It’s February on the farm and love is definitely in the air around here.
We are thriving in this mild winter. We separated cows and calves last weekend. Our weaned calves went to the sale barn this week. An amorous Angus bull has been turned out with the cows. Both of my young sons have even declared they have girls in their preschool and kindergarten classes lined up to be their Valentine! Lawd help me, I can’t escape it!
I know Valentine traditions between married couples typically include jewelry, candy, flowers, or all of the above. I can remember in the early days of dating and marriage thinking all of those things were cute, sweet and rooooooooooooooooooooooomantic. Here’s the deal. I’m a practical girl – nearly 40, farm wife and mother of four demanding children. My heart’s desire is NOT flowers and lingerie anymore. I’m pretty sure it never will be again.
I would love to sleep in on a Saturday. I’d even settle for someone else cleaning my SUV.
With four kids on-the-go – our car looks like animals live in it. A romantic night would include my husband wrestling and negotiating bedtimes with our children while I finished a mystery novel. This is my love language – quiet, helpful services and making the day (or night) go just a little smoother.
My husband loves surprises but not all of his surprises are good ones. He doesn’t think they are bad surprises, but some of them are heart stoppers.
I will never forget Nathan showing our farm’s new skid steer to one of our town-living buddies. The guy’s jaw dropped when Nathan said he’d bought it for me for my birthday.
He looked at me and said, “Is he serious? Did you really want that for your birthday?!?” I rolled my eyes and walked away. I wasn’t excited about his birthday skid steer at all.
A few years ago at Christmas he surprised me with an amazing hobby greenhouse. This was a good surprise. He tricked it out with misters and plumbing and even plumbed my outdoor raised beds for easy watering. That one was a show stopper and I love it! I was even more thrilled when he helped me haul rotten horse manure over to all the raised beds to get ready for spring. It’s the little things I find romance in.
At any rate, I’m not really a “gift” girl. I love building things together. I also like making useful things that simplify the work of some hobbies such as gardening, canning or horse riding. I’d even settle for a night where I get to be in charge of the remote control to the TV.
As I said, love is in the air and I know my farmer’s been walking around here with a mischievous grin on his face. Will it be new muck boots? Gardening gloves? Or some baby chicks? All I know for certain is love makes for some crazy surprises at our house. Whether they are good or bad, they ALWAYS make me smile. Happy I-Love-You day neighbor!
