Dogs and Sheep but NOT Sheep Dogs

 A Couple of weeks ago Reg and I decided we might need a dog to protect our chickens and sheep from coyotes, other wild animals, and neighborhood dogs.  One of our chickens had its throat ripped out in the middle of the DAY!

We started praying and researching.  Meanwhile, a sister I minister to called me up.  Her ex had left her and their three children with his dog.  She didn't have the bandwidth to take the dog for walks and could not afford to feed the dog.  She wanted to know, is there anyone I know who might want a dog?

I told her we needed one that would protect our chickens and sheep (that were coming) and not hurt our grandchildren or children.  She was sure her dog could do this...We've had her for two weeks now and this dog is darling but DISOBEDIENT.  She chases the chickens and we've lost one to her now.  She will also escape and jump over the fence and into the street which is so dangerous.  She comes when we call ONLY when she's on a dog run chain.  Once free, all bets are off and she takes off endangering herself and others.  She is great with the grandchildren and loves it when we sit with her and brush her, but we are not luxuriating here and rarely have time to do this.

You can't blame a dog for being a dog, AND we need a dog that will help us with our WORK.  She is not helping us with our work.  She is creating more unnecessary work.  I feel sorry for her, but we're giving her back.

We've learned a lesson here and I've thought often as I literally prayed her back into our hands twice, that if she would only come when we called, she could have the whole 5 acers to tear around in. BUT instead she runs straight to danger.  I thought about people I know who flee from God's commandments and flee from helping Him with HIS work...thinking they are FREE.  But instead, although adorable and funny and cute, they are endangering themselves and others when not staying within the boundaries the Lord has set.

Keeping the commandments literally keeps us FREE to play, to experience the joy of participating in the Lord's work, and the safety and prosperity of being in His fold.  He is the GOOD Sheppard.  

Hopefully we will be good Shepards when our sheep come next week.

We're getting the barn all cleaned up, safe and protected from coyotes by putting in fences, and good drainage. Autumn came to visit with her boys.  They helped us with chores and they picked up some cool homeschooling stuff and I taught Emmet how to drive the little tractor mower. 

I learned how to drive a new standup front loader and dig holes for our fruit trees...That was exciting.  Ben dropped by with Wells and Ephraim to help install a barn door...in our bedroom. hahah  for some reason there was NO bathroom door in our bedroom.  Weird.

New adventures await!

Mending Fences

 

This week we spent quite a bit of time in the sweltering 97° heat mending fences.

We are planing on getting some sheep and want them to be safe.

Several portions of fence were crushed down. It looked as if several heavy animals belly flopped on it. Anyway, as we worked, Reg kept saying, "Good fences make good neighbors" repeatedly, It made me laugh.  I think the sun was getting to him. 

Every time he said it I thought about mending fences as a metaphor for repenting and forgiving.

 I got some pretty bad wire punctures from putting up new fence. It really hurt...for days. 

In our lives we have have many opportunities to be accidently and on purposely be hurt. But if we don't forgive, and in my case put some appropriate gloves on, we let the incident hurt us again and again needlessly. 

I loved the talk below on this topic. I hope it touches you as it did me. 

I love you 

The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness

Battle of the Bad Smell

 

This week was again a series of ups and downs, and all the ups and downs showed us the hand of God in our lives.

The ups...taking our grandson, Wells, to the Zoo. Ephraim being a regular part of our lives.

Some dangerous trees got cut down. They could have smashed our house in a storm.

And we finished unpacking our LAST POD. The downs... our new clothes washer broke, the kitchen sink pipes clogged and would not drain even after taking off the p trap, snaking the pipes, and using a gallon of appropriate drain chemicals

A plumber is coming tomorrow, meanwhile we prayed mightily and after many hours the sink did drain and is draining but slowly so we can at least use the sink!

The washer will be fixed tomorrow.....the big big deal is the big big stink. Back in June when we took possession of the house there was a terrible smell in the house that wasn't there when we toured it before buying. It was a heavy aroma of fish and ammonia.

While exploring the cause we found the basement garage to be so strong that it burned our eyes! 

In the last two months, our boys power washed the garage twice, we replaced the upstairs carpet, we spent hundreds of dollars having our vents cleaned, the smelled remained strong.  

We've spent hundreds in cleaning supplies and Reg has spent at least 50-60 hours scrubbing and scrubbing the garage floor only to have brown gooey bubbles rise from the concrete after each cleaning.  He's used baking soda, vinegar, TSP, orangeguard oil to break down the enzymes and rinsing after each time. 

The smell is much much better in the garage, but every time we ran the air conditioner the ammonia smell continues. 

Someone is coming out tomorrow to check that out. So because of these smell battles, I have been the main person unpacking and organizing the whole house. Lol. 

Nevertheless, God has sent individuals to help me. We are being blessed every day even in our trials. We know this too will pass. Meanwhile, Reg continues to scrub. 

PS we found out that at one point the previous owners kept their bull in this garage and their cats also urinated  everywhere.  Their bio chemicals soaked into the concrete and they are oozing back out....ugh

A much needed Break

Sorry I didn't post last weekend! We took a break and drove to Utah to visit Spring and her family and to be with family and friends at BYU Education Week!  Silly us...when we bought the tickets we thought..."Oh we'll totally be unpacked and set up by THEN" Wrong...but who cares. LOL

Amazingly, Grandpa Beck the founder of Grandpa Beck card games was there in the book store promoting his games. He didn't need to convince us! We already have several of his games. Skull King and Dragoness being our favorites

Reg babysat the girls, Caluna and Lilian, for two days so Spring could spend time with me and attend classes.

I had several favorites. Robert Ferrell's eliminating contention within yourself and around you. 

Connie Sokol's the power of female leadership, Scott Anderson's No one is beyond the Savior's reach. Classes on building Zion, becoming more 

Christlike, creating a mature marriage relationship, etc etc etc check it out online.  You will want to come meet us there next year!!

 

Birthday Blessings

 

This week we celebrated Benny's 29th birthday And tomorrow I will turn 60! I felt like this whole week was a gift to me. Heavenly Father blessed us with a great deal on two lawn mowers.

The kitchen and the great room are completely empty of boxes! That's progress.

And we drove to Utah to attend BYU education week. I feel all these things are blessings just for me for my birthday. I am so grateful. Our first stop in Utah was to visit the Spotted Elks. So fun. We are grateful for friends and family 

Ground Hogs Day in Reverse

One week in Missouri, 

We are deep cleaning, unpacking, figuring out our neighborhood, and trying to stabilize.

Every morning I pray myself out of bed.

This week we also tried to relax by seeing TWO shows! I am astounded by the talent here and the general love of music and theatre. It's heaven. 

We saw Ephraim's girlfriend perform in Saturday's Warrior.

Today, Saturday, we drove to Branson, MO to watch Ephraim perform in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Hughes Family Theatre!

We also had the opportunity to forgive an unknown kook who ran over our mailbox, cracking the 4x4 in half!! It was then we started noticing why our neighbors had T posts all around their boxes...ah the country life.

Ephraim and Vadim repaired it. We love you and hope you are well.

Alma 37:37

 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

Made it to Missouri

 Wow what a grueling last two weeks. Thank Heaven we have such an awesome real estate agent!! 

She told us, "just pack and take what you want to Missouri and go and I'll take care of the clean up and get rid of everything you leave behind." What a huge blessing!! 

She'll have a landscaper bring the yard back to our level of clean and tidy after no care for 18 months. Then she'll have the inside painted. It's going to be a wonderful house for whomever buys it. The love is in the walls and trees.

I remember Ben, climbing a tree and playing his guitar to a nest of newly hatched birds. It was so adorable.

So Tuesday we left with the Pearl pulling the trailer and our uhaul truck pulling two uboxes for uhaul.

That was a miracle. Uhaul called us and said they had two boxes that needed to be delivered to a nearby town in Missouri. 

They offered us $950 to trailer those boxes. So that basically covered our gas and hotels. We were so grateful for this blessing 

Our friend, Vadim, was helping us pack then asked if he could travel with us and help unpack!! Lol what an angel.

He rode with me in the truck and helped me stay alert. We cycled through audio books, music, games, and just talking to keep me alert.

I was grateful he was there. Members of the LDS congregation met us at our house and unloaded five PODS and the uhaul. They came three times this week to help. Ephraim coordinated it all. Angels in jeans! All of them!

So now here we are! Among a pile of boxes! So much still to be done. So grateful for the protection. We saw five flipped cars over our four days of travel and we're almost hit by semi trucks at least four times!! It was running the gauntlet. 

Today we fasted for gratitude. Gratitude for the protection, the old house, the new house, our angel helpers, Vadim, Ephraim and Ben, and for each other.

Please keep in touch. We love you.