12/19/2010 With all of Mike's responsibilities, Mike squeezes in family vacations when possible but it's not often (vacation photos are posted in the photo gallery). Needless to say, we were all very excited about our recent trip to Orlando to visit Walt Disney World, Sea World and Cape Canaveral. The first two days we enjoyed Epcot and Hollywood Studios and thought it was going to be a wonderful vacation. Johnny's breathing concerned us on day 3 and so we took a taxi to the emergency room for a breathing treatment. The minor medical attention he needed (so we thought) went from minor to major in the ten minute taxi ride. We knew his oxygen level was dangerously low which made the last 60 seconds of the taxi ride feel like an eternity. Long story short, we made two trips to the ER in 24 hours and then he was transported to another hospital which unfortunately is where Johnny stayed the remainder of our trip. For 4 days Mike and I took turns at the hospital with Johnny while grandma occupied Joey and Jake at the hotel. We were so blessed to have my mom with us on the trip. The love and support she shows is unending and was much needed and appreciated during this ordeal. It certainly was not the vacation we dreamed about but it still turned out to be a wonderful ending because we all made it home safely. Thanks to all the thoughts and prayers during our 'vacation'. God answered our prayers and Johnny is now back to his 'normal' and for that we couldn't be happier! - Heather
10/6/2010 Harvest 2010 photos have been added to the photo gallery as well as a Summer 2010 folder that gives you an idea of what our family has been up to the past few months. I'm working on adding captions to all the photos but that will have to wait for another day. It's about time to pick up the kids from school. In the next 15 minutes I need to do a load of laundry, put dishes away, and get dinner going so when the boys get home I can just spend time playing with them instead of cooking. ;-) Oh a mother's work is never done! -Heather
9/27/2010 As of 3:00 pm yesterday afternoon we harvested the final field of corn. We spent the afternoon cleaning, refueling, and moving equipment to our first of many bean fields. With all the corn taken to the elevator we are now eager to get some of it sold. Corn yields have been good but on average about 20 bpa lower than last year. Today we started combining beans and with the extremely dry weather late summer we are surprised to see yields up a bit. I think our average bean yields will still be above last year. Check back soon for some photos of this year's harvest and fall tillage. -Heather
9/6/2010 Harvest, as much as we love it, is also a time for reflection. It's been years since loved ones have been lost to farming accidents but sadness still remains. My father was electrocuted on a grain bin when I was a freshman in high school (1991) and my dad's father was killed in an accident (1976) when he was trying to free stalks that were caught in the combine. And one of our best friends, only 33 years old, was killed in a grain bin accident 3 years ago.
As much excitement that I have when harvest begins, I have just as much relief when it is over. Please pray that we are blessed with a bountiful crop, finish harvest without any major repairs or complications but more importantly that Mike and the rest of his crew complete the season safely. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. -Heather
9/4/2010 It's about that time... the time we all start to get eager to get in the field, some farmers in this area have already begun. Some wait with baited breath for the first kick-off of the Illinois football season, others anticipate the apple orchards and pumpkin picking but for us it's the excitement of getting in the fields eager to see the results of our labor that truly signals that fall has arrived. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the first combine in the field last week. With our three little farmers hardly able to contain themselves adds to the fun and anticipation. Our middle son Johnny is in first grade now (all day) so he'll be disappointed when he realizes that his education is getting in the way of his field time. Jake will love it cause he will be King of the Combine but it won't last all day because once the school bell rings, Joey and Johnny will be ready to join him.
I'm scanning the last of the documents to be placed in secured folders for the landowners to access information with the click of a button. You will be able to view soil maps, delivery sheets, tile maps and more. If you haven't done so yet, please request a password to access the area specific to the field(s) that you own. -Heather
7/24/2010 After a month or two of rains that seemed to saturate the ground everywhere in Champaign County except for on our fields we were thankful when the last couple storms found our ground. About 2 inches in one day a couple weeks ago after a fairly dry spell couldn't have come at a better time. That really helped the crops continue to thrive. I'm in the process of creating the secured folders for the landowners to access information with the click of a button. You will be able to view soil maps, delivery sheets, tile maps and more. It will be in place by the time we begin harvest so if you haven't done so yet, please request a password to access the area specific to the field(s) that you own. All the fields are looking good. Typical summer time jobs including the weed and headline spraying are completed. Most of the road ditches are mowed and now we're gearing up for harvest by getting all the equipment tuned up and ready for another busy fall. As always, we look forward to seeing all of you again this fall during harvest for a tailgate lunch and time in the combine. -Heather
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