Farm Life

We live on 10.5 acres of wooded and most of the time un-mowed land. To say we live on a farm would be inaccurate. We live BY a farm so we get the sights (trucks, trailers, tractors, barns), smells (cow poop), and sounds (cows, chickens, donkeys).

I think it would be correct to say we live in the country. When I think of country life I think of no neighbors for a mile or so. WRONG!!! We have neighbors in our back pocket, or front if you want to get technical about it. They are right next door and across the street. So close I can hear the neighbor kids playing basketball.

So much for peaceful country life. At least we don't have people driving by with stereos so loud our windows rattle and fire trucks 6 blocks away.

I have lived on farms/ranches before and did not really appreciate how quiet it was. I enjoyed the quiet of course but did not appreciate it.

As I have mentioned, we have 3 dogs, 2 cats and 1 teenage boy.  He is pretty much a slug who lives in his room :-)  Not really but I like to tease him.
With 3 dogs and 2 cats comes a certain amount of chaos, stress, hilarity and mess.

Our dogs have figured out that free range country life is bad ass. When we first moved here in August 2013, they would take off and explore for miles. They have since set parameters, which I am not privy to, and 89.73267% of the time they are in the yard or on the deck.

The other portion of the time is spent playing or laying in a pond or some body of water they have found.

This was not always the case!

Week 1: Truman comes home happy as a dog who just rolled in death or shit or both! Holy cow it was awful!!!  I am on poop duty (doodie) since I won't have a complete and total barf-o-rama. (Stand By Me).
I had to tie him to a pole and wash him 3 times and his face still smelled mildly of cow crap.

After we got Talia and she started running with Truman and Avery things got even more interesting or disgusting, whatever.
All of a sudden random body parts started showing up. None human that we could tell.
A cow leg here, I am talking a WHOLE leg! Complete with a knee, fur and a hoof. A deer leg there, same scenario. Oh and look! A SPINE! How fun!!! Talia tries to bring the spine in the house so here I am having a tug of war with a SPINE and explaining to the puppy that "no spine in the house".  We have jaw bones with teeth, hip bones, more spine, a dead snake (in DECEMBER), an ENTIRE opossum skeleton with a bit of meat left(smelly), cow pelts, deer pelts, rabbit pelts, and rabbit bodies. Talia was running around with a rabbit head like it was a ball! Dead moles, a couple of squirrels, 3 sets of antlers and more cow and deer legs than we can count. I am certain I am missing something from this list.

With all of the parts Talia has given us we could make Frankencow. Complete with a spine, rabbit head, fur and antlers. It would be an interesting creature.

I forgot to mention the skunk incidents. 2 of em so far. Last night Avery got a face full of skunk. She looked like a recruit on pepper spray day! :-)

As I sit here writing this I hear the dogs come thumping up the deck so I look up and what do I see???? Talia with a WHOLE rabbit! It is fresh and she is happy!

Well I gotta go and take the rabbit away form Talia, mean mommy!

Did I mention Talia has done all of this in only 7 months!!!

Mother's Day, Father's Day and Coconut Pie Day

They all mean the same thing to me...NOTHING.  For me they are just days and I am ok with that. Of course I had a mom and dad. Two of each actually. Birth mom and dad and adopted mom and dad. You might be thinking to yourself that I am a lucky kid. WRONG WRONG WRONG.  Birth mom wasn't "selfless" and loved me so much she let go, she was lazy and selfish and didn't want the hassle. She also waited for 5 years.  OH but your adoptive parents must have LOVED you. Eh doubt it.
Yeah they adopted me (it was birth moms sister and brother in law) but they didn't want me any more than she did. What about birth dad???? He was GONE. Off to the military he went and I didn't meet him until I was 16. 

I am struggling with the whole
 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."  Exodus 20:12  

I had "parents" if you will, but I did not have parents.  I have finally made peace with that fact and I have learned forgiveness for one of them, still struggling with the other.  When these holidays come around I feel like I am having this shoved down my throat and while I agree that it is good to acknowledge your parents and the love they have for you I also know that there are parents out there that do NOT deserve acknowledgment. 

That being said I will celebrate these two days with my new family, the only one I have really had, and honor "mom" for raising her children to be the wonderful people they are. I am happy to have them in my life. I will celebrate "dad" in June because for the first time in my life I feel as though I am genuinely cared about and they really are happy to have me in their lives.

They are NOT my parents, they are not even my in-laws but I love them as they though they are. In my heart they are and for me that is what counts. It took me 37 years to get a mom and dad but hey, the ones I got are pretty spectacular :-)

What about coconut pie day???? Here is the thing about coconut pie, I hate it. I won't celebrate it. EVER.  If I had to choose between eating a piece of coconut pie or giving Dylan a foot rub I would choose the foot rub. I don't like feet :-(  That is a story for another day :-)

SO for all of the moms out there who really love their kids and take care of them I salute you! 

Dogs, Who knew?

Dogs are HILARIOUS!  Unless they are channeling Cujo and trying to eat your face off.

Well duh Theresa! That is part of the reason people love dogs.  Yeah well I did not know this until Marc and I got together. 

I hated dogs, ok not really the dog but the idea of dogs.  They bark, lick, jump, and NEED you. UGH!! No thanks! I didn't want or need the constant "mom" "mom" "mom" of a dog because unlike children dogs do not grow up and move out. Nope you are stuck with the perpetual toddler for the rest of their lives.  

Enter Avery.  Dylan WANTED a dog so bad and Marc liked dogs so it wasn't that big of a deal. Avery took a few days to get her name because we just could NOT think of anything, plus she was a puppy that hadn't shown her personality yet.  Well her full name is Darth Avery Tan Lord of the Sith Empire (the boys are big Star Wars fans, I love Darth).  She has proven many times over that we named her correctly! Wow! Can we say ubber bitch :-)  She is funny! Her attitude and personality won us over and we just love her snarkyness!

Well poor little Avery puppy was lonely, playing in the big back yard all by herself so Marc said she needed a friend. He saw Truman on the news, Helping Hands features pets, and fell in love. He said "I want that dog". 

I was not impressed. It's a dog, so what... Truman (the name helping hands gave him) cracks me up on a daily basis. He drove me out of my freaking mind when we lived in town though. He is so neurotic and had TONS of energy to burn. Once we moved to the country he has turned in to the happiest, goofiest, trashiest (long hair) dog. We LOVE it!!

So there we were, Marc had Truman and Dylan had Avery and I didn't care and was fine with both dogs but not a dog lover.  

One day I was getting my nails done and my friend Michelle mentioned a person she knew found a boxer on the side of the road and they could not keep it. They called the vets in the area and no one reported a missing dog. They posted it on Facebook and nothing. Marc had talked about the boxers he had previously and how great the breed was so I told him about this dog and asked if we could go see it. It was a girl.  

His stipulation was that it can't have long nasty nails, tumors(Boxers are known for them), nasty teeth  or nipples of a mother dog.

We pull up to the house the lady opens the gate and I lost my heart. The very second I saw her I KNEW she was MINE and I was HERS!!!  My Maggie. She was the most beautiful dog I had ever laid eyes on. In reality she was NOT the most beautiful dog. She was white with brown eyes, had tumors, long icky nails, nasty nasty teeth/gums, and she had had puppies.  She was dirty and scrawny and I was in love!!!  

That was the moment I got it, I know now why people love dogs.  I could not wait to get my baby home and start giving her the best life ever!  I was so excited to show her to the family.  They were not as enamored by her as I was :-)  In fact one of them asked "does that dog have a glass eye?"  

Her breath would make you pass out and her toots could clear a giant living room with 15' ceilings but she was perfect! She had the BEST attitude, unless you were a kitten then she tried to eat you.

I could go on for days about this girl!!! She was my soul mate! Marc is my true love and I have to remind him and Dylan that I do love them more than Maggie, or at least as much :-).   

We still have Avery and Truman and have since added Talia to the pack but none of them even come close to making my heart as happy as my beautiful Maggie.  July 26, 2014 will be one year since I said good bye. I think of her daily and cry often but most of the time I smile and laugh remembering how happy she was and how happy she made me.

Avery

 Truman

Talia

Maggie 

I am not Snow White

Went to Menards yesterday, twice. (we are in the middle of remodeling the house so we are either at Menards or Home Depot)  On the second trip I got a bird feeder and some food, nothing fancy, just the kind you stick to your door.  I got home stuck it to the front door, which we rarely use, and filled it up. This is somewhat new for me as it has been YEARS since I purchased bird food. I got the midwest mix.

I hopped ( who am I kidding, it was scooted, rolled and trudged) out of bed this morning to the chirping of birds, left the windows open last night!  BRRRRR
I went to the front door expecting to feel like Snow White when she opens her curtains and birds come say hello.

There it is!!! My bird feeder! Full and ready for all those hungry little suckers that I watched yesterday under the lilac bush........nothing. NOTHING!!!!!!!  Are you serious?  I can hear you out there for crying out loud! I see them in the neighbors yard on the farm implements! I am so intent on the freaking bird feeder that the little scrape, pluck, thunk sound on the kitchen screen next to me barley sinks in. I look and there is a female blue jay. Of course she is looking at the giant moth that is on the next screen over. She assesses the situation and leaves.  A few minutes later she's back and she snatches up her big juicy moth for breakfast :-(

I am not sad about the moth, I am sad that these birds seem to be too stupid to find a FULL BIRD FEEDER!!!!!  It is RIGHT THERE!!!.

I know nothing about birds, ok not nothing cause EVERYONE knows SOMETHING about birds. Am I supposed to play hard to get? Is it to soon after offering them this delicious meal to expect them to start cramming to the front door like this is some cool bird night club? I got nothing! I am annoyed. What is wrong with the wildlife in this place?  Just yesterday I rescued a snake from the middle of the road, apparently he did NOT want to be rescued because the little sucker tried to bite me, several times.  I got a stick and shewed him off the road, the whole time he had his head up talking crap and trying to bite.
I would have grabbed him had I known what kind he was. Yeah it would have hurt but how cool would THAT have been?  "Hey Marc, can you get this snake off me?"
Marc didn't think that would have been cool so I am now banned form harassing/saving snakes until I know what they are. Ok, ok that sounds like a good idea! Geez

Back to the birds...still nothing. Zip, zilch, nada, ZERO!  Jerks

Rainy days and Sundays

I sit here in the kitchen with lights off and windows open. I anxiously await the thunderstorm that is headed this way. I love thunderstorms. The sounds and smells take me to a very peaceful place. When I was a child I was terrified of storms. My grandma told me the angels were bowling and when the ball rolled down the lane it made thunder and when they hit the pins that was lightning. I didn't believe a word she said!
Let's get back to the point here. I see dark skies, green grass, buds on the trees and my favorite flower (lilac) in bloom. I love my back yard.
I watch the leaves move in the wind and listen to the birds chirping. I also hear Avery chomping away at her dog food like a crazy person! Truman is sighing every few seconds because he doesn't like thunder and Talia? She's actually resting by the door on a towel. Rain + dogs = towels at random spots around my house.  :-)

All in all this is a quiet, peace filled morning. Aaaaaaand Avery just burped so loud it sounded like a grown man! At least she's done chomping.
My love is still sleeping, he works crazy hours, and the boy is on his way home from Ohio.
It is a beautiful morning and I am over whelmed by how blessed I am!

I hope your hearts are as full as mine!!!

WHAT is that?

Oh this?  This is my attempt at a ponytail. Yep! THIS beauty took me 30 min!
I think I am one of the few girls past the age of 7(?) that can't manage to put her hair in a ponytail.  Ok, I CAN put my hair in a ponytail but it looks like a 3 year old did it.

Even those "messy" ponytails that should be easy to throw your hair in...nope, can't do it! How about a bun or a braid?  HAAAAAA  Not even with the help of "The Perfect Bun".

I see girls in town, in pictures, on television with the nice slicked back pony, cute messy pony, look at me I'm all fancy pony, and I roll up with the "I did this in the dark with my eyes closed, then took a nap in it" pony.

Is there some super secret club that teaches you how to pull your hair back? Is it a gene that I was born without?

I have tried most everything, except the vacuum hose like the dad on the Internet.

Ponytail with a head band=accenting the disaster. 
Ponytail with the sporty, cute, stretchy band..um NO.  I can't wear those bands. Even to sit on the couch like a statue to read. It slips off my head. Apparently I have a very odd shaped head under all this hair.

Oh wait, you say, what about the base of the neck pony?  Or how about the cute side pony that sweeps around and lays over your shoulder? PUHLEEZ!  It looks more like I hit some poor unsuspecting creature on the road, snatched it up and threw it over my shoulder!

I guess until I get a hair dresser to come do my hair for me every day I will continue to amaze myself and the public with my lack of ponytail abilities and when I am feeling generous I will throw on a hat!

Strength in Weakness

For 30 some years I thought being strong meant holding your head high, not showing emotions and powering through life on your own.

In the last few months I have learned that I couldn't have been more wrong.

It takes a strong person to trust, putting yourself out there in the hands of others takes great strength.  Very often we end up in hands that are not trustworthy, gentle, or kind. We get hurt by these hands, knocked down or crushed. The strength it takes to put yourself in this situation is greater than the strength it takes to keep people away.

It takes a strong person to love. Opening your heart to someone makes you vulnerable. It gives them the opportunity to break your heart. Take your love and wad it up and throw it away. Leaving you crushed, confused, and broken.

Being strong doesn't mean you never fall down, make mistakes or get hurt. Being strong means you get back up, dust yourself off, admit your mistakes and FORGIVE YOURSELF for them!  Lick your wounds then get back out there!

Living behind a wall where there is no room for love, happiness, pain and heartache is not living.
It is existing. It is lonely. It is not how humans are meant to be.

God gave us the ability to love.
To give of ourselves to others, to feel joy. God also gave us the ability to hurt. To turn to Him and others in our time of need. In our darkest hours.

It is in the dark, in the loneliness, in the pain we need God and each other more than any other time.

Embrace these feelings, these moments for in them He is working in us.
It is when we feel weakest we are strongest.

Who do you turn to in your darkest hours?

He gives power to the weak,
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, 
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31  NLT