12.30.14

What. A. Year.

As I sit here on the second to last day of 2014 I can't help but think about how much I want to kiss 2015 when it arrives. Like not just kiss it, make out with it.

2014 was a hard, but beautiful year.

I worked hard on my fitness goals and made great strides in the "New Year New Me" category.

I was selected to be part of a leadership program through the Iowa Farm Bureau. I grew and learned a lot and the best part was meeting some wonderful new friends.

A dear friend lost her battle with cancer and went to go be with Jesus in May. I miss her, her encouragement, and her joy...so much.

I fell in love with a boy. He's the best thing since Kate Spade (but better!) and there is no doubt I want him by my side until my last day.

I decided to take a leap of faith and move back to my hometown in July. This leap came with a new job, selling my house, saying goodbye to dear friends, moving back in with my parents for a few months, and eventually buying, remodeling and closing on a new house.

In August my cousin was in a fatal car accident and also went to be with Jesus. I miss him like crazy. Moving back to my hometown 2 weeks before this happened (which is also his hometown) is God's timing. We were born seven months apart and did a lot of living in this place. In an odd way it makes me feel close to him, and I'm thankful for that.   

I went on a cruise with my mom, 5 aunts, and 5 cousins in October. It was lovely in a million ways.

To sum up 2014 in as few words as possible, I cried more in this last year than I ever thought I could.
I also laughed more, loved harder, and had more moments of pure joy than I probably deserve. It's been quite a year.

Cheers to 2015, friends. May it be full of blessings for you and yours!

P.S. - I promise I'll start visiting and writing here more soon. As you can see ^^^ my life has been a little bit of a roller coaster these last few months. But I promise I'll be back!

It's Been A While...

Hey there friends!

I'm sorry that I've been neglecting you.

There has been a lot happening in my life and blogging hadn't even been a thought until my co-worker said to me today, "Hey Michelle! Remember when you used to blog?"

Guilt ensued.

So, to sum up the last couple months of my life in as few words as possible:

I moved back in with my parents. (WOOO HOOO!!!)

I started a new job.

I bought a house.

I sold my house.

My cousin suddenly passed away in a car accident.

I started remodeling said house I purchased.

I packed and moved my belongings.

My house is unlivable so I continue to live with my parents until it is completed. (DOUBLE WHOOO HOOOO!!!!)

I started working out with a new trainer.

I've been living out of a bag and running on little to no sleep, which means I am super great at all the irons I have firing at the moment.

It's been a crazy couple of months, and I swear I will be back to this bliggity blog of mine on a regular basis at some point.

Because trust me when I say I have A LOT to share with you.

Remember how I'm remodeling a house? :)

But for now, I'll leave you with my last project I finished up this weekend.

My boyfriend celebrates his 25th year today, and I made this to give to him because it is his favorite quote.

 

I promise I'll tell you how I made it at some point.

 

Then I'll tell you all the things I would do differently if I was making it again.

 

Starting with buying thinner wood.

 

Let's just say I don't think this puppy will be hanging on any walls :)

Hope he loves it!

Busy...

The last two weeks of my life have felt like a whirlwind.

I told my Sioux City family I was moving away and ever since I've been busy.

Busy learning to love kale and quinoa... (I'm not kidding...it's SO delicious!)

Putting my cute little house on the market and having a showing at least once a day since...

Finishing a BEAUTIFUL quilt I had barely started 4 years ago in record time with one of my dear friends...

 

Then throwing a party underneath of it, because it was late and we were delirious and we could, so why not!?! 

Baking for my favorite co-workers one last time...

 

I may or may not have outdid myself this time. Just sayin...

 

And semi-breaking the "no halter top" dress code at work because I'm a rebel like that... ;)

 

 

I'm moving back home to the farm and starting a new adventure.

 

And it really hasn't sunk in until this week that it's happening.

 

It's all so bittersweet.

 

I'm stressed.

 

I'm sad.

 

I have moments where I have a dramatic meltdown and think to myself "What have I done!!?!?! I had a great job, an awesome house, I was surrounded by people who loved me... WHY did I do this?!"

 

But then I think about what is to come and I get really happy and excited.

 

Because it will be so great to be closer to family and the farm that is so near and dear to my heart.

 

I've cried...a few times.

 

And probably will a few more times in the weeks ahead.

 

Because a house is just a house that can be replaced by another one.

 

And I can be happy in any career I embark on.

 

But it's the people who make this whole "moving on" process so much more messy.

 

Because I'm overwhelmed by just how much these people mean to me.

 

I'm going to miss them so so much.

 

But it's not goodbye...it's see you soon, Sioux City!

Calving Season

Calving season is in full swing at the Euken Ranch.

It should be noted that calving season is one of my favorites.

It's like Christmas, but better.

Way better.

Especially when there is no mud, and the weather is nice.

We have one of the two happening this year, so I'll take it.

Here are some sights from the pasture this past Sunday morning with my Dad!

There is green grass under all that brown, I swear it.

Her name is Yonce. She was born like this. Flawless. (You might have to listen to the song to get it.)

New babies get tagged and treated with calf booster to keep them healthy and strong!

My favorite little brunette called when we were checking the cows - to say she was excited about doing chores with us through the phone would be an understatement!

Why I Farm

I saw this video earlier today and it brought tears to my eyes.

Take 2 minutes and 37 seconds and watch it for yourself.

You won't be sorry.

Christmas Mornin' Chores!

When I was a kiddo, I thought having to do chores on Christmas morning before opening any presents was a cruel and unusual sort of punishment.

Now, it is one of my most favorite traditions with my dear old Dad.

Maybe it's that when doing chores, I feel like Santa.

Here's a little extra hay girls...Merry Christmas...ho ho ho!

 

Or maybe it's that I've come to appreciate home so much more in my old age.

 

Or maybe it's my vested interest in some of those cute black babes.

Or maybe it's because cute pups are good for a few extra kisses and hugs on Christmas morning, too!

I hope you all had yourselves a very Merry little Christmas! Mine was beyond blessed, I have so much to be thankful for!

LudaChristmas 4.0

I have some pretty great friends.

We all met in college.

And while there are more miles than I care to mention that separate us today, we still manage to hang out often.

And I'm so thankful for that.

We have a tradition every Christmas to dress up in ugly Christmas sweaters, play some games, get a little crazy, and have an all around blast doing it.

We have dubbed this annual event "LudaChristmas" and this was our 4th year celebrating such a joyous occasion.

Check out 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0...

The top two pictures all happened in the same year.

You see, that was our last Christmas together in the same town.

A couple of us graduated that year and so we took the whole Christmas celebrating to a new level.

And we won't apologize about it for a minute.

Apparently I was also tanning as a sport...woofta!

We were a smaller group this year.

One of our friends moved to Indy (we missed you Stutsy!) but we still managed to break out some fugly (fun and ugly) sweaters!

And this is how 27 out of the 32 pictures I took from that night turned out....love them! :)

 

I'm so blessed to have such ridiculously good looking, fun, and all around awesome friends. 

 

Merry Christmas from my red headed, red nosed, reindeer named Rudolph-i, to you!

 

xoxo

Christmas Balance

It's Friday afternoon, 3 p.m.

I find myself sitting in my office, taking the deepest of breaths, as I may (knock on wood) be caught up with my customers' demands for the week.

It's been one of those weeks where the feelings of disappointment, exhaustion and downright defeat seem to be overtaking my mood on this chilly Friday afternoon.

'Tis the life of a woman in sales, I suppose.

Not sure why, but I glance at my calendar (as I've done a million times in the past couple of days) and for some reason panic overtakes me; today is December 13th. 

There are only 12 days until Christmas.

I have yet to put up my adorable little Christmas Tree at my adorable little house.

Nor have I put up any sort of Christmas glitter, tinsel or lights.

I have yet to listen to my favorite Christmas CD of all time (Michael Buble Christmas, for you curious minds) on repeat, singing at the top of my lungs.

I also have yet to bake anything.

Christmas is happening right now, and I am failing to participate in the party.

I am missing the best season of all seasons because I am running around in a daze trying to 'get it all done' and 'show up where I need to show up.'

What the heck happened to my balance?

When did I become a person who even got stressed out?

Where did my free spirit go?

How did I become such a Scrooge?

After my three minute straight up panic attack, reality starts to set in.

I'm probably not going to put up my adorable little Christmas Tree in my adorable little house this year.

I'm also probably not going to drag any Chrismas glitter, tinsel or lights out of my closet to decorate with either.

I might bake, but then I'll end up eating it. So, I probably won't do much baking, if any.

Because it all just sounds so exhausting.

And if I don't 'do it all' this year it will be OK.

This Christmas, I want to focus a little more on the real reason for the season: the birth of our Savior, and a little less on the 'hussle and bussle' that seems to come with it.

Maybe without all noise of the 'Christmas clutter' surrounding me this year, I can relish in the pure awesomeness of my family a little more, and worry about my cookies being stale a little less.

I hope you find your balance this Christmas, friends, and remember the real reason for this blessed season!

Community Is A Beautiful Thing

On October 4th, 2013 nine different tornadoes ripped through my part of the world and affected quite a few of my customers and friends. 42 homes and farmsteads were complete losses and over 100 families had damage.

Over the last 10 days I have witnessed a community come together to help the families that lost their homes in a way that was bigger and better than I ever imagined.

Besides all the adults in the community helping with clean-up efforts, the thing that blew me away the most were the students who came out to help. Students from all the small town surrounding schools, along with their teachers and the administration, organized efforts to walk corn and bean fields the entire week after the tornadoes hit to pick up debris so the farmers could get back to what they do best - harvest. One day there were over six bus loads of kids, in addition to quite a few adults, helping one farmer pick up his fields. And I know the same scenario was happening at multiple locations.

Wow.

How does that saying go? Many hands make quick work, or many hands make light work? Either way, it was community in its finest hour.

I didn't take pictures of the various customers places I helped clean up, it just didn't seem right, but it's bad and sad all wrapped up into one big pile of mess that looks like something straight out of the movie Twister and they've only began to get back on their feet. These folks have a long road ahead of them, so if you would, please send up an extra prayer for them tonight.

Helping with these clean-up efforts was an emotional experience for me. Partly because I'm so thankful these folks are more than customers, they are friends. But most of all, I'm so blessed to have been welcomed into this community after moving here a short three years ago. It's a beautiful thing.

Long Week

Hey guys.

Did you miss me?

I apologize.

It's been a long week.

And by long week I mean a long ass week.

I'm seriously over this knee thing.

I'm getting a cold.

I'm not getting anywhere (or so it feels) in my efforts to eat clean and workout because last I checked my butt hasn't gotten any smaller. 

I'm so busy at work that I am finding myself missing little things here and there, which is not a huge deal, but the end result is I'm not providing the best customer service I could be. And I hate that feeling. My customers deserve my best, everyday.

I've been at so many doctor appointments this week I feel like I could BE a doctor.

Ugh.

I was just over all of it, and last night {amidst the robbery of a Cyclone victory} was when the pimple that was my no good very bad week got popped.

This sweet thing I get to call my cousin knew I was in the trenches and she grabbed her shovel (her phone) and dug me out (called me.) She lives 636 miles away from me and she just knew.

To sum up a 30 minute phone call in one sentence: She told me I was a bad ass, to quit pouting, to go to bed, get up tomorrow and do life, to not give up, to chose to make the day great, and that it's going to get better.

Then she made me repeat, "It's going to get better" like I was a 4 year old.

She's a teacher. She can't help it. And I needed that pep talk just like I needed a 20 ounce cup of Joe this morning.

Long story short, today I'm smiling. There is too much good happening, too much to laugh about and too much to enjoy out of this day not to smile and soak it up.

Every day we have an opportunity to choose how we respond to circumstances.

Will you choose to live today with a smile?

Thank You.

There are many things I thought I'd feel after knee surgery.

Frustrated....annoyed....blessed.....humbled; just to name a few.

However, as I sit here having said goodbye to my cousin and her daughter, who came from over two hours away just to mow my lawn and hang out with me, I can't seem to feel anything but overwhelmed.

The type of overwhelmed that could be described as full-to-overflowing with happiness and joy.

I didn't need to have knee surgery to realize how ridiculously blessed beyond belief I am; I am well aware.

But through my recovery I have found myself counting my blessings a little more than normal.

I simply don't know how to express my gratitude, other than saying thank you.

But that just doesn't seem like enough.

So here is my feeble attempt to put into words how much all of your support means to me:

To my parents who let me literally move back in with them for over two and a half weeks after surgery, not to mention doing almost everything for me for those two and half weeks: I know you're my parents and I know it's your "job" to take care of me, but your support for me has been unwavering in every single adventure in my 26 years of life. I'm overwhelmed with the amount of love you show me, and I'm beyond words thankful for you both. I'm so blessed to have parents who are not only are a great example, but are my role-models too.

To my friends and family who have stopped by to hang out, brought food, sent cards, prayed for me, took me to the grocery store, sent care packages, came to see me at the hospital, helped me do laundry, called to check on me, mowed my lawn or helped me with countless other things: I know that's what friends and family members do for each other, but I am overcome with joy knowing I have so many amazing people in my life who no matter what will be in my corner when I need a hand. Thank you for blessing me these past few weeks. I am one lucky girl to be surrounded with so many amazing people and I continue to be blown away with your kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness. 

So while thank you doesn't feel adequate, I don't know what else to say other than:

Thank you...for everything.

The County Fair Marathon...

....is over!

WHEWWWW!!!!!

3 fairs. 10 days.

See why I said marathon?

Mission 1: Pull off all my events I was in charge of without a glitch.

Mission 2: Have fun.

Mission 3: Survive.

I can say that all three missions were successfully executed! Although mission 3 was a little touch and go on Friday night. I ended up with face wash on my toothbrush (signs you know you're sleep deprived!!) and I may or may not have thought I was going to die after brushing my teeth for a good 5 seconds with face wash. But I recovered in time to make it through the final event on Sunday. Then, I even had enough energy afterwards to pull weeds, mow the lawn, trim bushes AND make brownies!

I am woman...hear me roar! :)

Two of the fairs I attended were for work purposes. Since I loan money to farmers and farmers kids usually make up the majority of the county fair participants, I see a lot of customers in one place and it's quite fantastic. I also find that one of the best things I can do to be successful at my job is be involved in the community, and county fair is just one of those places I can volunteer my time. This is a major bonus about my job because I LOVE being involved in the community! Win win!

One of the three fairs, however, holds a special place in my heart. I don't get to volunteer at this point due to me living so far away. Hopefully that will change someday! But, I get to go back every year to eat some great food, hang out with and cheer for my family who still participates in the fair today, and to catch up with old friends and reminisce about the days when we were 4-H'ers.

I don't know what it was about the Cass County Fair this year, but I got a little sentimental when I came home from the first day of being back at those fairgrounds. It may have been that my old 4-H crush brought up the fact that he beat me in Beef Showmanship our last year of showing (a prize that is one to brag about for you non 4-H'ers) and I didn't believe him so I got out my old record books and took a trip down memory lane.

There are a lot of memories in these old books, and I want to tell you about a few of them. But the first thing you should know before I even start taking this trip down memory lane is that County Fair week was the best week of the entire year. Yes, it was better than Christmas. It was better than birthdays. It was even better than vacation. It was THE best week EVER!!! I never wanted it to end. I cried every year, even when I got older. And I didn't even care if it made me look like a baby.

 

 

Showing cattle was a big part of my life. I loved these calves. I spent hours every day in the barn with them in the summers. I even fell asleep on top of them once or twice in the barn. They were my pets. And they were awesome. There was just something about leading a calf around the show ring, getting that purple ribbon and knowing that all your hard work payed off that was so rewarding and satisfying all at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

I know it sounds silly to those of you who never showed livestock, but they molded me into the person I am today. They taught me responsibility, hard work, perseverance, and the value of a dollar. And learning those things, amongst others, starting at the young age of 9 is something I will never regret. I can't thank my parents enough for letting me experience it.

 

 

Then there were pigs... At Euken Farms Inc. we have livestock facilities for cattle. And cattle only. But boy did I want to show pigs at the County Fair! Not only did my family and friends show pigs and it looked like a blast, but I knew how much money I could make on top of having a great time. (No, I'm not greedy, I had college to pay for!) However, my parents were very against me showing pigs. I don't know if you know this, but I'm not one to give up without a fight. So, I called my uncle, who raised pigs at the time and asked if I could keep my show pigs at his place and in exchange I would help bed pigs whenever he needed help. And just like that, I became a pig showman. And a good one, too! :) Showing pigs, just like cattle taught me valuable life skills. So thankful for my Uncle Craig making it possible for me to learn and grow through showing pigs!

There was lots of other fun stuff I participated in at the county fair. I took sewing projects, food projects, home decorating projects, refinishing projects, the list goes on and on. Long story short, there was no such thing as Pinterest back in the day so I was able to use my imagination to come up with some pretty great projects to bring each year to the fair. With each of these projects as well as the queen contest you sit with a judge who evaluates your exhibit. You go through an interview with the judge telling them about your project, explaining your goals, what you've learned, etc. At the age of 9 I was learning how to look people in the eye, go though and interview and "sell" if you will a judge on why my project is the best and deserving of a coveted purple ribbon. I know I would not be an open, bubbly, talk to anyone saleswoman today if I would have not had these experiences growing up.

And then there was my family. I'm super lucky in that in my family we are best friends too. One of the greatest things about the fair was getting to run around with my best friends all week. Our parents never seemed to know where we were, unless it was time to eat or we needed money, because we were usually lost in a cattle barn dropping a plastic spider on some city kid and watching them scream. (And no, it never got old!!) We supported each other, cheered each other on, and made so many memories. Ones that I will carry with me forever.

Now that I've outgrown the 4-H days, I get to go back to the great Cass County Fair with the same family members, but this time I get to cheer on the younger generation. I get to watch them run around making their memories and it warms my heart.

But don't worry, I'm still making memories too. Just in a different way this time...

I'm so thankful for these County Fair memories and experiences. I'm thankful for 4-H molding me into who I am today. I'm thankful for my family and the great friends I met along the "4-H journey." But most of all, reflecting on this part of my life makes me so excited to be a 4-H Mom someday, and watch my kids grow, learn and make memories through similar experiences.

Iowa The Beautiful

It really doesn't get more beautiful than Iowa in the summer...well, until fall that is. Then Iowa has just reach another level of gorgeous. But we'll save that blog post for a crisp fall morning! :)

 

I was back at the farm this past weekend for THE Cass County Fair (stay tuned, that blog post is coming soon!) and I went on a run.

 

I'm more amazed every time I go home at how beautiful my family's farm is.

 

Maybe its because it's becoming more sentimental to me in my old age?

 

Maybe because I miss this place so much?

 

Either way...check out these views.

 

 

I mean come on, how many people can say they get to run outside to this landscape? 



Or this landscape?

How lucky am I?!

 

After my run I found my favorite birds-eye view of one of our farms (on top of a grain bin.) Could it get any more beautiful? My Daddy can sure plant a pretty bean field, huh? Those are Pioneer 93M11's for any of you farmers out there wondering, they are the best!

Moral of the story? I love and miss the farm THIS much!  (Which is a whole lot, if you get confused and can't see my pasty white banker arms ;))

Morning Run And Gratefulness

There is nothing like a morning run.

The views.

The brisk summer air.

The "good mornings" to the folks you pass on the sidewalk.

The feeling of your feet hitting the ground one after the other after the other.

The feeling of your muscles getting tighter and more toned with each and every step.

The satisfaction of knowing you just ran your personal best mile splits of the summer.

The soreness in your muscles afterwards, solidifying you gave it your all.

But my favorite part of a morning run?

Thinking.

Morning runs are my time to think, uninterrupted.

Not about work.

Not about what I have to do today, or what I should have accomplished yesterday.

But to just be....be grateful.

This morning I could feel myself running the fastest I've ran this summer.

I didn't need my iPhone to tell me, I could just feel it.

It got me thinking back to childhood, when the thought of going on a run made me cringe.

I fast forwarded to high school when I decided to go out for cross country, which got me thinking about the Jacobs' family. They worked with me every day in the summer to get me ready for cross country season year after year. They ultimately taught me to love running and were able to bring out the inner athlete inside of me.

I thought about the fact that I would not be here, in this moment, running this 5 mile run if it wasn't for Steve. And Marilyn. And Whitney. And Cortney. And Stephanie. And Justin. And how I am so grateful for them that I am here, running the fastest I've been able to run this summer, all because they invested their time in me.

I am so grateful for them!

I thought about writing them a thank you, but then I thought, how do I write my gratitude in a 4x5 inch thank you card? Where would I even begin? 

I thought about knee surgery.

Three weeks from today I will have my knee cut into. My bones will be broken and moved. Screws will be placed around my knee. And I won't be able to do this activity I've grown to love. I will have to say 'see you soon' to running and working out as I've known it the last however many years.

While that thought seems awful, I have to think of it as bittersweet. Because, in the end, I'm finally going to have a knee that loves these grueling workouts I put it through, and I won't be on a steady diet of ice and aleve.

I thought about recovery. How I'm as fit as I probably have ever been right now, and I will completely rock this recovery because of that! That in six months from now, I will be back out here, doing this thing I love so much again. I may not be as fast as I want to be or as strong as I want to be, but I will not stop until I get there.

Because running and working out makes me happy.

So I will choose to be grateful for an uncle who will make my knee new again which will allow me to continue to run and workout for years to come so the pure joy I feel in this moment doesn't have to end.

I thought about nutrition. How it has been such a struggle for me over my 26 years of life.

I thought about how this run I'm on feels so good because I'm being kind to my body with how I'm fueling it now. I wish I could go back and shake myself for thinking I could eat whatever I wanted because I worked out hard, everyday.

How I wish I could be an ambassador to anyone struggling with their weight letting them know, "You CANNOT out work a poor diet!" because I thought that way for so long.

I thought about Kim. She has taken hours out of her busy life to teach me what to eat, how much, when to eat it and why so that I could be successful. What a gift! I am forever grateful for you, Kim!

I thought these struggles and successes I've gone through on my weight loss journey.

They have molded me into the woman I am today; a woman I am proud to be.

They have taught me hard work and dedication DO get you somewhere, if you just get up and show up every morning, trying to be better.

They have taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to.

But most importantly, they have made me grateful.

Grateful for the journey.

Grateful for people.

Grateful for surgeries.

And most of all, grateful for all the blessings in my life. Big or small.

Wedding Fun

My mom's side of the family is kind of huge.

Therefore, we do a lot of weddings.

And man, do we loooooove weddings!

This particular wedding happened in Portage, IN.

It was a long beautiful drive across I-80.

I was able to check out a lot of cornfields and listen to Barney with my niece in the backseat. Perfection, right? :)

We had some fun and caught some rays on beautiful Lake Michigan!

But best part of this whole weekend was getting to hang with my cousins.

We like the saying in our family, "cousins by chance, friends by choice." Nothing could be more true for my cousins and I!

 

All the girl cousins, but one, were able to be at this wedding!

 

 

The receiving line was taking a while, so while some of the family ran across the street to the bar, the rest of us decided to get a little snap happy and prematurely blow bubbles everywhere!

 

Aren't my cousins BEAUTIFUL!?! Miss them and love them so much!

 

 

Family photo, minus my Daddy-o. He had to stay home and get caught up with work. The sun was going to shine all three days we were gone and as you might know the saying, "you have to make hay when the sun shines!" We missed him!!!

 

How awesome is my nieces sweet face?! Ahh! I love her!

 

And finally, the happy couple! Congratulations Miles and Emily! Your day was beautiful! Thanks for inviting us to help you celebrate your big day!