The holidays are over. The fun is all over. It's back to boring and normal life! I am hoping that will mean positive changes for us.
Chad has submitted several resumes all over the west (and one or two in the east). Most of those were sent before Christmas, but the responses have been slow. We hope that the end of festivities means the beginning of progress in the job hunt.
We also hope that the transition into normal life means that our chances of selling our home shoot up. We've only had one call on the house so far and they wanted a lease/buy option. I am really hoping to sell soon, but that means that I have to battle keeping a clean house while battling being a single parent. Either one of those battles is big enough on its own.
Meanwhile, our life goes on. This week includes a trip to Primary Children's hospital in Salt Lake with Nathan and a biopsy for Daniel in Idaho Falls. Both boys are hurting a lot and taking pain killer constantly. Daniel's system doesn't seem to respond well to hydrocodone and it looses its effectiveness after a couple of uses. Nathan responds better to it, but still needs to alternate it with ibuprofen.
The weather has been very cold lately. The temperature was -15 degrees on Thursday morning when the bus pulled up for the kids. I think we've actually stayed above zero for the past two nights. I'm sure the dogs, cats and chickens have appreciated the heat wave.
I don't know what to write about. The truth is, I'm running at a high-irritation level right now and it causes high feelings of guilt. I have long-suffering issues with my family. I find fault with my neighbors much too quickly. My kids are constantly asking me for something and it is all winding me into a time bomb.
I know none of you want to be saddled with the stuff that eats at me. I don't want to write about it because it all seems so trivial. I just want it to go away! (No, I don't need a special light to sit under. If only it were that easy.)
Showing posts with label Nathan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nathan. Show all posts
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Update on Daniel
Many people have been asking me if there is any news on Daniel's jaw problems. The answer is, "No."
The oral surgeon we saw has been trying to consult with other medical experts before giving us his final diagnosis. We had been going off of "Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia." But now that may not be what we are looking at. The doctor took Daniel's scans to a radiologist at a nearby hospital for an informal reading (which means I didn't have to pay for it). The radiologist said his initial thought was that it looked like a result of abuse.
Huh. I told the doctor, "Well, I know it's not that, so keep looking." He wondered if there was anyone that could be abusing Daniel that I might not expect. Really, we are a boring family. I am the main caregiver. He doesn't play sports. He isn't part of any clubs and doesn't play at a friend's house very often. And for 3 1/2 years? Yeah. It's not abuse. Keep looking.
And he was. He'd mailed the scans off to his colleagues in Iowa. (These are the doctors he does training with and he considers them the experts.) I had this conversation with him the week before Christmas. Meanwhile, Daniel seems to have suffered a flare up of some kind. The medicine doesn't seem to help very much.
I left a message with the doctor today and expect him to call tomorrow. He's been very good at explaining things and assuring me he's trying to get some answers. We may be looking at doing a biopsy to get a little more to investigate. After this long, I'm just waiting for him to tell us what to do...we will do it!
I recorded Daniel's typical reaction to pain tonight. I was trying to get a candid shot, so I was trying to avoid looking like I was recording him. That means, I had the phone upright which recorded everything sideways. Just rest your head on the desk while you watch. ;)
Nathan's pain has also returned. He'd had such a good run of no pain, that I was beginning to wonder if he'd somehow healed. I guess not. We have a scheduled appt. next month, but I may have to call sooner if the pain gets much worse. I don't want to have to make another trip down to SL.
Maybe I can make appts for both boys down there on the same trip!
The oral surgeon we saw has been trying to consult with other medical experts before giving us his final diagnosis. We had been going off of "Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia." But now that may not be what we are looking at. The doctor took Daniel's scans to a radiologist at a nearby hospital for an informal reading (which means I didn't have to pay for it). The radiologist said his initial thought was that it looked like a result of abuse.
Huh. I told the doctor, "Well, I know it's not that, so keep looking." He wondered if there was anyone that could be abusing Daniel that I might not expect. Really, we are a boring family. I am the main caregiver. He doesn't play sports. He isn't part of any clubs and doesn't play at a friend's house very often. And for 3 1/2 years? Yeah. It's not abuse. Keep looking.
And he was. He'd mailed the scans off to his colleagues in Iowa. (These are the doctors he does training with and he considers them the experts.) I had this conversation with him the week before Christmas. Meanwhile, Daniel seems to have suffered a flare up of some kind. The medicine doesn't seem to help very much.
I left a message with the doctor today and expect him to call tomorrow. He's been very good at explaining things and assuring me he's trying to get some answers. We may be looking at doing a biopsy to get a little more to investigate. After this long, I'm just waiting for him to tell us what to do...we will do it!
I recorded Daniel's typical reaction to pain tonight. I was trying to get a candid shot, so I was trying to avoid looking like I was recording him. That means, I had the phone upright which recorded everything sideways. Just rest your head on the desk while you watch. ;)
Nathan's pain has also returned. He'd had such a good run of no pain, that I was beginning to wonder if he'd somehow healed. I guess not. We have a scheduled appt. next month, but I may have to call sooner if the pain gets much worse. I don't want to have to make another trip down to SL.
Maybe I can make appts for both boys down there on the same trip!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Nathan's Hip
Many people are wondering what is happening with Nathan's hip. Join the party! We are also still wondering. Here is what we know so far, and the questions our knowledge inspires.
Based on an MRI and a CT scan, Nathan does not have cancer. We were unsure about that for a while and spent a long weekend wondering if that would be the diagnosis. There is a higher bone density on the side that he is experiencing pain. The "impression" from the doctor reading the CT scan is that there is a "mild chronic stress reaction" of the iliac bone. But that is an unusual place to have that problem. The fact that something like that should have healed long before now has meant we get to see a doctor at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake. The doctor mentioned something about possibly having fluid "in there." I can't elaborate on something I don't understand.
We did that on Tuesday this week. They also agreed that nothing too serious or scary was going on (like cancer), but they were still unsure what was happening - exactly. Nathan had some blood drawn that day and we have an appointment next week for a full body scan. The scan is supposed to be even more in depth than a CT scan (which is more in depth than an MRI). They will have to give him some contrast of some kind and wait for it to work before they do the scan. We've been told to expect the appointment to last about 4 hours.
So now we are trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the kids on that day. School is out. It seems unnecessary to make them also take a 10 hour trip. It's the day before Thanksgiving so we could just hang out with family for the weekend, but Chad would have to meet us separately and there are animals to care for and we'd have to add packing to our plans. Besides, with all of the traveling we've been doing, and the stress we've been feeling, nothing seems more appealing than being home.
And that's an update on Nathan. Thankfully, his pain seems to have lessened. I think the physical therapy, while helping straighten out his back, was aggravating his hip. He is nearly pain free unless he has a day of a lot of extra activity.
Maybe my next post will be an update on Daniel!
Based on an MRI and a CT scan, Nathan does not have cancer. We were unsure about that for a while and spent a long weekend wondering if that would be the diagnosis. There is a higher bone density on the side that he is experiencing pain. The "impression" from the doctor reading the CT scan is that there is a "mild chronic stress reaction" of the iliac bone. But that is an unusual place to have that problem. The fact that something like that should have healed long before now has meant we get to see a doctor at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake. The doctor mentioned something about possibly having fluid "in there." I can't elaborate on something I don't understand.
We did that on Tuesday this week. They also agreed that nothing too serious or scary was going on (like cancer), but they were still unsure what was happening - exactly. Nathan had some blood drawn that day and we have an appointment next week for a full body scan. The scan is supposed to be even more in depth than a CT scan (which is more in depth than an MRI). They will have to give him some contrast of some kind and wait for it to work before they do the scan. We've been told to expect the appointment to last about 4 hours.
So now we are trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the kids on that day. School is out. It seems unnecessary to make them also take a 10 hour trip. It's the day before Thanksgiving so we could just hang out with family for the weekend, but Chad would have to meet us separately and there are animals to care for and we'd have to add packing to our plans. Besides, with all of the traveling we've been doing, and the stress we've been feeling, nothing seems more appealing than being home.
And that's an update on Nathan. Thankfully, his pain seems to have lessened. I think the physical therapy, while helping straighten out his back, was aggravating his hip. He is nearly pain free unless he has a day of a lot of extra activity.
Maybe my next post will be an update on Daniel!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Humming...
You may or may not have noticed that I haven't been around much. Not only haven't I written much, but I haven't read much either. Blogs have slipped down the priority list. Life has pretty much taken me down a rugged road lately.
I've decided that I'm so tightly wound into a taut line of nerves that you might actually be able to hear me hum if you listen.
Chad's working out of town and not being home 3 nights of the week is taking its toll on our family. He was released from his calling, but I was not. My meetings often take me out of the home in the evening and the kids are left alone. They don't like it and I feel guilty. Not to mention taking care of 6 kids, and their school needs, and the house, etc.
We'd love to sell the house, but we've been dealing with a legal dispute and then waiting on approval from the mortgage company. No one cares that we have issues. No one rushes to help us meet our deadlines. It's very frustrating and stressful.
We've had numerous trips to the physical therapist for Daniel's jaw and Nathan's leg/hip. It was finally decided a few weeks ago that physical therapy was not helping Nathan anymore and he's since had an MRI and a CT scan. A long story made very short...we are headed to Primary Children's Hospital next month to visit with a pediatric orthopedist. I don't even know what the medical bills are at this time. I just know that we don't enough money for everything that is demanding it from us.
On a positive note, we spent the weekend wondering if Nathan has cancer and were relieved this morning to find out that is not the cause of his pain. THANK GOODNESS!
My family is still not a support to me. It's hard to not feel abandoned, since that's what it is. My mom can't listen to my needs and I have stopped listening to hers.
The house is a mess because I can't keep up with all the kids. When I can finally get them to bed, I try to catch up. THEN I can try to wind down. I often don't get to bed before midnight.
Meanwhile, life does go on, despite my negative view and constant whining. I have a zillion pictures to share but don't know if I ever will. Halloween was fun and I'm glad it's over.
Maybe soon I will post a bunch of pictures and if you're lucky, I'll even tell you the stories behind them.
I've decided that I'm so tightly wound into a taut line of nerves that you might actually be able to hear me hum if you listen.
Chad's working out of town and not being home 3 nights of the week is taking its toll on our family. He was released from his calling, but I was not. My meetings often take me out of the home in the evening and the kids are left alone. They don't like it and I feel guilty. Not to mention taking care of 6 kids, and their school needs, and the house, etc.
We'd love to sell the house, but we've been dealing with a legal dispute and then waiting on approval from the mortgage company. No one cares that we have issues. No one rushes to help us meet our deadlines. It's very frustrating and stressful.
We've had numerous trips to the physical therapist for Daniel's jaw and Nathan's leg/hip. It was finally decided a few weeks ago that physical therapy was not helping Nathan anymore and he's since had an MRI and a CT scan. A long story made very short...we are headed to Primary Children's Hospital next month to visit with a pediatric orthopedist. I don't even know what the medical bills are at this time. I just know that we don't enough money for everything that is demanding it from us.
On a positive note, we spent the weekend wondering if Nathan has cancer and were relieved this morning to find out that is not the cause of his pain. THANK GOODNESS!
My family is still not a support to me. It's hard to not feel abandoned, since that's what it is. My mom can't listen to my needs and I have stopped listening to hers.
The house is a mess because I can't keep up with all the kids. When I can finally get them to bed, I try to catch up. THEN I can try to wind down. I often don't get to bed before midnight.
Meanwhile, life does go on, despite my negative view and constant whining. I have a zillion pictures to share but don't know if I ever will. Halloween was fun and I'm glad it's over.
Maybe soon I will post a bunch of pictures and if you're lucky, I'll even tell you the stories behind them.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
New Diagnosis
I took Nathan back to the doctor a couple of weeks ago because I was never really satisfied with the "spastic hamstring" diagnosis and his situation has not been improving enough to ease my concerns. With him starting in the middle school this year, I wanted to try again to get to the bottom of the problem.
As it turned out, our referring doctor had never even heard back from the specialist that had given us the spastic hamstring diagnosis. He was concerned when I told him that Nathan lags behind the family when we are out, and that he has a pronounced limp. Our doctor referred us to another physical therapist, one that is even more specialized. He said if we couldn't get improvement with him, we'd likely be going to Primary Children's.
So Nathan had his first appointment with the PT yesterday morning. He asked us some background questions then had Nathan remove his shoes and shirt. Right away he noticed a problem in his back and said it looked like a compensatory scoliosis...meaning that something was causing a curve in his back. One side of Nathan's back was higher when he leaned over and one foot was turned in just a little.
He manipulated several spots on Nathan, found several motion restrictions and loosened him up quite a bit. After a short amount of time, the PT concluded that the scoliosis was not being caused by anything, rather it was causing Nathan's problems. He said it could explain Nathan's short stature as well because scoliosis can stunt growth.
Usually, this kind of scoliosis is discovered in Jr. High when the government funds health checks to catch it....right at puberty and its accompanying growth spurts. I feel good that we are aware even before that time.
The PT was very clear that we were not at the stages of this to be overly concerned. He told me not to look it up on the internet because it would just be a lot of scary stuff that didn't apply right now. Of course, he didn't know who he was talking to! I looked up a little last night. ;)
For now, Nathan has two more appts. scheduled over the next two weeks. I am hopeful that we will now be moving forward and getting Nathan some relief.
Yesterday afternoon, we were meeting Nathan's 5th grade teacher and I mentioned that he'd just been given the diagnosis of scoliosis that morning. (I wanted her to be aware, just in case he had a bad day in the first few days of school.) What a surprise we got when she said she also had scoliosis! Some people would call it a coincidence. I call it a blessing. And I said as much to Nathan on the way home. I told him I knew Heavenly Father was mindful of him and was watching over him. Really, on the VERY DAY he finds out? That is a tender mercy from heaven.
As it turned out, our referring doctor had never even heard back from the specialist that had given us the spastic hamstring diagnosis. He was concerned when I told him that Nathan lags behind the family when we are out, and that he has a pronounced limp. Our doctor referred us to another physical therapist, one that is even more specialized. He said if we couldn't get improvement with him, we'd likely be going to Primary Children's.
So Nathan had his first appointment with the PT yesterday morning. He asked us some background questions then had Nathan remove his shoes and shirt. Right away he noticed a problem in his back and said it looked like a compensatory scoliosis...meaning that something was causing a curve in his back. One side of Nathan's back was higher when he leaned over and one foot was turned in just a little.
He manipulated several spots on Nathan, found several motion restrictions and loosened him up quite a bit. After a short amount of time, the PT concluded that the scoliosis was not being caused by anything, rather it was causing Nathan's problems. He said it could explain Nathan's short stature as well because scoliosis can stunt growth.
Usually, this kind of scoliosis is discovered in Jr. High when the government funds health checks to catch it....right at puberty and its accompanying growth spurts. I feel good that we are aware even before that time.
The PT was very clear that we were not at the stages of this to be overly concerned. He told me not to look it up on the internet because it would just be a lot of scary stuff that didn't apply right now. Of course, he didn't know who he was talking to! I looked up a little last night. ;)
For now, Nathan has two more appts. scheduled over the next two weeks. I am hopeful that we will now be moving forward and getting Nathan some relief.
Yesterday afternoon, we were meeting Nathan's 5th grade teacher and I mentioned that he'd just been given the diagnosis of scoliosis that morning. (I wanted her to be aware, just in case he had a bad day in the first few days of school.) What a surprise we got when she said she also had scoliosis! Some people would call it a coincidence. I call it a blessing. And I said as much to Nathan on the way home. I told him I knew Heavenly Father was mindful of him and was watching over him. Really, on the VERY DAY he finds out? That is a tender mercy from heaven.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Medical Mysteries
I know. I have been missing. I have been BUSY! School is finally out, so I am looking forward to things slowing down a little. (I may be delusional, but everyone needs to have hope in their life.)
Where do I start? The foremost events in our lives right now are the battles Daniel and Nathan are waging against pain.
Daniel's jaw pain is back. We're speculating it may be from his most recent trip to the orthodontist, where he had more of his build ups ground off and molds taken for a new retainer. I guess we'll see if we're right...he has to go back for his retainer check tomorrow. Since Friday, Daniel has been taking pain killers constantly. He is currently taking ibuprofen and hydrocodone...one or the other every 3 hours. He did make it 5 hours today...a major step.
Nathan's problem is much more confusing to all of us, including the doctors. For some reason, his pelvic bone twisted...one side forward, the other side back. Because of this, the ligaments in his rear end tightened up. He walks like he's survived polio. He can't really run. Additionally, the muscles in his back are so tight that one shoulder hikes up, the other one doesn't move much, and the spine is pulled into a curve.
Both boys have been seeing physical therapists. Daniel's initial visits with the PT did wonders for him, so we're a little frustrated that two visits since the orthodontist have left him no better. Nathan has also seen improvement, but not like Daniel did. They can work on him and loosen him up, but things go almost back to where they started.
Our insurance doesn't cover physical therapy and each half hour session costs $75. I am praying for miracles!!
I don't know why the boys have been given these trials, or what they should be learning from them. But they have been amazing troopers (Daniel has been suffering for almost 3 years now) and we all still find ways to laugh about it sometimes.
Add to that, Sarah has been fevering off and on since Friday (at least). I finally took her in and she has an ear infection. Her cough the past 3 nights has been torture to hear. She makes child #3 taking medication in this house!
Where do I start? The foremost events in our lives right now are the battles Daniel and Nathan are waging against pain.
Daniel's jaw pain is back. We're speculating it may be from his most recent trip to the orthodontist, where he had more of his build ups ground off and molds taken for a new retainer. I guess we'll see if we're right...he has to go back for his retainer check tomorrow. Since Friday, Daniel has been taking pain killers constantly. He is currently taking ibuprofen and hydrocodone...one or the other every 3 hours. He did make it 5 hours today...a major step.
Nathan's problem is much more confusing to all of us, including the doctors. For some reason, his pelvic bone twisted...one side forward, the other side back. Because of this, the ligaments in his rear end tightened up. He walks like he's survived polio. He can't really run. Additionally, the muscles in his back are so tight that one shoulder hikes up, the other one doesn't move much, and the spine is pulled into a curve.
Both boys have been seeing physical therapists. Daniel's initial visits with the PT did wonders for him, so we're a little frustrated that two visits since the orthodontist have left him no better. Nathan has also seen improvement, but not like Daniel did. They can work on him and loosen him up, but things go almost back to where they started.
Our insurance doesn't cover physical therapy and each half hour session costs $75. I am praying for miracles!!
I don't know why the boys have been given these trials, or what they should be learning from them. But they have been amazing troopers (Daniel has been suffering for almost 3 years now) and we all still find ways to laugh about it sometimes.
Add to that, Sarah has been fevering off and on since Friday (at least). I finally took her in and she has an ear infection. Her cough the past 3 nights has been torture to hear. She makes child #3 taking medication in this house!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Consequences...Country Style
Chad left for a scout campout last night and the care of the animals fell to the boys.
The task wasn't too difficult. It was mostly making sure the animals all had water, the chicks, chickens and dog had food, and the two lawn-mower lambs tied up in the orchard were untangled.
All three boys went out. Nathan did 85% of the work. Daniel untangled the lambs and then stood by, watching Nathan work. As they had headed outside, Nathan made a comment to Daniel about that very thing. It's a common thing around here.
When they came in, I questioned them about the state of everything outside...including the chicks. I was told that they did indeed have food and water.
This morning I went out around 11:30 to check on the laying hens (they have grown a liking for the taste of raw eggs). I found the chicks' food tipped over and empty and their water dry. Additionally, one chick was dead.
I called for the boys. I held them BOTH accountable. Nathan was the one that told me they were taken care of. I think he didn't look very carefully. Daniel didn't even get close, so he couldn't have caught the error. (Joseph was out there, but doesn't have any responsibilities yet.)
I informed them that they wouldn't be having lunch or eating until dinner. After all, the chicks didn't have anything to eat or drink...and one of them died. I added to Daniel's consequence and gave him the task of removing the dead chick from the coop.
He nearly fell apart out there. The amount of crying and shaking surprised me. I left him to work it out on his own time and told him he could come in when he was done. He sat out there for almost an hour, but he finally did it.
He was supposed to show me he had the bird, but I think the trauma of it all sent him right to the garbage can. He was crying and shaking a bit all over again.
I hope this sticks with him. He needs to be more responsible and Chad and I are pulling out our hair trying to get through to him.
At least I know Daniel and Nathan will eat a good dinner tonight (or at least they'll be ready to eat...I make no guarantees on the quality of the meal).
Did you ever have a consequence that was particularly difficult?
The task wasn't too difficult. It was mostly making sure the animals all had water, the chicks, chickens and dog had food, and the two lawn-mower lambs tied up in the orchard were untangled.
All three boys went out. Nathan did 85% of the work. Daniel untangled the lambs and then stood by, watching Nathan work. As they had headed outside, Nathan made a comment to Daniel about that very thing. It's a common thing around here.
When they came in, I questioned them about the state of everything outside...including the chicks. I was told that they did indeed have food and water.
This morning I went out around 11:30 to check on the laying hens (they have grown a liking for the taste of raw eggs). I found the chicks' food tipped over and empty and their water dry. Additionally, one chick was dead.
I called for the boys. I held them BOTH accountable. Nathan was the one that told me they were taken care of. I think he didn't look very carefully. Daniel didn't even get close, so he couldn't have caught the error. (Joseph was out there, but doesn't have any responsibilities yet.)
I informed them that they wouldn't be having lunch or eating until dinner. After all, the chicks didn't have anything to eat or drink...and one of them died. I added to Daniel's consequence and gave him the task of removing the dead chick from the coop.
He nearly fell apart out there. The amount of crying and shaking surprised me. I left him to work it out on his own time and told him he could come in when he was done. He sat out there for almost an hour, but he finally did it.
He was supposed to show me he had the bird, but I think the trauma of it all sent him right to the garbage can. He was crying and shaking a bit all over again.
I hope this sticks with him. He needs to be more responsible and Chad and I are pulling out our hair trying to get through to him.
At least I know Daniel and Nathan will eat a good dinner tonight (or at least they'll be ready to eat...I make no guarantees on the quality of the meal).
Did you ever have a consequence that was particularly difficult?
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Round 'em up, Move 'em out, YEHAW!
We had some glorious weather in these parts yesterday. Was your weather as nice? Our day started with cleaning the church, then a trip to the library, followed by a stop at the local Preparedness Fair. From there we went on a much anticipated picnic and played a bit at a park. A stop at the bread store on the way home turned into a decision to defrost one of the freezers (because the bread needed to be frozen).
I am still scratching my head over the fact that we were defrosting a freezer on March 24th! It took a couple/few hours to get four years' worth of frost out of that monster, but when we replaced the food, we organized meat into one freezer and everything else into another. Wow. We have a lot of food (and chocolate) in our garage.
Meanwhile, Chad decided that it was a good time to catch and weigh a lamb that we wanted to post on Craigslist. She was a little tricky to catch, but we got the task accomplished and decided that the ewe weighs 90 lbs. A little on the small side for butchering, but her birthday is coming up in two months, so we need to get her sold.
Then we decided to put her into the corral so that she would be easier to catch next time. The thing is...her father is in the corral with her mother and "aunts" and half-siblings. So we got the ram out of there and into the pasture.
If you ever have the good fortune to visit us during a time that Chad needs to round up an animal around here, you will leave with some darn funny memories! We finally got that ram out, with Chad pulling and Daniel and Nathan pushing. Then Nathan climbed up on his back and that ram just stood there. I guess he's not a rodeo ram. He ran off easily enough when the rope was off his neck and Nathan was off his back.
Well, the ram is less likely to try to break back into the corral if he has a few of his girls with him. We have two ewes that are no longer mommas, so we pulled them out, too.
The pictures below are from Chad and Nathan pulling out the last ewe. Notice the only two lambs/sheep hanging around Chad? They are the bottle babies and are the only ones that don't run away from us. They become a bit of a health hazard (tripping hazard) when someone is trying to rope a sheep that doesn't want to be roped!
They were lucky and got the rope on her without too much effort. This is the best time to climb on her back!
It's a good thing Nathan's so light. This ewe is going to be glad to be free, as soon as she can get rid of that boy on her back!
When Chad and Nathan got her out to the pasture, they had a short brain lapse and let go of the rope. She started running away and they had to chase the end of the rope before it completely passed them by. Nathan was quicker and got a hold on it first.
Now it's time for the real fun. We just need to get that rope of her neck first...
...and then it's time to hold on tight! This sheep gave Nathan quite a ride. She tried to out-smart him by scraping him along the outside of the corral and then running them both through some discarded barbed wire. He held on for a long time. I don't think the story can be told any better than the one Nathan's face is telling in this picture.
I love this life and the experiences the kids are having. How could we ever go back to living in a city/neighborhood?
I am still scratching my head over the fact that we were defrosting a freezer on March 24th! It took a couple/few hours to get four years' worth of frost out of that monster, but when we replaced the food, we organized meat into one freezer and everything else into another. Wow. We have a lot of food (and chocolate) in our garage.
Meanwhile, Chad decided that it was a good time to catch and weigh a lamb that we wanted to post on Craigslist. She was a little tricky to catch, but we got the task accomplished and decided that the ewe weighs 90 lbs. A little on the small side for butchering, but her birthday is coming up in two months, so we need to get her sold.
Then we decided to put her into the corral so that she would be easier to catch next time. The thing is...her father is in the corral with her mother and "aunts" and half-siblings. So we got the ram out of there and into the pasture.
If you ever have the good fortune to visit us during a time that Chad needs to round up an animal around here, you will leave with some darn funny memories! We finally got that ram out, with Chad pulling and Daniel and Nathan pushing. Then Nathan climbed up on his back and that ram just stood there. I guess he's not a rodeo ram. He ran off easily enough when the rope was off his neck and Nathan was off his back.
Well, the ram is less likely to try to break back into the corral if he has a few of his girls with him. We have two ewes that are no longer mommas, so we pulled them out, too.
The pictures below are from Chad and Nathan pulling out the last ewe. Notice the only two lambs/sheep hanging around Chad? They are the bottle babies and are the only ones that don't run away from us. They become a bit of a health hazard (tripping hazard) when someone is trying to rope a sheep that doesn't want to be roped!
They were lucky and got the rope on her without too much effort. This is the best time to climb on her back!
It's a good thing Nathan's so light. This ewe is going to be glad to be free, as soon as she can get rid of that boy on her back!
When Chad and Nathan got her out to the pasture, they had a short brain lapse and let go of the rope. She started running away and they had to chase the end of the rope before it completely passed them by. Nathan was quicker and got a hold on it first.
Now it's time for the real fun. We just need to get that rope of her neck first...
...and then it's time to hold on tight! This sheep gave Nathan quite a ride. She tried to out-smart him by scraping him along the outside of the corral and then running them both through some discarded barbed wire. He held on for a long time. I don't think the story can be told any better than the one Nathan's face is telling in this picture.
I love this life and the experiences the kids are having. How could we ever go back to living in a city/neighborhood?
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