Dairy Dish and Dash?!?

What is Dairy Dish and Dash?  I have been pondering a name for almost 2 years now and I could never come up with a name that described me in a few quick words.  I am a dairy farmer, I am a mom, I am a wife, I love to cook, love to run, love to read, love to travel, but do just any one of those words really describe me?  So, here is why.
Dairy:  Obviously being a dairy farmer, but that's not it.  My husband is a 4th Generation Dairy Farmer, which means my children will be the 5th.  There is a long line of legacy and heritage there that we are so extremely proud to represent.  I have always had a passion for agriculture, just didn't know that the word dairy would be in-front of farmer.  I majored in Equine Science (horses) in college and wasn't sure what direction that would take me, but it led to me to the perfect fit, with the perfect life, and the perfect family.  But, how was an Equine Major going to fit in on a dairy farm?!?  Well, probably the best spot, the babies!  I am responsible for all the calves on the farm which I absolutely love, and I think it just comes natural to me.
Dish:  Dish has multiple meanings.  The obvious is cooking, but also to dish is to talk.  I love to talk, to listen, to socialize, and interact with people.  People are fascinating and everyone has a story to tell.  My husband has always said that I get 'dumped on' from people that are always asking for my advice, but I don't see it that way.  I see it as listening because everyone just wants to be heard and know that they matter, so lets dish together!  On the cooking side, I love to cook, and I have complied quite a few recipes that are absolutely delicious that mostly follow my rule (6 ingredients or less), and will be sharing those recipes on this blog, so stay tuned for the first one!
Dash:  Oh, to dash...to run frantically after something.  This stage in my life, I feel like every day is a dash.  With 4 very active children, 2 still toddlers, I feel like all day long I am constantly running: to school, to sports, to church, to activities, to get supper, to fold the laundry, to the dairy, to pick up the mess before anyone falls in it, to grab that darn sippy that we forgot to take with in the car, (insert your own here).  I am a mommy and that means responsibilities are high and time always seems hurried.  But, also to dash, is to RUN!  I have been running off and on ever since college and between each of my 4 pregnancies because it is 'my time' to be 'me'.  I have done some races, but I don't run for the medals, or the cool outfits, or the newest gadgets, or the hype of running.  I run mostly because I CAN!  Running will change your life.  I am very fortunate that my family are all runners and we all do various length races (Kids Marathons, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon) and Andrew and myself have registered for the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington D.C. in October so here's to a new experience!

So why Dairy Dish and Dash...because as simply as I could, that describes me.  What describes you?

 

One of the Most Amazing Things I have Experienced!

We live on a dairy farm in the middle of North Dakota, and this year has been one of the harshest and coldest winters for decades.  We have had many trying times of frozen pipes, tractors not starting, equipment failing, cold animals, but in the midst of it all, I saw one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen:

 

Now, after you read this, just take a moment and close your eyes.  Try to put my words into a picture in your mind.  I actually tried to take a photograph of it, but you couldn't see anything but black from my house.  A part of me thinks, maybe it wasn't suppose to be photographed...

  I got up in the middle of one of the coldest nights in North Dakota history  to check on the furnace, my 4 sleeping children, and also log into the Ap I have on my phone which allows me to check on the calves in the calf barn.  As I was walking through the dark living room, I looked out our big picture window that faces right at the barn. What I saw stopped me mid-stride. It was breathtaking!!! The barn was dark, with only a small light illuminating the north side, everything was quiet, except just one thing. There was a mystical dance of winds/fog rolling off the barn in the most enchanting way. At first, I really couldn't tell what it was.  Was it snowing again?  Was it really foggy out?  Or maybe just haze from the light on the barn?  But, the more I stared, I knew it wasn't any of those things. It was STEAM! It rose out of the roof, the walls, the whole building and waltzed its way into the sky in a swirl pattern and then just hung there around the barn in this slow, rhythmic, circular haze.  It was exactly like a snow globe and how the flakes just dance and float around because it is in bubble container. I stood there to watch this amazing dance that was one of the most enchanting sights that I had ever seen that it took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes because, in my mind, came this image: Its almost like God put a bubble of protection over the barn from the severe -62F degree temperatures, and he forgot about all the steam that would rise from all the cows body heat in the barn. So I got to see with my own eyes, his amazing work and protection in the still of the night.

 

Close your eyes...can you see it??? I know we had a lot of prayers from family and friends for God to protect our animals from the severe cold...I just didn't realize that I would be able to SEE that protection!