It's Spring

Kaleb and I spent the weekend getting the garden in order.

We made enough compost this past year to shovel into the garden to enrich the soil.

Kaleb ran the rototiller to mix it all up.

Then we spread all the wood chips in the walking rows that 

Jared picked up for us with his dump trailer. 

He just dumped it in the driveway! It was awesome!

The garden is now ready for the cold crop plants. But I might wait until after this storm passes.
We are supposed to be getting some snow this week.

While we worked in the garden, Kirk and Jared blocked off under the deck so Jasper can't run through the mud and removed two trees so we can move into the plan we have in the yard next to the garage. Victoria helped where she could which wasn't much because bending 

over makes her head hurt and causes dizziness.

And Daphne, well, Daphne did whatever it is that Daphne does.

Beau

Beau has been our next door neighbor for the past 5 years.

Our goats have kept him company and they have gotten into Tag Teaching with him like what she did with Jacks. Beau is very mouthy which is why she wants to do Tag Teaching with him.

 Beau is fascinated with my phone. Whenever I take their picture, he gets very curious. 

He likes the sound of the shutter makes.

 Victoria has been grooming him, lounging, walking and just getting him to respond to her command.

So far she has found that she has to use more force than she has ever used before.

Beau thinks he is the boss. Victoria is doing her best to let him know that she is the boss.

I think it's funny because I am constantly letting her know that I am the boss.

 Once they establish who is in charge, they will have a wonderful

working relationship. Taking on this new challenge during the period of her brain injury recovery, has been good for her. Not being able to figure skate has been very heart wrenching. 

Working with Beau has been a life saver.

 This relationship will be good for both of them.

Coronavirus Quarantine

Our friends needed some signage painted on their windows so that people would know that their restaurant, Romo's Mediterranean Grill was still open for take-out during the time of  restrictions. 

Steve came out and sat with Victoria for a little bit.

 Long ago, Victoria would hang out with us and talk our ears off. She hasn't done that for the past two years. Things had changed but since her concussion, we have gotten her back.

So guess what she did for 4  whole hours?

She talked our ears off! 

We loved listening to everything she thought of, everything she saw, 

sitting from the top of the ladder on Main St. It is good to have her back.

She definitely helped the time go by. Of course all the talking wore her out. 

Jared drove up just in time to help us pack up.

 It took us 5 1/2 hours to paint it all. Kirk free handed the lettering.

It turned out great and got the message out there that they are still open.

They have awesome food. Their gyros and fries are the best!

Ski Buddy

Kaleb is amazing. I love that he is tolerant of cross country skiing with his dear old mother.

We have lots of good times together. 

Long ago, I dreamed of doing things like skiing with the kids and I always knew that Kaleb would be the one that would be game for all my ideas. Now he has passed me up in his idea of adventure.

Post-Concussion Syndrome

One of the symptoms of a concussion is excessive sleeping.  Thunder loves having a napping partner mid day, though Victoria hates it when she needs to rest her brain just after doing an hour of school.

This concussion has taken a vibrant, very active, energetic figure skater and has turned her life into a person who requires frequent shut-down times in order to re-cooperate her head to make it through the day. There is a whole list of things that wear her out. Math was once her favorite subject, now it causes her pain and frustration. Thinking too long, reading, or concentrating makes her head hurt and wears her out. Being over stimulated in groups of people, going to church, or chaotic activity, wears her out and makes her head hurt. Not getting enough sleep will definitely do her in. And every three to four days of daily life makes her worn out for the next three to four days. It is absolutely amazing how debilitating a concussion can effect your life. It is a life changing experience.

We are all hopeful that she will eventually be able to return to a normal life. 

Hopefully with her full cognitive ability as before. So for now, we just keep reassuring, encouraging, laugh and cry together to help her make it through her brain recovery.

Crazy Pets

 This is proof that Jasper is the biggest Border Collie we have ever seen, 

and loves to be held....all 70 pounds of him!

 Just lounging on the window sill....

 Lightning...the skeletal cat!

Size doesn't matter when you want a stick to play with, just

be careful when he swings it around and

 hits you in the back of the knees.

 Everything catches a goats curiosity.

 Sod in a wheel barrel is very exciting and interesting.

I can't imagine life without our furry friends.

Canine Good Citizen

 Jasper has achieved his Canine Good Citizen in 4H!

We are so proud of them both!

Crazy Animals

Dirt Boy

When Jared was little, he had many names of endearments.

One was Dirt Boy. 

We always knew that he would find himself happiest 

when he was digging in the dirt or building something.

He works hard and long every day. He walks in from his day

and takes his hat off, running his hands through his hair.

I guess he needs a hair cut.

I can run my hands over this head and flash back to his two year old self.

Who knew that my little boy would have facial hair 

and drive a monster truck!

This is "so" Jared! 

Happiest digging in the dirt, no matter the size of the hole!

A true boy, gotta get in the hole!

1930's Floor

Who in their right mind would cover a wood floor with linoleum?

Oh yeah, the people who lived in our house a long, long, time ago!

This was a horrible mess. We had to steam the floor to scrape the glue and tar off. 

It was horrible. It took a total of 20 hours to clean the linoleum off of Victoria's room, to expose

the wood flooring underneath.

In the amount of time it took Kirk and Kaleb to scrape the closet floor,

Jared and I popped off linoleum squares on our bedroom floor.

It great having the wood floor exposed. It will be quite a project the day we

sand, stain and seal the floors.

Comfort Buddy

Who comes to comfort you when you feel lousy with a headache,

you fall over dizzy when you try to walk,

you sleep for 12 hours a night and then sleep another 4 hours during the day

you can't ice skate,

you can't snowboard,

you can't make it through church,

you can barely do an hour of school,

Your best buddy in the whole world,

Jasper!

Agriscience Fair

Three weeks into this head injury, Victoria's project was entered into the Agriscience Fair at Green Canyon where she takes a Ag Science class and FFA. Her head hurt so bad, they moved her interview up as early as they could. She won first place in the Animal Science division and will be going to the State AgriScience Fair down in Cedar City. Unfortunately due to the Coronavirus, the Competition has been postponed. 

Victoria doesn't remember anything about that day. She was pretty bad off physically that day.

Hogle Zoo

We took a day off from everything when we got word that Victoria was not going to be scheduled for brain surgery and that her headaches and dizziness are from Post-Concussion Syndrome.

This past couple months has been very difficult trying to help her manage a non-stop headache and dizziness. She sleeps so much, day and night. We have all just about had it with trying to adjust life to benefit Victoria's healing. I asked her what would she like to do if we just took a day off.

She wanted to go to the zoo. Okay, it will probably wipe 

her out for a couple days but we could at least try it.

I'm glad it was sunny, all the animals were out basking in the sun.

I made them take a picture together.

I have one of Victoria when she was about 5 years old next to this little otter one time when we came up to SLC visiting Rich in Payson.  I'd love to see that picture but Jasper ate the hard drive that that picture was on a couple years ago. Oh well....

Victoria was saying that she could relate with that bear. She could feel her body getting to it's limit for the day but was so happy to do something "normal" for a change. No doctor appointments, tests or sleeping on the couch. Having a head concussion can be so debilitating.

It was worth spending a few hours at the zoo but she was pretty wiped out for the next couple days.

Victoria's Quilt

Victoria sewed this beautiful quilt before her head injury.

Unfortunately she wasn't able to do all the top stitching, 

so I managed to finish it so she could finish her room. 

It looks beautiful with her blue walls and white furniture.

January Snow

We got plenty of snow this past winter. It's so beautiful with the sun

 shining in the early morning. Everything looks clean and fresh....

and COLD!

We took Jasper for a walk along the upper canal. I love where we live that we can do so many different outdoor activities. It sure beats being cooped up in the house all winter.

This is proof that Kirk and I were really there. 

Kaleb and I are always getting Kirk to come on our adventures, 

though Kaleb is even more adventuresome that I am.

Speaking of adventuresome...Kaleb and Jared went 

on a cross country skiing, backpacking trip.

They are insane!

Jasper

Jasper is the sweetest dog....

until he sees FedEx, UPS or the Postal Truck...

then he is super excited barking.

He also doesn't really like it when he feels like he is being ignored.

Then he becomes very chatty until you look at him with those puppy dog eyes!