There is something incredibly special about welcoming new life into the world.
Every new life reminds us of the Creator who breathed it into existence.
It’s easy to turn to Him when life is hard. But we should never forget to praise Him in the joyful moments, too. This little heifer calf is another reminder of His goodness and His faithfulness.
This delivery wasn’t exactly straightforward. The calf was breech, and for a moment, things weren’t going according to plan. Thankfully, Carson got there, stayed calm, thought quickly, and safely got the mucus and amniotic fluid out of the babies airway.
One of the things I admire most about my husband is his quiet wisdom. He’ll probably never tell you how much he knows, and he’d never ask for recognition, but he’s one of the wisest people I’ve ever met. He doesn’t rush decisions. He thinks before he speaks, and he thinks before he acts. He has an incredible ability to look ahead, solve problems before they become bigger ones, and stay calm when everyone else might panic. I truly believe that’s part of what makes him such an exceptional cattleman.
This was the heifer’s very first calf, and like many first-time moms, she wasn’t quite sure what to do.
To make things even more interesting, our cattle chute was facing the wrong direction for what we needed. Carson looked at it for a minute and said, “Let’s just put her in backwards.”
I remember thinking… backwards? 😅
But sure enough, it worked perfectly.
With a little patience and a little guidance, momma figured it out. Carson always likes for me to help with the babies, he says he can never get them latched on, but I think he just says that because he knows how much I love them, and love helping them. Before long, she was cleaning her baby, letting her nurse, and taking care of her just like she’d been doing it forever.
We named the little calf Dot, and she’s doing wonderfully.
One of my favorite parts of the day was watching our children meet her for the first time. They gently pet her while keeping a respectful distance from her momma. Although she’s incredibly docile, we always teach our children to respect animals and understand that even the gentlest mother can become protective if she’s nervous.
We believe it’s important to include our children in everyday farm life. They’ll witness the beauty of new beginnings, but they’ll also experience heartbreak. They’ve seen calves we couldn’t save and beloved animals we’ve had to say goodbye to. We don’t shelter them from those moments because they’re part of caring for God’s creation.
Life on a farm teaches lessons that are hard to find anywhere else. It teaches responsibility, compassion, patience, and that every season, whether joyful or difficult, is held in God’s hands.
Today was one of the joyful ones.
And for that, we give Him all the glory.
