Moving....and the flood...

Yep we love to move. Ok not really. I mean who loves packing up and moving all the time? What we like is going to new places. We decided awhile ago that while we love living on the farm we really wanted to be in town for the kids. Now when I say town what I really mean is one horse town. Summersville....population 500. Now population 507! We've been watching and waiting for a place. Houses in town don't come up often. So we finally find one (the hovel we called it) and were going to move and got a call that a much bigger, roomier place opened by the school. Still a hovel, but a hovel with potential.

We started our demolition yesterday. The previous tenants left everything they'd owned inside and in the front yard. When anyone asks where we are moving, I say you know that house by the school with all the trash. Seriously...I bought three boxes of garbage bags. What's sad is some of it's not bad. It's not my style, but it's not bad. So you have to wonder why? The neighbor came over and was so happy. No kidding! I'm happy someone is cleaning it and I didn't have to look at it everyday.

You know I could have a fine collection of yard art, a toilet, a sink, a broken birdbath, chaise lounge! Ha ha....No I'm totally kidding. What I was thrilled to see was hardwood under the old green carpet. We pulled that sucker up quick. Even better it's in pretty good shape. There is one spot where they started to paint it and then stopped....but we can sand that.

The kitchen is kind of cute, it can be left for now with just some paint touch-ups. The bathroom on the other hand....well it needs some serious love and new...EVERYTHING!

Today's plan was water on, internet called, more carpet pulling, top to bottom bathroom clean. Well that ended at water on. Yes the water was on for Noah. His ark would of gone in the yard nicely. Pipes must of froze, water poured out from under the house. Don spent all afternoon and evening in a foot of water. He will be finishing his scuba adventure tomorrow.

So for now we are cleaning and fixing. Lot's of painting to do, lots of trash to clean up and burn. It's a slow process. We still plan on having animals, especially chickens. The pig will stay at the farm till she's bacon ready. Off on a new adventure!

Oh Christmas Tree (Farm) Oh Christmas Tree (Farm)....How Lovely!

Ok I am hooked, being raised in the city we never went to a Christmas tree farm. We went to the closest grocery store lot and picked one out. What fun we thought it was running on the black concrete path searching for the perfect tree, branches that spun out like a dress, and would look heavenly decorated with ornaments and tinsel.

Now 20 something years later I realize while fun, lot tree shopping has no real personality. We are starting a new tradition here in Missouri...we are going to our local Christmas tree farm, picking our own tree and having it cut down. The kids and Don will be dragging it to the truck, and off it well go to it's temporary home at the farm.

So early this afternoon we set out to the Tree Farm, it's about 20 minutes away down a dirt road. The boys were practically hopping off the seat when we saw the sign

The boys were excited to cut the tree (well anything really) down... Everyone jumped out of the truck and started running up and down the rows of trees. It was beautiful and the fragrance was so wonderful. I could of stood and just smelled the air for hours. If only you could take that home with you.

Thomas and Mickey as always are interested in the process...they jumped in the back of the owner's truck to learn about being a tree farmer. They learned how to cut and carry, how they know who's tree belongs to who, how to get the dead needle's off, what may fall out of the tree, and how to tie it up for travel!

They worked their little tushes off dragging tree's, going up and down the hill to the stations for cleaning and trimming! What a wonderful experience. Thomas even had a bird's nest fall out of one of the tree's as they were shaking off the pine needles. Nikolas was fascinated with it...all I heard for the next hour was egg, nest, tree. Kids are so sweet! It's the little things, isn't it?

Now after we picked out our tree,(after marching around for an hour up and down the rows) they cut it down and trimmed it. Don picked it up and put it in the truck. He literally carried a 7 1/2 foot tree down the hill to the truck. Then we drove it back up to get a shake down and tied up.

I love the whole process...Have you ever seen what happens to your tree before it make's it to the tree lot? Well watch this video to see..I warn you, it's funny!

Watch on Youtube!

Wasn't that great? I love the shaking off of the needles. I wonder if we could use one of those, ha ha! Remember those old weight losing machines? The tree was all ready to go and loaded up, and ready to go to it's new home on the farm! Please don't look at my photo, ha ha!

Home at last

This Fat little Piggy

So I am not the one normally feeding the pig, that's my husbands job. I went out to visit her and WOW....fatty fatty! She's HUGE! Here is a comparison photo.

Apparently she doesn't like me, but loves Don! Guess it's because he's the feeder. He gets her tons of slop from work! She is all over that! We also have another new addition to the farm..

Meet Totoro our new pup.. Someone just dumped him one day and well he is just so lovable that we kept him. Well trained too! Yes he was named after the Japanese cartoon My Neighbor Totoro! :-) Kids, you gotta love them!