so much for new years?

So . . . my new years resolution worked out so well last year I thought about doing it again ;) Not many people read my blog and care but I know a few of you do. It's been about a year and a half since I posted last so I will see if I can let you know what happened this past year or so. 


2011


First in April, we were close to fighting a wildfire that was just a few miles from us. Well 10 or 15 but there wasn't much to stop it but the WONDERFUL volunteer firefighters that were out there 24/7 watching and making sure it didn't jump the highway. I couldn't thank them enough, and did every time we went to town and I saw someone with TFS (Texas Forest Service) in a store or something. There were only dry fields to stop the fire if it had jumped. Anyways, they kept it back and we were lucky enough to not have to sell off every piece of livestock we had, like some people did. There was such an outpouring from the communities in the area, donating food, water, everything. Some people donated the use of livestock trailers and the expo center in Angelo allowed people to house their stock there until something else could be figured out. Made me proud to live here. 


In May we went to redo the floor in the bathroom of the house and there had been a water leak UNDER the linoleum that was there and the subfloor was rotten. Great. We had noticed wobble in the toilet and the floor gave some but didn't think it was something like that, since the house was so old anyways. So we got Jordan's family to clear out all of their stuff from the TINY house next door to his parents and we moved in. So we went from an almost 800 square foot house to one that was about 6 or so. Plus had the added bonus of a built in Pool Table. which takes up quite a bit of room. We've got a lot of our stuff in this house, the stuff we use or the stuff that's too important/expensive to keep in the other rotting house :P Which means we're pretty cramped here. Make the best of your situation? Oh and Jordan graduated from College whoop whoop. That was a great day! 


All summer we dealt with grumpy toddler being inside most of the time because we had one of the hottest, driest summers ever. Over 100 days where the temp hit 100 or above. There was so little rain that most of the people in the area sold off what livestock they had (if they had any after the fires). Jordan's dad and Jordan, and sometimes me. Worked tooth and nail to feed the livestock, keep water to the tanks and stuff and make sure everything was okay. We ended up not having to sell much over what we would have in a normal year but there was quite a bit of money put into feeding. Luckily we had hay left from the previous year or we'd have sold out too probably. We ran out of hay right before the colder months and ended up buying some but not as much as we thought. Jordan tried to find work, but as you all know, that wasn't happening. So he just worked the ranch. 


In July/August, I got my first opportunity to do a sample knit for someone, that was a blast. But it still isn't published so I still can't talk about it ;) I worked testing patterns too. Well I guess that's not really 'work' in the sense that I got paid for it but you know. 


October Jordan and his dad were able to go off the ranch, leaving us women in charge ;), and take on a hunt they had both been wanting to do. Antelope in the panhandle. Jordan and his dad took forever (in August and September) buying all of their new fancy equipment and I think they had just as much fun doing that as the trip itself. They were gone for like 3 days. 


When the fall came around things on the ranch slowed down a little, don't have to feed as much in the winter and stuff. And then at the beginning of December a friend of the family's came out and mentioned in passing they were hiring at the place he worked! So Jordan got an interview, and Got the job! whoo whoo. It was in insurance so he spent the rest of December doing course work to get licensed. whoo hoo. In January he started his job. 


In 2012, 
Well aside from Jordan starting his job in January, the kiddo turned 4! How did that happen?


February, Jordan went to a schooling for a week! It was the longest we'd been apart since we've been together. But everyone was fine and everything went off without a hitch. 


I'm sure other things of importance have happened but I don't remember when everything happened ;) 


I did 2 other samples for 2 different yarn companies, did a lot more testing. Am working on my 4th sample and possibly 5th pretty soon. It's a ton of fun. I'm working on knitting myself my first sweater sweater, it's a test too ;) Made great friends on Ravelry, one of which I consider my best friend, she came around at the beginning of 2011 and we've talked almost every day since then. A good friend of Jordan's moved back to San Angelo and we've been going out with him and his wife every month or so for dinner. 


OH last month, May, FINALLY saw our other house getting lifted and leveled. We waited a whole YEAR for that to happen because we were having to wait on someone else to make the call. Finally Jordan's dad gave him the authority to do it and it got done. Now we've got to fix the cracks from lifting it a foot, replace all of the windows, and fix holes in the floor from the leveling and water leak. We're supposed to wait 30 days to do that so now, pretty soon we can get someone out to start on that. Also plan to remodel the kitchen sometime and paint the whole house. But we're thinking it'll probably be another year or so that we're here in this tiny house. One bedroom. yap it's fun. :P 


Sometime this year, don't remember the month, I got in contact with a long lost brother, through facebook. Long lost sister too I'm pretty sure happened last year. 


This has been a busy year. We're hoping the drought doesn't continue on like last year. We're hoping we can keep our sheep and cows. We're hoping the markets go up for both so that some money can be made back. Now that Jordan's working with the insurance and on the ranch, I'm really going to have to get my drivers license ;P and we applied for kiddo to start preK this year. We'll find out about that next month. If he does, I'll get my license, a car, and a job in town to do while he's in school. It'll be fun. He did great when we went in there, they let him play with everyone while we filled out paperwork and he did smashingly :D that's my boy. :D he's just the cutest thing, he's getting to be so polite and it just makes me so happy. The other day at Walmart he met a couple guys that Jordan knew. When we went to leave, before anyone else, he stuck his little hand out to the guys, shook their hands, and said "it was nice meeting you." They about smiled their heads off. Me and Jordan too. So great to see someone with some respect nowadays ;) lol I sound old. :P 


I've been thinking I want an SLR but I'm not sure yet. It's a lot of money. I would LOVE to have photos in magazines but I'm sure there's tons of people who want that. Plus I wouldn't even know where to start. hmm. I'm rambling now so it must be time to stop writing. I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff that happened this past year but I've got a headache now and don't feel like thinking much ;) 


Hope everyone did well, and is still doing well. :D