Friday Harbor or Bust

Did I tell you my Mom was moving?
She's moving to Friday Harbor which is where she moved from when she moved here to Oregon in 2005 and where we moved to from here in 1977.
Did you follow that?
In 1977 we moved from West Linn Oregon to Friday Harbor Washington where we lived in a tent and took showers at a trailer park which is a story for another day.
Anyway, now she's moving back and Six is assisting her with the move and even though I am not involved in the move in any way it's driving me crazy because if anyone knows how to move it's me.
I can assemble a moving team, pack a truck, have the furniture in place and the kids enrolled in a new school before dinner time.
Seriously, I'm that good.
I wrap dishes and chotchkes in clothes, T.V's and computers in blankets and everything else goes in black plastic garbage bags which can be re-used later for trash, so I guess I'm also  a green mover, re-use and re-cycle is my motto.
And since I'm talking about re-using....
I was married to Wyatt's Dad twice which makes him 4 & 5 and I can NOT count how many times I packed up and moved us out of that relationship.
I think Trina or Shelley could tell you the exact number, but I personally lost count.
Moving out when I was with him was easy though because I never fully unpacked from the time before so I think the last time I left all I had to do was load the car and close the door.
So back to my Mothers move.
She has been packing for a week and Six has been over there twice to help and today is the final load day before the big day tomorrow when they hit the road.
I tried explaining cost saving to them by getting the truck the day they go but they want to be "organized and stress free".
Organized and stress free?
That's not moving!
I wish I could just go over there and boss everyone around and get everybody worked up, but they won't let me on the job site..
What a bunch of Nancys.

Goose, Goose, Goat

The rain seems to have passed but oh what a rain it was...
The goat was staying close to the geese just in case she needed emergency floatation assistance.

And Bell went in search of higher ground...

All this rain got me to thinking, if things really get bad I think we have two of almost everything. 

We don't have an ark, but we do have a 1987 Suburban (The Goat Wagon) and I think that's close to an ark. 

Isn't it?

Maybe not, but it probably gets about the same mileage.

Six bought Yuban coffee.

I love Yuban.

I forgot how much I love Yuban.

You should buy some Yuban next time you buy coffee, you'll be glad you did.

I've started listening to the radio during the day instead of turning on the T.V.

 It started because they took two of the three stories I watch off the air and so out of personal protest I just turned the T.V off and I find that not only am I more productive, but I'm in a better mood too.

Maybe T.V is dumb and I just never realized it before now.

Wyatt has his first middle school dance tonight.

Have I told you he's shaving now?

He also rolls his eyes and is constantly annoyed.

How did this happen.

I'm making soap tomorrow.

Any scent suggestions?

Thursday Morning

The rain here is crazy... While everyone else is having record snowfall, here we are at almost fifty degrees and pouring down rain.
The yard is like a big green sponge.
The llamas slosh when they walk, the chickens are marinated and the pig is about to float out of the pasture
(Pearl is a free range pig).
The geese however are quite content.

My Granny Baby Daddy's surgery went off without a hitch yesterday.
It took an hour and a half, two plates and a pocket full of screws to set him straight, but he was able to leave the hospital the same day and I think he even ate dinner last night.
So that's a huge relief, and I just keep thinking what a story this little man is going to hear someday about the time that he was born ❤

You know how you always hear the the reference to "Mom Blogs" or someone will say "oh yeah, Mary Ellen is a mommy blogger", well I figured it was time to start a new niche, a new club, a new group, or for you with tattoos a new gang of bloggers.
Granny Bloggers.
So I'll go first.
The Granny Ma Blog.
It is there I will gush and go on about my little lovebug.
I'll post so many pictures your eyes will cross, repeat in print the sounds he makes and the amazing things that he does.
I'll post granny baby craft ideas, links to toys I love, and recipes for little belly's.
Do you get the idea?
I think this will really catch on, who's with me?!
And then over here at the farm blog I'll just post about the boring stuff like the rest of my family, my menagerie of large and small animals and anything else I do that doesn't revolve around my new baby love.
Sound good?

Ok, I have a hat or two to make today so I better get busy.

Peas.

No Snow News!

I have news and a story for you today.

First the news...
Our Granny Baby is growing so fast and doing so well and getting so strong that they think he will be home in about two weeks!
Can you believe that???
I credit Wendy and her absolute love and devotion to this little man for his ability to astound us all every day with his amazing progress.
She is by his side from morning till night and if he isn't in her arms she is sitting beside his little bed holding his hand or his foot talking to him and telling him stories about life.
I don't think a little tiny baby like this is supossed to be able to smile so he must of just been born happy because I swear to you, this child is always smiling

Next...
As I told you before, J Copeland Granny Baby Daddy formerly known as the douchebag now known as the man who helped give life to the person I love more than anyone or any other thing in the whole wide entire world was roofing at his parents house and fell two stories onto the deck below.
I know, I heard you gasp, again, I still do the the same thing and then I kind of can't breathe and then I get sick to my stomach, still.
He broke his jaw in two places, right dead set in the middle of his chin splitting clear up through his teeth and up by his ear.
Can you even imagine?
There was nothing they could do for him in the emergency room so they referred him to a specialist at OHSU the big hospital where Wendy and the baby are, but that doctor didn't even know how to fix him so they have flown in a specialist who will operate today and put him back together.
So, whoever you talk to when the going gets tough, put in a good word for
J Copeland, the kid with the broken face in Oregon.
Those two continue to awe me with their strength and positive outlook

~Even though I have a picture of his askewed mandible I will refrain from posting it~

And then...
Last Sunday Granny Baby's Aunt Cori hosted a shower for Wendy.
Because of the weather (snow) it was a small crowd but still big on love and laughs, and Cori and her family did a bang up job on the party preperations and a good time was had by all.
Here's Wendy pretending Hunter is at the party too, I told you she was a good mom ; )

Oh!
We have a goose sitting on at least five eggs in the goat house with Nanny.

I figure Nanny may be a little perplexed by this...

And these two clowns, Bell and Judy

have both grown up and should be lambing any time now!

AND...
Loretta, one of our other muscovy hens is sitting on a mountain of eggs so we will be having more of these guys running around!

I tell you, it surely is a season of new beginnings and I am loving every minute of it!

Now, I was going to tell you a funny story but I'll have to save it for another day because I'm running out of room and I don't want to keep you here all day.

Peas.

Dinner & Doctors...

Tonight we are having another culinary masterpiece by Plain Chicken.
I love her blog and she has such quick easy affordable doable recipes.
I made the cream cheese chicken chili last week and it was deeeelish!
Tonight is pepperoni roll ups and I'm making a side of garlic balls to class it up a bit.

The garlic balls are a cinch, just your basic pizza dough smothered in garlic and butter, baked to a golden brown and then smothered with more butter and some Parmesan.

Did I mention I wanted to lose some weight?

I didn't think so.

My Granny Baby is amazing.

He is absolutely thriving and growing so fast and doing so well and nursing and has all of his IV's out.

It's just so hard to believe that my baby made a baby ❤

There was a bit of a tragedy in the family last night. 

Granny Baby Daddy Jesse was roofing and fell off the backside of the house.

I know, did that just make your stomach queeze...

He broke his jaw and will have to have surgery to put it back together, so please call up all of your happy thought sending abilities and send them his way.

These two have really been called to the mat on their coping skills lately and so far they're both doing an incredible job.

My Dads favorite thing to tell me in hard times was, "this too shall pass" but I have to tell you, when you're the one waiting for it to pass things sure can seem overwhelming.

Ok, I have to go make some pizza dough.

Ciao.

Surprise Baby!

So much has happened in the last three months I don't even know where to begin...

So let's just start here.
October I had a back surgery.
Not to correct the pain I was having, but the doctor found another herniated disc higher in my back that was causing the numbness in my thigh.
I have a fantastic doctor and the surgery went off without a hitch.
The only problem was the problem I had before the surgery and that is...
My aching back.
My disc is shot, rotten caput at L5 S1.
The bottom.
When I say bad, I mean ugly.
All they can do to fix it is fuse it and I can't do that and the reason why is because I'm fat and out of shape and I would probably never heal and I would and up fat and stuck in a chair with an aching back for the rest of my life.
I decided I have to lose ALL my weight and strengthen my core but since I can't move and hardly walk this is going to be a chalenge, but I'll figure it out.

I am obviously no longer a lunch lady and that makes me very sad and that's all I'm going to say about that.


Thanksgiving was great, we had turkey and pie and ate to much.

Christmas was fabulous.
Mikes parents came from Washington, his daughter Maddy was here, Wendy, my Mom and the Neighbor.
I loved having everyone here and the only thing that went off kilter was my Mother making a rather pornographic remark about some cupcake scented lotion and Wendy got a headache and had to go home right after dinner.
Wendy still had a headache the next day.
So she went to the doctor.
The doctor sent her to the hospital.
The hospital transported her to OHSU the BIG hospital.
Wendy had extreme pre-eclampsia that had been going on for over a month and her regular doctor (who was on vaction) let it go untreated and now it had reached a critical point of no return and Wendy was in real danger.
They could no longer control her blood presure and her kidneys were shutting down.

The only treatment at that point was to deliver her baby.
Two months early.
~Insert all the emotions here~
Hunter Thomas Copeland was born December 30th 2011.
He weighed 3lbs 6oz and was 16 and 1/4 inches long.

His parents are two of the stongest people I know.

His Granny Ma however, is a cry baby.

Hunter is now a week old and they have removed his CPAP that helped him breathe, his goggles that protected his eyes, the big blue lights that I don't know what the lights did I think he may have been a little yellow, he started nursing yesterday and now he's getting his IVs out.

Can you believe that?

This is Hunter on his one week birthday...

And this was him yesterday...

Amazing.

I made a super simple crockpot cream cheese chicken chili yesterday that was really good.

Plain Chicken

Plain Chicken Photo

My New Years resolution is to be a more regular blogger.

I seem to recal saying that before.

I mean it this time.

Do you want to see one more baby picture?

Ok, how about a video?

Peas.

Crockpots and Crafts

It seems as though my crafting schedule is a little off.
Usually this is the time of year my crochet hooks and yarn start calling me, but this year not so much and I'm thinking it's because I went into grandbaby overdrive in August which set me off schedule so now I don't know what to do with myself on these cool mornings and dark evenings.
Other than the obvious like dishes, laundry, preparing meals, vacuuming, blah, blah blah, so don't feel as though you need to bring those activities to my attention,
I am well aware.
I have a hard enough time avoiding them as it is.
If I could just find one project to grab my attention I'd be good to go.
Every day I check Rocket Rabbit to see if he's ready to give up the goods and so far no go on the fiber part of my new beloved fleece rabbit which is ok because there has also been a no go on my spouses attempt at a spinning spindle.
I have enough soap for our own personal use and to gift as needed and I'm telling you the gawds honest truth, I'll never get rich selling my wares on Etsy so stockpiling the soap to sell is pointless.
I've made enough candles to get us through a winter of darkness and enough tarts to scent a room full of goats.
Blah.
Whatever.
I need inspiration.

I love my job.

My back still hurts and my legs and hips too.
Yesterday my face hurt because I think I took to much ibuprofen.
At least I think that's why my face hurt.
If you asked my stupid fourth and fifth husband he would tell you his stupid face hurt joke.
Does your face hurt? Cause it's killin' me.
He was (is) such an idiot.

I think it's time to get the crockpot out and throw a big old roast in it and then I need another crockpot to simmer up a big pear cherry buckle.
I could have crockpot row and even use my little tiny one to keep my spiked spiced apple cider warm.
Ahhhh, I love fall.
Are you on facebook?
If you are you should "like" Crock Pot Girls, they have a TON of great recipes

Belle is just losing the last of last years wool and it's already time to start growing this years wool.
I bet she really thinks the summer has gone by fast.

That's her in the middle and Gary the new ram on the left and Judy the big woolly baby on the right.

Remember this...

That was just last spring.

OH!

Guess WHAT!

My nephew got engaged last weekend!

Another wedding!

Wow, my sister sure is getting old.

Two of her children will be married now.

I think two weddings trumps one grandchild.

Right?

Anyway, Congratulations Mitchell and Sarah!!

Peas.