My Farm Boy

Two very happy little boys to have their daddy home.  Precious reading time with their farm dad.

When we left Tony a week ago, he was suffering from a nasty outbreak of poison ivy.  I could tell he was uncomfortable but he wasn't complaining or even upset.  He seemed content, almost happy about his tangle with the nasty poison ivy beast.  His response was that was what happened when you moved logs in the spring.  It was his initiation back into farm life, his "right of passage."

Having him gone all week has been hard.  Yes, it was hard wrangling 3 kiddos on my own but that wasn't really it.  I love my husband and I actually enjoy being with him, hanging out, goofing off and knowing that he is always there with me.  He is my better half, my partner in crime and keeps me sane in my insane life.  It was only 5 days but it felt like forever.

He and Emily conspired against me with a big surprise.  Tony was not suppose to come home until today but he made a surprise visit Friday evening. What a gift to hear his voice through the screen door.  I was surprised and so grateful!

The man that I left a week ago has already changed.  They are small changes only seen by those who are closest to my farm boy.  I see, feel and hear the contentment in his voice, his actions.  He is happy, truly happy.  I asked him what was so different about the last week.  Two things he said really hit me.  "I got to spend time with my mom and dad and it was nice to be back home with them.  I love the freedom of being outdoors."

A very simple answer...

Simple answers that will lead us to what I am hoping will be a simple life together focusing on what is important.

Lesson on our mooing friends

Just got back from a very busy and productive weekend down in Vincennes.  I could share stories about our meeting with Emily's new school principal, her first baseball practice, the boys' tractor rides and adventures on the farm or finally seeing our new home, but I find myself wanting to talk about my mooing friends who I spent so much time with this weekend.  I received quite the education on cows, heifers, steers and bulls.  Did you know that a cow is a female who has had a baby and a heifer is a female prior to being pregnant?  Did you know that a steer is a castrated male and a bull has all his parts intact and rules the field?  Yeah, I didn't.  Important terminology people when referring to the mooing animal.  Thankfully, I have a wonderful brother-in-law who is patient with my MILLION questions and spent the weekend educating me on his cattle.

Troy's cows, kinda beautiful in a cow kinda way

Big take away - Cows and heifers pee out of their butts.  Yes, it sounds harsh, but that is where their parts are located (made sense to everyone down there but me).  Strangest thing I have ever seen and I am sure that is only the beginning.  Man, this city girl has so so much to learn.

The perfect send off gift

So Tony leaves on Monday.  Today, he closed out another chapter in his life with Interactive Intelligence and working full time in the IT field.  I am proud of him, so very proud of him and I love seeing the happiness in his eyes about being able to work with family and to be outside every day.  

I have been racking my brain as to what I can do to prepare him for the move.  How can I help him?  How can I support him and make this new life easier and smoother when I am not going to be there for 6 weeks?  

Well, I can't make meals for him.  I can't scratch his back or rub his shoulders in the evening when he comes home after a long day.  I won't be able to give him a big kiss or hug or even share a laugh in person.  

Then it dawned on me, I know what I can do to make sure he is ready to go.  I bought him underwear, yes, 14 pairs to be exact.  Did he really need it?  Probably not, but now he can last almost 3 weeks without running out of clean underwear.  Wife duties done!  Not glamorous, not overly sentimental.   Buy hey, that is us in a nutshell.  We are practical, down to earth folk.

Date night and a yummy dinner at Mama Carolla's.

So What is a Farmer's Wife

The Hinkle Farm

So I was thinking that since I have a month or so before my new job title is official, I might want to see what it is that I am suppose to do or be as a farmer's wife.  I thought it would be fun to Google it (I mean Google is the answer to everything right?!).

Below is a list that I have compiled and I have taken the liberty of answering yes or no as to whether or I not I currently have those skills.

-Can operate heavy machinery (tractors, spreaders, combines dump trucks, and backhoes) - No
-Drive a stick shift  - No, I mean, do they still stick shift vehicles?
-Isn't afraid of a little hard work - No, bring it on!
-Can drive a truck and trailer - No
-Can deliver seed to the field when the planter is getting low - No
-Knows how to haul an anhydrous tank (this is not an easy feat, if you get going too fast that thing will swerve all over the highway) - What is this?  No
-Can build fence - No
-Can move pigs and cattle with the best of 'em - Don't know if I will need this quite yet but it is a possibility and the answer is No
-Can work cattle and hogs - No
-Won't complain about not having cable TV - Possibly
-Won't complain about living on a dirt road and never having a clean car, or a dust free house - Possibly
-Knows how to garden - Yes, but kill everything I touch
-Can cook - YES!!!
-Can cook and feed masses with little to no notice - I think so
-Has the ability to remove dirt, and grease stains, and make whites white again when doing laundry - Not really
-Will drop everything to help move equipment to the next field - Yes, but I have no idea how to move equipment
-Understands that there will be busy times of the year - Yes
-Is prepared for her and her children to see her husband just a few shorts hours in a 7 day week during planting and harvest.  No
-Prepared to be unprepared when it comes to making plans with your husband.  i.e. it will always depend on the weather. ooh being flexible, really will have to work on this.
-Can successfully fix anything with duct tape - no
-Knows her way in and out of a hen house, gathering eggs, etc. yeah, no, I have a fear of roosters and chickens.
-That their entire living and existence is built upon the success or lack of success of one farming season especially when starting out.  Not really and I am scared to death

So, for all of you people who keep asking me if I am ready to be a farmer's wife and prepared for what I will be encountering on the farm, you have your answer.  NO!!  I guess that is what this blog is for and why I will be chronicling my adventures.  What a wild ride this will be to say the least but I am grateful for the opportunity and can't wait see what is in store for me and my family.

The Back Story

We were living a blessed and beautiful life.  It wasn't perfect but better than most.  We lived in our dream neighborhood, in our dream home, had wonderful friends, great jobs, great schools and more to do than we knew what to do with on a daily basis.  Something was missing, something big that was pulling at my heart strings.  Quite simply, it was our family.  We were about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Tony's family and about a 2 1/2 hour flight away from my family.  Close, but not close enough.

Tony and I had spoken off and on about packing up our city life and moving down to "the farm."  We considered it seriously after Emily was born but rethought the idea as we became settled in Indianapolis and created a life of our own.  5 years later, God blessed us with twin boys and thus the whirlwind of life truly began.  Shortly after the birth of our boys, we lost Tony's sister to breast cancer.  More family illnesses occurred that put stress on us because we were not there to help and support our loved ones.  This past summer, Tony's dad was in a serious accident when his tractor was hit by a semi driver.  We almost lost Jerry.  I remember sitting in the hospital praying to God why was this happening.  First Tony's sister and now Jerry.  I found myself really digging deep inside my soul for answers.  What are you trying to tell me God?  I knew the answer, but wasn't ready to face it.  God was calling me, God was calling our family home.  

In August, Emily started kindergarten and a huge hole filled my heart.  She was gone from 7:50 in the morning until 4 everyday and I missed her, really missed her.  I never expected to feel the way that I did but I was sad, really sad.  It had been the two of us for 5 years and now I spent only about 2 hours with her everyday.  With twins at home, I couldn't get out much and really started to lose touch with friends.  I was lonely, so lonely.  I needed help and support. I felt so disconnected from everyone.  Prayer and running were my refuge.  Running gave me energy and perspective, prayer connected me with the one person who was always there, no matter what.  Again, God was calling me, "go home my child."  Again, I ignored his words.

In October, Tony had a wonderful new career opportunity. Three days after he told his current employer that he was leaving was the day that I told him that I wanted to move "to the farm."  I remember the look on his face.  Had I told him just a few days earlier, he would have kept his current job which paid more and had better benefits until we decided when we wanted to move.  He wasn't mad or upset but smiled and said, "really, ok well we better start talking to my family about farming opportunities."

From that point on, we never looked back.  Tony will be leaving the tech world full time to be a farmer with his brothers and dad.  We are leaving our great city life and all the amenities to move to a small town that is anything but city.  We are CRAZY, yes we are CRAZY.  But there is no price tag that can be put on family. 

So this city girl is packing up everything she knows to go country.  Yes, this city girl is scared, overwhelmed, and nervous but there is a peace deep within her soul that is reminding her that she has made the right decision.  This is what God meant and I am finally listening.  So CITY GIRL Leigh, grab your boots because it is time to meet that COUNTRY GIRL in you (Of course, I need to get some cowboy boots first).