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5 years of blogging: Things are changing around here...

The looks have been many of this blog for the past five plus years. Any creativity was first created by sister using the many photos I have shared from our prairie life and family. But things are going to look different around here soon. I wanted to give you the heads up that change is coming. As we switch from Blogger to Wordpress, self-hosted. If you aren't a blogger that means nothing to you but if you are, you understand. 

A look back 

Basically, my blog is going from renting space from Goggle to owning my own home on the internet. Goggle even sent me an email today saying they had "released" my domain and transferred it. 

With change, comes reflection. I am proud of where this blog has taken me over the past five years but it is time for a new chapter, just like I am now taking in my career. My blogging will continue. With me at home instead of commuting, you can expect more content than the past year. But the look will be different and behind the scenes for me things will be improve greatly.

As I launch into consulting work, I will share my other internet home, a business related website. But this blog will remain focused on family, food, farming, prairie life and...living 97 miles from a Starbuck's. 

Thank you, loyal readers. Hang on tight for the ride. We will be back with a fresh look very, very soon! 

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I am so "wifey"

As my husband and I contemplated the positives and negatives of me changing my routine and career, I blurted out one night a few weeks ago to him, "I promise I will be so wifey!" He smirked and said, "Wifey? That sounds disrespectful."

And then I explained "wifey" to him.

I haven't been the traditional wife that my mother, grandma or mother-in-law probably have been. I have not been even the wife that many of you working moms and wives have been. I have been a loving, loyal, honest and trustworthy wife. I have always kept the vows we exchanged. But I am the wife that has left early in the morning and come home at night. I have been the wife that travels, calling my husband in tears when I have travel delays or am driving home through a snowstorm. My dad used to be a small business owner before he was a full time farmer. He traveled and worked like my career has been. I am very much like my father, whether I choose to admit it on a daily basis or not. I have cooked. I have picked out the kids outfits each work night or laid them out ahead of my business travel. I have started laundry and rarely finished. I can count the times on my two hands that I have gotten on my hands and knees and washed floors. I run fast and hard throughout most days. It doesn't seem very "wifey" to me.

But as I explained to my husband with my "leap of faith" career change, I am choosing to be home. I am choosing which consulting projects I take on, how many hours I want to and can work, while still having time for all our children's activities, events and doing things as a working mom I craved to do daily that seemed more "wifey" to me like make lunch for my husband when he stops home, take the girls to the lake on a weekday, play at the park with no deadlines, drive to track meets on weekdays in the spring to see Hunter compete without wearing a dress suit and high heels, spend days at the farm with the kids, my parents and grandparents and I told Nathan I will even organize, clean and possibly put away laundry. That will make me so "wifey".

I want to allow time for him to grow our business, not feel pressure about my schedule, when he needs to get the kids to one activity or if I have thawed something out for supper.

It's my turn to worry about some of the things he has been doing for me in our marriage for the past six plus years.

After my "wifey" rant/ explanation, my husband smiled and agreed I can be "wifey" now.

But the truth is, he married me as a career woman. He doesn't know me as anything else. We met on an airplane eight years ago this summer. He has never known me as a stay-at-home mom or wife. He has to be a little nervous, whether he will admit it or not, to see what I turn out to be in this new chapter of life. He is still encouraging me to expand my speaking engagements, to continue with my communications consulting while not missing the moments I have longed for at home with our family.

So today...on my first day home, I debuted my "wifey" skills, by having his favorite steak sandwiches ready to go when he came for lunch. The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. I've made it for years, even in cast iron over a campfire. I know beef is an easy way to win a man's heart and I definitely sealed my "wifey" debut today with this lunch. Nathan was surprised, delighted and said, "You don't even have to rush off to a conference call now!"

Steak Sandwiches

While I sort out the rest of my "wifey" roles, I am taking on a couple projects, cleaning out, renewing relationships and spending more time with my kids. I scheduled Miss A for her pre-school screening today and filled out forms for all the kids to get passports. I even made our bed. How wifey of me.

Day One at home this morning on the North Dakota prairie. I showered!

I might not look like a traditional wife, but being wifey is a term I am very comfortable owning and living out in this life new chapter.

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Taking a leap of faith: Mommy quit her job

Our youngest two children have been sharing their secret around the prairie, in the only two places they know to share: at daycare and pre-school. "My mommy is going to quit her job! But it is a secret...", was Miss E's version she told some friends. "No moah Bizmahck" (No more Bismarck) was Miss A's breaking news.

Then I walked in the door on Thursday night and Miss A came running to me to, "No moah Bizmahck!" and Miss E said, "Is it not a secret anymore that you are quitting your job, Mommy?" said Miss E.
I replied, "Nope!"
Miss E piped up, "Good. Because I told my teacher today."

It is true. I quit my job this week.

Farewell as I left the Capitol after turning in my resignation

After much angst and analysis, my husband and I decided that it was time to make a leap of faith. The list is long on why I chose to make this decision now. First, I am going to address the family aspect and at a later date maybe I will dig deeper into the longer list.
First and foremost, I am a mom and wife. I have been a mother for going on 16 years. Motherhood has been apart of my entire adult life. At the end of my earthly life, I want to be remembered for the difference I made in the lives of people in my community, state, country and even around the world but I want to be remembered most importantly for the impact I had in the lives of my children and family.

Call to Action: Sensible School Lunches Act

You might remember that last August I blogged about our son was going to be hungry in school due to the new limits on calories, protein and dairy in the school lunch and breakfast program. I proposed School Lunch Solutions.

Within the days of schools starting across the United States, thousands rallied and contacted their elected officials that their children were not getting enough food in school. A small group of friends created Sensible School Lunches on Facebook. There was a grass roots effort that has worked tirelessly over the past 7 months to create change and sensible solutions for all children in the National School and Breakfast program, not a one size fits all approach.

In December, the USDA released some "changes" to the program but really it was a public relations splash which I again blogged about here.

I contacted elected officials along with numerous friends in other states. We wrote letters to the USDA but the best approach that seemed to be working with our Senator's offices. I sent links to the Health aide from Senator Hoeven's office that included fellow North Dakota friends input such as Val Wagner's blog posts, Annie Carlson's blog posts and again to the Sensible School Lunches Facebook page. I also spoke to the Health aide from Senator Hoeven's office on the phone and shared with her specific examples our son, Hunter was experiencing with lack of calories in his school lunch.

Part of our future, Hunter, age 15

Today I received a Facebook message from a friend in another state that has been working tirelessly to create change and sensible solutions in school lunches. This week, the Sensible School Lunches Act (see link for the bill) was introduced by North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts, Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, South Dakota Senator John Thune and Indiana Senator Dan Coats. I included links to every Senator that introduced the bill because we need an army of people now to contact them and if you are not from their state, contact your own elected officials and ask them to support Senate Bill 427 the "Sensible School Lunch Act" which would amend the Healthy, Hunger-Free Act by eliminating the weekly maximum of grains and meat/ meat alternates. AND ask them to remove the daily one size fits all calorie restrictions. 

This matters to children that are different sizes, like our son Hunter who was interviewed for this national Associated Press article. He needs nearly 5,000 calories a day to maintain his weight. We have disposable income and can adjust to afford to have him bring extra food to school. 

But for the 67% of children nationwide that qualify for the free and reduced lunch program, they are going hungry because of the ONE SIZE FITS ALL calorie restrictions. 

Part of our future, Miss E, age 5

Our children need to be fed to learn. They are our future. Act today. Whether you have children this impacts or not, our future generation needs you to engage and share your voice.

Contact your two Senators from your state. (Link to email addresses)
Contact your elected U.S. House of Representatives official. (Link to directory of email addresses)

Would you like to the Sensible School Lunches Act pass? Share your voice. 



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