Timmmmbbbbbberrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

So here is the culprit (sorry for the sideways picture, I can't get it going the right way!!!) This is the very large, very dangerous tree that we needed to cut down to be able to survive another winter of potential windstorms without losing any sleep :)


now, I have no idea if this picture does it any justice. We found out that this tree was over 140 feet tall and at the base it was over 8 feet in diameter! Which means that it was over 25 feet around! (since I happen to know Pi!)

However, in order to cut down this tree they had to get rid of all the smaller trees below it. We thought the trees around it were puny, as it turns out...they weren't as tiny as we thought.
this picture is one of the stumps of the smaller trees... the chain saw laying on it is quite large, as you can see in the following picture, comparing it to Matt's foot! This tree was 113' and as they cut it down/knocked it over with the mammoth tractor...it came within 3 feet of the fence! and made a HUGE boom!!



To give you an idea of the size of the tree, here is the first 'tree guy' starting his climb. they had never seen a cottonwood this large and they didn't have a rope large enough to go around so they had to connect two! (they assured us that was just as safe!)


They had to cut off some of the branches on one side of the tree to ensure there was not too much weight on one side (the way they didn't want it to fall) So this photo is of Hudson sitting next to one of the 'limbs' from the tree!! Each limb was the size of a small tree! CRAZY!


look at these amazing pictures of the tree coming down! It was unbelievable to see in person! and right where the tree was cut, if you look closely you can see the two brave souls who were actually sawing the tree! after the tree fell Matt promptly yelled up to them "do you need me to grab you a roll of toilet paper?"



Here they are cutting the next 40 ft section off the tree.


Once we cut the tree down, you can see how rotten it was! The piece that Camden is sitting on was from 20 feet high! 20 feet above the ground it was rotten about 4' in diameter!




This photo is a piece of rotten tree from 60 feet above the ground! 60 feet of the tree totally rotten and you could never tell from the outside! that is why cottonwoods have the nickname "widow maker" Because they rot from the inside out and are also extremely heavy and unpredictable. Again, SO thankful to have it out of harms way! Phew!


Hudson got to help too! He didn't want to "really" drive the tractor, "not for real" but the tractor operator let him scoop a big scoop of dirt and Hudson was quite impressed with himself!


So here is the video clip. As we were sitting there waiting for it to happen Hudson said "mom, will you tell me when it falls?" I said, "oh you'll know!" and he said "but what if I don't? will you tell me?" I don't think he understood what exactly was going to happen!



so that is the end of our tree story. It ended without injury or damaging any houses, fences, etc. what a wild day!

What else has been going on???

Well, since precisely 20 days ago when Kemper arrived, it seems like our live has been devoted to the constant supervision and chasing of this dog. the posts are filled with his pictures... hardly anything else!!!
So I thought I'd share a few other things going on...

1. We had my mom come visit for a week! It was a great visit! we celebrated Camden's birthday at Pagliacci Pizza (Camden's pick) and enjoyed lots of mom/Grandma time before Camden started school.


2. Camden is enjoying 1st grade. He was handed a packet of homework on Friday that is due this coming Friday and I said "okay, time for homework" to which he dutifully replied..."OOH YUCK! I don't like homework!" We sat down, finished a days worth, I said "so how was it?" and he said "well, it was actually pretty fun!" This week's new thing is Camden taking a shower by himself every morning before school. He loves it! He said it makes him feel "refreshed" :)


3. Hudson and I are trying to figure out what to do with our days without Camden! Half way through Camden's first day of school Hudson said "I give up!" I asked "What do you mean?" He said "I don't want to do another puzzle or read another book or do anything." I think he was flat out bored! (after spending months of playing with his brother and now it was just mom and that annoying puppy who interupts EVERYTHING!...
So now... we have library story time on Monday mornings, Tuesdays we go swimming together, Wednesdays he'll hopefully be in a "sports of all sorts" class for 7 weeks (if they get enough kids enrolled!!) and Thursdays he'll hang out with some of his church friends while I participate in a bible study. Fridays Matt is home so its sort of a unique day in itself.


4. On a downer note... for those who don't know... Samson has cancer :( we are so saddened by this but enjoying our time that we have with him. (When he's not running off to the nearby stables!) ...I think he's decided that if he's got cancer he's going to live it up...and by that I think he means... "I'm not going to let that invisible fence shock keep me around!" We've started feeding him people scraps here and there... and when we see his day coming, we're having steak for dinner... and he's getting his very own!! :)


5. Okay, I'll mention the puppy now. I hesitate to say that Kemper is actually learning how the rules go... But, at times I think he does sort of get it. The other day I got up and said "Kemper, do you need to go outside?" to which Matt replied..."oh...he'll let you know. he'll sit by the door and ring the bell" (we have a hanging bell to alert us that he is patiently waiting). I laughed and said "He may have you fooled, but I don't buy it! not for a second!" Later I saw it happen with my own eyes! He really did do it! However, we've had several regressions since that fine day. He does sit on command which is pretty darn cute, but in the yard, if there is something in his mouth that he is not supposed to have (which he very well knows) He tries to escape me. If someone had a video camera I'm sure they could win $10,000 just watching me try to catch this dog! And... of course I have to win because if I let him win... oh boy, I don't want to think of it. and so the puppy days continue...
Lastly...you know in the movies when you see a boy and his puppy..and they're like best buddies? Well, if you could see the pure joy on Camden's face when he plays with Kemper...it is truly priceless! He loves Kemper with all of his heart. He loves that after all these years he has a doggie who will play chase with him! It's so sweet!

WHAT HAPPENED? The blog seems to have only posted puppy pictures! OH NO!?? Hmmmmm... maybe next time we can find some pictures to go with the text :)

Life with a puppy and other events...

well, first of all...
Camden turned 7!! Hard to believe it, but we have a 7 year old boy!
and 2 days later... he started first grade!! He was very excited! had a great first day of school with only one mishap! He forgot to give his teacher a note that said that I would be picking him up from school daily. So the teacher made him get on the bus, which he was very upset about. But never fear, mommy was at home waiting for him to get off the bus. :)

okay, now...life with a puppy...


WHO KNEW HOW HARD THIS WOULD BE???
Nobody seems to talk about the fact that raising a puppy involves the same night time schedule as a newborn and the same daytime routine as having a crawling 6 month old baby with no diapers on???
Our house is INSANE!


We literally can't take our eyes off of him for more than a minute or he'll most likely have pee'd or poo'ed somewhere in the house. and of course if he hasn't done that then he MUST be chewing on something! Holy Cow!
honestly, i think he's starting to get a little bit better, but it's still a lot of work! he's 9 weeks old today and of course he's adorable..which is why puppies survive! if they weren't this cute... WHO WOULD EVER WANT ONE???
So all of that to say... WE LOVE HIM! ...despite his using the house as one big toilet, despite chewing my favorite flip flops, despite getting us up 2-3 times a night, despite the fact that Matt has had to clean out Kemper's kennel 2x which was too disgusting to write about... despite ALL OF THAT... we do love him. he is adorable and he's learned that laps are a pretty good thing, and he LOVES to eat! he has LOTS of personality and is a bundle of joy and energy!