Goodbye Blogger

So the time has come for me to breakup with blogger.  It has been getting too difficult to post things on here, especially photos. It forgets me way too often to continue on. And while Blessed Be has served me well for all these years, it's time to move on. I am switching over to word press. It seems that a lot of my friends who have blogs use it so I'm going to give it a shot. With the location move I am also switching my name. In honor of the farm name, the new blog is www.foreverendeavorblog.wordpress.com. I hope you will make the trek over to wordpress with me. The new blog will be along the same vein as this one, about our life. But I may be adding some more of my insights into life with it though, so be prepared! Thank you for following us on this crazy journey so far! It truly has been a blessed time!

Kicking

So Merriam-Webster dictionary defines kick as:

1a :  to strike out with the foot or feet

b :  to make a kick in football

2a :  to show opposition :  resist, rebel

b :  to protest strenuously or urgently :  express grave discontent

Here is a good example of the type of kick I am thinking of:

Similarly, punch is defined as:

1a :  prod, poke

b :  drive, herd <punching cattle>

2a :  to strike with a forward thrust especially of the fist

b :  to drive or push forcibly by or as if by a punch

c :  to hit (a ball) with less than a full swing

Again, corresponding image of the punch I am thinking of:

Obviously that is the baby on the right and my uterus on the left.  Critter:1 Uterus:0

Now obviously, there are some differences here. One is done with the foot, the other with the hand/fist. I would imagine kicks are more powerful than punches but I think that may also be relative to who is doing the beating. 

However, both are the verb forms of their respective words, and both are physical. Both are usually, and correctly in this instance, associated with force.  Yes, I am being kicked and punched on a daily basis.  By something that only weighs approximately 2 pounds.  Thankfully it doesn't hurt, at this point.  Talk to me when it's jabbing a foot or arm under my rib during one of their play time sessions. Or during labor.

I get that the baby jiving around in there is a good thing; it means that they are A) alive! B) healthy C) growing and D) a future athlete.  We're right in the middle of the 4 week period where the baby is most active-little fish, big pond sort of situation going on here. Between weeks 24-28 is that period of high activity and Critter is taking full advantage of it. 

I'm ok with Critter flipping and stretching around. I'm ok with them movin', shakin', and getting ready for the outside world. What I'm not ok with, is that their favorite time to do this has been at 4 AM the last few nights. For 30-45 minutes. Kid. You. Not.  Critter is most active first thing in the morning, right before bed, and at 4 AM. And after eating chocolate. Not sweets in general, just chocolate. It's pretty hilarious actually. I'm sure they are moving around all through the night as babies are typically more active when we mamas are at rest.  Since I'm moving almost all day, Critter is lulled to sleep most of the day by me just being active.  So when I'm at rest, they are like a tumbler at the circus! I imagine something like this:

This is what I feel like I look like first thing in the morning after a marathon night of kicks and jabs by my new little beloved (said sarcastically, ironically, and with some disdain):



I know some preggos who LOVE feeling their baby moving around. Once again, this is an area where I differ.  I don't hate it but I'm not going to run up to you and say ooooh, feel this!  It was actually one of the areas in which I was most nervous about getting pregnant.  I hated feeling my food process through my belly so who knew how I was going to take another, live human being (an alien or parasite as some may call it) having independent movement and control INSIDE me start to do their own thing?!?!  The first flutters did feel like gas bubbles; not too distinctive of baby movement but questionable.  Now the first major movement where I'm sure Critter was doing a big somersault fliperoo? Oh. My. Gosh.  I seriously almost vomited. Partly because it caught me by surprise.  But mainly because I felt and saw it at the same time and my belly moved. Actually, physically moved. I didn't like it when other people made me feel their bellies when they were preggo and the baby moved so I really wasn't having it to begin with.  Now, as time has gone on, it's not so bad.

And to those crazies out there who are shows like I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant, you have GOT to be on some sort of drugs to think that you were feeling gas bubbles (while you're getting the crap kicked out of your insides) and just having a really hard time losing that weight or processing your food. Are. You. Kidding. Me????? I always laughed at shows like that because I thought, how can you not know? Now. Now I really think they need to be evaluated by a mental health professional.  And I'm sure my opinion of them is only going to get worse after I actually have to go through the labor process myself. Ok, rant over.

Poor Matt, his hands are so big and warm I swear to you that as soon as he touches us, he soothes the baby to sleep. I'm really hopeful that this will translate well for when Critter is on the outside world. He just keeps chuckling the next day when I tell him what time and how long the little monster moved in the night to keep me awake. He also jokes that the baby is starting to condition me for no sleep. And in the same breath he says he's really not looking forward to me being sleep deprived for those first few weeks? Months? Years? Indefinite period of time.

All I'm saying is that at the rate this kid is going, they better get a scholarship to the school of their choice in some kind of sport that involves kicking, punching, and tomfoolery in general.  

Snoooooow, snoooooow, snoooooooooooooow.......

So this is how I feel about snow the first time it hits (I don't know how to make it show the video automatically so click on the link folks!!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ9cxfumEOo

Everyone loves that first storm.  So fresh, powdery, lovely, and magical looking. That feeling lasts for all about 15 seconds for me.  When I see snow first thing in the morning, or even on the radar, I get a pit in my stomach. I get anxious. I get agitated. I get angry.  It's almost like the steps of grief. 

I seriously think of Ned Stark from Game of Thrones saying, "Brace yourself." I know this is a very old joke at this point but it's truuuuuuue!!! Ask Matt.  I see snow on the forecast and I literally start a plan of attack on how to best combat the beast and ensure that the horses are well cared for.  This past storm definitely put me in a slight pickle.  Cold. Then warm. Then regular rain. Still warm. That turns into sleeting rain because it's starting to get cold. Then sleeting rain that turns into snow because the temperature drops literally 25-30 degrees in a 24 hour period.  Then snoooooooow. We got 6 inches in 6 hours, which I know people who are used to being in massive amounts of snow will respond with "quite your belly aching!"  But I'm sorry, that's a lot of snow! And WET snow. Here is my list of horrible badness when it comes to wintry conditions:

1. Freezing rain on top of melted then refrozen snow. It was like a frickin' slip in slide ice rink getting out to feed the horses.  And it's not a short walk. Especially when you have to take baby steps. And avoid tripping over wild snow puppies.
2. Freezing rain full stop. I. Hate. It. Especially when it's windy. Yuck.
3. Plummeting temperatures with freezing cold wind to make the wind chill literally 20 degrees colder.
4. Snow. Any kind. Any amount (well, except for a dusting, that doesn't hurt anything).

This is what I look like when I come in from being outside.....

To be fair, this is how Matt looks half the time too since he's really picked up the slack in helping me with having so much snow and ice. 

Now I know what almost any and every one of you are saying to me right now.  But YOU  wanted to have YOUR horses at HOME so YOU  can take care of them. IT'S YOUR FAULT!!!!. 

I agree. Seriously I do. I know I brought this upon myself.  That doesn't mean I can't hate it every now and then.  Look here's the deal.  If just one of these factors were at play, it would be NO BIG DEAL at all. Seriously.  But the fact that:

1. This has been a horrific February
2. We don't have a full barn up (by NO ONE'S fault.  It just wasn't feasible to get that up before the bad weather set in with out spending an absolute fortune).
3. First winter having the original 4
4. Getting Rui right before the winter set in and sadly having some herd integration issues (poor guy is all alone most of the time because the older guys don't really like him. The girls, however, love him.) I am so incredibly thankful that he is SUCH an AMAZING baby!!! He doesn't act like a coming 2 year old 95% of the time.  And he's learned that he can be a wild baby when he's been turned out for run around time-it's hilarious to watch. And terrifying. All I can think some of the time is "I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope he doesn't do that with me on his back in 2 years. 'Cause I will be T.O.A.S.T." He's pretty level-headed so I have good faith that he will be a perfect gentleman when it comes to that point.
5. And being knocked up. Yea I said it.

With all of these factors, winter has been tough.  I know that slogging through this winter will make me that much more grateful when the barn is up! And although my pregnancy has been pretty easy for the most part, I've started to pop out like a turkey thermometer within the last few weeks.  Apparently, that makes doing things (mobile, needing to be flexible outside while wearing 4 layers of snow gear kinds of things) a little more difficult.  Thank to the Lord that I didn't start popping sooner and that I made it 6 months before I actually had a belly to contend with. And apparently people think it's a small belly, but I'm feeling like small is a relative term these days....

At the end of the day, when I'm snuggled warm in my bed, feeling Critter kickin' around, I know I'm blessed.  Horses are healthy, safe, and warm despite the awful weather.  I am healthy, safe, and warm-no worse for wear for having to work a little harder to take care of the animals I love so very much. My husband is an absolute angel and saint for helping me without complaint (most of the time) and all he wants in return is a warm dinner (and maybe some lovin' but that's a different story!!).   I know I can sound ungrateful when it's 10 degrees outside and I have to trudge out to feed.  But it could be worse, I could not have them at all which would be heartbreaking.

Regardless, this is me when spring hits:

And this....

And this.....

Ok, I may have digressed some. But you get the point.

What's Been Going On?

So I realize I haven't posted in a little while. The holidays hit and it was craziness around here for a few weeks. Matt went off to Switzerland and had a great time-he's ready to go back again soon! Things have gotten back to normal so that means riding, cooking, church stuff, and crazy Brits (as always). But there are a few new things added to the mix. Matt and I sat down a couple weeks ago and set out some goals for ourselves (personal and together) for 2012 which is something we haven't done before. Some could call these "resolutions" but we want to create new habits permanently so we're calling them goals. Just roll with it ok?
Some of those goals included a very popular one, getting into shape!! I know, I know, cliche! But it is important! So I ordered some Jillian Michaels DVDs (30 Day Shred and "No More Trouble Zones") to whip me into shape! Matt says that riding 4 days a week for an hour doesn't count as "exercise" so I have to do something else!
I also want to improve my photography. Not so I can do it as a business (although if anyone wants to buy them I'm ok with it!), but so I can take AMAZING photos while we're on holiday so we can proudly display them in our home. And maybe give them as gifts sometimes ;) So with that I have joined a local photography club whose chairman is a professional photographer. Yipee!! Free lessons!! I am SOOOO excited about this! He's giving tutorials once a month and then we do "field trips" once a month to practice what we learn. How cool is that? I am seriously over the moon about this! My first time going was last week and we worked on "painting with light." Pretty much, dark room, highlight crap with flashlight. It's a really cool concept. And not too hard to do really. The biggest thing is you need a tripod, or still surface to place your camera, for it and we don't have one. It's ok; I'm making due for now! So I'm thinking I'm going to post some photos on here to show you what I'm up to but also to get feedback on how to improve! So please please please tell me what you think!! Remember I studied art so I can take a harsh critique!
I'm also taking a ceramics class for the next few weeks so I'm going to making and glazing goodies!! I may join that club too-we'll see how I get on ;)
The horse is doing great and we're getting better and better as time goes on! I'm really looking forward to competing in the All Island Show at the end of March. Hopefully we'll bring our "A" game and show some people what's what!

So below is my first at home attempt for "painting with light." I am trying to go for a little story here-horse jumping the little ghost people and freaking them out. Can you tell? How's my light? This is one of the better shots but I still need to look them over a little more and play a LOT more. I also need to come up with more ideas. The cool thing is that we'll vote on who has the best photo and the winner gets their photo printed, framed, and displayed where we have our meetings which is a center on camp. So here's for trying to get the best right??






What do you think?? Can you tell the white "ghost" threw up??

10 Years Gone by so Quick

So anyone who is a breathing, thinking, and alive knows, today is 9/11. I can't believe that it's almost 1 year that Matt and I have lived abroad but what I can't believe even more is that it's been 10 years since the attacks on our beloved country. It's so crazy to think that a whole 10 years has flown by-and what has happened in that time. Everyone always shares their "what were you doing" story on days like today and as most of you know me I won't go there. All I can say is that I just think over and over again how different my life could have been had certain events happened to our family.
My dad was supposed to be in the Pentagon that morning, in the spot where the plane crashed. The exact spot. But thankfully the good Lord spared his life and pushed the meeting to the afternoon. So dad did not go up to DC that fateful day. But what if he had? What if he had been in the building. He would have died. And my life would have been so much more heartbreaking. Would I have still gone to my beloved college? Probably not? I would not have been able to leave my mom alone. That means I wouldn't have met most of my closet friends-I wouldn't know what I was missing out on but I know I wouldn't be who I am now. Would Matt and I still have gotten married? Possibly. But the dynamic of our relationship would be so different. I might not have gone to college and he would've still gone to Tech and I would have been bitter at his experiences. My relationship with Christ would have been terribly different than it is now-I believe with all my heart that I wouldn't have blamed Christ for losing my dad but I know the growth I would've had would be different. Instead of going to CO and going to my church and growing as I did, it might have been more reserved. I might have been a terribly broken person. I know for sure that my relationship with my dad wasn't where I wanted it when 9/11 hit. I would've never had the close friendship, love, and respect I have with dad now. Some joke that I'm even a "daddy's girl" which in times like this, I'm ok with. At least I still have him. I would've been so terribly heartbroken to have to walk down the aisle alone instead of having dad lead me which is something that I will cherish all my life. So many "what ifs", "would have beens" and "maybes."
But praise the Lord I haven't had to live the last 10 years without one of the most important men of my life. It really is by a miracle from Christ that dad didn't drive up to the Pentagon and die that day. I really think Jesus looks out for me and my happiness because he spared my dad that day. And he protected Matt during the VT shootings. I can't imagine my life without either of them-they continually challenge, shape, and love me into someone who I want to be, who I should be.

Dad and I in Hawaii July 2010.

Holiday Season

So this year we didn't get to spend it with you, our beloved family and friends. We had a wonderful time with some coworker/friends eating a low key meal and playing some board games. We definitely missed spending the holidays with our family, especially after last year's fun time with my family for all three events. However, we are extremely grateful for this opportunity to live here and experience new things. 2011 has lots of promise for new and great things and adventures for not only us but our family and friends. We look forward to friends getting married, having babies, moving, and most of all, visiting us! As for life here on the island we look forward to taking an intro to Greek conversation class together (good thing I'm taking it with Matt, he's not the best at languages ;) ), traveling around the island more and finding new and fun places to visit, going to Paris in June to see our parents at the airshow and traveling with my parents after the show, having friends and family visit us, and most importantly, me going home to get Joey! It's been a very quiet and lonely house with out our boy! It will only really become our home when he gets here!
We are so blessed and thankful for your love and support, even though it comes from so far away. We love you all so dearly and want to hear from you! Have a very Happy New Year and we pray for only amazing and wonderful things in your lives this coming year!

Another Important Thing....

So as if it is impossible to remember, today is Sept. 11. 9 years ago something tragic happened to our country. It's been kind of a crazy ride between that day, when Matt and I were juniors in high school, just about to start dating to what we are now. And even more has changed in our country. History has been made over and over again, in various ways. We now have a very different president than the one who was in charge when the planes crashed. It's no secret that we are not fans of the current guy in charge but all I really have to say is that I truly hope he understands and remembers all those who died in the way that they deserve. I know he called for tolerance but I hope he truly means for all people, not just toward Muslims. So far it doesn't seem that his administration has been all that tolerant of the Christians in our country and he's been way to tolerant of people who shouldn't even be here. This is not a rant about what I disagree with-that can happen another time. This is about remembering those who were lost, and those we will still lose. We're not out of Iraq yet and in reality it may be a while until everyone is out of the Middle East for good. I know that reality hits a little too close to home as we prepare to get closer to that region and with the job that Matt has. Lets not only remember our soliders, but all those who go in pursuit of what is right. The contractors and missionaries and teachers and all who wish to make the world better and safer for those yet to come into the world.

Packing....

So I have love hate relationship with packing. The good thing about moving every year (at this rate, that's what's gonna happen w/us! We've only been here a year and a half-got here April 2009-it is now 2010, new year to move!) is you get to go through all your crap and purge a little. Some call this type of activity "spring cleaning" or "sweeps" in England (or so I've heard, via Michael Sheen when he was on 30 Rock, possibly one of the best shows I've ever seen in my short life!). I like to call it "moving cleaning" since we didn't purge in the spring, mainly because we weren't really here. But, every time we move, it's time to figure out what crap you don't need and move on. So far we have a very large and full black garbage bag full of goodwill items! Mainly clothes at this point but I haven't hit the kitchen yet! All books (except for cooking) have been accounted for and are in either a box to go with us (the lucky ones I say!) or to go to storage to not be seen for quite some time I suspect. It's amazing to me how one's home can go from this.....

nice, neat and tidy...


to this....

like the apocalypse has happened in your home alone....



in such a short amount of time! Ours is slowly yet very, very surely going to look like we live out of boxes and not have anything else here! Stuff has already come off the walls, things are taped away, and it's starting to smell a little musky because our boxes have been living in the garage and attic since we last emptied them. Sometimes I wish I could just do this for a while....



I still may....

It's been a while, I know...

So I realize it's been some time since my last post. We've been out of home, town, state, and even country in the last month. But now we are home and of course the first thing we took care of was dead plants and our jungle of a backyard! We're still in the process of overhauling the back-it's a process that will take some time. Sadly, we had some plants die :( In the front, all three hibiscus shrubs died and two out of the three trees died in the back. But very happily some things I thought that would die survived and are doing even better! Whoo hoo!! The asiatic lillies have sprouted and are about to bloom (can't wait!) and the hydrengas (who I thought were in mortal peril) had way more foliage and potential blooms when we got home. We bought some lovely little shrubs to replace the hibiscus, let us hope they don't disappoint like the hibiscus did. Also, the butterfly bush in the back has gotten HUGE!! It's a monster that I love dearly. And all those petunias I planted as "filler" (that were supposed to die since they're annuals) have thrived through the winter and have taken over. But they are pretty and smell nice, so we'll keep them for a little while longer.
And of course with the arrival of warm weather, it comes time to plant the veggie garden! I learned a lot from last years experiment so we did a few things differently. For starters, we made the garden area about twice as big. We're going to do a nice boarder to separate the veggies from the grass, making it look very official and tidy (just how Matt likes it). I also spaced things out a little better so some more timid plants will not be taken over by the heartier ones, like the squashes. I also opted to not do so many trailing plants like the cucumber (that was a joke!). This years crop includes watermelon (that will be tamed!), pumpkins from seeds (also, they will be more tame), yellow crook-neck squash and zucchini squash, red bell peppers, peas, strawberries, parsley and thyme and a hanging pot of celebrity tomatoes. I'm pretty excited to see how it all does this year since it was such a smashing success last year!
As for the inside, things were in pretty good order still. We are putting some pictures in our bathroom, to make it look finished, as well as knobs on all the cabinets! We got on the ball for that really fast and Matt did a wonderful job putting all the knobs on in no time. Now our kitchen looks a little more polished.
Sadly our external hard-drive has been malfunctioning so I'm having to upload pics onto our hard drive, which is taking some time. But no fear, I will be posting pics of all the goings on.
In horse-related news, I have joined a local riding group and am now meeting people! YAY! It's been fun so far and I have met some very nice people. I'll be posting pics from rides on here too.
That's all for now. Once these pics load I'll post them up! And as always, you can find us on flickr for pics to be posted too!

Let me just rant for a moment....

So today I had an epiphany.....I am a snob. Let me clarify-I am a horse snob. No, I don't demand that I own a $40,000 horse (although that would be nice-but I think it would be too fancy for me!). But I do feel that no matter how much your horse is (we bought mine for a steal; ok, maybe not a steal but he was worth every penny!) you should be able to find a place that is safe, reliable, and inexpensive! Generally speaking, the people who do own the $40,000 horses can afford to pay the ridiculous ransom, I mean board, that most very safe and reliable places ask. But what about us poor people who can't afford to pay that? Why must we then be forced to settle for a place that is broken down and our horses must suffer for our poverty! Ok, I understand that if you own a horse and can afford to shack it up somewhere, you really aren't in the poor house. I get it! Horses are not for those on food stamps, that is for sure. But what about us who are on a budget? Who have just enough to cover a low cost place? Why must the low cost also be poor quality? Because that is how America operates a lot of the time, sadly; you gotta pay the big bucks to get somewhat adequate.
All I'm saying is that I would like to find a place that is within reason to store my poor horse and he won't get hurt. I look around here and I am astonished by the conditions of horse places! Seriously, I drove by a place today that advertises itself as a breeder barn, with high quality and expensive horses, and pristine conditions, and what did I find?? A place that is MORE run-down than where I have Rusty now-which I honestly did not think was possible. The paddocks were small and waterlogged big time(!), there were more horses per paddock than I think should be allowed (the general rule I learned was 2 acres for the first horse than an acre per horse after that-ok, these paddocks were maybe 3 acres with 5-6 horses per paddock!), fencing that was falling down (and it was that chicken/no climb wire crap that doesn't work worth anything) and I think there may have been some barb-wire too (which is my BIGGEST horse pet-peeve-you NEVER use barb for horses!!). I didn't even bother going into this place because my drive by showed me that it was not worth my time. And guess what they charge for their pasture boarding (which includes 2 times daily hay). $180. Seriously? Why should I pay my husbands (lets face it, he works hard for it!) hard earned money on a soggy field that is over crowded and where my old man (Rusty) may still be impaled on a fence!! [Side note: about 3 months ago, Rusty did impale his face on something at the place I keep him now which resulted in a nice puncture wound (literally about 4 inches deep) that I then had to give him drugs for the next 2 weeks, twice daily.] And I realize the $180 really isn't that much in the horse world but it is too much for horrible conditions.
I've thought about this a lot and I really think that my snobbery comes from growing up on the east coast and especially learning to ride and take care of horses there. Seriously. I remember board at a nice barn was actually reasonable and the conditions were good-they used horse appropriate materials for fencing and made sure that the horses weren't dying every day. I did a google search of "horse barns in maryland" and about 15 popped up; the average board was about $300-400 but that was for full board that includes food, feeding suppliments and grain, turn out, grooming, blanketing, and some included farrier and vet shots too. Here, the nicest place I saw was $350 for twice a day hay feeding. That was it. Once place I looked at was 30 mins away, $375 for a small paddock with a run in and it was really mucky and muddy there too. She also fed hay twice daily. And most of these really nice east coast places include some type of arena (a lot of times an outdoor one!). So now you all can see where my snobbery originates from. And the sad thing is, where we live now really isn't all that different that where we're from in MD; the socio-economic status is about the same-it might be a little more poor here with a bigger drug problem but it really is basically the same. I guess the laid-back cali lifestyle proliferates throughout all spheres of life here-which I don't really find to be that great. In some respects I'd rather be an uptight east coaster than an ultra laid back californian if it means settling for sub-par horse living quarters. I'm digressing here.....
After the impalement incident (and I freaked out big time thinking "HOLY CRAP WHAT AM I GOING TO DO MY HORSE CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS!!" I called one of my oldest friends (Meg Kep!!) who at the time was a barn manager in Jersey. And I straight out asked her, am I just a snob or what? And guess what she said-HECK NO!! She agreed that it was unsafe and unacceptable and we discussed what should be done. As many people who own some sort of animal understand, that pet get's into your heart and you connect with it on a different level. I've been riding my sweet horse for like 15 years. He is my adventure buddy! He will do almost anything for a treat or some type of food. We want our animals to be well looked after and cared for. This is not happening with out me having to go over there every day to make sure he hasn't died. I really don't think it's unreasonable to want to have safe fences where horses are-is it? Megs was appalled by the description of the place where I keep him; but happily the lady has been working on the fences and what not-I think she's tired of me complaining about it!
So what this really made me think was that maybe, one day, I should own and run my own barn. I know it can be expensive to start up and of course there is that whole demand thing (which totally blows and which is why people can charge a small ransom for such crappy accommodations, and even more for nice ones since there isn't anything else available and they know it!!) but I think I'd be good at it and that people would come because I would treat their horse like it was my horse and it would be well taken care of and I wouldn't charge an arm and a leg for them to keep it there too. Of course this is a wild fantasy and probably will never happen-unless it's what we decide to do in our retirement. But it's a nice thought for now. At least I can take solace in that one day we may own our own property and my horses will be well loved and taken care of because I will be the one doing every day. Don't worry-I prepared Matt for that reality before we got married so it wouldn't be a shocker for him when I start to demand it ;)


This is us through the years (high school, college, and last october)

Quasi-update

So our comp is being somewhat silly right now and won't let me download the pics I've taken of our finished product, meaning the house of course ;) Yes, it is true! We have finished! Well, mostly. The backyard still needs love, the garden is wild, but I did do some damage control the other day, and the extra rooms still need to be primed and painted (which is going to happen tomorrow, at least begun) but the areas where we actually live is complete! Awesome right? We're so happy to finally be living in the left side of our house! We still need to get blinds for all those rooms but at least there is furniture in them and pics up!
We've also been doing some fun things on the weekends. I went to CO for a bridal shower and have tons of pics to post from that! We also went to the Nevada County Fair last weekend with our neighbors (Joel and Julie and baby Cate) and had lots of fun! We saw the Budweiser horses hitched up to the big wagon and go around the fair grounds which was really interesting to watch (at least I thought so!). We spend lots of time with them, just hanging out or playing card games. It's been a huge blessing having them as neighbors because we became fast friends and have people our own age to spend oodles of time with.
Today Matt had his wisdom teeth removed so he's crashed on the couch with ice baggies on his face and in a vicoden state. Poor guy had a rough time of it; the dentist said that his roots were real boogers (mainly on the lower ones). I won't be mean and take pics since he was a sweet guy and didn't get anywhere near me with a camera when I had mine taken out. So needless to say we won't be doing anything fun or festive for the next few days! As soon as I can figure out what's going on with our PC and as soon as Matt vacates the couch so I can take a decent pic of our finished living room, I'll get those up asap.

Why DID the chicken cross the road?

So Matt and I are driving down the road, switching to hotel #2 out of 3 since we've been here, and I look over and there are some chickens and roosters on the side of the road, a major road I might add, and I thought what the heck! Totally random one time thing I think. But no, we drive by again the next day, and they are still there. Then we go to the movies the other night, and they are still there! They are hanging out, eating bugs and stuff, and crowing like crazy! And the really do have to cross a side street to get from one grassy area to the other. As Matt and I walk into the theater I asked him, HOW do you think the chickens cross the road? He laughed and said I can't believe you actually sad that. The reason I asked was because they had to cross a pretty big side street (that's lighted none-the-less!) so get from one side to the other. Chickens are ok flyers but not the greatest so I was wondering if they walked, which would be a truly dangerous enterprise! I'm going to get some pictures soon and post them so everyone can see these crazy roosters and chickens on the side of the road! Small town, what can I say?











So these are a few pics I took of the chickens and roosters by the road. I'm not on the road side cause I would've had to stop basically on the road and it's pretty busy so I need Matt's help so we can take drive by pics! But, as you can see, there is a road, and chickens walking around right next to it. Don't worry, I'll get better pics to show the true craziness of these chickens!