I know that title might be contradicted by some of my readers as they will claim that THEIR mom is the best in the world. However, I still think that MY momma is the best. :-)
I want to wish you a very happy birthday, Mama! I love you so very much and you mean the world to me. You've always been there to talk to, help me with my problems, to laugh with me, to cry with me, and to bring me back to Jesus when I needed it the most. I so appreciate all the time you have spent training me up to be a helpmeet for my husband someday. The pains you have taken to teach me to cook, clean, and be a better woman. All the encouragement you have given me is priceless. You are so supportive of everything I do. You are always interested, never failing to ask how my latest project is coming along. And most of all, you have supported me with prayer. I really appreciate it!
I love you so much!!!!!!
Love,
Sarah Biz Biz.
Please go to Mama's Blog and wish her a happy birthday!
I'll be posting a longer post later on with pictures of the day and evening. :-)
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Calving Season Has Begun!!!
One of my favorite times of year! Calving season. It is super fun, super scary, and super.... something. Ok, it is fun, kind of. It is NOT scary.. unless a momma cow is trying to head butt you for touching her calf... and something doesn't usually happen. ;-)
Actually, it's a pretty normal thing. All we do is feed, check for any new babies, tag 'em and way 'em if there are any, and go on our way.
Our first calf was born on Sunday. And Adorable little heifer (which I have decided to name Ismelda...haha!) Dad and Josh tagged it Sunday afternoon. When they found her, a coyote was lying close by, waiting for the afterbirth. Pretty bold, for a coyote. Especially since he still didn't run off when Dad and Josh were only 20 yards away! Dad shot at him, but missed. Bummer. So, I guess he's still out there for me to try to get... ;-)
Josh and I went out yesterday morning and found our second little calf, another heifer, JUST born. She was SO cute! So fresh that Josh had to help her stand up so he could tag and weigh her. Weighed 65 pounds! Pretty good for a heifer, especially ours because we have worked on breeding different cows and bulls to get low birth weight genetics, but high gain genetics for later on in life.
Any how, enough talk.. Here's some pics!!
Isn't that just so weird? It was all clear on the west side.. as soon as you headed east, it got all foggy. In fact, we got to this one fog part and it was like you literally went through a curtain and it closed in around you. Pretty cool and freaky at the same time.. hehe! :-)
I took a couple of videos, but I can't get them to load.. I'm working on it, though, so hopefully I can post! I took one of Josh tagging and weighing the second calf, and then one of the 'cow monsters'. (Yes, the exist!!!!)
How did you day go?
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
Actually, it's a pretty normal thing. All we do is feed, check for any new babies, tag 'em and way 'em if there are any, and go on our way.
Our first calf was born on Sunday. And Adorable little heifer (which I have decided to name Ismelda...haha!) Dad and Josh tagged it Sunday afternoon. When they found her, a coyote was lying close by, waiting for the afterbirth. Pretty bold, for a coyote. Especially since he still didn't run off when Dad and Josh were only 20 yards away! Dad shot at him, but missed. Bummer. So, I guess he's still out there for me to try to get... ;-)
Josh and I went out yesterday morning and found our second little calf, another heifer, JUST born. She was SO cute! So fresh that Josh had to help her stand up so he could tag and weigh her. Weighed 65 pounds! Pretty good for a heifer, especially ours because we have worked on breeding different cows and bulls to get low birth weight genetics, but high gain genetics for later on in life.
Any how, enough talk.. Here's some pics!!
(The weather was crazy! It was snowy, foggy, and cold that morning, but the snow was melted and the sun was shining by the afternoon.)
(Our adorable pups.. Bandit, on the left, Oreo on the right, giving me his cute face. ;-)
(Headin' out to the truck, all bundled up)
(The poor horses! I would hate to be standing out there with them.)
(Out in the pasture! I think it looks really pretty with the grass peeking up over the snow like that!!)
(Josh in the truck.. can you see him??)
(Our first calf!!! Isn't she CUTE?!?!)
(Josh tagging our second calf, the one we found when we went out. )
(See the fog on the left?)
(This was the fog we were driving into... scary...)
Isn't that just so weird? It was all clear on the west side.. as soon as you headed east, it got all foggy. In fact, we got to this one fog part and it was like you literally went through a curtain and it closed in around you. Pretty cool and freaky at the same time.. hehe! :-)
I took a couple of videos, but I can't get them to load.. I'm working on it, though, so hopefully I can post! I took one of Josh tagging and weighing the second calf, and then one of the 'cow monsters'. (Yes, the exist!!!!)
How did you day go?
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Quick update- Thanks for your Prayers!
Hello!
I thought I'd better come do a quick update post. So, Thursday evening was when I had a little bit of a sore throat. For some reason (probably because this one was different from a normal sore throat) I knew I had Strep. Friday it was worse. Mom looked at it and had me popping vitamin C, D, A and whatever else. ;-) Saturday it still wasn't better, so we went into the clinic.
Sure enough, I had strep. Argh. If anyone didn't know, Strep is my absolute most hated sickness ever. I'd rather have the flu than strep. At least with the flu you can eat, drink water, etc, without feeling like an elephant jumped down your throat every time you swallowed...
Any how, they gave me an antibiotic that I'll take for three days. So, by Saturday evening I was feeling better. Part of my problem, too, was that the back of my neck was super stiff and sore. That, naturally, made it all the worse. Sleeping at night was pretty much out of the question. Though, that was partly my fault because I napped too much during the day. Although it felt good at the time (when I woke from the naps, I felt better), it sure didn't help me sleep any better at night! So, basically it was like napping throughout the night...
Boy, did I party!
I'd sleep for an hour or two, wake up, feeling very much awake and ready to go. This was very frustrating, to say the least. I'd get up, read the news, then go back to bed when I felt tired. On Saturday, I only took one nap, and as soon as I felt tired, I'd make myself do something so I wouldn't nap again. So, yesterday I slept really well! (It helped, too, that the antibiotic had started to kick in, and I was taking stuff for my neck.)
This morning I woke up feeling MUCH better. Still a little sore throat-ed, but certainly nothing like before. Haven't needed a nap, was able to eat pretty well... it was great except that my throat decided to go dry on me. Don't know how it happened because I have probably drunk gallons of water by now... Ok, maybe not gallons, but almost! It was weird, actually. I'd take a drink of water, go do some stuff, and just a few minutes later need another sip! In 15 minutes I'd downed one glass of water already. Crazy, crazy. Ok,sorry.. I just realized that you probably aren't interested in reading all that. I'd erase it, but who knows? Maybe someone knows a solution to the dry-throat-all-the-time?
In any case, tomorrow is the last day for the antibiotics (I keep spelling it "anitbiotics"). So, I should be up and running.. well, maybe not running.. but... yeah.
So, thank you for your prayers! I really appreciated it! :-)
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
I thought I'd better come do a quick update post. So, Thursday evening was when I had a little bit of a sore throat. For some reason (probably because this one was different from a normal sore throat) I knew I had Strep. Friday it was worse. Mom looked at it and had me popping vitamin C, D, A and whatever else. ;-) Saturday it still wasn't better, so we went into the clinic.
Sure enough, I had strep. Argh. If anyone didn't know, Strep is my absolute most hated sickness ever. I'd rather have the flu than strep. At least with the flu you can eat, drink water, etc, without feeling like an elephant jumped down your throat every time you swallowed...
Any how, they gave me an antibiotic that I'll take for three days. So, by Saturday evening I was feeling better. Part of my problem, too, was that the back of my neck was super stiff and sore. That, naturally, made it all the worse. Sleeping at night was pretty much out of the question. Though, that was partly my fault because I napped too much during the day. Although it felt good at the time (when I woke from the naps, I felt better), it sure didn't help me sleep any better at night! So, basically it was like napping throughout the night...
I'd sleep for an hour or two, wake up, feeling very much awake and ready to go. This was very frustrating, to say the least. I'd get up, read the news, then go back to bed when I felt tired. On Saturday, I only took one nap, and as soon as I felt tired, I'd make myself do something so I wouldn't nap again. So, yesterday I slept really well! (It helped, too, that the antibiotic had started to kick in, and I was taking stuff for my neck.)
This morning I woke up feeling MUCH better. Still a little sore throat-ed, but certainly nothing like before. Haven't needed a nap, was able to eat pretty well... it was great except that my throat decided to go dry on me. Don't know how it happened because I have probably drunk gallons of water by now... Ok, maybe not gallons, but almost! It was weird, actually. I'd take a drink of water, go do some stuff, and just a few minutes later need another sip! In 15 minutes I'd downed one glass of water already. Crazy, crazy. Ok,sorry.. I just realized that you probably aren't interested in reading all that. I'd erase it, but who knows? Maybe someone knows a solution to the dry-throat-all-the-time?
In any case, tomorrow is the last day for the antibiotics (I keep spelling it "anitbiotics"). So, I should be up and running.. well, maybe not running.. but... yeah.
So, thank you for your prayers! I really appreciated it! :-)
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
Friday, January 20, 2012
Sick...sick...sick. Blah. Please be praying!
I have, unfortunately, come down a sore throat.. I might have mentioned several weeks ago that my family had it's cycle of a cold... but, I don't know if this is a re-flare from it, or what.
However, I am feeling absolutely miserable. It hurts to talk, I am extremely tired, don't feel like doing anything-but want to do something! It is such a weird feeling, being sick. It's very boring. I can't visit with my Sib's, I can't touch them.. and I have to try to avoid contact with anything that they might touch. Yeah, that's an oxymoron since I'm typing on the computer.. however, I just finished washing my hands so that I can keep the germs off of the keys.
If y'all don't mind praying, I would REALLY appreciate it! We've got some things coming up and I really don't want to miss out. In fact, the rest of the family loaded up to have dinner with some friends of ours. Big bummer I couldn't go, but I really didn't feel up to it, nor did I want to get the little baby sick (yup, forget about the rest of them! haha!). I'm actually hoping to post pictures of their evening because they are doing something pretty funny... So, keep an eye out for that.
I also received a HUGE scare just a half hour ago. My dad called to say that a friend of ours had seen our dogs on the freeway. Yeah. Super scary! I was thinking for sure that I'd get over there and they'd be road kill...
I bundled up and headed down the road in the truck. Thankfully, just a little ways down our road, I saw Oreo (my dog-ish). Whew! but then I was horrified to think that they other two, Bandit and Sadie, had had something happen to them. So, I continued down the road and here comes Bandit. Phew! But then... where was Sadie? She is such a big dog, she doesn't move very quickly... what if....
Hurray! Here she came, plodding down the road. Thank you, Lord! We've already lost one dog to being hit by a car.. and it is no fun. I really didn't want it to happen again!
Well, I'd better head out. I gotta do a few things before I can lay down again. I hate it how, no matter how much you nap, you just feeling even more tired! I will tell you, though, that if you are sick, the best thing is to walk around (if you are able). It helps to get your blood pumping to get oxygen to your brain (the lack of which makes you tired), and just kind of helps to make you feel better.
Hope everyone is doing well!
Thanks for the prayers!!!!
In Him,
Sarah
However, I am feeling absolutely miserable. It hurts to talk, I am extremely tired, don't feel like doing anything-but want to do something! It is such a weird feeling, being sick. It's very boring. I can't visit with my Sib's, I can't touch them.. and I have to try to avoid contact with anything that they might touch. Yeah, that's an oxymoron since I'm typing on the computer.. however, I just finished washing my hands so that I can keep the germs off of the keys.
If y'all don't mind praying, I would REALLY appreciate it! We've got some things coming up and I really don't want to miss out. In fact, the rest of the family loaded up to have dinner with some friends of ours. Big bummer I couldn't go, but I really didn't feel up to it, nor did I want to get the little baby sick (yup, forget about the rest of them! haha!). I'm actually hoping to post pictures of their evening because they are doing something pretty funny... So, keep an eye out for that.
I also received a HUGE scare just a half hour ago. My dad called to say that a friend of ours had seen our dogs on the freeway. Yeah. Super scary! I was thinking for sure that I'd get over there and they'd be road kill...
I bundled up and headed down the road in the truck. Thankfully, just a little ways down our road, I saw Oreo (my dog-ish). Whew! but then I was horrified to think that they other two, Bandit and Sadie, had had something happen to them. So, I continued down the road and here comes Bandit. Phew! But then... where was Sadie? She is such a big dog, she doesn't move very quickly... what if....
Hurray! Here she came, plodding down the road. Thank you, Lord! We've already lost one dog to being hit by a car.. and it is no fun. I really didn't want it to happen again!
Well, I'd better head out. I gotta do a few things before I can lay down again. I hate it how, no matter how much you nap, you just feeling even more tired! I will tell you, though, that if you are sick, the best thing is to walk around (if you are able). It helps to get your blood pumping to get oxygen to your brain (the lack of which makes you tired), and just kind of helps to make you feel better.
Hope everyone is doing well!
Thanks for the prayers!!!!
In Him,
Sarah
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Just Your Typical Day on the Ranch~1 (Part Two)
Josh and I got up at the crack of dawn the next day. We had our little carafes of coffee, were bundled up, and drove in the freezing cold truck out to the tank (the window on the truck broke, so it gets mighty cold inside!!!).
Oh. What. A. Mess! Water every where, soupy mud everywhere. Big. Mess. Well, we got to work. Josh started working on a little channel to drain most of the water off, while I built up a berm to keep the water from going back to the place we needed to dig. We got pretty muddy, but not too badly.
Once that job was done, we headed back home so we could do school and whatever other tasks awaited our expertise. ;-) On part of the road, we still had some snow. At this point, it's all dry and crusted over, so I figured I could go through it with 4-wheel drive. Besides, if Josh and I were able to walk on top of it without sinking in, surely the truck could, too!
Whoops.
Forgot that the truck weighs 2 tons heavier than either of us! Sure enough, it sunk in and got high centered. So, no luck getting out, at all, whatsoever.
Thankfully, I had the cellphone with me (most of the time, I forget to grab it and end up having to walk home if I ever get into a situation like this). I called mom and asked her to come get us in the excursion (the only other vehicle with 4 wheel drive that can make it down the muddy roads!)
In the meantime, Josh and I decided to go ahead and start walking. That way mom didn't have to come as far. So, we began walking.... and walking... and walking... and for a change of pace, we walked some more.
I believe we walked close to 2 miles before mom picked us up. Not that big of a deal. We got our exercise for the day! :-)
The next morning, we got up early again, though not AS early as the day before. I had to drive Dad down to the end of the road so he could get to work (remember, we've had to leave the smaller cars at the top of our road due to the very muddy mess it's in now). In the early morning, the ground is frozen, so it's easy to get up and down the road.
After I got back, Josh, Becca, and I loaded up in the excursion and headed back. We figured we could pull the truck out with the excursion, then Becs could take it home, and Josh and I could take the truck and finish working on the pipeline.
We got to the truck and started pulling it, but to no avail. We broke the tow rope (don't worry, it wasn't that expensive and wasn't very good, either), and then found out that it was high centered (the previous day I just thought it got stuck because it couldn't get any traction and the wheels were spinning.) We only had a certain amount of time to work on the pipes, as we had auditions for drama that afternoon. We had to leave early, since Mom is the director and all, so we could get setup, etc. That meant Josh and I only had a few hours to get this done. And that shouldn't have been a problem.....
Becca went ahead and dropped us off at the tank, then headed back home in the excursion so she could help mom get things done at the house.
Josh and I turned to see.... that all our drain work the previous day had been for not. The pipe had flooded even more and we were standing in water once again.
"Well, I guess we better get back to work," Joshua cheerfully commented. He's a chum. :-) So, we got back to our positions. Josh making a channel to drain the water, and me starting to dig (my berm had held up, but water had seeped inside).
I started digging. Oh boy. That was like trying to dig a hole in a pot of spaghetti sauce. It was awful. However, I eventually got down to the pipe. So, I pulled out the vertical PVC pipe that marks the spot. Whoops. I hadn't dug deep enough. All the mud caved in to the hole left by the pipe when I pulled out. So, I started digging again. Note, I am on my knees digging. That is not fun. It uses muscle you never knew you had! ;-)
When I was digging standing up, I was ever so slowly sinking further and further into the mud. Until my wonderful knight, Joshua, saved me. He gave me a piece of wood to stand on. Whew. I really didn't want to know what it was like to be waist deep in mud.
I finally reached the pipe and finished scooping the mud out by hand. By the way, just because mud isn't frozen early in the morning, doesn't mean that it isn't cold. It was like digging through ice! Eeps.
I got to the handle and froze, my eyes glued to it. "Um, Josh? Can you come here a minute?"
Josh scrambled over and looked down the hole. "Josh, there's no handle. What do I do?"
We looked at it for a while, not really sure how we could fix this. All I could think about was poor dad! Yet another thing to put on his fast growing list. I called him up, left a message on his cell, asking him to call us back ASAP. He called us back and I told him the situation. He told us to try pliers to try to turn the bolt that the handle should have been under. I told him we had tried it, but we'd try it some more.
I got back into the mud and gave the pliers another whirl. At this point, I'm having to lie on my stomach and reach down into the hole. Finally! The bolt budged! So, we kept turning... and turning.. nothing happened!
"Josh! It's not working!" Finally, after screwing a minute more, the bolt just came off in my hand. Oh great.
Josh came over and looked down into the hole for a minute. "Oh wait.... that's not the water pipe. That's an air valve." You can believe the look I gave him. *wink*! You mean to tell me I've been digging this thing for half an hour, freezing my hands off, all for something we didn't need?!?! Naturally I kept these thoughts to myself. Ok, ok. I admit that I did tease him about it, but I wasn't that mad. In fact, I was more relieved than anything!
So, we looked over at the other two PVC pipes sticking up in the air. "So, which one is it, then?" I asked, wondering if we'd need to dig up every single one.
At this point, I called home to let them know the situation and to tell them that they had better head on to drama if need be. Josh and I would have to skip it this week. Becca let me know that I still had plenty of time to get home and that they wouldn't leave without us.
Josh had picked a different pipe by this point and had begun digging. After he dug for a while, I took over and gave him a break. I got the pipe, pulled the vertical PVC out, and there it was! Oh, nothing was so beautiful! Ok, I'm exaggerating.
I got down again and began turning the handle... and turning it. Oh dear. "Josh! Am I turning it the right way?"
"Lefty loosey, righty tighty." He replied. Sure enough, I was turning it the right way, but it wasn't turning off! So, I tried it the other way, but no luck.
I tried the first way again and Josh and I both started praying. Lord please just let it turn off! We prayed as I kept turning... and then! Beautiful sound of silence! No water gushing every where! I wish I could have gotten a video of Joshua's victory dance he did! ;-) I did a little dilly while down in the mud..
Our ride home was very interesting. Dad had just given the inside of the car a shampoo for mom as a surprise. So, there was absolutely NO WAY that we were getting in the car as muddy as we were. So, we stood on the runner boards and leaning the window to grab onto the handle on the inside. It sounds dangerous, but it wasn't too bad, really. Becca went at a slow pace. We check the tanks to make sure that they were filling up. Eureka! Everything was good. Praise the Lord!
Josh and I decided, after I accidentally started rolling the window up on myself, that we could probably sit in the very back, since our backsides weren't muddy. So, we opened up the back (we have the kind where the top part opens upward, and then the two smaller doors swing out to the sides) We got settled and then shut the top door so we didn't fall out. The ride was very comfortable and Josh and I had a great time visiting with each other. :-)
Unfortunately, we had no camera during this whole event, so I can't show you pictures of our beautiful work. However, we when got home, my dear sister took a picture of my outfit.
Hope you enjoyed a little story about a typical day on the ranch! ;-)
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
Oh. What. A. Mess! Water every where, soupy mud everywhere. Big. Mess. Well, we got to work. Josh started working on a little channel to drain most of the water off, while I built up a berm to keep the water from going back to the place we needed to dig. We got pretty muddy, but not too badly.
Once that job was done, we headed back home so we could do school and whatever other tasks awaited our expertise. ;-) On part of the road, we still had some snow. At this point, it's all dry and crusted over, so I figured I could go through it with 4-wheel drive. Besides, if Josh and I were able to walk on top of it without sinking in, surely the truck could, too!
Whoops.
Forgot that the truck weighs 2 tons heavier than either of us! Sure enough, it sunk in and got high centered. So, no luck getting out, at all, whatsoever.
Thankfully, I had the cellphone with me (most of the time, I forget to grab it and end up having to walk home if I ever get into a situation like this). I called mom and asked her to come get us in the excursion (the only other vehicle with 4 wheel drive that can make it down the muddy roads!)
In the meantime, Josh and I decided to go ahead and start walking. That way mom didn't have to come as far. So, we began walking.... and walking... and walking... and for a change of pace, we walked some more.
I believe we walked close to 2 miles before mom picked us up. Not that big of a deal. We got our exercise for the day! :-)
The next morning, we got up early again, though not AS early as the day before. I had to drive Dad down to the end of the road so he could get to work (remember, we've had to leave the smaller cars at the top of our road due to the very muddy mess it's in now). In the early morning, the ground is frozen, so it's easy to get up and down the road.
After I got back, Josh, Becca, and I loaded up in the excursion and headed back. We figured we could pull the truck out with the excursion, then Becs could take it home, and Josh and I could take the truck and finish working on the pipeline.
We got to the truck and started pulling it, but to no avail. We broke the tow rope (don't worry, it wasn't that expensive and wasn't very good, either), and then found out that it was high centered (the previous day I just thought it got stuck because it couldn't get any traction and the wheels were spinning.) We only had a certain amount of time to work on the pipes, as we had auditions for drama that afternoon. We had to leave early, since Mom is the director and all, so we could get setup, etc. That meant Josh and I only had a few hours to get this done. And that shouldn't have been a problem.....
Becca went ahead and dropped us off at the tank, then headed back home in the excursion so she could help mom get things done at the house.
Josh and I turned to see.... that all our drain work the previous day had been for not. The pipe had flooded even more and we were standing in water once again.
"Well, I guess we better get back to work," Joshua cheerfully commented. He's a chum. :-) So, we got back to our positions. Josh making a channel to drain the water, and me starting to dig (my berm had held up, but water had seeped inside).
I started digging. Oh boy. That was like trying to dig a hole in a pot of spaghetti sauce. It was awful. However, I eventually got down to the pipe. So, I pulled out the vertical PVC pipe that marks the spot. Whoops. I hadn't dug deep enough. All the mud caved in to the hole left by the pipe when I pulled out. So, I started digging again. Note, I am on my knees digging. That is not fun. It uses muscle you never knew you had! ;-)
When I was digging standing up, I was ever so slowly sinking further and further into the mud. Until my wonderful knight, Joshua, saved me. He gave me a piece of wood to stand on. Whew. I really didn't want to know what it was like to be waist deep in mud.
I finally reached the pipe and finished scooping the mud out by hand. By the way, just because mud isn't frozen early in the morning, doesn't mean that it isn't cold. It was like digging through ice! Eeps.
I got to the handle and froze, my eyes glued to it. "Um, Josh? Can you come here a minute?"
Josh scrambled over and looked down the hole. "Josh, there's no handle. What do I do?"
We looked at it for a while, not really sure how we could fix this. All I could think about was poor dad! Yet another thing to put on his fast growing list. I called him up, left a message on his cell, asking him to call us back ASAP. He called us back and I told him the situation. He told us to try pliers to try to turn the bolt that the handle should have been under. I told him we had tried it, but we'd try it some more.
I got back into the mud and gave the pliers another whirl. At this point, I'm having to lie on my stomach and reach down into the hole. Finally! The bolt budged! So, we kept turning... and turning.. nothing happened!
"Josh! It's not working!" Finally, after screwing a minute more, the bolt just came off in my hand. Oh great.
Josh came over and looked down into the hole for a minute. "Oh wait.... that's not the water pipe. That's an air valve." You can believe the look I gave him. *wink*! You mean to tell me I've been digging this thing for half an hour, freezing my hands off, all for something we didn't need?!?! Naturally I kept these thoughts to myself. Ok, ok. I admit that I did tease him about it, but I wasn't that mad. In fact, I was more relieved than anything!
So, we looked over at the other two PVC pipes sticking up in the air. "So, which one is it, then?" I asked, wondering if we'd need to dig up every single one.
At this point, I called home to let them know the situation and to tell them that they had better head on to drama if need be. Josh and I would have to skip it this week. Becca let me know that I still had plenty of time to get home and that they wouldn't leave without us.
Josh had picked a different pipe by this point and had begun digging. After he dug for a while, I took over and gave him a break. I got the pipe, pulled the vertical PVC out, and there it was! Oh, nothing was so beautiful! Ok, I'm exaggerating.
I got down again and began turning the handle... and turning it. Oh dear. "Josh! Am I turning it the right way?"
"Lefty loosey, righty tighty." He replied. Sure enough, I was turning it the right way, but it wasn't turning off! So, I tried it the other way, but no luck.
I tried the first way again and Josh and I both started praying. Lord please just let it turn off! We prayed as I kept turning... and then! Beautiful sound of silence! No water gushing every where! I wish I could have gotten a video of Joshua's victory dance he did! ;-) I did a little dilly while down in the mud..
Our ride home was very interesting. Dad had just given the inside of the car a shampoo for mom as a surprise. So, there was absolutely NO WAY that we were getting in the car as muddy as we were. So, we stood on the runner boards and leaning the window to grab onto the handle on the inside. It sounds dangerous, but it wasn't too bad, really. Becca went at a slow pace. We check the tanks to make sure that they were filling up. Eureka! Everything was good. Praise the Lord!
Josh and I decided, after I accidentally started rolling the window up on myself, that we could probably sit in the very back, since our backsides weren't muddy. So, we opened up the back (we have the kind where the top part opens upward, and then the two smaller doors swing out to the sides) We got settled and then shut the top door so we didn't fall out. The ride was very comfortable and Josh and I had a great time visiting with each other. :-)
Unfortunately, we had no camera during this whole event, so I can't show you pictures of our beautiful work. However, we when got home, my dear sister took a picture of my outfit.
(These coveralls were WAY too big on me! But, I just grabbed 'em up thinking they'd at least keep the worst off of my clothes.. and they did!)
Hope you enjoyed a little story about a typical day on the ranch! ;-)
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
Friday, January 13, 2012
Just Your Typical Day on the Ranch ~1 (Part One)
Because many funny things happen around here (things, that is, that I consider funny), I thought I would do a little 'series', per se, and jot down the events for you, my readers. If this should prove to be boring, please let me know and I won't do them 'no more'. ;-)
For this first post, I'm going to share the most recent funny Ranch happening.
We raise cattle. That means we need water. We have 60 cows of our own, and 40 of a relatives on the ranch. That means we need LOTS of water. Cows can drink a LOT of water, let me tell ya. The network of water pipes going from tank to tank is probably rather confusing. Let me suffice it to say that several tanks can be connected to one pipeline/well line.
Sometimes we have to go and "turn off" one pipe so that water can go to the other tanks. We usually have to do this when we have bad pipes that are leaking, but we can't fix for various reasons.
Josh needed to turn on a pipeline so that water could get to some tanks. Well, the problem with turning this pipe on was that it leaked horribly. So, we left it on for a few days so those certain tanks could fill up. However, the other ones, which we had turned the water off from, were going dry.
(IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THE NEXT PART OF "RANCHING 101", THEN SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH)
We needed to turn off the water, and fast... however, this turned out to be a big problem. Water pipes are 3-4 feet under ground. So, in order to enable us to turn them on and off, we use 'keys'- small PVC pipes with notches cut on the end. Sitting on top of the water pipe will be a handle that you turn to shut the water off (or turn it on). To keep this from being covered in dirt, we position another PVC pipe over the handle, sticking straight up in the air. This sticks up from the ground about 1-2 feet. The pipe lets us put the key into it and turn the handle for the water pipe.
The notches on the key sit down into the handle. You can turn it, and voila. Water on or off.
(FOR THOSE WHO WANTED TO SKIP THAT BORING PART, HERE'S WHERE YOU START READING AGAIN.)
In this case, however, the key wouldn't work. For some odd reason, we couldn't get the handle to turn so we could shut the water off.
One day, I was telling dad about my big plan to fix our very muddy road. He thought his was hilarious, as he figured we'd never be able to get it done (my plan was to do it by hand, and our road is VERY LONG). So, I promptly told him that I wanted to do something. I needed to get out and get some work done or I'd go positively crazy.
(Here's where he sprang it on me!) "Well, if you want to do some labor, you can go out and fix that pipe that's leaking." My Dad works a full time job, so his only free time is on weekends, and then it seems like something else always pops up that prevents him from doing the things on his 'to do list'.
"Ok, great! Give me the details on what we need to do." ('We' meaning Josh and I)
(Dad) "Well, you need to dig down to that pipeline where the handle is so we can turn the water off. For some reason, the key won't turn it. However, the water has been leaking all over the place, so you'll need to build up a little berm around the place you are going to dig so you can drain the water. Do that tomorrow (Monday) and on Tuesday, you can get up and dig it out."
"No problemo, Dad!"
Just so I keep these posts short and not-to-boring, I'm going to do this in 2 parts. Now that you've gotten the basic, boring part past ye, I'll post the story-story tomorrow! :-)
For this first post, I'm going to share the most recent funny Ranch happening.
We raise cattle. That means we need water. We have 60 cows of our own, and 40 of a relatives on the ranch. That means we need LOTS of water. Cows can drink a LOT of water, let me tell ya. The network of water pipes going from tank to tank is probably rather confusing. Let me suffice it to say that several tanks can be connected to one pipeline/well line.
Sometimes we have to go and "turn off" one pipe so that water can go to the other tanks. We usually have to do this when we have bad pipes that are leaking, but we can't fix for various reasons.
Josh needed to turn on a pipeline so that water could get to some tanks. Well, the problem with turning this pipe on was that it leaked horribly. So, we left it on for a few days so those certain tanks could fill up. However, the other ones, which we had turned the water off from, were going dry.
(IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THE NEXT PART OF "RANCHING 101", THEN SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH)
We needed to turn off the water, and fast... however, this turned out to be a big problem. Water pipes are 3-4 feet under ground. So, in order to enable us to turn them on and off, we use 'keys'- small PVC pipes with notches cut on the end. Sitting on top of the water pipe will be a handle that you turn to shut the water off (or turn it on). To keep this from being covered in dirt, we position another PVC pipe over the handle, sticking straight up in the air. This sticks up from the ground about 1-2 feet. The pipe lets us put the key into it and turn the handle for the water pipe.
The notches on the key sit down into the handle. You can turn it, and voila. Water on or off.
(FOR THOSE WHO WANTED TO SKIP THAT BORING PART, HERE'S WHERE YOU START READING AGAIN.)
In this case, however, the key wouldn't work. For some odd reason, we couldn't get the handle to turn so we could shut the water off.
One day, I was telling dad about my big plan to fix our very muddy road. He thought his was hilarious, as he figured we'd never be able to get it done (my plan was to do it by hand, and our road is VERY LONG). So, I promptly told him that I wanted to do something. I needed to get out and get some work done or I'd go positively crazy.
(Here's where he sprang it on me!) "Well, if you want to do some labor, you can go out and fix that pipe that's leaking." My Dad works a full time job, so his only free time is on weekends, and then it seems like something else always pops up that prevents him from doing the things on his 'to do list'.
"Ok, great! Give me the details on what we need to do." ('We' meaning Josh and I)
(Dad) "Well, you need to dig down to that pipeline where the handle is so we can turn the water off. For some reason, the key won't turn it. However, the water has been leaking all over the place, so you'll need to build up a little berm around the place you are going to dig so you can drain the water. Do that tomorrow (Monday) and on Tuesday, you can get up and dig it out."
"No problemo, Dad!"
Just so I keep these posts short and not-to-boring, I'm going to do this in 2 parts. Now that you've gotten the basic, boring part past ye, I'll post the story-story tomorrow! :-)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Photography Contest Finalists and Winners!
Hello!
I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to get your wonderful photos judged. It was mostly your fault, though! All of the photos you all entered were just so beautiful! I had a VERY hard time choosing my winners. I don't know how many times I've come over to the computer and looked, and compared, and looked again, and left with still the same answer as before: I liked ALL of them!!! So, if ever I have the idea to do one of these again, I will encourage my dear sister to host it instead! haha!
She was, as a matter of fact, my judging partner. Because I am no professional on photos, she helped point out which ones looked clearer, more focused, etc. So, a HUGE thank you to Becca for that help!
Now, I decided that I would post who made it to the Finals. Below are all the entries that I had the hardest time deciding between.
For the Summer Memories category:
And for the My Favorite category:
Congratulations to Cassie, Marquette, Samantha, Maggie, and Hannah! Your photos are absolutely beautiful. I had an EXTREMELY hard time picking out the winners. However, only one photo per category could win!
So, without further ado, I would like to present the winners of my Autumn Glory/Summer Memories Photography contest.
And the winners are..........................
Maggie from My Small Corner Photography for the Summer Memories Category!
Maggie, the reason I picked your photo was because I felt that it depicted Summer the best. A favorite summer treat is Ice Cream! Your photo is very clear and crisp. A very nice close-up shot! Congratulations! Please leave your email address in the comment box (I won't publish it) and I will contact you about your prize!!
Marquette from Marquette LaRee Photography for the Autumn Glory Category!
I picked your photo, Marquette, because it literally made me sigh and dream of Autumn! Your photo is stunningly crisp and clear and just beautiful. Congratulations, Kett! Just leave your email address in the comment box and I will email you about your prize!
And last but not least, the winner for the My Favorite category.......
Samantha from Simple Delights!
Your photo of the bridge was really beautiful. It made me want to go visit it and it probably would have been my favorite thing, too! Congratulations! I'll email you the details about your prize!
Congratulations to the winners! And to the rest of you who participated: You took some beautiful photos! Thank you SO much for entering this contest and helping me spread the word about my sister's blog. I really appreciate it!
Thank you to all of the people who sponsored my giveaways during the contest. It was truly appreciated!
A HUGE thank you to my wonderful sister, Rebecca! Thank you for taking the time to help me judge the photos! You are such a blessing!
And last but not least, thank you to all of those who supported me in this effort! It was so appreciated.
I hope that everyone enjoyed this as much as I did. Once again, I am truly sorry for taking this long on getting the photos judged! Thank you for your patience with me. :-)
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to get your wonderful photos judged. It was mostly your fault, though! All of the photos you all entered were just so beautiful! I had a VERY hard time choosing my winners. I don't know how many times I've come over to the computer and looked, and compared, and looked again, and left with still the same answer as before: I liked ALL of them!!! So, if ever I have the idea to do one of these again, I will encourage my dear sister to host it instead! haha!
She was, as a matter of fact, my judging partner. Because I am no professional on photos, she helped point out which ones looked clearer, more focused, etc. So, a HUGE thank you to Becca for that help!
Now, I decided that I would post who made it to the Finals. Below are all the entries that I had the hardest time deciding between.
For the Summer Memories category:
For the Autumn Glory category:
And for the My Favorite category:
Congratulations to Cassie, Marquette, Samantha, Maggie, and Hannah! Your photos are absolutely beautiful. I had an EXTREMELY hard time picking out the winners. However, only one photo per category could win!
So, without further ado, I would like to present the winners of my Autumn Glory/Summer Memories Photography contest.
And the winners are..........................
Maggie from My Small Corner Photography for the Summer Memories Category!
Marquette from Marquette LaRee Photography for the Autumn Glory Category!
And last but not least, the winner for the My Favorite category.......
Samantha from Simple Delights!
Congratulations to the winners! And to the rest of you who participated: You took some beautiful photos! Thank you SO much for entering this contest and helping me spread the word about my sister's blog. I really appreciate it!
Thank you to all of the people who sponsored my giveaways during the contest. It was truly appreciated!
A HUGE thank you to my wonderful sister, Rebecca! Thank you for taking the time to help me judge the photos! You are such a blessing!
And last but not least, thank you to all of those who supported me in this effort! It was so appreciated.
I hope that everyone enjoyed this as much as I did. Once again, I am truly sorry for taking this long on getting the photos judged! Thank you for your patience with me. :-)
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
Sunday, January 8, 2012
102 in 2012
I've seen this done on my friend's blog and thought I'd do it too. I figure that maybe I'll actually be able to get all of these done because I've got my readers to keep me accountable! ;-) (Read my friend's post HERE)
1. Read my Bible Everyday
2. Grow closer in my walk with the Lord
3. Do a better job of keeping my room clean
4. Spend a week away from the computer
5. Get outside more often
6. Do a really fun photo-shoot
7. Spend more quality time with my family
8. Get 3 books finished/published
9. Get 10 children’s books written
10. Make Donuts
11. Exercise more
12. Become a better Actress
13. Get my Nursing home group together
14. Play at the nursing home at least 7 times
15. Write more letters
16. Finish up school
17. Get my horse trained
18. Go on trail rides
19. Come up with different styles for my hair
20. Wear a ribbon, or flower in my hair everyday
21. Train my dog
22. Decide if I want to set up an Etsy shop
23. Finished editing the drama performances
24. Get a video put together
25. Do a better job at posting on my blog (posting things I say I’m going to post)
26. Go someplace I’ve never been before
27. Go ice-skating again
28. Make dinners special by adding fun touches
29. Cook dinner every night for one week (by myself)
30. Make a historical costume
31. Set up a dance
32. Make Marshmallows
33. Read 5 books (trust me, that is a lot for me)
34. Keep my journal more faithfully
35. Get a better schedule for my day
36. Expand my homemaking skills
37. Make 5 aprons
38. Finish my current knitting projects
39. Buy a camera
40. Buy something off of Etsy
41. Memorize 25 verses of the Bible
42. Do a better job at doing laundry
43. Go through all of my clothes and get rid of the ones that don’t fit or I don’t wear very often
44. Make a point to do little things to bless people
45. Work on not being bossy to my brothers
46. Pay for someone else’s food
47. Get together with my friends more often
48. Make it a point to thank a soldier if I see one
49. Possibly start teaching fiddle
50. Record some of my fiddle/piano/guitar songs
51. Learn 20 new songs
52. Go shopping and walk around in Santa Fe downtown (very cute historical part of the city)
53. Make cookies or bars for my dad to take into his office
54. Do a better job at praying regularly on my own
55. Make out prayer lists for my friends and family and ask for specific requests
56. Do a book or CD giveaway on my blog
57. Do a better job at keeping the house clean
58. Help out more whenever I’m needed
59. Meet someone new
60. Shoot a coyote
61. Finish this list
62. Try 15 different recipes
63. Make bread on a regular basis
64. Tell my family that I love them every chance I get
65. Take the time to stop and enjoy the little things
66. Build fence
67. Do a lovely flower/herb garden again
68. Landscape the front yard (nothing too fancy, but just so it looks nice)
69. Do some canning
70. Get my driver’s license
71. Get my own computer/laptop
72. Do more embroidery things
73. Do the Writing Series on my wordpress blog
74. Finish learning “Fur Elise” the piano
75. Learn “Ave Maria” on the piano
76. Learn 5 new chords on the guitar and play them easily
77. Write up a drama play (script)
78. Write my own song (lyrics and all)
79. Expand my sewing skills by sewing up something I’ve never done before
80. Play my fiddle at least 3 times a week
81. Learn to drive the horse and buggy
82. Train my own horse to pull the buggy
83. Organize underneath my bed, once again
84. Organize and really clean out my dresser
85. Dig a ditch for the road
86. Actually post about the things I’ve crossed off of this list
87. Make a movie (If the Lord allows)
88. Make 3 batches of fudge (at different times)
89. Have at least one sale if I set up my Etsy shop
90. Help repaint the living room/dining room
91. Repaint the bathroom
92. Make a camouflage skirt (just for around the house and for doing chores in)
93. Start my ministry at the Children’s Hospital
94. Walk/jog a mile at least once a week
95. Have lunch with a good friend at least twice
96. Do the 30 day challenge on the Pilates exercise program
97. Make THIS recipe
98. Have a ladies tea
99. Make 3 freezer meals
100. Make This
101. Get a group together and do a free concert at the Park
102. Do some painting
Whoo hoo! I actually completed this list! (Ha, that's one thing crossed off already!) Any how.. this really made me think about what I actually want to get done this year!
Do you have any goals you want to reach?
As an update, be watching for the photography winners post! I've got it written but, but I'm working out a few details. :-) So, it's almost here!
It is just beginning to snow... argh. Usually I would have LOVED the snow. However, we still haven't gotten rid of all the snow from before Christmas. The problem is that our mile long driveway is more like the ditch in the road than an actually ditch. So, all the snow that the grader pushed up on the side has just been running into the road. Talk about a MUDDY mess. Ick. It is absolutely awful! So, I was hoping we'd get it dried out and get a ditch dug along the sides of it (Joshua's and my project). Oh well. Hopefully it will at least freeze so mom and dad can get down the road.
They went away for the weekend to just spend time together. Nice for them, and we've had a blast. ;-) *evil grin*. Ok, ok, we've actually behaved ourselves quite nicely. We cleaned house and didn't do anything too drastic.. except for the fact that the boys are building weapons.
If that last paragraph concerns you, please don't let it. For one thing, they aren't totally dangerous weapons. Josh got a book for Christmas called "Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction.".... hmm... ok, you're right. That should scare you. Especially the look on his face when he opened it! AHHH!!!!! Ok, I'm calm now. Then, Caleb got three books. "Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things", "Sneaker Uses for Everyday Things", and "Sneakiest Uses for Everyday Things." Don't those sound fun? Certainly not as destructive as Joshua's! ;-)
I hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far!
In Christ's Service,
Sarah
P.S. Sorry for the weird paragraph formatting. I finished typing my list on here, but started in a Word doc. Somehow it messed up the blogger format or something....
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