Dear Family & Friends!

It’s a Glorious time of the Year!

The time we anticipate celebrating our dear Saviour’s Birth.

What a Joyous occasion!

It’s also the time of year where we string lights to make the cold seem warmer and the long dark nights seem cozier.

I’m grateful for string lights as this time of year I struggle with wanting to jump to Spring. Spring… where everything is bursting with color and life and energy and Sun!

Sigh. 😌

However, I’m grateful for more family time together on these cold evenings. I’m slowly learning to embrace each season and the beauty that comes with it… cute and fluffy throw blankets are a very handy resource that makes the cold & dreary much more bearable.

Oh, and board games… nothing like a competitive board game to keep your blood moving… (yes, I’ve been told I have a competitive streak, & since I have older children now, I’m enjoying being allowed to give them a run for their money! 😉).

This stage in our family life is soo fun and yet leaves Loyd & I grappling daily with trying to manage to keep up with our tribe. The youthful energy is awesome and I wish my brain could help utilize it all as I fear our house quite possibly groans each morning as she hears those first footsteps thundering down the stairs… thankfully she manages to keep us on level ground even thru all the screeching and chasing and otherwise family chaos that ensues each day.

A little peek into our lives these past 12 months...

Travel-wise…

In March we went to GA for a wedding for one of our youth guys. We got to see states we’ve not been to. It was so much fun! Beautiful wedding out under the pecan grove. Great memories!

While in GA we stayed at White Oak Pastures, a bucket-list item for us. They raise, process, & sell their own meats onsite plus have Airbnbs & a restaurant. Was very fascinating for us. We played lots of street basketball, walked the grounds, ate delicious food at the general store, & enjoyed the friendly southern hospitality.

In August we went to a local Airbnb for a few nights. Spending time with our family away from the farm always does so much for us. We had a wonderful time splashing in the pond, playing games, and just being together.

In late Aug. my sisters & I got a cabin in the Smokies for a few days to celebrate my 40th. It was a wonderful time. Catching up on each other’s lives, shopping, eating good food made by our very own chef!, hot tubbing, riding mountain coasters, bumper cars, the big tram car… so many wonderful memories. And Bears! We saw sooo many! And yes, some of us have pics of selfies with a wild bear within feet of our cabin door! 😜 Great times!

Our business restricted us from traveling as much as we would have liked. We are grateful for the few times we got away even if it wasn’t for long.

Our family continues to grow up! We are at an exciting stage of family life and love embracing where each of our children are!

Melissa, our sweet, fun-loving, organized 17-yr old is a senior this year!

She’s excited to finish school & graduate in the spring. It’s so much fun watching her become a young adult. She blesses us daily with her laughter & energy. She loves being with her friends, enjoys playing pickleball, and thrives on time spent well with loved ones.

Her cows get her up in the morning as she & Rosalyn have faithfully milked them this past year. She knows each of them by name and their personalities.

Melissa also does all our bookwork & orders supplies for our processing & retail spaces. Spreadsheets & creating systems get her excited… we are so grateful for what she brings to our business.

A highlight for her this summer was making a trip to CO with her friends. She enjoyed it so much. Good food, hiking, adulting… so many highlights. So grateful for her friend group!

God has Blessed us so much with our ‘Lissa girl.

Rosalyn, 14, is our quiet, artsy, dependable teenager.

She loves being with friends, shopping, & creating. We love the fun & laughter she brings to our family. Sitting down with a hot drink, a cozy blanket, and a movie is a favorite pastime. Doing schoolwork at a coffeeshop or going on a shopping spree is the best kind of day.

She does a great job of helping Melissa in the dairy barn and has recently started packing delivery orders for our retail space. Her chocolate milk business continues to thrive and makes many peoples… young & old.. happy with her delicious chocolaty delight.

She has done lots to keep the household going while I’ve been in the processing room a lot this year. Many, many meals were made by her.

She has also taken on the role of helping her younger siblings with school. Reading to them & helping with math questions, she has a way of explaining that makes it fun.

Her sense of creating humor out of situations brings many smiles to our family. We are so grateful for our quiet yet spicy Rosalyn.

Breanna, 12, is our enthusiastic, inquisitive, party girl. Everything is and should be a party.

“What FUN thing are we going to do today, Mom?” is a very normal question.

“How about moving our school desks into the living room & soaking our feet while we do school & drink hot chocolate?”

Yes, life with Breanna is far from boring.

Singing her way thru life and bringing others joy is her mission.

And Boba. It’s her favorite. Or any drink for that matter. She’s known for making ‘fun’ drinks multiple times a day and often treats each of us. Her fresh-squeezed lemonade sales in the farm store reached new heights this summer which brought many smiles and hops of joy. She’s currently on the schedule for making ice cream and eggnog. Her job endeavors help fund her love for gift-giving & joy-bringing.

She has really stepped up and helped keep things running smoothly in the house. Organizing cabinets is a recent fav.

Her love of animals is a benefit for the 52 cats/kittens, 309 chickens, 5 baby calves, and 12 baby guineas this farm boasts of. You’ll often find her on the driveway with her cat friends giving them their daily touch.

Breanna’s love for LIFE inspires us daily. We love her so!

Wendall turned the big 10 in September.

How is my hazel-eyed blonde little man this age already? His twinkling eyes & mischievous smile gets me every time. He loves cracking jokes & keeps us laughing daily. He loves a good board game and is a pro at throwing footballs. Wendall is our early riser and will often have his schoolwork done before everyone is up. Math is his fav.

This year, he moved from big boy to little man status in my brain. It’s amazing having a son who kills his mom’s wolf spiders for her! And his strength! Wonderful for all the heavy boxes that need to be handled around here.

He has a rabbit business with the help of his dad. He gets them as weanlings & feeds them up until the processing stage. He’s also a big part of moving & feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs.

He’s becoming Loyd’s right-hand man in all the maintenance projects & cow & calf moving operations.

In September Wendall won the Pedal Pull state champion for his age group at the State Fair! He now has 2 trophies sitting on his dresser. 🥰

Loyd, Josiah, & him went to the Nationals in South Dakota in Sep. He did well there but didn’t make the top 5, although he thoroughly enjoyed going & spending time at the Airbnb and seeing the cool Corn Palace. A forever memory..

Wendall is a blessing in so many ways! We love him dearly!

Josiah is our 7 yr old. His boundless energy, swift speed, and competitiveness keeps us on our toes daily.

He thrives on games of any sort. First thing in the morning till just before bedtime would be a good time to play a game. His recent fav is the Farming Game. Talking bank notes & interest is not something I thought I’d discuss with my 7-yr. old.😜

His love for football is ever-increasing. “Mom, catch!” as I step outside the door. Learning how to throw a spiral and how best to catch footballs are some things that I now have in my tool pouch.

He loves everything sports related… disc-golf, mini-golf, softball, blitz-ball…

His running & throwing skills helped his team win at the church camp-out which brought him shoulder-riding status, much to his delight. His huge grin couldn’t be wiped off. So grateful for youth boys who take time for the younger ones.

He helps with the calves and chicken chores, sometimes that includes skunk stories. When one waits to feed the calves until dark, you might encounter a skunk in the calf barn…🥹

We love our Josiah-boy.

Loyd & I spend our days running our business, keeping up with our employees, children, & customers.

We had several employees move on this spring putting us in a tailspin of sorts.

I spent lots of time in the processing room learning the ropes & then teaching & training. I still spend approx. one day a week processing + managing it. Loyd also did some cheesemaking again this year.

There were many days of wanting to give up but thru many prayers from friends and customers we persevered. Our many prayer warriors have helped sustain us.

God answered in big ways.

We are grateful for all the new employees that have stepped in! Having great quality employees is a huge asset we don’t take for granted.

In lots of ways it felt like a prep year for us. Prepping for the next level for our dairy, processing, & retailing business.

“You saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.” Deut. 1:31 NLT

As we get ready for a New year, we are excited for the future of our business and what great things God has in store for us and our family!

Thank you for being a part of it. We love You!

Wishing You God’s richest Blessings in 2025!

~ Arlene & Loyd, Melissa, Rosalyn, Breanna, Wendall, & Josiah