Have I got a story for you...

On Thanksgiving, we left the house around noon. Jackie the Cow had broken her tie-out cable earlier in the week (trying desperately to tear the garbage man to shreds), so we tied Bear out at the barn and left Jackie loose thinking she wouldn't go anywhere without Bear.


Thanksgiving night, my husband let Bear loose. No sign of Jackie. Hmmm.

Friday morning, still no Jackie. My husband called and called for her...went on a drive looking for her. Nothing.

Friday evening I called, clapped, and called for her some more. Nothing.

Saturday morning, still no Jackie. We were resigned to the fact that she was gone...either run off, taken in, or...worse.

Saturday afternoon my husband was with his cousin and uncle...the ones he farms with. His uncle asks, "So, did you find Jackie?" My husband replied, "No, we haven't seen her since Thursday. I guess she's gone."

His reply? "Well, I put her in the cattle trailer on Thursday when I saw she was loose. I guess I forgot to tell you."


Yes. Our dog had been locked in the cattle trailer at our house, approximately 6 inches from where Bear had been tied up, for two and a half days. Did she wimper, whine, or bark while we were desperately calling for her? No, no she did not.

Needless to say she was very hungry, very thirsty, and VERY excited to see Bear and Daddy.


The moral of the story? The cattle trailer is a great place to keep a dog...when you remember you put the dog in there.

John Deere Christmas...and a Giveaway! TIME'S UP!

Our friends at Rungreen have an amazing selection of John Deere gifts for everyone in the family, even the dog! They also have John Deere Christmas decorations!

If you need a gift for a John Deere lovin' kid, look no further. This John Deere play tent would be perfect...especially for my kids!
Maybe you need a pink John Deere sleeping bag? And really...who doesn't?!

How cute is this John Deere baby onesie?

I wish I had found this John Deere blanket when Cole was a baby. Look how soft! And the little blocks around the border? So cute!For the men in your life, Rungreen has everything including John Deere shirts,John Deere jackets,
John Deere boots,
John Deere gloves,
John Deere watch,John Deere wallet,

even a John Deere tie! And really...what's Christmas without a necktie for dad?

For the outdoorsy type, Rungreen has John Deere horseshoes,


John Deere BBQ grill tool set,


John Deere light-up outdoor thermometer,


even John Deere car air fresheners!

For that special pet, how about a John Deere collar?


For the girl who loves all things John Deere, how about a John Deere shirt,


or John Deere hats,

BTW, this one is on sale right now for $5.00!! I just put one in my shopping cart for a certain Little Miss.

or maybe John Deere socks,

or cute John Deere tote bag or diaper bag?

And if you are going all-out with John Deere in your Christmas decorating this year, look no further! You can find a John Deere yellow Christmas tree!

There's a John Deere inflatable for your yard!


You can find John Deere Christmas cards,



John Deere wrapping paper,

even John Deere Christmas lights for inside and outside!

If you are still reading, you deserve a chance to win!

Rungreen is giving away one green John Deere Christmas stocking,

one pink John Deere Christmas stocking,


and one John Deere Christmas tree topper to three lucky readers!


To enter to win:

Leave a comment telling me which item you want to win: the pink stocking, green stocking, or tree topper!

Bonus entries (all separate comments):

*Go to Rungreen and tell me what other product catches your eye!
*Follow Rungreen on Twitter
*Add Rungreen as a friend on Facebook
*Blog about this giveaway and link back to me

Fine Print:
*Winners are chosen by Random.Org. If you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!
*Winner will be contacted by email; be sure to include your email if it's not enabled
*Contest ends Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. EDT
*Rules for each entry must be followed to be valid

Johnny Depp, Sexiest Man of the Year?

Seriously?

I wholeheartedly disagree. A stringy haired, greasy, pasty, skinny guy? Sexy? Um, no.

The last Johnny Depp movie I saw was Edward Scissorhands. (I know, leave me alone.) But those scissorhands and his big, freaky eyes really didn't do it for me.

Blick.

And I could never do the nasty with someone named Johnny. Jon, John, Jonathan...no problem. But Johnny? *shudder*

(A big apology to those of you married to a Johnny. I am sure he is a wonderful man.)

If I were in charge, I would have picked a real man. Someone big, tall, and strong. Not prissy and greasy. Here are my top 5 sexiest men...even if they weren't in some big, blockbuster pirate movie.

What about you? Does Johnny do it for you? Who would you have picked?

An ode to the best Christmas movie of all time

Starring John Deere Mom, Farm Guy, Tractor Boy, Little Miss, and Grandpa.

Enjoy.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Busy on the Farm

This was a busy weekend on the farm. Yesterday we finally got all the crops in. And yes, that was November 15. After a long, wet, cool summer and fall...we just managed to get them in before Thanksgiving. That's as late as I can remember, although my husband remembers harvesting frozen corn in 1995.

There was plenty of equipment out ready to work!

After finishing soybeans last week, we just had corn left. This required the combine, 2 grain trucks, and a tractor with grain cart. Everyone was busy harvesting corn!

While that was going on, we were also mowing down what was left of the corn stalks, raking them, and then baling them into fodder bales.

There were also cows to feed.

And what comes after feeding time? The spreading of manure, of course.


Even though it was a busy weekend, there was still plenty of time for goofing around in the corn.

And that sunset? Was the perfect ending to a perfectly busy weekend.

Halloween 2009, better known as "I can't decide what I want to wear for Halloween 2009"

Decisions, decisions.

What to dress up as on Halloween is one of life's greatest decisions when you are a kid.

For the past week, the kids have decided between:

*hunters
*a farmer
*a princess
*a cowboy
*a racecar driver
*a fireman
*a tractor
*a cheerleader
*a dinosaur
*a pumpkin
*a horse
and
*a unicorn

*sigh*

About 30 minutes before trick-or-treating, they had finally decided upon a dinosaur and a racecar driver.

5 minutes before trick-or-treating? Little Miss was changing costumes. Again.

The final decision? A princess and a racecar driver.


Nevermind the fact that the Little Miss wears this dress nearly every day.

What's important is that they had fun, got loads of candy, and were home and in bed by 8:00 p.m.

Now that's what I call a Happy Halloween.