a merry dairy Advent

One good thing about Advent: It's the time of year in which the Lord causes us to hold up, slow down, and just chill out while we wait for His return. 

First step: Hand model for Zinpro. Next step: Ruggedly handsome action shots for his very own cooking show. 

It's also the time of year that we bake cookies. 

Lots of cookies. 

With butter. 

Hey, we're dairy people after all. 

The only thing that could make those cookies better is a big topping of bacon bits. 

Basically a whole hog. 

The third best thing is if you lick the cookie batter off the mixer paddle while thinking your wife won't catch you. 

And the good stuff just doesn't stop!

There's pizzelles . . . made with butter. 

And apple-walnut-granola cookies . . . made with butter. 

And snickerdoodles . . . made with, well, I think you get the idea.  

And to top it off, my friends Sarah and Martha showed up to decorate sugar cookies that have, um, well, don't judge us. 

We have to support our industry. 

And to be fair, who can resist them?

Especially when Sarah, who made her first visit to a dairy farm, converted a horse cookie into . . . a Holstein! 

Or Holstein-ish. 

Umm, Holstein-esque? 

Speaking of Holsteins, neither rain nor sleet nor snow nor hail keeps a dairy farmer from making sure his cows are fed, even on snowy Sunday afternoons. 

Cows are very grateful for this. 

You can't see their gratitude, but we know it's there.  

While I was chillaxing nice and toasty in the cab, this guy was out cutting the net wrap off the bale. 

It's kind of like a magic trick. 

First he's here. 

Then he's there. 

The man's like a Flying Walenda walking a tightrope, I tell you! 

And while he did, the heifers were very patient. 

Just kidding. 

They were swarming him like a dairy farmer's wife making cookies with butter. 

Cows like water too, so while I delicately hop-skipped over the electric fence, my guy was already down at the water, hacking away at it like a lumberjack. 

(Also, if you scroll this super fast, you get your own little digital flip book.)

Ready. 

Set. 

Go.

HI--YAHH!

The victor gets the spoils, 

heaves it across the pond in a feat of strength,  

drops his wife off in his luxurious ride, 

and heads off to do the same thing for the next set of cows . . . 

while his wife, fixated on the next opportunity to indulge in butter, cookies, and milk freaks out at the sight of a coyote eyeing the cows. 

Yes, Advent has been very good to us indeed.