Feb 4th Monday - If I am being completely honest which I feel is only fair for a journal. I would have to say I am having a really hard time letting go of this house. We have done so many things to make it just the way we wanted that it will be a sad day when we sell it. Even though I have a really hard time with basement living, I love this basement. If we didn't have the preschool taking up 2 bedrooms it would be so comfortable. I will and already do miss my garage especially when it is snowing and I get to scrap the windows. I miss the organization of our recreation gear and having our boat stored nicely. I will miss the fenced in backyard for the dogs, I don't know what we will do with them out there. I miss the extra room in the house, I hate feeling cluttered, I guess that means it is high time to dejunk! I will miss our friendly neighbors who are always willing to help. I miss our clean cars, it seems impossible to keep them clean with the muddy driveway and dirty boots. I will miss teaching preschool in my home, I have LOVED my job the last 9 years! I will miss my flower beds and garden corner. I seriously love this house and will miss it dearly, I thought we were going to grow old here. Crazy how life throws us curve balls. I have to keep reminding myself I will only have my children for a short time. I have to choose wisely how I spend my last 10 years of them living with us.
But now that I have said all that I must include how I am SO excited to have a horse ranch. This is a dream of mine that I have had my entire life. Yes, I am totally nervous and don't know what I am doing and I learn so much every day. But I LOVE IT! I am excited to watch my kids experience baby animals in their newest form and the miracle it is. I am excited to teach my children what real chores are like and watch them grow into some incredible young adults with a true knowledge of responsibility. I am excited to see them adjust to new schools and church and meet new friends. I have loved seeing our farm house transform, Terry is so amazing and I love all that he has taught the kids about it as well. I love the views out of my windows, the lake on one side and Mnt. Timp on the other. I love watching the sunset on the farm they are simply time stopping. I am excited to watch my kids drive the tractor around the farm. I still remember sitting on my dads lap as he plowed the fields on my Grandpa's old Ford blue tractor. I love working side by side working toward a common goal. I love shopping at Cal-ranch for real and not to just dream! I love that my kids NEED boots and don't just want them. And I love my animals I feel like they are such a wonderful part of life! So yes I am confused giving up such a comfortable easy life for one with so much work yet so many rewards to be given. I don't regret my decision but I am sad when I think about what I am leaving. When I was at the store today I saw a sign that said. If you want to know what your heart desires turn to the things your mind things about. I have always dreamt of horses, goats, land, barns, chickens, fences, tractors, and family togetherness! And God made a farmer!
Feb 5th Tuesday - After Treg had scouts and Matia's bball practice we had parent teacher conferences. I love going to them to hear how my kids are really doing. I would hope that the teachers wouldn't just tell me what I want to hear because that would do no good for anyone. Treg's teacher told us a few things to work on with him. Mostly just reading faster because he likes to go slow to make sure he understands it all and wont miss anything. Terry said he did the same thing. Matia's teacher really enjoys Matia in her class... At least that is what she says but seems sincere. She is excited to hear Matia will be finishing the year with her at this school. It is such a relief to hear they are doing so well especially when this year I have given them the responsibility of getting their homework done by themselves.
Feb 6th Wednesday - OH what a fun day at our farm. Today I spent the day sorting tools while Will from Lowe's installed our carpet. We only had 650sq ft to install but wow what a difference it made. I love the smell of brand new carpet and now that smell fills my new home. I was so excited when he left that I ran home and tore down the boys beds and took them down to their bedrooms. The kids set them up while Terry and I had a meeting with the construction crew that is putting in the water/sewer line through our property. Which we found out the lady that owned it before she foreclosed got $4,500 for the easement and inconvenience when it hasn't affected her at all. CRAZY and sad that we have to put up with it and get nothing out of it.
Feb 8th Friday - Today Terry and I went shopping at lunch for a desk for our new office. Well we went to Ikea and found some desks for the kids rooms. Then we went to RCWilleys, we didn't find us a desk but we found the perfect couch set, rug, and stove for our new house. So instead of a desk we ended up buying our very first brand new couch set ever! We both just fell in love with them and we needed a set any how because mom and dads won't fit in the little space we have. Anyway, after coming home we decided to put together the desks. It took so long we only had time to do one. Then head off to Bowdee's basketball game. After the game we just went home and called it a night. We are getting so tired it is hard to keep working late like we have been no matter how bad we want to get done so we can move in.
Feb 9th Saturday - Matia had a basketball game which they played amazingly. They won 44 to 5 which I felt really bad for the other team. We have been on that end of things so many times its rough. Matia played hard and is focusing more on where the ball is going then just defending her one person. She got fouled during a shot and so she was able to take 2 shots. I wish you could have seen the cute way she shot the ball, it was a kind of jump/leap/land like some kind of dance move. But the ball went in both times. I think the reason she sank them was because her Grandpa Covington was there to watch her and man she loves her Grandpa sooo much! To bad Grandma didn't feel well she would have been so proud of her little Mattie!
Feb 10th Sunday - What a big day. I was not excited to start this day by any means but after a long hot bath and a small breakfast we set out to get our butts kicked. We knew it was going to be exhausting but worth it in the end. It was counter top pouring day. We decided that pouring concrete counter tops for under $150 was worth the work to save us over $2000 for cheap Formica. So we started by finishing the mold making process. Then by 12:00 we were ready to pour so we went and got the kids, ate some lunch, got some courage and started to pour at 2:00.
By 4:00 we were finished mixing and pouring the concrete. But it would still take us 3 more hours to drain off the extra water, let it set, drain it again, and finish it. Of course Terry does all the finish work. I am afraid I am just not detailed enough or talented enough to make it look good so I just worked in the behind scenes, cleaning tools, helping lift buckets, vibrating side walls to get air bubbles released, and all the other things that are important but not seen. It looks like quite the mess but if it looks anything like the basement counter tops (which I don't have any doubts) it is going to look fabulous when we are finished. Yes Terry is still amazingly talented in all that he does.
Feb 27th - I realized something today... My cute little Matia is really growing up. I went to her school today to watch her do her State Presentation. She has been working on a slide show to present her 8 page state report to her class. She did amazing she stood at that computer full of confidence, spoke clearly, did her report with personality and it was simply amazing. I am so proud of my little girl for always doing her best. You sure made me proud today Matia keep it up! after Matia's presentation, I stayed home mostly cleaning the house and making a yummy dinner for some wonderful guests. Terry's mom, dad, aunt Jeanette, and uncle Werner were coming over to visit.
Right before they were expected to be here Matia needed help with the feeding because Robbie and Trigger were together and they can be trouble together... So I went out to help her and noticed Robbie was stealing all of Triggers food so I was taking it from Robbie and giving it back when he got angry and hit me with his head and cut my eye lid open. I came in and Terry said it should have stitches but we had visitors coming so we cleaned off all the blood and super glued it shut. I won't mind the scar, after all I am a rancher now! 
We had a great visit with Terry's parents and Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Werner. They are some amazing people ones that are always welcome in our house. I was excited to hear they could stay for dinner because that just meant they would have to stay longer and we could visit more. Love these peoples!
Feb 28th - In preschool we had a fun day with our Dr. Seuss party. Man he sure had some good advice through his stories. But after my fun day teaching those darling little kids Chris and I met up with Mindy for lunch at Rumbis then a quick visit to check out my new farm house. Ya its not new but it smells new and looks new inside. I still remember when I met Mindy in the 7th grade she was a friend of my friends and I just new we would always be friends. Love ya girls!
March 1st - I woke up and got the kids all but in the car when I decided I just didn't want to be responsible today. Nope it was one of those days I just wanted to be an irresponsible kid... So I told the kids to get their snowboarding gear we were headed to Brighton. Bowdee was already to school and I knew he didn't want to miss school anyway (dang responsible boy). Matia and Treg couldn't believe what they just heard but they didn't miss a beat and sure didn't ask any questions. Dropped their backpacks and got their gear so fast I was the last one ready. Made some hot chocolate grabbed their lunch bags and away we went up the mountain!
Man I just can't tell you how good it felt to step away from it all and have some fun. I just wish my other boys could have been with us. My Matia and Treg were so fun and SO good! I couldn't believe when I told Matia she was going to have to get off the lift alone she said "Yep I can totally do my best mom" even though she was really nervous about it. Then I told her she needs to learn to do her bindings by herself and she said "I can do that". It so seriously so fun! I just wish I could escape with them every Friday... But I have a feeling the school office ladies would start catchin onto me when they showed up sick every Friday.
March 2nd Saturday - Treg's game was first and he was excited because Grandma and Grandpa Covington were coming to watch him play. So he was playing his best and doing great I must add. When he got elbowed in the eye right at the end of the game. He was holding back the tears trying to be tough. When he was finished my mom gave him a big hug and was telling him how great he played. I realized right then a saying I heard once before had never been truer. "Grandmothers are a little bit parent, a little bit teachers, and a little bit Best Friends." My mom always knows the right thing to say at the right time. She will never know how much I look up to her. I wish I could hide my crazy, pull myself together and be more like her.
Matia and Treg had their last basketball games today. And I have to say they both have improved so much this year I am sad to see it come to an end. Matia's sweet coach gave her a "Basketball Warrior award" for having so much spirit in her game she never gives up. Then they made a darling 12x12 scrapbook page of action shots and a team photo. We love her coach and team and we are so sad this season is over. I have to agree she does play with a Great Amount of Spirit!
After the bball games and a quick Subway lunch I took a quick horseback ride with my dad, Tia, and Bowdee. We just rode around the arena and then down to Aunt Dixies. But it was just enough to feel alive. Dad rode my Mom's Horse Misty ("Mysteriously enticing like the mist on the sea, will never dampen your spirits, a friend she will be.") My dad looked so tall and proud on that horse he sure shines when he rides.
March 3rd Sunday - The kids took their time getting out to feed the horses in the morning. It could have been because they could smell my yummy blueberry muffins baking and the mixer making a delicious Orange Julius. They finally made it out there and noticed there was water running out of the ground so they came in and told us about it. We went out to deal with it, what a huge mess it was like a lake in our back yard. Water everywhere or more like mud. Bowdee and Terry dug down to find the broken pipe while Tia, Treg and I shovelled hay trying to save it from getting to wet and ruined. Then Bowdee says mom I feel like we are pretty good first time farmers. And I would have to agree with him 100percent. Pretty good. There is nothing we can't do when we work together.
Feb 12th Tuesday - Last night as Terry and I were sitting on Bowdee's floor setting up his desk we realized the carpet we had was not the same as the basement. It is such a worse quality, same color and all but so cheap. So today I woke up and went to Lowe's to find out they installed a carpet that was $.63 a sq ft not the $1.63 we paid for. So after much negotiating they refunded us our $864.00 and charged us $144.00 to keep what they installed. It still sucks because I am sure we will have to recarpet in a few years but at least they were nice enough to work with us. 
