Foundation time

We started the foundation today, YIPPEE!! I took lots of pictures and after the slab was poured we all put our handprints in the cement. We also put the pawprints of our dogs in it too. :)

What the?

Coming home today after dropping the kids off at school I see our cat Max running down the road. Wait. That's not Max, it's too big.

As I get closer I see a huge ass cat with tufts on the end of it's ears and a bobbed tail. It's a BOBCAT! Oh yes. We have a bobcat in our field. In the 7 yrs of living here and the 37 years of being alive, I've never seen a bobcat other than at the zoo.

I had Wade take some pictures but I have now discovered that Wade should stick to building things, he sucks as a photographer. The pictures turned out like he was stalking Bigfoot. Grainy, out of focus of a big black blob. The pictures are here for your viewing pleasure.

Snow?

How in the world did we get snow today? The forecast said flurries but it actually snowed all day and stuck a little. Good news is that I got to ride today! Taryn hauled her horse up here and the two of us went trail riding at Lord Hill park. It was gorgeous with all the snow and we had a blast. It felt so good to be out on my horse and we agreed that we need to do it more often.

Never too old

Tristan and I had a blast tonight. We drove like crazy maniacs on the ATV's all over the property. We drove up hills, down hills, across little bridges, over little jumps, thru mud, thru water, etc. A LOT of fun!

I still cannot get Tanner to even sit on the ATV. I've tried to get him to sit on it when it's off, I've tried to have him sit on my lap and I've practically begged but nothing sways him. He just wants to play video games or computer games. He's just like his uncle Jesse.

Words from Tanner

Tanner: "DAD! We need two milks up here, on the double!"

Progress

Good day today! Wade and his friend Mike started building the forms for the foundation, the cement is set up to be poured on Friday and the logs are on order. We also had a visit from the adjuster for our Flood insurance and even though we don't have a house we still we get some money for flood debris cleanup and also for the very slight damage to the garage.

I'm so excited, things are looking up!

Foggy Night

We had a gorgeous sunny day but as soon as the sun went down the fog rolled in. I thought it was a pretty neat photo op with the horses still out.

Words from Tanner

Tristan: I'm thirsty.
Me: Have some milk. *he pours some milk and Tanner decides he wants it*

Tanner: Hey give me some milk. You're not the only one thirsty in this house you know.

One minute later.

Tanner: I hate being the short guy.
Me: What do you mean?
Tanner: I'm the only short one in the house. I'm just the short crazy guy.

YAY for Cleaning up!

We had an excavator delivered today to start the clean up of all the flood debris plus clean up the plat for the foundation of our new house. I'm actually a little excited because we might clear out an area in the front yard for our outdoor arena. We're not sure yet if we can actually do the arena before the house, we don't want to upset the county in any way. We are getting closer though to having the house built and an arena done, just knowing that there is light at the end of the tunnel makes me very happy! I just want to start riding/training my horses!

Little update

Animal Control paid our neighbors a visit today. I'm not sure what was done but at least they came out and talked to them. Hopefully it was enough to let them know that animal cruelty is not tolerated around here. At least not next to Tracy Smith's house! :)

%$#$&* Neighbors!

I'm very very upset right now. I just found out that our neighbors failed to evacuate their goats and dog during the flood and they all drowned. Not only did the not evacuate them, they left them locked in the barn so the poor things couldn't even try to make it to higher ground!

When we came out to check on our property they were there and asked us to borrow our canoe because they had left a dog in the house and wanted to get him. They never mentioned the goats or the other dog! I even asked if it was Jackson in the house and she said no, it was a different dog. She failed to say that Jackson was in the barn drowning!!!!!

We did not have our canoe with us and reassured her that the dog in the house would be ok since the house is on a berm and above the flood waters. If we had known that the goats and other dog were suffering we would of gotten the canoe immediately!

I'm so angry, upset and literally ill over this. Did they not see us moving our horses out? All they had to do was say something and we would of loaded up the goats in the trailer and taken them with us to the fairgrounds. Anyway, Wade called Animal Control and left a message plus called the owner of the property and left a message with him. Probably nothing will be done but people need to be aware of this.

I'll never look at them the same again. I'm just sick.

It flooded

Oh yes, it flooded a lot. The river hit the record level of 1990 and the valley also filled with water. We moved all the horses to the fairgrounds, moved the trailer up the road to higher ground and then we waited. My horses are getting used to this so much that Tali practically ran me over jumping into the trailer!

The good news is that we didn't really lose anything since all our belongings are in the trailer, we just have a lot of clean up. The foundation did get really muddy and full of water, or I should say the plat for the foundation. Anyway, we're good and there's a little part of us that actually enjoyed it. This time we got to see the water for the amazing powers it has instead of being devastated that we lost our home.

Here we go again.

Another storm is moving in with potential of near record flooding. How is it that we lived here for over 5 years without one major flood and now we have evacuated three times in the last two years? This will be the second time in 2 months that we have to move all the horses to the fairgrounds.

At this time it's still just predictions and so far it hasn't even started raining so please keep your fingers crossed and send all your prayers our way that we don't flood yet again.

Look at my boy all grown up!

Tristan and Tanner got ATV's for Christmas and the one that is loving it the most is the one I thought would be petrified of it. For all of you that know my children I'm sure you'll be very surprised to hear that it's Tristan on the 4 wheeler. Tanner has decided that he will ride them "when I'm 7". So far we can't get him to even look at the ATV's or even sit on it. Oh well, I'm sure he'll do it one day. *sigh*

Tanner: When I pat your bum it wiggles like jello.
Me: That's great.

Daisy Moo Moo

Daisy like the landslide at least. She went out with us to the barn and wandered to the mudpit. She came back covered head to toe in mud, she became black not white. Off to the bath she went. Doesn't she look happy?