Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to each and very one of you!! It has been another busy, bustling year on the Harvesting Roots Farmstead. We have been richly blessed with health and happiness. Having each of you with us, continues to be a blessing and exciting adventure, thank you for sharing with us! Now, a small snippet of the past year and some of the highlights we have had in a MERRY CHRISTMAS way.
M-Married 4 years. Ross and I continue to grow in love and life together. We celebrated our 4 wedding anniversary in April and are looking forward to a “honeymoon” trip to celebrate the fifth year this spring.
E-Eli turned ONE! On December 5th, we celebrated the first year of our little baby. He is a true light in our lives. He is the most laid back, content, happy baby I’ve ever met. He adores his siblings. His best friend is Grandpa Joe, and he is glued to his daddy every chance he gets. He loves to laugh and make others laugh too! He’s my favorite little baby
R– Ringing wedding bells. We were lucky to share in the weddings days with many cousins and friends as they joined their lives and love together this year. A big one, was the marriage of my sister to my now brother-in-law. It was a great year of planning and celebrating! Marriage is the greatest gift of my life and I was so happy to share in that with my sister.
R– Riding tractors. Josiah is now 4 and loves nothing more then a good tractor ride! He is a farmer to the core, spending his day following his daddy and grandpa around, feeding animals, tending to crops and shoveling poop. He also loves to ride his bike, build with legos and push his little bother on the swing. He is smart and has a great sense of humor. He is my most favorite big boy!
Y-Yolks from Chickens. We continue to raise chickens, cows and crops on our farm. Great for our kids and our bellies!
C-Camping and Summer fun. We had a great time spending many summer afternoons at my parents camper. They rented a seasonal camp site on the Upper Iowa River just a few minutes from our house. It was SO much fun until Mother Nature reared her ugly head, flooded the river, and took the camper away. 😦 Luckily, all were safe from the raging waters, but the camper did not make it out alive. The bridge it smashed into ended that…
H– Hauling Hogs. Ross continues to work for Holden Farms Inc. hauling pigs all over Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. He also works to maintain our farm and home. Rarely does the man take a break, even to sleep. He is the kids idol and loves them somethin’ fierce. I thank God everyday for bringing him into my life!
R– Running a business. This year I started a new adventure as an Independent Consultant for Paparazzi Accessories, selling fabulous $5 jewelry! I love the people I get to meet and the beautiful jewelry too! I’ve also started working part time for TASC Inc, an organization that works with adults with disabilities. I work in the residential program and sub at the center. I absolutely LOVE this job, the people I work with and my new co-workers. It has been passion fulfilling and a great balance for my home and work life.
I– Introducing Pan and Fergus! Along with our cows, chickens, cats and other furry friends we added two more fur-babies to the mix. Pan is a our foal, born last spring. He’s a spunky little guy and we look forward to spending lots of time with his this coming summer to get his ready for riders in another year! We also brought home a yellow bundle of fun, Fergus, our lab puppy. We had to say good-bye for now to two of our dogs, Thor and Snuffy. While they cannot be replaced, Fergus has helped to bring balance back to the pack of Tulip and Chubbs.
S– Stitches for everyone! Both Charlotte and Josiah got their first Emergency Room experience this year, within two weeks of each other too! Both received stitches, and luckily nothing more serious. It has proven to be valuable as I am able to use “do you want more stitches???” as a weighted threat!
T-Two! Charlotte is TWO! And both terrible and terrific all at the same time! She a genuine care for others that is pure beauty. She also is devious and cunning. She loves to read books, watch princess movies, color, play in the sand, ride horses and torment her brothers on a very regular basis. She is my most favorite little girl.
M– Madison and Waupaca Vacations. In July we ventured to Madison, Wisconsin for a week of play! We camped at Lake Keegonsa State Park and spent our days adventuring in “the big city.” We had an absolute blast!! We visited the state capital, went to music on the square, stopped at the zoo and children’s museum and even visited Chris Farley’s grave. We were able to visit many friends and family along the way too! It was a great week. In August, we spend a long weekend in Waupaca, Wisconsin, staying with my aunt and uncle at their lakeside home. We swam and played and had an all-around fabulous time!! My kiddos are already planning our next trips to visit the family they have come to love so dearly. I love that my kids love these people as much as I do!
A– A LOT of water! Remember that nasty Mother Nature I mentioned earlier. She didn’t just reek havoc on the riverbed, but also on our basement!! The late summer had us more days then not with a couple of inches of water in the basement. Ross and I became pretty effective at pushing it around and were very thankful for the help of both our fathers who came to the rescue on several occasions. This also means that we are about to embark on a big remodel project in the basement! If any one wants to help tear out or put up drywall, let me know!!!
S-Spending time with Family and Friends! Along with our summer vacations and annual camping trips, we loved hosting and visiting many loved ones this year. We truly have the best of the best in our lives and are so thankful to each of you!!! Please come visit us! We are surrounded by beautiful scenery, fun sites, and three wild-things that love to entertain! All are welcome at Harvesting Roots Family Farm!
May your new year be blessed with Love and Light!
Merry Christmas and Happy Harvesting,
Leah, Ross, Josiah, Charlotte and Eli
Harvesting Roots 
Love your holiday post mrs Stammeyer