Birthdays, concrete, Brittany and Andrew, Chase

Birthdays really are for children. Thank you to all of you that called to wish me Happy Birthday yesterday. I even got a call from our insurance company. It was a good day after I got away from the office. We practiced saddling the horse and rode him for a few minutes. We went fishing for a little while. Mostly we just relaxed through the evening.


As we were down at the big pond (as Victoria calls it) we were talking about the farm and all that the Lord has given us. It is like the gift that keeps on giving. Grandpa and I have talked over and over about what was left for us to use in the way of buildings, the big pond and the way it was designed and all the fish in it, the calf barn and the loading chute, the chicken coops and the three sheds, the fencing and cross fencing, the garden, etc. When we go on to look at all the trees and ponds on the property, it is humbling to see how God has blessed us. I am pretty excited to be the steward of this little patch of earth.

I suppose my birthday present was the concrete that was poured yesterday. The men who worked it did a terrific job. I do not recall having a slab done to the degree that they worked this one. It looks polished. It was pretty spectacular to see it glistening in the evening sun. I think you can see it in the picture.

The bucket in the slab is set over the shower drain line in the rough plumbing. This is a common practice which will allow the final plumbing to be adjusted after the slab is poured. In case the rough plumbing is off by a little. The man who did the rough plumbing sent out a helper to put a box over the stub to keep the concrete away from the line but the dog tore it up before morning. Grandpa put the bucket I cut for that purpose back before the concrete crew arrived.

There was enough excess concrete to pour a floor in part of the shed we plan to use for the calves. It is not as smooth as the slab but it will provide a concrete floor to work off of as we bottle feed the calves. It also filled in the holes left by the dogs when we kept them there last year. The contractor gave us estimates for the two pours required to finish the slab for the shop and offered to pour a floor in the adjacent part of the shed with the excess when he works the final pours.

Mama and I are heading to Amarillo today. The movers will be in the house on Monday to start packing up all we have left there. It is not as much as when we left Victoria, TX, but there is still a fair amount. It should take them Monday and Tuesday to get the packing done. The truck will be loaded on Wednesday – if all goes as planned.

Brittany and Andrew are coming down to Amarillo this afternoon. Brittany was planning a surprise party for Mama but I did not see a way to convince Mama to arriving in Amarillo in time without going to extreme length so I told Mama they were coming. Because of the move, it will be the last time we will be only six hours from the two of them. Though it will not be the last time we are in Amarillo, we will no longer have the house to share with them. It will be all hotels from here on out.

Chase is moving this weekend – I think. It would be wise to have all of his stuff out of the house before the movers arrive. There is not a lot of stuff that he will be taking but we have been through this before. There is no telling where things will be after they begin packing.

Today is Becky’s birthday. Happy Birthday Becky!

Tomorrow is Nate’s birthday. Happy Birthday Nate!