Honored Guest & Corporate Farming

Fresh baked bread and pipe smoke; chicken and dumplings and Werther's Original hard candies; a big snowy hill perfect for sledding followed by hot chocolate; beautifully crafted quilts and a vast array of expertly cared for plants - these are just a few of the more prominent things that come to mind when I think of my grandparents' farm. As a kid a fair amount of my time was spent going to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We were there a lot while Dad was helping Grandpa with the farming, and a couple times a week we would get picked up and dropped off the bus at their house.

Twenty years later Grandma and I had a role reversal.  Taylor and I bought some hay from my brother, and my Dad hauled a load to us last Monday. Dad's plan was to bring out the load, spend the night and head back the next day
Grandma had been wanting to find a way to come see Taylor and I, the home we've built, and our new growyard. Dad's short trip out and back presented the perfect opportunity, so my 91 year-old grandma loaded up in the semi with dad and rode 7 hours to come see us. It meant the world to us that she was willing and able to make it all the way out here, and I truly enjoyed getting to show her the different aspects of the life we've built. Grandma had never been to a feedyard before so it was fun to ride along as Taylor drove her around showing her over 20,000 head of cattle.
All I can do now is hope that when I'm 91, I'm still able to get around and take long road trips to see my grandchildren. :)

Me and my grandma, Alice Patterson

On a different note - for many people today "corporate farming" does not bring about a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings. In actuality, though, well over 90% of farms are family owned even if they are "incorporated". And just recently, mine and Taylor's operation became incorporated - Stabel Land & Cattle, Inc. We did this basically to simplify the organization of funds and activities. It doesn't mean we're any less involved or that our practices have changed, it just changes the way the government views our operation. I hope people will think of Taylor and I, our passion for cattle, and our love of this lifestyle, the next time they hear the term "corporate farming."

Taylor and I also registered a brand recently. Keep in mind we both graduated from K-State with degrees in Agricultural Economics, so we recognize that we have a nerdy and odd sense of humor, but  we both felt pretty witty and amusing when we registered this to be our brand:

+ or - $… makes me chuckle every time :) 

Earlier this month we had our annual family bonfire back at my mom and dad's. This was one of my favorite pictures from the evening of my niece Dawson enjoying a nice, messy s'more. 

And the after effects…

Western Kansas Fact: Winter can be a cause for apprehension.

The word "blizzard" brings to mind homesteads back in the 1800s where folks had to tie ropes from their houses to their barns in order to find their way to do chores. I've never yet had to tie a rope, but the open plains, and the high winds out here combined with snow in the winter make that concept easy to understand. But blizzards can quickly kill a lot of cattle. We've been hearing a lot of predictions about a very wet winter, and it's kind of concerning. I'm praying hard that the snow doesn't come in the form of blizzards.

The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness. Romans 8:26

Sometimes I feel really close to God and other times, less so. I know God hasn't gone anywhere; it's me that has moved away. I used to picture God at these times, waiting patiently for me to turn around and come back to Him, but this Scripture lesson reminded me that the Spirit isn't just waiting for me. Even when I have allowed myself to be distanced from my God, the Spirit is there in my place, petitioning my Lord for me. It is there for me in my weakness.

Hope you all have a marvelous rest of the week!

Lyndee