Thursday, February 28, 2013
Union University
After three weekends in a row going to scholarship competitions... it has PAID OFF BIG TIME! Tori's #1 selection is Union University and we got the call that she was awarded the Provost Scholarship. This means FULL tuition paid for all 4 years. This award is well over $120,000 for the 4 years. The award amount will even increase as tuition increases. We are so excited and so proud!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Don't forget the gun
Tori and her friend Michaela asked Rod if they could go hunting on Wednesday since they were out of school. So Tuesday night Rod and Tori walked back for him to show her where the deer stand was located. Then he got all his hunting clothes ready for her. Michaela spent the night and they set the alarm for about 5:00. I woke up to find them both getting all camo'd up. Of course I wanted a picture of them and made them pose on the porch. Then as I am going back to bed, they tell me bye and start to leave. That is when I had to say "do you even have the gun"...... giggling girls came back, picked up the gun, and headed out the door. I went back to bed and told Rod I don't think the deer have too much to worry about today!
Pig Heater
Last night it was COLD outside. When we get in the mid 20's I really start worrying about the animals. The goats were all in their fence and huddled together in their house, the horses are fine at this temp, the chickens are all together in the coop and were fine, and the outside dogs were in the garage. This only leaves the pigs. The pigs don't like the cold. A few months ago they moved in under the front porch.
This morning I got up early and was worrying about the pigs. Our dryer vent is located under the porch where they have made their bed. So when I woke up this morning I went into the laundry room and turned on the dryer to get them some heat. When Rod woke up, he asked me "what is that noise"... the dryer sounds funny when it is running empty... my response "the pig heater".
This morning I got up early and was worrying about the pigs. Our dryer vent is located under the porch where they have made their bed. So when I woke up this morning I went into the laundry room and turned on the dryer to get them some heat. When Rod woke up, he asked me "what is that noise"... the dryer sounds funny when it is running empty... my response "the pig heater".
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| Molly and Dolly all snug and warm under the porch |
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Pumpkin Carving
Halloween is right around the corner. Our annual Halloween party is this Saturday and we are worried about the rain in the forecast. Tonight Rod and Tina went ahead and carved some pumpkins. We have not carved the 94 pound pumpkin from the garden and are not sure if we are going to try to. But we will be using it as a decoration at the party.
Rod's pumpkin had a little bit of Bear in it - with the tongue hanging out!
Tina did a Wolf with the moon behind it.
Rod's pumpkin had a little bit of Bear in it - with the tongue hanging out!
Tina did a Wolf with the moon behind it.
Monday, October 22, 2012
TV in their Room
So what happens when you don't let your kids have TV's in their rooms? They spend more time in the "family" area of the house, they whine about not having a TV in their room, you get to see more of what they watch, you get to spend more time with them because they are not locked away in their room.... and the list can go on and on. For several reasons we decided a long time ago to not let the kids have TV's in their rooms. Generally our lives are so full, we don't even watch much TV compared to the average American.
I don't think Tori cares one way or the other... but Tina would like to have a TV in her room. So recently she has decided to make a bed in the floor of the Rec Room so she can watch TV in the evenings. So this is now how she sleeps.... her on one side and Bear on the other :-) (She would have killed me if I posted a picture of her, so this just shows where Bear sleeps)
I don't think Tori cares one way or the other... but Tina would like to have a TV in her room. So recently she has decided to make a bed in the floor of the Rec Room so she can watch TV in the evenings. So this is now how she sleeps.... her on one side and Bear on the other :-) (She would have killed me if I posted a picture of her, so this just shows where Bear sleeps)
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Senior Pictures
Good thing I am not current on my blog postings or you would keep hearing the sob story that Tori is growing up WAY TOO QUICK! I'm sure there will be many more posts about the momentous event of high school graduation this year. I am just not ready, where did the time go? I remember being her age and I couldn't wait to get out of high school. Why does time go so slow then but when you are on on the other side of that event it speeds up so much?
We went to Montgomery Bell Park to take some senior pictures. The day was great and we got some good pictures!
We went to Montgomery Bell Park to take some senior pictures. The day was great and we got some good pictures!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Chicken Feast
So the garage is now built. We had to dig out and level the spot that it was going in. Our soil is not very good quality and has a lot of red clay in it. We spent one day this week raking the rocks out of the dirt that is on the side of the building facing the house. Tonight Rod has spent a couple of hours bringing up our personal fertilizer stock from the horse area to this spot in the yard.
After his second scoop I looked out the window and the picture below is what I saw! The chickens were having a smorgasbord feast!
Of course I have a stupid dog that also went out there and feasted and then Bear came into the house and wiped his yucky mouth on my bed!
After his second scoop I looked out the window and the picture below is what I saw! The chickens were having a smorgasbord feast!
Anniversary Present
Pumpkin!
Our garden has done very well this year! I'm sure it has something to
do with the abundance of fertilizer that we have available to us.
Almost everything in the garden was started by Rod from seeds. We have
tomatoes, green beans, eggplants, squash, zucchini, green peppers, banana
peppers, jalapeno peppers, cantaloupe, okra, cheyenne pepper, lettuce,
corn, and I am sure other stuff that I can't remember while I am sitting
here typing. All of it has thrived, but the pumpkins have been the
prize winners. This year the two best pumpkins weighed in at 94 pounds
and 56.6 pounds!
Can any of you who are over 35 see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in the profile of the 2nd pumpkin?
My personal Vet
School has started back. Hard to believe but Tina is in the 8th grade and Tori is now a Senior!
Day 2 of Tori's senior year started off like any other school day. She got up, got ready, they left the house, fed the horses, dropped Tina off at school for her first day, and then she went to school herself.
And I did my normal morning routine. I sat down at my laptop by about 6:30 starting work, took my morning break at about 7:45 and fed all the animals. When I went to feed the goats, one of the young 3 month old babies did come eat. So I went to check on him and he was burning up. First thing I did was call the vet that sees farm animals. No luck - he was off on Tuesdays. Next I text my friend Denise, who owns her own vet practice. No luck - she was off Tuesday as well. She asks me what the problem is and I tell her I have a goat with a high fever. So now the obvious question - how high is it? After spending 15 minutes looking for some Vaseline... I got Dad to hold the goat and I got to hold the thermometer... His fever was 105.3. Next was weight - 34 pounds. So I sent all that to Denise. She said she would text Tori the dose. (Not sure if I had mentioned on the blog before, but Tori works for Denise). So my next question to her is can this wait until this afternoon. Which she promptly told me "goats are delicate and that is pretty high of a fever and the sooner the better"...
So you all know what my dilemma is now? I have to call the school at 8:40.... and tell them.... to let my daughter out so she can get some medicine for the goat. I decide best not to tell them up front, I simply call and say she needs to leave for an hour and to ask her to call me when she gets in the truck. So Tori calls and say "what is up!". I tell her that I need her to go to the clinic, get the medicine that Denise has texted her about, and I will meet her there. At this point I am trying to limit the amount of time on her 2nd day of school that she is missing. So I get to the clinic and Tori says "Where is the goat". Well.. I didn't bring the goat. I figured it was pills and I would just take it home and give it to him. Not so fast - it is an injection. So Tori laughs at me and starts drawing up the medicine.
At this point I am trying to be helpful. So while Tori is drawing up the medicine, they have a cat that is boarded. I go in there and give the cat fresh water and I was going to be nice and scoop the litter box. Anyone reading by now has to know what is coming next. Sure enough the cat gets out. Tori comes in there and gets the cat, laughs at me more, and says come on lets go to the house.
Luckily catching this goat is super easy because he loves to be picked up and held up to the trees to get leaves. So I caught him and Tori gave him the shot. So then the only thing left... writing a note to the school to explain why she was gone (she was only gone 45 minutes). In the end everyone got a big laugh about it and her friends think I am crazy!
Later that evening I started thinking about Tori and my friend Denise. How wonderful is it that she is so well trusted by her employer and how grateful I am to have a friend like Denise! BTW - the goat is doing great!
Day 2 of Tori's senior year started off like any other school day. She got up, got ready, they left the house, fed the horses, dropped Tina off at school for her first day, and then she went to school herself.
And I did my normal morning routine. I sat down at my laptop by about 6:30 starting work, took my morning break at about 7:45 and fed all the animals. When I went to feed the goats, one of the young 3 month old babies did come eat. So I went to check on him and he was burning up. First thing I did was call the vet that sees farm animals. No luck - he was off on Tuesdays. Next I text my friend Denise, who owns her own vet practice. No luck - she was off Tuesday as well. She asks me what the problem is and I tell her I have a goat with a high fever. So now the obvious question - how high is it? After spending 15 minutes looking for some Vaseline... I got Dad to hold the goat and I got to hold the thermometer... His fever was 105.3. Next was weight - 34 pounds. So I sent all that to Denise. She said she would text Tori the dose. (Not sure if I had mentioned on the blog before, but Tori works for Denise). So my next question to her is can this wait until this afternoon. Which she promptly told me "goats are delicate and that is pretty high of a fever and the sooner the better"...
So you all know what my dilemma is now? I have to call the school at 8:40.... and tell them.... to let my daughter out so she can get some medicine for the goat. I decide best not to tell them up front, I simply call and say she needs to leave for an hour and to ask her to call me when she gets in the truck. So Tori calls and say "what is up!". I tell her that I need her to go to the clinic, get the medicine that Denise has texted her about, and I will meet her there. At this point I am trying to limit the amount of time on her 2nd day of school that she is missing. So I get to the clinic and Tori says "Where is the goat". Well.. I didn't bring the goat. I figured it was pills and I would just take it home and give it to him. Not so fast - it is an injection. So Tori laughs at me and starts drawing up the medicine.
At this point I am trying to be helpful. So while Tori is drawing up the medicine, they have a cat that is boarded. I go in there and give the cat fresh water and I was going to be nice and scoop the litter box. Anyone reading by now has to know what is coming next. Sure enough the cat gets out. Tori comes in there and gets the cat, laughs at me more, and says come on lets go to the house.
Luckily catching this goat is super easy because he loves to be picked up and held up to the trees to get leaves. So I caught him and Tori gave him the shot. So then the only thing left... writing a note to the school to explain why she was gone (she was only gone 45 minutes). In the end everyone got a big laugh about it and her friends think I am crazy!
Later that evening I started thinking about Tori and my friend Denise. How wonderful is it that she is so well trusted by her employer and how grateful I am to have a friend like Denise! BTW - the goat is doing great!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Teenagers!
I think I will cry. As of August 7th I officially have TWO teenagers! Tina's is officially a teenager! She wanted a simple party with - breakfast food (country ham, homemade biscuits, baked potato, and watermelon) a goat cake that looks like our white goat Billy, and to do tie-dye t-shirts.
She told me not to worry about buying a cake because homemade are the best and Tori could do it for her. So that is exactly what we did. Tori worked on the cake and I worked on the other cooking. For her simple party we had about 40 people here eating country ham!
Everyone had a good time and the shirts for everyone all turned out great.
She told me not to worry about buying a cake because homemade are the best and Tori could do it for her. So that is exactly what we did. Tori worked on the cake and I worked on the other cooking. For her simple party we had about 40 people here eating country ham!
Everyone had a good time and the shirts for everyone all turned out great.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Relocating the Container
So now that we have a garage and have moved all the stuff out of the container, it was time to do some cleanup. After looking at the yard and where the container was sitting (if you remember it was a big deal to get it delivered and set where it was - http://tntacres.blogspot.com/2009/10/container-delivery.html and was actually my 2nd blog post on this blog!)
It was never where we really wanted it. So Rod decided to see if the backhoe could move it (Him and his big toys). Dad came over to help and Mom and I watched :-) In the end it was fairly easy and we now have it right where we want it! It is officially the "feed storage container" now.
It was never where we really wanted it. So Rod decided to see if the backhoe could move it (Him and his big toys). Dad came over to help and Mom and I watched :-) In the end it was fairly easy and we now have it right where we want it! It is officially the "feed storage container" now.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Table Saw
Oh another Garage post - I almost forgot about this until I was looking through the pictures again. I was just so excited to get the motorcycles out of the house that I forgot that we FINALLY got the table saw off the PORCH.... This thing has been on the porch since before we moved into the house! Charles was nice enough to come help Rod move it off the porch and into its new home.
Monday, July 2, 2012
GARAGE!
We FINALLY have a GARAGE!!!! This means the motorcycles are GONE from the house!
If you knew us when we had the old house, you know that there was a point in time when Rod had a 2 car garage with workshop and a 2 car garage in the basement. That is a lot of square footage for his junk. When building the house we just couldn't swing the cost of the garage. Last year we were going to build it and the day that we were given the quote... as soon as the guy left.... that is when Rod started working on replacing the culvert in the driveway. We all know how that turned out (if you don't, read the culvert blog posts and you can see the damage). So obviously last year our money saved for the garage went elsewhere - mostly down stream.
One year later we have saved up enough again and they are building the garage. We bought a metal style building with a concrete floor. It is 30X40 with two garage bays and one people door for the workshop area. The installation was from the Mennonites. It was really amazing watching them work. The used minimal machinery and did all the really hard, heavy lifting with manpower alone. It was crazy watching them put the roof on without any harnesses and climbing all up the trusses.
To say Rod is excited is an understatement! I am so glad he finally has some space of his own again. What a nice anniversary present since the day the finished we celebrated 18 years of marriage
If you knew us when we had the old house, you know that there was a point in time when Rod had a 2 car garage with workshop and a 2 car garage in the basement. That is a lot of square footage for his junk. When building the house we just couldn't swing the cost of the garage. Last year we were going to build it and the day that we were given the quote... as soon as the guy left.... that is when Rod started working on replacing the culvert in the driveway. We all know how that turned out (if you don't, read the culvert blog posts and you can see the damage). So obviously last year our money saved for the garage went elsewhere - mostly down stream.
One year later we have saved up enough again and they are building the garage. We bought a metal style building with a concrete floor. It is 30X40 with two garage bays and one people door for the workshop area. The installation was from the Mennonites. It was really amazing watching them work. The used minimal machinery and did all the really hard, heavy lifting with manpower alone. It was crazy watching them put the roof on without any harnesses and climbing all up the trusses.
To say Rod is excited is an understatement! I am so glad he finally has some space of his own again. What a nice anniversary present since the day the finished we celebrated 18 years of marriage
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
COPD
Everyone has heard of the term COPD before - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. I didn't know this, but apparently, Willow has been sneaking behind the barn and smoking cigarettes!
All joking aside, it is also a common disease in horses and we officially have a horse that was diagnosed with it last week. She will be on some maintenance anti-inflammatory drugs. For the short term she is also on some injectable steroids (I have learned how to give a horse a shot now) and some pain medicine. The trip to the vet was traumatic because she had an accident while the vet was checking her out and cut her leg bad.
So now we are a week from the diagnosis and have all this medicine to get down her throat. She DOES NOT want to take it. Do you know how hard it is to give a horse medicine if she doesn't want it... let me just tell you, it is much harder than a child, dog, or cat! After many failed tries with the medicine, we finally are being successful mixing it with apple sauce and squirting it down her throat.
The cuts that occurred at the vet have now gotten infected and she needs hydro therapy like the baby goat did. We also need to keep the flies off of her... so you know what that means... moving her into the house.
... gotcha .... we did not move her into the house! (I bet at least one person that read that believed we would have done that). But we did have to setup a temporary fence up at the house so it was easy to hose her wound down twice a day doing the therapy. The prognosis is that during the worst months - spring and summer - she will need the maintenance drug. As long as it is all under control, she is still ridable.
My new view from the deck:
All joking aside, it is also a common disease in horses and we officially have a horse that was diagnosed with it last week. She will be on some maintenance anti-inflammatory drugs. For the short term she is also on some injectable steroids (I have learned how to give a horse a shot now) and some pain medicine. The trip to the vet was traumatic because she had an accident while the vet was checking her out and cut her leg bad.
So now we are a week from the diagnosis and have all this medicine to get down her throat. She DOES NOT want to take it. Do you know how hard it is to give a horse medicine if she doesn't want it... let me just tell you, it is much harder than a child, dog, or cat! After many failed tries with the medicine, we finally are being successful mixing it with apple sauce and squirting it down her throat.
The cuts that occurred at the vet have now gotten infected and she needs hydro therapy like the baby goat did. We also need to keep the flies off of her... so you know what that means... moving her into the house.
... gotcha .... we did not move her into the house! (I bet at least one person that read that believed we would have done that). But we did have to setup a temporary fence up at the house so it was easy to hose her wound down twice a day doing the therapy. The prognosis is that during the worst months - spring and summer - she will need the maintenance drug. As long as it is all under control, she is still ridable.
My new view from the deck:
Trampoline Tent
Tina's new favorite thing is to "camp" on the trampoline. This keeps her off the ground and away from the bugs.
Last Friday Tina slept in the tent with her friend Haley. Saturday Tori was going to be gone for the night and Tina was home alone with us. So the three of us sat down and watched Ghostbusters on Nextflix. At this point it is 11:00 at night and Tina asks Rod if he will camp with her. So 10 minutes later, with his pillows in tow, I had the bed to myself and Rod and Tina were camping. The picture below was taken in the following morning. I wish I had every memory like this documented for the kids!
(Even though they were on the trampoline... they did still have power (see the orange cord) and an air mattress) :-)
Last Friday Tina slept in the tent with her friend Haley. Saturday Tori was going to be gone for the night and Tina was home alone with us. So the three of us sat down and watched Ghostbusters on Nextflix. At this point it is 11:00 at night and Tina asks Rod if he will camp with her. So 10 minutes later, with his pillows in tow, I had the bed to myself and Rod and Tina were camping. The picture below was taken in the following morning. I wish I had every memory like this documented for the kids!
(Even though they were on the trampoline... they did still have power (see the orange cord) and an air mattress) :-)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day Weekend
This weekend marks the 2 year mark of living in our new house. Wonder how long I can continue to call it "new"? Guess I need to drop the "new" when I refer to the house.The holiday weekend started off on Saturday morning with Rod and Tori going to for a ride to Lovelace Cafe and then continuing down Natchez Trace Parkway. Rod is still amazed with how well Tori is doing on her motorcycle.
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| Granny with her hat |
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| Tori, Tina and Rod |
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| The entire hat gang! |
Saturday afternoon Tori and Tina headed to Destin, FL with Laine.
Sunday wasn't too eventful - Rod brewing beer in the morning, and us going to dinner in the evening.
Monday - Granny, Aunt Sandra, Aunt Carol, Uncle John, Mom and Dad all came over to grill out. Luckily Granny brought her dog, Scooter, to provide entertainment for us. He is a dachshund and at one point Bear was laying in the kitchen and Scooter came over to sniff his butt. Then Rod says "look Bear is taller than Scooter laying down with Scooter standing up". It was a big day for Scooter - meeting chickens, pigs and goats.
Monday evening had Rod working in the "motorcycle repair shop" that is in my rec room! I did INSIST that he push it outside before he tried to start the triumph. He was excited that it did turn over and start... but... it is leaking around the head. So right now he is down there pushing it back inside so that he can work on that.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Four
Four - This is a nice even number. It is the number of people in my family, the number of dogs that we have, the number of baby goats that we have, the number of tires I have to buy for my suburban. When I was a kid I thought it cool that 2 + 2 = 4 and then 2 X 2 = 4 also. (OK, I was a math nerd). It is the number of letters in both Tori and Tina's names. It is the number of exterior doors in our house, the number of chairs in at my kitchen table. I could go on and on about the number four.
Now to the reason for this post... it is also the number of MOTORCYCLES that I have in my rec room right now! The garage is scheduled to be built at the end of June and to say I am anxious is an understatement. Rod insists on storing his and Tori's motorcycles in the house until we have a garage and now he is in the process of rebuilding two more motorcycles down there.
And here are the pictures to prove it:
See the mechanical room door is open because that is where his tools are. Tori's is on the left, Rod's is next, then the old triumph that Dad gave Rod 18 years ago when we got married, and the far right is one that he bought the frame recently.
I guess I should disclose that when we got married... he was rebuilding a Harley in his kitchen... so I guess I should be happy that these are not sitting in my kitchen!
Now to the reason for this post... it is also the number of MOTORCYCLES that I have in my rec room right now! The garage is scheduled to be built at the end of June and to say I am anxious is an understatement. Rod insists on storing his and Tori's motorcycles in the house until we have a garage and now he is in the process of rebuilding two more motorcycles down there.
And here are the pictures to prove it:
See the mechanical room door is open because that is where his tools are. Tori's is on the left, Rod's is next, then the old triumph that Dad gave Rod 18 years ago when we got married, and the far right is one that he bought the frame recently.
I guess I should disclose that when we got married... he was rebuilding a Harley in his kitchen... so I guess I should be happy that these are not sitting in my kitchen!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
SMS Awards
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Mother's Day Tea
Christy, my sister-in-law, decided this year she was going to have something just for Mothers on Mother's Day Weekend. So on the Saturday before Mother's Day, she had a tea. Everyone in attendance was a mother. For me personally, there were 3 generations. With everyone from my Mom, my mother-in-law, Aunt Sandra, Granny, etc in attendance, it was great!
The entire group:
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