Taking Advantage of Diversity

This morning on the Today Show there was a segment on Ottumwa, Iowa (roughly 175 miles south-east from me) that caught my attention.  The Immigration Nation segment talked about how the Hispanic population in Ottumwa has helped revive the town.

This news piece made me think of my own community of Franklin County.  I think our Hispanic population makes our community unique, and I'd like to see the citizens of Franklin County to take pride and ownership of this diversity advantage.

Franklin County's Hispanic population started in the 1940's, as Ferris Nursery in Hampton hired a migrant workforce.  Eventually this migrant workforce decided to make Franklin County their home.  Over the decades through present day, more family members have come to the area and have established roots due to the availability of shelter, food and employment (reasons why anyone comes and stays in a place).  

• Franklin County has affordable housing; many Hispanic families have bought and fixed up houses in the community to create homes for their families.  
• Franklin County also is home to traditional and Hispanic restaurants and grocery stores.  
• Franklin County has a rich agriculture sector and strong entrepreneurship spirit that have created many job opportunities.

So what does Franklin County, 

and other areas of the Heartland with similar demographics, 

need to do to continue to benefit from our community's diversity? 

I know that our small community is surviving and thriving due to our Hispanic population.  Because of this diversity, I have amenities locally that you wouldn't see in other areas of similar population, and I want to keep and further develop those services.  

I'd like to create something to create awareness or understanding within the community to enhance cooperation and support between all of the community's members.

This has been something on my mind for a long time (and who would of thought that the Today Show would of encouraged me to take some action....).  As you can probably see, I don't know exactly what I should do but I want to do something.  What are your thoughts and ideas?  Do you live in a community with a similar make-up?

Hump Day Bump Report

Mom and LP are getting excited for the arrival of MP in less than 2 months

The most common question I have been getting recently is in general, how am I doing?  I respond by saying that I'm doing well and that I am starting to feel more pregnant as the days go on.  So what does that really mean?  Well, it means that I want to sit down more and then whenever I get up I have to go to the bathroom...  And I'm generally more tired so I'm trying to sleep as much as possible now because I know how at the end of the first couple of months you wonder if you'll ever sleep all the way through the night again!  Here are ten questions to let you know how my pregnancy is going?

• How far along?  32 weeks down - 8 weeks to go!

• Baby size:  Squash

• Baby milestone:  By this time most babies are "head down" - getting prepared for their arrival.  (I don't know how long it has been, but MP has been "head down" for a few weeks now.)

• Are you having heartburn?  No heartburn for me yet but I guess we'll see.  They say if you have heartburn your baby will have hair.  LP was born with a full head of hair and I'm hoping MP does too!

• Do you think you're "counting down" for the baby's arrival to early?  I've been asked this in the last week and my response is simply no.  We had fertility issues before we got pregnant with LP so when we found out we were pregnant with him I was instantly attached and felt a connection.  With MP's pregnancy we thought we were going to have to go through some infertility treatments again but then were surprised during the month we were going to have tests ran that we were pregnant again!  So a combination of being surprised and then already having one little guy that we love so much it just took me longer to get connected to MP.  But now I am connected and in love and am excited for the arrival of MP!  Counting down is just a way to celebrate!  (Also, it is hard to not know how far along you are when you visit the doctor every other week...)

• Man you are big!  Are you sure you aren't having twins?  This is another question I have been asked lately and I know of others that are pregnant right now that have been asked it too.  No - I am not having twins.  And I guess I don't think I'm that big.  I've gained 13 pounds so far during this pregnancy which pretty much equals the baby and the fluids around the baby.  Sometimes I wonder if people forget how big you actually get during pregnancy.  Also, I wonder since women use to wear loose clothing that covered themselves up like muumuus and now maternity clothes are in line with current fashion and kind of show off the baby bump, if that adds to the questions???  Overall, if you see a pregnant woman - don't ask her this!

• Have you bought anything new for the baby?  Still no.  I have ideas on what I want to get and need to get - I just need to shop for them!

• Are you going to give a sibling gift from MP to LP?  Yes!  This is something else I need to buy sometime too...  There is a tractor back-pack at the local kids store that LP loves to carry with him whenever we go there and then is almost in tears when we leave and I tell him it has to stay, so I'm planning on getting him the back pack, a big brother book and a new tractor from MP.  Also, I'm planning on taking LP shopping sometime for something for MP.

• Do you have MP's room ready to go?  No, but that is kind of on hold for now.  Check out my Wordless Wednesday photo to guess why...

• Emotions:  I'm starting to think that I really need to get my shopping list of needs done because in the last week we have known two sets of parents that had their babies arrive unexpectantly 4-5 weeks early! While yes, I'm hoping that MP arrives a little early, I'm hoping he or she doesn't arrive that early!  But I guess this is God's way of reminding all of us that he makes the plans, not us or medical professionals...

So, it looks like I need to go shopping, what do you recommend to be on my shopping list?

Wordless Wednesday

What do you think this means for our family???

Stay tuned for more on this exciting adventure!

#UBP13 Blog Party!

So, at the beginning of the year one of my blog goals was to promote my blog more through social media and to utilize followers, so that is why I am linking up with 5 Minutes for Mom's 2013 Ultimate Blog Party!

Me driving tractor during this fall's corn and soybean harvest

Welcome any new readers from the #UBP13!  My name is Val.  I wear multiple hats, like many Moms do, but the most important two are being a stay-at-home Mom to a two-year old boy referred to as LP and a soon to be Baby #2 referred to as MP, who will bring our family to a total of four in a couple of months, and I'm a farmer who raises corn, soybeans and pork with my husband referred to as My Farmer - which brings it all together in my blog name:  Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids.

My Farmer, LP and Me (with MP in my belly) last month on our farm

I started blogging as a New Year's Resolution in 2012 and I'm always looking on how to do more and reach more people with my blogging and social media in general.  My blogs mainly consists of things either family or farm oriented.  I have to admit, when I started blogging I'm pretty sure the only people that followed my blog were my family and close friends.  Soon I started getting followed by other farmers and now I have really enjoyed meeting other Moms through blogging!

To find out more, check out the rest of my blog and my About Me section!  Besides my blog you can also follow me on my blog's Facebook page, on Twitter and on Pinterest.  I'm excited to be participating in my first Blog Party and Link-Up!

Farming - A Family Tradition (Part II)

In February, I wrote a post about Farming - A Family Tradition.  In the post I shared some of my family's farming history and legacy today.  I enjoyed putting this post together and since originally posting, I have used the basis of the post for a presentation for civic groups this winter.

My Grandpa, Dad and Great-Grandpa
working on the hay elevator in the Summer of 1981

I bring this up because my Grandma just sent me a copy of a photo she took in the Summer of 1981 of My Great-Grandpa, Grandpa and Dad all working on the farm together.  By presenting about my family's farming legacy and what the future holds at civic groups this winter, I have discovered how truly blessed I am to grow up and know my family.  My Great-Grandpa and his brother helped on our farm for many years.  My Great-Grandpa passed away when I was in elementary school, and his brother died when I was in junior-high.  My Great-Grandma passed away my senior year in college.  How many people get to have close relationships with members of their family three generations before them?

By growing up in farming families both My Farmer and I have gained the work ethic and pride of being farmers from generations past.  Because of this, we both feel a purpose to engage in farming and to continue our family's farming legacy.  (And may I add, the reason we fell in love - ahhh!)

My Farmer and I feel so proud of farming today and feel fortunate to be doing so.  When our families started farming in the United States through just recently, farming was a means of family support.  Today, farming has become a business.  Even though this may be, My Farmer and I strive for farming to be more than a business for us, for it to be a way of life, just as it was for our elders.

Hump Day Bump Report

LP kissing the MP baby bump

Another week down and less than two months to go!  I had a doctor appointment earlier today and all was well.  The baby's heart beat was at 154, which is where it usually is, and my weight gained stayed even from my last appointment a couple weeks ago.  Here are ten questions to let you know how my pregnancy is going:

• How far along?  31 weeks down - 9 to go!

• Baby size:  Pineapple

• Baby milestone:  All of the baby's five senses are working and major brain and nerve development is happening.

• Share a little of your birth plan:  We're planning on letting the baby come when the baby is ready to come.  Also, I plan on probably just taking some pain medications and not an epidural.  With LP's labor, it happened so fast I didn't have the chance to even have any pain medications at all - he arrived 24 minutes after we checked into the hospital!  It'd be nice if MP came just as fast!

• Are you going to do anything different this time during your hospital stay then you did with LP's?  I'm planning on bringing books to read to MP right away.  LP loves being read to and reading himself, so I want to start reading to the baby in the hospital.  Also, I am going to try to sleep as much as possible.  With LP I didn't want to miss anything and was busy talking with lots of people either in person, on the phone, through social media, etc.  This time I think I'll try to simply rest more.

• Talking birth plans, what is your plan for LP while you're in the hospital?  Luckily for me, my Mom is a professor and doesn't have any summer classes or programs close to the due date, so she is planning on coming up to our place to help with LP.  I'm thinking I'll probably have LP visit the hospital once or twice a day.

• Have you been having any Braxton Hicks contractions yet?  Yes, I just started having some Braxton Hicks contractions in the last week.  I had them with LP too and I just figure that they mean my body is preparing for MP to arrive!

• How's sleeping going?  It has been going okay.  Sometimes it takes me awhile to get comfortable and for that, I'm thankful I have a body pillow!

• Food Cravings:  Nothing too much again.  I'd say my appetite is pretty minimal.  If anything I've just been making sure I've been drinking plenty of water.

• Emotions:  Pretty happy go lucky.  Other than that, I feel like I'm a little behind working on some things because I can get fatigued in the morning and afternoon and then at night it can be hard to find ambition...

What questions do you have for me about my pregnancy or about being pregnant for the second time?

Easter Blessings From My Family To Yours

I hope you all had a great Easter yesterday.  We were very fortunate to be able to celebrate the Resurrection with so many family members.

Our Easter Sunday started early, as my Farmer and I are youth group leaders for our Senior High Youth at church.  This means we have to open up the church in the morning and start the egg bakes and cheesy hash browns for the Easter Breakfast.  The Senior High Youth is also incharge of the Sunrise Service.  I love putting together the service for the youth and this year's service was based off a poem I found quite awhile ago:

A baby's hands, in Bethlehem,

Were small and softly curled.

But held, within their dimpled grasp,

The hope of all the world.

A carpenter's hand, in Nazareth,

Were skilled with tool and wood;

They laid the beans of simple homes,

And found their labor good.

A healer's hands, in Galilee,

Were stretched to all who came.

To Him to cleanse their hidden wounds,

To cure the blind and lame.

Long, long ago, the hand of Christ,

Were nailed upon a tree.

But still, their holy touch redeems,

The hearts of you and me.

This poem made me think of the powers of our hands, which then made me think about our five senses - sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch.  It was great to have my Mom and one of my sisters and brother-in-laws able to come to the Sunrise Service.

The Youth Group members that helped with the Sunrise Service

Following the Sunrise Service and Easter Breakfast, LP got to participate in the church Easter Egg Hunt for the first time.  A fun thing about the hunt was that after he would find an egg, he'd throw it on the ground to open up the egg to retrieve the candy.  Gotta give him credit for finding a way to open the eggs!

LP gathering Easter Eggs during the church hunt

Our Family Easter Photo - waiting for the second church service to begin

When we got home from church, LP got this Easter basket from My Farmer and I.  He also received a couple items from other family members too.

LP with his Easter basket

Then it was time to go to my in-law's house for Easter dinner.  At my in-laws we had a great dinner with many family members, LP and his cousin went on a scavenger hunt and everyone enjoyed watching the NCAA tournament.

LP and his cousin before Easter dinner
(We didn't even plan coordinating outfits but they went together quite well!)

The Easter Egg Hunt had to be inside the shop this year
(It was hard to keep LP's attention on gathering eggs rather than wanting into tractors...)

LP found an egg!

My Farmer and LP on the Easter Egg Hunt

What was your favorite part of your Easter celebration yesterday?