Day 29: My athlete

He's my number two guy.  The second most important man in my life, only behind my farmer.

He wants to play football and basketball for Illinois then move to the NFL, NBA, or Major League Baseball.  He would prefer to play for a Chicago team so he can come home and help dad farm when he's not playing.

We talk a lot about having a plan B.  You know, in case he has a career ending injury.

If professional sports don't work out, my farmer and I would love for him to come home to farm after college.  Our challenge is finding an area of the operation that he's passionate about.

He's never been a typical farm boy.  He's not obsessed with farming the carpet with his toy tractors.  He's never liked being dirty.  He's not all that curious about how things work.  If there's one area he gravitates toward, it's technology.  And with the lightening fast pace technology is changing, we're going to need all the help we can get.

Tonight my football team is playing in the MAC championship.  On a normal day, my son makes fun of my team.  He says we play in the Cupcake Conference.  Not today.  Today he's wearing Red and Black and cheering for the best college football team in Illinois.  He looks better in Red and Black, even if his blood runs Orange and Blue.

My athlete - One of the (most important of the) 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the final thing I love about my life on the farm and final thing that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts
Day 26: Finding common ground
Day 27: The FFA
Day 28: The future of our operation

Day 28: The future of our operation

The innocent looking creature below is the future of our family farming operation.  

We think she has what it takes.

She knows where she's going to ag school.

  She prefers red over green and looks great in a Carhartt.

She knows which brand of seed to plant and she has work boots.

She rocks skinny jeans and cowboy boots.

And most importantly, she's stubborn, smart, loud, and confident enough to hold her own with her dad and grandpa.  That's my girl!

The future of our operation - One of the (most important of the) 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 2 other things I love about my life on the farm and 2 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts
Day 26: Finding common ground
Day 27: The FFA

Day 27: The FFA

Yesterday I wrote about being an introvert who learned how to be an extrovert.

I have the FFA to thank for those important lessons.

And for the two lifelong friends I got to enjoy a meal with last Friday (who will probably kill me for publishing this:).

And for my winding career path.

And for my farmer.

I got involved in FFA through my high school horticulture classes.  I learned how to and how not to be a leader.  I learned that I would not melt into the floor when I spoke in front of a group.  I learned how to identify different plants and trees, to show sheep at the fair, to judge the quality of eggs, to identify weed seeds, and to tie a bow.  I got to travel, a lot.  I learned lots of games to play with my fellow travelers, some of which I now play during road trips with my kids. 

The FFA exposed me to the diversity and opportunities the agriculture industry has to offer.  And even though I switched to higher education, I use the leadership, citizenship, teamwork, and speaking skills I learned through the FFA every day.

My senior year of high school I was elected Section 6 President.  In FFA world, this was a pretty big deal.  My first day on the job, I met my farmer.  He was the Section 2 President.  We quickly became friends.  There was just something about him.  I had to be near him.  After a year and a half I finally accepted it.  He was the one.

Our small town starts offering agriculture classes and FFA in middle school.  The ag teacher has been targeting my son with candy bars since kindergarten.  If that's what it takes to get him interested in one of the best youth organizations in the world, I'll take it.

The FFA - One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 3 other things I love about my life on the farm and 3 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts
Day 26: Finding common ground

Day 26: Finding common ground

I'm an introvert.  Really.

When I was a kid I was really shy.  In high school and college, once my self-confidence caught up, I learned to act like an extrovert.  It takes effort and I do a pretty good job, I think.  I can work a room.  I've gotten comfortable being in the spotlight.  I've discovered that it can be fun, but I also find it exhausting. 

In order to recharge, I need quiet alone time.  That may be one reason I love my 45 minute daily commute so much.  After being 'on' all day, I get some time by myself to think and reflect.  The older I get, the more I need this.

My farmer, on the other hand, he thrives in groups and he loves to talk, especially about farming.  It may be because he spends large parts of his days alone.  It's definitely because he loves what he does.  Regardless, we make a good team.

In 2011, I starting working with a business school in Spain.  My farmer tagged along on my initial site visit.  We spent the first day with my client contact doing some site seeing.  We drove about an hour to the Mediterranean Sea.

My farmer and my client talked the entire time - there and back.  He learned all about my client's family apricot farm, the Spanish economy, and the region's agriculture. 

I enjoyed listening.  I learned a lot about my client and it took the pressure off of me.

I was thankful that through his love of farming, people, and talking, he was able to find common ground with a new friend half way around the world.

Finding common ground- One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 4 other things I love about my life on the farm and 4 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities
Day 25: Creature comforts

Day 25: Creature comforts

I grew up in the woods.  At least that's what I tell my farmer.

For the first 13 years of my childhood, we lived in the country on a lot adjacent to a wooded area.  On summer days and days off school my mom would kick my sister, brother, and me out of the house.  We spent most of that time exploring the wooded area, making tails, and building campsites.

On winter days, my mom would kick my dad out, too.  He would take us to hunt pheasant in that same wooded area.  I don't think he ever came home with one.

To ensure our survival skills, my parents also took us on two week back country camping trips each summer.  We gathered wood; cooked over a fire; bathed in Lake Michigan; fished with our grandfathers; and slept on the ground in tents.  We camped regardless of the weather.

I thought all this was normal.  I thought it was how most people grew up.  I was wrong.

The first time I suggested we go camping my farmer looked at me funny.  He replied, "I work outside, I don't want to spend my time off outside, too."  He went anyway.

During the first few years of our marriage, we went on a handful of camping trips with friends.  We have some hilarious stories from a Fourth of July trip to the local Yogi Bear campground.  If any of my fellow campers are reading this, I know they're smiling right now.

Small kids put an end to our camping for awhile.  When my youngest was four, I decided it was time to plan another trip.  My sister bought land in Michigan and was spending the entire summer camping with her family.  I thought it would be a great opportunity for my kids to spend time with their cousins doing the things I did as a kid.

My farmer put his foot down.

He agreed that I should take the kids; sleep in the tent; bathe in Lake Michigan; and cook over a fire.  He also suggested that after a few days ,we should rent a beach house.  Only then would he join us.

The kids had a blast camping with their cousins.  My air mattress was a great investment.  Not having access to indoor plumbing, showers, heaters at night, or air conditioning during the day was not as much fun as I remembered.

When it was time to move to the beach house, I was overjoyed.  I was ready for the creature comforts.  I was ready for a real bed and a shower.

My farmer was pretty content with his decision to skip the camping leg of the trip.

Creature comforts - One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 5 other things I love about my life on the farm and 5 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk
Day 24: Small town youth activities

Day 24: Small town youth activities

This fall my son switched football programs.  For three years he played in the larger neighboring town because our tiny town does not offer football until the fifth grade. 

We went from a team of 25 to a team of 16.  I loved the increased playing time and skill development.  I hated not being able to scream cheer as loudly and as often as I have the past three years.  The anonymity of a big community was nice in that regard.

Our local junior tackle teams play on our high school field during the day on weekends.  When our high school team plays, it looks like this.

The football field is next to corn field.  It has a crow's nest from which the guys from our favorite band announce the game.  There's a small bleacher section.  Most people back their trucks up to the field or bring their lawn chairs or blankets.  It's small town football at its best.

Today, my daughter's dance studio performed at a small town Christmas Walk.  They didn't dance on a stage.  They danced in a parking lot.  Spectators gathered around to watch, drink hot apple cider, roast marshmallows on two fire pits.

 

Mine is the slightly off beat girl on the left.  Normally, her rhythm is much better than mine.   

 

 

I so grateful that my kids have opportunities to participate in activities they enjoy in our community.  I love that they are learning that they don't need a huge stadium or stage to share their talents and have fun with their friends.  Small town football fields and parking lots do just fine.   

Small town youth activities - One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

My friend and fellow 30 Day blogger's daughter also dances at our studio. Her reaction was similar to mine.

Stay tuned for the 6 other things I love about my life on the farm and 6 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays
Day 23: The art of strategic small talk

Day 23: The art of strategic small talk

I work at our local university.  My position has nothing to do with farming or agriculture.  Still, it seemed every day this past summer, someone asked me about our crops.

The drought was on every one's mind.

My understanding of farming is based more on science than tradition.  Since I didn't grow up on a farm, I didn't come into this life with preconceived notions of how things should operate based on how my dad did things.  Most of my foundational knowledge came from my undergraduate degree in agriculture education.  I was planning on being a high school agriculture teacher.  If only I had liked being around high schools kids...

The rest of my knowledge comes from asking my farmer a lot of questions.  Smart questions, dumb questions, and loads of 'why' questions that he patiently answers.

My background and his patience answering my questions has been great training for turning small talk into opportunities for agriculture advocacy.  Although the sizes may vary, we all have circles of influence.  It is my intention to be a source of farming information and a positive voice for agriculture within mine.  Small talk is just the beginning.

The art of strategic small talk - One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 7 other things I love about my life on the farm and 7 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun
Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays

Day 22: He's industrious, even on holidays

I love holidays.  I don't have to go into the office and even though I may check it, there is no expectation that I will respond to e-mail.  Holidays are truly days off for me.

Not my farmer.  When you work at home, I don't think you ever really take a day off.

This morning we got up pretty early.  I was working on yesterday's post and asked him to run down to his parent's to pick up our daughter.  He said no.  He had to clean the gutters and dig out a tree stump.

What?!  Don't you know it's a holiday?

When I got to his parent's, I discovered my father-in-law was working as well.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

My farmer finished his work by the time we had to leave for my parents'.  This afternoon, we added clean gutters and one less thing to mow around next summer to our list of things to be thankful for this holiday season.  

He's industrious, even on holidays - One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 8 other things I love about my life on the farm and 8 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August
Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun

Day 21: He puts me in charge of fun

My farmer and I divide our labors based on our strengths.  He's really analytical so he gets tasks like insurance, financial planning, and fleet management.  Researching, negotiating, and purchasing vehicles bring him great joy.

I'm good at planning, organizing, and executing.  I get tasks like managing our schedules, organizing the garage, and laundry.  I'm also the fun one.  Just ask my friend Lynn.  I've told her about a million times. 

That puts me in charge of planning, organizing, and executing fun.  From nights in to nights out to concerts and time away from the farm, I'm the planner of fun.

And my farmer needs it.  He loves what he does and would probably do it 24/7, if he could.  But the older we get, the more we both have come to appreciate downtime and time away.  It gives us time to recharge and reflect. 

Having a fun eclectic group of friends makes it easy to recharge.  There is a 25 year age span among members of our group.  We're the babies.  I won't say who's at the top.  They certainly don't act their age:).

There's also a wide range of professions - farmers, seed salesmen, teachers, school secretaries, logisticians, small business owners, child care providers, dental hygienists, engineers, city workers, law enforcement officials, and payroll specialists.  We always have something to talk about and we always have a fun event planned.  There's something energizing about late nights spent laughing, dancing, and smiling.

Having family support so we can get away as a couple also helps tremendously.  My farmer and I try to spend a few days away without the kids each winter.  It's amazing how much easier it is to reflect on where we are and where we want to be personally and professionally when we're away from home.  Without that time away, I'm not sure either of us would devote the time necessary to this important task. 

On Monday my farmer came home and asked what we fun things we planned for the holiday weekend.  I told him I hadn't planned anything since I have a 15-page paper due in two weeks and I need to start it.  He gave me a strange look, as if I were dropping the ball.  Then he asked me to work some fun into the weekend. 

Done. 

He puts me in charge of fun - One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 9 other things I love about my life on the farm and 9 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog
Day 20: July and August

Day 20: July and August

My farmer and I dated for five years before we got married.  The entire time we lived 45 minutes to an hour apart. 

I didn't mind much.  We saw each other most weekends and talked on the phone during the week.  The distance allowed me to develop as an individual.  I got to make my own decisions and form my own friendships.  He was close enough to help in a crisis, but far enough away that I learned to be self-sufficient.

Our first month of marriage was an adjustment.  I had to get used to seeing him everyday in addition to sharing a home and the decisions that accompany every day life. 

And then he was gone.

We got married in March.  We probably had three or four weeks after our honeymoon before spring fieldwork started.  I didn't see him most of April, May, or the first couple weeks of June. 

During the day he was busy supporting his seed business customers.  He delivered corn and soybean seed to his farmer customers and helped plant plots to compare corn hybrid and soybean variety performance. At night, he was busy applying anhydrous ammonia to make sure the corn had the Nitrogen it needed to thrive from the start.  He was tilling the soil to prepare the fields for planting.  He was helping plant the crops. He was applying herbicides to eliminate weed competition with the crops.  And, back then, he was running the field cultivator alongside the growing corn plants to eliminate weed competition mechanically.    

Thirteen crops seasons later, I've realized our long-distance courtship prepared me well for his break neck spring and fall schedules.  In the spring and fall months (which are just as crazy), my job is to minimize unnecessary stress.  I take care of all kid and house stuff.  I try not to involve him day-to-day decisions unless it is absolutely necessary.  Like the spring I thought I put the spade through our gas line.  That was necessary.

I've also realized that July and August are my reward.  His schedule is much more flexible.  This allows us to travel on a whim, visit with faraway friends, and just enjoy the slower pace of summer.

July and August- One  of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 10 other things I love about my life on the farm and 10 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day 1: Grandma Millie

Day 2: My clean car

Day 3: He's helped me be more flexible

Day 4: Our little church

Day 5: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function
Day 19: He loves our NEW dog

Day 19: He loves our NEW dog

My farmer prefers used dogs.  It's not an altruistic thing.  It's more an avoidance strategy.  He doesn't want to deal with the puppy stage.

Our first dog, Frank, was about nine months old when we found him at the shelter. He didn't chew on the house or dig, but he was a thief.  Sub-contractors helping with our house remodeling project quickly learned not to leave tools laying around.  He ate the cell phone of one of our dry wall laborers.  I felt pretty bad, but the guy was warned.

Frank started getting sick about eight months after we adopted him.  For the next few years he would get really sick, we'd give him a high dose of a steroid, then he would be better for a few months.

We lost him Thanksgiving weekend three years ago.  He passed at the vet clinic while I was at the chiropractor with the kids.  My son and I burst into tears.  My daughter, who was five at the time, shouted from the back seat, "When can we get another one?!"

The negotiations began and I won.  My farmer agreed that Santa could bring us a puppy.  My compromise was the name.  My farmer likes strong male names.  Meet Pete!

In three years, Pete has eaten our porch steps; eaten our air conditioner wires; eaten his dog house; eaten every type of critter that could venture into our yard; chased runners; chased bikers; spent unknown amounts of time at the neighbors; dug under my front porch; dug under my back porch, stolen little girls' flip flops, and hung himself over the kids' swing.

He's done all the pesky things that puppies do.  And my farmer loves him.

Who could resist that cute face?

He loves our NEW dog - One of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 11 other things I love about my life on the farm and 11 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day One: Grandma Millie

Day Two: My clean car

Day Three: He's helped me be more flexible

Day Four: Our little church

Day Five: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker
Day 18: He's all about function

Day 18: He's all about function

I love old stuff.  Not necessarily antiques, but old stuff that I can dust off and repurpose.

 

This oven was my first trash to treasure purchase.  It was pretty rusty when I bought it.  I cleaned it up, put a square glass pane on top, and used it as an end table.  My farmer was OK with it.  It was cheap and functional. 

When we moved to our farmhouse, I came home with three of these.  Not as cheap as my oven, but still functional and less expensive than traditional end tables.  He was OK with those, too.

Then I brought home a window.

 

And another window.

And I started repurposing windows from our house remodeling project.  He was a bit concerned about hanging heavy things on the walls, but he did it anyway.  After five, he suggested we had plenty of windows and mirrors and we didn't need anymore.

When I brought home this old toolbox, he told me I couldn't bring it in the house.  I did anyway.  It's great for storing craft supplies.

As long as my treasures are functional, he typically doesn't fight them too much.

 

However, this piece confounds him.  I found it at a trash to treasure sale.  Our last name starts with B.  The thing has a B on it.  It would look good hanging from a ribbon.  Perfect!

 

When he saw it, he wondered aloud why I had an old hog feeder cover hanging on our wall.  He added, "I hope you didn't pay for that."

He's all about function - One of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 12 other things I love about my life on the farm and 12 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day One: Grandma Millie

Day Two: My clean car

Day Three: He's helped me be more flexible

Day Four: Our little church

Day Five: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed
Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker

Day 17: He gives me permission to be a slacker

I have had a marathon month and a half.  I picked up a last minute consulting gig in Spain mid-October.

The quick trip, follow-up, my regular responsibilities, school work, house work, and kid stuff have left little downtime.

At 9:30 tonight when I told my farmer I need to write a blog post and that my brain was fried, he told me it was OK not to do it.  Unfortunately, I am a stickler for follow-through.  But I am going to make it short!

He gives me permission to be a slacker- One of the 30 reasons why I love being my farmer's wife.

Stay tuned for the 13 other things I love about my life on the farm and 13 more things that converted this Sycamore girl into a small town girl:).

And, check out my friend Holly's blog and the list of the other 30 day bloggers at 30 Days on a Prairie Farm.

Day One: Grandma Millie

Day Two: My clean car

Day Three: He's helped me be more flexible

Day Four: Our little church

Day Five: His servant heart

Day 6: Farmer humor

Day 7: The first weekend in December - friends, food, & Farm Bureau
Day 8: His fourth grade girlfriend

Day 9: A community that respects those who served
Day 10: He put up my squirrel house
Day 11: Pickup games

Day 12: He's a trend setter
Day 13: Our neighbor BFFs
Day 14: Gardens, farms, and golf courses, and knowing the difference
Day 15: Jam!
Day 16: Our multi-purpose shed