Bushes Gone Wild!

Tippy and Patches watched us the whole time we were cutting the bushes. They couldn't figure out where the loud noise of the trimmer was coming from.

Here is the trusty John Deere we have been using out on the farm. This tractor was my Grandpa Hales's tractor. It is pretty much brand new (low hours) even though it is old. My Grandpa bought it, but then never used it, so we are glad that it is in such great condition and works so well.

After we had all the branches loaded onto the tarp, we would take them over to the bucket of the tractor and dump them in. Then the tractor could carry them away and put them in a pile. Since we have pulled out so many bushes, and done a lot of yard work this year, we have piled all the stuff together, and next spring we are going to have a big bonfire after it has dried for the winter.

Here is our monstrous, over 6 foot high, out of control bush that Adam had to cut for us.

You can see in this picture how out of control our bushes were, and how much better it looks after they are cut back.

Adam cutting the bushes while my mom and Morgan wait to do their cleaning up job.

Okay, so we have these huge bushes in our yard. I think they are called fitzers, and they can get really big if you don't trim them. Well, we haven't trimmed them for the last four or five years...and we hired some people to come out last year to trim them, but they gave up because they were so out of control. So, my mom and I decided to tackle the project. Well, we got quite a bit done, and then her shoulders were starting to hurt really bad...so Adam and Morgan came over and helped us. Adam cut the bushes, and we moved the tarp under where he was cutting so the branches wouldn't go all over the lawn and driveway. We also had a rake and fork that we used to pull the cut branches off the top of the bushes. Finally, we had only the top of the over 6 foot bush to cut, so we loaded Adam up into the bucket on the tractor and lifted him over the bush. He had to cut it from the bucket holding the cutter out over the bush. It was a lot of work, and took a lot of muscle. We were glad Adam was there to help, because there is no way that my mom and I could have done it. It was a productive night. Then, the next day, Ted rented a wood splitter, and we split and chopped up the rest of our wood that we had gotten. Now, we are finally done with our wood work for this year!!! Yeah!

Tag about Ted

1. What is his name? Theodore (Ted) James Garling
2. Who eats more? Ted
3. Who said "I love you" first? Ted! It was actually in a text message. He asked me if it was too soon to know that he loved me.
4. Who is taller? Ted, by 10 inches
5. Who is smarter? That's a good question. I feel like we are pretty equally yoked. Although, if you go by education, Ted is getting his master's, so he would be smarter than me.
6. Who is more sensitive? Ted...he is such a softy. He even cries at the end of Extreme Makeover: House Edition
7. Who does the laundry? I do. Ted works all the time, so he doesn't have time to stay home and do housework.
8. Who sleeps on the Right side of the bed? Ted
9. Who pays the bills? Ted gives us the money, and I write the checks
10. Who cooks more? I would have to say me, even though he does like to help out around the kitchen a lot.
11. What meals do you cook together? Breakfast and sometimes dinner
12. Who is more stubborn? It depends what we are being stubborn about. We are both stubborn.
13. Who wears the pants in the relationship? We both do.
14. What do you like to do together? Relax, talk, cuddle, watch movies, and go on road trips.
15. Who eats more sweets? Ted, he is at the mall all day with sweets all around him. How unfair!
16. Guiltly Pleasures? Sleeping in on Sundays, and going out to eat after going to the Temple
17. How did you meet? We met at a Karaoke Place in Rexburg called Heart, Mind, and Soul. It is out of business now. I was dragged there by my friend Mariah for FHE (because I hate karaoke), and Ted showed up with his brother, Josh, right before I was leaving to go hang out with some other guys. They came and sat down by me, and we had so many connections to each other. We were definitely made for each other! Then, he got up and sang with his brother, and that was the end of my dating career. LOL
18. Who asked out who? Ted asked me out a couple days after we met.
19. Who kissed who first? Ted actually asked me if he could kiss me (which is the sweetest thing a guy can do before he kisses you for the first time), and I said yes! So, it was mutual.
20. Who proposed to who? Ted asked me to marry him. We had known we were going to get married for about a month before we actually got engaged. His family knew about it, but my family we had to convince. It was fun though. Ted took me horseback riding, and then he took me up to the mountains above Idaho Falls, and proposed there.
21. His best features? I love everything about Ted. Physically, he has big blue eyes, long eyelashes, a square jaw, curly blond hair, big smile, huge muscles, a cute little belly, and he is very tall.
22. What are his best qualities? The best part about Ted is his loyalty, friendliness, caring nature, honesty, and kindness. I have never met a man that is so loving, caring, and gentle. He has never hurt me, physically or emotionally. I love how he is never disrespectful or sarcastic with me, and always treats me like I am the most important person in the world.
I LOVE YOU TED!

I am supposed to tag people, but I swear, I have tagged too many people these last couple months. SO, if you liked this tag and would like to tell your husband and everyone else all the amazing things about him...go ahead and do this tag! Love ya!!! And have fun!

Twilight the Movie

Ted and I went to the Twilight movie last night! It was crazy how many people were there waiting to see the movie! We waited for 45 minutes, and some people had been there for over an hour. We went to the 9:45 show, and there were people there waiting for the 10:50 show. We couldn't believe it. Since I loved the books so much, I was really excited to see this movie. I had some pretty high expectations. Well, I felt the movie was a little on the choppy and cheesy side. The whole theater was laughing at some of the expressions, lines, and just overall cheesy parts. But, it was fun to go and watch the movie. I think you just need to not expect too much out of the movie, and you will really like it. Enjoy!

Down on the Farm

Adam and me at the pivot point.

Adam and my mom making sure that the pivot is still working and moving. As we were pumping mainline, we found a wire coming out of the ground, and it was broken. We didn't know what it went to, so we moved a couple of our pivots to see if the wire went to any of them, and luckily, it didn't. We don't know what the wire goes to, so it is a mystery!

My cute mom after a long day of work on the farm.

This is our old 4-wheeler we brought up from Utah. Ted thought it would be a good idea to get it all fixed up and running again so we can use it to bring in wood for the winter. Now, we are also using it on the farm! It is so nice having a 4-wheeler to run around on. Ted is so smart!

This is some old mangled wheel lines that have been stacked on our farm. I like the twisted metal.

This is the sunset we got last night. We like to think of the sunset as our reward for the long day's work.

We have been working hard on getting our fall work done, and so yesterday, Adam, my mom, and I all went out and pumped mainlines all day. Towards the end of the day, Adam and I went and staked down our wheel lines so they do not get ripped into pieces by the winter wind this winter. It is always a lot of fun when the three of us get to work together. It doesn't happen very often, because we usually have to split up to get all the work done on time, but since we are getting closer to be done, we are working together a little more. It is nice too, because we all get to talk and laugh like old times. Things change so quickly in life, and it is so important to value every precious second. You can never go back in time and change things or wish for more time. So, enjoy every minute!!!

The Host

So, I just finished read this book, and it was awesome! I had a little harder time getting into it, because the first few chapters were a little confusing, but after that, I was completely hooked! I actually dreamt about this book, and worried over the outcome more than the other Stephanie Meyer books I have read. If you have not read this book, but like the author, you might want to give it a try. She is very good at writing!!!

Done!!!

We are now done with plowing!!! Yeah! My mom has seriously been out in the fields for 2 weeks straight! I cannot believe how much work she does! Now, all we have left is pumping mainline and then we should be about done with Fall Work! It is so much more work than expected. Hope everyone is also getting their work done efficiently too!

Midnight Sun

So, I have been reading the story of Twilight from Edward's point of view, which is called, Midnight Sun. It is on Stephanie Meyer's website. I really liked this version of the story. It really helped me to understand why Edward acted the way he did. It now makes sense to me why he has to be so careful with Bella. Very, very interesting. Well, I just wanted to give an update. Ted bought me "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer, so I am going to start reading it next! Yeah!
P.S. If any of you want to check out the story, here is the link: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html

Breaking Dawn

Okay, so this was the longest book of the series. It seems like they got longer and longer as the books progressed. I didn't mind too much. I do think that this is one of the longest books I have read in my life, and I read it in two days, which I thought was pretty impressive for me. Anyway, I must say that this is my favorite book out of the series. I think it might be because I am at the same level of living as Bella is in this one (newlywed, children, etc.). I really liked how the story ties everything together. I was hoping that Jacob would not be left out, and so I was surprised, yet glad at how things worked out so well for him. I love how Bella and Edward love each other so much. It is very inspiring, and it kind of makes me wish that I could live forever with Ted at this age too. Ha ha ha. That will never happen...some of us have to get old, and sooner before later. Anyway, I really liked how it tied things together. I am glad that everyone suggested this series, and now I am wanting to read more good books like this, so if any of you have any suggestions, I will gladly accept them. I am going to check out the 250 pages on Stephanie Meyer's website about Edward's side of the story. I really want to go see the movie Twilight now too. Maybe I can convince Ted to go with me, even though it is PG-13. I am too self-righteous sometimes, well, love you all, and please suggest more reading for me, I am wanting more good stories now.

New Moon & Eclipse

I know that this is pretty pathetic, but I have already read the 2nd and 3rd books of the Twilight Series. To me, the second book seemed to drag on a bit. It was really depressing at how Edward left Bella to fend for herself. I know that this would be really hard for him too, but it just seemed so not like him, especially after he said he would always be there for her. The third book was a little less depressing. I did feel very bad for Jacob. He was always there to support and protect Bella, even through the hardest of times when Edward wasn't there, but she still didn't really appreciate or love him enough to be completely honest with him. It was a sad ending with Jacob running away, and I really hope that in the fourth book he finds someone to love and make him happy. It does make sense to choose someone you love instead of your best friend, but it is also such a hard decision in her case. It broke my heart that she had to make that decision. Well, I will keep reading and see how this whole story ends with the fourth book. I am hoping it is good, because I really like happy endings.

2 years & counting...

Ted and his new haircut! He always looks so much younger when he gets a haircut. Sometimes I think he looks younger than me, which is crazy, because he is 5 years older than me.

Here are some flowers that Ted surprised me with. I love them!

Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary!!! I can't believe it has been that long since we have been married! It seems like yesterday and forever at the same time. Weird how that happens with important events. Well, we had a fun day...Ted got a haircut that was much needed, I had an interview for a job at Premier Insurance, then we went out to eat at the Sandpiper, and stayed the night at the Black Swan Inn. It was really nice. We watched two movies and ate tons of junk food, my favorite!!! It was well worth staying there. We have always stayed up at Destination's Inn, but the Black Swan was a good change. Anyway, we had a great day, and life is so wonderful with Ted around! I never thought that I would be able to find a man, let alone a husband, as loving and caring as Ted, but lucky for me, I did. You can check out the Black Swan Inn online if you are interested in staying there. Her is the web address:

www.blackswaninn.com/

Twilight

So, life is slowing down for me right now...and I like to stay extremely busy or I get depressed. Also, now since it is getting cold outside, I can't be outside so much anymore, which is also really depressing, so I am trying to find things to do. Well, I applied to a couple of jobs yesterday, and then I am going to be trying to keep job searching for a job that I really want. I am so indecisive when it comes to a job. I want so many different things from it, and it just seems like there is not "perfect" job for me. It is kind of frustrating. Anyway, enough about my job dilemma.

I am reading the Twilight series as most of you have already known for a while now. Yes, I am way behind the times for this book. Ted bought me the whole series thus far. I have read the first book, Twilight, which was rather interesting, suspenseful, and frustrating. The characters have a lot of issues which makes it rather complicated. I am still in awe that I am liking a book about vampires. I have never been into the whole scary vampire thing, but this seems to be a little different than that. I thought it was a little strange that the characters could fall in love with each other so quickly. And, I was a little creaped out by the whole vampire way of life. I know they are trying to be normal, but can you honestly go against nature forever? I think the reason why it is so good, is because you are always wondering "what if" or you want to know if something is going to snap and it would be all over with. It really has a lot of description, which makes you feel like you are there with them, seeing what they are seeing, and doing what they are doing, which is awesome. I had to keep reminding myself that I was still at home, not at school with them, or running with them. The last part of the book, I could not put down! It was so intense, and I was very worried about what was going to happen to Bella and her mom. It is an overall great book, and I am really glad that so many people have suggested them to me, and I am actually getting into them. Ted and I finished reading the first book last night about 1 am, and I am way excited to start the second book! I just really want to know what is going to happen. So great! I am sure that all of you know about the movie that is coming out this month. I am wanting to go to it, even though it is PG-13. Ted and I have made this pact where we only watch G and PG movies so we don't get caught up in all the crap that is in movies. Maybe I will wait until some of you have went. Then, you can tell me how the movie was, and then we can decide if we want to go or not. Well, I hope everyone is doing well! Love ya!!!

Plowing Season

We have to use our biggest tractor to plow up the fields. Plowing is quite the process, as all farm work is. My mom says that this is her hardest job with a tractor so far though. She says she doesn't even turn on her radio she has so much to pay attention to. You have to be really careful not to hit any rock that could break your plow. We have a lot of lava rock out here, and there are solid lava flows under the dirt that you can hit, and it can break your equipment really easily. The other night, after dark, my mom just started plowing after she was done doing her chores, and she couldn't see a solid lava flow that was buried just beneath the surface of the dirt. She hit the lava flow and it stopped her in her tracks, and killed the engine on the tractor. To kill the engine on the tractor takes a lot of resistance, so that is how we knew it was solid lava flow. It actually bent the first two plow sheers, so now we have to get our plow fixed. I swear, if it isn't one thing going wrong on a farm, it is another. Farm work if by far the most challenging work anyone could ever do.

Here is my mom finishing up a pass through the field with the plow the other night.

The plow is a six bottom plow. It gets quite a bit of ground dug up in one pass, which is nice, because you can move along a lot faster through the field. We also have a four bottom plow, and Adam is using it on another field. We are trying to hurry and get our fields plowed up before it gets too cold and wet. We actually got rain yesterday, so now we have to wait until the ground dries, before we can go out and plow again. Then, if it gets too cold and the ground freezes, we cannot plow at all, and we will be done for the winter. We really want to get our fields plowed this fall, so that we can just start planting next spring. It makes spring work go a lot smoother if you have all your plowing done in the fall.

Here is the field that we have been working on. As you can see in the background, the field is all dug up. Also, there is some grain that didn't get harvested, so I figured it would make a good addition to the picture.

Thank you to everyone who suggested things to do while I was sick. I am going to check out the Twilight Series that Tasha suggested. I have heard they were awesome books, so I will have to dig into them this fall. So, thank you everyone!

November Already?

Yeah! Can you believe it is November?
Okay, so if you are wondering why I have been blogging so much, it is because I am sick at home, and I literally have nothing else to do. I have cleaned my whole house (a couple times), done laundry, Ted is at work, my family is working, and so it is me and my computer...I know I could watch TV, but I get so sick of watching TV. So, I thought I would just keep myself busy by blogging, checking emails, etc. If any of you have any suggestions for fun stuff to do, so you don't go crazy while you are sick at home, please let me know.
Well, I am way excited that it is November. Happy Halloween to everyone last night. We went to the trunk or treat at our ward, which really isn't a trunk or treat, because it is inside the gym, but we call it that anyway. Then, we went to Mr. Pizza and had the best pizza on the planet (in my opinion)!!! We went with our friends, Katie and Jared. They are so nice! We really like hanging out with them! It is funny, because they will let Ted talk all he wants, and he loves to tell stories, so they get a lot of stories every time we hang out. I like it too, because Ted does tell some pretty captivating stories. Anyway, we had a lot of fun! By the time we got home, I was so exhausted, I hit the hay. So, this morning I am still way sick. I am sick of being sick, and I am sure you are sick of hearing about me being sick. So, let me know if you know of anything to keep me entertained before I drive you and me crazy with this whole sick blogging thing. Thanks! Love ya!