The Monster Frogs Little Friend

The Fish Pond.

     This is just one "fun" day in our life. I thought I'd share, since our lives are so different then they used to be. 

     My husband decided it was time to clean out Grandma's pond. Now the pond is man-made (actually Grandaddy made). It is about 30 x 6 feet and about 18 inches deep. There is a thick black plastic liner on the bottom. It has sharp rocks around the edge as decorations as well as to hold the liner. It is FULL of fish. Like goldfish. Only mostly red and white. Most are about a couple of inches long.  It has enormous lily pad plants as well. 

     We don't know when the last time it was dumped completely but, it was so green it was almost black. There is also frogs. We figured a few small frogs. 

     So, my husband rents a HUGE trash pump ( the smaller one didn't cut it. Too much mud and gunk). In went the pump hose and the water starts squirting out on the lawn. Once it gets down a bit I worry that the fish need to be gotten out faster then my 6 year old with small fish net can manage. (Like for your fish bowl). So I kick off my shoes, take my iPhone out of my pocket and step into the mucky dark water to help grab fish. At the third step,.... Yep, you guessed it, I went down. My feet slipped right out from under me (who could have seen that coming?? Plastic bottom with mud and muck and fish poop covering it??) So, there I go, BAM. On my back, feet in the air, laying in fish poop!! OK. Go ahead and laugh. 

     Once I assessed that all of my body parts were OK, I laughed too. That's when I hear Grandma. We had set a chair out so she could watch us clean out the pond. I can hear her cackling like a bird. She is laughing so hard she can hardly catch her breath. Such compassion.  Well,  glad I could be the comic relief for the day! 

     Well, we grab fish by the handfuls. Although, we probably only save half. The strong suction of the pump pulled the other half out to the lawn. As my husband and I are more then ankle deep in this black water, he says, "I felt something big brumped against my leg." 

STOP!

I grew up at the ocean. Someone says that, it's out of the water quick!! 

I am so outta here!! Darling husband holds my hand to steady me so I don't slip again. I did slip and cut my foot on a rock but, he kept me from falling down again. 

     Husband stayed in the water (he had on waders) and continued to clean out the end of the pump hose and catch fish. 

     That's when he saw it! Something big. We all agreed it had to be a frog. We'd seen a few frogs already, decent sized ones. And we knew there were some that lived in there. We heard them all the time. And heard the splashes whenever we came near. But, this was no ordinary frog. It was black. And after we (husband) finally cornered it (let me say right here, he wasn't even excited about touching this thing. It was that big. he said it had spikes on its feet!) he made a grab for the frog .... OH MY GOODNESS!! It was HUGE. I mean like the pictures in fairy tales, huge!  

It was as big as a cantaloupe. And I don't mean the mini ones. It took two hands and some strength to get that thing. Ends up, there were two of them that huge. Really. Two Jurrasic Park sized frogs. I'm so glad I got out of that water! 

     The rest of the pond cleaning went on without a hitch. We stationed children near the bucket so the frogs wouldn't jump away. And husband scrubbed the bottom and shoveled out mounds of mud and fish poop. 

     The pond got refilled and the fish and frogs went back in the water. 

     That night at dinner we were talking about it all. (I had taken a shower and cjanged my clothes.) Grandma couldn't remember that we had dumped the pond. She couldn't remember the frogs or anything. Then my husband says, "Do you remember Heather falling in the muck?"

     Well, she started laughing. Silent chuckles at first. Then reall hearty laughing. Her whole body was shaking with laughter. "Yep. I remember that!"  

Well, glad to help jog your memory. 

     I do have a bit of wisdom, albeit sad wisdom from that experience. When you are 20 and you fall like that, you get up and laugh. When your 40 and fall like that, you fall, lay there a minute to take stock. Then you get up and laugh. But, wow, are you sore the next day!!

     The next day at church someone asked if I was OK. I guess I winced a bit when I sat down. So I told them what happened (grandma laughed ll over again). And I even said that about being 20 and 40. Well, we go into the older couples room for Sundy School class. These people are quite a bit older then my husband and I. Well, one older lady  says, "Well and when your 60 and fall your probably going to break a hip!" 

     That's when an even older man spoke up next to her and said, "And when your 80, after you fall you look around and wonder, "Where am I?"

     So much to look forward to. That's it. A day in our life here.  I mean why should Grandma be the only one laughing at me, right?? 

     If you ever need you fish pond cleaned out, please don't call me. I am still wincing a bit and had to see the chiropractor. 

Update from our move.

     So, we've been here in the heart of Tennessee for 4 months. It's September now and the trees are slowly starting to show color changes. The mornings have fog and the grass is covered in a thick dew. The days are still quite warm though. Can get up to the 90's. 

     We are all learning to adapt and change since we've been here. With school starting we are really trying to get back to routines. I like more routine as long as I'm not having to go to a bunch of different places all the time. 

     My oldest is working hard to learn and understand advanced algebra and study for his first college test with College Plus. He's started an internship at the local radio station. They have now hired him to work the board during the football games on the weekends. 

He's also helping with goat milking and care each day, as well as, upkeep of the property. That means lawn mowing, bush trimming, and so much more. 

     My second, is doing well with school this year so far. But, of course he has an easier year. We haven't gotten his writing program yet so he has a little shorter day then he will normally. We've decided that he will study some farm things for science. Things like goats digestive systems and the best things to help them stay happy and healthy. To keep the 4 stomachs healthy is a balancing act. He's also going to learn about organic farming and what that involves. 

     He also, is caring for our goats and the yards. When you ask him his favorite part about moving here, he says the goats. 

     My youngest son started lessons with math, spelling, science, reading, and whatever else we decide. He also loves workbooks. He is really getting proud of himself with his reading but, is hard on himself about spelling. He spends much time running barefoot, everywhere. Climbing trees, trying to get the goats to let him ride on their backs like a horse, watching the bigger guys milk the goats and trying to talk dad into letting him ride on any tractor my husband happened to be using. 

     And then little girl, she is like a butterfly, flitting here and there. She loves workbooks. So, I have a bunch for her to go through as she likes. She also sits in on the science and reading. She will also, draw, color, run, play and whatever else suits her for the moment. Her and Great-Grandma color together often. Thu will sit at the kitchen table and color for the longest time. She is also barefoot most of the time and is following the big guys to the barn. She wants them to let her milk!!

     Husband is trying to figure out how all this is going to work. Creating a job and with it am income. He is spending much time with the big boys working in the yards and helping with the goats. (The goats are a family affair. We all have something that we do with and for the goats. There is much to do. From brushing, feeding, scooping poop, cleaning out stalls and water buckets all the milking and storing the milk. 

     Me.  I am learning to do many new things as well as balance and care for each of the people in this house. We were a busy family before with 6 of us but, adding Grandma is like adding a very large kid that needs full time care and watching. With the 6 of us around we all can help some. But, I am with her pretty much 24/7. Or at least am completely aware of where she is And what she is doing at all times. Yes even at night. So grandma is a new task. I also spend quite a bit of time cleaning. Cleaning clothes, cleaning dishes (no dishwasher), cleaning and sanitizing jars for milk, washing the dog (yes he's new). Also, training the new puppy. Making cheese, Keiffer, and soap. Don't forget 3 full meals a day for 7 people. After all of that; I'm teaching the kids, helping my husband with goat care (adding supplements, etc.), I can and do milk when the need arises. I also, have to come up with ideas to keep grandma happy, and content. She has lost so many abilities. She can no longer do puzzles or think through things like she used to. Movies don't keep her attention. To give her a task is much like finding something for my 4 year old to help with. She isn't capable of so many things. Even laundry (which is her huge obsession) is so difficult for her. Yet she doesn't know it. She will put anything in the machine. Stuff it full. Throw in rags with bleach on them with dress shirts. She will fold dirty clothes off of the floor. She will check on the dryer 20 times to see if the clothes are dry. She can't understand why half a bottle of laundry soap would be a Problem.  (I now make our laundry soap because of the expense). 

     To say our life is different is almost absurd.  Our life looks so different. And feels it even more. There are good days and bad days. There are so many days we think, "what have we done?!"  We have given up our whole life to come here. To do this.  What are we doing here? Well, were caring for a crazy old lady (and I say that knowing perfectly well that I will probably be just as bad), following God's prompting to come here and love her, take care of her and her property. To encourage her at the last part of her life to embrace what God has for her. We moved here to learn and teach out kids about things we could never have done in the OC, on the beach. We're all learning farm life. Learning how to keep going even when times get really uncomfortable or unhappy. We are all learning to let God lead us and listen for which direction he has for our life. We are learning what the word sacrifice really means. When we sing or read about being a living sacrifice, it is terribly uncomfortable and inconvenient. We are supposed to serve others even when it is not fun, even when you want to just yell and walk away. When the world would say you've tried hard enough, you've done more then anyone else would have; that we have to try more and harder. Being a believer is SO crazy hard sometimes. Being a follower is even harder. To follow him and HIS ways when it feels like HE has forgotten you, is at times, almost unbearable. But, you know what? HE stretches you. HE makes me be able to withstand more then I ever thought I could or want to. 

     So the update is we are doing OK. We can always use prayer. We have some interesting business opportunities and would love much prayer in that area as well as, pray for Grandma. That she will find joy and peace each day. 

     God is good all the time.