Some Very Special News Times Two

 I'm going to be an aunt again!  Dan's sister, Laura, and her husband Kevin are expecting twins.  I do love all of my nieces and nephews but these two babies are going to be extra special to our family.

I can't begin to explain how important Kevin and Laura are to me.  Kevin is the go-to guy for any computer problem, knows how to smoke ribs with the best of them,  and loves his wife Laura to pieces.  Laura has been such a good aunt to my children.  She babysat Lorena for 4 months before she went to daycare and helped babysit both of them this summer while Ida was still very young.  She readily volunteers to watch her sister Kate's 4 kids if Kate needs some help.  Laura has a love for children that I've never seen before.  She was truly happy for me when I found out each time I was pregnant, mourned with me after my miscarriage, and loves Ida and Lorena with such a deep love.

Divorce rates for parents after the death of a child are 8 times higher than the average according to one study.  No marriage is all sunshine and roses, but Kevin and Laura are a perfect example of a marriage that will last through better or worse, good times and bad.  I'm so excited for them to be parents again.  They were such good parents to Kaden and I'm sure he is looking down from heaven smiling.

Please pray for Laura, Kevin, and the health of their two little babies that are due next spring. ~ Lydia
 

October 2014.  Ida, Laura, Lorena, and Kevin

Grain sorghum?!?

Fall is a busy time for us.  Soybeans to harvest, wheat to drill, corn to shell, cows to bring home, and usually last but not least is grain sorghum harvest.  I had a few free hours today so I jumped in the semi truck with Dan and rode along to the field to haul in one of the last loads of grain sorghum for the year.

A honestly didn't know much about grain sorghum (also called milo) until I moved to Kansas.  I knew it was grown in a few placed in extreme southern Illinois and was also a "poor man's crop."  Milo has a whole different meaning for Kansas farmers.  Milo is main crop on many farms here and is utilized every year in our crop rotation.

Fun facts about milo:
1.  Kansas and Texas are the top milo producing states, usually switching rank every few years
2.  Milo's main uses are livestock feed and biofuels
3.  Milo is more drought resistant than corn
4.  Milo is a very hardy and dependable crop, meaning yields are usually more predictable
5.  Milo is usually planted on more marginal ground making it a good option for some fields

Not so fun facts about milo:
1.  I can't explain in words how itchy milo dust is...you just have to trust me on this one.

Milo is usually planted a month or so after corn making it our last crop to harvest.  We are finishing November 6 this year which is a pretty average timing.  We are very pleased with the yields and will continue relying on milo as an important crop in our rotation.

Tractor waiting to dump milo onto semi trailer

Grain cart unloading onto semi trailer

Uncle Phil loading Dan in the semi-trailer

Cousin Jason harvesting with the other combine

This is Milo to the Illinois folks

Kind of pretty, but very itchy

Hubby not smiling because he doesn't like pictures

shot gun rider