Labor Day Weekend 2016

We had a great Labor Day weekend this year with a lot of projects going on at the same time.  Everything wasn't planned to happen all at once, but it did and thankfully we had enough of us to do what we needed to do because it was sort of a "race against the clock".

Ember is NOT liking the noise from the saw on the back side!

And that's just one reason to be thankfully for a big family!!

Oh, but unfortunately, we were missing one of our family members:  Barrett.  

And boy did we miss him!!  Not for the work, although he would have been a great help, but just to have him here with us.  

We've always been a really close family and when one person is missing, it just isn't the same!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Seriously.

Preparing for this weekend was a story in itself, but I won't be able to tell you what happened.  Unfortunately, it takes me too long to write already.  Maybe someday, I'll do a podcast or something like that or learn to write better and faster, whichever comes first.

But trust me when I say, "You can not write a better script", then the way our family life just plays out.  

 We sometimes laugh and talk about having a reality TV show, but then again, who wants to be famous?!?  Sure we might make a lot of money, but being "famous"?  No thanks.

Thankfully we all, for the most part, can just go with whatever happens and keep a positive attitude and laugh about it later.

Hey, and it keeps life interesting too!

Here is just a glimpse into what we did for the extended weekend.   

But first...................................

The foundation of our addition was laid about 3 weeks before we started the building project thanks to our friend Mr. Balmer, the concrete extraordinaire, aka "expert".

I've been dreaming of and designing a new mud room for that spot right there.

Our shirtless friend Mr. Balmer, the concrete expert.

Side view of the house.

Our weekend projects:

Shane was on the excavator digging trenches - about a 1/4 of a mile in total and dealing with wire and water pipes.  It might not sound like a lot, but it is and was.  Lots of hand digging also needed to be done so we wouldn't break any phone, electric, or water pipe lines. 

Road Block!  "Did I hit a phone line?"

A little over whelmed.

Our intersection is the spot where everything branches off in different directions so there are orange flags and spray paint lines everywhere.

Esther stopped by to help too.

Dakota, and Tanner working on their construction skills.

Landon working on lines in trenches and working with Cooper in our hay field and a neighbors field working hay.  Cutting, raking, and baling, loading, and stacking about 600 bales of hay.

In the trenches.

First load of hay.

 
Tim working on the new room and stopping to help solve whatever problems were going on.

The girls preparing and serving food and helping when needed or when they just decided too.

And me: the designer, the one to offer moral support, the go-getter, the photographer, the disciplinarian, the encourage r, etc. 

That was the basic assignment, although the jobs just fell into place and there was no discussion about who was to do what.  And if anyone needed help, then whoever could stop what they were doing, they would go and help somewhere else.

The trenches were dug for new electric wires to get rid of an ugly electrical pole and it's overhead wires that were in the front of the houses.  Also to bury wires that were strung up in and through the trees from the main pole to a few other places around the farm.  Those wires were hung there before we purchased the farm and the electric company strongly recommended that we bury those lines as well, and now was the perfect time to do that.

A long time ago, someone (who shall remain anonymous) said that we could get rid of the ugly pole that was in the front of the house.  When I heard that, I got really excited and was anxious to see what we could do, because let me tell you, that pole is an eye sore!

But my excitement quickly faded when it just seemed to be too overwhelming.

The Ugly Pole

Then months later, the electric company in town started to replace all of the electrical poles in our valley and that's when I started asking questions again.

It worked out, and after a lot of planning and talking, here we are:  digging trenches for new wires!!  But little did I understand what was all involved in moving just one little pole.  $$

While digging the trenches for the electrical wire, we found out that that main water line was only 1/2" water pipe, so we changed that over to a 1" pipe - not something that we had planned on doing.

Water pipe.

Everything ran pretty smooth the whole weekend except for the fact that on Monday afternoon we broke a water pipe.  Fixed that one.  Then we broke another pipe on Monday night, just before we were getting ready to be done for the night.  

Nice face Landon!!  (It's funny at what point the photo is actually captured.)  They're trying to find the water leak so we can fix it to take showers.  I don't know what's worse, no water or no electricity?!

At this point we all needed a shower from sweating all day and being covered in dirt and grime.  And to top it off,  some of the kids had to go to work the next day which meant they had to be up early.  So for the next hour or so the guys worked on fixing the pipe.  And that they finally did.

Unfortunately the extended weekend had to come to an end.  That was a sad time.  The projects aren't finished, but we are still working on them.  We stayed dry for almost a week but we got hit with a lot of rain today.  Thankfully it didn't do any harm although we weren't able to get all the hay into the barn before it rained.

So in a day or two when the rain stops, we'll have to go back into the field and cut the twine on the bales of hay, spread it out to fluff it up so it can dry.  Then we'll have to bale it once again.  It's not something that we would ever plan to do, but it's the only way to save the hay which amounts to almost 300 bales.

First wall and they forgot to put on the vapor barrier.  Oops.

Sorry for the blurry photo.

Lots and lots of wire!!

Feeding electric wire.  It doesn't look heavy, but it surely is!!  Oh, and Tanner's photo bomb - his ball of tape he threw at Dakota.  That kid is in just about every picture:  physically or mentally.

Tanner having to pose for EVERY picture!

Getting closer.

Girls can climb too!

The cat found a place to nap in Dakota's tool belt.

Dakota and Emma finishing the wall.

Preparing the nails for the ones swinging the hammer.

Setting the first wall!!  Yeah, it was HOT outside!!  I wish we could have had six more boys!!  Oh, and a few more girls too!!

We'll keep you posted as we move along with these projects.  One thing that would have made the mud room move along a little faster was if I had drawn my plans for it more specifically on paper.  That way the guys wouldn't have had to stop so much for me to measure and think and change and measure again.  That was a little frustrating to them, but I told them that they're learning great character skills this way.  I don't think they thought that was to funny.

But I have to say that because we are doing this without having to submit plans to anyone, we can change as we see fit.  Sometimes if you draw something on paper and follow it exactly, you don't realize what you did until you're done with it.  And then it could be too late.  

This way, we could stop and talk about something and then go ahead and build it.  

Also, we're making our own windows and doors so we don't have to use standard sizes.  I think that's the most fun about this project.

September 2016

Sandy

The Valley is Asleep

January 16, 2015

Sleeping Valley

     As we walked along this late afternoon in the middle of January, Elizabeth and I tried to make sure that the dogs stayed close by.  Not that we had to work very hard at it, but every now and then, Elizabeth would call out their names to make sure that they wouldn’t stray too far away.  

     (Ms.) Belle and (Mr.) Poseidon are Great Pyrenees dogs (and more here) and they are about 7 or 8 months old.  We bought them from our friends, Cody and Dawnell, at the Rockin H Ranch, in Missouri.  The dogs main job in life is for them to protect our livestock.  At this point, they mainly protect our family, and slowly, they are understanding that they are to protect our livestock as well.

     In the evenings, they sleep on our porch, and every now and then in the dark of the night, they start barking to let the "intruder" know not to mess with us here.  Sometimes they just stand on the porch and bark, and other times we can hear them off in the distance barking away.  So really, already they are doing their jobs. 

     Whenever someone leaves the house either to go to the barn or take a walk, whether it’s our family or a guest who happens to be staying with us, Belle and Poseidon go and tag along with them.  They are a great comfort and companion to us.  

     Misty, who is about 7 or 8 months old also, came to us from our friends, The Rancher and his wife.  Misty's mom is part chihuahua (and here) and part short hair dachshund.  And really, it's not just about Belle and Poseidon, it's the three of them that work, play, and live together.  

     It's funny how the three of them have their own personalities and Misty seems the most confident and the leader of the other two.   
 
     One evening, about 3 weeks after Misty was born, we went to visit our friends.  And while we were standing around visiting, Ember went over to the puppies nest and brought back a puppy for all of us to see.  

     Ember, who was 7 at the time, was small enough to get into where Rosy and her puppies were living.  If it wasn't for her, it would have been a long time before anyone would have seen them because no one else would have even bothered to look.  

     "Oh, it's so cute and so big!," we all said when she brought the puppy to us.  So we took the puppy from her and passed her around and went on with our conversation.  A few minutes later she came back with another one.  And we took that one from her and continued on.  She left again and came back with another one!

     After the third puppy that came to us, our friends told us that that was probably all there were and so we just continued on talking again.  Well, when Ember came back a few minutes later with another one, we couldn't believe it!  Four puppies!

     Oh, if you could have seen the look on our friend's faces; it was priceless!!   We all just stood there and laughed and laughed and continued on at the same time forgetting about Ember.  And then, all of a sudden, here she was again with another one!!!   Five puppies; all girls!!  How in the world did this little tiny dog have such huge puppies:  one puppy was about half her size?! 

     At this point now, we were all very curious to know if there were anymore, so this time, we sent Ember back to check and make sure.  And sure enough, the nest was empty.  

     Our friends told us that we could have one, or all of the puppies if we wanted, and after I got over the shock of taking home five of them, I agreed to let the girls choose only one.  And little did I know what was about to happen with that comment that I just made.
  
     Oh, what a fun time we had that evening!!

     Well, unfortunately for the girls, they had to wait for the puppies to be weaned and it seemed like that took forever.  In the meantime, we had plenty of time for family discussion as to whether one of these little “mutts” were going to become a part of the Peterson Family or not.  

     Some of the boys thought that we didn't need to have a "useless thing" on the ranch, especially one that was going to cost money to feed.   And so began the long discussion as we waited for the puppies to be weaned.  

    It's kind of funny now, looking back at what we actually went through for the girls to keep one of these puppies.  It was ridiculous.  

     When Emma finally brought a puppy home, it stayed the night, and the family conversations got a little out of hand, not because the puppy did anything wrong, but because of the kind of dog this was going to be; an ugly, useless, little mutt! 

     So with all the drama, I had Emma take the puppy back the next day.  Then after she took it back, the girls, including myself were very upset, so we all sat down and had a very serious discussion about this puppy. 

     We finally came to the conclusion, or should I say that I had a lot of influence in the final decision, in favor of us keeping the dog.  Some of the boys weren't to happy, but that was ok.  So off Emma went, back to get the puppy.  She brought her back home and that was it.  Settled.  

     Emma named her “Misty.” 
 

Misty

Misty and Chickens

     Misty, even though she is a little thing, is also a protector.  And she is learning to herd chickens along with Belle as Poseidon just lounges around and watches and keeps guard.  It’s actually quiet funny to watch the three of them.  Sure, the dogs have a lot to learn about protecting livestock and herding animals, but they’re off to a great start.

     And now, if you ask any of the guy about Misty and as to whether or not we should have kept her, I know they would all agree that they are happy that she came to be a part of our family. 

******

Thawing Pond

     Two days ago we had 2 inches of snow and today the temperature was up to about 60 degrees.  The wind was calm, the sky was crystal clear, the snow and the ponds were starting to melt, and the sun was shining so bright that for a little while I forgot that we were still in the middle of winter.  Just a few days ago, the girls were ice skating on the pond and a few of us were out walking around and playing on the frozen ponds.

Ember Ice Skating on our Pond

     When I was very young, I used to walk to the end of our street and then on to a trail that led me to the swamp behind our neighborhood.  It was usually during the spring thaw that I would find myself there because that’s when I had the most fun.  

     With my boots on, I would “skate” across the ice until it broke, and then my boots would fall into the muddy water.  As I continued to walk on the ice, the ice would crack under my feet.  I loved the sound of the cracking ice and the splashing of the water.  I loved the swamp.  I can only remember going a couple of times, because someone decided to put up a housing development where the swamp was and then it was gone.  As a little girl, I couldn’t understand why they had to do that. 

     Today, here on the farm, we experienced almost the same thing.  And all these years later, I loved it just the same.  

     I've always cherished my childhood memories and have stored them away in my heart.  And when those memories are brought back because of something that I'm doing or "just because", it gives me a warm feeling inside.  

     Today, I’m with my daughter who is storing memories away in her heart for a lifetime.  And when the time is right, she will be able to relive those memories also and I hope that it brings the same feelings to her as I have with mine.   

     I’m so thankful for the memories that I have from the past and the memories that are still waiting to be cherished.  

     As we walked along the road, through the creek, over a gate, through a field, past a pond, we came upon the horses and there we stopped.  As we stood in the field, just taking in the sights and sounds, we watched the dogs play.  

     Life at this moment came to a stand still and all the stress of everyday life just ended - at least for a moment.  I still don’t think that any of this “life on a farm,” has really registered with me as of yet.  This is a childhood dream of mine that has finally come true and it still doesn’t seam real.  

Two Bits and Dixie Grazing

Belle and Poseidon enjoying the beautiful spring day!!

******

     It’s been almost a year since we came to live here on this ranch and we’ve been through soooo much!  We’ve learned so much and have made many mistakes.  We’ve been both encouraged and discouraged; sometimes both at the same time.  It’s amazing how emotions can take a turn so quickly.  But we are survivors and we just keep forging along.  No one ever promised that life was going to be easy.  And I guess if it was, life wouldn’t be so interesting. (smile)

******

     Not long after my last post back in August, Tanner went ahead and installed the new update on my iPhone.  Once it was complete, we found out that all of my pictures that I had been collecting were gone and that hit me pretty hard.  And I found out later that other people had the same thing happen to them, and I felt bad for them too.   

     And then, our lives became incredibly busy; more traveling, visitors, holidays, the flu, helping plan a wedding from 400 miles away, and so on (all good things, of course).  But, with being sooooo busy, I completely forgot about what was lost.

     When I started this blog I was very enthusiastic and excited to tell our story, but then I was hit with such a huge loss. I know, I know, it was only pictures, and I shouldn’t have let it get me down so much.  But I had so many pictures and stories to tell, and just that fast, everything was gone.  I was completely discouraged.  

     But this is a new year and I’m finally ready to move on and continue our story.

     So while the valley is still sleeping, I, or I should say we, look forward to spring and the new life that it brings.  From the natural world around us, to the part of the animal kingdom that we have become the stewards of.

     My heartfelt prayer is that we will take this tiny part of our world and at least, preserve what is already here or make those improvements that will be of benefit to those who will steward the land after us. 

******

     I dream...........and I dream..........and I dream.  

     I dream of where this is going to take our family.  By trial and error things will start to happen around here.  I don't think that anyone can succeed if they don't have failures in life to learn from.

     I hope I can write so that whoever is reading this, will feel a part of what we are doing here.  I'm not a writer, but I'll do my best to keep things as real as possible.   

Sandy