Braces off

The braces came off this week.  Addie couldn’t be happier.  I was very surprised when a month ago the orthodontist said they could come off.  She had minor issues, so she only had to wear them less than a year.  Of course, now we need to finish paying for them, and we go back up Tuesday to get retainers.
Middle school basketball also came to an end.  I know some schools are still playing but our school has a wrestling season for middle school.  Last week was the first time in a long time that all three kids got on the bus and went to school, and then they all three came home on the bus.  Addie seems to be pleased with a little more free time.
Allie started her rec basketball season.  She enjoyed her game, even though they lost.  She knows most of her teammates and enjoys playing with them.  After the game her face was pretty red, then she looked in the mirror and said, “Wow they are really red!” 
On Saturday we saddled up the horses and went for a short ride.  Sometimes its seems like a major event just to get all the horses saddled up.  They got out on Tuesday morning when it was about 1 degree out.  They were just in the ditch looking for some cheat.  Unfortunately, there is nothing green around for them to nibble on.

So cold

Just one more week of middle school basketball (yeah!) Addie has two more games, and we have meetings on both nights and I am not sure how we are going to get to the games.  Then Allie starts the rec. basketball league. She knows her coach this year and is ready to start playing. 
It was so cold last week.  Thankfully we didn’t have two feet of snow to blow around.  I managed to keep the horse water open.  The tank looks like a big hunk of ice with a single hole going down to the bottom to the water.  I am hoping to get some melt in the tank. Luke had a heat lamp on an old well that he needed to keep thawed. We went to unplug the heat lamp since we are enjoying warm weather for a few days.  Near the well is an old underground house.  In the house there is a bee hive.  It had warmed up just enough the bees were out inspecing and making sure it wasn’t spring yet.  On the floor we found serveral old honey combs.  They were empty and just wax pieces.  I tried to explain to Weston that the bees had made wax.  They were hard from the cold and he didn’t know what to think.  After the combs had set on the dash for a while they quickly softened and the kids enjoyed feeling the squishyness of the wax. 
Even our roadrunners managed during the cold snap.  I saw them puff out and try to keep warm.  One was in the barn, I think he was looking for mice.  I was surprised how close I got to him.  Then Allie was in the horse pen and she said one walked right past her, then took off.  According to the kids we have three roadrunners.  I have seen two at the same time.
Weston told me he wanted to go visit a Reindeer farm, I didn’t know what he was talking about.  Finally, I noticed a travel company had been advertising a tour to Alaska and one of the features was visiting a Reindeer Farm.
Addie and her friend went on a quick trail ride Sunday.  Then when she got home we all saddled up and went down the road.  We started out too late, and it got dark and cold quickly.  Allie had been getting her new saddle adjusted to her horse.  We had to trade out some billets and put a different cinch on.  She got mad at me when I put saddle soap on it and did not wipe the excess off. 
My daughter was mailed a letter from Pratt on December 18th and she finally got it December 30th.  The main problem was the letter told about a meeting on December 28th.  It’s a good thing that someone had told us about the meeting, so she was able to attend.  Did you know that the Rural Messenger still mails out some papers, but now the paper can be picked-up at multiple sites in your community?   The Rural Messenger is also free, so thank our advertisers.  We are actually getting the paper into more hands than when we mailed the paper.  Look for a new paper each Wednesday.