Montello Moments

One Tough Chick

2011-07-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I had a hen go broody. After vain attempts to stop her, we reluctantly took on the task of raising chicks. We had some hatch, and they were killed by other hens. We fenced off a corner of the coop and relocated mama hen with the remainder of her eggs. After some time another little chick was born. We learned from our mistakes and thought this time we could do it right.

The chick got out of fenced area into the main coop. Geoff looked all over the coop but couldn’t find the little chick anywhere, and gave up the search. I decided dead or alive I would at least find the body. Shortly after my search began, I saw a little dusty fluff shivering in the corner. Not making a sound – which is very abnormal. I ran over and picked him up and discovered that his little eyes had been pecked out – just bloody little sores. (Sorry to be graphic) I called Geoff over, we contemplated the life of a blind chicken and considered that perhaps the best thing we could do for it was feed it to our barn cat.

We decided it couldn’t hurt to clean it up and see what the future may hold for this little one. I got some warm water and ointment and used a Q-tip to gently clean of the dirt and bloody scabs. But then I brushed away a large chunk of the scab and revealed a pupil under the now blinking eye lid. I was shocked! I yelled to Geoff. “It still has one eye!” As Geoff ran over to see, I gave the other eye a good swipe to reveal another eyeball. We were both thrilled. I continued to clean the eyes and injured back. Now we knew it had eye balls, but were they working? The next day, the eyelids had sealed shut, I cleaned the area again. It has now been two weeks since then and chick runs about hunting bugs. It is the oldest of six chicks. In the picture you can still see the scar above the eyes.

Since Geoff and I have started our homesteading adventure there have been many times were have felt blind, and a life without eyes seemed hopeless. However, instead of giving up we pressed on with hope and faith and feel like now our sight has been restored. We are hopeful that we will escape with just a few scars and will soon be running around hunting bugs- metaphorically speaking of course.

More on AT&T Tower!

2011-06-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

Our troubles with AT&T made the news. I think that they did a pretty good story. In some of the comments that people made on KSL's website they say since we are off gird that we have voided the right to have reliable service. That just really irritates me. There is a tower and AT&T is supposed to have service there. It shouldn't make a difference where we live.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

PS Doesn't my Hubby look great on TV!

Off Grid Art Work

2011-06-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

I call it "Socks".

The cool thing about hanging up the socks to dry on the fence is that the wind pushed them up against the fence and blows through them and dries them even faster then a clothes dryer.

The uncool thing. . . pinning them up one by one and then having to take them down.

But at least Geoff's feet smell like Mountain Breeze. . . well maybe they do just for a minute.

This is not a negleted blog!

2011-06-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

I know what all of you are thinking out there. "She has told us that she is going to post on this blog, but now it has almost been two weeks since her last post. Yeah, right. She is not going to keep up this blog. She is a liar! "

Well, that may not have been your exact words, but I am sure they are close. But I assure you this blog is far from neglected. I have so many things I want to post about and many pictures to share. However, with no internet connection at home it has made it difficult to post. You can read on Geoff's blog to get the full story, but the short of it is we no longer have working internet and cell service at our home. Yes, very annoying- to say the least. We are doing our darnedest to get our tower back up and operating.

Now you are thinking, "Well wait, if she doesn't have internet at home how is she writing this." The answer: Geoff and I have to load up our laptop and baby and drive to a wifi spot. Then we sit in the truck, and take care of our online stuff.

As you can imagine, just sitting the truck with a ten month old does not always go well. So these internet visits are short- even now I hear a little voice screeching "Ma ma, ma, ma, ma, ma," It is only soothed by giving him "O's". So already this post has been too long. But there will be more posts soon- with tales of alpaca shearing and summer projects.

Watching the Two Year Olds

2011-05-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

As I get on my friends' blogs I pay extra attention to the ones that have a child that has newly turned two. I look to see how tall the child is; I study the face. I read about their antics. I watch the video clips, and I wonder.

I wonder about my two year old. I wonder what it would be like for Gabe to have his older brother to play with.

Though it is bitter to think about- the thought is there. And just like the stars cannot prevent the dominating light that comes with the rise of the morning sun, I realize there is no use in trying to block the rise of these thoughts. They rise and fall as milestones come and go.

However, I can find peace and comfort when I shift from thinking about my empty arms to the things in my life that I am grateful for.

Of course the event of losing a child has changed me. I truly understand what it means to mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. My heart aches for those that lose a loved one.

At the same time, I am also less sympathetic. It is very rare that my heartbreaks for a whining mother. For example:

Last summer a mother I know was trying to get a very worn out and screaming 4 year old ready for bed. Both the mother and father were understandably exhausted and their other children were trying to sleep. Between the moments of tantrums, this mother looked at me and with a 'poor me' tone said, "Don't you wish you were me?" I didn't say a word, but let my blank face be the most dignified response to her victim like remarks. My rising thought was "Yes! Yes, I would rather have my son at the age of 4 screaming in my arms than where he is right now. Would you like our children to trade places?" In her mind it seemed that her life's woes were bigger than my newly uncomplicated childless one. I was 8 month pregnant with my second child at the time and longed to hold a child of my own in my arms again.

With that said, I know every moment of motherhood is not filled with sentimental bliss- there are hard days and tough weeks. There have been times I am holding an inconsolable infant in my arms in the early morning hours, and I feel an urge of frustration because I am so tired and just need sleep. But I have learned to keep a perspective. Yes, this child is screaming now, but he won't scream forever and my life is better off for having him here. Then I hug him and do my best to soothe him and myself.

Somehow in the dark week just after Garrett's death I was able to find comfort in gratitude. My husband and I spent many hours just holding each other. I remember thinking about how grateful I was that I had my husband to hold, losing him would have been crippling. Then I remembered my ward in Arlington, Virginia; at least half of the ward was single adults who still hadn't found the right person for them to marry, even though many of them were smart, beautiful, and righteous women. When I thought about them, I felt grateful that I had been blessed to be married. Then I thought about my brother and other couples I knew, including three couples in my current ward, that had tried to have their own children, but weren't able to. I thought about the pain it would be to not be able to have a child of your own. In that despairing moment, I became grateful that I got to have my baby, even if it was for just five months.

Much like Pollyanna, I often catch myself playing "the glad game" in my head to cope with life challenges. I felt validated when I heard Thomas S. Monson recently speak on "The Divine Gift of Gratitude" In his remarks he said, "To live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven." With all my heart I desire to "touch heaven" and to have heaven in my home.

I know the power of gratitude. It can give some light to a dark time. It can heal where there has been a deep wound. It can fill a seemingly empty cup. I am grateful for my friends’ blogs with pictures of their two year olds that help me paint of picture of what mine might be like.

Asking for Quiet Food

2011-05-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

I have learned the power of food to keep a baby quiet and occupied.

I first discovered this when I had a screaming baby in my shopping cart and was getting those looks by other shoppers (you know the kind). I knew he was hungry, but I had to finish this last errand before I could feed him. Then I had the brilliant idea, Feed Him! I grabbed the baby snacks out of the cart, opened them, and raced them to his mouth.

He was quiet; he was happy. I was happy. They were half gone by the time I paid for them.

Now, at home I can enjoy some quiet time when he is bored of his toys (or I want some extra time to blog).

Geoff and I decided to work on sign language with our baby to ease communication. We read that it can help cut down on tantrums when they get older because they can express what they want with signs even though they can't talk yet. But to our surprise he hasn't used very many signs but has started to use the sounds that go with the signs. I have used the sign "O" and the sound "O, O, O" when I give him "cherrieo" like finger food. Now when his tray is empty, I hear a little voice say, "Oh, Oh, Oh" telling me he wants more. Geoff are I blown away and didn't expect him to pick up on the sound so soon.

I know this has been posted before other places, but here Gabe is saying "kitty". Geoff and I watch this over and over and just laugh with amazement.

Summary of our story

2011-05-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

In 2008, my husbands and I were living in Arlington, VA; I taught fourth grade, and he worked for the Department of Defence. We dreamed of having a home and land mortgage free. We took the money we saved up and bought land on the internet and moved to the middle of nowhere, site unseen. Now after one heck of a ride, and 3 lifetimes worth of hard lessons packed into 3 years, we have done it.

We have been off grid since October of 2010. We built our home with earthbags, and have all the neccesities of life, i.e. hot running water(shower, kitchen sink), a refrigerator, washing machine. Here are two videos that show the process we went through to make our home. This is phase one. We will continue to add on more each year.

We have chronicled our story here and on my husband's blog http://www.montelloalpacacompany.blogspot.com, and invite you to take a look at it.

Tecoma Valley is an area that is open for alternative building, has lots of cheap land ($300-500 an acre), cheap property taxes, good ground water, lots of sunshine, and wind. There is a small town (Montello) nearby that has all the essentials. We have a paved highway running through the valley that is open all year round. There are two cities both 2 1/2 hours away, Salt Lake City, and Twin Falls Idaho. There is a Wallmart 1 hour 20 mins away in Elko Nv. The county doesn't enforce building code in our area, so as long as no one complains about your project you can do what you want. I do not recomend mobile homes for the area as they are not suitable for the climate. There are several off grid homes in the area, and an off grid community is in development. Here is video that shows a closer look to the nearby town, just two miles from us.

Front Yard vs. Backyard

2011-05-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Whenever I see someone else's life that I think would be better to have than my own, I do my best to remember this analogy.

Front Yard

The Front yard vs. Backyard

Backyard

When we interact with people we generally show them our "front yard". It is nice and tidy. Everything is well groomed- looks like a great place to live. But what we don't let others see is the "backyard." That is where we moved all the junk so that is can't be seen. It is messy, needs to be mowed and only a few people get to see the backyard.

Of course it makes sense that we all want to put our best foot forward, but what I think sometimes happens is we are looking out the window at our own messy backyard and see our neighbors' lovely front yards and imagine their whole property and house must just look as wonderful. But we've all got junk in our backyard, and it feels good to remember that.

I recently had my own run in with comparison. It has been a while since I had checked out my friends' blogs, and I thought it was time to catch up. I saw pictures of beautiful happy families, fun vacation pictures, amazing crafts and sewing, savory meals and sweet treats. By the time I was done I felt very low and depressed. (And I usually have a good sense of self-worth). But for hours after I could only think about what they had done, and what I hadn't. Thanks to some kind words of friends, I was able to bounce back. But it taught me some lessons- keep this in mind when looking at others' blogs and don't go over exaggerate with your own posts.

With this blog, I don't want to give the false impression that I live an "ideal off -grid life" filled with sunny days and endless moments of bonding with nature and husband. While my husband and I have accomplished a lot, we have put in a lot of hard work, had a lot of regrets and days that still don't go the way we want.

But when I take a step back I see that I have accomplished and endured things I never thought possible. I have felt more joy and more pain in these last three years than ever in my life (with the exception of my first year of teaching- that was a nightmare all of itself. :)

But it comes down to this: It has all been worth it.

sleeping in with my husband when we've had a hard night with the baby...eating lunch with my husband everyday...taking beautiful walks with just the sounds of nature...knowing where my water comes from and that it is clean...amazing sunsets and rises with nothing to block the view...my husband following his dream of owning a business where he gets to grow things...knowing I truly own where I live.

(I'll fill you in on the tough stuff another post.)

Been a Long Time-

2011-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

It has been well over a year and half since I have ventured to post on this blog, though the thought has crossed my mind several times.

It was supposed to be the family perspective of our adventures building and ranching. As many of you know our family got turned upside down with the unexpected passing of our son Garrett. (For details you can read out it on Geoff's Blog by clicking here: "saying goodbye to garrett" )While there are still moments of mourning, a lot of healing has taken place . Since that time some of our joyful moments were the arrival of our second son, Gabriel, and moving onto our land and into our self built home.

Though my life is very different from most people I know, there is something that is probably the same- life has turned out very different than I thought it would.

Here I am again to show my perspective on life off-grid in Montello and to give insight as to what this wife of Geoff Goldsborough must be like.

And all I have to say is:

This is Not Your Average Mom Blog!

2 Months Old and 15 lbs

2009-07-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the chubby little smile I get to see all day- well expect when he is crying. I don't see it then. But I do get to see it a lot. By the way, being 15 lbs at 2 months old puts him int he 90th percentile for babies his age. Wow, look out!

Garrett's Baby Blessing

2009-07-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

At the Great Salt Lake

2009-07-03T13:14:00.000-07:00

As I think many of you know it smells really bad.

Water, Water Everywhere.....

2009-07-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

We've a raining spring here this year, as it seems many people have. Geoff and I thought we'd take advantage of it and have some recreation.

As you see, we had a mild flash flood after our last rain. I didn't hear of any real damamge done anywhere. Geoff went out with a shovel and just patched up our outer fance to make sure water wouldn't keep running into our yard.

2009-06-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

One week later...

2009-06-26T10:55:00.001-07:00

Imagine if human children could do this just one week after they are born.

I noticed out the window that she was just going back and forth having a fun time testing out her legs.

Baby Alpaca

2009-06-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the last post, we had a baby alpaca born on Wednesday, May 17 and weighed 16.8lbs. She was born on a rainy night, so we decided to name her Layla Matar, which means night of rain in Arabic. It is common with alpaca breeders to have some sort of theme or pattern in the naming of their alpacas. We have decided that an Arabic them would be fun, original and has endless possibilities.

Here we are on the night she was born. We were both very worried because she was gasping for air for a while and was shivering in the cold night air.

The next morning was nice and sunny. She enjoyed being warmed by the sun.

It is now one week later. She is easily walking and running around. She runs around with our adolescent alpaca Dawn.

It's been a long week....

2009-06-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Geoff walked in the door around 2 o'clock and said, "I feel pretty tired." He layed down right there and slept for about an hour. As you can see he even kept his dirty boot off the carpet.

Things we delt with in just a weeks time:

two full days of shearing alpacas
a birth of an alpaca late on a rainy night
Geoff had to walk 9 miles in the wind and rain because a dump truck he was using got stuck in the mud.
Our own truck got stuck in the mud and stalled in water (twice)
Two attempts to retrieve the dump truck that got stuck
And the whole time enduring late night feedings of Garrett

But hey, at least we had sunny days on the days we really needed them.

2009-05-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Story of Garrett's birth

39 weeks pregnant ( 5 days before he was born.)

Sunday morning I woke up feeling different and had some of the signs of prelabor. I told Geoff, and we got out one of our birthing books and looked at the signs of pre-labor vs real labor. I had a few of the pre-labor signs and the book stated that these signs could last few days before the real labor time set it. It was fine with me because I was still planning on teaching till Wednesday, after all the baby’s due date was not until the Saturday.

I started having some contractions on the way to church. I had more as church went on and by the time we were on our way home from church they were coming at about 5 minutes apart but not lasting very long. Even though we knew these conditions could last for days before the baby came, Geoff and knew then that we better not take our chances and should head into Orem. When we got home from church we finished packing. On our way we stopped by the school and made some copies for a sub. We finally got to Orem around 10pm- yes, I was having contractions all the while. (I had never noticed how bumpy I-80 was before that night.) When we got to where we were staying Geoff and I tried to get some sleep because we knew we’d need our energy for tomorrow.

Well, Geoff fell asleep and I continued having contractions. They got stronger and stronger, I tried to relax on my own, but then woke Geoff up because I needed some support. I didn’t realize how far along I was until my water broke at 3:30am. I was going through the transition phase of labor and didn’t even realize it. Geoff called our midwife and we went to the birth center called Bella Natal.

I’ll insert here that Geoff was an amazing support through the whole thing, especial at the end when I was having a difficult time staying focused and relaxed. He was calm and talked me through contractions. He had the magic touch as he rubbed my back. I could not have done it with him. I finally felt the urge to push, and Garrett was born after 50 minutes of pushing at 5:35am Monday May 18, 2009. ( I learned after that the average first time mom pushes for two hours.)

I did go it all natural, and it was a wonderful experience. I used the birth program called Hypnobabies. It has a focus on relaxation and positive affirmations. I know that this program helped sped up my labor. I also did yoga through my pregnancy and read a book called Back Labor No More and I didn’t experience any back labor.

There were times that it was tough, but during the whole thing I never regretted the birth path that took. The times that I would start to think about pain or feel sorry for myself, I changed my view point and thought about how grateful I was to even be having a child. I have known many women that have never been married or that haven’t been able to have children of their own. I thought about how those women who would have been overjoyed to be going labor. I was grateful that my Heavenly Father had motherhood in his plan for me.

When Garrett came out they put him on my chest right away. My first feeling was shock that this baby in my arms was mine and had come out of me, and that I had actually done it. I held him for a good hour before they took him to clean him and measure him. As I have spent more time with Garrett, I have felt my love towards him grow and grow. I am grateful to be his mom. Geoff has also been a wonderful husband and father. I have felt my love for him increase as well. I am excited to see what sort of adventures we will have with Garrett.

Garrett has a sweet disposition and has been a pretty easy baby. I am doing my best to soak up every minute of him, I know that babies grow up fast and each stage goes by quickly. Geoff and I will be happy when he is older and sleeps through the night, but till then I get to enjoy the smell of a new born baby in my arms at 4 o’clock in the morning.

More of Garrett

2009-05-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Grandma with Garrett. Geoff and I were so grateful to have my mother out for a few days to help out with things and teach us some of her baby magic.
Grace has come out to spend time with us and meet her new little brother. She has been a great big sister- holding him and helping mom out.

This plate was given to Geoff by my father to put on the tractor he is loaning to us. We found another place to hang it.

Here he Is! (I know a little late posting)

2009-05-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

Garrett William Goldsborough

was born Monday May 18, 2009

at 5:35am.

He weighed 7lbs 14oz,

is 20 inches long,

and is a handsome little boy.

A close up- His eyes and nose seem to be a good mix between Geoff and I. His hair he got from Daddy. It is blonde and he has a sweet little widow's peak.

Baby's first picture

Mom is happy with her little boy.

General Conference

2009-04-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I were able to attend the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference. We had a wonderful time being Salt Lake City and feeling the spirit of conference.

For those of you reading this blog that aren't familiar with what that is, I will explain. Twice a year, once in April and October, the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint gather together in the "Conference Center" in Salt Lake City and give talks/speeches that are broadcast to the church world wide. It is a way for all of the leaders to send uniform messages to the church and make sure that we are on the same page. Geoff and I were able to be there inside the Conference Center as it was being broadcast live. This session there was a lot of talking about relying on God through the bad economy, making wise choices with money, and attending the temple, at least that is what Geoff and I took from it.

34 weeks and Preparing for Natural Birth

2009-04-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago it hit me that I wasn't just pregnant, but that I would be having a baby. My pregnancy has been very simple. Every time I visit my doctor or midwife everything has been perfect. I have really strived to eat healthy natural foods, exercise and listen to my body. As the birth has gotten closer, I felt overwhelmingly peaceful about it. Ever since Geoff and I found out it was a boy I have felt an increase of the Spirit in my life. This may not sound right to say, but I have had a really deep desire for a long time to have a boy as my first child, but I haven't dared to say it for fear it may be a girl and then I would sound ungrateful just to be having a healthy child. When I found out it was a boy it was as if the Spirit whispered to me that God hasn't forgotten my secret hope, and He has granted this tender mercies that I will have a boy. I have continued to feel peaceful as I have prepared for birth. There has been more moments where fear sets in and I think of all the what-if's, but I know that those feeling don't come from God. I have faith that I will have the perfect birth and that it will be one of the best experiences that Geoff and I will share together.

*For those of you that would like to talk to me about birth, please tell me positive experiences and feelings. I am planning on giving birth naturally and would love all the encouragement and support instead of skepticism. I have had a few friends that have prepared for and given natural birth and they have shared with me that it was a wonderful experience and had nothing bad to say about.

Just some reasoning behind natural birth: I am choosing natural birth and giving birth at a birth center mostly for the reason that I would like to maintain control.

Ever since I was in high school, it never made sense to me the women in America give birth while lying down in a bed. I have always thought, "Why not stand up and have gravity on your side?" I also watched this documentary called "The business of being born." It discussed how a lot of unsafe practices are done in hospitals to speed up the birth, dull pain, and make it more convenient for the doctor, but not safe for the mother and baby. (And I do acknowledge that doctors can also save lives if there is an emergency situation.) I know there will be discomfort during birth, and from what I understand, an epidural is not a fix it all to birth discomfort. I know that a woman can give birth in a hospital with the drugs and still have a positive birth experience. I know I will be happier with a different picture.
I will give birth at my own time, and with the constant support of a midwife. I will be the only birth she is attending to, so I will have the comfort of having a qualified person invested in me. So Geoff and I have been preparing for a natural birth together because I know it will create a wonderful experience for us in which we will feel the Holy Spirit.

Reflections of the Move

2009-04-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

It was a year ago at this time that Geoff and I decided that we would move to Montello, Neveda.

To simplify what the message of this post is all I have to say is: I am very happy we did.

Here are my thoughts expanded.Here Geoff and I are the morning we left Virginia.

We had bought the land in March and knew we wanted to build a house and a come up with a business that fit the farm life style. We thought about staying in DC another year to save up more money and then come out, but we decided that now was the best time to make a life style change. We are on National Mall participating the National Kite Festival.

We both loved living in the DC area- the daily views on monuments, the historical sites, the beautiful architecture, surrounded by intellectual and driven people. The two years we spent there will be something that I will treasure always, but we knew the pace and tone of life there wasn't to last. (Plus, the cost of living.) Both of us had high levels of frustration with our current jobs and neither one of us could see ourselves staying there as a career through to retirement. So we did some couple dream developing.

Geoff, Mr. Whiskers and I are enjoying a beautiful sunset on our 10 acre parcel. There is such a peaceful feeling to the sunset that are here.

My dream has always been to be a wife and mother. I want to stay home with my children and nurture my children and be woman who creates a haven for her family. Geoff has always enjoyed building and creating things. He is an amazing self starter. He didn't want to livelihood that kept him at work all day and way from his family and worst of all feeling unfulfilled by the daily work he was doing. My experience of teaching and having a salary job has given me new respect for men that do choose to leave their families during the day and work. And I can understand that if the work is not satisfying it makes life miserable ,and I wouldn't want that for Geoff.

These are some of the alpacas that we own.

So Geoff and I saw this move out here as a chance for both of us to live our dreams. We have created a lifestyle that we can survive happily off of one income while I will get to stay home with my children and Geoff will be his own boss by creating our own alpaca business. And for me the best part is that not only do I have a happy husband that is willing to provide my dream for me, but he will be around during the day and our children will get to spend more time with their father because his job his working from home.

We are standing on our 20 acre plot which has amazing view of the valley.

I am currently employed teaching second grade while Geoff is at home building the house and managing the alpaca business full time. This job is less stressful that the one I had in DC- mostly because I have a good boss now and I don't have the stress of teaching a grade the takes state tests. Geoff is worlds happier because he is creating something that has direct meaning to him. Geoff and I are really thrilled that we have a little baby boy coming next month. It is a lot to take on right now, but Geoff and I have talked about how we feel peaceful about the choices we are making. Since our goal is to do this all debt free, we just have to generate income till we have the house built and the business up and running, which may take a few years, but after that we will have developed a self sufficient lifestyle.

Here we are with the ultrasound pictures after we found out we were having a baby boy.
I know this post makes our life sound very rosy, but we have had our thorns and set backs to deal with as we have set out this adventure, and I know there will be more to come. But even with the cuts from the thorns the smell of the roses has been all worth it.

Six Months and Going Strong

2009-02-22T19:28:00.001-08:00

I just have three months left till this bump will be a bundle of joy in my arms. I really have nothing to complain about this pregnancy. Still no morning sickness or head aches. No crazy middle of the night cravings.

I have been getting some bad leg cramps. If I had to imagine what it felt like to get shot in the calf, I think it would have felt like my leg cramps, but thanks to the internet and advice from my mommy, I have learned to stop them almost completely. My belly has started to get in the way now. And bending over isn't what is used to be, but I guess that is what comes with being pregnant. It is amazing to compare this shot with the previous one on the blog. Wow, this little guy has grown.

More Kitty Baby

2009-02-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

My very kind mother has been sending us clothes for our baby boy. Geoff and I love opening the boxes and looking at the cute little outfits. We thought the outfits were too cute to just sit in a box so we put one on Mr. Whiskers. (If you look at the details you'll noticed it has little doggies on it.) Mr. Whiskers was a good sport about it.

4 Years of Marriage!!!!

2009-02-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

Geoff and I got to celebrate being married four years on the 18th of February. Neither one of us can believe how quick it has flown by. We are so happy to be together and very happy with where life has led us.

Personally, I am so grateful for the blessings of being sealed (married) in the temple. I have a firm testimony that the temple is God's House on earth and that the covenents we make there are essential for us to have happiness in this life and the life to come.

My Birthday Cake

2009-02-22T19:00:00.000-08:00

My birthday was over a month ago. Jan. 20th to be exact. Besides having to share the spotlight to Obama that day, it was a lovely day. One of my students even brought me a bouquet of fake red roses.

The best part, the cake Geoff made me. I asked him to make me a cake. I wanted a white cake with chocolate frosting, but everything else was up to him. As you can see he did a lovely job. The cake tasted great- I could really taste the love that was baked into it.

Mommy's intuition was right!

2009-01-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Geoff and I feel very blessed to announce that we will welcome a BABY BOY!

This is a very nice profile shot of our baby. All is healthy and well. Again, Geoff and I are excited to have a son joining our family. For a while I have felt like it would be a boy. When I thought about girl names or having a girl is just didn't seem right. Geoff, on the other hand, had a dream that lead him to think we'd be having a girl. But he didn't mind being wrong- he is thrilled with the idea of having a son.

Move over Mr. Whiskers

2009-01-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have heard me refer to Mr. Whiskers as my "kitty baby". These pictures demonstrate why. He loves to come to bed with me at night and has a little routine for winding down which includes "his blanket"- the one he is wrapped in the picture. I am sure he will have some adjustments to make when the new baby comes.

It's a..........

2008-12-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

..........Lump on my belly!

We will find out on Jan. 12 if it is boy or girl. Geoff and I are dying to know! I am 20 weeks along and half way through.

It is amazing how in one week I went from being a little uncomfortable in my regular pants to not being able to zip them up at all. Thankfully, I have work off during the awkward transition. I have been wearing sweats and pajama pants all week. I ordered some maternity pants online. I hope they get here before I go back to work. My only concern is that they will be to big. I am sure the every pregnant woman has gone through this phase. Too big for regular pants, but too small for maternity.

Christmas with Kitties!

2008-12-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

Geoff and I had a very laid back Christmas. It was just the two of us enjoyng the last quite Christmas we will have in years. We did have fun playing with our cats, Mr. Whiskers and Missy. Geoff and I decided to give them their own Christmas feast. We had a left over turkey given to us after our ward party. On Chirstmas, we got it out and let the cats have all day access to it. They were pretty happy. In fact, you can even see the happy expression on Mr. Whiskers face!
Note: This photo was not altered at all. That is the real look on the cat's face.

Grace Visiting

2008-12-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

Grace visited us for two weeks before Christmas this year. She has year round school and had the whole month of december off. I still had work so Geoff and Grace got to stay home and play together. There was a lot of playing with the doll house, designing and making doll clothes (thanks to the fabric clippings my mom mailed us,)and of course helping with the alpacas. Grace also got to horse back riding with a local friend Tandee. Here they are below on a visit to ranch near by that has buffalo. Geoff said the picture doesn't do justice to what their size is.

Below Grace is giving the girls a treat.

As you can see they were very eager to have it.

More Residents

2008-12-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

Geoff and I bought alpacas two months ago. We had planned on waiting, but a local woman was in a rush to gid rid of some so she gave us a good deal. We had them boarded at her ranch till we were ready for them. Geoff fixed all the fencing around our trailor, built some sheds, and made some water and hay feeders, and so here they are!

Here are the females and as you can see was have a cute little baby.

Here are the males. We have 10 total alpacas. We are very excited to have them.

Coming this May

2008-12-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

Baby Goldsborough is due the end of May 2009.We don't know if is it a boy of girl yet. We will know sometime in January. We have heard the heartbeat a couple of times, and it was really amazing. I have been blessed with a very easy pregnancy. I have been free from morning sickness. But when I am tired at night, I am really tired. And when I get hungry, I am really hungry and want food right now. Hopefully, the rest of the pregnancy and birth will be smooth.

Before

2008-12-09T18:34:00.001-08:00

This is how out counters looked for a good three or four weeks. This is what happens when we don't have a dishwasher.

Geoff and I are generally very tidy people, but we are both so busy working and worn out at the end of the day that we let things get out of hand. So we decided it was time to make a change.

After

2008-12-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

The Secret Geoff and I decided that it would be well worth our time and money to get a portable dishwasher. So far we have used it a lot. (As you can tell from the pictures above.)

Dutch Oven Cooking

2008-12-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

My father was kind enough to give Geoff and I one of his dutch ovens. We decided to put it to use to make one of my favorite desserts- peach cobbler.

You'll notice there are no pictures of the final product. Geoff and I were a little too zealous with the coals and the tops was very evenly burned. But we just scraped it off and enjoyed our dessert.

Children's Books I adore!

2008-11-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

As a teacher, I come across a lot of wonderful books. I have also found some of the best books to use with my students (4th and 2nd) are picture books. They grab their attention better and then we pause throughout the book and talk about what is going, how the characters feel, and what the kids would do if they were the character. Picture books are a great way to introduce comprehension strategies to children early on.

Here are some books I wouldn't go a school year without reading at least once!

I discovered Souper Chicken when I was at BYU in my Children's Literature course. This chicken can read and is able to save the lives of fellow farm animals because of it. The moral of the book is "Reading can save your life." The illustrations are also very fun to look at. When Grace was visiting us a few summers ago I read the book to her and then for the next four nights she wanted the book reread to her.

SkippyJonJones was introduced to me last year. The school counselor came in to do a lesson with the students and read them this book. This book is so cute and clever I couldn't keep myself from laughing with my students. Skippy is a kitten with a huge imagination that takes him on a lot of adventures and sometimes gets him into trouble. Another thing I really liked about this book is that it is spotted with some Spanish words. My student that spoke Spanish loved it because it was a book they could help explain to the other kids. (Don't worry you don't need to know Spanish to read this book to your children.) I have read two sequel SkippyJonJones books to my students this year, and I think I may have more fun just watching the kids enjoy this book.

The Recess Queen is a great book to talk about bullies. Jean is the Recess Queen and bosses everyone around. Then a girl moves into town and is able to put Jean in her place and teach her how to play with others. Before the problem gets resolved at the end of the book, I like to talk with the students to hear what they would do it someone like Mean Jean was at their school. (Oh and some students learn that what they have been doing at recess is considered "mean".)
Boxes for Katje is based on real events that happened at the end of WWII. The story takes place in Holland, which was devastated by the war. In the story, a girl from America sends a care package to Katje. They continue to write back and forth and soon the American girl's town rallies together to send more need supplies. It is very touching story and when I read it to my students I have to be careful not to cry. I imagine this book would be great to read together at FHE and then the activity could be a service project. This story is a little bit longer and the kids have to be given some background knowledge what WWII was, but it still a good read.

Please let me know if you check out these books and read them. I would love to hear what you thought of them.

If you are looking for more books to read check out Utah's Book Award Site: http://www.clau.org/awpast/index.html

Here are some other books that are great.

Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems (good for young children)
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

If your local library doesn't have them, suggest they order them. And as always books by the same author are always fun to read. Happy Reading!

Snow and A Bomb all in One Day!

2008-11-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 11

Geoff and I woke up to snow. It really was a lite dusting and had melted away by the afternoon. You can check out Geoff's blog link to see more pictures of the snow and for up dates on how the land is coming along. Also, check out the map on his website, people from all over the world have looked at his blog.

Since it snowed Geoff and I had built a fire in out cast iron wood stove. We were just have a relaxing day when we heard a very large BOOM! and the house shook a little bit. Geoff and I looked at each other both knowing that it was some kind of explosion. Geoff put his coat on and headed out investigate. Here is the story. . .
A man who had recently moved into town was going through items in his cellar. He discovered a very old case of dynamite. From what I understand, old dynamite is very unstable and could exploded if just jostled in the wrong way. So the man called the Elko County Bomb Squad, and they came out to "take care of it." Taking care of it meant filling the cellar with dirt and wetting it down and then setting it off. (Oh yeah, and not telling the people in town about it.)
Behind me is the place where the man's cellar got.... ummm remodeled into a deep pit. His house got some remodeling too. Windows in his shed, home, and old car were blown out. As you can see there is a power pole behind me and below men are trying to restore his power- note: They didn't even shut it off before they set the bomb off. It was a railroad tie shed and as you can see those ties got sent in many directions, including up in the air and in through the guys roof. (And people thought life would be boring out here in Montello.)

Book Club Anyone?

2008-09-06T21:24:00.001-07:00

If you know Geoff very well, then you already know that he is very motivated learner. He has been doing a lot of research on home building, alpaca rearing, and tractor fixing. Below is just a sample of some of the books he has be pouring over. Confession: I am not actually reading with him in the photo above, I just wanted to be in the picture.

Nothing but the Kicthen Sink

2008-09-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

How to save $465. . . . I had a teacher in service that I had to attend with all teachers new to the district. We had to go to Elko- which in an hour and half away. At the end of one the days, a group of us went to thrift store. I saw this sink and it called my name. I paid $35 for it. Geoff and I were at Home Depot shortly after, we went down the sink isle to get an idea of what this particular sink and features were worth. Garbage Disposal $100, Faucet $150, Sink $250. I will be very happy to have it in our new home.

School Daze

2008-09-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my one of my teammates (Jami) at the end of the first day of school. Hence the tired look in my face. It is Jami's first year of teaching. I am so glad that year is over for me. Going down from 4th grade to 2nd grade has been adjustment. For one, the kids can't read. After two weeks of school, the kids are finally able to remember my name, but I still have some of students raise their hands and call out, "Teacher, Teacher!" when they need my help. I think it is pretty cute.
This picture above says it all. School has been hard work for the students and myself. West Wendover ES a Title 1 school. (Which means that it gets extra federal funding because the schools population is low income.) The school I worked at in Virginia was also a Title 1 school and I gained insight to the many challenges the typical Title 1 student faces. I have had students with a parent in prison, broken & single parent homes, or over crowded home living with extended family. This week I saw some hardships some of my students have to go through. To make a long story short, I was working late on Thursday and discovered at the end of the day that I locked my keys in the car after frantically looking everywhere for them. I called the tow truck guy to come un-lock my door. While I waited, my friend (Jami) drove me to a local grocery store to get cash so that I could pay for it. On my way out of the store I saw one of my students. She happily waved at me. I was caught a little off guard because it was past 9:30pm. Back at the school, the tow truck driver unlocked my car, and then in conversation we realized the I had his girlfriend's daughter in my class. He said, "Hey, she is here in the truck. Come say hello." As he opened the door I saw one of my little students curled up in a blanket asleep on back seat. He gently woke her up. She smiled when she saw me. We talked for a few minutes, then I tucked the blanket back around her. I found out that the girl's mother works at night, so the tow truck driver has the girl and her little brother in the truck with him as he does his job at night. Since that night something inside my heart has changed toward all my students. I pray that I can know what to say and do to guide these students and give them lessons for the classroom and their the rest of their lives.

A Great Blessing

2008-08-24T19:31:00.001-07:00

Geoff and I were in the midst of trying to budget for all of the the equpiment we needed to buy to build our home. A tractor was on the list and we had looked at some classified adds. My father called me and told me he had the thought to call offer to let us borrow his tractor. We were very grateful for it. Geoff went up to Seattle to pick up the tractor. I wasn't able to go. I had to report to some mandatory teacher in services. But the trip went went well and tractor has already done some great work for us.

New Kitty Friend

2008-08-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

Mr. Whiskers has a favorite spot. He loves to sit on the warm computer monitor. He has made a new friend and has willingly shared his special spot. He you can see below he is using her as his pillow. We call this little black kitty Missy. She was a stray cat that hung around our neighbors house. We'd let Mr. Whiskers outside to play sometimes and these two became friends. Since then we have let her in our house and she loves it! She loves to have us pet her; she will pur and paw at our hands if she wants more. She loves to play with our cat toys. She loves to curl up and sleep on our bed. Missy and Mr. Whiskers will run around the house together and wrestle and then curl up and sleep. Most of the other cats around here don't like people, so we surprised by her reaction to us. We imagine that she knew she was destined to be more than a street rat and that she is now living the pampered life she has always dreamed of.

Cat Nap

2008-08-24T19:16:00.001-07:00

I just thought this was a cute picture of Geoff and Mr. Whiskers. It is so fun to snuggle with a kitty.

Visitor Number 7

2008-08-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Geoff's nephew, David, came to visit us. He lives in Reno. He drove out on his motorcycle and spent two nights with us. Geoff put him to work during the day. He was a great help. We also taught him Settlers of Catan. He did very well and he enjoyed the game- the two tend to go hand in hand.

Making New Friends

2008-08-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

We saw many horny toads in our exploration and decided it was finally time to catch one.

One Big Happening Family

2008-08-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of me with all of my siblings. It has been three and a half years since we were altogher.

This is the whole family- Parents, children, spouses and grandchildren. We were altogehter to celebrate the sealing of my brother Ben to his wife Kelsey and their boy Steven.

Me with all of my sisters.

More Visitors

2008-08-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

We had our 3rd through 6th visitors to the Goldsborough Ranch. Eric (my brother), and his wife Polly and their two kids, Katie & Seth stopped by our home on their ways to and then from Salt Lake to my brother Ben's sealing. They spent two nights here and got to see both properties. The top one is taken on the 20 acres - at which Katie had a was very interested in the cow remains. (See blog post Another Visitor if you don't know what cow remains I am talking about.) The bottom picture is on in the 10. Seth woke up just in time to be the photo.

Our Little Lion

2008-08-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Roarrrrr!

Fun with Grace

2008-08-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a small taste of all the fun things that we did with Grace. Grace designed and created the dress for the doll by herself. She is very artistic. Claire came for another visit while Grace was here. I also got Grace hooked on Uno. She helped her father make bricks.

Popcorn Battlefield

2008-08-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

For some fun and games one evening, Geoff and I came up with the idea of using popcorn to make walls and then use catapults to launch the unused pieces of popcorn at each other. We used a mixture of butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar as the mortar for the walls. The point system worked like this: 5 points if your popcorn hit your opponents catapult, 3 points if your popcorn bounced then hit your opponents catapult, then 1 point if your opponent hit your wall. Geoff won, Grace came in second and I was in third.

Geoff's Pet Hair Services

2008-08-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

While Geoff is in the preparation phase for alpacas, he decide to use his talents to make some extra money on the side. Geoff has finally decided to market his skill at pet hair styling. He has demonstrated his amazing abilities on our own cat Mr. Whiskers. For more information on how you can secure Geoff's services leave a post here.

Alpaca Visit

2008-08-03T17:56:00.000-07:00

While Grace was visiting us, we thought it would be fun to visit a local alpaca ranch. We visited High Desert Aplaca in Elko (about an hour and a half away). As you can see we got to feed and pet them.
We all had a great time and look forward to getting our own.

Our Part Time Resident

2008-08-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Grace came to stay with us for two weeks. We had a lot of fun playing dolls, making bricks & popcorn walls, riding bikes, making doll clothes, playing with the cat, reading books, earning money to buy a stuff animal, dancing, and cooking chicken nuggets, hot dogs and marshmellows over camp fires.

Another Visitor

2008-08-03T11:28:00.001-07:00

Claire had such a wonderful time that she came back and brought someone with her. This is Nathan. He became the second offical visitor to the Goldsborough Ranch. Some of you may be asking, "What is that thing Nathan's foot is on?" Well, Claire and I (Ellen) named her Bessie. It is the remains of a cow that we found on our 20 acres.

Our First Visitor

2008-06-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Claire is the first visitor to the Goldsborough Ranch. She spent the night in one of our guest rooms. This picture was taken on our ranch. Geoff and I loved having Claire here, and we invite all family and friends who are interested to come visit us. We have plenty of room.

The Town

2008-06-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

I asked Ellen to stand in front of this structure because I think it captures the spirit of the town. From an anthropological standpoint Montello is a fascinating place. The feel of Montello is three parts wild west, one part Mexican village, one part Ghost Town, and a dash of modern suburb. Take note that the structure above is made from railroad ties, it features an earth roof, and yet has a satellite TV dish. Montello is an old railroad town, and there is an abundance of railroad ties, and railroad tie structures. I appreciate the use of indigenous building materials the natives have used. I have found a wide range of diversity among the people we have met thus far. In general our overall experience with the natives has been positive. -Geoff

Marking the Land

2008-06-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

On Monday, with nothing to do and without a working phone we couldn't call the surveyor to get directions to the land. Using the maps we previously studied, we walked to where we thought our land would be and discovered newly placed corner markers. We were encouraged by this and presumed it was our land. We walked out to the land carrying heavy posts and a post digger to mark the corners. After some effort of locating all the stakes and digging the holes for the posts, we finally had all four corners marked. We were very proud of our hard work. After our phone was hooked up, I called to follow up with the land surveyor to discover we had marked someone else's property. Ellen and I had a good laugh about it. The next day we went out to our real land where the four corners were marked with tall stakes that were easy to find. These are pictures of us marking the wrong property.

The Land

2008-06-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

Geoff climbed onto the truck to find the survey markers.

These pictures really don't do justice to the beautiful mountain landscape Geoff and I enjoyed.

Geoff and I pulled into Montello after it was already dark Saturday night so we did have a chance to check out our land. After church on Sunday, we went to find it. We found survey makers which we believed marked our property. I really enjoyed the open view & cool breezes in comparison to the hot & steamy city we said good-bye to.

The Arrival

2008-06-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

In addition to his walking performances and prairie dog ambassador duties, Mr. Whiskers has found the time to add a new skill to his repertoire. When we got to the house it was full of moths. It took no time at all for Mr. Whiskers to develop a taste for them. He has gained a new title as "The Great Moth Hunter."

Here I am sitting the front porch of the trailer we will be living in temporarily till our house is built.

This is the sign that greeted us into the town. It says Montello, Pop. 193, Elev. 4,880. We doubt the accuracy of the population listed on this sign. Our sources indicate that there are about 200 people spread throughout the entire valley. We are still trying to figure out how many people live in town.

More Friends

2008-06-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

During our travels, Geoff and I spent one night at the home of our college friends Jeremy and Megan. Were all in the same BYU singles ward. Geoff and I were grateful for their hospitality and wished we could have stayed longer. We'd love to visit with you again soon!

P.S. Montello doesn't have a dentist. :)

Prairie Dog Friends

2008-06-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

Can you count the prairie dogs?

The Journey

2008-06-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Mr. Whiskers made some friends along the way. We stopped at a rest area and discovered that the prairie dogs wanted to come out and play. Check out the video to see how friendly these little guys really were.

Rest and Relaxation

This trip was third class for people and first class for cats. The cat was able to safely roam about the cabin as he pleased, with some off-limit places. He had comfortable bedding and took frequent naps. He was even able to use the bathroom whenever he wanted. (The litter box was behind the drive seat.)

Our Guide Cat

We drove along I-80. Geoff and I were able to stay on course with the assistance of Mr. Whisker. We blame him for the times we missed the exit we needed to take.

The Departure

2008-06-26T09:32:00.002-07:00

Leaving family and friends behind for our new home. The adventure begins! We left June 18 and arrived in Montello Nevada on the 21st. We got internet and phone the evening of the 25th.

Visit the Album

2008-06-15T17:56:00.001-07:00

Here is a reminder to click on the link to our Photo Album. Ellen has uploaded some of the pictures that she has been taking of the DC area. This is an example of the unique angles she has been able to capture.

Saying Goodbye to the Kiddos

2008-06-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

This Friday marked the last day of school. I (Ellen) really enjoyed teaching this group of student. They had a lot of heart and creativity. I used this small video clip in a video/photo slideshow that I made for my students to watch on the last day of school. I already have a new teaching job at West Wendover Elem. I will be teaching 2nd grade. I know it will be an adjustment from 4th, but I am looking forward to the changes that will come.

Mr. Whiskers the Dancing Cat!

2008-06-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Mr. Whiskers the Dancing Cat! We hope you will enjoy the video despite the poor sound quality. Mr. Whiskers likes Jack Johnson music.

On the Move

2008-06-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I have started packing. We have about two weeks left in Arlington, Virginia till we move to Montello, Nevada to build our home and business. We are trying to decide which box to put Mr. Whiskers in. Any ideas?