Sky Highs and Humble Pies

Time to wrap up 2015 and fill all of you in on some of the goings-on of the year, and especially of the last five months of the year that was. A lot happened in 2015. Some of which felt like wonderful "sky highs," and others reminded us of our humanity-- "humble pies." (I am borrowing the idea for the theme of this post from THIS OISELLE BLOG POST, so credit to them). So, I present to you my Sky Highs and Humble Pies, in rough chronological order, from 2015....

Stewing over beginning this post. Coffee quite necessary!

Sky High
One aspect of my professional life that continues to evolve is my involvement with Montana Farmers Union and National Farmers Union. I am on the MFU Women's Committee, which helps plan the annual MFU Women's Conference, among other things. Last year's conference was a smashing success and I enjoyed most of all the opportunity for personal growth and connections made and strengthened with other women. I'm really looking forward to this year's conference, which will be February 5-7 at Quinn's Hot Springs in southwestern Montana. I'll do another post about this sometime soon, but it's going to be awesome!! Click here for more info: 4th Annual Women's Conference.

The other committee I'm involved in is the Next Generation Advisory Council for National Farmers Union. It's a great group of people from several different states coming together to problem-solve ways to transition National Farmers Union into the "next generation" of agriculture. We've had several meetings over the past year and done a lot strategic planning, primarily focusing on membership, leadership, and mentorship opportunities. Our big "reveal" will be at the upcoming National Farmers Union Convention in Minneapolis in March. More to come! I'm just thankful to be part of this amazing, vibrant, dynamic group of passionate people. I often feel like I get more out of these weekends than I contribute, simply by being part of this group.

Enjoying a night on the town in Fargo with the NGAC members! Great folks!

Sky High
Late Spring for me continues to be busy with coaching Track and Field at our local high school. We had another great season last year, with outstanding student-athletes that are a privilege to coach and fellow coaches who I enjoy spending time with and learning from. Our teams saw great success on and off the field. Coaching Track is something I really love, and again, I feel like the rewards that come from coaching greatly outweigh the hard work. It doesn't feel like work most of the time. Track season is always a Sky High and I look forward to seeing what the 2016 season will bring! Here is a very popular blog post I wrote toward the end of last track season:What is a Trophy Worth?

Humble Pie
Much of our farming efforts of 2015 turned out to be disappointing, largely due to unfortunate weather. While the first several years of our time as farmers had been marked by high prices combined with nice crops, 2015 was, well, not that. We experienced severe drought followed by a "storm of the century" hail storm that brought massive damages to what crops had been growing. All this was coupled with the lowest commodity prices we've seen in a while. We are very thankful for the Federal Crop Insurance programs and are learning all about how they work. We had to learn about strategically reducing input costs, among other things, which should help us manage our farm going forward. Nevertheless, hoping 2016 will not bring another crop year like 2015. Harvest was not very much fun.

Sky High
I joined the Oiselle Volee team in August of 2015. It's a nationwide running sisterhood and, I'm finding, a very supportive and FUN community of positive people! While it is a nation-wide team, there are subgroups of Oiselle Mountain West, and even Oiselle Montana. Our Montana team is made up of 7 women from all around the state and I've enjoyed getting to know them and to be inspired by them. To kick off the new year, I'm partnering with my Oiselle Montana teammate, Wendie, for a six-week challenge. Can't wait to see where this goes! I'll keep you all posted.

Some awesome gifts from fellow Oiselle teammates from this Christmas season! 

Sky High
Another running-related high from 2015 was the fact that Jeff and I (with LOTS of help from friends and especially family) directed our very first 5K Race held right here on the farm!! The race was held in September out on our farm, 20 miles from the nearest town. We were blown away by the number of people who participated in person or in the Virtual Run. It was actually a sky high and a humble pie in one because it was sort of humbling to think about how many people wanted to be there because of what we had done. 5K On the Farm was a much greater success than we ever could have imagined and I would really like to spend more time filling you all in on some of the details, so this will have to deserve it's own post very soon!!

Humble Pie
For me and Jeff, this humble pie was the biggest of all and definitely (unfortunately) what we'll remember 2015 for the most. Jeff got sick toward the end of August with what we thought was just a cold, but kept persisting. Over the course of several weeks, several doctor visits in the local clinic, and even a trip to the ER, it became very clear that Jeff didn't have just a virus. It was a very scary time. Finally, one care provider ordered some extra tests and found Jeff had an infection in his bloodstream that had also attacked his liver and caused an abscess. From there, we spent a week in the hospital in Great Falls. It turned out to be a strain of Strep bacteria that had made it's way into Jeff's blood. While it was a relief to finally know what was causing him to be sick, it was nevertheless something that we had to deal with for some time, even after his hospital stay. Jeff had a PICC line (permanent IV) in his bicep and we administered IV antibiotics every night at home for two months. This was more of an inconvenience than a problem, but still something we had to deal with. He just had his final test related to this illness on December 30.

His doctor was really outstanding, as was most all of the care he received both in Chester at our local facility, and at Benefis in Great Falls. We gained new respect for the hard work of medical professionals, especially Nurses and CNAs. Jeff has been ruled "cured" and free of infection as of about six weeks.

The most troubling part of this is that we still don't know for sure how or why the infection entered his body. Talk about humbling. One tiny, teensy-weensy little bacteria, of a strain that lives within the human microbiome anyway, entered his body and wreaked havoc, and we don't know how or why. It's simultaneously fascinating and horrifying. More than one doctor told us things like, "if you lived in different era, this would likely  kill you." We are thankful beyond words that he is happy and healthy, and that this illness is behind us.

Humble Pie
The latter months of 2015 brought us great sadness as several community members and family members passed away, including the father of our brother-in-law, Josh-- his dad Bill. While Bill had been sick with cancer for at least a year, his last months were very stressful for all the family, and it was a sad time. I think everyone is thankful for Brandon, Josh and Katie's son, our nephew, Bill's grandson. Something about babies and little kids that can't keep one from being hopeful! We love that little guy!

This little man is a huge Sky High  of 2015! 

We also lost several community members from the area, including one woman who just passed away very unexpectedly last week. I think the entire community is having a hard time coming to grips with that one. She was very involved in the community, someone everyone knew, and wasn't old or sick. It was and continues to be shocking. Another set of hard shoes to fill, and to be taken suddenly.

Some of these deaths have had me feeling very reflective of late. I'm not sure if it would be better to go slowly and have time to say goodbye, or to go fast and not suffer. On a positive note, Jeff and I have talked quite a bit over the past several months of the importance of telling people what we appreciate about them and spending quality time with friends and family. One of my New Year's Resolutions this year is to "make memories to be proud of," and it stems somewhat from this period of reflection. You just never know when your time will be, and it seems best to fill your days with positivity, good people, and time well-spent.

Sky High
Perhaps the biggest highlight of 2015 for me and Jeff was that we moved a few miles down the road and are now living on the family farm land. The house itself is an upgrade for us and we've been enjoying the process of starting to make it our own over the past two months (we moved in on Halloween weekend). We've got a few plans for minor facelifts here and there in the house and over time, are thinking about some possible remodels and maybe an expansion. We are supremely thankful to Jeff's parents for even allowing this move to be possible for us, as we all continue our transitions into the future on the farm.

When I think about carrying on the legacy of living and farming on this land, began by Jeff's Great Grandmother in 1910, I feel respect, responsibility, humility, honor, and pride, among other things. I think what I'm most excited about is just the chance to continue on in this place, and especially knowing that we have the love and support of all of our family and friends to guide us.

With my parents and brother for my Dad's retirement in December.

With Jeff's parents, Katie, Josh, and Brandon at Christmas. 

All in all, I suppose 2015 was a mix of ups and downs, but right now, at it's close, we're happy to put it in the books and move forward to what we hope will be a fantastic 2016. In the end, it's about the people you spend your time with, I think, and we've got a lot of great people in our lives.

Jeff and I kicked off the new year with a fabulous day of skiing at Whitefish. Can't think of too many better ways to ring in the new year but with snow beneath our skis and smiles on our faces!

Photo taken yesterday at Whitefish, with the snowghosts and mountains of Glacier National Park in the background.