Catching Up

We've made it to December, fairly quickly I might add.  The weather has been so nice and mild this fall, that is, until the last week or so.  Today our forecasted high is -12*F, currently we are at -19*F with the "feels like" ringing in at -34*F.  I feel it's safe to say winter has arrived!

Over the last few months we have been fairly ridiculously busy.  We survived flag football, volleyball and cheer (still ongoing) and managed to squeeze in hunting as well.  It's been non stop!  There is always something to be done around here, always.  I'm trying to work on some of the indoors, painting and decorating and such.  Brian has a barn to work on for the horses.  Oh, did I not mention???

 HE'S HOOOOME!!!!!  

Finally!  We have the Man home, hopefully for awhile.  I am excited to get some of the bigger projects underway.  So far we have a dog house and a kitty house fashioned from re-purposed pallets.  The barn has been started but will obviously be on the back burner for the next few days, until we hit positive high temperatures out there!  The basement is also on the list of projects awaiting attentions.  I should probably decide on flooring and such soon.

I am also looking into some projects around the house.  Pinterest is full of ideas and I figured, why not give'm a go?  There are so many things I've pinned I figure it's time to try some of them out...at least the indoor ideas.

So, I thank everyone for stopping by.  I know it's been too long since I've posted.  Have a wonderful weekend.

~Ash

2 Years

***Disclaimer***

This turned out much longer than I intended.  

It's been just over two years since we moved out of town and attempted to build a little farm.  Much has happened in this relatively short time.  We've had Daddy come and go several times, leaving us to figure some things out on our own.  We've added animals to the mix and worked a bit on our house.  We've added a little bit to the outbuilding we started with, a huge shed.  We now have chicken coops and a turkey pen, a place for rabbits and more fencing.  I have a few raised garden beds and we planted several trees, none of which took.  There have been vehicle changes, with more to come.  (Momma will need a vehicle and Kyleigh will be getting her license soon.)  We've had friends, family, visitors, house guests and "squatters" a few guys who've lived with us while in transition.  LOL, squatters, Classic!

We gave homeschooling a try, ultimately choosing public schools again.  This was the best choice for us but I still miss the homeschooling from time to time.  We have been Blessed with wonderful teachers, a dedicated principal/superintendent and an awesome elementary principal, not to mention the most wonderful staff.  We have made wonderful friends and have been mostly accepted by "the locals".  Ha!  We've had new experiences, like brandings, and become a part of this community.  We feel the pride of our little towns and it is wonderful to have that sense of family/community, which we have longed for.  Being a part of the military is it's own group, which we will always remain, but living here has been so much more than we could have hoped.  We have been through some tough times with this new family, the losses felt throughout the entire area, and we've had a great time cheering on the home team. Go Horns! Our kids have blossomed.  They've seen so much of the world in cities and suburbs, this "ranch life" has been an awesome new discovery.  They are so much more engaged.  I can't think of any other way to put it.  Kyleigh has really stepped up with the animal care and has matured into a beautiful young lady.  Lucy has opened up and has made so many new friends, some feel like we've known them forever.  Nick is our little, or not so, doer.  Whether it's shoveling snow or running the weedeater this kid knows how to work.

I'm just so grateful to be where I am.  I look forward to many more years and experiences in this little, tiny piece of the Big Sky.  I think I may have to share a few stories from these first years, the blog is only about 8 months old and there were some HI-larious moments, some terrifying, I have yet to share.  Hopefully you'll get as big a kick out of them too.  We ARE the Woodsies.  This IS our life.  You just can't make this stuff up!

How many of you are "living the dream"?  Care to share?  I'm all ears eyes.

In closing, I leave you with a phrase which has become synonymous with the WoodsFam....

"That's NEVER happened, I've just NEVER seen/heard _____________.  (Fill in the blank as you wish, it's probably been uttered.)

Oh, and let's not forget "That's a first."  And NO, these are not spoken as compliments.  They are always stated with shock, awe, confusion and/or disbelief.  Maybe I'll share some of those moments in the near future.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

~Ash

Welcome to Summer Life

This week we are preparing for the invasion...Grannie's Coming!!!  LOL  There's quite a bit to do for prep so it's nice to have the kids out of school to help.  Wait, the girls are having friend time away from the house...they will have a busy couple days with the last minute rush.

So far, I've managed to get the carpet somewhat cleaned.  Let me tell ya, a steam cleaner that won't spray is a bit of a pain.  I've been mixing up a cleaner in a bottle and having to spray the carpet, wait, add water and then suck it all up.  Not the quickest method but at least it sucks...hahaha.  The living room is slowly clearing out from all the end of the school year crap and it's finally starting to smell better with the windows open daily.  My bedroom is just about there, some dusting and clean sheets ought to do it.  Then I will be changing the sheets on Nick's bed so I have clean sheets.  Yes, my room is the guest room.  Or maybe I'll just move out to the camper...hmmmm.  That doesn't sound so bad, the bed is super comfy, I can keep the wine chilled AND use the bathroom...SCORE!

So, there's my first week of summer in a nutshell.  Looking forward to time with family and friends and whatever entertains the household while Daddy is gone. It's looking to be beautiful weather soon and I'm ready to chill and not play beat the clock.  I look forward to some R&R, long baths and quiet reading time  I hear the water calling out to me and the sun as well.  It's gonna be a good summer, yep.

What are your summer plans?

~Ash

Overwhelmed

It's been a long week for us.  We've had too many heartbreaks in the last few days.  Our family is just fine, thankfully, but there are other families experiencing great loss.  It's so frustrating when you want so badly to help but there's just really nothing you can do but pray.  I know prayer is help but I want to do something more.  It brings back so many memories.  Sad, lonely, depressing memories of our losses back in 2005.  I know I can't relate completely but what I can relate to is devastating.  A roller coaster of emotions and no way to ease them.  So many tears, so many uncertain moments, so much loss.  And mine were spaced out over several months, not several hours.

Life changes so quickly and we do our best to hold on and go with the flow.  When these things happen our first response is "Why?"  Why God?  And we can answer it immediately with, "it is not for us to know now." A closer relationship with God?  Our family?  Our friends?  It makes one reflect on life and loss.  I know I certainly have those "WTFudge?" moments in my life.  What can we do from here?  Everyone has their own way of coping, some better than others.  It's those who have difficulty coping who are on my mind this week.

That's where my desire to help is aimed.  I want to help people, emotionally.  Anyone can help clean, send cash etc., but not everyone is willing to sit and listen.  It's hard to hear sometimes, how people suffer quietly.  Every day there is someone who could use a smile or a hug, an "I'm proud of you."  We lose so much on a daily basis we become blind or immune to it until it smacks them in the face.  Please, be that shoulder to lean on.  Everyone has a need.  A quiet room and conversation with a friend, a random hello in the parking lot, unleashing the dam of tears you just can't hold anymore.  A need to release.

Apparently the need to release is right here.  I thank you for those who continued reading, I know it's not an uplifting topic today, Debbie Downer In the House!  I hope to gain some positive mojo soon, this stinks.  I am also hoping to share something FUN soon, I think the world could use a little LOT more laughter.  So I leave you with this:





Blessings.

~Ash

Happy Mother's Day

My Biggest Gifts...

Well, it's been a year since I started my journey of 1000 Gifts.  Last year my mom gifted us with the photography companion to One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.  I took the challenge and ended up buying the full book.  I was hoping to hit at least one "gift" a day for the year.  I got to #339, not too bad.  I went through those days of listing several and then there were those I didn't list any.  It's not anywhere near as easy as I had thought.  I don't even want to know how many "repeats" there are in there, I'll chalk it up to being especially grateful for those.

I will be reading through these gifts today as a reminder of just how blessed I am.  I have drifted away to a point and I need to recenter and focus on the beauty of the life we have.  Somewhere in all the shuffles of daily life, I have allowed myself to forget the most important part of my days...gratitude.  Gratitude, reflection, recharging...they are all the part of my day I should bring to the forefront.  It's in these moments I can really understand just how happy I truly am.

Here's to another year of Gifts.

~Ash


And here's one more gift, like I could skip him...pssshhhaaaa

My Partner in Crime All Things!

I Wanna Go Play Outside!

It's another beautiful day out here on the 'ole homestead!  I'm stuck in here working on floors and bedrooms and bathrooms...  I would LOVE to grab a book, some suntan oil, a huge glass of sweet-ish tea and a towel and lay out on the trampoline.  It would be sooo wonderful.  I'd even enjoy working a little more on the fence or starting my garden, darn responsibilities inside!  Curses!  But hey, if the boys can drink some cold beer while working outside, I'm thinking a little wine would be spectacular today.  Ooooo, Sangria...  Who's it On?  I guess I should wait til at least noon.  Blah.

So, today I am focusing on beating this house into submission.  I've got muddy floors, gross carpets, laundry and a tween's bedroom in some serious need of intervention.  Maybe, just maybe, once her room is rearranged she will find the excitement in keeping it nice.  It's a good hope albeit not likely.  The grounding has helped a little bit but I'm really not one to enjoy the enforcing of the discipline.  It happens but I think I am just punishing myself most of the time.  Aaargh!  (maybe it's a rum day, matey)  LOL

So, off I go into "the depths of despair"...  Yes, I just used an Anne Shirley quote.  Wish me luck and pray I return unscathed, mostly.  Let's be real, AmIRight?  And how good will it feel to have clean floors again?  I don't remember but I think it was, refreshing???  I am determined to get to the actual floor again, I've already done one pass and it smells like mud in here now, yuck.  

What would you be doing on a day like today?  Would you run outside and forget about the world around you while enter the world of your book?  Would you push up your sleeves, tuck up your skirt and Get To It?  Maybe go for a long drive with the top down or play some golf?  Share it Here!!!

Smiles and Well Wishes.

~Ash

Our "Guest"

It's Finally Friday, can I get a Whoot Whoot???

Today is rainy so I spent time working on Nick's bedroom today.  I'll post pictures once I'm done but for now it's not quite ready.  I did get the rest of his furniture moved upstairs, sweet!  I'm in search of some fabric and paint and ideas.

So, for a little Farm Friday entertainment I've decided to share a few pictures of this week's guest, from yesterday.  Here he is helping himself to the horses' water.  It's been very helpful to have him visiting as he keeps pushing our fencing down.  This is the turkey/duck pen, temporarily including horses. It was a preexisting area and not meant for big animals, obviously. I did get a start on the horse fencing yesterday.  I got the gate installed but hey, it's just me and Kyleigh working on it and that stuff is H-E-A-V-Y!  Fortunately, our friend showed up to visit and volunteered to come back later on and pound some serious posts for me, YaY!, and possibly help stretch the fence. I Love living here!  He was paid in tamales.

Mr. Brown trying to get his attention.

So, later on he came back and was just outside our door.  Mr. Brown was desperately trying to get his point across, to no avail.  He's gotten very comfortable here.  He seems pretty docile but I'm not willing to challenge him to a showdown...

I'm Right HERE!  GOOOOO!!!!  LOL

You'll note Mr. Brown is a little confused and offended to be ignored.  The first few times, the bull listened and sauntered on down the road, not so much now.

Mom, he's not listening...WTHeck?

So, there you have it, a typical WoodsFam day.  The bull was rounded up later yesterday afternoon and was back at it this morning.  Fortunately, I didn't notice until I heard a truck and saw someone trying to wrangle him again.  Too Funny...except the fence part...UGH!  LOL

Have you ever had an uninvited guest who just won't leave?  Share it here!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  We've got another busy one planned and hope to share pics next week.

~Ash

Yes,This is Our Life.

Greetings.

It's Wednesday, Hump Day, and all I can think is how much it feels like another Monday.  I know I say I try to keep busy but this is a little overboard.  If only life could space out the work evenly...LOL  Oddly enough, my last post WAS on Monday.  I'm still trying to sort out the how-to's of fixing the fence, the shelter is another story.  Being spring and summer coming I am thinking the horses will be ok until Daddy gets back.  In any poor weather, we can move them back to the "turkey and duck" pen.

That being said...the turkey and duck pen are currently inhabited by the displaced horses.  I've got the fencing, the posts are still in place, I have ties and caps for the t-posts.  What I don't have is ANY idea how to get the fencing out of the truck and rolled out the "short" distance I need it.  I'm not good with measurements when "eyeballing" but I know it's not 330' of repair which is exactly how much horse/livestock fencing I have.  That being said, I now need to fix the turkey/duck pen...

This morning, after telling the dogs to "HUSH UP Already!" I look out and see our neighbor out with the horses.  Neighbor, being a very large bull.  No "shit", it was a bull...and, of course, all I can think of is Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!  LOL  I don't mind the droppings so much but he was IN the turkey pen, meaning he pushed the fencing down on one end.  Now, I realize it wasn't the sturdiest to begin with but Come On.  So, after driving in to town early to drop off Lucy for an overnight field trip, I come home and find we left one dog out.  I then try to start my day when I hear the dogs going crazy and find the bull in the pen.  I proceed to fix said fencing as best I can before the horses make a run for it.  I was really not wanting to do a recovery alone again...  But, I got it fixed up and the horses are still here so that's something.

Then it was time to make a water run, Oh Joy (said in my best "Stimpy" inner voice).  Of course, I was having a bit of a time getting the truck backed up just right for the trailer...yeah, I guess I am a girl in some ways!  That is irritation in and of itself.  I really didn't need the damn roosters coming after me!!!  I don't know what has gotten into them but they are ASSHOLES now.  Manny used to be ok but since Bob has joined the ranks it's every man, woman and child for themselves.  So, I'm trying to hitch up, while fending off rogue roosters and getting in and out of the truck for "just an inch or two more."  I'm sure it would be entertaining for the masses, I wasn't in quite so good humor by that time.  BUT, I finally got it done, thank you very much.  Then it was on to normal, everyday business.  Fiona had an appointment for her immunizations and to have her "easy button" looked at.  So, when it's time to leave I put the boys in their kennels and call  out for the Princess.

For about 15-20 minutes I am calling outside, inside, checking under beds, checking animal shelters (not the pound), you name it.  I couldn't find her anywhere!  I figured she ended up following the bull to make sure he was gone for good or something of that nature.  When I couldn't wait any longer I called the vet's office and asked if I could bring in Paco instead as it was still just immunizations, Fiona was nowhere to be found.  So, no biggs, Paco and I roll out for his checkup, shots, etc.  I'm sure everyone will be happy to hear he is healthy, many more years to come.  He I scheduled an appt. for getting his teeth cleaned later this month and a "bring Fiona in if she's available during his drop off or pick up."  I proceeded to treat myself to a chicken sandwich at The Expedition and a "glass" of wine.  Hehehe  I've found a new red I really like, it's called Goose Bump.  Anyhow, I stayed in town til it was time to pick the kids up and we headed home.

FIONA WAS IN THE HOUSE THE WHOLE TIME!

Yep, she came right out when Kyleigh opened the door.  I guess at some point I must have mentioned the appt. in her presence, dumb me.  She really is a Princess, with fatty tumors~fat pockets~easy buttons.  She's my girl.  I'm so relieved she hadn't decided to wonder off and die or something.  The thought did occur to me, unfortunately.  She has so much to teach the young boys about being loyal, not velcro, guardianship and family/animal protection on the 'ole farm.  Did I mention I LOVE LOVE LOVE this oddly sized dachshund mix?

Yes, this IS our life!

So, that's it for today, Lord willing.  I'm ready for dinner, a cider and some Ghost Whisperer.  Yes, we just started watching it on Netflix and the kids are always asking if we'll have time to get in an episode or two.  We live in a bit of a time warp bubble.  LOL

May you have a relaxing evening and until next time...

~Ash

Hoooooo Weeeee! It's Definitely A Monday!

Good Grief is it's WINDY!  I thought Saturday was bad but this definitely takes the cake.  I'm surprised we haven't had any animals blow away yet.  Today has been a stay in the house kind of day...  I'm trying to get this house in shape but to no avail.  I feel like once I finish one thing there are seventeen other things that fall apart.  I need some pep in my step and it just hasn't been available lately, I think it's on back order...

Well, I had a little break in my post.  After picking up the kiddos from the bus stop (post office) we were trying to get our afternoon chores done when we noticed...

"MOM, BELLE is OUT!"  Yup, not just Belle but Klassy too.  Appears our horse shelter wasn't rated for gale force winds.  Uggghhh.  So, off we went to round up the girls.  I guess I've got a little more than reinforcement to tend to now.  Isn't that just so exciting?!?  Oh, and just in case that wasn't enough for today, we lost half the roof on the chicken coop.  I guess the life span of two years was pushing it.  Oh well, I will be a busy bee for awhile. Phew!  I'm so relieved, I was afraid I would run out of things to do.  Know what I meeeeean?  The good news is, the roof is still on OUR house.  Yaaay!

So, I'm off to have some dinner and make some plans for rebuilding.  LOL  It's just another day at the Woodsies.  Anyone else just have one of those days?  Let me know about it, let's commiserate, leave a line or two.  Hoping everyone has a wonderful and relaxing evening.

Blessings,

~Ash

"The Small Things"

Good Afternoon to you all.  It's a lovely, albeit cold, Sunday here in Montana.  This week is the beginning of Lent...Shrove/Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.  While most of us look forward to Fat Tuesday and the excesses it "allows", I have been pushed closer to the solemnity of the season.  We will, as usual, have our Mardi Gras fun and start this annual journey with eyes wide open.

This past week I've been seeing a quote quite frequently.  It seems to sum up what I've been feeling lately.  I guess 2013, for me, is about self discovery.  So far I've had a very different mindset to the world and life in general.  I guess this back to basics discovery is my first step.  It carries into all areas of life, be it feeding my family, taking care of the animals or just smiling to a stranger.  It is quite simple and has become a sort of mantra for me.  I hope it touches you and helps you think a little more about the little things because we should all remember that it's the little things in life that brings great results.  Are you ready?  Here it is...

"Do small things with great love."

~Mother Teresa~

To read more about Mother Teresa click here.

What are some little things in life you can do to make a difference?  Just something to think about so please share and maybe your little thing will be a big thing to someone reading.  

Thank you and have a Blessed week.

~Ash

Step 1

I focused on foundations yesterday.  Today I am looking at the bricks of this foundation.  Us, the WoodsFam.  In order to succeed in any venture, one must first focus on themselves.  This is not selfish, it is absolutely imperative, it's your "footer."  (Jiminy, can we tell my hubby is a structural engineer?)  A farm depends on it's people.  To be successful in any way, you have to be able to work physically and mentally.  Your home depends on you to keep it running.  The garden can't take care of itself and neither can the animals.  Yeah, the horse grazes and the birds free range but there is a little more to it.  Without the people, the farm dies.  So, we must take care of ourselves and each other.

The goal is to be healthy, productive, happy.  I know I'm loved and I love.  Loving myself is not always so easy.  Visualization is key to improving your outlook on yourself and your life.  We have to see ourselves the way we want to be.  I have battled this for a very long time.  I've always been hard on myself.  I have made a conscious decision today, it ends here.  It's been something in the works for a very long time and I am finally at the point where I can say it out loud.  I will be held accountable for my declaration.  I AM A GOOD PERSON!  LOL  I AM LOVABLE!  I DESERVE ________!  Got it?  It's so freeing.  "I'm good enough.  I'm smart enough.  And doggone it, people like me." ~Stuart Smiley aka. Al Franken

So, I am hoping to take you step by step through our journey here on the farm.  I realize it's a hobby farm blog, it's also a WoodsFam blog...the two go together.  It's for the betterment of all, here on the 'ole homestead.  Healthy, happy people make for healthy, happy animals.  Please, don't go, it will get better...esp. when the weather stabilizes.  Hehe

Thanks for reading and be sure to leave some ideas or examples for our growing home.

~Ash

Foundations and Dreams

Have you ever really thought about how long it takes to build something almost completely from scratch?  From the ground up?  From a sparkle in the eye?  From some odd, random thought?  How long it takes to actually SEE the progress?  Anyone?  Well, I'm here to tell you this family takes its time...not always by choice...

We all live in the more is better, instant gratification, entitlement world.  It's difficult to wait for our dreams.  When Brian and I started talking about our future and our dreams we could see everything all laid out in front of us.  We knew we wanted children, a small farm and each other.  Two of those were "easy".  We made a commitment to each other and entered the sacrament of marriage.  Young, "dumb" and in love we began our trek together.  We had a child, moved around, had a child, moved around, had a child and moved a few more times.  In our years together we've been successful.  We've had our ups and downs.  We've had the joy of babies, moving around the world, buying our first house.  We've had the ache of loss, people, things, places.  All of these moments have made us stronger.  All of these experiences have brought us to this place. Today.  The now.  We've been together almost 16 years.  Slowly building the foundation for our family.

NOW.  Today is now.  We have a healthy, happy, loving family.  Our children are amazing.  We are more in love now than ever.  We can see the little sprigs of hope and promise (promises...right, lol).  Our family is in a good place.  We live in a house on land.  The foundation.  Yes, we have work to do but the foundation is set.  We have room inside and out.  We see the completion of things, slowly.  We have work to do.  Hopefully we will always be able to do the work which needs to be done.  We have small areas growing outside for our animals.  Fences, shelters, pastures...  One step at a time, steady as she goes.  The dream is coming to fruition.

We have a ways to go.  I don't believe we will ever be finished.  Life is for living and while we are here we plan to do it all the way.  We are closing in on Brian's retirement years.  We are looking forward to spending our time together, working the farm and enjoying each other.  It's been a road for sure.  We are approaching another separation, geographically.  It's difficult to be apart for the better part of a year.  I am so grateful we haven't had to go on longer stretches.  It can be taxing, physically and emotionally.  The most difficult is watching the children and knowing there are moments in their lives Brian will not be able to witness firsthand.  There have been too many already, just ask Kyleigh.

We are Blessed.  We are Hopeful.  We are Faithful.  We are Loved.

If anyone would like to share their story, please feel free.

Much Love,

~Ash

Tech Tuesday

Helllloooooo Out There...

Today is Tech Tuesday for me.  I've spent the better part of the morning working on this blog business.  I am about cross eyed at this point.  It's a slow progression but if you look closely, you just might see some changes going on.  Then again, maybe not.  Not all changes are on the blog page.  There's quite a bit of admin going on here.  I started out on a whim and I guess it's time to get a little more serious.

I haven't been on here for several days.  I know, boring, but I haven't really had much to share.  We've done more work downstairs but I'm not ready to post any pics yet.  It's just not at the point in which to share.  Laundry and cleaning is only so fun and I'm sure no one cares about mine.  I've made a few things and I'm testing them out to see if any are worth sharing with you all.  I'm hoping to post some new recipes, organizational ideas, renovation progress and maybe even some animal fun.  It's supposed to be a bit on the warmer (above freezing) side of things this week.  Yay!

So here's a a picture describing my life, indefinitely...lol

Have a wonderful week.  I hope to be more entertaining this week.

~Ash

Good Morning Monday

It's Monday, Yay!  I LOVE Mondays!

No sarcasm, I really do have a soft spot for Monday.  It gets a bad wrap.  Too many people look at it as "I have to go back to work" day.  How about we look at it as "I'm thankful for a job" day.  Does that make any sense?  I am grateful for my back to work day.  It gives me a chance to get myself ready for the week and put my house back in order.  Mondays give me a fresh start.  No matter what the previous week held for me, I get to start anew.

In our house, Mondays mean clean sheets on the bed.  It's fresh towels in the bathroom.  It's getting all of the weekend-ness out of the house.  I love weekends.  I just don't always like how things seem to get thrown to the wayside.  I like my home to be dusted, vacuumed...fresh.  Don't get me wrong, it's a household of six right now.  It's most definitely lived in.  I don't have the "magazine ready" house.  I don't really want it.  I have a home where people aren't afraid to come in, sit down, put their feet up and relax.  It makes our weekends so fun.  We enjoy having our friends/family out.

All of that being said, it's time to get off my tookus and get moving.  It doesn't magically happen, contrary to what the children may think.  As a "gift" to you, I am posting a picture in the hopes it brightens your day a bit.  It's one of my favorites.  I sometimes need reminding of why I love it here, esp when it's so darn cold!

A Montana Sunrise

May you have a peaceful Monday.

~Ash

3 Kings Day/Epiphany

Good Afternoon.

Today is Epiphany, or Three Kings Day.  The start of the Mardi Gras season!  A celebration of remembrance of the 3 Wise Men visiting the baby Jesus.  Many people take their tree/decorations down on this day.  My decor got the heave ho two days after Christmas, thank you Brian.  This means its time to start thinking about the King Cakes!!!  I love the food associated with Mardi Gras in our house.  King Cakes, Gumbo, Etoufee, Jambalaya, Dirty Rice...it's all wonderful.  Not sure what will be our menu for Fat Tuesday this year but I can say I'm excited about it!  A celebration of the birth of Christ leading up to Lent is a good time for all.  The prep for the solemn remembrance of Jesus's Crucifixion and the joy of His Resurrection.

Not much else to say today.  I dropped the hubby off at the airport and then took Nick to PetCo to look at some fish.  He ended up bringing home a baby betta and two ghost shrimp.  Let's all cross our fingers, please.  He doesn't always have good luck with fish.

AND, last but not least for today....Lucy's 12th Birthday is Saturday, the 12th!  Where does the time go?

Have a Wonderful Week.

~Ash

Saturday

Good Evening All.

Not much going on around the 'ole homestead.  Brian was able to change out his steering column this morning on the truck.  It's so much smoother and quieter.  It's a nice ride again.  Baby steps.  Just in time for him to leave for the week.  I feel it's gonna be a wild one.  Cheer, basketball, school plus painting and cleaning and, of course, laundry.  Maybe it'll go by quickly.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

~Ash

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2013!

I have many resolution ideas for this year.  I won't be posting any right now but I do intend to share as the year goes on.  May you all have a wonderful upcoming year.

Sending out good thoughts and prayers.

~Ash

Goodbye 2012

Tonight we will bid farewell to the year 2012.  It's been a year of triumphs and struggles all around.  Here at the 'Ole Homestead we've seen the slow changes of our city life becoming our country life.  We've learned so much along the way.  From water pumps to branding cattle, we've been fortunate to experience these moments in life.  We are settling into our little town and our little farm.

We have strengthened our friendships and neighborliness.  The kids are enjoying school and have become more interested in sports.  It really is amazing how much more we are experiencing.  Having the kids in a smaller school offers them opportunities they weren't so lucky to have in the bigger schools.  The sense of community here is something I've never really witnessed first hand until now.  It's just a great place to live.

We have added to our farm this year.  After the "Massacre of 2012", we have added chickens, bunnies, cats and a horse.  Soon, we should start to get a little more egg production.  We have a lost (she prob doesn't think she's lost) dog, Cora, who is deeply missed.  Just today Lucy woke up crying after having a dream she had returned.  It really stinks.  With the animal additions, we have also added fencing and a new coop/shelter.  It's definitely slow progress but progress none the less.

Looking forward to 2013, we are hoping to continue building up our little area here in Big Sky Country.  We will definitely be setting new goals and continuing to work toward a better life for our family and the world we live in, spiritually, financially and healthily.  I wish everyone a safe and happy new year.  May you all continue to be blessed in the future.

Adieu 2012,
Tchuss, Ciao, BYE BYE

~Ash

12-12-12

It's the twelfth of December, 2012.  My number is 12.  Maybe things will be good today, no major issues...

So, in the last week we've received not so great news about my car.  Apparently when your turbo goes, so does your whole engine.  Oh Joy!  We will add creative transportation to the list of excitement.  A little work on the truck and an oil change will make her happy, I'm sure.  Hoping we can find a commuter replacement soon.  Oh well, what can ya do...

We had another busy week between cheer practice, the first of Christmas Concerts (Nick's) and a visit from a great friend.  It's always good to see people, esp. when it's been years since the last time.  Bobby was able to see our little homestead and participate in a little of the life.  Our wonderfully sweet and oh so cooperative horse, Miss Belle, decided to go for a little walk.  She went back to where she came from so it wasn't too far and we found her quickly.  Getting her to come home was another issue.  Bobby got to lead her from the truck while I drove back.  Guess we'll be continuing the work on fence fortification.  For now she'll get to spend a little extra time with the turkeys and ducks.  I'm sure she won't mind.  

The rest of our week and into next week will be another busy time.  Kyleigh's first basketball game is Friday.  We'll also continue with the Christmas Programs for Kyleigh and Lucy.  I'm interested in seeing what they have prepared.  Imagine my surprise when reading over last night's programs and seeing a familiar production.  Nick's class did "The North Pole Goes Rock and Roll"...  Showing my age, I'll admit it was 25 years ago when I did the same play!  It was the standard 5th grade production.  Anyone who spent time in the same elementary I went to will recognize.  LOL  I can't believe I was even able to sing along and remember dialog.  Funny the things we remember.

I guess it's time for me to get back to the day to day.  The laundry won't do itself and I can never keep up with, much less ahead of, the pet hair.  Dusting and vacuuming is on ongoing challenge in this house.  Also gonna have to continue with holiday prep. 

May everyone have a wonderful day.

~Ash