Jan 20-28 The last week with the Girls

We were home Saturday and  also most of Sunday.. I really didn't get much done around the house as we have had so much rain it is very sloppy. Sunday evening I headed back to Kristi"s and Susan came Monday morning. The workers showed up Monday morning and started building cabinets downstairs. They start about 8 and work till about 6:30-7:00pm.  It is very noisy with the table saws, air compressors, nail guns  going all day. There is not much to do as you cant hear the TV. We lost the temporary sink downstairs so we only have the bathtub and bathroom sinks upstairs to wash any dishes. We used mostly all paper goods and cutlery. Some of Kristi's friends brought us dinner most nights so that does make things much easier. I did cook hamburgers one night on the outside grill.  Susan's allergies were terrible as she couldn't take any medicine because of allergy testing on Thursday. She had to go back home Monday and just stay. The allergy testing showed she was allergic to 31out of 38 testing subjects. She is going to start allergy drops and we hope they work.  Kenna had a basketball game on Thursday night and they won  I came home Friday evening after Mike Z came home. Saturday morning we we to Ashley"s volleyball tournament in Spring. They won all their games. We came on home after the games and just rested .Kristi"s plane landed about 4:00 pm so she made it home safely. Kenna has volleyball games Sunday on the southwest side of Houston but we are not going. Time for the old folks to rest for a day. While I was gone my new grinder came in. I decided last year that I was going to start processing my own deer. I bought a LEM Mighty Mite #8 Grinder. My plan is to take out what I think I need for a week or two and make it fresh. Sunday I made a little practice run. I just ground up 2.2 lbs of meat and made a nice pot of hamburger soup. It went smooth and the cleanup was very easy. Normally I will probably do 5-10 lbs at a time depending on what I'm making.

Max is not stressing

Lexie stayed by my side all the time

Kenna basketball game

Kenna basketball game

Sammi checking out the progress in the kitchen. It will probably be May till the downstairs is complete, 

A digital  scale to weigh meat

This grinder is just the right size for me

Ashley"s volleyball game

Ashley keeping score

Jan 8- 20 It Got COLD In TEXAS

We didn't do much until Thursday when we went to Mackennas basketball game. They won easily and Kenna was high point scorer. On Saturday we went to the NRG Arena for Mackenna volleyball tournament. They played competitively but lost all 3 games. One of the Dads works for the Houston Texans managing the luxury suites and boxes. He arranged for all of us to eat in the Texans cafeteria and then we toured their training facilities. After the games we all went to a Saltgrass Steakhouse for Adams birthday. On Sunday we stayed home as my back was killing me. Monday morning Susan headed to Kristi"s and I went to the deer lease to bring our trailer home before the bad weather. After I got back I headed to Kristi's also as we are staying two weeks while Kristi is in Africa. The weather continued to get worse as the day wore on. Everything was shut down Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday, no school and Mike Z couldn't:t get to work. We had lots of sleet/ice and some snow. The temps got down in the teens and the wind was blowing hard. Sammi and her next door friend played in the elements all day Tuesday and had a blast  The big girls went to friends houses. Susan and I  basically just watched the dogs.. Wednesday things started returning to normal. Thursday Susan went home as she has a quilting workshop Friday and Saturday. Sammi and I went to Kenna"s basketball game Thursday night and it was a really exciting games which we won 31-29. On Friday evening I headed home for the weekend after I got the girls from school. I will head back Sunday evening and Susan will come Monday after a chiropractor appointment.

Volleyball at NRG

Tip Off

Shooting Free Throws

Volleyball team in Texans Weight Room

The cold weather is rough on the dogs

Taking a snow break

It started snowing

Jan 1-8 2018 Lukes 3rd Birthday

The new year started out very cold for us. We got back from Junction yesterday ahead of the weather. I dropped Susan off and headed to the deer lease to drain the water in our trailer. I decided to wait until the bad cold was over before hunting.  It did get in the low twenties for three days at home. We had new years dinner at Belinda's and after that we just stayed home. On Thursday I went back to the deer lease and hunted that evening. Friday I brought the Ranger and Kevin's 4-wheeler home. Saturday I went first to lake Somerville and then on to Bryan. Susan's back and allergies were terrible and she stayed home. I went to check out Rocky Creek COE park to see what sites were open. The park is still completely closed but may reopen in April. It has been closed since the floods two years ago. I then headed to Luke's birthday party. It was at a Powersports facility and the kids all had a great time.. I finally got home around 8:30 pm.          

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