Funny little things...

Not to divert our attention away from the fun of building on this house, but just a few little things have shown up at our place that make it so fun to ponder on....especially when I can't be there...
This morning, my rancher emailed me to tell me he had been sitting out under the "Harpie Shed" and reading his devotions, and a cute little bunny rabbit arrived and was front and center just watching him...so in my mind of course, I thought the bunny was there for some Jesus time....EVEN though it wasn't even Easter! Can you see it now? how cute is that? My rancher and the bunny. :)
Then later, I thought about our "Gator"...Gator, is the HUGE hog we introduced you all to several posts ago...the one running in the mud pit? Remember?
Well, guess who found his way into our little hog trap? Yep....Mister Gate himself!
and I say little hog trap, cause Gator is WAY TOO BIG FOR WHAT WE HAVE BUILT!
He was not happy with us at all either! There were some teeth showing...(no smiles...) and a little corner of the snout slobber-- happening too!... he was, needless to say, a little miffed we could have TRICKED even HIM into the trap! (Calm Down P.E.T.A...this is a HOG PEN...no trap / no torture devices at all...and I might add...we even fed him quite nicely while he was checked in with us!)
As soon as Bill let that cage door open, Gator made a run forward, then made a quick hard left back toward Bill - my Rancher!!!! (scared both of us...seeing those big teethies of Gator's again...) But, Mr. Gator was just complaining a little at us about his accommodations....next time, I imagine he will want a King Sized bed with an actual mattress.... :) I think we are going to try to accommodate his wishes too!!!!
Oh, and then, how about Saturday night, we put out some deer "dope" ... well, it looked like it and the deer act like it is.....(fresh alfalfa) Within five minutes of hearing the corn in the can and seeing the small mounds of green delight, the deer came running up the hill toward our little pathways...at one time there were four there! A yearling, Two Bucks, and a doe....and we were about 50 feet from them too! They weren't worried about the rancher at all...they were already used to him...but if Ryan or I stood up, they STOPPED what they were doing and took a few steps backward... Bill just talked to them, and they never moved...just kept munchin!
Finally, i have to mention MY friends....
I put up a small hummingbird feeder and it got so busy - that it was drained everyday in less than six hours!!!
So, papa, having loved me so much...bought me a bigger, better hummingbird feeder! Now with both of them going at once, there has to be AT least at any given time, 14-15 hummingbirds dancing around those feeders! There are a couple that are so busy trying to chase all the others off, that they don't even get to eat! It's hillarious to watch...but I know when the bottles are empty...they start flying by my Red ASTROS / BIGGIO ballcap that I wear on my head at the ranch... to let me know I am needed immediately to refill their favo juice! It's really really COOL!
Ok, so now you know a little of what we see at the ranch...but imagine it for yourself...you will then have a reference point for YOUR "Happy Place" that you can wander off to when things in this world get too much and you need a little rest! Enjoy!

Dear Jesus,
Did we say thank you yet for all you have given us? For all the ways you have blessed us in spite of ourselves? You are so faithful, loving, and ever present in our everyday lives...I am so happy in you today...peaceful, and happy. (and you know Jesus, I am not an easy customer to please...)
So, you know, I really mean it!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life! ...Thank you Jesus for showing me how to live after all these years of bondage...and thank you for the great place to let us Break Free in...we love you Jesus.
Bill and Lana :)

Monday-Tuesday June 15-16, 2009

Just a few mins today to update the last couple of days....Bill is just working along...and it is really beginning to look like home. What a sweet place this will be...and what fun it is today just seeing it go up a little at a time....God has been so good...I am overwhelmed...speechless...

Enjoy...

And so it continues....

Wow! What a weekend! I didn't think I would be able to go up and help out, but I did and here's the latest pics....As soon as the Rancher takes a break long enough he will send me all the pics from the weekend, including the GREAT GREAT GREAT LIGHTNING pictures I captured!!!!

Thank goodness the storm didn't hit us Friday night...but it SURE was hitting someone over close to Austin! But for us, it was a blessing to have not been in the line of that!
Ok, so here's the bare essentials of the weekend...another wall, another door, another window...boards on the kitchen...it's slowly but surely moving right along!!!!

Thursday Night...hang on honey, the boys are comin!

This was the last picture of Thursday night...That is the mudroom with the roof trusses, then you can see the corner kitchen windows just left of that...then the diningroom window, the french doors, the living room window and the end of the front of the house...and all built by my man!
The boys drove up last night and will be a great help on Friday, Saturday and Sunday...and if I keep my fingers crossed, maybe Bill will be able to come home for a little bit...and I will be able to go back with him the following weekend! I sure miss him, and I miss helping....

A New Day...

Well, today is Wednesday, and today is a NEW Day! Thank you Lord for the clouds overhead (with no rain) but for the shade of it all...
My Bill has been working steadily since I left on Sunday...and wow...look at what all he has accomplished...

There is now a corner kitchen window and a dining room window... and wall separating the dining room from the mudroom.... OH, and the stairs....

The lone board sticking out on the left at the top of the picture is actually where my front french doors begin...

This view is the Kitchen wall separating the kitchen from the mudroom...and then you see the supports for the roof for the mudroom being built...and notice...it's dark.
The Rancher takes a picture or two in the morning and then takes a few at days end...
He is so special. :)

AND...WE HAVE A MUDROOM!

What A WEEKEND!

By the time I arrived at 12:30 a.m., Saturday morning, The Rancher had fixed a great pot of beans complete with smoked pork! That was soooo good! (We have about 40-50 wild hogs on our place)...

There's just so much to tell after that, I don't even know where to start!
NOW... can I just interject here how HOT it was this weekend!!!! My Rancher worked right on through it...if he noticed it was hot, he didn't let on! (NOTE TO SELF: clothes not to wear - thick jeans, red shirt, thick socks AND STEEL TOED BOOTS)
First day, before we EVEN started, The Rancher and I stopped to thank the Lord for the day, our place, and the strength and safety only He can provide...

Then we finished the flooring in the mud room, went to Lowes and picked up all the supplies to start framing and got after it! Just me and the hubs working, so it takes a little longer than a crew, but oh how fun it's been! Papa came out and painted fence posts until it was just too hot...
and the occasional deer, or ferrell cat were our company of the day...oh, that's right...humming birds too!!!

And here's the work as it has progressed over the weekend...then just some fun pics of me and the Rancher...

Isn't it just wonderful....the entire mudroom.
!UP!

AND this guy is my new friend that licks my car everytime I come to the gate and he's there...he wants me and the Rancher to give him a little yummies....AlfAfa....he even let me pet him this time....they were so cute...

Movin' on up!

Well, it's been awhile, and yet not long enough...

Between work schedules, travel, home and kids - there just hasn't seemed like a lot of time is left to finish what we start when it comes to the ranch...however....

that is not always true....little things do mean a lot!

The Rancher and I have, trimmed trees and overgrown grass, hung bird feeders and hummingbird feeders, fed deer and hogs, fixed the deer feeder, burned more wood piles, hooked up all manner of plugs and electric outlets all over the place, cleaned out and restocked the living quarters (ElCampo-rama), put out painted fence posts (thanks to Papa Rancher for painting them all) and finally...

Spring IS IN THE AIR....

Here's a Russian White Hog...we caught in our hog pen....and YES...we let it go....
This is a (future mama) doe eating at the feeder down in front of where the house will be...isn't she beautiful? and you can't, can't, can't live on a ranch without ants...who do you think does all the work...?
The Rancher is out this week working on finishing rebuilding the floor, and adding the mudroom floor (that seems to be the one room in EVERY house in Ranchland, USA - so we added one too!!!)

Breaking Free has become somewhat of the family anthem place to go... our visitors have included, BUTCH AND PATTY, Papa, Jen and JD, Ryan, Samantha, and now David II!!!!! TWICE!!!!! I think they are all hooked like we are...and....now...(drumroll please....)

Kait and PJ are slated to come up and hog hunt on the 20th!!!!!
I am the happiest Rancher's wife in all the lands of Ranchness! I can tell you that! What a blessing to have the fam come up and see the beauty we have seen in this place....I am thankful Jesus- for it...for them and for The Rancher....(YOU KNOW HIM!!! YOU KNOW HIM!!!) YAY! You know now if you ever have to reach him Jesus, (excuse the pun ya'll), He's in the BOOK!

Ok, so, what's next on the agenda at Breaking Free? Well, when I get there tomorrow night, after a few hugs and kisses for the Rancher, I will get to see all the work he's done !!!!
Then first thing Saturday morning, we will begin building the first frame for the wall of the house!!!!!!wow...see? We ARE movin' on up!
Here's some more pics - enjoy!

hmmmm, that IS ME - and I AM working!!!!There's the flooring....on top of piers drilled into the ROCK!!!!See our future view from the front porch?....
Me and the Rancher.... The "GB" paths (ok, for you that haven't been edumacated yet... "GB" = grandbabies) And finally, see that little piggy? He's got polka-dots....and he's running for the hills!

We'll post again real soon now, ya'll hear?