December 18, 2020 - The Christmas Update

 First I want to wish all of you a Very Merry Christmas and for my Jewish friends I wish you a very wonderful end to the Hanukkah Holiday! 

Well, 2020 has been quite a year hasn't it? Let me just say OH. MY. GOD!!!! 😱

I'm praying and hoping that 2021 is a lot better year for all of us than 2020 was but I'll admit that I'm worried about the USA maybe going socialist. That won't end well. 

Around here we're still missing Christie. I don't know how other people handle things but for us it seemed that after we got past the anniversary of her passing we started to focus more on the future. Going through birthdays and holidays without her for the first time was hard but it's not so hard the second time. It's not that we don't miss her and love her but the healing has to start sometime. Christie's tree is growing just fine and it's close to twenty feet tall now. 

We finally have a teenager in the house now that Eric had his 13th birthday! Crazy times ahead with more teenagers coming along in the next few years! Eric is awesome and has become one of those quiet ranch guys who gets things done and doesn't make a big deal about it. He drives the trucks and heavy equipment around the ranch and does just fine with it all. 

Steve is doing pretty good and one of the weird things about the flu has been he got more work! A lot of places decided that with less traffic on the roads it was a good time to do road work. I wish he had more work locally but it seems that it's a few companies that get all the work in Wyoming so he mostly works in Texas and then Colorado. 

My oldest girls turned 10 this year and it's crazy to think they're closer to being 18 than I am! That's scary for me in more ways than one! 

I don't think I posted this in the blog before but last year I started trying for my pilot license. I've flown our old plane when we still had it and that was fun so when Steve and Christie talked about getting another plane I wanted to learn how to be a pilot. It wasn't so hard but it is weird getting used to how people talk with air traffic control! It's weird not saying hello but they don't mind when you say thank you! 

Last year Christie got a deal for an old twin engine plane and she and Steve bought it. They flew it home and then it had to go in the shop for a big overhaul and the control panel got a major upgrade. It's a glass control panel now and it's easy to use once you get used to it. It's a lot less cluttered than the old gauges and dials and a lot less confusing and distracting when you're in the air. A few months ago I got checked out on it and got my multi-engine certification and it is one of my best personal accomplishments since culinary school! The big yikes in the checkout was when the port engine got cut and I had to make an approach. I did it just like I was taught and it was all good! 

Amy, Cydne, and myself all are expecting additions to the family next year. Macy is working on it. Between Christie passing away and Steve being away for work a lot there wasn't much romance going on until this last spring. The babies on the way are sad in a way because they'll never get to know Christie. 

I'm still running my herd of chickens and we're down to about three hundred of them right now. The bison are doing well but we did have a weird thing where we had one of them get shot. There was a vet visit and a little surgery but he's fine now. Just weird and outrageous that someone would shoot an animal for no reason. 

We've had a few foxes around which reminded me of the nice fox that used to visit when we first moved here. I like to think these foxes are her kids and grandkids and they get a pass on coming through the place. 

That's how things are doing and I hope all of you are doing great and looking forward to 2021! 

Love, Megan

Promised Answers! (Updated again on 10/20/2020)

 Thank you for three lovely questions!!! 😉

1: What advice can you give to a man on how to find and meet women to create a family like yours?

A: The first thing I'd advise is to be a good man. I know that sounds sort of vague but you know how you something when you see it? My husband is a good man and I knew it when I met him. He's strong but respectful, he thinks of his responsibilities before he thinks about having fun, he doesn't say much about his faith but you see it in everything he does, he's better with money than I am, he loves his kids and makes time for all of them, and may God have mercy on anyone who threatens us! 

2: How do you make it work financially?

A: The most important thing is we don't have  any debt. That's a big deal in our church and it's because you're a slave to someone when you owe them something. They own part of you and if you have to work to pay off a debt then your time belonged to someone else. The other thing is we live within our budget and when Steve makes good money we have money for extras but that's after money is put aside for the future. We also don't buy stuff we can live without like expensive cell phones and TV services and coffee at Starbuck's. It's crazy that some people work low paying jobs and spend HALF their income on cell phones and TV bills!!!! GET RID OF THEM!!

3: Watching any good TV shows?

A: We've been watching old episodes of Columbo and that's been fun because I never saw them before and it's fun to try to figure out how Columbo is going to catch someone! Some of the acting isn't that good but the stories are sometimes so well written and so interesting! 

UPDATED with these new questions:

4: Would you want and encourage your daughters to enter into a similar marriage/family situation as you live? What about your sons?

A: The best answer here is to say that Steve's oldest daughters are Stephanie, Lauren, and Hannah. Stephanie and Lauren married two men from the church and they both added to their families when they could. Hannah moved to California and got married to a very nice man and they're not going to add anyone else. All three of them are happy with their choices, we love them all the same, and when the time comes my children will make their own choices and that's what I want for them. 

5: And a more personal question - what happens if your wants and needs for sex are strong but so are your sisters - how do you split Steve's time so that you each get your needs met? By the way, I feel it is beautiful the way that you think about sex, that every time there is a chance to make a baby and you totally submit to that. It makes sex such a beautiful and powerful experience.

A: I'm not trying to make a joke about this but one of the nice things for us is we're hardly ever in the mood at the same time! Each of us seems to have different needs when it comes to sex and that helps prevent any problems too. One of us likes it a lot, another one not so often, one could probably live without it, and for myself it's complicated. 

I've had some time-outs from sex just so I can get in shape, recover from having babies, and take time for myself and just enjoy being a mom to the kids I already have. But once I say I'm ready and interested it doesn't mean I'm always in the mood but the blessing for me is once I get started the mood usually comes along on its own! To be honest there are also times when the mood doesn't come along but I still enjoy the attention and being close.

You're really right about how the chance you can have a baby makes sex a very beautiful and powerful experience! It's always a very intense feeling and even though I've done it before it never seems to be any less intense than the very first time. In some ways I think it's even more intense because the first time you try for a baby you really don't know all of what you're getting into. But after going through pregnancy, dealing with complications, going through labor, then the sleepless nights, colds, cutting teeth, and toddler years you realize that sex is not something that you do and then it's done  but it can be the start of a lifetime of experiences for the whole family and this whole new person you're creating! 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

Updated again on 10/20/2020

6: Do you all live in one big sprawling house? Or a collection of separate houses?

I guess it's a small collection at this point. The original ranch house was updated when we bought the place and we planned on it to be used as a guest house. That didn't last long before it was getting used as a house. We also have an old bunkhouse that had one big room and now it's six smaller rooms that the older kids like. It gave them their own space and that's a big deal around here! 

Haven't taken any questions in a long time so now's the time!

 Hi everyone! 

I've been struggling trying to write a post and can't ever seem to finish it. I reached out to a friend for some ideas and she suggested I just ask for questions and then write my answers. 

Anything goes so feel free to ask whatever you want and I promise I'll give you an answer! 

(-: 

Happy Birthday to Me!

 Just had to pop in for a quick post! I turned THIRTY yesterday!!! Isn't that CRAZY??? Never imagined myself being this age and it's so crazy that here I am! 

I hope you're all doing well with all the other crazyness in the world! 

Blessings to you all!

Megan

It's been almost a year

 We have a pretty sad anniversary coming up and I can't help but have it on my heart. 

Things have changed since Christie left us and that's to be expected. 

The kids are doing well and I mean all of them not just Christie's kids. But the excitement and energy Christie brought to our lives isn't there and we feel it. Her spontaneous ideas about what to eat, taking the whole family on some big trip, new clothing ideas, and stuff like that are missed. 

We all miss her generosity with her love and affection. She just had this way of putting a hand on you and making you feel loved with such a simple and uncomplicated gesture. 

I could go on but I'm sure you all got the idea.

Life goes on but we still miss her and mourn our loss. 

All four of us ladies are expecting again. It'll be a very busy winter and spring! 

The children are doing great for the most part. No one has been sick but we have had one trip to the eye doctor and that resulted in a surgery with a good outcome. 

This Covid thing has had one nice benefit and that's been a total absence of Chinese tourists to chase off. One of you folks who reads this told me about a show called "Yellowstone" and they had a scene where Kevin Costner chased off tourists who did not get the idea that you can own a lot of land in the West. I laughed when I saw that because anyone who lives around here can relate!

We don't have these problems with any other tourists so it is a thing from China. I'm just hoping we never have to deal with them getting stomped on by the bison! 

I'm doing fine with the chickens and this year we took in some rescue pullets and hens from a shelter in Colorado. Welsummer chickens is what they are called. They're really sweet and a big change from my mix of reds, leghorns, and barreds. 

Poly got legalized in some town in Massachusetts and that was cool. I am not wanting it legalized like where everyone gets a permit from the government for it but it would be nice to know we can be left alone! 

The economy shutdown meant Steve was home for a while and now he's back out doing a ton of construction and paving work. It was so wonderful to have him home for about eight weeks but now he's happier being at work and doing what he's good at!

Someone asked if we have a hard time with homeschooling and we don't because it's what we always do. 

I get asked about politics and there's enough politics right now without me saying anything about it.

That's it for now.

Hope you're all safe and loved! 

Megan

March 24, 2020

Hi everyone and I hope you are all doing good!

We're hunkered down and doing fine. No one is sick and we are just fine on supplies and all that. We did our major shopping back in February and we did buy a lot of toilet paper but we also have 27 people living here so we need it!

Steve has been home for two weeks now and won't be going back to work unless there is an emergency.

Church has been on hold since the last Sunday in February and we haven't been out very much except to buy gas or get milk.

Steve has been busy doing maintenance on his heavy equipment that's here. The hard thing is getting parts right now. He's been doing a lot of welding on dozer blades and grader blades putting a hard facing on them.

In the house things really are not much different from usual other than we have no visitors.

With Steve home there is definitely going to be baby news soon enough! I had taken a pretty long break from things but after we got married I've been busy and imagine soon enough to have enough kids for my own baseball team!

How is everyone else doing?

I'd love to hear from you and if anyone has any questions I'd love to answer them. I think I will spend some more time on here now. Just needed a long break after Christie died. I know she would want me back on this so I am going to honor her here.

Love to you all and keep safe!!!

Megan

February 13, 2020

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Had to share this! Steve and I got married! We went on a vacation just the two of us and he asked and I said yes and the next thing I know we're in a chapel making it legal! I mean I know we've been married for eleven years but now it's legal too!

Things are doing well here. No babies on the way for anyone right now mostly because Steve's been away a lot for work.

Hate to say but I don't mind a break if that's what happens!

Did anyone notice that Utah is going to decriminalize poly?

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/12/805455196/utah-bill-decriminalizing-polygamy-clears-first-hurdle-moves-to-state-senate

I think that's awesome news! Hope it can be that way everywhere!

Have a Great Valentine's Day!

Megan

Happy New Year 2020!!!

Happy New Year to Everyone!

I hope the new year has nothing but happiness, love, and joy in store for you and yours!

We're doing fine as the New Year greets us and things are coming into a new normal.

Christie's kids are doing pretty good. I guess one nice thing about this life is the kids have a lot of parents so the loss is not as heavy on them as it could be. They get a lot of love and that's every day!

Business for Steve is doing great and he has a lot of work. Last year he bought an older airplane to use for getting around and it's been getting worked on for several months now. He's hoping to have it ready for flight and inspection around June.

I have egg business again since the economy is doing better and I'm getting $6 a dozen! That's just awesome for my little business and I ordered more chicks from the hatchery for the spring!

There isn't much else to talk about right now other than the holidays were better than I expected. I think everyone was just ready to feel better.

Love,

Megan