In other news, life rocks!

Aside from our fun missing water fiasco, life around here is amazing. Here's a peak into typical life around here. 

Aurora has really fallen in love with doing puzzles. This little one was 300 pieces and very very challenging. I think puzzles are great for her because she can concentrate, doesn't need to talk a lot and in the end she is very proud of her accomplishment. She's independently doing 100 piece puzzles, this 300 piece one Mom's help was called in :) 

Our trampoline mat was in serious need of replacing. This past winter holes went from barely there to holes I could fit through! The new mat arrived a day before our home warming BBQ, and like usual for this season, I knew my dear husband had a million things on his list of things to do and this didn't need to be one of them. However, I seriously underestimated the strength of those darn springs. It took me an hour, but I WON! Holy crap, that was tricky. I got pinched and had to undo and redo springs but I did it! YAY! And yes, my arms and shoulders totally felt sore the next day. Some people go to the gym... I do weird work outs like argue my new trampoline mat into submission. :)

We're enjoying a bounty from our gardening efforts already! This was our first year to do strawberries and so far, these plants are so prolific! The kids are thrilled and I am too :) Not only strawberries but we harvested our first raspberries this year too (they were planted two months ago). OH SO EXCITING! 

Canning season has begun here. I took the kids to a local berry farm and we picked raspberries. It was a great time and who can complain when there is fresh raspberry jam to enjoy?!

It was so much fun that we are headed back to the berry ranch today for blueberries. I'm hoping for about 30 lbs or so of blueberries. I'd like to make some blueberry syrup for pancakes and freeze a bunch for smoothies too. 

Aurora isn't the only one who loves puzzles. Kalani likes to do everything that Aurora does. If Aurora likes it, Kalani will want to like it too. This little one is Aurora's shadow!

THIS IS A BEFORE PICTURE. 

AFTER!!!! 

We filled our trailer (literally, above the top of it!!) with old tires, old paint, a barrel of what we think was diesel from this property. It feels so CLEAN. 

Damon thinks it's really funny that I photo-document everything... well, why not?! I'm sure his Mom seeing this will love his face of laughter as he sits on a huge trailer full of junk. LOL 

We're a whole heck of a lot closer to our property master plan compliments of my AMAZING mother in law!!! She asked what we wanted for a house warming gift. One of the trees we didn't get that we really wanted was a peach tree (budget factored into us buying two apples and a cherry this spring in the middle of buying a house - saving for that down payment).... And I got an email two days ago saying there was a gift certificate at our favorite local organic nursery... A huge one. Oh man. Damon and I are scheming and planning and over the moon excited. The kids have already called they want an apricot tree, Damon wants peaches, I want elderberry bushes... We'll likely plant grapes too. 

More to update on but for now, kids are awake and life calls! 

Rule of new home ownership: Something must break.

People have told us countless times how wonderful it is that we were able to purchase a house that we lived in because we knew so much more about the house than buying something unknown. I can really see how this is true - but let me assure you, when the house you buy in 70 years old, you can't truly know everything about it and what you do know might scare the crap out of you because it's a list you have to fix that's a mile long! Alas, despite the huge list, we LOVE home ownership. It feel so amazing. But there must be some unspoken rule - when you buy a house, something must break.

In our case, our running water decided to take a hiatus. Now, as known by my previous blog post, I do very well with "roughing it" with camping and no running water.... but when you go camping, you're in the mentality of no running water. When your at home, you unconsciously use water all day. A quick wash of the hands, a cup of water for the kiddo, measuring water for cooking, etc. Things like flushing toilets and running the washing machine even. There is also a rule that follows Damon and me - If it's going to break, it's on a Sunday when things are closed. Of course, is there any other way?!

So first we dug up one hole.. 

Then another, but this one had concrete over it.... 

Thank you awesomely strong and sexy husband. I know it was Fathers Day, I know you had just came home from work and had hours more work to do, I know I couldn't help dig much because I'm trying not to further hurt myself in this pregnancy... but seriously, you rock. Thank you. 

As if the dirt & concrete wasn't enough in the way... 

Yes, those are roots from our walnut tree. 

At last, we got where we needed to be! 

This space takes our well water from 3 in pipe to 1 1/2 and 1 I believe. I forget. Basically, this is the space that we believed something got stuck inside the pipe.... And yes, it's in the goat pen so the goats had to full investigate the whole time!

OOOooo.... I didn't tell the great story of a week ago, some small boy in my home that is adorable and naturally curious but guilty in this case so shall remained unnamed (ha! our only boy. LOL).... I caught him placing his whole arm in the well pipe (3 inches around) and he was letting sticks and twigs go and watching them float out. ACK! I wasn't mad, I just explained that if something got stuck in the well that we would lose our water..... surprise surprise, 8 days later, we have no water. I asked him if he knew what happen and the sweetest smart kid said he thought something must have been stuck that didn't float. I asked him if he dropped rocks in the well and he stone faced said "no, but I think those wouldn't float". LOL 

We blew out the system and got to this point....

Running water that barely made it through... something was still stuck. 

I just happened to be at the park and someone from church was there. I was talking about my lack of water and venting. I guess I knew in the back of my mind that her husband was a plumber but I'm incredibly stubborn and usually will kill myself before asking for help.... But help arrived later Monday evening. 

He and Damon talked through options, a pipe was cut, shop vac, wire scraped around, and viola - WATER. Decreased flow still but way better. 

And as a side note, these man folk have some serious amount of TOOLS. Who knew life took so many tools?!

I hear it's on the agenda to completely replace the small pipe with a big new pipe in this section in about a week. 

We're never truly "without water" because our well is free flowing, needing no electricity or devices to give us water. We open a valve and it's pure, clean, wonderful water flowing for us to enjoy. It's just the part that was pressurized for home use that was cut off. Lots of buckets of water were carried..... 

In case you were wondering, during this experience, I had not just our 4 children but 3 extra kids to care for. That's 9 people to flush toilets for, to wash dishes for. I also had a lot of laundry that needed done! One kiddo was out of the essentials - underwear. So yes, I hauled water for washing machine usage too. I learned it takes 7 trips with a 5 gallon bucket to fill the washer with water and you need 7 more for the rinse cycle. Surprisingly, I accomplished 4 loads of laundry!! Each bucket weighs about 35-40 lbs. I don't want to total that up but let me tell you, I am so incredibly thankful that my body is strong enough to accomplish the hard things in life that might come up. There is so much I could be limited to and I'm not. Even pregnant, I had to be very careful with my steps and how I lifted that many buckets but I did it. I do feel a sense of gratitude and pride for this body of mine. It doesn't fail me <3

I'm also so humbled by the strength and intelligence of my husband and deeply grateful for the friend who came to help. 

I must say, that shower Tuesday morning with hot, running water... Amazing. 

Seriously, go hug your water heater and your facet. It's a treasure. 

Camping Season!

Camping season is on full-swing here and for once in the past several years, I'm not on call! This was an instant reason to load up and head to the mountains. My husband is flooded in work but that didn't stop us. Yes, entering my third trimester, I loaded my gear, kids and pregnant self into our suburban and headed to the mountains. I've determined that camping is not a once-in-awhile kind of activity. I can understand how people find it intimidating but when you use your gear often and know what you are doing, it's so easy. I'm so thankful to have cultivated some skills that allow me to pick up and go with the kids.

 I saw a saying recently that said something like "Children don't remember the best day of TV". It really inspired me. This has been a harder pregnancy on me. Mentally, emotionally, physically. I've had to slow way down and it's impacted my family in ways I don't love. Finally, I've felt better with more energy the last month. I've accomplished a reasonable amount around the house and felt like my days were numbered with this great feeling so I knew I needed to get out with the kids. 

I've camped often and I know the weekends are NUTS. So, if my husband can't go weekends or weekdays, why in the world would I go when it's crazy busy? We loaded our car Sunday evening and Monday morning and were at our campsite by 3 pm Monday. It was nearly silent. I saw less than a handful of campers for the first two days! 

Once we got all unpacked and "camp set up", we had to tackle how we were going to cook - OVER FIRE. Well, originally my intention was to load wood to take with me but somehow I forgot that detail and so we went on an adventure with nothing more than a tiny hatchet. Remind me next time to bring a full size ax and wood saw. 

Fear not, I kicked this adventures ass and found plenty of wood! 

Our camp site:

We tucked our tent in a private little shady area.

Yep, that's enough wood for us. 

This is a MUST-HAVE for camping with children. We were next to a very nice creek and it wasn't long before every piece of Lani's clothing I packed were on this line drying at one point. 

Another one of those "life-hacks" that is a complete sanity saver for me is the "kid-tent". Our main tent is a sleep and rest tent. If you need to read a book in peace away from your little siblings, go lay down. But by not allowing any toys in the main tent we keep it cleaner. We keep our sleeping bags, pillows, bags with clothes but that's basically it. 

Our adventures in camping included finding a tiny waterfall to play in, "climbing the mountains", swimming, reading, and so much free time. Here's a peak of what I remembered to capture :

Yep. TOTAL SUCCESS. 

We were blessed and had some great friends join us!! (Yes, there is another mom willing to load up without her husband and her little kids and come have a damn good time!!) We are already planning our next trip.... 

In about a week. 

I'm so thankful for Damon staying home and working tireless hours and through countless demands that affords me the luxury of taking trips with our children. It cannot be summed up into words how much this means to all of us. After 4 days, we all missed him!! We rushed down the mountain and when his truck hit the driveway, there was joy all around Thursday night! 

I hope everyone is enjoying their kids as much as I am this summer. Carry on folks <3