Sticks everywhere!!!

Yesterday was a warmer day, so I decided to utilize the day and pick up sticks. As we have been picking up, we have found sticks that are stuck in the ground. I pulled this one out yesterday. It was at least 6 inches in the ground with a little sticking out. We have to watch Cailin very close so she doesn't run where we have not cleaned up. I don't want her to fall and get stuck with a stick. That was some heavy ice for the limbs to fall with such force to stick 6 inches into the ground. I'm glad I wasn't a deer in the woods when the world starting falling!!! I wonder how many animals died b/c of falling limbs?

Can you see where my helper is, sitting on the front porch. My rake has seen better days also. I was getting with it the other day and the handle broke in half. But it broke about the time Cailin walked up behind me. The rake hit her in the head and I thought I had poked her in the eye the way she was covering her eye. Luckily, it was just a small scratch above her eyebrow. Today we went to the library for story hour. I was picking out books and she was telling some of the other kids there that "My mommy hit me in the head with the rake". One of the mom's there says, "I wonder what mom did that". I just raised my hand and said, "That would be me, but it was an accident." I guess we just never know what our kids will say and how it will sound when it comes out. LOL!!

Here is the brush pile that has been started. Matthew started this before we got back home. Last week a Disaster Relief group from Tampa, FL showed up and cleaned up Matthew's grandmother's yard next to us. So some of this is from her yard also. But the bad thing is, we are not near done. We have some lined up on the road so the FEMA hired people can pick it up. We'll see if they really do. The wind is blowing about 20 mph and gusting about 45mph. When Cailin and I got home today there was a limb in the back yard that has been blown out today. I really wish the wind would stop blowing!!!

Tea party!

Yesterday, Cailin wanted to have a picnic tea party. She laid out a blanket on the floor and got out her tea set. I went and got Animal Crackers for our snack. She wanted to put on her purple dress and tea party shoes. We had a lovely afternoon tea party.

Winter Storm '09

This is my first post since the beginning and the end of the ice storm. We woke up that Tuesday morning to no power. After several hours of seeing how bad it really was, Jessica and I got hotel rooms down in Union City. Matthew stayed with Michael, who still had chickens, down in the shop. After three nights in the hotel we knew it was going to take a while for power to get back on. Cailin and I knew we had a nice warm place to go so to Southwest Arkansas we went to Nana and Papa's house. I hated to leave but then again, not really. Our power was off for 13 days. Matthew stayed with his brother, who got his power on pretty quick. Cailin and I got back home on Friday. Here is a series of picks of before, during, and after.

Cailin and Papa had a great time while we were home. She could not reach the sink in the bathroom so, first on the list was to build her a stool. They checked the cows several times a day to make sure they were all still there. Checking the cows means riding Dad's Kawasawki Mule. They spent lots of time in the shop on the days when it was really windy and the last day we were there was cow sale day. We wasn't sure if Cailin would like going to the Sale Barn, but she loved it. She was upset and didn't want to leave when it was over (it only lasted 17 minutes). Nana had to work most days, but to catch Cailin, she had to come outside. But now we are home and have a mess to clean up. It will take us a very long time. If you have a chain saw and want to help, come on over!!!!