Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is the perfect time to celebrate our country’s independence, show off some patriotism, spend time with family and friends, watch fireworks — and, of course, check crops.

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops. It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July." Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year. In fact, our family has been taking an annual "Knee High" photo for over a decade (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops. It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July." Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year. In fact, our family has been taking an annual "Knee High" photo for over a decade (see 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops. It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July." Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year. In fact, our family has been taking an annual "Knee High" photo for the last decade (see 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, show off your patriotism, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks and check crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark for farmers anymore due to hybridization and improved genetics, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

Knee High by the 4th of July

The 4th of July is a great time to celebrate our country's independence, spend time with family and friends, shoot off fireworks (especially after Iowa made it legal this year), and check our crops.  It's been tradition for decades that farmers check their crops, especially corn, to see if it is "Knee High by the 4th of July."  Now while knee high isn't the benchmark farmers are necessarily wanting now and the goal is more like chest high, it is still a fun tradition for our family to benchmark our corn (and family's) growth every year (see 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012).

We hope you all have had a great Independence Day!  What are some of your favorite family traditions for the 4th of July?  Remember to Comment for a Cause.

Knee High by the 4th of July

Knee high by the 4th of July is an old farmer saying and benchmark for a good corn crop.  But with improved seed genetics and farming practices, farmers expect their corn to be at least waist high if not head high (or higher, like we are seeing this year) on our farm in North Iowa.

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It has become tradition for us to take a Knee High by the 4th of July photo every year.  It is a fun way to document our farm family, as well as our crop progress for the year.  Check out past years - 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.  This year's corn crop looks the most similar to 2012, but add three more kids!

We hope you all had a great Independence Day!  What was the best part of your day?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Knee High by the 4th of July

It has become tradition for us to take a Knee High by the 4th of July photo every year.  It is a fun way to document our farm family, as well as our crop progress for the year.  Check out past years - 2014, 2013, 2012.

Knee high by the 4th of July is an old farmer saying and benchmark for a good corn crop.  But with improved seed genetics and farming practices, farmers expect their corn to be at least waist high if not head high, like we are seeing this year on our farm in North Iowa.

We had to pull out the selfie stick too and take a photo in the corn!
Me, LP, MP, My Farmer and JP

We hope you all had a great Independence Day!  What was the best part of your day?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!

Red, White & Blueberry Yogurt Pops

* This post has been compensated through the AE Dairy Blog Ambassador program.  All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Want an inside look at how my brain works?  Well...  Last week on Facebook I asked my fans for summer kid snack ideas, which inspired me to create my Kid-Friendly Trail Mix.  It also gave me the idea of freezing yogurt.  One fan commented that they put yogurt in a piping bag and pipe out dots on wax paper and freeze, creating Fro-Yo Bites.  I decided to combine that idea, with my kids love for making homemade popsicles, along with this weekend's Independence Day holiday, and created Red, White & Blueberry Yogurt Pops!

Red, White & Blueberry Yogurt Pops

3 6oz AE Dairy Greek Yogurt containers, vanilla flavor

1 1/2 cups AE Dairy Skim Milk

8 medium-large Strawberries

1 medium Banana

1/2 cup Blueberries

In a blender, mix one container of yogurt with a 1/2 cup of milk.  Blend in strawberries til smooth.  Pour mixture to the 1/3 line of each mold.  Next, blend another container of yogurt with another 1/2 cup of milk.  Blend in the banana til smooth and fill molds with the mixture up to the 2/3 line.  Lastly, blend the final container of yogurt with the last 1/2 cup of milk.  Blend in blueberries til smooth.  Fill each mold full.  Set popsicle sticks (that have been soaked in warm water for 30 minutes to keep them from floating up in the molds) in each mold.  Freeze for at least four hours.  Yields 12 popsicles (plus a little extra for immediate sampling).

What would you caption this photo???
This is cold...
It is sunny outside...
Mom, stop taking photos, I'm trying to eat
??????

Don't have a popsicle mold?  Put the yogurt layers in tall glasses creating a fun and colorful smoothie!  No matter how you enjoy this festive treat, you'll love the tangy, yet sweet flavors.  Each layer has its own spotlight as you make it through the popsicle.  I asked our son LP what his favorite flavor was and his exact words were, "The strawberry, and the banana, and the blueberry."  So there you go - it is all good!

Do you have any Red, White & Blue recipes you're going to make this weekend to help celebrate Independence Day?  If so, I'd love to hear about them!  Be sure to share below and remember to Comment for a Cause!

How is it July 26th? Summer Bucket List Update!

Has anyone else's month of July been flying by like mine?  Actually, lets be real, anyone else's summer been going by way too fast?  To tell you the truth, summer is not my favorite season of the year - in fact, it might be my least favorite season, but I have been having a blast this summer!  (And I think it has shown in my blogging because I haven't been very consistent with blogs lately...)

I may have not been doing very well blogging lately, but I do think we have been doing a pretty good job checking off things on our Family Summer Fun Bucket List!  We still have quite a bit to do but I think we'll be able to get most of the things done within the next couple of months.  Here is how we currently stand on our Summer Bucket List:

1. Go to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines (and invite my Grandma S/LP's Great-Grandma to come along)
2. Ride the Train at the Boone Scenic Valley Road (and invite my Grandpa & Grandma K/LP's Great-Grandparents to come along)
3. Go to the County Fair
4. Go to the State Fair
5. Visit a New Midwest Town/Landmark
6. Go Camping at Pine Lake with Friends
7. Go on a Family Vacation
8. Sign-up for the Summer Reading Program at our Local Library
9. Participate in the Latimer Fun Day 5K Run/2 Mile Walk
10. Go Swimming at the Swimming Pool
11. Go Golfing
12. Go on a Nature Walk at Beeds Lake
13. Have a Picnic at Clear Lake's Beach
14. Watch Fireworks for the 4th of July
15. Have Family Dates (Mom & Dad, Mom & LP, Mom & MP, Dad & LP, Dad & MP)

Go to the County Fair

The Franklin County Fair was last week and we went to the fair a couple different times.  Some of our favorite things were going through the 4-H Building, riding the train, going to the rodeo and eating great fair food!  Here are a couple photos from our adventures at the fair:

LP watching the rodeo

MP at her first rodeo

MP and LP enjoyed the train ride (even if the photo doesn't really show it...)

MP having her photo taken in the 4-H Building in her 4-H onesie

MP in her Future 4-Her onesie

My Farmer (second from right) grilling with the County Pork Producers for
the County Farm Bureau Burger Feed

Family photo after the Burger Feed

LP having fun on the grandstand gates as
Mom and Dad take tickets for the Jared Neiman concert

Sign up for the Summer Reading Program
We not only signed up for the Summer Reading Program at our local library but we also completed the program last week.  One of LP's favorite places to go is the library.  I hope he continues his love for reading as he grows older.

LP standing outside our local library wearing his library shirt
and carrying his bucket that he received as part of
the summer reading program

Participate in the Latimer Fun Day 5K Run/2 Mile Walk
Last year I participated in my first 5K ever and so this summer I wanted to do another, but this time walk it, since I just gave birth at the end of May.  So I packed up the kids in the stroller and we participated in our local town's celebration's Fun Run/Walk.

Getting ready to participate in the Fun Run/Walk with LP and MP in the stroller

Go Swimming at the Swimming Pool
Well, I'm kind of cheating on this one...  My idea was to go to our local swimming pool (which I still want to do) but the kids and I did go swimming in a hotel while traveling to one of my cousin's graduation party.

MP and I getting into the pool

LP, MP and I all had a great time swimming

Have a Picnic at Clear Lake
One day after running errands in the area, LP, MP and I had a picnic at Clear Lake and then went to the splash pad at City Beach afterwards.  We had so much fun!  I plan on continuing to do this after future errands trips!

LP enjoyed watching the boats while we had our picnic at Clear Lake

And LP really enjoyed playing in the splash pad

Good thing I brought extra clothes because
LP was soaked when we left!

The Ice Cream Truck also made a stop at City Beach while we were there!
So LP picked out a treat before we headed home.

LP enjoyed his ice cream sandwich so much I think I only got
two or three bites of it...

Watch Fireworks for the 4th of July
We had a great time celebrating Independence Day with some of My Farmer's and my good friends from college and their families.

The kids getting ready for the Dads to shoot the fireworks!

Go to a Baseball Game
Ok, so it wasn't on the original list but it was so much fun I'm adding it (and then crossing it off because I find joy in crossing off things on lists).  Our family went to an I-Cubs Baseball Game earlier this week thanks to Pfister Seeds.  It was a lot of fun and a perfect night for a baseball game.

LP enjoying his hot dog at the ballgame

LP and My Farmer enjoying the baseball game

LP learning about the game of baseball from Dad

We've been having a great summer so far and we can't wait to continue working on our Summer Bucket List.  What is your favorite thing you've done this summer so far?

Knee High by the 4th of July

What a great Independence Day weekend!  I have so much I want to update you all on!  My Farmer, LP, MP and I traveled to East-Central Iowa to visit some college friends over the 4th and 5th (where we were able to mark off an item off our Summer Bucket List!) and then had fun at our local town's celebration on the 6th.  It was a busy weekend but it was a lot of fun!  Look for posts on both later this week!

As for today, I can't not share a mini "Independence Day" and "Farm Friday" update rolled into one "Monday after the 4th of July" post!  The old saying is that corn should be "knee high by the 4th of July."  In reality, corn is usually head-high and tasseling.  This year we are inbetween those two measurements.

I do have to admit, there for awhile I was afraid the corn wasn't going to be "knee-high by the 4th of July" but due to warm weather the last couple of weeks, the corn and soybeans actually got a chance to get some sunlight and have grown a lot over that time.  Now comparing our 4th of July photo from this year to last year you can see that our corn is behind in maturity.  It wasn't too far from now last year though that the rain stopped and we entered a drought.  Hopefully that doesn't repeat this year, otherwise our crops will be hurting come fall harvest.  I'm just happy that we were able to make it through this wet spring and get everything planted this year.  Those last two sentences I wrote I think can be summed up from a quote from Will Rogers:

"The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer."

Hope you all had a great Independence Day!