with either and that is ok..

Blessed is me...

The Month of Thanks

All the leaves are turning colors and falling from the trees.

Pumpkins adorn our front porch 

Fall is here and it is my very favorite.

Sometimes we get lucky with a dry sunny day like we did today.

Fall also brings the Month of Thanks on Facebook.

I know not everyone likes it because 

"we should always be thankful"

 or

 "you bitch 11 months out of the year so why is November any different"

Personally, I like it.
I find it refreshing and a nice change from peoples dirty laundry and pictures of their dinner plate.

I am a frequent FB poster.
 Some say too much.
Sunrise picture anyone???

I don't care.

I like it and some people tell me they do too.

We have family far away and FB is an easy way to stay connected.

I haven't partaken in the Month of Thanks this year like I have in years past, but I wanted to share some of what I am thankful for.
I am thankful year round, but I think November is when it is at the forefront of peoples thoughts.
I don't think there is anything wrong with that.
So, here it goes..

I am thankful for:

- The smile on The Farmers face when he rumbles up the driveway in his new to us farm truck.
It's old and "stinky" as Mad says, the window crank is missing on the passenger door, it has a fancy CB and he loves it. REALLY loves it and the kids do too.
When The Farmer has an ear to ear grin I can't help but share in his joy.

- Jameson's new found confidence over the last year.
 He is thriving in school, even volunteering to share about his weekend to the class and to answer math problems aloud. He is really branching out and taking guitar lessons and is even excited about them.
We are excited to see what his experience at fair does for him.

-Madalyn's passion for dance.
She loves it more than I want her to. She is dancing all the time especially since she has a Blazer performance coming up. I love that she wears the knee high nylons that we used to try her tap shoes on with to every dance class even though I bought her different socks. She could care less what other people think about her style.

-Friendships that never change regardless of how life gets busy, messy and stressful.
 I love knowing that there is a select few that will always be there just like they always have been. They love me and my family just how we are.

-Trials that make you realize who your real friends really are.
 Sometimes it is surprising who will stand by you in your darkest time.
 I'm beyond thankful that I now know who that is.

-Power in our barn.
 Lights and outlets which mean we will soon have  freezer big enough to hold more than a weeks worth of meat.

-A tough year in marriage.
 It proved to us we can make it through deep valleys and super dark days.

- A husband that can replace the brakes on my car and does so without complaint.
It saves us a ton of money.

-Free range chickens.
I am not sure why it makes me happy to have almost 30 chickens and 1 duck freely roaming our yard, but it does. I love that they nest in my flower beds and let Mad pick them up.
I love that 3 of them roosted on top our house because it got dark before they got put to bed.

-Wind and pounding rain.
especially when I get to be home snuggled in our little house with a fire blazing, hot cup of coffee, blanket and a good book.

-My dad who takes our kids golfing and clam digging.
It is something that they get to do with just him. I think these are the memories they are going to cherish the most.

-My mom who makes sure we are always stocked with home canned tuna.
Jameson would eat a pint a day if we let him. It is the best and she has it down to a science.

-A strong.. sometimes too strong work ethic.
My parents both worked very hard and instilled in me that if you want something you work for it.
There is no free lunch.

-A 4h leader for our kids who truly loves everything 4h stands for.
She works tirelessly for our kids doing projects and making sure they have what they need for fair.

-A sister in law who loves me like a sister.
Even though we got off to a rough start we are sisters who love and cherish each other.

-In loves (you might call them in-laws) who accept me fully as their daughter.
There aren't words to describe how this feels.

- The "boys"
When I met The Farmer he had (and still has) a group of friends who have been together since they were little. These boys, which includes one girl named Rachel, will be friends until they are old old and sitting in Landwehrs having coffee talking about the whippersnappers in their lifted trucks and stories about the "olden days"
I love these boys and their friendship. It seems effortless.

-Our Church family
by that I don't only mean the church we attend.
We have brothers and sisters far and wide who attend various churches.
I loved that we are connected by the One True King.

-Our humble home.
It is old, half rotten, heated by only a woodstove, no dishwasher, my clothes hang over the master bathtub as a makeshift closet, single pane windows that you can feel they wind blow through, one working bathroom and I love it.
I love that Johnny and Jean loved this home and now we get to raise our kids here.

-Farm life
We have hundreds of acres to explore.
 Our backdoor is piled high with barn boots in every size.. (just in case your kids need a pair when you stop by)
 We get to tromp through fields, wake to the sounds of cows mooing, chickens crowing, frogs croaking and so much more. We get to see baby animals born and learn how to care for them when their own mommas can't or wont.
Our kids get to experience things I wish every kid could.  

-The Farmer
I know, I know it's so clique to say your thankful for your husband, but I truly am.
He makes me better in many ways.
When I am I am on an emotional roller coaster he balances me with logic.
When I need to be in constant motion he calms me.
When I am sure I can't do one more thing he assures me that I can.
The depth of my love for him brings me to tears.
I can't explain the power of his hugs or what it feels like when he picks me up and squeezes me 'two times"
I know that I can be difficult and at times I am sure he wants to poke my right eye, but he never does.
He just loves me when I need it, calms me when I'm stressed and hugs me when I cry.
Thankful doesn't even begin to describe it.


Blessed is me...

Sometimes I need a straightjacket

The following can send me right into a tailspin:

"vomit"
"my tummy hurts"
"I (or my kid) has been vomiting all night"
Vomit

I hate it. I fear it.
Now I know nobody "likes" vomit, but I have friends who are cool as a cucumber when dealing with it.

If my kids tell me "my tummy hurts" it turns me into a lunatic and I must ask a barrage of questions to get to the bottom of things.
"have you pooped today"
"are you hungry"
"did you eat too much"
"are you going to vomit"
"do you need a bucket"
"do you want to take shower"

"where exactly does your tummy hurt"

I am not sure why it makes me feel like I am going to poop my pants, or why my heart races, or why I start to sweat, or why I feel the sudden urge to either rock myself or totally go into a fit of rage, but it does.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that everyone around me got the stomach bug days after we brought Madalyn home from the hospital.

Taking care of a newborn while your 20 month old spews vomit all over his bed can really do a number on you especially when your husband and parents and in-laws get that not so good feeling.
Maybe it is because I am a freak who needs very strong meds.

Or a straightjacket.

I also get a little stressed about impending stomach bugs if:
my kids are eating so much you'd think they were starved

my kids aren't eating anything

my kid are more tired than normal
my kids stay up later than normal and aren't tired

Madalyn cries about everything

my kids poop more than one time before school, or after school or at any time.

 Jameson drinks a lot of water

Really I can be sure they will wake up in the middle of the night and fill their bed with what we had for dinner any given night.

The Farmer just shakes his head at me and says "they are fine."

 

This is where I really lucked out.
When the kids are really sick (which isn't often)The Farmer steps in.
He usually stays home with the kids while I evacuate the scene.
Don't worry though I stay in constant contact via way too many texts
"how are the kids"
"has anyone been sick"
"have they eaten"
"are they dehydrated"
Jer replies
"STOP"

 

Let me be clear.

 It isn't that I don't know what to do or how to care for the kids because I do.
In fact if this is a middle of the night nightmare I am usually the one to clean up the mess while The Farmer gets whoever is sick in the shower.
Sidenote: when picking out a bed for you child make sure there aren't a million places for all the ick to leak. Our kids have the WORST beds for this.

We get a bed set up on the sofa with a trash can standing by.

If panic does ensue The Farmer sends me to bed where I lay heart pounding tossing and turning.

To ease my stress over impending doom we, ok I but The Farmer humors me, have begun an evening ritual.
I slather essential oils down their spines at bedtime.

ImmuPower is my weapon of choice
Once a week I do a modified Raindrop on them.
For the RD I use
Lavender, Frankincense, Valor, Oregano, Peace and Calming, and Thieves 

Why?
Because it can't hurt and it will help at keeping all those pesky germs away.

And

It makes be feel better
I also clean my house with Thieves Cleaner
It smells delish and can kill black mold so for me it is a win win.

I don't think there is anything that affects me like this.
I hate the feeling that overcomes me and I really wish it didn't happen, but it isn't voluntary.
And here some of you think I have it all together.
I don't.

Not. Even. Close.

Maybe next time we can talk about how:
I can't share a soda, you can't taste my coffee or have a bite of my food
or how I am afraid of slugs.. for real.

Blessed is me...