Whamo! Winter in North Dakota has hit! It is really cold. I had been warned that it is cold up here....and I believed it, however, I just want to reiterate what I was told...IT IS FREEZING COLD UP HERE! But...that does not change my love for it - really, I like it up here. I can stay inside with the baby....I don't go anywhere unless I really, really have to. You will find when it is cold that you just don't need to go to the store as often as you used too, I think I would go often just to spend money cause I was bored or something - you can live without a bunch of stuff. Carly has a new coat and boots that are rated for the cold temps up here, so we just bundle her up and send her out the door to school. Kev has to work in the cold temps so that really stinks for him. Thankfully his comapany provides warm gear and a boot allowance.
So...lets see here...I will get you caught up a bit...Around Thanksgiving weekend - Grandma and Grandpa Burhenn stopped by on there way back home to Colorado and spent a couple of days with us. It was so fantastic to see a familiar face to share our home with them. We love them so much it was sad to see them go so soon. Kevin went hunting down in Regent and Reeder North Dakota the first week of December. Some of his friends from Colorado have a nice hunting lodge in Regent and had asked Kevin come down and join them. From what Kevin said, he had a really spectacular time...and the bird hunting was first class as usual. Tess is becoming quite the bird dog - annoying as all be it at home, but in the field she is awesome. That is all that matters in Kevs mind, my mind has other thoughts...but we will let that slide.
Christmas is right around the corner! We were thinking of coming home this Christmas, but our car got the better of our travel funds. We had to fix a leak in the air suspension and put on two new tires, so needless to say that soaked up quite a bit of funds. Not to get so down though...cause Grammy and Pops have decided to come and see us! Whoo hoo! I don't know who is more excited about this...Carly or me....I think I might have won this one. I'm looking so forward to seeing them, I miss being so close that we could just catch up and have dinner or hang out whenever. We will cherish the three days we get to have with them.
Other than all I have shared not too much is going on. Kids are doing well, Kev and I are well...so with that being said - We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Talk to you all again soon.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Where Does Time Go?
I have the best intentions when it comes to keeping this site updated...however, time has escaped me. Grab a cup of coffee, a couple of snacks - If I lose you along the way, leave me a comment and I will try to fill in the gaps. I miss ALL of you, thanks for stopping by to check in on us.
It has been a whole month + now that we have been living in Williston, ND. We arrived here on Oct 17th right on time to close on our house. Marlene (the worlds greatest Mom, Mother in Law, and Grammy) traveled with us to help out with the baby on the long drive and to get settled into the new house. It was such a blessing to have her, words are not enough to thank her.
We hurried and got the 26 foot UHAUL truck and 12 foot UHAUL trailer unloaded so that we could then turn around and go to Reeder, ND two days later - so that Kevin and Carly could go pheasant hunting. To be fair, the pheasant hunting trip was planned well in advance to the thought of us moving. Out of town family and friends were meeting them there and well....it just would not be cool to cancel on a whims change of plans. This whole moving to North Dakota might seem to some like we pulled it out of a hat like a magician pulls rabbits from a hat; indeed we pulled it from somewhere...simple and complex as it seems, it really was an exemplary answer to prayer.
While Kevin and Carly were busy hunting and having a grand ol' time; Marlene, Carson and I headed back to Williston to get the house all in order. In the meantime we waited for the arrival of Cassie. Cassie was on her way to Reeder as she goes every year when all the guys meet up for hunting (....well it is her sister and brother in laws land they all hunt on) and being the amazing friend she is, she paid me a visit. I was very grateful to have her with me for a couple of days. When it was time for her to leave she would be taking Marlene with her to Reeder to head back home to Colorado with Pops. (Pops was in Reeder hunting too) The day Marlene and Cassie left was the day that it all hit me....I live in Williston, North Dakota and I know no one. This thought was perfectly okay when they first left - it was probably a few hours later when I went to drown my first moments of sorrow in a pint of ice cream that real panic hit me....the ice cream was melted! You may laugh at this point and roll this silliness of your back, but it was more than just the ice cream being melted it was a multiple of things. The ice cream being non-edible was a huge disappointment, if it were edible things may have not spiraled in to a crying, wine drinking event. You see, the refrigerator was broken, or so I thought. Everything was defrosting and I did not know who to call to help me fix this problem (and it was very late in the evening). When all my possible attempts to make a solution had been exhausted, I finally called Kev - but him being so far away in Reeder with no cell coverage I had to call the land line at the farm - when the "all circuits are busy" message kept playing over and over....that really got to me. It was like a test of my strength and courage and I was failing miserably. I really wanted to be tough and I think that I was telling myself to stop being a big chicken, but I continued to just freak out. I went to the garage to find a cooler and realized that Kevin took the cooler with him. That is when it all became clear; this was far too much for my brain to handle on this first night alone. I started to call people in Colorado for help. Thank God my Dad answered his phone and walked me through some possible scenarios that could have happened to my refrigerator and a temporary solution was devised. What I did was move the refrigerator to the other side of the kitchen and plugged it into another outlet, and it began working again. (don't worry I did not pull my back muscles to conquer this enormous feat...since my refrigerator is literally the smallest fridge in the world - I'll tell a story about that some other time) Outlets on one side of the kitchen all went out and no electricity was being pulled through them. So, after all this drama and what seemed like such a huge ordeal in my mind in the end was just something to laugh at, but I really lost my marbles for a good couple of hours. Thank you Cassie for listening to my sobbing gibberish.
Whoo hoo! Finally, Kevin and Carly get home and we begin our time as a family in North Dakota. We are on cloud nine having memorable times settling into our new home. Our new home is adorable...and a tad bit old. It has been so well kept for that it is only minor cosmetic improvements that will give this house the modern makeover it deserves. Honestly though...my first moments of stepping foot in the house I was a little overwhelmed...Kevin caught me in my shock and said "smile or something, you look as if your grandma died." In all fairness, we had been driving all day we had just closed on the house, we had not eaten all day (literally),we still had to unload the UHAULS and I just moved from a majestic palace (comparatively), what did he expect? Rest assured, once all our possessions were placed into their new perspective places the home had started to vibe with a new energy and by the time I went to bed the first night I was reeling with excitement and growing a lasting love for our new home.
To give you a little history on the house, it was built in 1952. The man who built the house was the only owner and he made very good use of all its space, none of it is wasted. He lived here with his wife and two daughters until he and his wife passed. There are so many interesting things about this house, it is custom. For instance, I have a revolving closet door, it is pretty neat. Carson's room the dresser/closet is built into the wall - this is perfect for a baby growing fast; there is lots of room for toys and play. The laundry room is perfect size so the dogs can have there own space and be kenneled at night. The kitchen has the smallest appliances; that is it's only down fall, other than those little hiccups it is cute with it's built in desk area. Living room has nice tall ceilings as does the rest of the house, but the living room has a nice curve design that gives it character from a normal looking wall/ceiling design. Carly's room is pretty normal, it has cute white shutters on the windows that goes well with her decor. The bathroom.....the only bathroom in the house, it has a little laundry shoot that leads into the hall closet into a laundry basket (Carly loves this little feature) and well to say the least it is.......UGLY! Oh well, at least it meets the needs of a bathroom. I will do my best to get pictures of the house on here.
Carly has been going to her new school now for a month and she has adjusted very well. We love the school and could not be happier that it is right across the street. Thank God that it is so close, cause I don't have to bundle up the baby or warm a car to get her to school. I bundle her up and off she goes. Friends are never hard for Carly to come by, one in particular is a nice little boy named Cameron. Carly has also made a friend with the little girl two houses down from us named Meggie (she is adorable).
I have found a church that suits our need. I have only been once thus far, but things are getting into a pretty good routine and I will make this a priority (especially when we are not experiencing car difficulties - hard to have one working car) Other than church I have made friends with a really wonderful lady - she has invited me to the "Ladies of Petroleum" group a few times now and I like the company of other woman. The group is building a float for the Christmas parade; it has been fun working on it with them. Kevin likes his job and works long, hard hours. The days are long when he is working, but it is still worth being here when he gets home vs. being without him for 2 weeks straight.
Well...this is all for now. I know I have probably left out so many details...I have already written a novel and your probably wishing you had brought the pot of coffee to sit next to you by now...Well ....WAKE UP! You can move on to the newest pictures now and get on with your life. We appreciate you taking interest in ours. LOVE YOU!!
It has been a whole month + now that we have been living in Williston, ND. We arrived here on Oct 17th right on time to close on our house. Marlene (the worlds greatest Mom, Mother in Law, and Grammy) traveled with us to help out with the baby on the long drive and to get settled into the new house. It was such a blessing to have her, words are not enough to thank her.
We hurried and got the 26 foot UHAUL truck and 12 foot UHAUL trailer unloaded so that we could then turn around and go to Reeder, ND two days later - so that Kevin and Carly could go pheasant hunting. To be fair, the pheasant hunting trip was planned well in advance to the thought of us moving. Out of town family and friends were meeting them there and well....it just would not be cool to cancel on a whims change of plans. This whole moving to North Dakota might seem to some like we pulled it out of a hat like a magician pulls rabbits from a hat; indeed we pulled it from somewhere...simple and complex as it seems, it really was an exemplary answer to prayer.
While Kevin and Carly were busy hunting and having a grand ol' time; Marlene, Carson and I headed back to Williston to get the house all in order. In the meantime we waited for the arrival of Cassie. Cassie was on her way to Reeder as she goes every year when all the guys meet up for hunting (....well it is her sister and brother in laws land they all hunt on) and being the amazing friend she is, she paid me a visit. I was very grateful to have her with me for a couple of days. When it was time for her to leave she would be taking Marlene with her to Reeder to head back home to Colorado with Pops. (Pops was in Reeder hunting too) The day Marlene and Cassie left was the day that it all hit me....I live in Williston, North Dakota and I know no one. This thought was perfectly okay when they first left - it was probably a few hours later when I went to drown my first moments of sorrow in a pint of ice cream that real panic hit me....the ice cream was melted! You may laugh at this point and roll this silliness of your back, but it was more than just the ice cream being melted it was a multiple of things. The ice cream being non-edible was a huge disappointment, if it were edible things may have not spiraled in to a crying, wine drinking event. You see, the refrigerator was broken, or so I thought. Everything was defrosting and I did not know who to call to help me fix this problem (and it was very late in the evening). When all my possible attempts to make a solution had been exhausted, I finally called Kev - but him being so far away in Reeder with no cell coverage I had to call the land line at the farm - when the "all circuits are busy" message kept playing over and over....that really got to me. It was like a test of my strength and courage and I was failing miserably. I really wanted to be tough and I think that I was telling myself to stop being a big chicken, but I continued to just freak out. I went to the garage to find a cooler and realized that Kevin took the cooler with him. That is when it all became clear; this was far too much for my brain to handle on this first night alone. I started to call people in Colorado for help. Thank God my Dad answered his phone and walked me through some possible scenarios that could have happened to my refrigerator and a temporary solution was devised. What I did was move the refrigerator to the other side of the kitchen and plugged it into another outlet, and it began working again. (don't worry I did not pull my back muscles to conquer this enormous feat...since my refrigerator is literally the smallest fridge in the world - I'll tell a story about that some other time) Outlets on one side of the kitchen all went out and no electricity was being pulled through them. So, after all this drama and what seemed like such a huge ordeal in my mind in the end was just something to laugh at, but I really lost my marbles for a good couple of hours. Thank you Cassie for listening to my sobbing gibberish.
Whoo hoo! Finally, Kevin and Carly get home and we begin our time as a family in North Dakota. We are on cloud nine having memorable times settling into our new home. Our new home is adorable...and a tad bit old. It has been so well kept for that it is only minor cosmetic improvements that will give this house the modern makeover it deserves. Honestly though...my first moments of stepping foot in the house I was a little overwhelmed...Kevin caught me in my shock and said "smile or something, you look as if your grandma died." In all fairness, we had been driving all day we had just closed on the house, we had not eaten all day (literally),we still had to unload the UHAULS and I just moved from a majestic palace (comparatively), what did he expect? Rest assured, once all our possessions were placed into their new perspective places the home had started to vibe with a new energy and by the time I went to bed the first night I was reeling with excitement and growing a lasting love for our new home.
To give you a little history on the house, it was built in 1952. The man who built the house was the only owner and he made very good use of all its space, none of it is wasted. He lived here with his wife and two daughters until he and his wife passed. There are so many interesting things about this house, it is custom. For instance, I have a revolving closet door, it is pretty neat. Carson's room the dresser/closet is built into the wall - this is perfect for a baby growing fast; there is lots of room for toys and play. The laundry room is perfect size so the dogs can have there own space and be kenneled at night. The kitchen has the smallest appliances; that is it's only down fall, other than those little hiccups it is cute with it's built in desk area. Living room has nice tall ceilings as does the rest of the house, but the living room has a nice curve design that gives it character from a normal looking wall/ceiling design. Carly's room is pretty normal, it has cute white shutters on the windows that goes well with her decor. The bathroom.....the only bathroom in the house, it has a little laundry shoot that leads into the hall closet into a laundry basket (Carly loves this little feature) and well to say the least it is.......UGLY! Oh well, at least it meets the needs of a bathroom. I will do my best to get pictures of the house on here.
Carly has been going to her new school now for a month and she has adjusted very well. We love the school and could not be happier that it is right across the street. Thank God that it is so close, cause I don't have to bundle up the baby or warm a car to get her to school. I bundle her up and off she goes. Friends are never hard for Carly to come by, one in particular is a nice little boy named Cameron. Carly has also made a friend with the little girl two houses down from us named Meggie (she is adorable).
I have found a church that suits our need. I have only been once thus far, but things are getting into a pretty good routine and I will make this a priority (especially when we are not experiencing car difficulties - hard to have one working car) Other than church I have made friends with a really wonderful lady - she has invited me to the "Ladies of Petroleum" group a few times now and I like the company of other woman. The group is building a float for the Christmas parade; it has been fun working on it with them. Kevin likes his job and works long, hard hours. The days are long when he is working, but it is still worth being here when he gets home vs. being without him for 2 weeks straight.
Well...this is all for now. I know I have probably left out so many details...I have already written a novel and your probably wishing you had brought the pot of coffee to sit next to you by now...Well ....WAKE UP! You can move on to the newest pictures now and get on with your life. We appreciate you taking interest in ours. LOVE YOU!!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
In Between Houses
We have finally moved out of our house and into the fifth-wheel at Kevin's parents house. We sleep and dress in the fifth-wheel and shower and eat in the house. It is working out just fine for the short term. To be blessed with such generosity is more than words can spell, we are very grateful for Pops and Marlene. Carly is still attending Rock Ridge Elementary; I have been driving from Louviers to Castle Rock and back to get Carly to and from school, round trip I average around 45-50 minutes. It is a perfect time for Carson to nap. Kevin is liking his new job and has been prospecting for our new home and to my surprise he found one the first day he went looking. It is a lovely home, it will accommodate our family very comfortably. It has been well kept for so the backbone of the house is secure, the inside is clean - it just needs some modern updates. For example; the house is covered with wood panels (YUCK) so those will have to go, the bathroom has a green toilet with pink tile and the carpet is really outdated. So when time and funds allow it, we will be making some home improvements. Other than the minor cares of the home we are looking forward to our move in. The elementary school that Carly will attend is right across the street from where we live so that is a huge plus. Oh and importantly...there is a Wal-Mart in town so if I'm in need of diapers last minute I don't have to drive an hour away. If we can coordinate it all, it looks as though our move will take place somewhere right around October 13th...so if we need to get together and hang out....we best be getting to it!! Call us to hang out, we would love to visit and give hugs before we leave.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
From the Beginning
From the moment the test came back positve I have been in awe. I muse over the way God answers prayers and the timing of how and when they are answered. I have been waiting a long time for a baby - when I thought the time was right to have one....God had another idea. The journey that I began when I first asked God for a baby has been worth it; three and a half years later a handsome baby boy has arrived.
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