New Home

We finally were able to go to NC to pick up the horses and dogs from my parents house this past weekend.  I know they (especially Dad) were glad to be rid of the extra legs and mouths that they so graciously housed for us for almost 6 months.  I am thankful it wasn't longer than that, and I am sure they are too.  : )  Matt and I do appreciate them letting us keep the animals at their house until we had a permanent home.  What would we do without our parents?  I am still very grateful for mine.

I am reminded how thankful I am that God created horses each time I see mine.  I love all animals, but horses will always have my heart.  There is nothing more beautiful to me than to see my horses take off running across a field or to be on top of one when they are running!  Just another reminder of how God loves me!

I had to lead both horses into their new pasture as Matt held Afton.  They were busy looking around at their new surroundings to mind us.  As I let them loose in the pasture they sniffed a little bit and then trotted around the perimeter to see where the fence was.  It didn't take them long to stretch their legs and run and buck a little and then take a good roll (after a long haul of an hour and half from my parents).  I think they like their new home.  I must admit, I do love looking out a window and seeing my horses graze behind that white fence!

We have a small, but nice barn that has several small fenced off areas behind and around it.  The previous owners had goats and sheep, so they left a really nice pen that we were going to put the dogs in until we figured out how the invisible fence worked.  It was a huge pen with a freshly mowed yard.  We were home MAYBE 30 minutes and Salem headed down our driveway and down the road.  We don't live far out enough to let the dogs wander around so Matt had to go get him and put him in the nice new pen.  As I was out checking on the horses one last time, I watched Salem climb over the gate.  I am not really sure why he doesn't want to stay with us, but every place we have ever lived he has wondered off.   My goal is to try to figure out the invisible fence this week so he isn't doomed to suffer tied to the horse trailer.  I feel bad-but he can't go wondering off.  He had never come back home of his own accord and we have had to pick him up at the shelter numerous times so I am really praying that the invisible fence works with him so he can enjoy the big, grassy yard.

Griffin on the other hand is just happy to be with someone.  He stays around the house and comes on the back deck and looks in every now and then to let me know he is still here.  He really is a good dog (both of them are, Salem just likes to try our patience).  He made himself at home pretty quickly.

I am very thankful that all of our "family" is with us, together, now!  I have really missed taking care of everybody-even though it is more work.  I can't wait to get on the horses and ride-now if it would just stop raining!

Back Again

I finally updated our new view-this is off our back deck.  Quite a difference from sand, blue sky way in the distance, and red rocks!  There is green everywhere!!

Lots has happened since my last post in April.  I didn't really have the motivation to keep up the blog and I am not really sure I do now, but I still think it is a great way to document our lives electronically.  We will see what happens this time.

Our most important "new happening" is we bought a house!  Now we "own" two houses - we don't want to own two houses, but the house in Bristol, Va was too good to pass up.  Without sounding like an idiot, it really is our dream home.  Nothing major to fix (no more ripping out kitchens-woohoo!), grassy yard, BARN and fenced property for the horses and an invisible fence for the dogs!  There our some minor adjustments to be made: painting, light fixtures, landscaping-but everything seems minor compared to what we have been through.  I say it is our dream home because it really has everything we were looking for.  Matt has always said that he wanted a living room that was open to the upstairs with windows up to the ceilings in the main wall-what do we have?  Exactly that.  I wanted all our bedrooms on one floor-and they are all upstairs.  I also wanted some place for our animals and we got the barn and fences!

Everything went so smoothly with the offer, the closing and the moving.  We really do love our new home and can't wait to live here for a VERY long time!

After being here for about a week and half, starting to have place for everything, I am reminded once again how blessed we truly are.  I joke about not wanting two houses, but we have TWO houses.  Some people don't have a house.  All three of us are healthy-some people don't have their health.  I could go on and on and on about how good we have it.  I hope this sounds appreciative because we are.  God has given Matt and I so much in the 6 years we have been married.  I can't begin to count our blessings.  I have made it a point to savor every minute of every day.  To relish in our happiness and our joy.  To look forward to the things God has planned for our family.  To be TRULY thankful for our blessings-and not just our material blessings.  God has poured His love over and over on me and my family and I am so thankful for His faithfulness!  I am amazed constantly at how He works in our every day lives-He knows us and wants to be near us and I rejoice in that!  Thank you, Lord, for all you have done and continue to do!  Without Him, we wouldn't be where we are!  He deserves all the glory.

On that note, Afton is such a joy.  I love to see her grow and learn new things every day.  She is a constant source of amusement for Matt and I.  Her new favorite thing is going to the fence at the field behind our house and yell "MOO!" at the top of her lungs at the cows that live in the pasture.

She is also part monkey.  That child will climb on anything and everything!  She scares me because she is fearless.  She can go up and down the stairs just like an adult - this is NOT a good thing!  She loves climbing at the playground and on the railing around our back deck.  I dread seeing what she will progress to.

She is starting to say more words -"walk", "pane" (for plane), chee-choos (for cheerios or any cereal in general), "eat", "wa-wa" for water-that is all I can think of at the moment.  I am still kinda shocked that I can have a conversation with her now and she understands what I am saying and if I ask her to do something, she does it.  I hope I am this way at every stage in her life.

We are hoping this weekend we will have the rest of our family at our house.  Sid, Maggie, Salem, and Griffin are at my parents house and we are excited to have "everyone" here.  Happy Weekend, everyone!