As One Season Ends, Another Begins, Kinda....Maybe....

Dawson and Belle with two of their Best Buddies at State Wrestling Tournament last weekend

Well this week officially no longer has wrestling on our schedule, which is saying a lot because it was on our schedule 4 times/week for the last 3-4 months!  But I really can't complain about that because it has been an amazing season!  The kids have the best friends that any mom could ask for, the parents are such incredible people, the program and the club are run top-notch, the coaches do the best job that I have ever seen in a coaching staff, and it has been a great experience all around.  Both of my kids are relatively new to the sport of wrestling so I have really been blown away with the amount of experience, encouragement, and fun that has come along with it.  So I really would like to take a moment and say 'Thank You' to all those involved in the Mandan Wrestling Club!!! 

Here is a picture of some of the coaches hard-at-work during Folkstyle State Tournament in Bismarck, ND!

Daddy giving Devin pointers during Hazen Tournament (Devin is taking it really seriously isn't he?)

Dawson wrestling hard at Folkstyle Tournament in Bismarck, ND

Devin wrestling an opponent, is he laughing or growling?!?

Team Huddle before Freestyle State Tournament!  GO MANDAN!

Devin, who just started wrestling this year at 4 years old got 5th at State Wrestling Tournament in New Salem, ND

Dawson got 3rd Place at State Wrestling in New Salem, ND

Dawson got 1st Place Champion at ND Freestyle Tournament in Jamestown, ND by running 'the Butcher' and pinning his opponent in 30 seconds!

These are just a few pictures that were taken over the season, but the kids ended the season with a BANG!  They have both learned so much!  We are so proud of them, their fellow wrestling buddies, the coaches, the parents, and the accomplishments that they achieved.

So now we transition to Belle having soccer, and then spring planting and other farming things will be in full-swing soon along with all the summer activities: riding horses, rodeos, haying, boating, camping, bonfires, grilling, picnics, etc with great family and friends.  I was kinda excited to be done with wrestling and move onto spring and then summer activities.  But, it is extremely difficult to do that when you see this out the window this morning:

So, come on MOTHER NATURE, and give us a Spring so we can enjoy some SUNSHINE!!!  What a crazy winter this has been!

2014 Northwest Farm Mom of the Year?!? Say what?

Last week I was in the middle of a conference call on the phone when an unknown number popped up.  I didn't answer it, but a lady left a message saying she was from Monsanto and to give her a call back when I had a minute.  So I dialed her number and was introduced to an amazing woman named Tracey Mueller.  She basically started congratulating me because the nomination committee picked me as their Northwest Regional Farm Mom of the Year 2014!  I was so surprised and shocked that I was completely speechless!  So she gave me some quick details about the program, then we hung up after she said she would "be in-touch again shortly".  So a few hours later, another amazing lady, Sue Dillon, contacted me to make travel arrangements to fly me out 1 week later to Monsanto's Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri!!!  Really???  Me???

The last few days has been jammed-packed full of traveling, meeting the 4 other remarkable Regional Winners, tours, interviews, media training, and meeting more people (even the CEO of Monsanto!!!)  It has been such an awesome experience and I am so blessed to stand next to those other farm moms.  They truly are incredible women that are so dedicated to their families, their farms, their communities, and agriculture!

This morning, Monsanto finally released the regional winners online and right now there is an online vote until May 6th where people can vote daily for their choice of 2014 National Farm Mom of the Year!  Here is the link:

http://www.americasfarmers.com/recognition-programs/farm-mom-nominees-2014/

So jump on the website and look at all the phenomenal moms that have been chosen this year!  To say I'm honored is a complete understatement, so instead I will say I'm humbled...

Here is the link to go check out the News Story that aired about it:

 

http://www.kxnet.com/story/25380579/local-dairy-producer-competing-for-national-farm-mom-title

Bringing Easter To Life!

Thirteen members from Bethany/Holy Trinity Lutheran Parish's recreate the famous Leonardo Da Vinci's portrait of "The Last Supper"

Last Night, in a small town in Minnesota called East Grand Forks, a very special church brought Maundy Thursday to life.  Thirteen members researched, practiced, and rehearsed to be able to the bring "The Last Supper" to life for an admiring and awestruck audience for the 26th year in a row.  Over the years, many actors have participated and help reenact this amazing scene that gives an almost indescribable feeling to those who are watching it...it is almost like you are there at the REAL last supper watching it unfold in all its glory.  You can smell the candles in the air, you can feel the magnitude of the moment, and actually look upon the face of "Jesus" and be humbled to be in his "presence".  My dad, Pastor Bud Johnson, gets the privilege to narrate the experience and become the Leonardo Da Vinci by setting the stage and "painting the picture" for the audience of what is transpiring in this picture.  There is a short description of all the people involved and then the story of the Last Supper according to the Bible is retold to the climax of the everyone posing in exactly the same way as the famous painting.  For Pastor Bud Johnson, the Last Supper service is "a moving experience every year".

In our busy schedules, hectic life, and materialistic-driven world it seems like we have lost touch with who and what we are and who exactly we need to give thanks and gratitude to.  Every year, the REAL essence of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the amazing Easter sinks in more and more.  The first time that the full impact of this Maundy Thursday and Good Friday actually was about 10 years ago in a Maundy Thursday church service watching this exact scene transpire.  I cried, almost uncontrollably, because I finally got to understand the magnitude of what God and his son, Jesus, actually did for US!  Maybe part of the uncontrollable crying was the fact that my father was the narrator, two of my brothers where actors in that years portrayal, my mom was crying next to me, my amazing husband had his arm around me, and my beautiful first-born son was cradled in my arms.  That night was one of the most impact nights in my walk as a Christian!  But, lets not forget, it's not just what God and Jesus did, but also his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, the disciples, Pontious Pilot and everyone else involved that actually had to go through his betrayal, his horrific torture and crucifixion, that ultimately led to his death on the cross.  Why did God so carefully orchestrate everyone who was involved, the situations that had to transpire, and eventual outcome to happen?


So today I am packing to head to Grand Forks, ND today to go celebrate Easter with my family and friends there, I know that tonight is going to be a struggle to be able to sit through Good Friday, it gets harder and harder every year.  The true, very real, and palpable reason has finally sunk in and embedded itself so deep that I can feel it in every fiber of my being.  I give thanks and praise to God for all his blessings, protection, love, and his ultimate sacrifice of his one and only son for this flawed and selfish sinner...
So find the TRUE MEANING of Easter this year and celebrate that with your loved ones, the Easter Bunny will understand.

Are YOU Ready To Meet a Dairy Farmer?

 Have you met a Dairy Farmer lately?  No?  Well, I have a perfect opportunity for you!!!  We at Northern Lights Dairy are gearing up for our biannual 'Breakfast On The Farm' again this summer in June to celebrate June is Dairy Month!  What exactly is a Breakfast on the Farm?  It is a morning where we invite the community to come to our farm and experience where their milk comes from!  We really believe that we as farmers need to be extremely transparent with the general public.  We are SO proud of being Dairy Farmers and we pride ourselves in making products that are highly nutritious, safe, and healthy for families to eat and drink.  So every other year, on-top of our usual tours that come to our farm (preschools, churches, schools, boy/girl scouts, various groups, colleges, and even international ambassadors), we open the doors and host a large event called 'Breakfast on the Farm'.  So do you want to see where your milk comes from? 

Here is one of the tours just pulling away from the 'Loading Area' 2 years ago at our last Breakfast on the Farm

So the last few weeks, I have gotten my binder out that I used 2 years ago for our Breakfast on the Farm and started paging through all the things I had to do to get ready.  First things first, let all our vendors and sponsors know of the upcoming date and the general information.  That involves getting a letter together, printing, stuffing envelopes, addressing, and dropping over 200 letters in the mail (that was my week this week) but I got it done!  Then the next step is marketing and promotion!  We had a lot of people say "I didn't even know about it" so this year you will be hearing my voice on the radio, reading about it in magazines, newspapers, internet, and even seeing my face on the local TV News talking about our upcoming Breakfast!

This is a sign we had made up for the last Breakfast on the Farm, thanking our 50+ supporters!

Our main supporter is, of course, Land O'Lakes who we sell our milk to.  They supplied all the milk, ice cream, yogurt, and string cheese for our guests to enjoy!

 

Another main supporter 2 years ago was Domino's Pizza!  They partnered with us and they came up with a phenomenal Breakfast Pizza to serve at our Breakfast on the Farm (if you didn't know, they don't even have a breakfast pizza, they did it just for this occasion!)  They had 2 delivery cars that dropped off a stackful of pizzas every 20 minutes which kept the pizzas hot and so delicious!

 

Then Cloverdale supplied all the breakfast sausage, and Dakota Mill supplied all the pancake mix!  Did I mention that the whole event is FREE!!!  Here is a picture of the all the scrumptious food that was served!  It was so delicious!  Yes, that is Ice Cream with fresh Strawberry topping on your pancakes!

 

The Local FFA and 4H chapters volunteered to help cook, serve, and work at our Breakfast on the Farm!  They do an amazing job!

 

So, now that you are stuffed full of all the amazing food, lets do some of the activities like how about a kids inflatable or a climbing wall?  There was also face-painting, kids games, and vendors tables set-up with information, displays, and hand-outs!

 

Or you can jump on one of the guided tours pulled by Brand New John Deere Tractors supplied by RDO Equipment in Bismarck!  This tour will take you all around the farm with a tour guide explaining our farm and what a day is like for a dairy cow.

 

Or how about your name gets called for one of the over 75 door prizes?  Or lets walk into the Rotary Parlor and see how we milk our cows!

 

Or just wander around the farm and see the sights?

 

But make sure you swing by that calf barn and pet those adorable little baby calves!

 

Two years ago, we had over 1500 people from the community come and enjoy the morning with us for our Breakfast on the Farm!  We had a great time and we really enjoyed meeting all the people, playing with the kids, educating the people, and had a great experience.

 

This year we are going even bigger!  We will be adding a Petting Zoo, more Inflatables, more Vendor Tables, and just more FUN!

So put it on your calendar: 

 

Saturday, June 21st, 7am-11am at Northern Lights Dairy located just south of Mandan, ND!  Directions: take Highway 6 south of Mandan and go about 13 miles south until 54th St.  Take a right and you are here!!!

For any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us either phone or can comment on here:

Phone: 701-445-7500

 See you all here!!!

Philly Cheesesteak Recipe!

Living on a farm in the middle of North Dakota our freezer is always full of steaks, roasts, hamburger, etc.  It is one of the perks of living on a farm!  So I love finding new recipes that are easy for me to cook all that meat into a great meal for my family.  My husband loves Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches and this is one that I have experimented with a few times, tweaked it, and this is the recipe that we like the best.

First you need to start with the roast.  I made two separate roasts here, one was a rump roast (left), and one was an arm roast (right) because I have 6 mouths to feed, sometimes more if my husband last-minute invites someone over to our house after working a long day at the farm.  To make a really good roast, you have to cook it long and slow!  I usually start the roast at around noon, cook it at 300F for 4-4.5 hours, then turn it up to 350F for last 30-45 minutes, so supper will be ready about 6 p.m.  I have yet to overcook, or burn a roast using this method.  Put the meat in a pan (I use glass), sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, cover it with tinfoil and put it in the stove.  This time I didn't add any more spices, I wanted just the meat this time to be able to turn it into the Philly Cheesesteak later.  After the 4-5 hours of cooking, take the meat out and let it 'set' for about 10 minutes on the counter.  This keeps the juices in the meat better.  While the meat is setting, lets get our vegetables ready!

 

In a frying pan, put 1-2 tablespoons of butter.  Cook on medium-high heat, I put 2 large onions, yellow peppers, red peppers, orange peppers, and lastly 2 cups of sliced mushrooms.  Cook and stir until all vegetables are soft.

While the vegetables are cooking, lets get the cheese ready.  I used 1 block of Velveeta 'Queso Blanco' cheese, 2 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (provolone or mozzarella), then about 1 cup of milk, and you can add some spices to kick it up (regular Pepper or Cayenne Pepper are both good choices, or get creative and put your own spices in).  Put in a microwave safe bowl, and melt on medium heat stirring every few minutes so it doesn't burn.

So, now that the vegetables are almost done, the cheese is melting, lets get the roast pulled apart.  All I used was two forks, and pulled it apart into little pieces that are easy for my kids to chew.  It is so savory and tender, it basically just fell apart by itself:

Lastly, I take the buns, slather butter on both sides, and put on the griddle for about 4-5 minutes to just brown them slightly (make sure you brown them with the butter, it tastes so yummy!!!)

Ok, now your ready to assemble your sandwich!  Take your toasted bun, put the roast beef, vegetables, and then slather with the cheese!  I let everyone make their own sandwich so they can put as much of whatever ingredient that they want.  How does it look?  We made it last week, and after the meal is done and everyone is full, I throw all the meat, vegetables, and cheese together in a bowl and we had 'Leftover Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches' for the next few days lunch! 

This is a really easy recipe to make and I love that it has almost every food group in the sandwich!  I usually serve with another vegetable (steamed green beans, salad, etc), and then a fruit.  Give it a try and let me know what you think, or if you came up with a way to add to the recipe, I am all ears!  Happy cooking and making family memories!!!

You Can't Change the World For Every Dog, But For the Dogs You Rescue, Their Whole World Changes!

These are my dogs:  HoneyDew (Great Dane), Yogi (tan/white shaggy dog in middle), and Gizmo (black furball), with a new rescue Chihuahua that we renamed, Tinkerbell.

A few weeks ago I stumbled on Facebook a saying that has resonated through me and I just can't shake it :  You can't change the whole world for every dog, but for the dogs you rescue, their whole world changes.  Just think about that for a minute!  Let it settle into your soul.  Everyday in the United States there are 10,000 unwanted cats and dogs that are euthanized each day!!! (http://answers.ask.com/Science/Nature/how_many_dogs_are_euthanized_each_year)
That's 10,000 today, tomorrow, the day after, the day after, etc.  My family and I live in North Dakota and there is an online classified website called www.bismanonline.com where you can find almost anything you want around the state of North Dakota.  A few years ago, I was online looking at the Dog Section and I was appalled that there were over 450+ dogs looking for a home!  To say I was shocked was an understatement!  Some were puppies for sale (on the front page were the cute puppies for hundreds or thousands of dollars from breeders) then as you started to scroll through the pages, there were puppies to elderly dogs, dogs of every shape, size, and breed, and for every dollar amount you could think of, there were even a lot of GIVEAWAY!  Some people even had the guts to write on their ads "Someone come get this dog or we are going to take them to the pound/or be put down"!!!  So that day, a new found hobby in my life was formed.  I am a rescuer! My husband is a rescuer!  My kids are rescuers!  We all work together to rehabilitate one of our rescue dogs, and not just dogs- cats, kitties, and even ponies!

Belle with Lily, and Dawson with Feather-2 Chihuahuas rescued from a Chihuahua Breeder

I have always been a rescuer.  I sincerely believe that animals were put on this earth and our purpose is to 'care for those animals', just look in Genesis!  As a young girl, I was always bringing animals home or begging my parents for another one (I got really good at that one).  Animals have always been a part of my life and they will always be.  I have learned that EVERYONE has an amazing animal story of some sort that has touched their lives and formed who they are today due to an animal.  What is your amazing animal story?  I have many animal stories- some are the most amazing, miracle stories, some are gut-wrenching, agonizing stories where I actually cried so hard that I almost felt my heart break.  Which one do you want to hear? 

Meet Tucker, my brother Josh's Toy Poodle.  He was living with an elderly lady that had to go into a nursing home so her family was rehoming him.  He was one of the meanest dogs we had when we got him, and now he is one of the biggest babies!

Here is Tinkerbell, a 2 lb Chihuahua Puppy that we got a few months ago and family friends have since adopted her!

This is Wylie Coyote (a Red, Purebred Husky) that we rescued 2 years ago that went to a great family.

The first two dogs we ever rescued were two teeny, tiny toy poodles that were tossed aside so we opened our home to them, retrained them, socialized them, got them all the appropriate medical care, then started the process of trying to find new homes for them.  As of today, we have rescued and rehomed over 70 dogs in the last few years.  We have had everything from 2 lb. Chihuahuas to 150 lb. Great Danes and everything in between from mutts to purebreds.  But, it seems the most common rescues that we get are 8 months-1.5 years old puppy that someone got for a 'present' or they wanted one, then discovered that dogs do actually take some effort!  They need to be included in your family, they need exercise, they need love, they need training, they need dog food, and they can be expensive!!!  Here is a Purebred Yorkie from a breeder that is learning how to be a dog again with the help of our shaggy fluff-ball, Yogi.

Last week we got a Great Pyrenees that is a 9 month old Baby that has NO manners, NO socializing, NO nothing, and when you want him to do something he whines and cries and falls over (he has been really fun to train to walk on a leash).  I mean just think of a 100 pound toddler throwing a temper tantrum, sounds like a great time, huh? He has been our new project and when we finally get him all the way trained, he will be an amazing farm dog because we can already see what type of personality he has.  For some dogs, people just have a hard time training them!  The best advice I can give is to train them using dog language.  The best trainer in my opinion, is Cesar Milan 'The Dog Whisperer'.  Go to his website if you need help or advice on your dog. (http://www.cesarsway.com/)

I believe that almost every one is an animal lover.  I think we all really want to do what's best for animals, but what can we do?  Not everyone has the wide-open space of a farm to rescue dogs.  But I do urge everyone, please do your research!  Before you go buy that next puppy or dog, where does it come from (a neighbor, a breeder, a pet store, or a puppy mill)?  Before you donate money to that online infomercial from some large, National 'Supposed' Animal Organization go online and check to see how much of the money ACTUALLY goes to animals and their needs (http://www.humanewatch.org/).  SIDENOTE- the Humane Society of the United States gives less than 1% of its earnings to animals and their care...are you a donator to them???  I think it's best to support your Local Humane Societies and Shelters, that's just my opinion.  But, most importantly, think before you get a dog or cat.  Realize it is a live animal and once you decide to buy or adopt it, it is COUNTING on you to provide for it!  Can you handle that responsibility?  Are you ready?  If not and you give your dog away, do you know the chance of it ending up in a shelter? 

Meet Zoey, my parents Jack Russell.  We rescued her from a farm where she was 'untrainable'.  She has been my Dad's running partner for the last  4 years or so.

Purebred Maltese Puppy that we rescued from a breeder.

I love rescuing dogs, and most of my family and friends that have adopted dogs from me over the years are so special because I get to see those dogs grow into the happy, joyful, amazing dogs that they were meant to be.  So someday when I go to heaven, I hope that what I see is tens or hundreds or thousands (we will see how long I live) of dogs/cats/animals running for me at full-bore with ears flapping, tongues wagging, fur flying to greet me because in their lives I made a difference, and for them their whole world changed...isn't that why were put here on this earth, to make a difference?!?

I Get to 'Fall In'!!!!...Kinda.....

So today has been a very long, draining day!  It started this morning before 7 a.m. with 1 of my brothers and my mom texting me saying that they already had their confirmation letters from the Marine Corp Marathon saying "Congratulations!  YOU get to 'Fall In!!!'"  So, I instantly jumped on my e-mail and saw NOTHING in my e-mail.  So I thought, 'that's ok, I have all day'.  Throughout the morning, my phone went off with various texts saying my other brother got in, then my dad got his acceptance letter at lunch-time...that's when the "crazy lady" started kicking in.  Neither Andrew or myself had heard anything about us getting in so I jumped online and started becoming an 'online stalker'.  Some people had their credit cards charged first before the e-mail so I started checking both the e-mail AND my on-line bank account (like one wasn't enough, right?).  By mid-afternoon, I was checking both every ten minutes because after going on Facebook, again, and the Official Page saying they still had 2500 people left to notify, I hoped down to the last second that ONE of us had to get an e-mail!  But, at about 5:30 p.m. central time, the Official Marine Corp Marathon Page posted the all the e-mails had gone out....neither Andrew or myself had received ours.  I was deflated, defeated, and really upset.  We did, however, receive a rejection letter 20 minutes later...that was fun. 

Ok, on to consolation bracket time:  I knew early on in the day that my mom had gotten hers, and she was going to transfer it to me so that I could run with my brothers and dad, but what about Andrew?  I just knew, that if he was ever going to run a marathon, and I mean, EVER, this was it!  I mean, come on: 30,000 runners, Washington D.C., Marines, bands, memorials, veterans, fans screaming, etc etc etc!  Sounds like a 'once in a lifetime' experience and I was gonna make him sit on the sidelines and wave at him while I ran by?  He and I were both athletes, and part of us craves that part of our life that is now long behind us in our high school and college days.  So maybe this is our way to recapture that feeling again.  So, what did I do?  I turned into 'research mode'!  THERE HAD TO BE A WAY TO GET ONE MORE SLOT!  Along came a few charities that what they do is buy entrants slots for the marathons, you pay the registration fee to them, and once you raised a certain amount for their charity, you get to run the race!  So, I decided to partner with an amazing charity called 'Fisher House' at www.fisherhouse.org that helps families of wounded soldiers, and Andrew will get my moms slot at the marathon.  Now, fortunately, my brothers were never wounded as they proudly served our country, but I really feel for those who have been. 

As I was researching about 'Fisher House', this whole day started to sink in.  From the severe disappointment, to joy of all my Johnson Family members got in, to frantically checking my e-mail, to sitting down and researching a charity.  A day that was so full of selfishness and all about "me, me, me" just turned into a completely different perspective!  This picture got so much bigger than me just running with my family at the marathon.  Now, I am running for a cause that has nothing to do with me!  It has to do with helping other people, and those people NEED our help!  Part of me is glad that I didn't get in the traditional way, now I have to 'earn it' and by 'earning it', I help others that have proudly sacrificed everything for this amazing country so that we all whole live here have this amazing life! 

Did you notice that their mascot is a HOLSTEIN COW!!!!   NOT KIDDING!!!  I'm mean, really???  I swear, it is Divine Intervention!!!  Please help me give back by clicking on the link.  I'm ready to 'Fall In', and now I get the chance to by representing so many more people than just myself.....what a day.....

I would love and appreciate your support by clicking on this link and making a donation to both the charity 'Fisher House' and also sponsoring me running in the 2014 Marine Corp Marathon: 

http://www.teamfisherhouse.org/site/TR/Event/General?px=1018517&pg=personal&fr_id=1220

So in a few months, and many miles of training, this will be me and my brother, Justin running together again.  But, this time there will be my dad, Josh, Jeremy, and Andrew beside me too with my Mom, Ellie, and all 4 of my kids waiting for me at the finish line!  Gonna need a wide-angle lens!!!  FALL IN!!!  SIR, YES, SIR!!!