VanMeeteren Farms

Where healthy living begins by providing high quality all natural food.

(507) 483-2648
(507) 220-0235
  • Goats
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • On The Farm
  • Contact Us

This Week on the Farm

February 11, 2020 at 9:52 pm

Friday Night Pizza Night.

 

 

“Eat the rainbow” has been a theme around our house lately. This was an afternoon snack one day.

 

Anna is eating solid food now! She loves it! Mostly she’s eating from the squash family: pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and we threw in some avocado to mix it up. So here she is with squash nose and avocado drool.

 

At a Christmas party, Dan won free tickets to front row seats for a Skyforce Basketball game. Dan and I had a great time!

 

 

A friend recommended a blog that had great winter outside ideas. So here are balloons filled with water and food coloring set out to freeze. We then peeled the balloon off and used the colored “ice crystals” to play with!

 

After a big snow, the snow pile was up to the trees! We made a slide and put our ice crystals at the top!

 

Chocolate Chia Pudding with fresh raspberries, toasted coconut and hazelnuts. A nutritious breakfast that looks like dessert!

 

Double Trouble! I think someone got into my makeup and did a little artistry on themselves!

 

The really exciting farm news is that we have baby calves! Here are Brownie and Star.

 

This is Smudge.

 

And here’s the baby with Natalie. We hadn’t come up with a name yet, which turned out okay, because the poor little guy didn’t make it. So sad, but a part of farm life.

 

Spring is just around the corner, even though it doesn’t feel like it with more snow and single digit forecasts! The farm is perking up and we’re looking forward to all kinds of spring babies……kids (goats, not mine!), chicks, turkeys and calves! Yes, calves! Introducing four new  jersey and jersey cross calves!

Everyone in the house is excited! The calves are getting cozy in the front parlor of the old milking barn. Dan and Nathan took the trailer to pick them up last Saturday, and we all got to help bottle feed them in the evening. All of them only days old. I confess, it’s been a looooong time since I bottle fed an animal of any kind, so my forearms and hands were shaking from exhaustion after fighting with a little calf to eat for over 30 minutes, as they tried to learn this “bottle” thing. Dan was doing two at a time! Since that first day, Dan picked up some holders and they’ve been drinking bottles like it’s second nature! Dan uses a pitchfork to scoop out the manure and it cracks me up that Nathan begs and whines when he doesn’t get to “scoop the poop!” I can’t wait to share that story when he’s older. Well, Dan and I used to playfully argue over who would change Nathan’s diaper when he was a baby, but, well, things change! 

 Nathan, Natalie and I picked out three names so far and the fourth is under discussion. The black calf with the white spot on his nose is Smudge, inspired by a story book we read written by a Vet in England. The story is of a little boy who was given twin lambs and named one with a white spot on it’s black nose Smudge and the sister was named Smartie.

The brown calf with the white spot is named Star, inspired by a children’s series developed to share the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The book we read was about Almonzo, when he was a boy caring for the livestock, and one of the horses was named Star. The all brown calf is named Brownie, for obvious reasons. And Nathan wants to name the baby calf Brownie 2. Dan’s experience growing up on a diary farm advised us to wait to name the calves to see if they “make it first” and he was right. The baby didn’t survive after a cold spell and refused to eat. We lost him a few days ago. So sad. The others are healthy and tucked into their straw beds with heat lamps. 

Dan and I decided we are going to try our hand at turkeys once again. Several years ago we enjoyed raising Royal Palm turkeys for meat, a striking black and white bird, but had trouble with the local wildlife stealing them for their Thanksgiving dinner. But now, we have donkeys! Yes, the donkeys presence has significantly decreased any fowl foraging from foxes, mink and other predators, so we’re going to try again. Fingers crossed. 

Other farm business includes ordering more bees for our hives, since the Queen went AWOL last summer and our hive naturally dispersed, leaving us with little honey and no viable hive. A rooster has been arranged to make a visit to the farm, so we can have chicks once again this spring. And our rented Billy goat just left after spending a month with our Nannies. Last year we didn’t have a single kid! We were so disappointed. That Billy goat didn’t prove to be useful at all, even though we bought him with rave reviews. So, we are hopeful that this Spring will not be a repeat of last year. 

Last summer I only canned cherries, and I am badly in need of produce, so we’re gearing up for gardening. December and January the seed catalogs pile up from the mail and I spend lots of time browsing through all the pictures, circling and making a “wish list.” At some point in January or February Dan and I plan what we’ll plant and we “edit” the catalogs because, well, I just can’t grow everything and I struggle with realistic expectations. This year I am really excited to try and grow mushrooms! We ordered an innoculated log for shitake mushrooms which we’ll probably put in the grove. I hope it’s everything I’m dreaming it will be! We’re also adding a few blackberry bushes to our orchard of mulberry trees, raspberry bushes, apple trees, cherry trees and pear trees. This will be the fifth year for the orchard, so we should get a handful of fruit from our dwarf trees. 

In N&N news, Natalie is suddenly getting her “Dracula” teeth (four at once!)and has been miserable for the last week, waking up screaming several times in the night. It was rough on everybody. Poor thing. After two weeks of total health for the whole family, Anna is once again sick with a cold and ear infection. So last week Natalie would wake up 2-3 times the first part of the night, and Anna would wake up 1-2 times in the wee hours of the morning. I was exhausted! I think I’m still recovering!

Natalie can count to 13 without any prompting and loves to say, “ready, set, go!” Other phrases she often says are “Wummy! (Yummy!) when she helps me cook supper and Wow! It’s pretty cute. She loves to imitate me, and when I’m trying to catch a few extra winks on the couch while they play, she’ll put me to bed by rubbing my cheek, kissing me and saying “feel bubber, Mommy,” (feel better). It’s pretty cute. She gets dressed by herself and most of the time can zip her coat by herself, put on her shoes and mittens.

Nathan can’t quite get the zipper thing yet. It’s tricky. He clears his throat a lot now, and when I asked what he was doing, he told me he had “throat boogers!” I had a good laugh! He loves to be in charge and play “Follow the Leader” lately imitating penguins by waddling. Natalie just tags along. Anna can nearly sit on her own, rolls all over the place, eats her feet, laughs and giggles at the kids’ antics and has a beautiful smile. She loooves to eat and take baths! A girl after my own heart! 

And that’s the news from this dracula-teeth-and-dreams-of-spring week on the farm! 

This Week on the Farm

January 22, 2020 at 8:59 pm

This week will feature a photo diary of all the happenings since the weeks of December flew by. It was before Christmas when I last posted, the Advent season which now seems a distant memory. At the front of the agenda these days are weathering blizzards and stir crazy kids with cabin fever! My best defense is to get the kids outside as much as possible, exercise, good rest, plenty of water, and lots of inside and outside crafts! 

The main events that have occurred since my last post are as follows: Natalie turned 2 on December 16th!, sickness and more sickness with a week of giardia/diarrhea for a 2 and 3 year old (THAT was rough!), Christmas festivities, New Year’s celebration, the death and funeral of Dan’s Grandpa Brouwer, a 4 day weekend on my own while Dan attended the funeral in Missouri with 2 sick kids, an ice storm, and then a few good blizzards! We are now on the good side of health! Woohoo! 

Anna turned 6 mos. a few days ago, and is such a joy! She laughs hysterically at the antics of Nathan and Natalie. She loves her Jumperoo, which is why it was a minor crisis when the seat latches broke! Thankfully a good friend came to the rescue, using her tent straps to repair, and it’s good as new! She can almost sit by herself and hates to be left out of anything. She has an iron fist and holds on to toys and objects for dear life, hoping to get them in her mouth! She loves to be outside with the kids, who pull her around in the baby sled. She talks to me in the afternoons when the kids are sleeping and we have some great one-on-one time when toddler energy isn’t being thrust in her face. And when I get around to it, she’s ready for baby food; pureed pumpkin from our garden has always been our first offering. And now, pictures…..

The birthday girl.

 

Elmo Birthday cake.

 

Fruit faces of Elmo and Cookie Monster.

 

On the day of Natalie’s birthday, she received a Cookie Monster set of pajamas and we ate “Monster Cookies” just like Cookie Monster! It was hilarious and she loved it!

 

Christmas explosion: the state of the house when toys, present, wrapping paper, food and Christmas decorations are strewn all over the house making it impossible to walk in any direction!

 

Grandpa E with Nathan and Anna at Christmas.

 

Christmas present euphoria!

 

Freezing fog can be so picturesque.

 

Making a family of snowmen on Christmas day.

 

Natalie all bundled up in the snow.

 

I started following a FB group called Kids Eat In Color, and got creative with their snacks. Although, the raisin eyes look a bit more like aliens!

 

Sweet bell pepper Christmas trees. I didn’t have any green peppers on hand.

 

Kids “crudite” tray to celebrate New Year’s Day: Grinch grapes, strawberry and banana candy cane, Rudolph celery and peanut butter, meat and cheese. Fancy!

 

Staying healthy: the super immunity trio of garlic, ginger and tumeric.

 

A little busy work: shelling hard beans from last year’s garden.

 

We stayed in our pajamas all day since we didn’t leave the house. Anna had a major poop explosion right before I made lunch. I needed to give her a bath, so I asked Nathan if he could get lunch for himself and Natalie and suggested a few things in the fridge. When I came down he had gotten cold noodles mixed in some pesto and was spoon feeding it to Natalie along with some grapes!

 

Nathan and Natalie love to watch Sesame Street and Elmo’s World!

 

I know there are a million little bits of news in the last month, but I’m sticking with the highlights! It’s 9pm Wednesday night and we just put the kids to bed 30 minutes ago, after playing outside on a huge pile of snow for an hour! It was completely calm and balmy in the 30’s after a high of zero or -1 the last few days! The kids and I forged a path up the pile, which at the top puts us in the Maple tree, and then I fashioned a slide. Tonight Dan helped start on a fort, so we stayed up later to enjoy some rare beautiful winter weather! 

And that’s the news on this birthday-Christmas-New-Year’s-blizzard month on the farm! 

This Week on the Farm

December 12, 2019 at 2:48 pm

Hot chocolate face at Thanksgiving!

 

My workout! Pulling sleds!

 

Natalie, does your car need to be towed?

 

Nathan making a crust for his pumpkin pie.

 

Nathan and Natalie wearing their Christmas “stockings.”

 

Grandma E had the stuff to make an Elmo and Cookie Monster Christmas ornament for the kids!

 

Friends came to play! They loved Anna!

 

Sisters!

 

Anna in her baby sled.

 

Icicles and apple cider for a snack.

 

The kids helping Mom pack up my homemade “Christmas spice” potpourri.

 

A blue candy cane from Santa at the Puppet Show.

I had every intention of writing this on Monday, then I had a little setback with downloading pictures, and now I’m staring down Friday and the week is nearly gone! Arg! 

The acreage is covered in sparkly, fluffy snow and the weather has been frigid, so we’ve been stuck inside. Anna and Natalie both have a case of the classic runny nose but otherwise all is well, health wise.

It is a HUGE priority over here to get outside, and so with the exception of the last few days where the high is below zero or single digits, we go out! We bundle up in our snow pants and scarves and Nathan pulls up the sleds to the back door by the time I get the girls dressed and ready, and we’re ready for our “sleigh” ride! Nathan loves to pull Anna, while I pull Natalie, and often I find myself in a what feels like a video clip of “Rocky Balboa” doing winter training for his next fight while I heave the two sleds, walking or running. It’s quite a workout! Adriaaaan! 

On the days where it’s mostly calm, sunny and thirty-something, we track animals in the snow, mostly a crazy rabbit that runs circles around the yard (Bugs Bunny?), the cats and some pheasant. We hunt down huge icicles and eat them and make a choir of snow angels. One day Nathan brought his huge icicle inside and dipped it in his apple cider we were having to warm up! 

We embrace winter over here and try to remain joyful in this season of hibernation. Nathan and Natalie put on their little aprons and helped me make homemade pies for our extended family Thanksgiving feast. I had 2 little mini pie plates left from my days of Farmer’s Market, so they rolled out their own crust from my scraps and put the leftover pumpkin filling in, and that was their snack for the afternoon. They loved it! I was exhausted, but pleased to make those kinds of good memories! Although, I confess, I told Dan I should never volunteer to make/bring those kinds of foods to our family gatherings! Next year I might volunteer to bring napkins or juice!! 

As part of the Winterfest activities in Luverne, we attended the Children’s Puppet Show. It’s always a little chaotic and hectic bringing 3 under 3 somewhere by myself, especially if I have to nurse Anna, but they did great! Santa Claus showed up and gave all the kids candy canes, and they couldn’t have been happier! I was calculating how long it would take for them to recover from their sugar high! 

The first Saturday of the month we finally broke out the Christmas tree and the few decorations I have. Natalie was trying to put the stockings on her feet and they went up to her hip! It was pretty funny, and then Nathan joined in and they were walking around in Christmas “stockings.” As a fun little festive gift, Nathan helped me dehydrate orange slices, grapefruit slices and apples, which we put in bags with cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks to simmer on the stove as a Christmas spice room fragrance. 

That same Saturday we had our monthly potluck and opted for soups. I made a hearty beef stew and pull apart rosemary-garlic bread–so addicting! Friends brought a spiced butternut squash soup and salad with fresh raspberries for dessert. Prior to our meal, we had a sort of “Winter Olympic Games” with a sled pull and log toss. It definitely got our hearts pumping and our lungs burning and we were ready for some warm soul-ful food! 

In N&N news, Natalie turns 2 on Monday! So it’s a busy time here preparing for a birthday and Christmas! Nathan is in his first Christmas program at church on Sunday. Natalie can now go down the steps by herself, which still makes me nervous on our 100-year-old steep wood steps, but I just stand nearby and hold my breath. She just yells, “No! No!” if I even attempt to help or have my hands nearby to “spot” her. She is also potty trained now, and doing awesome. She loves her Minnie Mouse undies and being a big girl! So 2 toddlers in undies! Woohoo!! Natalie LOVES to play baby and anything Elmo and Cookie Monster. So on her birthday I’m making Monster Cookies, and we will eat them Cookie Monster style! 

Anna is rolling all over the house and everything within her grasp goes in her mouth! It has been a little shock to the older kids to realize that when they try to love on her, she grabs their hair with an iron fist and doesn’t let go! “No! No! Anna! ” they tell her. 

I haven’t seen much of the animals lately, since it’s cold. On the “nicer” days, I pull the 2 older kids around on the sled to do chores, but I struggle to lift haybales, so I leave the goats and donkey’s to Dan’s care, and collect eggs and feed the cats. 

And now, we just wait for Christmas! Nathan asks every day where his presents are and tells me he wants them “right now” in spite of all my lessons on how Christmas is about Jesus’ birth and it’s His birthday we’re celebrating! Nathan loves the tree lights and turns off all the house lights so we can see them better! 

And that’s the news on this sledding-and-rolling week on the farm! 

This Week on the Farm

November 26, 2019 at 3:44 pm

Happy Thanksgiving! We are in for a bit of the snow before we feast on turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie!

Last week was a blur, after we returned from our first road trip to Joplin, MO as a family of five for our cousin’s wedding! 10+ hours in the van, 2 exhausted parents, and 3 little people! But we made it, and that’s all that matters! Friday morning we woke the kids up, left their jammies on, put a waffle in their hand, loaded them in car seats and took off. 

The two older kids did great, all things considered. I bought these fancy trays that clip on the car seat that they can use to color, read, eat food. It has compartments for crayons, stickers, play-doh, or whatever, as well as a spot for water and snacks. Best purchase ever. I loaded down the floor storage compartment in our mini-van with books, new stickers, little cars, magna-doodles, chalk and chalkboards, puzzles, magnet games, and TONS of snacks! We stopped quite a bit mainly to feed Anna and go to the bathroom (2 kids potty training), but then met up with a friend and her 4 kids at the Kansas City Zoo for a 3 hour break! 

It was a GREAT opportunity to run off some steam and have fun seeing polar bears, kangaroos, camels and penguins all with friends we don’t see often! The weather couldn’t have been more perfect “fall” weather for us! 55-60F and sunny with little wind!! A dream come true! We didn’t even wear our coats until it got dark! 

Once at our friend’s house, we figured out our sleeping arrangements. Nathan and Natalie fell in love with their little girls’ room, with a bed on the floor for Nathan and shelves loaded with books and a cool canopy surrounding a plush kid-sized chair. Natalie swooned over the little cradle and baby with a big doll house and stuffed animals. They couldn’t have been happier! (I did pack some melatonin gummies to help them sleep, just in case!) 

The next morning the kids jumped on the trampoline and helped me collect beautiful fall leaves outside. It was so nice, we decided to have a little lunch picnic on the deck! Yep! My eyes are closed, because it was SO bright! 🙂 

At the wedding there was some juggling and managing with feedings, and naps, but overall they did great! We had some help from family and loved at least seeing everyone! 

The trip back went much smoother! Anna learned how to sleep in her car seat and slept for nearly 3 hours, while the older two had fun playing with me sitting in the back. The only downside was Natalie developed a fever the night before, but got two naps on the way home, so plenty of rest. We landed on our home place on Monday and I decided we should stay home all week to recover!

In the meantime, Anna surprised us by rolling over for the first time at 4 months exactly! While we were eating supper, Anna was playing under her activity mat on the floor in the living room. I looked over and she was on her stomach! The Jumperoo is also her favorite thing to do now as well! 

Nathan and Natalie and I spent a few nice days outside, foraging for winter berries, pine cones and greenery for a homemade wreath. 

Before we left for our trip, Nathan helped Mike Rust combine corn. I had a good laugh when he was recounting the day he helped “Neighbor Mike” combine corn, and I asked him who was driving the tractor and grain cart. He thought about it, smiled and slowly said, “Christopher Robin!”

Pirate playtime!

 

Playing “night-night.” Nathan informed me that he and Natalie were “keeping Anna safe.”

Nathan has been transitioning into not taking naps, but every so often he really needs one. Usually I just put him in my bed with a pile of books to read for “quiet time” until the timer goes off, or I come get him up. The other day I said he needed to sleep and sent him back to bed when he tried to get up. He insisted he didn’t need a nap! It got quiet, and I found him on the floor, next to the bed with a blanket sleeping like this….

In N&N news, it was the best of times; it was the worst of times! One minute they are playing so wonderfully, being gentle, kind and caring. Sharing toys or snacks, and acting with sincerity. The next they’re at each other’s throats, yelling, pinching, hitting, pushing. Usually because Natalie “messed up” Nathan’s toys he was playing with, or Nathan took something Natalie wanted or is especially hers like a blankie or doll just to rile her up. Throw Anna in the mix and it can be either chaos complete with crying, meltdowns and tantrums or absolute bliss as they run and jump around Anna trying to get her to laugh! Most days it’s a mix of both! Raising little human beings is hard and wonderful in the same breath! 

Natalie is getting more teeth again. It’s hard to tell the progress since the threat of being bitten is very real! She is talking like crazy! Instead of using the word ‘not’  or “don’t” in a sentence, like, “I don’t want the apple” she’ll say, “apple, no?!” and shake her head. It’s so cute! She repeats everything I say, which has been a wake up call, as I hear her say often “In a minute!” when I ask her to do something or come. She’s polite even when she’s angry and will cry or yell “thank you.” She is ready to potty train too, I just need to get more “unnies” as she calls them. Her hair is impossible to tame! It’s so fine and long. She always wakes up with a huge tangled mess. Most days, I just put it in a pony tail, or headband until bath time. 

They are both becoming experts in getting dressed by themselves, although socks are still tough. Natalie loves to “flip” her jacket to put it on herself and often gets upset when I don’t let her do it by herself. 

Nathan is like a little sponge. He recounts events or lessons that I thought he didn’t even comprehend or hear. They both LOVE watching “Elmo” or Sesame Street on Youtube before nap time. It often starts with a “word of the day.” I was so impressed when Nathan was trying to tell Dan one morning, but all he could get out was “nickel”, when I realized he meant “pumpernickel” and informed us it’s a kind of bread! He’s also in the habit of trying to eat his meal or snack like Cookie Monster, which Mom doesn’t like very much. One time as he made a huge mess stuffing an oatmeal apple muffin in his mouth, I asked him if he thought Cookie Monster’s Mommy thought that was a good way to eat? He said no. Right answer! 

I love this time of year! The holidays, the food, the family, the friends! I have so much to be thankful for! Have a great week celebrating and spreading gratitude! 

And that’s the news for this road-trip-and-wreath week on the farm! 

This Week on the Farm

November 6, 2019 at 10:29 pm

I can’t believe I’m doing this. 

My nearly 2 year old and 3 month old girls are sleeping, and on a rare day off Dan took Nathan to help friends harvest. Thanks to awesome friends, supper is already made for tonight, and I’m caught up on laundry and dishes! So…..since I got 8 hours of sleep last night, I’m feeling ambitious and writing a blog! Well, not too much writing. I’ve been wanting to just post pictures of our summer, especially now that the cold is setting in, and white stuff will start flying in the near future. 

(Edit: I wrote this on Tuesday afternoon, before snow started flying. After a 7 mos. “maternity leave” I had to re-learn how to upload photos and learn all the updates to WordPress.)

WARNING: Looooots of photos to follow. 🙂 

The big event of the summer was our little Anna Rose being born on July 19th at 9lbs. 9 oz. and 21 inches. I was 42 weeks exactly. It was an emotional birth in many ways. Tears over giving up what I had planned to be a home birth, but joy and laughter at her arrival! 

Anna Rose

Before Anna arrived and made us a family of five, I kept pretty busy. First, there was the Buffalo Days parade in June. I tried out my new-to-me double stroller for the first time. Love it! 

My friend Angela, had her baby a few months before me.

There were many walks in the morning and bonfires in the evening, popsicles, swimming in the kiddie pool (I squeezed in occasionally to get relief from the heat), and we celebrated with fireworks on the 4th of July, the day before I was due!

 

 

We were bunny-sitting all summer for my friend, Berty, who was hiking 2,000 miles on the Continental Divide Trail.

 

Beautiful spring flower arrangements!

The classic summer job: baling hay.

Floating on a slice of pizza!

Making chalk roads for our trucks!

 

A HUGE caterpillar we found on our apple tree!

New kittens, Friendly and Tigger, as in T-I-double Ga-R!

Natalie developed her own sense of fashion while we were potty training Nathan. Here she is wearing his Thomas the Train underwear over her diaper and pants doing chores collecting eggs!

Time can basically be summed up as B.A., “Before Anna” and A.A., or “After Anna.” 

Coming home from the hospital with Anna.

At a week old, Anna went on her first outing to the Rock County Fair.

 

The kids loved to imitate me and “play baby.”

 

Does everybody have their baby?

Sisters!

The other major incident of the summer was a freak accident playing where Natalie fell off the bed and landed on her face, splitting her nose open and having to get three stitches at the E.R. Anna was 9 days old when it happened. I did not have it together. Thankfully it was a Sunday and Dan was home to help me get everyone in the van while I was freaking out from all the blood. I told Dan I always thought I’d be taking Nathan to the hospital first! 

Then, a thunder storm popped up out of nowhere on our way home from the ER, and with pouring rain, and lightning, a huge buck with antlers jumped out in front of our van and we hit him head on! Air bags went off, the van died on impact and it was pitch black. Thankfully no one was hurt, but our van was totaled and I lost it for a few minutes, then calmed down when everyone was fine. 

Natalie’s “owie.”

 

A very concerned look.

 

At 2 weeks old, I got really brave and took all three kids to the new splash pad in Worthington by myself.

 

She’s getting bigger!!

Both of the kids adore her!

 

 

Another fair outing, this time the Lyon County Fair.

 

We braved the zoo one beautiful day with my friend Angela and her two littles! It was so much fun!


These days we are a true family of five. Anna is nearly 4 months old already and laughing and sleeping great! Nathan is potty trained and Natalie is close behind. We are taking our first big road trip to Missouri soon for a cousin’s wedding, so it will be interesting to see how an 8 hour road trip goes with three littles! I’m armed with car seat trays, stickers, play-doh, books, music, toys, snacks and games! I know I took a really, really long “maternity leave”, but I hope to write again soon! 

And that’s the news from this summer on the farm! 

This Week on the Farm

April 15, 2019 at 8:52 pm

Getting some serious Kansas City BBQ on our little “Babymoon” getaway!

 

Tulips were blooming everywhere! These were for sale at the Riverside Farmer’s Market!

 

Since I didn’t have a way to keep the tulips, I bought a cinnamon roll instead.

 

Spices, anyone?

 

We left an ice storm and broken power lines at home.

 

 

The morning before the storm blew in, the kids and I enjoyed a lovely bonfire!

 

Despite the ice storm, the garlic we planted last fall is up and looking great!

 

 

Last week the kids helped Dan get the mower in working order.

 

 

Hi goats!

 

Peonies are up!

 

We acquired a new laundry sorter and it’s the newest toy!

 

Check out those teeth!

 

The ice storm began last Wednesday night and we’ve been out of power since then! The Power company has called in reinforcements as many towns were out of power as well, and are working overtime. The generator is running so we have heat, and a little electricity for light and the stove. But no hot water for showers, laundry or doing dishes. After boiling water for dishes, I feel like I’m living overseas again!

Somewhere in the middle of the snow and ice we were able to meet my parents to drop off the kids, before Dan and I headed south to greener pastures and blooming tulips! A couple months ago, we had settled on Kansas City, MO as a destination for our “Babymoon”, hoping to eat plenty of delicious BBQ, enjoy nice Spring weather, meet up with a few friends and just relax! Mission accomplished! It was wonderful! Once we drove past Sheldon, IA the roads were completely clear!

Easter is near and we’re about to have Easter bunnies! Literally! Peanut Butter, one of the females, is due Wednesday or anytime after that! Just in time for our celebration! We all can’t wait! Now that the weather is nicer (except for the 3-4 days of ice storm), we decided to move the bunny cages to the lawn just behind our house, so we can watch them through our patio window. The kids love it!

This is going to be a short blog, mostly with pictures splashed up from our last three weeks. I realize I have been inconsistent, and as it gets closer to baby’s due date, it will only get worse! I don’t often have a spare 2 hours to dedicate to writing, downloading and editing pictures and then posting on social media. Just so you know…..

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

And that’s the brief news from this ice-storm-and-babymoon week on the farm!

This Week on the Farm

March 27, 2019 at 8:43 am

Trying on Daddy’s chores boots!

 

Licking the spatula clean after helping Mommy make treats!

 

Silly hats for cold weather!

 

Playing with the slide in the Machine shed on a cold day!

 

Our really fun Pampered Chef Freezer Meal Party.

 

The new double stroller! The kids love it!

 

Meet “Roger” the rooster, our temporary addition.

 

A beautiful sunny day to be outside!

 

Natalie is trying to ride a tricycle.

 

A much needed date night for Dan and I, which included our favorite Ethiopian food and tickets to the symphony!

 

The Ice Age Meltdown continues! The kids and I were all geared up to plant some peas in a pot in the basement until Dan reminded me that it had about an inch of water over the whole surface from the melting snow and rain seeping in. So, we didn’t plant anything that day. After it dried out a few days, Nathan, Natalie and I headed downstairs with a packet of pea seeds and mixed in some extra potting soil to fill up the big pot, and threw in a good handful of peas.

This last Saturday Dan noticed they were beginning to sprout, news that excited Nathan. So, thinking he could eat them, immediately went to the basement and pulled our single sprout and proudly came upstairs to show us! Then, we had to have a little talk trying to explain about sprouting, and harvesting, and when peas are ready. Yesterday I drug out the huge pot to the south side of the garage, where we were playing in the magically warm sun. So by the weekend, I imagine they’ll all be up!

Two weeks ago, I hosted a Pampered Chef Freezer Meal party, primarily with my own purpose of putting up a few meals for after the baby comes in July. Seven of us worked in the kitchen and it was so fun and easy the way it was all set up. We each had a cooler of our groceries for the recipes I had chosen, and then stations were set up with directions and kitchen gadgets, knives, cutting boards and towels to assemble the meal. Once finished, it was thrown in a freezer bag or dish and a sticker with instructions was put on for future use, then clean up your station in the sink and move on to the next one! I would totally do it again! After our freezer meal party, some of our family stuck around for lunch and to hang out. The kids were having a blast, but I lost it over a phrase Nathan said to my Dad.

Grandpa E was sitting on the couch next to Grandma, while Nathan was on the floor by his feet playing. Suddenly he looks up at Grandpa E, and says in the sweetest, most innocent voice, “Grandpa, do you have a lot of energy?” Mom and I burst out laughing! I imagine someone must’ve said to him in passing that he has a lot of energy, and he picked up on it. So then, he went around the house finding “energy” to give to Grandpa! I’m not sure he knows exactly what “energy” is, and I suspect he believes it’s a physical object you possess.

Later that weekend when we were on our way home with the kids in their pj’s, I went to put Nathan to bed, and discovered he had put a magnetic ball down his pajamas and it was hanging out by his toes! This kid!

Yesterday he spent the morning with Natalie at a friend’s house while I had a delightful prenatal massage. They had just finished lunch and we were on the way home, with the warm sun streaming in the windows, all of us cheery from the lovely weather. I overheard Nathan begin to sing “Old MacDonald Has A Farm” and I smiled as I listened to him scroll through the list of animals….cow, cat, dog, goat, chicken. Then I laughed when he sang that Old MacDonald had a bird that said “tweet tweet” and then I had to call Dan and tell him how funny he was after he sang that Old MacDonald had a squirrel. He paused, and said, “Mom! What sound does a squirrel make?” I didn’t really know what to say. “I think a squirrel says toodle-oodle-oo.” And he went on singing!

Sunday he was a bit hyper after we went through the car wash, so while Natalie was desperately trying to fall asleep on the way home, he was talking to her asking her questions:

Natalie! Are you a dog?

Or are you a cat?

Or are you a tractor?

Or are you a diaper bag?

Or are you a barn?

And the list continued, as Dan and I just laughed and smiled at each other! Where does he come up with this stuff!?!

Yesterday, the weather was gorgeous, so we put out a blanket on the south side of the garage, where it blocked the cool wind, and collected the sidewalk chalk, bubbles and a few tricycles to play and have fun. The cats all followed the sound of our voices, and Natalie crawled around on the mostly dry (and fairly green) grass chasing them, saying “hi” and “meow.” A few strips of snow remain and Nathan used his chalk to make some snow art, so Natalie followed him over to the snow. Suddenly, I hear Nathan giving Natalie instructions about how she should not put her hands in the snow because it’s cold and it will hurt. See!, he said and showed her his red hands. It was hilarious! He was basically repeating how Dan reminds him to wear his mittens when he helps with chores because otherwise his hands will get cold.

Dan finally located a used double stroller, the exact brand we wanted at a discounted price and it arrived in the mail last week. I was more excited than the kids! It was like Christmas, as I ripped open the box and began to assemble it. It was too cold to use outside for a few days, so instead, I pushed the kids around the living room and kitchen, which they loved! We finally broke it in on our sloppy driveway, and has now been on several walks, and I am thrilled to have something that represents “freedom” for this Mama!

Natalie cannot stop saying “hi” and “bye” and her newest word is “bite”, indicating she wants to eat something you have, even if it’s a drink of water. She now flies up and down the stairs, and is especially aware if they are carpeted, which she loves. She keeps getting more teeth! Both of her canine teeth are now coming in, and her appetite is enormous! She walks on her own with confidence now and then, but loves to hold your hand. She is obsessed with belly buttons and wants to see everyone’s! Her latest fascination is the light switch she can reach on the stairway. She and Nathan must’ve played with it, laughing hysterically for more than 30 minutes yesterday! She imitates actions perfectly and now will join in the songs at Library time or pretends to eat something when she and Nathan play together.

Last Saturday, Dan took the kids to the Luverne Farm Store Pancake Appreciation Breakfast while I got the opportunity to have some time to myself. I had two objectives in mind: paint a changing table we’d acquired with Annie Sloan’s Paris Gray chalk paint, and deep clean the bathroom! I accomplished both, but not without knocking over the very expensive quart of paint and spilling almost half of it! Dan just laughed! The combination of my normal clumsiness, combined with a big belly that lends itself to balance issues, is a recipe for disaster in my world!

It certainly has been an eventful couple of weeks!

And that’s the news on this snow-then-sunny-weather-and-funny-Nathanism’s-week on the farm!

This Week on the Farm

March 13, 2019 at 2:03 pm

Little passengers who helped Daddy rescue Mommy.

 

Nathan had a blast hauling his dump truck and excavator out to haul snow!

 

Trying to find the mailbox after all this snow!

 

Nathan is checking out the empty bunny cage and waiting patiently for the bunnies to come join us!

 

The bunnies are here!

 

The theme this week could be the title of a popular movie, called Ice Age: The Meltdown. The temperatures are soaring in the 30’s like a heat wave, and when I went to my prenatal massage appointment on Monday, I found myself so overheated from the sunshine and my bun in the oven, I had to  roll down my windows to cool off! That’s a change!

Last Thursday was a day for the books here at VanMeeteren Farms! The morning started as usual, and then my midwife joined me for a prenatal appointment and the kids got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Nathan really seems to understand what’s going on, while Natalie just thought it was fun to poke at my belly button. I’m 23 weeks now and feeling quite s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. Morning and evening yoga really make a difference in managing any sciatic pain as well as stretching my arm and shoulder muscles, which often go numb when I sleep at night.

Back to the events of Thursday, I passed the parent baton to Dan and he cautioned me to take it easy driving to town since there was ice in some patches. I popped into my Mom Minivan and headed to Refit (my dancing exercise class) in Luverne, about 30 minutes away. At the corner of our gravel road and the paved county road I apparently didn’t turn wide enough and just slowly slid into the deep, wet, snowy shoulder, and I knew I wasn’t going anywhere! I was really disappointed as I called Dan for rescue, knowing he would just be sitting down at the table to relax and eat supper, and it would take him awhile to get the kids bundled up and ready to pull me out. So, in the meantime, I did what anyone would do when they have time on their hands……I called my Mom for a chat! As I patiently waited, 3 trucks and a semi cab stopped to make sure I was ok, and help was on the way. After 20 minutes Dan pulled around the corner in the truck, with two little people passengers in the front seat and a chain to haul me out. The kids thought it was pretty exciting!

After returning home safely, I settled into some play time with the kids. Dan was sitting in the living room with us, so I positioned Natalie in his direction and told her to walk over to Daddy! And…..she DID! No giggling, totally focused, at least 5-6 solid steps completely on her own! What a triumph! Her confidence lifted, she continued to attempt to walk the path between Mommy and Daddy and sometimes just to the couch! It was a developmental milestone at 14 months! I guess Nathan thought she was getting too much attention, so he decided to pee in the potty too! A wonderful night to stay home!

Friday morning was clear and sunny, so we headed to the Children’s story time at Rock County Library. The theme was a cute, fuzzy lamb. So as the book was read, I whispered to Natalie that the animal was a sheep, and asked her “What sound does a sheep make?” With perfect timing, the room was silent, and Natalie hollered out a crystal clear “baa!” and I couldn’t help but laugh! After we glued cotton balls on our lambs, the kids and I headed upstairs to pick out books, and Nathan didn’t disappoint as he loaded me up with “Biscuit” books, a cute little puppy that always gets into mischief! In one book, the little girl who owns Biscuit, brings home the class pet, which is Nibbles, the rabbit. So, Nathan and I discussed how excited we were to be “bunny sitting” for my friend Berty! The weather was still warm, so we bundled up and put Natalie in the sled and then…. this 23-weeks-pregnant Mama hauled my big self up a couple piles of snow with Nathan, and once with Natalie under one arm! I should mention that the sheer volume of snow we’ve had makes the piles more of a one-story mountain than a small hill. So, I think I should get an award for such an exertion of energy! Nathan was brave and instead of sliding down, counted to 3, and took a huge leap off the pile! After one success of fun, he continued on 4 or 5 times, until Natalie was ready to move on! He is so adventurous!

Saturday felt a little like blizzard conditions, so no traveling. Sunday was the exciting day the bunnies arrived at VanMeeteren Farms! Even Natalie was thrilled after she met Peanut Butter, Cookies and Shawn. She likes to stand by the cages and peek in, saying “hi” in her adorable high pitched voice! Nathan likes to chip at the ice in their water and tear off bits of hay from the hay bales to throw in. The plan is to breed them this month, so we’ll have super cute baby bunnies in no time! Can’t wait! That will make it really start to feel like Spring!

I’ve been so anxious to have my hands in dirt, it literally feels like a pregnancy craving! So tomorrow, the kids and I are going to plant something in a pot in the basement! I haven’t decided what yet….maybe lettuce, maybe peas, something that likes cool temperatures, but we are going to get our hands dirty in some soil. And Dan and I have to do a quick little seed inventory to determine what few seeds we will order for a small garden this year. I have my eye on some wildflower mixes I want to plant in an entire 25 ft. row, so we’ll see. And we’ve been bantering back and forth on some long overdue landscaping in a little dirt patch by the back door.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, corned beef and cabbage are in abundance at the grocery store. So we stocked up and I’ve made fresh coleslaw several times, and my all time favorite Reuben sandwiches! So yummy! This week’s menu is full of comfort foods, like creamy chicken tacos, one pot macaroni and cheese, shepherd’s pie, and meatballs with mashed potatoes with, of course, super healthy veggies on the side and fruit for dessert!

Dan just walked in the door tonight from picking up groceries and when I turned around he had put a pint of my absolute favorite Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream on the counter. I saw it and just hugged him and almost teared up! He said, “I wasn’t expecting this kind of response!” to which I said, “It’s better than if you’d gotten me a bouquet of roses!” So, half a pint later….

And that’s the news from this Natalie’s-walking-and-we-have-bunnies week on the farm!

This Week on the Farm

March 6, 2019 at 2:00 pm

Since our tropical excursion to the Butterfly House and Aquarium, things have gotten a lot more snowy!

 

Dan has had to pile so much snow that I now can’t see out my kitchen window! But it makes for a great snow slide!

 

These are the drifts on the west side of the grove.

 

The chicken coop is surrounded and heavily insulated with snow! You could climb right up onto the roof!

 

Nathan still loves to be outside scooping snow and collecting icicles! He wanted to bring 3 of them inside and ate them with his lunch!

 

Natalie doesn’t like to be outside quite as long, but she does love to put on a hat!

 

Nathan’s big boy bed filled with as many blankets and animals as it can hold! There’s barely any room for him!

 

This is a picture of the scrape on his nose and gash on his eye he got from his 2nd night in the bed. I think he just jerked in his sleep and hit the side somehow. But he didn’t notice it at all, unless someone pointed it out, then he would start whining or crying. 🙂

 

Natalie girl is getting her teeth all at once! She currently has about 6 coming in, including two front top teeth and two molars! She lets us know when it hurts! Poor girl!

 

Nathan is our little monkey. He climbs on everything! Here he is on top of the trash can to get the keys to the van hanging over our calendar.

 

Time spent inside means we are doing more and more crafts. Today we picked up some watercolor paints, and he is doing a great job!

 

The snow has been so heavy and the wind so strong that the empty fields look like oceans of white with foamy waves drifting across! It’s actually quite beautiful! Last Friday the forecast was a “few” inches of snow, which turned into, like 6 inches! It was the kind of snow a winter bride would wish for on her wedding day. No wind, but big beautiful flakes, floating down from the sky, lightly resting on your hair and melting.

And if it’s snowing, and not windy, then it’s warm enough to be outside. So I put on my snow pants, as best as I can at 22 weeks pregnant, throw on my heavy Carhartt jacket and gloves, then labor in trying to put on Natalie’s one piece snowsuit, and Nathan’s two piece snowsuit until we can finally go outside. I put Natalie in the infant size sled, and Nathan pulls her around, unless he needs to “work”, which means he has to scoop snow. His coordination for scooping snow is perfect. And even better, he does it with a smile on his face! I’ve even climbed up a few of the snow piles with Nathan, mostly to make a snow “slide” with my weight for him, until Natalie starts crying that I’ve left her alone in the sled, or the cats are getting too close! On days we haven’t gotten out at all, we often load up in the minivan and drive around the section to see what we can see, before we get the mail and go home for supper. A few neighbors have cows and horses out, and yesterday we saw a pheasant and skunk, which was quite exciting to them!

In N&N news, Nathan is really acting like a big boy and less like a toddler, except for those rare occasions when he chews on Natalie’s pacifier! He even cuts up her food with his plastic knife so she can eat it, and tries to calm her down when she’s upset. They chase each other around the table, giggling the whole time. Natalie is now doing more of a bear crawl then crawling. It’s hilarious and she’s very fast! She got a little scrape on her finger, and if I ask where her “owie” is, she points right to it and says owie. She imitates other children laughing or crying and is very aware of her teeth emerging. When I discovered that her second tooth was a molar instead of another bottom one, I texted Dan and told him we’d been looking in the wrong place this whole time! One of her favorite teething foods is actually the core of a fresh pineapple! Aldi’s has had the BEST fresh pineapple lately, and so every time I start cutting one up for supper it’s like I have bloodhounds for children. They immediately descend and start crying for a pineapple core, which I give them of course! And they happily munch on it until supper is ready!

Nathan is really into Curious George and Thomas the Train books. He was so excited when I found him a Thomas show on Youtube! Nathan hasn’t been napping as much in the afternoon, and Natalie is poised to give up her morning nap. I’m still hoping that as it starts to thaw and we spend more time outside, Nathan will continue to take naps. This summer I would really, really like to have 3 children sleeping at the same time, so I can rest too!

The chickens are laying eggs, even though many are still frozen when we get them. The goats and donkeys have a lovely thick coat of fur and look quite fat from filling up on hay and staying warm in the barn. The cats tolerate the cold well and usually come running if they hear human movement. In a few days time we will start our job babysitting bunnies for the next 6 months. Nathan couldn’t be more excited! It will be fun to have baby bunnies around this spring! Caged, of course, so as not to disturb the garden.

Our weekends are filling up with activities like a freezer meal party, friends coming to visit, prenatal appointments, tickets to the symphony which were a Christmas gift from a friend, birthdays, Easter, and a much anticipated Babymoon. In case you’re not familiar, it’s just a little getaway for the parents before baby comes. Kind of like a honeymoon, and definitely without the kids!

And that’s the news from this snow-tunnels-and-teething-week on the farm!

This Week the Farm

February 20, 2019 at 2:55 pm

This weekend we visited the Butterfly House and Aquarium. The kids (and adults) were mesmerized by all the interesting creatures!

 

Sub portal view of the aquarium.

 

This precious face!

 

Hello in there!

 

The wonder of a child….

 

Then on to the butterfly house. It was quite warm!

 

Smile for the camera! A good cheesy smile from Nathan!

 

 

He finally caught a butterfly!

 

Mom caught one on her back!

 

And Leah on her arm!

 

Her shirt says…”Daddy’s little princess.” So true!

 

Fun was had by all!

 

 

View from the top!

 

Our little car princess has mastered driving the toy car….now just to master walking!

 

After weeks of snow and more snow, and now this morning even MORE snow (I think around 8-10 inches and still going) it was a real highlight to find a place as tropical as we could here in our neck of the woods! Saturday afternoon we invited family to join us at the Butterfly House and Aquarium in Sioux Falls for a little taste of warm weather and family fun!

Nathan was shy at first, but after a few minutes fully embraced the opportunity to touch the slimy, wet sea cucumber, the bumpy purple and pink starfish and the prickly sea urchin. He had more courage than I did! They both stared intently at the aquariums as we pointed out different colored fish, both large and small. A small pool with sting rays swimming in circles was in the center of the area and it reminded me of Dan chasing them with our friend’s underwater video camera while we were on our cruise last fall!

The butterfly house was deliciously warm, and I dressed us all in layers to accommodate for such an environment. We stripped down to our t-shirts and walked the path filled with crumbly, fresh soil, green bushes and plants, flowers, a small waterfall and river with Koi fish and a handful of turtles, and breathed in the “fresh” warm air. After 20 minutes Natalie and I looked like we had fevers with bright red cheeks, so I had to exit and cool off a little before returning again!

I noticed that the size 3T t-shirt Dan had dug out for me that morning was quite short on Nathan, baring his belly button, and I thought to myself, I think he’s had a growth spurt! Sure enough, some of his pants are only going to his ankles! So this morning, after 8 inches of snow and Dan’s attempt to get to work and a return home after gently sliding in the ditch less than 4 miles down the road, he located the 4T bin in the cold attic, so I could start transitioning Nathan over! He is so tall and not even 3 years old yet!

In N&N news, the two of them now share a room, since we’ve transitioned Nathan to his “big boy” toddler bed, which he LOVES! Originally we were going to wait until his 3rd birthday, but this seems to be a good time. The first night went as we expected. Lots of giggling, and jumping, and getting out of bed. Dan would go in to tell them to go to sleep, and Natalie would be standing in her crib, see him, and then throw herself down. It was pretty funny! Last night was much better, but nap time is still a struggle. Yesterday was a l.o.n.g. day when neither of them fell asleep until after 3:30pm, when I had tried to put them down at 1:30pm!! Nathan kept waking Natalie up, and I finally had to take him out of the room, where he finally passed out on my lap reading books at 4pm.

Last night around 3am, I heard Nathan crying, and went to see what happened. He appeared to have fallen out of bed, but seemed fine. This morning when I went to get them out of bed, he had what looked like a rug burn on his nose and a small cut by his eye! I hadn’t seen it in the dark, and I have no idea how he got a cut, since the edges of the bed are round! It’s a mystery! But he’s not bothered by it at all, so that’s good!

Natalie is poised to walk. She uses our vacuum base as a walker and just giggles as she slides around. Her new favorite activity is pushing herself forward and backward on her little car while Nathan leads or follows in his little toy car. Dan tried to get her to walk a few steps to me, which she loved, but she giggles so much, it makes her a little wobbly in her balance! At least she’s not crying! She tries to say words like ‘hot’ and then blows on her food, as well as ball, Mama, and Dada. She’s also quite good at doing animals sounds like a cow and kitten and loves books that have flaps to open. The other morning she had climbed up into Nathan’s bed, where Nathan had a stack of books, and he tried to read to her! It was pretty cute!

I’m 20 weeks pregnant already, halfway there! I can’t believe it! July seems so far away on a snowy day like this! I’ve put up a couple more freezer meals in preparation!

And that’s the news from this nearly-walking-and-butterfly-house week on the farm!

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 23
  • Next Page »


Copyright © 2021 VanMeeteren Farms · 30457 Dillman Avenue Adrian, MN 56110 · All Rights Reserved
Built by WebPeasant