Daybook Entry

Daybook Thursday, June 7,2012


 Outside my window: The sun is shining on my face and hear the baby birds chirping. Id love to open my windows but it gets sticking really fast and I'm not a fan of that.

What I am thinking: About my husband who comes home tonight and im so sick of having him away. I cant complain to him though because he is the one away from us missing all the kids. He has missed Laurabeths first tooth,first sit, first dada, mama etc...its hard.Its old.It sucks!

What I am thankful for:Coffee, My Fathers World, my mom, my coffee.

From the schoolroom: We are in Kenya this week for MFW. We have sooo many hours to do its causing stress on me. I know we have those hours already and we are actually over in hours BUT its not the hours I need. We need math hours! And not really hours its the lessons we are behind in. Cody finished his math book.Hannah is almost 100 lessons behind! All the days of her sleeping in,sleep overs, grandmas, just not doing it has caught up to her and now its math all the time for her!! I keep going over my hours and I we have over our 1000 hours we need. BUT not lessons. She has to get that book done. Its the only text book we do so COME ON!

From the kitchen:French vanilla coffee smells awesome in the morning. I'm going to make cinnamon rolls this morning. I also need to mop today.
What I am wearing: A nursing gown. All nursing Mommy's should have one or 2 of these. Yes your husband will make fun of you and say things like " haha my mom use to wear those.That means your old." Ya I get that alot from him. But when you can un button in the dark with one hand while holding the baby at 2 am it works and works well!

 What I am reading:Charlotte Mason companion again.

What I am hoping: That my kids love me. I know they do but I want them to view me as a joyful mother. Not the mean mom who let them do this and that. I hope the enjoy the time we spend together.

What I am praying:That my husband finds a job here in Missouri. I pray that I lose all the baby weight this year and keep it off. I pray my moms knee gets better so Cody stops showing me everyday how Grandma walks.( hahah sorry mom). I pray Hannah gets her math done!

I am hearing: The sound of PBS on the TV and theres NO kids awake.

What I am creating:Good Christian kids who love their family and the Lord. Im also trying to create that Brazilian Butt they keep showing me at 2 am on TV. I have been doing and I have to say my underwear fit different already! I have a fat mom butt so it will be nice to see anything but that mom butt in the mirror!

Around the house:Hahaha that's funny. Toys, toys, pillows and blankets from the war the kids had yesterday. Today ill focus on cleaning a little because Jeff doesn't like to come to a mess. But then again it take him like 24 hours to readjust to being around his LARGE family. the noise level is whats hard for him. Me I'm a loud person so must of the time it doesn't bother me. I do send him outside ALOT when he gets crabby about it. I'm mean like that!

Our plans for the rest of week:School today and tomorrow. Tomorrow evening we are heading to Wentzville to buy to more power wheel jeeps for the littles. Then we are heading to St.Peters with the trailer to pick up A BUNCH of outside toys. A new slide, play house etc... Saturday we heading to my sisters for swimming. Cody will stay there for a sleepover for a boys night with the mighty Ms.Hannah is goingto grandmas for a sleepover after we leave my sisters for her grandma fix;). Sunday I spend doing laundry for the husband and preparing the kids for his departure again.

More thoughts: I have been working out everyday.This is week 2 almost week 3. I feel way good and it helps me stay calm when things around here get crazy. I have learned that running all over the place is our number 1 cause of stress on Ethan and me. Yesterday we had a playdate at the park and it was much needed for us all. But as soon as we got home I had to run to the store because even though I had just went Sunday we were out of everything and thats not good. So I ran to the store with a few of the kids. Once back, unloading is stressful for Ethan because he sees all this food and his mind goes crazy. He is our Aspergers child and things like this are melt down times. I have been really good this past month or alittle while longer with staying home. We run on Tusdays for library and music lessons. Wednesday in the even we have Royal Rangers. Other than that unless we have a one playdate or a feildtrip we are home. If we plan a playdate during the week we wont have a fieldtrip and vis versa. We not only get everything done that needs to be done but the melt downs are way less and routine with eating, nap and school are in place and makes the days go much eaiser. Also we have cut out the sleep overs during the week. As much I love my kids to have that fun it just doesnt work for us. Yes there will be days on the weekends for that but not week days. we just get to to far behind. We have enjoys our weekends together that for sure!

Beautiful Morning

 This was last week for Art. They were doing an oil pastel of birds

 Cody riding Grandma JJs horse

 Queen Jolene. Below is Cody and Hannah doing there fresh water/salt water experiment.

Its a beautiful morning here Missouri. The birds are singing to me and the sun is shining though the window on my face. I have been awaking up and nursing the baby/changing diapers and then going straight to my workout. Im in week 2 and loven it. I knew once my depression past, id get right back into a workout routine and obsess about it. Im not a fat person on the inside. Unfortunately just the outside. I have always been a workaholic. I would run that treadmill like it was nothing. Id weightlift like nobodies business. Then God blessed me with 4 more babies BACK TO BACK and I never got a chance to work out. Until the depression went bye bye and the joy of working out came back. I love waking up and sweating. I love that when I work out my body shakes because I worked it hard. It makes me smile. Once you do that in the mornings, you feel amazing ALL day long. It changes the way you eat, think and act towards you children. My goal long term is get down down to the size I was when Jeff and I first got together. If I was smart I would have continued to workeven after I became preggers. I'm making short goals for myself. By my birthday I wont to be down 2 sizes. By Jolenes 3rd birthday I want to be down 50pounds. Im making realistic goals. Im very excited to soon have my double chin GONE! Hopefully soon because I HATE IT!
 This morning we have a playdate at the park with some friends and then we will come back and crank out the school work. we are in Kenya for MFW ECC. We are spending the summer finishing up ECC we stopped back in 2010. YES I know. Don't say it! That way when Sept comes we can start CtG and K and keep with the planner on that. Cody is doing amazing! This is like night and day for day him. Once we stopped text book work the fun of learning came running into our house. He is learning WAY more from living books and art than ever. Its so nice to hear him read and enjoy it. His math is coming along and we finished his math book. Now we are getting ready to start the next booklets and get caught up to were his dad wasn't him to be at. Hannah is doing wonderful. She reads while she cleans,shower, watches littles,mows the lawn, you get the idea, She is never with out a book. Math for her is always ok. We are using Saxon and now have a love hate with that. We are switching her over to booklets with Cody only because the explain the steps better than Saxon. I refuse to buy the cd rom for her math with Saxon because we have heard mix reviews on it. She can log on the computer and type in her question and get help for FREE on some sites. Free is always better for a homeschoolng family.She has put her text books away and turned to CM learning along with Cody. We wont do anymore text in this house EVER AGAIN! MFW is just amazing and I love when I say its time for school they grab books and sit and read. I ask questions and read aloud with to them. My littles LOVE to hear a big person book. They ask more questions about the books than anyone. Books that are WAY above them but they get it. Read to your kids books that are meant for older kids because they listen and in my opinion learn a ton.
 I must get up and get moving, The sun is just soooo nice and warm on my face right now. I hope you all have a blessed day and enjoy the weather with your kiddos :)

Finally.

Its been awhile huh? Thats all right we have been busy and happy. Doing family things finally again and enjoying the nice weather. The month of May has been amazing. The depression that sat on me for so many months as long been gone and that my friends make my world a whole lot easier. I enjoy all my kids again and husband. I no longer dread the outings or the get togethers. I love schooling again. I love we switched back to My Fathers World and threw the texts books out the window. Well not math. I love the way my kids call it " fun school". I love that Art is now a family favorite. We still have some things to tweak and work on but thats homeschool for ya.
 So the month of May brought us a family reunion on my husband side. It was a time of horse back riding,eating,talking,basketball you name it we did it. It was so nice. It also brought us a time to go fishing and relax and my sister in laws summer home get away. It was there we got the big kids a 2 seater go cart from my nephew. I must all my kids are now wanting to be race car driver. We already had a one seater go cart and Cody used that until the sun went down for a few years so he was really happy to get a bigger nicer one ;) 
 We had a month of gardening, grass cutting, tree planting and lots of swimming already. Now my garden has been half eaten by a wild turkey and some deer! Now I must put a fence up around that. My mom and old kids have been building a big chicken coop for all my flock. Friday the worked on it for 9 HOURS! Boy I tell you they hit their pillows and were OUT! It looks so good so far. Ill post pic once it done. As much as Id like to be handy with them I have been busy as a bee in side with the kids. I have been making dinners for friends, trying out new bread recipes, cleaning and so on. I have been busy! But its a good busy because I enjoy this part of my life. I dreaded this for so many months you have no idea.Depression is such a horrid thing. Unless you have fully been through that, you cant understand the amount of sadness it brings. Its like the whole world has been lifted off my back and I can breathe again. Its amazing. I started working out again and that alone is doing me wonders. I turned back on BOT radio while baking and schooling in the mornings. AMAZING!
 Now on to my sweet children. Our oldest daughter ( my bonus child) turned 16!!! Yes you read that right. That makes my husband old!! Not me though.hehehe. She is also homeschooled and starting 11th grade. Wont be long and she will be college bound! SCARY!! Her mom is I'm sure is flipping! Whats even more wahhhhh is that at her age I was already a mother to my sweet Hannah. Now my Hannah will be 14 in Sept. OK maybe I am old! ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
 My husband is STILL working in Indiana. We are about tired of them saying " OK this will be it. The job will be closing down". Whatever. I have heard Jeff say only a few more weeks since October. I cant really complain because its income we bank. We are just ready to be together again as a family. 24/7.

 I'm sure I'm missing a ton to write about but I'm tired and have a sore eye. Laurabeth scratched my eye after a visit with the doc I have a drop to heal it. Its very blurry but getting better. I look like I have had pink eye for a year.Good times!

Doing it all WRONG

You read that right. I have been parenting all wrong for about a year now. Nothing like sitting in the bathroom room doing my morning bible reading without littles ( dont say ewww because I think all moms use the bathroom as a get away). I usually go to Matthew or Psalms but yesterday it flipped open to Proverbs 31. Now the Lord works like this all the time on me. I have been praying and praying for help in my parenting for so long and always feeling over loaded with the amount of stuff I have to do. I have turned into a complainer and whiner just plain ungrateful for my family. I lost my desire to be that helpmeet and mother. My life, what I live for is now, was, being smashed by the words and actions of the woman who cares must for them. I run from my house becasue its all so over whelming and chaos all the time. NOt all the time but alot. Well no duh Jen. How would you feel if a big ole woman with a loud voice was always complaining and yelling and never smiling and demanding this and that with no yeses or happy things to do? Someone always just over whelmed and not enjoyable. Then He layes this on me, Proverbs 31:26 "She speaks with wisdom, and on her tongue there is tender instruction.27 She keeps a close eye on her conduct of her family, ans she does not eat the bread of idleness." The Lord must love smacking because He does it alot to me. It hurts when the truth is right there and He shows you the damage. I know I always complain about the kids not listening and whinning blah blah blah. I was so up set that Jeff would leave every Sunday and Id be " stuck" home with 6 kids by myself now going on 2 years. When we lived in St.Clair I had no problems with my kids. I was happy and everything was under control. I could take all 5 kids out and they would listen like pros and I would have people saying " oh your kids are such good listeners and its amazing how well they do". Now I get Holy CRAP woman are you mad! Lock them up! Well not really like that but they are nuts! OR ARE THEY? I would veiw my kids and just look down on them like honestly you are going to act like that? Eveyr little thing they did or say would just send me over the top and Id start my complaining all day. What a nice day. NO! Man the Lord is good. He showed me the light AGAIN. My kids are so normal and they GIVE so much! I have always known how wonderful my older kids are with seving others outside this home. I have no questions about that. They would give you their shirt off there back if you wanted it. They are amazing! Cody and I butt heads like no one I know. we go around and round. Thats human nature. Thanks EVE! We have fights like little kids over school and respect and so on. Well here is an area He showed me light on also. How is Cody suppose to show respect to me if all I do is nit pick and complain? YEs I know he should just do it because im his mother and the Lord says of it. BUT we live in a fallen world and we as humans struggle with issues like this. It will always be there, the feeling of wanting to rebel against people (parents), I did. I did everything I could to go against my parents. It was just who I was. I was strong willed and flew with it. Sorry MOM! The part that I can help in now as a mother is to show the gentle side of this to him. Meaning, its my job to be gentle to him. Im a very strong loud person to begin with but I know how to be gentle when it comes to the proper why of handling disrespect or unruling kids. I did the gentle approch for years and my kids listened and I could take them out without needing to stop but the insane asylme. I know how to do this but the problem with this is I would always complain OUT LOUD and in FRONT OF MY KIDS. Now that just puts you up to fail. What are they seeing? A mom who doesnt like being mother, a mother who would rather be away from them, and just pure unhappy with life. Thats what those beautiful hearts see from the one person they spend every hour of their life with. Why would I wont my children to view me like that? Thats when Jesus decided it would be a great idea to smack me and almost bring me to my knees while I was on the pot! Yea like that! I can change this now that I see where I have been wrong. I even talked to my husband about this and he agreed I have been complaining alot lately. GRRRR. If I could rewind the last year I would. Words hurt alot and its not that I said mean things to my kids, its the always talking to them like they are in the way or such a handful. So I guess it was talking mean to them. How horrible is that? I repent and repent those times of weak mouth! And as I read this over its not like everyday was a bad day, it was a few. But those few days Id text my girlfriends for help and complain and complain or id call my mom and complain. That my friend is a bad choice because then they view your life s a mess and why do you keep having kids if they are so out a control kinda stuff. My kids arent outa control, its mother who needs to be fixed! OUCH! I dont like fixing things, exspecaially myself. Well theres no choice in the matter. My kids are my world and refuse to let my kids view me or even that motherhood is unjoyfull. Because its not. My kids are amazing and theres no dout about that. The Lord is good and will show us were we are doing wrong if we just listen. I dont alike of things right now, the big one is having my husband gone all the time. Its a downer. Really it is. Thats a huge for me. My house feels creepy with out him. I know I was ment to be a helpmeet and a mother and soooo get a Joy out of it. Its such a narrow path that we moms often fall off it. The good thing is our Lord is one that knock you right back on if you follow Him. Even if you dreft way a little to far, He will smack you so hard that you knocks you to your knees for awhile! He is good! Ephesians 3:14-21 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Goodbye to our pioneer grandma Turner

Its been along 3 weeks for the family. 3 weeks of memories made that will cherished by all. Memories that are also sad that my grandma had to suffer the last few days of her life. Although I have those memories i know my mom took such good care of her I know that once my grandma made a sound of discomfort she was there to make the hurt go away. Rather it was by rubbing her legs or shoulders or giving her the medicine she needed to rest. Pioneer grandma was 95 when she past and she was one heck of a lady. Living in Montana you cant be weak or lazy. Grandma could and DID do it all. From hunting,gardening,canning, horses,kids etc that was her. It was last May when she started having problems breathing they think she might have had a stroke. She was winded all the time and just kinda went down hill from there. My mom got a call from her brother a few weeks ago and said she was doing ruff so my sister and brother cameon a road trip to Montana. Grandma went in the hospital and they said she running out of time. So what does my mom do? Books a plane ride for her and my grandma to Missouri. The doctors said she ad maybe 4 months to live out her life. My mom and family had to clean out grandmas house ( that is another story:) ) rented uHaul and sent my brother and sister back on the road to Missouri. Grandma and my mom came home a few days following them. It didnt take long for grandma to get worse. I'm so thankful the kids and I got to see her right when they got home because grandma was beautiful. Man was she beautiful that day. I walked in the living and there was grandma in the recliner and she just lite up like a fire cracker. Her smile was like no other. She was telling stories about my grandpa buying her high heels to wear and she couldn't wear those out because once she did they would sink in the ground so she just wore them around the house cleaning for grandpa. She was telling us about her mom having lot of kids and how she just smiled when we talked about my whole brew of kids. She was just so happy to be around her grand kids. Then later that week she went down hill. I saw her again on Saturday and she looked totally different. It broke my heart that someone with such strong faith in the Lord has to go though that. She went to Jesus on Tuesday the 17th. Today we had her memorial with a balloon release in her favorite color. After hte balloon release and a few tears we decided a horse ride would be next. Pioneer grandma is sure smiling I'm sure. My mom brought back alot of old pictures and I cant wait to go though them. Im sad she isnt here but I know she was ready to go. She would wake up and say " Im still here?" Silly grandma!! My heart broke for my mom. The sadness in her eyes is almost to much for me to take. Theres nothing I can do to and that makes it hard. Grandma was 95, she lived a full life and a damn good one. I know in time my mom will heal. My sister and I got her some knock out roses to plant for " grandmas garden" with an angel to go next to it. Should be beautiful! It was such a good day for a goodbye. we watched the balloons until we couldnt see them anymore. the wind took them way way up to the heavens and hopefully Grandma and Grandpa popped them as they went by. Ill always be strong in my old ways and always be stubborn, always stay away from book doctors because my grandma raised her daughter the same way. we love you grandma and hope you saw the love blowing in the wind today.

Blessed Day

Warning- Im tired but wanted to post anyway. If theres lots of errors you know why :)

Thank you Jesus for letting us enjoy this beautiful day with my husband. My kids thank you for letting their daddy be here for a few extras to make memories that will last a life time.

What I am thinking: When the my husband really be home? Every week its another few more weeks, its been like this forever. I hate complaining because I know what a blessing it is to have such a great job, but it comes at the expense of us as a family. One day he will be home and wont have to shed tears as I fold his clothes and pack them back in the totes they came home in. One day ill be able to make dinner for my kids and MY HUSBAND. One day...

What I am thankful for: The job he does have. Im so thankful my mom was able to have a few weeks off work to go to Montana and get her mom who is 95 and no longer can live alone. Im so thankful we are able to see her as we were thinking she would never meet her great grand kids. Looking for tomorrow for sure!

From the school room: Really? well alright then. School is going pretty good. Last week was kind of a slow week school wise as I had alot to do for my mom with her being out of state. I had alot to do for myself also. Thats another reason we love homeschooling, when family calls we can be there for them and its a great learning process for the kiddos. This week we are buckling down and going to get to those owl pellets! I have 10 ready to go and waiting. we went to the Wild Bird Sanctuary with a friend and her son and had a good time looking at all the birds. we went for the owls as we are doing the Prairie Primer with Cody and it fit right in. The little screech owl is so stinking cute!

From the kitchen: I was having a hard time with my red wheat and being so tuff that it would crumble. So I went ahead and added white flour in it and now its perfect! I still need to master the sandwich bread. That one is hard! we are trying to switch over to all or mostly all our snacks and meals from scratch. I do oh so love being able to buy all our snack and lunch foods and get it done real fast but its so not healthy and just a bad habit for the kids. I want them to be able to make all sorts of foods and teach their kids when they are older. Whole foods are the way to go. I have so many diet restrictions from the dyes and gluten that whole foods is just the ticket, like it should be. My grandma from Montana has a dehydrator that just happens to be at my house right now and im going to use that baby like never before. Hannah is ready to make banana chips and apple chips.

What im wearing: yoga pants and a black t shirt with Laurabeth spit up on it. She is really making an outfit change for every hour a habit this weekend. Of course I have wacky socks on- white socks are for dorks duhhh. ;)

What Im reading: Charlotte Mason Companion book. Hello! A must read for homeschoolers.

What I am hoping: That we get a full of week of learning in JOYFULLY. Get my garden plants bought and ready for the lovely garden we busted our rears on today. Im hoping for many laughs from my children and that we learn to stop bickering with one another all the time over silly stuff.

What I am creating: well a nice sore butt from sitting here playing on my new computer my husband bought me last night :) I need a pc that was fast and could handle many thing running at time and boy did he did good! The littles are going to have a blast with phonics now!

I am going: to bed soon because im beat and the little girls are already in bed. I have to wait until Jeff calls and says he made it back to his apartment before I hit the pillow.

What I am hearing: bugs from the window and Hannah and Cody down the basement. well Hannah just came up telling me how cold it is down there. Shes right, its freezing! Time to close the windows.

Around the house: Well I have a list a mile long from the husband to do this week and my list of normal stuff. I also need to pack away the Christmas stuff that is still out. Yes people I still have Christmas stuff out. Im a weirdo and love Christmas. The cds stay out all year, just ask my kids what our trips to Indiana are like :)

One of my favorite things: nursing Laurabeth in the early morning. Its still quiet and she is so sweet and warm. The sun is coming up and she is just so peaceful. I love when Jolene wakes up and calls my name and we sit in my chair and rock while she take her bottle. Again the early morning quiet with the babies is the best way to start my day.

Few plans for the week: library, my moms, stables, piano, Royal Rangers, Micheal's and then im staying home!

My prayer for you who are reading this blog: Dear Lord I pray you bless all those who stop by here to read the happenings in our home. Lord bless them with JOY and the desire to serve you with their all. Amen.

Are we there yet?!

Mud is good for a girls skin.

Here is my husbands burnt apartment. His is on the left bottom. Under the porch with the 2 windows you can our sofa and the upstairs floor on it. The whole building is gutted and they will be knocking it down this week. His bedroom is the far left window with the gutter hanging in it.

My favorite moments....

Those are the words I say to myself alot. Are we there yet? Meaning am I were I want to be as a mother, a wife, a friend, a stranger? I have spent a good part of my life always in the shadow or running in my head the thoughts of am I enough or good enough for?? I became a mom at 15 gave birth at 16. I was young but I knew God made me a mom for a reason and I grabbed that and ran with it. I never gave a thought about what others thought about my parenting. I had my second child at 18. Again knowing full well what I was doing. Never thought twice about a dang thing and my oldest kids are some AMAZING kids! I was relaxed and a free spirit about things. Learning was outside and enjoyable. I was a single mom from the get go. But I had an awesome mom and family for support. Some how I managed to lose my joy and free spirit for a few years and lost the person I was. I lost the feeling of love and became so wrapped up in what everyone thought and on my goodness how I raised my kids. We lost the JOY of what parenting really is. I lost the laughs, the pure awww feeling when my child did something. Until recently. My sister a bunch of weeks ago was talking to me about how she never let anyone tell her this and that about her family and she dont care what others think because its her family etc.... Thats when I remembered well duhhhh what the heck I was I doing for these past couple years. I lost a good 2 years of caring what people had planned for us and what they thought on my parenting. Im not trying to mean but now its like shut up please! I dont care if what we are doing isnt your idea of cool or popular. I dont care if you think we are weird backwoods freaks. We are finally happy, finally we know what clicks and what doesn't. I make the plans, I decide if we watch this or not. We have laughs we have smiles, we have peace and we have LOVE back in this house.Knowing my husband will back home and with is makes our smile a little bigger( maybe after the first few weeks of getting a routine with him.) I have relaxed on alots.Im a loud person in general always have been and that wont change. Although im sure my kids have moments when they wish id be quiet! I need to work on being a little more soft. Ill work on that. My biggest change was the way we school. Again not all my children are relaxed learners. Hannah is very text bookie. But for my Cody its been along 5 years of schooling and we honestly haven't gotten very far. For a while there I was unschooling him and he did amazing and loved learning without knowing he was doing "school". Then those nasty years came in and I thought I was doing it wrong and bam we hit a road. Im not unschooling him now but we no longer use the text books on him. I have an English book for myself and thats it. I have him write bible verses, poems, stories anything to get him writing. HE DOESN'T COMPLAIN! We are doing Prairie Primer again only because HE loves it and I though lots into for him. He likes learning again. Yes thats right my stub burn book throwing pencil breaking child likes his school again! Oh my oh my. People I have to tell you I feel wonderful as a parent again and its so nice to laugh with my kids. The messes are always here and thats just a season for this. I have a house of littles and littles causes messes. If you cant handle that then you dont need to come over and WASTE my time. I cant always have a clean and spotless house and be a happy mom also. If you can awesome, but for me I can do the dishes after they go to bed, im going to take that walk they want. I can laundry later, im going to play that card game they want. Of course we still teach our children we have chores and we must work before play BUT in a relaxed way. Dont like? Thats ok it works for us. We are happy and content.
Ok enough of that. Last week my husbands apartment building burnt down and he lost everything that he had there. Which was alot because he has been in Indiana for 18 months now. He got out and just watched the fire take that building to nothing. It was by far a scary night for me being 4 hours away and not being able to hold him and touch him and know FOR SURE he as ok. But the kids and me did go there for few days and got him into a new bigger apartment for the last few weeks of him working outa state with out us. I got there and had to do the wife pat down on him so I knew for sure he was 100% ok! He was! We also got a new home for our dog Buzz. He is a black lab mix and a guy wanted to train him to be a duck hunter. Praise God for that. We didnt have the time to train him and he is such a good dog. We miss him but know he is in a good home. I got chickens and a turkey now under the light hoping that a fox doesnt come again and kill them all.Last year we lost my whole flock to a wild animal. Not this year! Alright I better go I have wild Indians running around here. P.S...... YES WE ARE THERE :)