Guess what we did?
The day before mother's day we thought we would travel up to Cascade and visit Grandma and Grandpa Kerlee. Don had recently been in an accident. He fell out of a tree from about 30ft high when he was cutting some limbs from that tree. He broke 9 ribs and he broke his scapula in two places. Needless to say-we thought we would go visit them and see what we could do around the house to help out while he was on bed rest.
Much to our surprise, when we arrived in Cascade Don was walking around with his portable oxygen tank and instructing personnel who were cutting down HUGE pine trees on the property. Sheila was found wheel barrelling(sp?) the limbs that were then cut off of those trees up to a fire they had going way up the hill.
Our mouths dropped open!
So what do you do when your in this position?
You smile because you just got an opportunity to teach your boys how to work. That's one of the reasons we moved to Idaho!We all got right to work and it felt GOOD!
Up in the mountain air, working side by side with my family. Meanwhile Don is walking around, riding the 4wheeler and he drove over to the neighbors to feed their dog. I couldn't get the guy to sit down for a second!
Well, after about 4 hours cleaning up this huge tree, those blasted workers (friends of Don and Sheila actually) dropped two more trees. At this point the mountain air was losing its appeal!
I think I about died. We were getting tired and Don and Sheila were too. So we cleaned up half of the second tree and called it quits and realized we would need to come back the next day to finish up.
This is the last tree they dropped. (the little one)
Sunday morning we drove back up to Cascade to finish cleaning up the mess. Dan and Sarah were going to be coming up with breakfast for Don and Sheila and Ryan and I were hoping to have everything cleaned up before they got there. By the time we got up there with the kids, we only had an hour on them. We actually got the tiny tree all cleaned up but the biggest one of all was still left (well half of it)
When Dan and Sarah got there, without hesitation at all, and in their sandals (Sarah) they got right to work right along side of us. Not one complaint. We worked until early in the afternoon.
The boys had a blast. They had everywhere to run and when they could, they helped. They rode in the wheel barrel, on the 4 wheelers when they could and on the trailer with the tree limbs.
The wheel barrel wasn't doing the job, so early on when we started to help, Ryan got the bright idea to fill a trailer and haul it up with the car. It was a better idea. But guaranteed...if we hadn't come up, Sheila would have taken every last limb up their by wheel barrel. I took two loads that way and just about died! Its embarrassing to admit when your mother in law is stronger than you!
Up in the mountain air, working side by side with my family. Meanwhile Don is walking around, riding the 4wheeler and he drove over to the neighbors to feed their dog. I couldn't get the guy to sit down for a second!
Well, after about 4 hours cleaning up this huge tree, those blasted workers (friends of Don and Sheila actually) dropped two more trees. At this point the mountain air was losing its appeal!I think I about died. We were getting tired and Don and Sheila were too. So we cleaned up half of the second tree and called it quits and realized we would need to come back the next day to finish up.
This is the last tree they dropped. (the little one)
Sunday morning we drove back up to Cascade to finish cleaning up the mess. Dan and Sarah were going to be coming up with breakfast for Don and Sheila and Ryan and I were hoping to have everything cleaned up before they got there. By the time we got up there with the kids, we only had an hour on them. We actually got the tiny tree all cleaned up but the biggest one of all was still left (well half of it)When Dan and Sarah got there, without hesitation at all, and in their sandals (Sarah) they got right to work right along side of us. Not one complaint. We worked until early in the afternoon.
The boys had a blast. They had everywhere to run and when they could, they helped. They rode in the wheel barrel, on the 4 wheelers when they could and on the trailer with the tree limbs.
The wheel barrel wasn't doing the job, so early on when we started to help, Ryan got the bright idea to fill a trailer and haul it up with the car. It was a better idea. But guaranteed...if we hadn't come up, Sheila would have taken every last limb up their by wheel barrel. I took two loads that way and just about died! Its embarrassing to admit when your mother in law is stronger than you! We finally finished!
After we all finished working we ate a delicious meal that Sarah had prepared for Don and Sheila (thanks Sarah)
After we all finished working we ate a delicious meal that Sarah had prepared for Don and Sheila (thanks Sarah)We hung out and chatted for a bit and then we headed home 
Once we got home we were beat! I don't think that I got up from my bum groove on the couch for the rest of the night. I did get to talk to my Mom and wish her Happy Mother's Day. I love her so much and I love talking to her. She is such a wonderful example to me and I want to be a mother to my children like she is to me. She is the best!
Once we got home we were beat! I don't think that I got up from my bum groove on the couch for the rest of the night. I did get to talk to my Mom and wish her Happy Mother's Day. I love her so much and I love talking to her. She is such a wonderful example to me and I want to be a mother to my children like she is to me. She is the best!To celebrate my own motherhood...I got to hang out with these chitlins
Here I tried to get a picture of everyone together and Gauge...
fell off the couch
it was pretty funny!
I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!
Here I tried to get a picture of everyone together and Gauge...fell off the couchit was pretty funny!I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!
2 comments:
Hands down you guys deserve the best-gift-given-on-Mother's day award...helping Sheila move all those trees!! You two are so wonderful! I love you both.
Don't worry Whitney...none of us can or ever will be able to keep up with Sheila. She was digging ditch banks right before Ilene was born...drove herself to the clinic and came home 30 minutes later and mowed the lawn. We joke that she will insist on digging her own cemetery plot on her death bed and will continue weeding and fertilizing it long after she's moved on to the other side.
You need to frame the shot of you on the couch with your kids...as Dan says "it's a keeper." You look beautiful and have such a great posterity! We are blessed to have you in our family!!
Adding onto the epistle.... Ryan thank goodness you came up with the trailer plan or Mom would have forgone sleep to get her self imposed chores done.
You have always been an innovator at home, work and school. I am so proud of you for all the good you do! Mom couldn't ask for a better son...you truly gave her a love-in-action, memorable Mother's Day.
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