Farm: "Where Dreams Come True" :)

Harvest Time! - A few of many cobs soon to be chomped by the combine in the background!

Hello Friends!

Fall has struck! It feels like summer was yesterday and it looks like winter is tomorrow now that the trees are starting to loose their leaves! Fall colors and TONS of apples have been a treat on the farm. High winds have COVERED the ground with windfalls under our apple trees so we’re making every possible apple dish/juice/sauce/etc… it’s GREAT!

Some say “Dreams Come True” at Disney Land. Although that may be true for some dreams, it turns out that the FARM is actually where real dreams really come true!! If you know my father-in-law, you know that he LOVES ice cream.  Ice cream consumption is practically a part time job on the farm. Since the beginning of time (or at least as long as I have known the Gerdes’) Will has DREAMED of having a soft-serve ice cream machine. Due to inordinately high pricing, a soft serve machine was never a reality…that is, until I happened to find a used one on Craigs List! I told Will about the add and he contacted the seller. Long story short, Will’s dream came true and he purchased the used ice cream machine for a fraction of the original cost. Therefore, we are now equipped to have a constant, awesome, ice-cream party with just the push of a button! So…. Next time you have a hankering for bottomless soft serve ice cream… head to the farm for a visit!!!

Jonathan and Will finished hay in September and pulled out the combine for corn! I snapped a couple pictures so you could see more of the haying process. I’m always surprised how many steps are required between growing and feeding hay! It such a large job and they do it so well!

 

With fall harvest nearing completion, we are making progress on the house! Most excitingly, the basement addition and garage slab are poured! This process involved removing one of the four existing basement walls so we are thankful the house is still standing. :) I must say it looks very odd to have a three sided basement with the fourth side non-existent and exposing the outside. I would love if we could leave it open because it sure fixes the stuffy old basement issue! However, I am uninterested in having my house become a rodent motel, so I think we’ll close it up :)

Indoors, more sheet rock is put up on the walls every day and we’ve started the mudding process. Jonathan hinted to me today that painting may just be around the corner. That may be a big corner involving TONS of work, but it will maybe happen soon. Let’s just say I’m not holding my breath and I’m enjoying each process as it comes – even if it comes slowly :)

 I continue to embrace the farm wife-ish activities. I had lots of fun sewing an apron for my new sister-in-law Katie in the last few weeks. Her new last name (as of last weekend) is “Bird” so I thought she needed an apron with a few birds on it! :) I love teasing her about the name I used to have before I became a Gerdes :) – Love you lots and lots Kt!!

We had lots of fun with Joy, Mary, Jeana and two of her college friends on the farm two weeks ago. Along with the fall harvest festivities, we all attended the “Chris Cakes” breakfast put on by our electric company. Let’s just say that you haven’t enjoyed pancakes until you have to catch them on your plate as they are hurled at you from twenty feet away at the speed of light. I would highly encourage trying this at home.  Although you may have to bring breakfast outside, it makes for a Saturday breakfast experience like none other! Your children will never be the same. Check out the pictures below of the flying flap-jacks!

Last week Jonathan and Will finished filling the silo with corn. Finishing this process involved Jonathan climbing into the silo while Will was shooting crushed corn into the silo. The result? Jonathan came home looking like an old man with EVERY single hair on his body COVERED in corn dust. The pictures below were taken after he cleaned himself off a bit! :)

Until Next Time

Liz & her (cute) “old man”

Our first night with the dream come true. The machine is the silver thing behind Will in this picture :)

Jonathan rakes the hay into rows after it is cut down so Will can chop it. You should see Jonathan operate this thing... It is AMAZING!

Will chops the hay and blows it into the wagon.

Jonathan hauls the full loads to the silo and unloads them into the blower to the left of the ladder.

Check out the hay unloading! ... What a cute farmer!

Feedin' time! I just couldn't resist. He's so attractive when he's working. :)

Houston, we have a hole! - Removing the old basement wall and digging the new basement!

Laundry Room/Bathroom Basement! YAY!!

This is our garage... can you tell!? :)

New sidewalk for the front of the house!

Jonathan and Will re did the masonry to meet the old basement with the new basement.

Sewing project for the new Mrs. Bird! Love you Katie!!

Enjoying our first farm Fall!

We had lunch in the field with the combine when Joy, Mary, Jeana and Friends were over.

Goofing Off... if you can't see, they all have long grass in their mouths. Pretty cool farmers if you ask me!

Catching pancakes is harder than you would think! You should have seen them fly!

Jonathan and I doing the catch. Lets just say I need more practice :)

YAY! We got some!

Nummy Nummy!

Corn Dust EVERYWHERE!!!

Jonathan's 'old man' look. Guess I have lots to look forward too!