"You don't miss the water 'till the well runs dry" this is not just an old adage, but is one hundred percent accurate and factual.  This morning as I was trying to accept/submit to the unfortunate truth that there are days when getting dressed must in fact go beyond the social unexeptability not to, and get ready for my one day a week office job,  Jamie's brother called to inform us that something was wrong with the well that supplies his parents, our barns and our own home with water.  As I said my goodbyes to the girls, I took a moment to share in the irritation, took a glimpse at the thermometer reading -15, and thought "nothing good can come of this".  The poor guys spent the day digging up and fixing the submersible pump, and thankfully had it going again just shortly after i got home from work.

ABOMINABLE SNOW CHILDREN

When I stopped to pick the kids up at the babysitters (Jamie's Aunt and Uncle) after work I was greeted by a high pitched screech and mock-speed- pitter-patter by what seemed like an overly stimulated Cave Baby, and a long and agonizingly mournfull howl by what may have been it's lunch.  In general, this denoted that Bethany had in fact missed me and was ready to come home, Grace, on the other hand after eight hours of playing was not yet ready to end the fun with her 4 cousins.  It was agreed that after supper she would meet them back at our place for some sledding and hot chocolate. At final tally we had six kids all baring striking resemblance to frenzied abominable snow children, all bundled up in the -17 degree night racing on sleds and snowboards to crash into the piled up snow bumper Jamie makes to keep them from careening into our electric fence.

THE GANG RUNNING TO MEET DREAMERS NEW OWNER

PROBABLY WONDERING WHERE DREAMER WENT

Yesterday we said goodbye to one of our horsey friends and thus the romanticised notion of being horse breeders.  I've spent the last year making, and carrying out, a plan to redirect my energy from having horses as a business to having horses as a family.  It was not an easy decision, I had to overcome many passionate adn overly dramatic notions of having lost my direction and my dream.  I had to come full circle to the fact that I am on the path that God has chosen for me, and right now, at this time, my roll in our family is much more important.  Jamie has been innately understanding and supportive.  However, upon finding him in his "thoughtful spot" yesterday morning on the couch, I was also reminded of his innate nature for, well, making a buck.  As he very quietly and cautiously, as though testing the waters, asked me what I had planned after we sold this horse.  When I told him spending time with my own horses and with Grace and Hiccup, he very nonchalantly threw out the fact that there was a lovely horse up the road that I might enjoy doing something with. But I didn't bite.

Grace had "one of those days"  which began with her tattooing both her arms and the bottoms of both of her legs in all the creative hues that Crayola Non-Toxics have to offer.  Grace has an insatiable appetite, and as I was working on the computer I felt a very quiet presence at my elbow.  When I turned to her she says "I'm not quite sure how to tell you this"  to which I immediately think "What did you flush down our toilet", then she says "I feel guilty just saying it", to which I think "Oh No....Where's Bethany!" At which point she says "well, um, you see, it's just that......well........I'd like some Rice Crispies"  RICE CRISPIES!  The kid wants Rice Crispies and Im left devising a plan to extract the baby from the toilet.  We finally wrapped up "one of those days" by me finding it absalutely impossible to keep my eyes from closing.  Bethany had laid down for her nap and in a semi-concious haze, it occurs to me, "maybe, if I can get her immersed in her favorite cartoon she'll let me snooze beside her for a nano second.  Perhaps, if we could find just the right one she wouldn't notice the uncontrolable and epically proportioned snoring next to her."  It was perfect, flawless.  It lasted the nano second I'd hoped to snooz, and she was gone.  I came to just long enough to hear what I "thought" was her pulling the covers off of her markers, it was just long enough for me to hear what I "thought" was her tearing paper to make one of her "Amazing Grace" style crafts, it was just long enough for me to think "my goodness she is such a good little Cowgirl". Apparently my nano-nap was just long enough for her to crack 1/2 dozen or so eggs in a pot and dump in a litre of milk .  The next thing I know I'm being bounced by a small and sticky messenger letting me know that she'd prepared what she calls bubbly eggs (scrambled eggs) for our supper and it was time for me to do my job and cook them.  We then spent the rest of the afternoon burning energy outside where she is not brave enough to evade me and therefore the threat of assault is less.

TOO BUSY HATING HER SNOWSUIT TO SMILE







GUARD DONKEY "PAPBLO"

SOME OF PABLO'S CHARGE

FARMER JAMES





 Poor little Max had his first encounter with a horse by way of having his foot stepped on  the other day, he is thankfully fine but occasionally whines if anyone touches it.  At one point I heard him whining and thought one of the kids must have been touching his foot, I turned to look over my shoulder and find Bethany chewing on his ear and Max miserably sitting there and whining for help.

UNLOADING THE WOODSLEIGH INTO OUR WOODBOX

FOR REASONS NOT KNOWN TO ME, SPLITTING WOOD IN OUR ENTRY WHILE THE GIRLS ARE TRYING TO SLEEP..........ANYONE ELSE HERE THE SONG "CAMOFLAGE" PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND??

RECIPE:

BUBBLY EGGS

3 eggs per serving
appx 1/2 the amount of eggs worth of milk (1 cup of eggs = 1/3 cup milk)
I then whisk in salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste (Grace doesn't know this part)

Cook until almost done then add shredded Cheddar and/or fresh grated parmasean and finish cooking

This is also great with cubed and cooked Ham mixed in

When we are eating like grown-ups Jamie and I add in Mushrooms, Onions (instead of onion powder) and peppers.