What I like...

Ok I am not getting as much blogging done as I usually like to do because... I seem to be going the exact same places everyday and doing the exact same things everyday. So I haven't been taking my camera which I have regretted this past couple of days. I could have taken a picture of a coyote, a roadrunner bird, and let see I can't remember what else. So yesterday I grabbed my camera as we were leaving the house for the horse run.
And just as we were finishing up the horse run I was able to catch this beautiful sunset. A couple of minutes earlier and the buildings would have been a little bit lighter. But it is still a thing of beauty.

There are many things about being here that are different. Here is just a couple of things that I like...

1. The sunshine. I love waking up in the morning to the sun and it shinning all day long.

2. Going to the gas pump to fill up my vehicle and having the little thing that leaves the pump on then you can wash the windows, talk to the person next to you, or just hop back in and wait for it to click off. (But my biggest fear with that is it will get stuck and gas will continue to flow even when the tank is full, yes I am paranoid so I watch it carefully from the comfort of my truck.)
3. With Matt's accident being able to pop to Walmart quickly and pick up some softer sheets so that it doesn't rub on his skin, grab some crutches, and other supplies.

BUT what I don't like is...

1. TOO much to choose from. There is way too many things to choose from here.

2. The Unhealthy food that is available. I bought a loaf of bread 10 days ago and it is still good. The only way it is still good is that it is loaded with preservatives. I went to the grocery store and for the first time since we have been here really took my time to see what was out there. I would guess that there is 3/4 of the food that is prepared and only about 1/4 of good wholesome foods. Maybe not quite that much but it just amazes me. I have decided that I am really going to have to read labels if I am going to keep up with my healthy eating here.

Well we are off looking at two more houses today. The man who who gave us some ideas about remodeling came in yesterday and he started just saying about how much things would be and before you know it we probably would be at about the same prices as a new home being built to remodel the old one. So we are rethinking this today.

All in a day...

Everyday we head out to the stable to doctor the White Guy. Rooster loves it because there is all kinds of treasures to nibble on. Horse Poop, Horse hooves, sticks, left over horse feed. He gets to run and run and everyone that comes along loves him and throws sticks to him. He always looks at me with the saddest eyes when I tell him to load up(meaning get in the truck)

We also head out to where the other two horses are kept and feed them!!

We have to hydro therapy White Guy 2 times a day. He knows as soon as I show up that it is torture him. We have decided that he is getting so much attention now that he is going to turn into a whimp on us. Next thing you know we will be starting to feed him carrots!! He will be so pampered he might not be able to go back to the rough and tough life of being a ranch horse.

This seems to be what my life entails lately. Horse feed, bales of hay, a step stool, a walker and wheel chair. I am truly enjoying taking care of the horses, but enjoying even more being able to serve my son.

It is really fun where we have White Guy. Our son has made some good friends and everyone that comes along takes time to visit with him and wish him luck in his recovery.

We are getting really close to putting a bid on a house. It is an older home that will need to have alot redone to it. It sits on 2.3 acres, has a swimming pool, a great garden spot, a pecan grove, two horse and storage barns, two horse pastures all of which will require alot of work. But the great part is we can stay in the Ward we are in now, it is close to town, and when finish could really be fun and neat. Our daughter is already planning to have some chickens, the kids are working on their Dad to start a puppy raising business. We start to negotiate tomorrow so I will let you know what happens!!!
Daughter is settle into school. She has switched up some classes. One of which she has switched to band (jazz band and she is hoping they need a piano player instead of clairnet). One of their songs is from Ozzie Osborn.

A bored man and a camera...

Somedays Matt just gets really bored. Since the extent of his travels is very limited!! One day he was waiting for me to do some school business with Alex and the camera was left into his hands!!

A day to cheer about and laugh about...

To Cheer about...

Yesterday we took White Guy to another vet for a second opinion. They spent some time ultra sounding his leg. The vet declared that the tear in the tendon was truly there. The vet also declared that... it wasn't really major and that it had already started to heal very nicely(meaning that with the quick healing already taking place that there probably wouldn't be alot of scar tissue) So what does this mean. It means that we won't have to do really agressive therapy to try and help with the healing. This would have entailed taking some of his blood, spinning it down, retrieving the platelets and then injecting it into his tendon. But instead, White Guy is on stall rest for two more weeks. Two times a day we need to do hydro therapy (running cold water on the leg). This will help take the final swelling out of the leg, increase the blood flow to help with the healing, and make his leg nice and clean. Then I have to rub some stuff on his leg of which I must use gloves for...
So we are thrilled with the news and was very impressed with the Vet Clinic. It took us an hour to get there but we went through some unique country side. Of which the photo are taken.

Notice the grasshopper in the distance (acutally the oil well) wouldn't you love to have a couple of these on your ranch. Then cattle would just become a hobby!!!

Now to laugh about...
Matt and I left at about 12:30. Alex stayed at home to do some homework. When we pulled up at about 4:00 Alex came right out which I thought was odd. Well she had let Rooster out into the side yard to do his business and forgot about him for about 1/2 hour. Rooster has been working on digging to China in the yard, so Alex stepped out to clean off his feet. She closed the door behind her so Rooster wouldn't run in with yuky feet. Then when she went to go back in... yup you guessed it the house was locked. Someone in our family had locked the lower lock on the door which you can open from the inside with it locked so you don't realize that it is really locked. So she was outside with no key, no phone, NO FOOD, and just her loveable dog. So she made a grass ankle braclet, disected a weed, disected a flower, counted the weeds, countded the leaves that were on the ground, and caught a suntan (because guess what the sun always shines here!!!!), and just basically was bored for about 3 hours. Well then I ran to Steve's car at the office and got the garage door opener and guess what the kitchen door was locked also. I was frustrated, Alex and hungry, Rooster was clueless, and Matt was tired. The rental company came and saved us. The sad part is now Alex is up this early morning at 3:00 am doing home work to be ready for school this morning. How do I know this because unfortunately I am up also and can't go back to sleep. Thus the blog is being updated!!!!

Yesterday Monday...

Yesterday Matt and I took a drive out to see The White Guy and to take of his bandage. The swelling has gone down. So now the healing process just has to continue. As we pulled into the stable Matt's friend was out feeding their goats. A momma had just had a little one on Sunday. He was so cute. The dog was so curious as to what I am not sure... Did he want to know what I was taking a picture of, was he thinking what is wrong with the goats leg (the kid isn't using his leg), or was he thinking he would make a good lunch...

THE MATT REPORT...

Yesterday was a good day for Matt. He got up, took a shower (which took about 30 minutes) then went back to bed. He got up again and made his way to the pickup(which took about 20 minutes to get in) he went with me to register Alex, then we went to see The White guy, then to check on his other horses. Back home to bed and some lunch. Then he went with me to pick up Alex. Back and just relaxed on the couch. Then we went out to check on a stable for The White Guy that is just up the road from the other horses. He came home ate dinner and was asleep by 8:30. He has sleep through the night except to get his pain medicine. He is sore though. Maybe did too much yesterday. He has such a positive attitude and is so grateful for everything that we do for him.(Which is almost everything)

His major piece of equipment right now. Yesterday when we were ready to leave he had his two water bottles tied to the front of his walker. That kid has been tying things together since he was a little kid.

ALEX REPORT
She had a good day yesterday. Not a great one but a good one. Classes are going to have her working hard once again. She will end her day with a pottery class. Because of the difference in her schooling she will have some classes with 11th grader, 10th graders, and 12th graders so she will get to know students fast. She was invited off campus with some girls for lunch. She meet the basketball coach and starts practice this morning after seminary. There is about a month and 1/2 left and he is thrilled to have her walk on.

All and all our live is really good angels (both heavenly and earthy) continue to enter our life everyday. The next step is to get hay for the horses, get the White Guy moved, attend a basketball game with Alex to see if she really wants to play, and start to think about houses!!!

Update...

We finally this afternoon have the full report from the Doctor. There will be no surgery!! Yeah that would have involved a plate and many screws. Matt got up and walked this morning and has walked again this afternoon. Not very far but at least he can walk. They are starting to disassemble the many thing that he is hooked up to. It looks like Steve and Matt will be coming home this evening. He won't have any physical Therapy for at least 10 days. We go back up to the Doctor in 10 days for more xrays and test to see how the healing is taking place.
I spent the morning with The White Guy(the horse). His back left leg has really swelled up this past couple of days. He went to the vet today and he has torn a ligament in his back leg. The vet sweat wrapped it.(They put some powerful goop on his leg, then wrap it with a plastic bag, then a cotton bandage, a vet wrap, and then a special wrap that they call 100mph wrap(it is call 100 MPH because it won't come of the critter even in 95MPH winds) We have to leave the wrap on for 48 hours then take it off. Hopefully this will take the swelling out of the leg. He is on stable rest (meaning he will be living in a box stall) for 60 days and then we have to ultra sound it again to determine how the healing has taken place.
The horse will be down almost as long as Matt will. We just can't figure out how he hurt his back leg. Matt seems to think that he hit the hole with his front leg and started to go down then maybe hit it with his back leg and that is when they took the tumble. We will never know we are just thrilled that all that has happened is repairable with time.

Alex spent the day on Friday at one of the schools. It is a small private school with only 23 students in her class. She could walk right onto the basketball team, take a photography class, and have one on one help with what she maybe behind in. So we are still trying to decide if this is the way to go or not.

Of course house hunting has been put on hold. But we are not really worried. Everyone here is starting to lay off employees so we think that the housing market is going to take a tumble.

I just keep thinking the God has a plan for us!! It sure has brought me alot of peace this past couple of days!!!

Keeping you posted...

Yesterday Matt took a tumble on his horse. He has done an incredible job getting networked right of the bat here. He got hired on for day work with a ranch just north about 20 miles. They were moving about 250 head of cattle to a new pasture. A calf darted out and Matt and the White Guy (his horse) headed out after the calf. The White Guy hit a hole about 3 ft deep and went down. Matt thought he would recover and just stumble. When he realized that White Guy wasn't going to it was too late to kick off so Matt took the tumble with Ghost. They both went head over heals. When Matt finally got off he realized that he couldn't get up and walk. Thank heavens he had his mobile. He called the other guys and they came a riding. They made him lay still and called the ambulance. The long and the short of it is. He has a pelvic bone that is disjointed and unstable at this point, and a crack the runs the length of the big butterfly bone that keeps the hip in place. It is a very serious injury. BUT WE ARE THANKFUL that there isn't a brain injury or spinal cord injury.
He is in the hospital now and will be for a couple of days. Then will come home with wheelchair, the graduate to a walker, crutches and cane. Hopefully with alot of physical therapy will be walking on his own in about 6-8 weeks. The good news is he is in good spirits. The bad news is he isn't allowed near horses for about 6 months and no horse back riding for probably about a year! We are grateful he was here with us and that we weren't oceans away!!!
We are also very grateful for the angels that have been among us. All of our old friends have just appear and been right by our side doing things right and left for us. There is a country western song about angels among us. That is truly how we have felt these last couple of days. We are so humbled by the love and outpouring of help. I just wanted to share this song with you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WENJbSPSmqg

3 Most Stressful things...

They say that the three most stressful things a person can do is move, build a house and I can't remember the 3rd. Well from December 8th we have packed out a house over seas, deciding what should go air and land, found a temporary home at our new location, gone through the Christmas holidays, started a building project of finishing the basement at the ranch house, loading up our family and traveling 1300 miles with two pickups one pulling a horse trailer with three horses. Are we in sane!! Yes and the date today is...
The above pictures shows Matt's horses somewhere in New Mexico.
We started out from the ranch and had snowy roads. When we got onto the interstate they turned to solid ice. For the next 50 miles we had 35 MPH driving. Within that 50 miles there was 5 semi trucks jackknived, and 8-10 cars that had flipped over and were crashed. Steve was calling us every three minutes to check on us(he and Alex were driving behind Matt and I in the pickup), I was a nervous wreak. The only calm one in the bunch was Matt. He was our hero. He drove the truck and trailer with three horses safely, put up with me and my nervousness, and got us to dry roads. The first day was supposed to take us 10 hours and it took 14 hours.

You can see the ice build up on the trailer. This picture was taken after we were in New Mexico for several hours. Some the the junk had melted and fallen off. The second day trip was not as bad as the first but there was still cars off the road and overturned because of the ice on the roads. The second day should have taken another 10 hours and it was almost another 13 hours. We were so glad to see the lights of our good friends home.( Matt is keeping his horses at our friends house.) We are so thankful to finally be here and to have made it safe and sound. We are loving every minute of the sunshine and are soaking it up!!!
The pictures below are of the finishing of the basement. There will be two bedrooms, a bath, a family room, and laundry room/office, and a storage room. It will really be nice for when we have company.

One Step Closer...

We have had a great, wonderful, very white and very busy Christmas. We are leaving in the morning from our ranch with a pickup, a daughter who is getting more and more comfortable with being in America, a husband who is anxious to start a new job, a mom who will just be glad to get settled, a dog who had to have surgery a couple of days ago because of a big lump on his neck which we think is part of the stick that lodged in his mouth earlier this fall, and a son who is going to head to college, take some classes, network with horse people, and work part time with hopes of getting into a certain university in the fall.
We are leaving the ranch in a mess they are finishing our basement (yes finally), but hope that when we return in the summer that it will be great and wonderful and be a welcome for many of our friends to come and visit.
We hope you all have a very Happy New Year.
Steve has put together a great Christmas letter, but of course we haven't posted it yet. Keep coming back and next week there will be all kinds of pictures of the remodel, Christmas, and snow!!