Happy New Year!!

Here is a pic of our big boy, Jordan, who has now lost 3 of his teeth-He's about to break the tooth fairy here at the holidays!! He is SO sweet! And here is a pic of the bed we treated ourselves to-We upgraded to a queen size-we've always had a full size. It also has a footboard with a cross engraved in it. We bought a new memory foam mattress set too-it felt pretty good sleeping on it last night!

Another busy week-but I go back to work on Monday-maybe things will settle down and get back to the normal routine. Shorty and Mom are still needing alot of our time-his blood sugar has been way over 400 today and Mom had to call in his home health care nurse. He has an infection and hasn't been taking the antibiotics prescribed to him and really giving everyone a hard time! Mom is improving daily-but is still stubborn about doing somethings on her own. She has a check up on Thursday afternoon-Jeff will have to drive her-we'll probally stay with them the night.

We put another roll of hay out this morning-we've been feeding bale hay for the last few days-but it's a little colder today and the next few-so we put out a roll. The hens are still laying only 1egg every other day-but lots of combs are beginning to turn red-so I'm looking foward to more eggs anyday now. Jeff brought the welding machine home-so with help will soon be starting on the squeeze shoot. We were planning to work on getting more firewood today-but that hasn't happened either. We got to bed around 1:00am from the New Year's Eve party at church-we had a good time-although I really had no intention of staying til midnight-I had a really great time-we played Taboo with a group of 10 people or so. Jeff and I aren't game players-but this was fun and a change for us.

The garden is looking great-we've pulled some onions-ones that the cows haven't reached through and ate the tops out of-and the broccoli is starting to make little heads. It'll be time to start tilling and getting the beds ready in a few weeks! We've got several cardinals and lots of little wrens coming to the feeders.

Well the day is coming to an end-not the typical way we spend New Year's-but it has been a little quiet today and we needed that!! Have a great one!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS-A few days late!!

Sorry-a really bad pic of the tree this year-and the first fake one we've had in too many years to count. We missed the smell of a live one-but not the mess!!

And this is one I promised of Mady and Cheyenne at the Christmas Play-it is still too cute!!

We finally got to come home on Christmas Eve-I got Mom home at 6:00pm on the 23rd. She's still a little weak and very sore-but is making progress. Her blood pressure is back to normal-Thank you, God! We had a very nice Christmas with turkey, ham and all the fixin's! Mom didn't feel up to coming over-so we took plates of food to her and Shorty in the afternoon. They got us a NuWave cooker-we are looking foward to cooking in it-Jeff cooked a few pieces of link sausage this morning-it was good!

I still have this week off-Shorty has a Dr. appointment at the VA on Wednesday-but he's riding the bus-won't let Jeff drive him. We have a party at Church on New Year's Eve-but other than that-no other plans for the week-although we do need to go into Baskin's-I picked up the wrong size overalls for Jeff. And he needs a new battery for the welding machine-Shorty needs some hooks welded onto the bucket on his tractor-then it needs to come home so we can start on the loading and squeeze shoot for the cows. We still have to take the black cow back to Shorty's and bring the other hereferd home.

Dad is STILL battling the staph infection in the new knee replacement. He's been going to Conroe everyday for a $750 antibiotic IV treatment. If this doesn't kill the infection-he may have to have the new knee removed and be bedridden for 6 weeks-with no knee-until the infection is all gone. That will be SO hard for him-he's on the tractor everyday feeding hay to his cows-and always busy doing something! Please keep him in your prayers!

And guess what-we finally are getting eggs! Well-we've gotten 2 so far-1 every other day! I can't wait for them to all really start up laying! I hate to buy eggs! Ricky is busy butchering his hog right now-with Jeff's guidance! Man-it was COLD this morning! Jeff got me a beautiful bird feeder and the birds are coming to it already! We've cleaned up and relocated some of the old feeders-I just love watching them!

And just in case I don't get back to my laptop this week-HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Mom

Well-alot's been going on with Mom-we've had her back and forth with Doctor/Hospital visits and running tests. We found out after last Friday's heart cath that things had gotten more serious. Right now-I'm in the waiting room at Conroe Regional waiting on them to take her back for a triple bypass and to clean out the artery in her neck-it's 90% blocked!Pray for her, please over the next few hours and days-the surgery itself will take 4-6 hours for the bypass and we don't know how much longer for the neck. She'll be fine-just awhile recouping! We'll have to stay with them for the next few weeks-Alana will be staying at our house to keep the animals fed and taking care of everything else!
We lost a very good friend on Friday. Bobby Conner was SO much a part of my growing up years and had a huge part in my early Christian life. I love this man just as much as my own father-he was such a kind and quiet soul. We ALWAYS shared a hug on Sunday mornings-I sure missed that hug last Sunday!! Jeff is serving as a pallbearer @ 10:00am this morning and will join me at the hospital as soon as he can.
The Children's Church had their Christmas program on Sunday night-it was a live nativity scene with the girl's being angel's and Jordan played a dual role-the innkeeper and a shepherd. They were great! We took Cheyenne and Pretzel and they both behaved beautifully-Cheyenne even moo-ed as if on que! When they were singing Away in the Manger-she lowed at just the right time-everyone asked how long it took us to train her-God is wonderful!! I'll post pictures later of the play-I got some good ones!
Gotta go for now-will give an update when I know something on Mom-just keep her in your prayers today!

Monthly Update

Well-we've been up to lots these last few weeks-for starters-the Dexters-who now number 3 (YEAH!) are doing wonderful. The bull calf is sporting the name: Diesel-courtesy of Kaytlynn. We don't have a clue where she came up with it, but she started calling him that when he was 3 days old and it stuck. I need to take a few pictures of them-they are all looking great!


And one of the pigs is now in the freezer-mostly as sausage-125 pounds to be exact! Here it is ground and ready to be stuffed~~~

~~And now smoked and ready to be packaged up and put in the freezer. We decided to get the girls and families-deep freezers for Christmas and they were delivered last Sunday afternoon-just as we finished up with the packaging. Alana and crew have a rooter to put in theirs' as soon as it gets butchered.

Here is our own farmer girl!! Kaytlynn loves almost everything to do on the farm and really enjoys riding the tractor with her Grandpa! She even enjoys taking a make-believe ride!

And the best of all-(maybe??)-We were gifted with a horse this last Friday. He's 15 years old and belonged to Hailey's step mom's family. The grandkids-including Randy-are loving him to death! He's a little bit head strong-but the kids have no riding experience at all-so they are only led around on him until they learn some skills. Randy is giving him some good work outs and making him behave. Hailey and Mady are being led here.

And here are Jordan and Cayden-Luckily he will allow the kids to ride double-they even rode him bareback before we got the saddle. But he's really a BIG horse. I rode him a little on Saturday morning-it's been at least 15 years since I rode-so it was a little scary for me, too-the ground was a long way down!

We are getting ready for Christmas around here-the tree is up and the kids helped us decorate the yard today after Church. Last night we went to the Open House at our interm pastor's home in Magnolia-such a wonderful time of fellowship!

We'll be hosting Jeff's Sunday School class Christmas party at our house on the 18th. The kids Christmas Program will be a live Nativity Scene this year and they'll be using Cheyenne and Pretzel as 2 of the animals. It will be a walk through Bethleham with finger foods to follow-then we'll go on a hay ride to go Christmas caroling through the neighborhood. It'll be a great evening for all!

We still aren't getting any eggs, but did get another litter of rabbits born this week. And it's always so strange-we get 1 animal off the feed bill, only to have it replaced by another-pig in the freezer-now a horse! Jeff has been hunting many times-I've been with him a few times-but he hasn't even seen a buck yet! We would sure like to have some fresh deer meat in the freezer!!

The kids and me have 9 and a half days of school left-then we're off for 2 weeks! These last few day are full of activities and learning and end with parties. Our High School football team is doing great and are 1 more game away from going to state-go Trojans!

First Dexter Calf!!

Here he is!! We found him as we were leaving for school this morning-almost made us late-but we had to go check him out!

Up and moving!!

And we have a VERY protective mom! She hasn't let us get close to him yet-she shakes her horns at us when we get too close! I'm not really sure I want to tangle with her.

And Fozzie is almost the opposite-he just loves spending time around us and eating range cubes from our hands. The white face cow is becoming very friendly, too-she'll let you walk right up to her in the pasture and pet her.

Jeff cooked a pork roast for supper-along with mashed potatoes and homemade loaf of bread-yummy! We decided we need to get the rest of the pork eaten out of the freezer before we get the hogs butchered.
My boss sent a bag of pecans home with me for Jeff-he now has pecans, black walnuts and hickory nuts to pick out. They'll be added to lots of holiday-and everyday-baking!!

We have 9 more working/school days before our Thanksgiving Break-Sure looking foward to it! Jeff hunted Saturday morning-froze to death and didn't see a thing-I went with him that evening and a beautiful doe walked almost right under our stand. We could have had a big mess of squirrels-but we let them go, too. Jeff's itching to get back in the woods and hunt some more-hopefully he'll get the chance sometime this week-and surely on Saturday.

Fall on the Farm!

Hailey and Madysen feeding Cheyanne. Hailey has decided that it is her job after school to feed her.

This one is just WAY too cute! Mady decided there was just a little bit of milk left and the calf just had to have it!

Here are the pigs-whose days are numbered! A few more cool spells-at least ones that last all day-and the smokehouse will be "smokin'"-full of link sausage-YUMMY!

The pond now has some water-YEAH!! This has been the first time it has ever been completely dry. The water level has dropped-but only slightly since the rain the other night-we got a total of an inch and a half-boy-did we need it!

We've had our first fire in the heater-it got cool enough-along with the dampness from the rain to need one. It's been really windy, too. But the sun came out and it's been a beautiful fall day! Enjoy!

Farm Pictures!

The garden still looks pitiful-but the buttercrunch lettuce and broccoli is trying to make a go at it-it just got so hot again after we planted it. It should really enjoy the weather we're expecting the few days! Rain tonight and tomorrow-HOPEFULLY!! The change has sure given me a headache and wrecked havoc on Jeff's back!

Back view of Glory-is that side sticking out or what?? Backside is getting pretty floppy, too!!

Glory, Fozzie and Blackie enjoying a new roll of hay-sure hate to start feeding it now-we still have some grass-and can move them across the road-just trying to space it out as much as possible until it rains (hopefully tonight-did I mention that already?)

Here is my rooster-isn't he beautiful?? Mady noticed him crowing for the first time this morning-she couldn't figure out what that noise was! Julie had to be at work at 6:00am-so she's not used to being over here that early-then she thought it was SO funny that his job was to wake everyone up!!

Jeff put the other doe in with the buck today-so hopefully that means another litter in a month.

It is just so hot and still outside right now-sure hope that means the rain is on the way! Julie has Hailey at the Dentist now getting another tooth pulled-some fillings and some of the stitches out of her tongue. She just got in-she's good for 6 months now-and they'll let the rest of the stitches dissolve.

Don't forget to go vote tomorrow!!