Friends in Dallas

ARMD for Jesus: Audra, Ronda, Michele & Dawn

Michele, Angela, Ronda, Me & Dawn

Chick-fil-a

Sam Moon trip

Last weekend, we went to Dallas. The PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) National Convention was in Dallas about 15 minutes from John's parents' house. We drove up for the event. Since I am not a PWOC member, I couldn't attend the convention, but I could at least see some of my friends from Ohio. My friends asked me to pick them up and drive them around Dallas. I told them they were crazy! I don't drive in Dallas. John's mom offered to pick them up and drive us around. She maneuvered through Dallas traffic, DFW and toll roads like it was nothing. Thank you Carol! We went to Sam Moon and to Grapevine Mills and then to Chick-fil-a for dinner. Well, they don't have Chick-fil-a where Michele lives in Washington, so she had to keep her priorities straight. I enjoyed seeing everyone, but would have loved to just sit down and enjoy the afternoon catching up. Next time, hopefully there is less shopping involved and more visiting.

The Canyon Chicken Project

Well, never did we think we'd be building a chicken coop just a month or so after moving in. Boy were we wrong. This took way longer and cost way more than we ever dreamed. But, we had a great time involving the entire neighborhood in our chicken project. Some funny things happened during the building of this coop...

I was in the driveway painting the run section and I was inside this frame painting the inside when the gas man drove down the alley right next to me. He stopped, rolled the window down and asked what I was building. I told him that my husband told the neighborhood boys it was where he'd put me to keep me from shopping. He laughed and asked if he should call the welfare department. I told him he should probably call animal control.

The day that Hayden and I decided to move the chicken run to the other side of the yard, we let the chickens out. I drug the run across the yard and then we went to catch the chickens and put them back into their home. Easier said than done. It took us a good 10 minutes to catch those chickens. They may look clumsy, but don't let their looks fool you. They can make a 35 year old woman burn an easy 500 calories in 10 minutes flat. I'm gonna start my own aerobics class in my back yard called "fast chicks".

The chickens are the talk of the neighborhood. My neighbor Angela told me that her husband is now talking about getting chickens. All the kids come over to see our chickens and must be telling their parents that we have chickens in our back yard.

They do have names. Did I tell you that? Rosie and Lightening Bolt. Rachel does have plans to put a leash on the chickens and walk them. She also wants to dress them up. I'd like to see that. Actually, I'd pay money to see that.

Well, these are our chicken adventures and there are sure to be more. We'll keep you posted!

Finally done with the entry

Whew! That was a giant project. We hung the french doors a while back, but sanding, priming, painting, handles, trim... All that had to be done before we could texture and paint the entry way. Well, it is finished. It feels good to have it done. I textured the top of the wall above the chair rail and then painted it a creamy tan color. I told the kids that it looks like my coffee in the morning. Then, on the bottom of the wall, I used paint that was already in the house leftover from a small bathroom. It is a very nice chocolate brown. I love the color combination with the white trim.

Fall Fun

Grass Hoppers

Oklahoma

We went to Oklahoma last Sunday for a big fish fry. We spent the day out on a ranch with Pa Bob, Meme and Meme's daughter Kristi. Kristi hosts a big fish/calf fries fry every year for their entire family.

We had the chance to ride horses and everyone was so excited. (except Rachel) Sarah rode horses at camp this summer and couldn't wait to ride again. She and Hayden were the first to ride. Rachel was not real sure she wanted to ride, which was surprising since she likes animals so much. "If I get on, will you?", I asked. That would be perfectly normal for the average person, but not for me. I was bucked off when I was 9 and said I would never get back on. That's 26 years if you're countin'. Well, that's the price you pay when you're a mom and you don't want your kids to be scared of something. You have to do it yourself to prove that it is okay. At least that is what it took for Rachel. After I rode with her, she was ready to go all by herself. I'm not sure who was more surprised, John, or my dad.

My work here is done! The only problem is that now, they all want a horse...