Plan B it is

Well as Spring hit, so did harsh reality. The windows in the house all need to be replaced. The first sign of this happend when it was warm enough to open them. the bay window in the living room had a side panel completely start to fall out. As we look at the trim on the windows in the house we realize they were rotting out.  With the windows coming out of the house so did the tics.

When I was young, my brother Doug was a constant target for tics. I remember my mother pulling them out repeatedly during the summers and springs, running around the fields of Cottonwood Utah. I however, don't recall ever having a tic until now. The dogs, my kids, the beds,my head,and even the floor,  have all been invested and it's been a nightmare!

Walking around outside has been no picnic.  You can't walk out there without getting a tic and the realization of the land and  how bad it is, makes it even harder to want to get started in trying to save it.  Every single out building that is on our property needs to come down. MY depression literally got worse as Spring arrived.

With the exception of that one other time in my life, I've never felt more defeated. I've never felt more alone and my afraid of, and the questioned of hope and faith I've been heavily on my mind. Needless to say both have been diminishing. 

Before we came here, I really thought that moving to South Dakota as strange as it was and unfamiliar, is it was was what the Lord wants to do. But as I've been here, and dealing with one problem after another, trying to move forward, trying to fix the problems that come, I've been weakend. I won't go into the whole story but that other time in my life when I was so depressed, I had choosen with the Lords help, to give my son up for adoption. If that helps explain how depressed I've been, then that's easiest way to explain it.

I have question my self worth. I've questioned my right to receive answers to prayers. I wonder if I even know how or can recognize answers to prayers anymore.

NO matter how many times I prayed, no matter how many times I tried to find something to be happy about, I started feeling worse and worse inside. Surely the Lord didn't want me to be this unhappy. I realize that sometimes making the right choice means it's going to be hard work and it's not going to be easy. And that certain solutions will always present themselves,with faith. And they have. we have been extremely blessed with solutions all along the way. But the reality of the cost of fixing this house has been very abrupt. THE LORD isn't going to plant a money tree on my farm.

With the rotting of the windows, so was my soul. I've been dealing with depression for several weeks now. I've been angry I've been confused with my frustration. And I have tried and tried to change how I feel. the only piece I found each day was driving into town. Along the dirt roads, the scene of wildlife that would cross my path would give me something to smile about. The wild life is amazing here. The Sun sets are amazing. The scenery is not nearly as amazing as the Rocky Mountains but it is peaceful area. However as soon as that was out of site, my moment of peace would fade and I would become lost agian.

I turned the decision on what to do next,over to my husband. He has never seen me more frustrated, so weak and most likely thought I was just being selfish. Maybe I was being selfisH. AT first I  thought it was selfishness. I thought it was all my fault. That I was in control of my  depression. My husband even accused me of choosing to be depressed.  I was putting so much on my shoulders and I needed to change it. With not knowing why I was depressed or how I ended up this way, the fact remained that I and most of.my children were completely miserable.
My husband is a wonderful man and he would never do anything to intentionally hurt us. He would never want me unhappy and he certainly doesn't want the kids unhappy. And like myself, he's always wanted to make huge decisions with the Lord's help and do what the Lord wants us to do.  At this point he too was even questioning everything. But like I said earlier, I wasn't sure if I could even get a clear answer to my prayers, so it had to be up to my husband.  My husband continued to hit his knees, go to the temple and fast. I was prepared to do whatever you decide. If that meant staying the first thing I was going to do was up my meds. But I had to trust that his decision was done prayfully. It's the first time in are in your marriage that I put the decision completely in his hands. Choosing not to participate in the decision had to be done. the only purchase patient by ice was I have to do a pro con list and myself and emailed it to him. Even that didnt change his mind, he was still pretty determined that we needed to stay.

And today when he called me and told me what he decided I've never felt more relief my whole life. He is not sure why he chose to move back to Grand Junction. Perhaps we need to give it one more try and try to get a handle on our house there. Which is quite confusing considering we're upside down in it now, a hundred fifty thousand dollars. Yup we actually owe a  hundred fifty thousand dollars more on the home than its worth. for now are goals in getting out of debt certainly are not going to happen. Not anytime soon that is,unless Publishers Clearing house decides come to my door. But for whatever the reason is and why he decided to take his family back , I'm thrilled! I'm excited!  I get to be with my daughter and my ladybug again. I'll be closer to my college student and my senior can finish your senior year with all her friends.

That was another regret I had. Leaving my hometown, San Jose California was probably the first really bad decision I ever made. At the time I thought I was doing the right thing by my mom and my dad and my siblings. Leaving San Jose California felt like the right thing to do but over the years I realize that was probably the first bad decision I made. Had I stayed, I know that my road my path in life would have been completely different. However as we make wrong decisions The Lord has a way of correcting them as long as we keep trying to do what he wants us to do. Maybe this is one of those decisions. I don't know but I do know that I've never been more happy that I have been in a long long time.

So this Mother's day weekend is the first weekend of happiness in over two months. I saw a picture on FB that my husband took. He added a recognised quote. If plan A dose not work out,there are 25 other letters in the alphabet.

And to that, goodbye South Dakota hello home. Grand Junction may be temporary it may be permanent but one thing's for sure, it's another stepping stone in our life. on my only hope now is to one day I understand why it is we ever came to this farm in South Dakota. I am definitely writing a book about this experience.

pS I am so glad I didn't buy paint for the house. Who knows maybe I'll redo my color scheme IN GRAND JUNCTION CO.

Sun glorious sun!

The sun is finally really coming out. Spring  has definitely had a late start. The sun is vital for mood enhancer when you have been deprived of it so long. The mud puddles are welcome so far, however we must order gravel before we get stuck in the mud. When getting stuck in the snow you always have shovels. Mud would be a complete disaster. The thistle on this property is definitely a problem. But it's a problem we can't address right now. At best we hope to get a fenced area for the dogs, an order of gravel for the mud and possibly away to more the yard area down so we can plan a fenced area for what we want our yard to be, verses animal area. I already long for next spring when we will be ready for more farm animals but particularly my grand daughter ashlyn coming to visit. We are going to buy her a pony!
As of this weekend we are finishing the plumbing and hanging sheet rock. Hopefully the next post will contain before and after pictures of my downstairs walls.
The boys are enjoying the outside and think we should sees if the hot tub works. It needs a deep clean but it looks like the inside is in top shape other than dirty.THE covering definitely needs to be replaced. dugout a boat and have been exploring the back yard all day.

Form one winter storm watch to another.

What a week. Its Monday and I thought the worst was behind me for storms.  The kids had no school last Thursday, then they had a late start the next day. Saturday wasn't too bad. But by Sunday night there was a storm watch until late afternoon Sunday. It then got extended to Thursday. ANOTHER FOUR DAYS?  I am snowed in at this point. I will have to shovel a 1/8 mile driveway to get out. If we can even get out at all this week, School was called off today. I am hoping the have a late start tomorrow. Late start at school mean the snow plows will be out. That wont help me with my driveway but at least the kids wont be stuck here all day. The bus can get through more than my van can. I really need a 4 wheel drive. I think my dodge caravan days are coming to an end. I will miss my van. BUT by next winter, a 4 wheel drive is a must! A plow is in order so I can ever leave when needed. I really wish I had a plow right now. The weather comes and goes. It gets super bad and then it subsides for awhile. It would be nice to be able to go to the store during the clam parts of the day. I  am running out of everything. Drinking water, milk, bread, etc. Although I am great for for powder milk, being able to boil water, and knowing how to make bread. Although I am out of Yeast! Oh well. And what would I do if the power went out. Not cook. Dry goods it is. I know I can survive all this bad weather, I just don't want too any more. I am sick of it. Its hard to stay positive about this major move when every time I get some relief I get hit again with more disaster. Whether its the house falling apart at the seems or the weather, it takes it toll on my soul. I am trying to stay busy. UN-packing( I wish I was packing it instead)  watching movies, cooking, cleaning.

On a brighter side I like my job. I work for my self so I make my own hours. So when the kids are not in school I do not work. However if I am not working I don't get paid. The kids seem to like their schools and they are meeting friends. Emma has a group of girls she really likes. And hasn't wasted anytime on sleep overs every Friday. And Celia has already had her first date. The people here are amazing. I never met nicer people. I mentioned at the clerks office where I go to work that we were in the market for a couple of cats, and both ladies in the office got on the phone. I think I will set shortly. They just stopped there work to find me a cat? Wow. I was gone the next day because of the storm but when I went in Friday they had all sorts of contacts for me. I don't think I have ever met anyone so willing to help a stranger before.

 I am use to the church being helpful, but even among members, its never this easy. It has definitely been humbling. I have always been willing to help others but I never really expected nor asked for the same in return. It is great to know so many that are willing to go above and beyond. That happens to be the bet thing about SD at this point. The People!

After Thursday storm, on my way into work Friday I had to deal with what the roads are typically around here. This area doesn't have the luxury of working plows on a regular basis for roads. And the off roads to peoples house are lower on the priority. Basically when it storms they wait until the storm is gone. Then they next day the start plowing. Some people literally drive around in plows if they are not going far and others have trucks with blades on the end of them in case they need to plow their way down a road. Unfortunately I have neither at this time. Driving down roads, you will often find only have the road plowed and sometimes you need to drive on the wrong side of the road just to get anywhere. The farms deal with similar piles of snow. Depending on the wind direction and the trees on the lot, will determine how much snow you end up with. On one side of the road you can see still land and thistle, while just across the street you see 3 feet of snow. Crazy. MY DRIVEWAY IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT GETS PILES OF SNOW BLOWN  ON IT. THAT MUST CHANGE! And will definitely need a truck with a blade to plow the off road to our house. The county is slow to do those roads. I am hoping the bus drivers get on the county at some point and next year they will realise people are here. Tax payers are here and need a road plowed!

Spring?

We have dodged a 1200 dollar bullet. Todd redid the upstairs plumbing for only 350! We still need to redo the facet in the tub and add a shower sometime but the 1200 dollar charge from a plumber is not needed! We will put in a whole new shower downstairs in the future and replace all those pipes as well. By the time we are done we will have replaced all the pipes in the house which needs to be done.  The house is 100 years old. 

Spring has started to show its self. Birds are everywhere,  geese by the dozen,  wild turkeys on the roads and a big huge muddy driveway that will need a load of gravel asap!  Not this week though maybe in a couple weeks. Tapped out for the time being.  But it will have to be done.  The sump pump is on and ready for spill over. While putting in the sump pump we retrieved a salmander. His name is Randall.  He looks like  Randall from Monsters Inc.  Not really but it fits. We will let him go in a near by pond when it warms up.

Just when Spring started getting things warmed up and melted,  I now sit here listening to but yet another wind storm.  There is a huge storm comming in from the west and we may be looking at  4 to 6 feet of snow. Ugh! Can't catch a a very long break these days. To be continued!

Easter Weekend spells RELIEF!

 

There was no way we were going to pay a plumber 1200 dollars to do the plumbing upstairs. Todd decided to rip out all the old pipes. This is officially the first major project on the house that we are doing.  We were waiting on the funds to get the parts to do the job, but in the meantime Todd got to work on the pipes.  Once he had them all pulled out we got a phone call from our Branch President offering to help with the parts. We were not expecting it at all and it was a huge blessing! Todd and I took Alex to Watertown SD for the first time on Saturday.  It is my new favorite town!  It is a least as big as Vernal Utah but has more main stream stores. We went to Munards for plumbing tools and pipes. He spent hours on Saturday night starting the job when he realized he got the wrong clamps for the pecks pipe. Well he was bound to mess up a little but so far we have only spent 230 dollars on parts and although we still need sheet rock to redo the walls, 230 thus far is much better than 1200. This next week he hopes to finish the job while I am doing my new job.  The pictures below show the damage and progress for the weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Sunday was simple and nice. I managed to put together an Easter basket for the kids with kitten supplies in it. They really all want a cat. We have all missed Simba. We never could find him back in Junction and they have been asking for another one. We will probably get three. I want some to keep the mice at bay!  Church was nice. The Branch only meets for two hours. I had all the primary aged children together.  I will be doing Primary again only this time I am everything. All the primary callings condensed into one!  I am looking forward to it and today we had a tone of children. It was nice to have more there than my own! Primary has always been my favorite calling. I need to be very creative and try and teach at a level that will keep interest for all the kids and still incorporate nursery at the same time. I have Raquel helping me for now. And when I gave a short lesson today, Brother Marsh took the younger ones in the hall with a few toys until I was done.  My goal now is to get a good routine down and try and keep as much as the agenda in a full size primary as possible. Family Home evenings are going to be vital for our younger children in the near future so they are learning what they would normally be learning in Primary. Although I will do a lesson with them at church it has to be done as simple as possible because of the age groups. So it’s more like doing a sharing time each week with all the kids at once.

 

This experience so far as been a testimony builder and again a confirmation that we need to do all we can do before handing it over to the Lord and his grace will take over  in due time.

 Coloring eggs on Saturday Night!

Jared pretending to be the Easter Bunny for Eric on Sunday! What a Great Kid!

A new week yes, productive? That’s a matter of opinion!

 I finally got my water heater put in and finally have hot water!  My ward branch has really helped make it happen. The thought of going without hot water a fourth week would have been heart wrenching.  I love camping but camping for 3 weeks inside my own home is enough!

We have to replace all the piping to the upstairs bathroom. That is going to be another 1200 dollars. The pipes are completely rotted out. The leaks started coming through the ceiling in the kitchen. The plumber temporarily put a “band aid” on the pipe in hopes that it could last for a another two weeks. As soon as he left the other side of it started dripping at a very fast rate. The only way to get it to stop is to turn all the water off. Seriously! From one problem to another.  I was also told we have a leak somewhere between the Well and the house. And most likely need to redo the septic tank before I have problems with that. I seriously don’t know if we will ever get to the fun part in redecorating the house.  In the meantime I am going to have to turn off the water at night to keep it from leaking all night long. There is no way I can sleep through that sound, but I worry about the pipes freezing with the water off. Ugh. I need to cut into the ceiling and get some flex seal to band aid that, but I don’t think I even have enough money to do that. It is really hard to keep going in a complete money pit of a farm house. I keep getting flash backs of the movie Baby Boom when she is out in the country and everything is falling apart. Yeah that’s this house.  Add the movie “Money Pit” to the scene and I am sure I will have a lot of the same experiences.  These are the moments that sometimes you have to say “I hate my life”! 

 Finally on Thursday we have hot water to part to part of the house with no leaks. Now we need to address the upstairs. But I can breath a little now the first part of my week was crazy as you can see from my first paragraph “Bitch Fit”

 I attempted to start my new job on Tuesday March 26^th.  I need internet to update and synch the netbook I use to put in the data. It wasn’t working right and I need the help desk to redo it and reset the passwords so I can even start. Only I don’t have my cell phone on to use away from home and I don’t have internet at home. So it is really hard to get going on it. I am supposed to go into the county building and go through the assessor records. I have to record all real estate sales and deed into a new soft ware program. It is easy enough but what I need is internet connect with my cell phone at the same time. We have spent it all on the house trying to get heat water and keep drinking water in the house until they can come and filter that.  The leak in the well will explain why the water isn’t that drinkable!  But again on Thursday I got the help desk to fix my computer remotely so it would work!. Monday morning, 3 weeks late I start my new job! YES!!!

Small towns are still very much behind in records keeping. I need to go back clear to 20005. But for now I am starting with March Feb and Jan of 2013. I work under a contract so I make my own hours which are a plus. My goal is to be up to 600 documents a week by the end of April, if I can ever start! The extra income will be going towards my daughter’s college housing, her car and beautifying this house!  She is earning her car by watching Eric for me so I can work.  IF I CAN EVER START WORK! MONDAY may be the best Monday ever!

On a better note.....

Emma started school on Wednesday. Celia still has to wait because the Principle at Sisseton High wants to talk to her Counselor at GJHS regarding her credits, and they are on Spring break. So Celia now has to wait until after Easter to start school. She isn’t happy about that. The boys should start next Monday as well. 

Todd Finally got home Wednesday so of course Thursday was a better day! No wonder why we now have hot water and we ordered more propane. He was home just in time. We woke up to no heat. Propane was out! But now that he is home I will have better luck! Things are always easier when my husband is home!

LOVE these Deer!

Life goes on!

Well We were dug out by our Claire city angle Tim Gleason.  The best thing about Roberts county SD this far is the people.  They have been so kind.  Everyone knows everyone and for the most part are willing to help.

Its Friday now.  We have almost been here two weeks.  We still have no  water our internet. I am currently in Whapeton ND at McDonald's with all the kids in the van. Got to love wifi!   We went till the Wal-Mart.  The park and zoo here is amazingly cute.  I can't wait to bring Eric back when it's warm. 

This weeks accomplishments have been in the direction of getting the kids in school. Everything shut down on monday and Tuesday.  And with the explosion in Grand Junction has slowed down the records. Hopefully they can go to school next week.

I have a new hot water heater but now I have to worry about the coa t in th e broken hot water pipes. I really could use another 500 bucks. But that's not going to happen until the 4th of April. Ugh.  In the meantime. I am still bioling water and cleaning ip flies and a regular basis. I shaved my leggs for the first time in over a week and my hair is clean. That's something right?

Some of the pictures below are of  the deer that flock by the dozens along county road 10 and 126. 20 of them crossed in front of me yesterday. It was so beautiful. 

Speaking of storms!

There is nothing better than a roast in a Sunday evening, hanging out with the kids and staying warm. 

There is nothing worse on a Sunday night hearing the wind bang at 40 plus miles an hour. A winter storm watch as follows. 

* TIMING ...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE ONGOING ...THOUGH THERE WILL BE INTERMITTENT BREAKS. CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO IMPROVE THIS EVENING.* WINDS/VISIBILITY ...WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS PEAKING AROUND 60 MPH WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING. GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.* SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS ...ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE.* OTHER IMPACTS ...WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL MAKE TRAVEL NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA TODAY.PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS ...A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL ...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED ...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.&& CONNELLY

So much for starting my new job tomorow. I am pretty sure I will be snowed in.  And I am not sure how I will manage to get the kids to their school testing appointment on Tuesday and get a water heater. Ugh! He we go Again just when there is a ray of hope something eles happens. 

The pictures below are a part of what the wind storm has done. The first picture of the area behind my car is my 1/8 Mile driveway.  That's going  to be quite a dig.

Sunday, A day of hope!

Well its official,  branch life in the LDS world is much different.  We doubled the size the moment we walked in.  The members were so nice and all of them thought we were visiting. AFTER ALL WHO MOVES TO HELL ON EARTH. 

When they found out we were here to stay they looked pleasantly surprised and shocked. I gave been asked several times why we moved here.  I honestly don't know why God confirmed our prayers to move here so I just say too be closer to where Todd works most of the time. 

The branch time is only 2 hours and people travel as much as 2 1/2 hours to attend. One Sunday they have priesthood and relief society the next Sunday they have Sunday school. Primary is all together and they rarely have it.  The oldest kid was 5. There are a few young women that rarely attend.  Maybe that will change now that we have added to the numbers. And they do baptism on Sundays.  A new member from veblen was baptised today.

Emma's principle is the branch presidents wife and the other little family in the ward, the husband teaches math at Emma's school.  I am certain that this move will definitely be good for Emma if we can get through the storm.

The best part of this Sunday was knowing that even though the branch is run a little different its still the Lord's church no matter where you go.  And the second best news the church is going to help me get a water heater.  I have to track one down asap and they will pay for it. I still need to pay the plumber but I am extremely grateful. 

Heat and water hooray! ???

Wednesday Lonny came by to look at the furnace.  His full time job is delivering mail. But he knows furnaces and had a new one he could put in.  He was only asking 500 down for a 3000 dollar job.  Feeling blessed We did go for it and I offered to kiss him! He smiled and turned a little red.
By Thursday night we had heat. Now that we had heat we needed a plumber. After taking to do many people we v had a list to work with. Ofcourse we took the first one that could be here asap.  Friday and another 75 later we had cold water.  NO HOT water.  There are lines broken and We need a water heater. We still are not certain where the broken pipe is and with all the snow it may be hard to getv to them. Once I have a water heater and another 300 I can get the plumber back out here to put one in.
My patience keeps getting  crushed.

We also got the kids going in school. They can't start until next week sometime but the girls are excited till go back. It's funny how kids complain about school but when they are away from it for awhile they are happy to back. The social part of school is very important.  It Comes with its own challenges these days especially when your trying your hardest to keep their standards in tact but being able to talk with peirs your age is definitely a comfort. 

Ok so we have heat that's s plus now the down side.  Yes there is a downside to heat. You know all the flies that go into frozen slumber?  They come back alive when it's warm.  Holy cow! I got my hands onto some flying bug killer and it works great.  Not bad for a buck at the Family Dollar. That store  is my v new best friend.  Pathetic I know.  Here comes the gross part.  The flies are dropping dead daily and not 10 or 20 at a time.  Try 100 or more all time. Cobsitanlty wiping and cleaning srvices and sweeping up dead flies. I was going to post a picture but it makes me gag so I won't. 

The down side to having water. Its gross! There is no way i am drinking this with out testing, filtration, and softening. I am even worried about getting sick from washing dishes in it. I boil it to get out hot first and then let the dishes sit it in while it cools down. Rising it with cold is my only option right now.  I feel likevi boil water and clean flies all day. 

Below is the water pic. don't say I didn't WARN YOU!

A bad thing to a good!

Today we needed to do some more errands but not before we dropped the van back off at the mechanic. Tuesday on our way to the motel the battery light went back on in the van. It was extremely frustrating because we just paid 285 to have the alternator replaced.  But none the less they were happy to look at it.

But first we decided to go  to the only little cafe  in Claire for breakfast.  We may have met half the town. It was so  cute. All the farmer's wives atv one table and the men at the other.  The men had a morning ritual of dice game.  And the women  were ofcourse chatting it up.  They  took turns introducing them selves too us asking  about what school We are having the kids enroll in and in awe because I think We may be the biggest family v in town
Later...
There was nothing wrong with the van at all. The battery light didn't even come back on. While  we waited we met an electrition.  We had called him before about the furnace but was recovering from knee surgery so  we didn't hear back from him.  He helped a lot. And if Lonny wasn't going to work out he had temporary furnaces he would put  in for free until we were able to pay for a new one.  Are these people  for real? Never have so many  strangers been so nice. We knew we met him for a reason. Which is why We are certain the battery light came on!

Not for the faint of heart

Monday was filled with hope. Hopes for heating solutions, water solutions and a broken van too be fixed. And to top it off we needed to unload a u-haul and have it back by Tuesday. 

It wasn't hard to get the kids up and helping.  The more they helped the warmer they were.  But it was cold and tiring. The Lord  was on our side though.  No wind or very  little. 

Now here is were it gets yucky. We had to turn our in door plumbing into temporary porta potties.  And drinking water was used for more than drinking so we went through our supply pretty quickly.  I won't show you pictures of the toilet. I think you get the picture. But I am thankful for being a girl scout a LDS summiteerv and  my husband is definitely a boy scout when he needs to be. 

Our trip to town was both successful and a disappointment. Lakes Gas was the company I had previously set up with for propane.  He is also the guy who put in the furnace that was stolen.

When we got there they told us they couldn't get a furnace in until April sometime, they wouldn't take payments, and that even if they could get propane out to the house, the wall furnace  were probably too old to use and would probably kill us through the night.  That's a big fat no too carbon monoxide poisoning!

Now for the good news moment of Monday.  We set an appointment for the van.  We we dropping  it off on the way to returning the u-haul to Wheaton MN. And we got a couple of electric blankets on clearance at the little Shopko in Sisseton. Yeah more heat.

That night was much warmer. We were exhausted! The next morning Todd and I could barely move.

A rain of hope!

Tuesday was a much better day. Still no heat and the porta potty was still a horror but we got the u-haul dropped of and the Van fixed.  Now in a previous post I mention the length of our driveway being snowed in. That was today! Tim came to and did the road again for us and even went back over our driveway.  But since we had v an appointment to keep and a u-haul to return we had to shovel our way out. Ugh.  Yep Raquel and I and my husband went  to work shoveling. We had to shovels so Raquel and I took turns.  And today the man up stairs was getting his kicks because it was v Super windy! Ouch. Flying snow in your face  is never fun. I don't know what was more painful the flying snow or the 285 that was horked out for the van. 

The best part of our day was an unexpected tax return to pay b for the repair,more  heating blankets and drinking water.  

Tuesday night everyone was a whole  lot warmer.   The owner of vthe little motel called us.  SHE OFFERED US A HUGE ROOM AT 45 BUCKS A NIGHT.  The room had three twins a full bed and two couches. The dogs were welcome. And that evening when we showed up to meet the owners. The man picked up h is phone and called Lonny. LONNY WAS GOING TO COME OUT BY 3 pm the next day and see what the deal was with the heat.
We showered and took the kids to the bar slash restaurant to eat dinner. Yes that's first time my kids ever went to a bar!
Needless to say the kids slept well that night and getting the kids up wed was hard! They wanted to stay  in
their beds and I let them.  

Wednesday morning the battery light v went on in the van.  Back into town again. We were on a mission to find a furnace so what's  another trip back into the mechanic. 

There  was nothing wrong with

The Ice Castle

Sunday March 11th we finally made it to Roberts county.  We stopped at the local grocery store to grab milk and drinking water. It was still early in thw afternoon so we figured we could unload part way and get what we most needed for the night.
Sisseton is where most of the business are and its about 15 miles from Claire and then its another 10 or so to the house.
As we drove to the house the roads were plowed but still covered in snow especially from wind drifts. Driving around here is like mini white outs.

We found out street and the front part looked ok but we  went sure. I decided that if the  little Chevy could make it the certainly a u-Hal  could do it. I was doing pretty good and then I got stuck. .. and then I really got stuck.  In about 3 feet of snow. It took a lot of digging and chains on the tires to get me out.  I had to drive backwards back to the main road. There is no turning around on the roads too these country houses.

So they we were, finally close to our new house and couldn't even make it to the driveway.  We headed back to town to find someone to hire to plow the road. Todd was ahead a me. Raquel and i and the boys had to stop and take the chains off the car because one was loose and it was going too ruin the tires and the road.  Let me just say Raquel is a bad ass! No other way to say it. Never even dealing with chains she got them off but not before cutting hand.

We finally caught up with my husband who was in the bar in Claire city which also happens to be the only place open for dinner.  Through his conversation he found an angle.  Tim Gleason had a tractor plow for snow  blowing. It was going to take him awhile to get to his farm then back out to ours.  But he was willing.  We felt extremely blessed.  We waited for well over an hour on the county road to our house.  The stars came out and filed the sky like a summer night camping. We had never seen that many stars in the winter before. It was my first "awe" moment in SD.

Here comes out angle tractor and all.  He plowed the road and our driveway and even an area to turn around the u-haul.  Now the road to our driveway is at least 1/4 mile or more.  The driveway tip the house is another 1/8 of a mile.  It took almost two hours.  This was not an easy job!  I was starting to wonder what something like this was going till cost since were pretty much broke at this point. When he was finished he shook my husband  hand and said we didn't owe him a dime.  Wow another blessing. He worked his butt off for a family of strangers.  A couple days later we couldn't get out our driveway. We knew the road was going to be an issue soon as well.  We had to shovel the driveway. The wind had covered it with 2 feet of snow half way down and too the end till the road.  Again our driveway is about an 1/8 of a mile.  Talk about a work out. 

Sunday night I walked into the house The first time. I knew u had my work cut out for me but at that point I wanted to just get everyone down for bed.  Now they say a man's house is his castle, This is my man's ice castle.  It was freezing.  The furnace was stolen and the back up wall heaters wouldn't work with out propane.  SUNDAY NIGHT IN A SMALL TOWN.  That wasn't going to happen.

We grabbed every sleeping bag and blanket box we could fine. Todd and I didn't sleep much that night we kept checking kids and wrapping up dogs into the blankets with us and the kids.  They were so cold. We managed to keep them alive and I cried with fear. 
To be continued.....

Below are two pictures.  One of the driveway to our house after good plow and the other the road into town. The road to the house is not here. I will post a picture soon.

From City life to farm life.

One of the fist pictures we saw of the home.

When we first started looking at farm land it was out of curiosity. My husband  has always had a desire to work with farm animals and he has always wanted to produce our own food. Being financially stable has always been my goal and his has always been able to provide for our own needs as much as possible. In general we compliments each other with those desires. However I will admit I would rather buy my milk than milk a cow. I rather buy my eggs than go out and gather them and I rather eat steak at Texas Road House than send a cow off to the butcher. But I know my husband desires to do these things for himself so I agreed I would try it out. Now there are a lot of details into how we acquired this particular house and when. The timing of it was definitely a gift from God but did he have to make the timing in the dead of winter?  The house pictures on this post were obviously taken in the Spring! Becasue it doesnt look like this in the Winter at all!

After we sent in the closing money on our house we found  that someone came into the house a stole the brand new furnace that was installed. We were given a discount on the house. the price was dropped from 45k to 42k. and the down payment was dropped in half. We got a good deal from it. But we also knew about the propane heaters in the wall and knew we had a huge propane heater on the property so we figured we could heat the home temporaily through that until we got a new furnace.  We went forward into our plans and on March 7th 2013 we picked up our Uhaul and began to move our family to Claire City SD. Oh boy!

March 8th we were off to SD. our first night we planned to stay in North Platte NE. The drive was pretty easy and we were feeling good about our trip. However, we greatly underestimated the cost of gas on a 26 foot uhaul hauling a car throught the mountians of CO. the first day alone the cost of gas for just the Uhaul was over 300 dollars. and that didnt coun the Van with the kids all in it. We werent even sure how we were goin gto make it. But Our Debit card kept gettting accepted even after we knew it was far from gone. By the time we got SD our toal gas over 800 dollars and we planned for 500.
On March 9th after a stay at two room in Northe Platte we headed out what was goin gto be arrival day to our new home. NOT! Not long after we Left NE we hit SD and Oh boy!.I have never driven through a white out. Aren't ou suppose to stop and not drive through those? Ofcourse however the weather map showe on and off snow showers not complete insanity. We were doing alright throught first part of the drive. It was touchy but nothing for experienced CO winter Drivers both who also dealt with Utah Snow for years. After our first stop we were told that it was getting worse the way we were headed and the Cashier a the Gas Station said good luck. We decided we would take it town by town and stop if it got too bad, Well not more than 10 minutes on the road it hit, The Biggest freak of winter I have ever encountered. I was following my husband on the route to Mission SD. It was only 22 miles from the last stop and it took over 2 hours to do it. I have never been more terrified in my life. I dont know what was more scary. Watching my husband almost go off the road several times or knowing my son was with him and how terrified he must have been. I honked and honked and honk in plea for him to stop. He couldnt hear me at all and I was so angry. I wanted him to stop at the next pull out or driveway or anything he could find and wait it out. But there was never a place to go and in reality stopping would have been worse. We would have been snowed in and covered. It was so bad. At times I could barely see pas the end of my Van and my guide for the road was the back of the car being pulled by the Uhaul. At times I couldn't see the Uhaul and was terrified at every moment I lost site. My battery light went on halfway through the white out drive and by the grace of God we were able to make it to the parking lot of Buschs grocery in Mission SD. Only by God's hand did we make it there alive. The vans alternator was completely out and our VAn would not be able to drove any more. We knew we were going to have to wait out a storm. the grocery store owners were incrediably nice and allowed us to hang out in the deli area were there were tables for as long as we needed to. That was nie considereing we only had the Uhaul for heat and that gas mileage on that sucker was killling us as it was.  The store clerks helped us with weather road and even hotel needs for when we were finally able to get back on the road. We were not going to make it to SD that day.
When the roads were clear we decided to unload every thing from the car that was being pulled on the uhaul and put it in the van. We were going to tow the van and drive the little car through the snow. It worked but it wasn't fun. Driving my van was much more comfortable and felt safer. However I realised that driving a 5th gear car in thewind and snow can be very beneficial. I never felt like I was goin gto tip over!  We also had 3 dogs and 3 turtles we were transporting so trying to take them in the little car was going to be interesting. The dogs had to sit on the kids!



March 10th after a second stay at the Super 8 in Murdo SD 40 miles from Mission SD we were on the road again. March nineth was suppst to be a 9 hour drive day with about 700 miles. We only drove about 140. SO we had alot more to do on the 10th. We made it without any real problems. the roads were still yucky but managable. We arrived in Sisseston SD later afternoon. We grabbed a couple things from the store and headed to the house. We finally came to the Ave that lead to our driveway. and oops. How in the world were we going to get to the house. I attempted to go down the street first. It wasn't going to happen we spent over an hour gettin gme unstuck! So back to town we went to try and find help.  I had put on snow chains on my tires and when we lef tto find help in town my daughter and I realised they were still on. the road we were on certainly didnt need chains. nad it was starting to come loose, so we had to pull over and she pulled the chains off on her own. It took a long time though. and the first one was really stuck. I was so tired I told her to just ge tin the car and we would wait for Todd to noticed we werent behind him. he never noticed. He went on into town. Todd waved down every snow plow guy he could find. they all worked for the state so none of them could help us. But we were blessed to find help in a little steak house in Claire City SD. Tim came out with the tractor and snow plow and not only plowed the street but went above and beyond and plowed our drive way and even a spot for Todd to turn the Uhaul around. Although we had to wait over 2 hours for him to get there and then do the hard job we were very grateful. Thank you Heavenly Father but what we were headed for that night was so much worse. To be continued.