Family Picture Night

written by

posted on

June 7, 2022

Good morning Family Cow Tribe!

It's been a few years since we shot 'pasture pictures', as our family affectionately calls them. I think the last was 2019. So it's time again!

But first of all, just a bit of nostalgia...

As I recall, Summer of 2010 was our first pasture picture. Some of you may remember that too! It was 12 years ago! Jefferson was only 4 and I guess that means that Dawn and I were only 40.

August 2010: The very first 'Shank pasture picture'. There were only eight of us! (Nine if we'd count Dingo. Judging by the way she's smiling, it seems she thinks she's family!)

Fast forward 12 years, now we have 21 'somethings' to line up. While the lining-up gets done... Winfred gives his 1 year old Addison, the littlest Shank farmer boy, some Daddy time.

And cousins, Tatiana and Clara, spend a little girly time.

"We're just going to see the turkeys, mommy!"

Ok so let's get a grandchildren picture first. All nine of them... The littlest, Sofia and Kataya are pretty new! Sofia is 5 months and Kataya is not quite 2 months.

Kataya looks like she wonders what this is all about. Nikolas knows... it's time to throw grass in the air! :)

Is everyone here yet?

Wait, Grandma wants one with the two newest, Sofia and Kataya... "They won't stay babies long," she says.

Seriously, Dawn? Were these nine 'grands' all born in the last five years? And one more is coming yet this August?

Whoa! The grandchildren sure come faster than the children! But it's all good... Someone else is potty trainin' em! :)

Now it's time for the whole family. The bigger family almost takes a traffic director. Dawn rises to the challenge! When Mom says, "Jump" the family says, "How high?" :)

"Oh, stop it." she says. "Somebody needs to be in charge of the posing!

See the camera, children? Be sure to look at the camera!

Hey, looks like we're starting to get our ducks in a row!

Click photo for high quality view...

Everyone smiling?... This one might be good!

Click photo for high quality view...

Now let's spread out so we can put names with everyone... Hey! Is this our extended family? :)

Roland and Jefferson / Kaylita & Wesley and Kataya / Winfred & Brianna, Tatiana and Addison / Dawn & Edwin / Laverne & Gwendolyn, Nikolas and the twins, Gianna and Geneva / Jeanette & Rodrick, Andre, Clara and Sofia.

It's been a delightful evening... We hope you enjoyed it as much as we have. So long! See you around! It might be 3 years till the next 'pasture picture' evening.

If you think our hands are full... you should feel our hearts. The Lord has been so good to us!

Yes, it’s a timeless truth.

Children are an eternal blessing,

An heritage of the LORD:

The fruit of the womb is His reward.

As arrows –

In the hand of a mighty man,

So are the children –

Of one’s youth.

Happy is the man who,

Having his quiver full of them,

Shall not be ashamed.

He shall speak with

The adversaries of God

And will have their respect.

Thoughts based on Psalm 127:3-5

Grateful to be...Your Farmers,

Edwin and Dawn Shank and Family

YourFamilyFarmer.com

God Designed it. We Respect it. That Explains it!

Bonus Free jar of Pastured Lard for anyone who orders this week!

Good morning, Family Cow friends! I have a special bonus thank-you to announce today. Place an order anytime over the next week and select a FREE jar of our Pastured Pork Leaf Lard! Why free lard?Our family wants every one of you to experience truly clean, pastured lard for yourself. If you’ve been cooking with lard for years and already know the magic it brings to everything from breakfast eggs to homemade French fries, please enjoy this free jar as a heartfelt thank-you for your loyal support.If you are new to lard, consider this is a gift from our family to help start 2026 off on a healthy, wholesome start. With our clean Pastured Pork Lard you can cook with confidence. No need to worry if it is Chemical-Free, GMO-Free, Antibiotic-Free, Hormone-Free, Soy-Free or Humanely Raised.We farm with integrity so you can enjoy real food—and real peace of mind—at every meal.Enjoy the free lard – and thank-you for being part of our farm family! Just be sure to add the free lard to your order so we know to send it along with the rest of your food. We won't send the lard unless you select it because we want to be sure the gift will be put to good use. :) Note: if you are interested in baking with lard as Grandma used for her delectable flaky pie crust, it's the Premium Leaf Lard you want for that. We don't have many jars available, but if they are still in stock when you see, this go ahead and select a FREE Premium Leaf Lard with your order instead of the regular lard which is better for frying eggs. -------------------------------------------------------- Remember, our Pastured Pork Lard is not bleached, deodorized, hydrogenated or altered in any way. It is simply rendered (cooked down) pork fat from our pastured hogs. There is nothing else done to it or added to it. It is ready to be enjoyed and may just become your favorite kitchen fat! Testimonial: I just had to write in to tell Your Family Farmer that your soy free woodland pork lard is the most delicious fat I have ever tasted! As someone with severe food sensitivities, the ability to get pure natural foods from you folks is a true blessing! Expect many more lard bulk orders to come. Thank you! ~Ronald B. Scranton, PA Why use Lard? It's a clean traditional fat like tallow and butter.Has a natural blend of the three types of fats: monounsaturated fat, saturated and polyunsaturated.7 Healthy Reasons to Eat Lard.Here is an article you'll find inspiring: 10 Reasons to Bring Lard Back The Story Behind our Woodland Pork Lard: We don't waste anything on our farm. Especially when it comes to livestock. We respectfully use every bit of that animal to accomplish the most good possible. What can't be eaten is carefully turned into rich composted and given back to the soil to fuel plant growth and build organic matter. What CAN be eaten falls into two categories. The first category is LOVED by all and basically needs to be rationed out.... For example, people will "fight" for the chance to eat juicy pastured pork chops, crispy bacon, savory sausages, or BBQ baby back ribs. But not everyone has as much love for the second category which makes up a sizeable portion of each pig. This category includes things like soup bones, knuckle bones, and LOTS of pork fat since we refuse to use the industry standard Ractopamine (Paylean) drug to keep our pigs artificially lean. The good news is, we are able to render some of this excess fat into beautiful Woodland Pork Lard that now falls into the loved-by-all category! :) Lard is so versatile it's simple to use as a substitute for your everyday cooking oil. It adds pizazz to everything from simple breakfast fried eggs to homemade French fries. Lard is the secret ingredient your Grandma used for her delectable flaky pie crust. With our clean Pastured Pork Lard you can cook with confidence. No need to worry if it is Chemical-Free, GMO-Free, Antibiotic-Free, Hormone-Free, Soy-Free or Humanely Raised. We farm with integrity to give you the peace of mind you deserve at every meal. Enjoy the lard! Wesley ~5th generation on the farm We carefully manage every step of the process to bring you clean Pastured Pork you can eat with confidence. ✓ Respectfully Harvested at our small USDA butcher shop✓ Always Humanely Raised on Organic Land✓ No Nitrate or Nitrite Preservatives✓ No Celery Juice Powder Cures✓ Artificial Hormone-Free✓ Citric Acid - Free✓ Antibiotic-Free✓ Chemical-Free✓ mRNA-Free✓ Sugar-Free✓ GMO-Free✓ MSG-Free

Family Picture Night

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God Designed it... We Respect it... That Explains it!

Genesis 1:31 & Revelation 4:11

"We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it."