Impatiently waiting to read this!! I've been "next" on the library's hold list for 2 weeks now!!! Whoever is ahead of me better finish up or give up.

Out with the old, in with the new!!

I know the title is a little cliche but in this case its absolutely accurate, mostly.  I mean, I have the same old husband and comfy Gap sweats but pretty much everything else has changed. Except the kids. They are the same but different too.  Anyway...

Lots of big changes going on here.  New house, new pets, new computer -- with none of my passwords saved from the old so that's been fun-- Basically a whole new chapter in my life, and coincidentally in my novel but its only one so lets not run out to buy it just yet :)

There is a neighbor's house in there somewhere, I think. lol

Lets start with the house. We went from a big house with no land to a smaller house with some acres around it.  When I say no land, it literally took 5 minutes to mow the front yard and the back was barely big enough for a swing set. And the neighbors were so close that I could open a window and reach out to very nearly touch their houses. On both sides. Not fun. Now it takes hubby about 3 hours to mow, of course that's his problem since I play dumb when it comes to the mower, and I can't even see the neighbors. I know there are some because I hear their dogs' and one of the kids has an annoying airhorn he likes to get out and blow every now and then but..at least they aren't looking into my kids bedroom windows! (and that's all I can say about that - lawyers orders, lol)  As far as room for a swing set goes, who needs one? Now there's room for a trampoline, pool, and volleyball.  And these are all far enough away from the fire pit that I can relax and barely hear the kids screaming at each other.

Trees for the little monkeys to climb

Moving on, sadly all of our pets we had as a young family have moved into the big farm in the sky. So we have added some new pets to fill up our farm here.  Two dogs, just puppies really,who need almost as much attention as the kids. Three rabbits, one for each daughter for easter  - original I know, but not my idea. Thirty-six chickens, because there was already a barn so why not fill it, oh and with the egg shortage they just might prove useful. And if that isn't enough, 5 ducks.  Because there is a pond so we have to have ducks, right? Of course they won't go in the water but we're working on that.

The water-shy ducks

My favorite hen, a silver-lace wyandotte named Tom

We also put in a nice big garden full of good growing green stuff .And red, yellow, purple and white stuff too! There are also some fruit trees, apples and peaches, and flower gardens. Deer wander through my yard on a daily basis and there are frogs and turtles in the pond.  I din't anticipate that I would love being in the country this much. I grew up in a small village, walking distance to everything. Constant noise and people everywhere. But the peace and quiet out here is amazing. Till the kids get home from school anyway.

the garden

Waaaaay over there is the pond