From "Auntie" Angela:

Hill Country info:

Alright, I'm going to try this. Can't have Wendy and Tasha looking like loons conversing among themselves. Can't promise any deep thoughts or earth-shattering revelations, but I will keep you up-to-date on the goings-on of our little family out here in the Hill Country.

Today is Friday. No extra kiddos today ~ Friday is my new off day from childcare. Liz and I start a new job today, however, and will be working at the local sign shop. I have no idea how this job roped me in or what is expected of me. I do know that I will soon be finding a book on "How to say NO!". Just kidding. We are doing it as a favor to a friend out here and I don't think it will be all that bad at all.

Braden has game 3 of his baseball tournament tonight. Since they lost Wednesday, if we lose again tonight we are out of the tournament. If they win, I think we play into next week. Slightly disappointing, as the season was to have officially ended Tuesday, but at least we're down to only one child playing as opposed to three. Michael and I are both tired of running from game to game every night of the week, but the kids have had a blast and that's all the matters. I'm happy that if we still have to play, Braden is the one still going. He shows the most potential and his games are definitely the most exciting.

The kids are all looking forward to school ending next week. This mom is too. I love summer time with them. School turns into mostly an inconvenience by about Christmas. At this point, I'm looking at keeping around seven extra little ones over the summer break on a weekly basis and rotating in at least five others. Add to that our plethora of furry ones and there should be around the clock chaos, I mean fun, at our house.At last count, our furry family consists of two dwarf goats, two bunny rabbits (which are quickly becoming the largest of our herd ~ you should see the ears on those things now!), three cats, and our newest addition...Sadie, a basset hound puppy who has quickly stolen all of our hearts. She is spoiled already and she's only been here a week. We also have two donkeys in the process of being born and/or weaned from their momma to soon add to our clan. Chickens will be coming as soon as we find the time to build a chicken coop, and I'd like to bring in a couple of sheep before all is said and done. We are really enjoying the different animals and they make us laugh a lot. I think they may also add to the entertainment of our neighbors, especially the goats, as we must make quite a scene when the whole family is required to corner them to get them back in their pen. It is often a 30-minute or better process and usually ends with Michael carrying one goat upside down across the front yard while the poor thing screams his fool head off. The other goat, wisely, then decides his best option is to follow promptly before the same fate befalls him. My dear husband bought an actual lasso to expedite the penning of the goats ~ anybody that's never witnessed this is surely missing a good thing. Wearing shorts and boots, my big ol' man marches out there and proceeds to lasso anything that doesn't move... I don't know if you city folks know this or not, but goats actually DO move. Therein lies the problem. I've offered to find fainting goats for our farm (these goats become paralyzed when they are afraid and fall right over ~ seems like the perfect solution!), but Michael thinks they don't exist and it's some sort of scam. Men!

This weekend we will spend working on the addition. This is the first time in a LONG time. Baseball, enough said. We have a few minor things to finish up and the front will be ready to rock. We are using wood siding on the side and back, in keeping with the look of the original house, so that part will go pretty quickly. We've been working on the house since about August. I, stupidly, was under the impression we would be living in it by Christmas. I have since learned that Christmas 2008 wouldn't be an unreasonable goal. In the meantime, we live all squashed together in the smaller house that we started in and build up more and more appreciation for the house that will someday be.

Ok, that's all for me. I didn't mention Haylie...hmmm, well, I can say that she is almost 13 and I have an all new appreciation for the fact that my mother raised two teenage girls. Mood swings and hormones are running amok around here. Anyone interested in fostering her for about 5 years, please be in touch with me. Serious inquiries only, please.

Talk to you soon. Angela