Beef Quarters, Halves and Wholes available NOW

We are just like you.  Our family is on the go and stays busy all the time!  Never a dull moment!  My husband Luke and I have been raising cattle for over 20 years!  During this time we have focused our herd on maternal and carcass traits.  That means we want our cows to be excellent mothers and we also want our beef to taste delicious. Along with raising the cattle ourselves, we also operate a small feedlot. Luke has been feeding cattle for the last 15 years. All of the cattle we sell, have been born, raised, and finished on our farm. They have never left our care, or been through a sale barn.  In 2020 we determined that we wanted to bring our high-quality product to our family, friends, and neighbors.   

What kind of cattle do you have?

We primarily have Black Angus cattle.  Our herd consists of cattle that are Black Angus and many of them are considered Black Baldies.  These cows usually have a white spot on their face and are half or part Hereford breed. The Angus industry has worked tirelessly to develop a breed for both the rancher and the consumer.

What do they eat?

From birth to a year old they have primarily foraged on grasses.  In the summer months, they graze on native buffalo grass pasture.  In the winter months, they enjoy a variety of feed such as corn stalks, ground-up CRP grass hay with a mix of distillers grain and silage.  They are also fed bales of sorghum feed.  Some of them get to spend a portion of the winter months grazing on winter wheat pasture.

All animals will be corn fed for at least 120 days.

Most animals are antibiotic-free, and no added hormones.

What comes with a quarter of beef?

How much does a quarter of beef cost?

Between $750-800 per quarter - depending on the weight of each animal

We charge by the hanging weight.

The cost will be $2.90 per pound, plus .82 cents per pound processing.  

Total of 3.72 per pound. (Plus kill, and disposal fee 25 for a half beef.) We will sell you the  "hot carcass weight."  Keep in mind the carcass will shrink when it is hanging.   Also, bones and trimming will come off.  

Each beef is different so we can't give you an exact weight until later.

You will be able to give your cutting instructions to the locker.  Some of the questions they will ask are; how many pounds do you want your roast? How thick do you want your steaks cut? What size of packages do you prefer your ground meat to be packaged in?

We will put you in touch with the processer when your beef is ready.

Cost example, a half of beef that has a hot carcass weight of 406 pounds will cost  

$1469.72 plus $25 = $1,510.32. (406x3.72+25)

There will also be sales tax.

This is an example of a quarter from earlier this year.

This year at the Pratt County Fair our son Weston was able to show his steer.  It was later categorized as PRIME.  The word "prime" is a quality grade assigned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to describe the highest quality beef and other meats, including veal and lamb, in terms of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.  Not every animal is prime, however, most of our cattle finish high choice in yield grade.

What do our customers say?

"We will never buy meat in the grocery store again." 

"I have never bought a steak like this at Dillon's."

"We have never tasted meat this good."

"My wife is eating red meat again."

"We had hamburgers tonight, the best we've ever had, absolutely DELICIOUS!"

"My in-laws stated they were the best steaks they've ever had"

Appointments are available NOW, July, Aug, September & October.

Our customers have come to us as far as Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, and Illinois.

We deliver in Kansas.  But please reach out to us for other locations.

Contact us at ksfarmerswife@gmail.com 

Call or text me anytime, 620-546-6062

Thank you

Unexpected Goodbye

By Tammie Hoeme
Layout Editor

Have you ever gotten one of those phone calls, and you just know that something is wrong?  Well, that’s pretty much what happened to me on Sunday.  My little sister called, and I just asked, “What’s wrong?”  There was a long pause, followed by the news that our long-time neighbor and friend had died.
Having served on the school board for twenty-five years, he had the privilege of handing out hundreds of diplomas.  I can’t remember what we were laughing about as Robert handed me my eighth-grade diploma. The photo is from May of 1992.
The Smiths and the Howells had some good times together. Lots of dinners and kids playing. Honestly, I think the Howell kids just liked us because we had a pool.  Living so far out in the country, we didn’t go to Pratt every day and the summers were a great time to get together and play.   Both families even went snow skiing together.  What a crazy time that was.
Once his daughter Ashton was jumping over my brother and broke her arm.  (We are still not 100% sure what really happened.) Sam got in trouble once and was not allowed to go to the high school football game. He had to stay with my parents when he was in middle school and had a good time despite being in trouble.  The Howell kids discovered The Walton’s TV show at my parents’ house. I babysat for mainly Ashton and Alayna, and learned a lot about kids.  I had instructions to put Alayna in her bed and just let her take a nap.  It was so hard listening to her cry.   I had to get lunch ready for Robert and any of his hired men in the summer.  Luke and I attended church with the Howells for several years.
More recently Robert and I would stand around talking each year at the Medicine Lodge track meet and discuss life.   He made fun of my green shirt. I told him “It doesn’t say ‘Pratt’ anywhere on the shirt,” Robert laughed and admitted he had a plain green shirt to wear to baseball games to watch his friends’ son.  You see Robert and I had both attended Skyline and my kids attend the rival school in the same town.
I just want to tell Ashton, Alayna, Audra, and Sam that your dad loved you so much.  Don’t ever wonder if your dad loved you.  He did.  Don’t ever wonder if he was proud of you.  He was. When he would talk about you his chest would puff up as he would give me little updates on your lives.  One of his greatest treasures in life was his grandchildren.  He loved how much his little granddaughters looked and acted like their moms, and he loved the drama that they were going to bring into your lives.  Robert was also excited for the grandchildren he had not met yet.
I learned that Robert was what I refer to as a ‘faithful reader.’  He read my column faithfully. In fact, I had written a column about meeting his daughter’s roommate from college.  She was Allie’s new teacher, in a new town, fresh from California via Sterling College.  I noticed that Audra was our one ‘mutual friend’ on Facebook.  He cut the article and shared it with people.
How do you sum up the life of someone?  Robert knew so many people in the Pratt community and beyond.  In just a few sentences, he would start sharing one of his many stories.  He had a soft voice and a strong presence. Robert once put a huge smiley face on the Croft road blacktop we lived on.  It was fun to drive over the face and wonder who exactly drew it, but I had a pretty good idea.  He also loved spicy things.  I can remember him explaining to me how much hotter Habanero peppers were than Jalapenos. Since that conversation, I have never wanted anything to do with a Habanero.  I think most people who knew Robert were caught off guard with his sudden passing.  It’s hard to wrap our heads around an unexpected goodbye, but like the pastor said at the service, “It’s just part of life.”  We sat in the same church at his funeral where I had attended his wedding and the weddings of his sisters.  I went to his mother’s funeral there also.  Thankfully we have a shared faith in the Lord and one day we shall all be reunited.
But let’s get down to the hard stuff.  It’s hard to lose a parent at any age, especially when you are young and just starting a family.  My daughter recently told me that it wasn’t fair that my grandpa was still alive, but hers wasn’t.  I told her she was right, life is not fair.   I hope Roberts children can draw on his memory as a source of strength.  It’s not fair that they lost their dad, but again, “It’s just part of life.”
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Time to make hash brown casserole

By Tammie Hoeme
Layout editor

I can’t help but reflect on my cousins today.  It was a year ago their mother passed. This last year I am sure has been a struggle to let her go.  Another cousin said, I think about her every day.  My son doesn’t even like to drive by her house because it makes him sad.  I haven’t experienced the pain of losing a parent, I am sure it must be rough.  Christmas is supposed to be such a joyous time, but the older I get the more I realize it can also be a sad time.  But isn’t that what Christmas is about finding hope in the Savior that was brought to earth, and die for our sins?
So a quick recap of the kids.  Addie is a sophomore and is quickly gaining in recognition for her ability to run.  This year she finished 9th at state in 4A.  I have no idea where her little legs will take her.  Allie is an eighth grader and seems to enjoy about any activity she gets involved in.  She has enjoyed being a teachers-aide this year.  The teacher gave Allie a jar of sand hill plum jelly, something only a farm girl would truly appreciate.  Weston is a big second-grader and has plenty of energy.  Just last Monday he told me, “I am getting ready to go outside and do something dangerous.”  Thanks for the warning.
I am including a copy of what is known as ‘funeral potatoes’  however most people call it Hash brown potato casserole.  Basically, it goes good with ham or brisket.  But that’s just my opinion.
Hash Brown Potato Casserole
This easy-to-make side uses on-hand ingredients like frozen hash browns and cream of potato soup that combine with sour cream and cheese to make a terrific potato side dish that is a great alternative to mashed potatoes.  It’s easy to make ahead too!


1package (about 30 ounces) frozen country-style hash brown potatoes
1cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1container (16 ounces) sour cream
2cans (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Potato Soup
1small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese
How to Make It
Step 1
Set the oven to 350°F.  Spray a 3-quart shallow baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
Step 2
Stir the potatoes, half the Cheddar cheese, the sour cream, soup, onion and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.  Season the potato mixture as desired.  Spread the potato mixture in the baking dish. Cover the baking dish.
Step 3
Bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover the baking dish.  Sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar cheese.
Step 4
Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the top is lightly browned.
Recipe Tips
Make Ahead: Assemble as directed but do not bake (reserve remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese for topping).  Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.  To bake, heat the oven to 350°F.  Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.  Sprinkle with the reserved Cheddar cheese and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes more.

Calcium Deficient

ATTACK!  The vegan activists have signaled their attack earlier this week when an animal abuse video was released.  Fair Oaks Farms was the victim of the vegan attack. Of course, the video was pretty sickening to anyone who watched.  I would like to make a note that June is Dairy Month and the video release was part of a very strategic attack against animal agriculture.  Fair Oak Farms has released a video of their own stating that three of the four employees in the video had already been fired.  The fourth was let go shortly after the video release.

I first noticed the video on Facebook.  A childhood friend who is a lawyer was wondering about the authenticity of the video.  So was another friend.  Both are well educated, moms, and have girls.  I told them to check for commentaries from Food Babe, and also Dairy Carrie. 
So many things scare me about the release of a video like that.  The number one thing that bothers me is people see it, and believe it.  It's on the internet after all.  Secondly, my peers get scared and quit drinking milk.  Trent Loos had a radio show and reminded people why we NEED dairy.
"Today on Loos Tales I remind folks that as we have reduced our consumption of whole milk our public health has suffered.
In the United States found that fewer than 15% of teenage girls, fewer than 10% of women over 50, and fewer than 22% of teenage boys and men over 50 met the recommended calcium intake.
http://www.loostales.com/audio/loostalesthursday.mp3"  He also noted that 80% of teenage girls are calcium deficient. Wow with two teenage girls this certainly hits home.  While I don't think my girls are calcium deficient I can't help but think of all of their friends.  I have also been trying to explain to my girls that their bodies are absorbing calcium for their bones that will be needed for the rest of their lives.  At some point, a woman quits absorbing calcium, which is why many senior ladies have osteoporosis. 
Enough about milk.  Can you believe the weather?  We are heading into an unseasonably cool week.  The wheat keeps trying to change, but then the sun needs to come out.  We have finally planted a little bit of cotton but not too much.   Most of the cotton that was planted in May rotted, and now needs to be replanted.  Some of the cotton from last year hasn't even made it to the gin yet. 
We finished school and the kids are glad to be at home.  I am not sure that they are glad to be helping their dad.  They have been working on changing disks on the drill.  Weston will be turning eight this week.  He wants a remote control truck, a Nerf gun, and some Legos. 

Day with Cats and Cousins

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, you know the jingle.  Well, Weston had only lost one tooth at Christmas but the other came out this last week.  Now there are certain words that are very hard for me to interpret.  However, I did get his winter benchmark tests from school.  Not going to lie, I need to be reading with him more. Coming in the 92nd percentile for his Auditory Vocabulary was no surprise.  He says the funniest things, probably because he is the youngest child.  Last Monday while getting ready to go back to school from Christmas break, he said, “When I get days off, then I just want more days off.” 
Another example of his auditory prowess was when he said, “It says 8+, but don’t worry I can handle it.”    This weekend he stated that he was poor.  So, I asked, “Why do you think you are poor?”  Then he said, “You know why, I spend all my money on Nerf guns.”  I don’t know that he is using ‘big’ words, but he certainly says things that have some meaning, or understanding of life.
Weston started basketball practice for rec league.  He was so excited to be able to play in a group.  After practice, he confessed how nervous he was to go to practice.  He didn’t know his coach and only knows some of the boys on his team.  Another mom told me that not knowing very many boys is good because then they don’t stand around and talk. 
Allie just finished up middle school basketball.  Her last game was at Hesston.  Cousin Julia lives close by and showed up at the game surprising Allie.  My nephew Lane was disappointed that only I was at the game.  He didn’t understand why I hadn’t brought along Weston and Luke. She also got to go to a birthday party this week for a girl in her class.   Next, she starts Scholars Bowl, that will go on for a few weeks this winter.
Addie is in the middle of her basketball season.  This weekend she attended the homecoming dance which she informed me was stupid because nobody really danced.  The girls stood on one side and the boys on the other.  However, I am sure she had fun with her friends.
We took the kids and our nieces Leah and Kaylee to Manhattan to the KSU versus KU girls’ game.  The 4-H extension agents have a ‘4-H Day with the Cats’ where they can purchase a ticket that includes a meal and t-shirt.  I think they all had a good time.  We stopped and ate at Freddy’s in Hutchinson on the way home.  My brother and his family met us at the game so you can imagine the excitement of the event.  Everyone made it back home with only one child throwing up.

Franching: Last week before school starts

My friend and I chuckled as our girls were asking us what all we had at our wedding the other night.  We were attending the wedding of a high school friend who conservatively waited to get married.  The main reason we were laughing at that we had no money for a huge party when we were young and just starting out.  She told her daughter – we just had cake and punch in the church basement, no meal, not dance.  They have been married twenty years, so having a dance didn’t make or break the success of the marriage.
Addie managed to make it through band camp this week.  She plays the trumpet.  It’s quite a change going from just sitting and playing to the marching and dancing for the band.  Plus there is a lot of new music to learn. 
Allie enjoyed the week in Colorado with my parents.  Well, maybe I shouldn’t say she enjoyed the week since she got sick one day.  Thankfully they really didn’t have a tight schedule planned, so they just were able to hang out and play at their cabin part of the time.  On their way the stopped at some sand dunes.  The girls ran around and played for a while until their feet got hot walking on the sand.  The main part of the trip was riding the train through the mountains at Durango.  Most evenings they enjoyed swimming and playing around.  Finally, they came home on Friday and survived the long trip home. 
Weston got to enjoy some boy cousin time.  Levi came over and spent the night.  They went to church together on Wednesday night and played the next day.  They went over to the shop and played in the big pile of sand.  Weston then went over cousin Grants house and did some backyard swimming, bicycle riding and just some boy time.  They played for several hours and seemed to have a good time together.
Saturday I finally did the dreaded school supply shopping.  I think I have everything but who knows, I can get more things later if they need it.
Luke had a flat tire on the baler but was not able to get it fixed before more rain started coming down.  Will he get it dried to start baling again before the next little shower, who knows? 

Summer nearly over

What happened to the summer???  That is what I have been wondering this last week.  We entered the first week of August and the kids are already enrolled in school.  I now have kids in all three buildings.  Elementary, middle and high school.  I guess I had better get to know a few more secretaries.  However, I have been warned by other parents that the high school expects the students to manage their problems and schedule.
This week Addie has band camp, Allie has gone on a girl grandchild trip with my parents and Weston is stuck at home.  However, I think he is going to do a boy cousin sleep over later this week.
The Pratt county fair.  First, we need to go back and revisit the county fair.  It was very nice to attend most of the shows and not break a sweat.  The fair had some very nice temperatures for the end of July. The girls started off with the style review.  Then on Monday they did foods judging followed by the horse show performance classes.  Tuesday brought quilt, photography and crafts judging then we went back home and loaded horses for the speed events.  Wednesday, we brought all the animals to the fairgrounds.  Thursday, we show swine in the morning and sheep in the afternoon.  Friday the girls showed their cow-calf pairs, and Addie qualified for Round Robin.  On Saturday they did the livestock judging contest and then the premium auction.  Now we just need to do record books and write thank you notes.
After putting the paper together last week I finally got enough laundry done for us to pack up and leave for a few days.  After enrolling the kids, we took off for Branson a few days.  Our first stop was the Dixie Stampede.  We went 4 years ago, and the show had changed a little bit.  The girls still enjoyed it.  Weston didn’t really remember it the first time, so he really enjoyed it.  Allie said she still wants to be a Dixie Stampede girl. I think Addie liked the competition parts. 
The next morning, we managed to drag ourselves out of bed and eat some hotel breakfast. Weston must have wanted some type of responsibility because he grabbed the hotel room key and kept a hold of it.  He kept it in his pocket the whole time while we were at Silver Dollar City.  He insisted that he get to hold it.  Finally, we got loaded in the car and headed to the park.  We got a parking spot and then walked to the park.  At first, they were experiencing an electrical problem, but then they got it fixed.  I was a little concerned.  After all what were the girls going to do?  Finally, they got he roller coasters going.  We spent the whole day there and enjoyed all the food.  On the way home, we stopped at the factory outlets to do some school shopping, then headed to Springfield to walk through the Bass Pro Shop.   We saw one family from Pratt we knew, our old pastors from nearly twenty years ago, and a guy that was in Luke’s class spotted him at SDC.  It was fun to run into them and just say hi.
Saturday, we jetted up to Moundridge for our nephew Lane’s sixth birthday celebration.  I think he had a pretty good day.   Since we have no DQ in Pratt we had to slip into the one Hutch for a dip cone, or chocolate malt.

Franching: Firecracker fun

Have you ever noticed in a few days’ time things can change?  A few weeks ago, we had a larger pig in with our 4-H pigs.  She was born in November, they were all born in March.  ‘Mother’ left the group and now the other pigs are growing so fast.  She must have really been ‘hogging’ the food.
With just a few inches of rain there are suddenly more weeds and brush than South Central Kansas has seen in several years.  The pig weeds are not too noticeable until a little bit of rain and then they almost seem to grow a foot overnight. According to Wikipedia pig weeds “can grow from 2-5 inches in three days or less.  In only a few weeks, it can grow from 12 to 18 in compared to cotton at 5 to 8 in.”  So maybe growing a foot overnight might be an exaggeration, but still they can grow rapidly and the change is noticeable overnight.
The cousins all got together for the 4th of July and no one lost any fingers.  My son really likes to light firworks and it is so hard to impress on him that they are dangerous.
We all went out to Dodge City and of course went to Boot Hill.  There was plenty of information to read however, a certain 7 year old was my main focus.  Then we ate at Freddy’s, which the Illinois cousins had not ever ate at.  There was certainly plenty of food. 
After lunch we headed down to the Long Branch Water park.  They had a big pool for swimming, which included a big slide that most of the kids enjoyed.  A wave pool area was a fun part of the park.  The little kids five and under had a play area.  The adults liked the lazy river area.  All of the big kids spent a good part of the day riding the waterslides.  One had some spins and loops, the other had a fast drop into the cove area.

Full weekend

Where do I start?  This week was full of events.  On Tuesday we moved cows and calves off a corn circle to some graze out wheat.  That went pretty well considering that it could have been disastrous. We moved them about 6 miles.  It was slow going but that was expected.  Many of the baby calves ended up getting shoved in the trailer if they weren’t moving along very fast. Once we got to the field only a few cows wanted to turn back, but they soon settled down.
Later that evening we attended Weston’s kindergarten music program. They sang several little songs.  Weston has been heard humming them around the house.
On Thursday Addie’s track meet got canceled, but it was actually kind of a relief.  I had plenty of things to do and so did the kids.  On Friday both Addie and Allie got to attend the Italian Dinner that was hosted by their school.  The students had to meet two requirements to attend.  They needed to lead a conference with their parents, and have their grades in good standing.
After the rehearsal for their piano recital, the girls were ready to get their hair done.
They met up with their friends and snapped a few pictures before the dinner.
On Saturday Weston had his last soccer game.  The soccer season really did not go very well.  About half of their games got canceled due to bad weather. Most of the team made it to the last game and they really had a good time. And yes they won.  They played on the football field artificial turf instead of grass so the ball really moved quickly.
The girls had their piano recital on Sunday.  The girls both did well.
The kids have about 12 days of school left and they are starting to get the feeling of wanting to be done with school.  I have been running out of ideas for their lunches, but we will get by.

Anything you can do, I can do better.

This week started us off with a busy Tuesday.  Addie had a track meet in Medicine Lodge, and Weston had a makeup soccer game in Pratt. Divide and conquer.  So I went to the track meet, and Luke to Weston to the soccer match.  My parents came down and watched a few of the races. 
This track meet is the only nonleague meet our school goes to.  So Addie enjoyed seeing some of her friends that she met at church camp.  They all go to Chapparel Middle school.  Her cousin from St. Marks was there also.  Last year they didn’t race each other.  This year they competed against each other in the half mile and the medley relay.  Addie had the easy 100 meter part, while Briley ran the last leg of 400 meters. 
Luke and the guys pulled a calf and unfortunately the calf did not make it.  That is part of the game, you can’t always win.  Last week they installed a forty foot water tank in the pasture and this week they got the run-off drain attached and working.
About a year ago we had a bunch of hay bales across from where we feed cattle.  So, Luke, had me take the hydrabed and just move them with the pickup to the other side of the road.  One day I managed to load four bales onto the bed instead of the usual three.  I didn’t know that I had started a competition because Luke snapped a picture of the pick up loaded with six bales.  He didn’t go anywhere with them but mainly was just having fun with a photo opportunity.

Windy days

Wow that wind last week was just a little bit more than crazy.  I am glad that it has finally slowed.  Our farrier showed up Tuesday morning, and was able to trim all the horses in our barn.  He knew he would be able to use the barn, otherwise he would have rescheduled.
This weekend the girls had 4-H club days.  Allie is the president of our club so she was able to make it through the model meeting.
Allie also played the piano and gave a project talk on Grass Fed and Grain Fed beef.  That was a very broad topic, but we were able to help her condence it down to a 6th grade level talk.  Addie gave a demonstration on how to make a thank you card, and then write it.  She also played the piano.  Weston made a project talk on coyotes, but since he is not really in 4-H he didn't give it to anyone except us.  He made me print out a bunch of coyote pictures and he glued them onto a poster board.
Cousin Levi got to show off his weather balloon in the Show-and-Tell category for first year 4-H'ers.  He got up and shared his big smile and talked about finding the balloon out in a field with his dad.  He also gets to use it for his science fair project.
Then the boys played hard at our house all day Saturday.  They went and played in the sand pit, played basketball and just as the wind came up and the front started coming in the wanted to ride horses.  So Luke saddled up two horses.  Weston claimed Goldie was hard for Levi to ride, so next time he would let Levi ride Diamond. It's interesting that Diamond is easier for them to ride, because she is certainly the hardest horse to catch.  Not only does she know every trick in the book, I think she wrote the book.  Goldie on the other hand generally allows me to walk right up to her and catch her.

Roll or get rolled over

This week some of the girls from the office and I attended a class at KSU about Social Media Marketing.  We met around 5 AM on Tuesday and headed to Manhattan.  So, what does that mean?  The class was about how to get platforms like Facebook, and Instagram to work for you and your business.  Most of the other attendees represented some type of organization or a private business.  One thing I learned, was to roll with changes, or get rolled over. 
It’s interesting, media is changing so quickly.  How does a small newspaper keep up?  One way I think, is to offer something that other papers don’t.  The Rural Messenger offers many columnists that share a story or a humorous point of view.  Some share personal stories, and life lessons from their past. 
We also offer classifieds, that come from sellers who are from the most part from central Kansas.  Not everyone likes to point and click and read on a screen.  We offer a paper that comes out weekly so that you can sit and read the paper when you get the opportunity, rather than rush, rush, rush.
On to the kids, this is a big birthday time for our family right now.  March 1 is shared by three people, along with 3 February birthdays and three other birthdays in March.  Two of them are adults, the rest are nieces and nephews. 
Allie told me that they could not have made it one more morning without me.  Weston seemed pretty happy to have me home.  Weston got to dress up and have Dr. Suess week at school.  His favorite day was dress like a farmer.  He told me that he didn’t want to dress like an ordinary farmer, he wanted to dress like my dad.  I didn’t try and tell him that my dad dresses pretty ordinary most days.  I think Weston didn’t want to dress in overalls.  So, he dressed in a tractor shirt, some of his work jeans, boots, plyers on his belt and a ball cap.
Addie has been enjoying the new Cricut that I got for my birthday.  It is a die cutting machine.  Now we can cut paper, fabric, and wood. We can even do some embossing with a special tool.   She has made several thank you cards and other projects. I have invested a small fortune is paper to cut out.  However, this is one electronic I am happy to let her play with.   We made some birthday cards for the cousins. 
I finally got a picture of one of our road runners.  I have seen three at our house, but I don't think they all say here at once.

The last dribble

Allie's team took the court for the last time on Saturday.  The ended up in 4th place.  They ended the season 2 - 4.  Overall they really enjoyed them-selves and improved their game.  Several of the girls are fifth graders and they will be ready to play next season.  Allie will be a seventh graders so she will play at the school and not in the rec league.  She has already commented that she misses practice.  I guess she will just have to practice her piano instead.
Weston and Allie went out to cousin Levi's house.  They played hard all afternoon.  On the way home Weston was so tired that he fell asleep on the way home.  He hasn't done that in a while. 
Addie enjoyed going to Rock Springs Camp this last weekend for 4-H ambassador train-ing weekend.
Luke got me a Cricut maker for my birthday and now I need to figure out how to operate it.

no calves yet

Everyone keeps asking how the calving is going and I have disappointed them when I have told them that we have not really begun.  One cow had a calf very early but she was able to handle the situation all on her own.  Then we have had a few others, and finally the first heifer had a calf this weekend.  Luke did give the calf one bottle and it has been find with the mother ever since. 
Allie had a basketball game on Saturday.  Her team finally managed to win a game.  They won by only two points.
We all crammed in the pickup along with Hannah and we went and checked cattle.  Lucky we did, one side of the hot wire fence was down.  So after fixing that we headed back to the house to enjoy the nice weather.
The kids got some drones from Christmas but it has been so cold, or the wind has been blowing.  Finally, they got a chance to fly them on Sunday.  Weston’s would not take off.  Addie and Allie were both able to fly theirs.  The batteries in them did not last long.
Weston was sick this week and kept a little cough around.  He got to spend the night with his cousin and he informed me that he was not even scared. 
My parents came to Allie’s game and my nephew’s game on Saturday, next weekend they will be at another grandchild’s game.  They will be heading up to see my sister and her family.  They have several birthdays close together and enjoy seeing everyone.  Maybe they can take a few pictures of snow so my kids will know what it looks like.

Banquet

Most of the staff from the Rural Messenger got to attend the Pheasant’s Forever banquet in Hutchinson this past weekend.  We played games, and my kids drank as many pops as the could and we all had a chance to sit around and catch up on non-office ideas.  Steve and Joyce Gilliland were also able to join us.  I hope they enjoyed their evening.  Nick Hollister of United Country in Newton was the auctioneer for the evening.
The Atrium Hotel and Convention center hosted the event.  I was surprised how big the banquet room was.  Most of the dinner was just so-so.  But I did hear lots of people say how wonderful the brisket was. Everyone also got to enjoy a slice of apple pie.  The meal was good considering how many people they served. 
All of the kids got a Pheasant’s Forever t-shirt and free one-topping pizza from Papa Murphy’s in Hutchinson.
I just hope my boss didn’t have any surprises when he paid his tab!

Into the fire

On Thursday in Pratt the unimaginable happened.  A house fire quickly burned and because of the fast-moving fire 4 children and their mother passed away. Allie and I drove by the house Saturday and the street was still blocked off.  The fire investigators are still working to find the start of the fire.
On the news we watched as the fire fighters first pulled up to the home site.  We could see one of our friends running by in his uniform to the scene.  I thought about how most fire fighters are “do-ers.”  They DO the hard things that need done.  Most people run from a fire, they run into the fire.  When they signed up to start their firefighter training, I am sure they knew that hard days would come in the future.  I am sure this was their worst nightmare come true.  No amount of training can prepare a person for dealing with the loss of a child. I imagine that these guys could only lay their heads down, but not sleep.  As they laid their head down, the scene played over and over in their minds.  What could have been different, could they have arrived sooner?  Questions I am sure continue to troll through their minds.  Many of them went home to see their own children and shed a few tears.
On Sunday our pastor prayed that the first responders would be free of guilt.  I too hope they will be free of guilt.  Even though most people know it was no fault of the firemen, I can see how they might carry around guilt. 
Perhaps I should summarize by saying how thankful I am for the DO-ERS in the world.  I am thankful so many wonderful people are willing to put their live on the line and run into danger.  I see these guys out training and their families also give sacrificially to the community.  They have taken time away from their lives to be ready in an emergency.
Many donations have come in.  If you feel compelled to donate this is one link https://www.gofundme.com/chfcjy-help-the-egglestonwheatley-family

Braces off

The braces came off this week.  Addie couldn’t be happier.  I was very surprised when a month ago the orthodontist said they could come off.  She had minor issues, so she only had to wear them less than a year.  Of course, now we need to finish paying for them, and we go back up Tuesday to get retainers.
Middle school basketball also came to an end.  I know some schools are still playing but our school has a wrestling season for middle school.  Last week was the first time in a long time that all three kids got on the bus and went to school, and then they all three came home on the bus.  Addie seems to be pleased with a little more free time.
Allie started her rec basketball season.  She enjoyed her game, even though they lost.  She knows most of her teammates and enjoys playing with them.  After the game her face was pretty red, then she looked in the mirror and said, “Wow they are really red!” 
On Saturday we saddled up the horses and went for a short ride.  Sometimes its seems like a major event just to get all the horses saddled up.  They got out on Tuesday morning when it was about 1 degree out.  They were just in the ditch looking for some cheat.  Unfortunately, there is nothing green around for them to nibble on.

So cold

Just one more week of middle school basketball (yeah!) Addie has two more games, and we have meetings on both nights and I am not sure how we are going to get to the games.  Then Allie starts the rec. basketball league. She knows her coach this year and is ready to start playing. 
It was so cold last week.  Thankfully we didn’t have two feet of snow to blow around.  I managed to keep the horse water open.  The tank looks like a big hunk of ice with a single hole going down to the bottom to the water.  I am hoping to get some melt in the tank. Luke had a heat lamp on an old well that he needed to keep thawed. We went to unplug the heat lamp since we are enjoying warm weather for a few days.  Near the well is an old underground house.  In the house there is a bee hive.  It had warmed up just enough the bees were out inspecing and making sure it wasn’t spring yet.  On the floor we found serveral old honey combs.  They were empty and just wax pieces.  I tried to explain to Weston that the bees had made wax.  They were hard from the cold and he didn’t know what to think.  After the combs had set on the dash for a while they quickly softened and the kids enjoyed feeling the squishyness of the wax. 
Even our roadrunners managed during the cold snap.  I saw them puff out and try to keep warm.  One was in the barn, I think he was looking for mice.  I was surprised how close I got to him.  Then Allie was in the horse pen and she said one walked right past her, then took off.  According to the kids we have three roadrunners.  I have seen two at the same time.
Weston told me he wanted to go visit a Reindeer farm, I didn’t know what he was talking about.  Finally, I noticed a travel company had been advertising a tour to Alaska and one of the features was visiting a Reindeer Farm.
Addie and her friend went on a quick trail ride Sunday.  Then when she got home we all saddled up and went down the road.  We started out too late, and it got dark and cold quickly.  Allie had been getting her new saddle adjusted to her horse.  We had to trade out some billets and put a different cinch on.  She got mad at me when I put saddle soap on it and did not wipe the excess off. 
My daughter was mailed a letter from Pratt on December 18th and she finally got it December 30th.  The main problem was the letter told about a meeting on December 28th.  It’s a good thing that someone had told us about the meeting, so she was able to attend.  Did you know that the Rural Messenger still mails out some papers, but now the paper can be picked-up at multiple sites in your community?   The Rural Messenger is also free, so thank our advertisers.  We are actually getting the paper into more hands than when we mailed the paper.  Look for a new paper each Wednesday.

Franching: Funny things

Each year I have been posting my final column of the year with funny things my kids have said through out the year.
• Anything camo is mine. Weston
• Don’t worry Mom, Jesus will heal it. Weston
•  I stated, “That’s not worth writing home about.” Allie asked, “What does write home mean?”
• Weston asked if I had the ingredients for sugar cookies, and I said YES, but Why?  “We need to make some for Santa.”  I guess he is ahead of the game this year.
• Did I grow in your heart? Weston
•  First things first, we are making cookies NOW. Weston
•  Be careful girls, there’s a gun in the car. (his bb gun) Weston
•  I like mine dark (chocolate milk,) just like coffee. Weston
•  I know the password to the microwave. Weston
•  “Mom I wish Teddy had a Mom.” said Weston. “Well you are kind of like his mom,” I said.  “Do I look like a bear?” asked Weston.  “Well you are like his dad,” I replied.  “I lose him sometimes you know.”
•  Go in the other room Mom, dad and I are working on an expensive plane. - Weston
•  What did you get dad for valentines?” asked Weston. “Those chocolates,” I replied.  “NO you have to get something cooler - Like a new feed truck.” said Weston.
•  No - not steak - it will make my tooth looser. Weston
•  The only thing wrong with these cookies is they need milk. Allie
•  Do you have any spinach - I feel weak. Weston
•  Weston stuck his tongue out at me, and I informed him he had better stop or that was going to get him in a bunch of trouble.  He then informed me that Jesus would still love him.
•  “Why does Hannah (our dog) want the pigs so bad?” asked the girls.  Well, the are bacon.....(Weston)
•  During Easter Sunday we were doing congregational singing.  Weston could see the communion table set up.  He asked me “When are we going to get to the bread and the blood?”
•  I told Weston go up to the attic and get his Easter basket.  He proceeded to get down on of my grocery bags, and stated, “It’s to small, I am going to need something bigger, and with a zipper too.”
•  Weston has his first loose tooth and stated, I really have three lose teeth, but the third one is hard to find.
•  You are going to have to get a lot better at English if you are going to get me thru high school mom. -Addie

Franching: Music programs

This last week Luke and crew preg checked and calf-hood vaccinated a group of cattle.  The day dragged on, but with some freshly baked cookies and several pots of coffee they pushed through and finished. 
With a second child at home I asked my niece how things were going at her house and she surprised me and said it was going much better than she had expected!
Our out of state deer hunters have not had as much success, compared to years past.  I think there are several factors involved.  The warm weather for one, healthy coyotes, and multiple deer hunters seeking venison.  However the only deer I ever killed was in my parents blue Oldsmobile, making me a non-hunting expert.
A chapter closed for Allie this week.  She had her last elementary Christmas music program.  The kids did well.  I often say that 6th grade is the last time some of the boys will sing. 
Weston got to take a ride on the Polar Express.  The kindergarten classes had a big day building up to an afternoon party where they got their ticket punched and the watched the Polar Express movie. 
My kids are certainly ready for a break from school.  They mainly want to know what they are getting for Christmas.  We got the Christmas tree brought in.  We cut down an Eastern Red Cedar from the pasture.