Wild Cows, Black eyes, & a Date!

Now I am aware that we have lots of wild horses and we love them. We look for certain herds every morning and have even given a few names. But who knew Nevada had wild cows? Last week after we put the kids to bed the dogs started barking. Then they stopped and then started again. Thomas looked out the back door and flew into a frenzy. Now this is from my point of view, which was from my bed watching some TV and pretty drowsy. He came into the bedroom muttering something about "cats in the tree pool, eating the trees." ( we have a few baby trees we haven't planted yet in a small wading pool to keep them moist) He grabbed his pellet gun and ran out back. My thought was, "does he really think he can hit a cat from that far away with a pellet gun?" Just a second later he was running out the front door, then in and through the garage door to outside. About 5 minutes later he came in pretty worked up. I looked at him and asked if he got the cat? He looked at me and said," No, but a did hit 4 or 5 COWS." I had thought I heard cats, but later learned there were about a dozen stray cows munching off our baby trees. He scared then all away with the pellet gun then checked the damage. The ate every last leaf off of our 5 smallest trees in the front yard, leveled the strawberry barrels to dirt, and completely leveled my flower garden except for the 6 planted along the house they couldn't reach. Not to mention the "gifts" they left us in the front yard.
It was the most bizarre thing we've had happen since we moved here. Thomas called the sheriff station to see if we should report to anyone. They told him that NV is a "free range" state and cows have the right to go anywhere they want and we have no right to stop them. In addition, if we kill or hit one with a car we have to pay the rancher for his loss. The only way to keep them out is to entirely fence our whole property, and hope they are desperate enough to push through the fence. So we have learned something new!! We hadn't ever seen ranging cows in the area before and we haven't seen them since. But my trees, flowers and strawberries look like it is the middle of winter. Hopefully everything will come back in the spring. I don't think they did any permanent damage, but things sure look roughed up!

In other happenings, Kassie woke up Sunday morning with the biggest black eye any of our kids have ever had. And no one knows how she got it. She was fine when she went to bed, and doesn't remember hurting herself during the night, but she woke up with a real good shiner. Of course everyone at church teased us about beating our children. At church it was funny, they know us, but Monday at school, I had to remind the girls there was no joking around about that at school. They were to tell the truth and hopefully teachers would believe them. I felt so awful sending her off to school with her eye so black and blue. I thought about keeping her home, them thought that could make people even more suspicious when she did come back. What a predicament!! The only thing we could think had happened was she either rolled into the side of her wood bed frame during the night or Kallie rolled over with an elbow and got her. I would think either would wake her up, but she is a very sound sleeper, so who knows!!

Broc started swimming last week. He was so excited to be back in. He and Avery are still little fish who stay under the water as much as possible, and try to get away with letting go of the sides as often as possible, so they can sink down and then kick back up.

I got to go to the Candy Dance craft fair in Genoa, NV last weekend. Some friends and I spent all day walking through booths and eating yummy food. After that we had a Women's Broadcast from Salt Lake we attended. Then our husbands met us in Carson and we all went out to dinner. It was a very fun day and so nice to spent some time with Thomas. We have both been so busy we haven't gone out for quite a while. I have been paying for that day ever since. I have been so tired and every time I get up to do something I have a few really strong braxton hicks contractions. Thomas informed me, and I agreed, that that was my last big fling for the next few months. It is time to slow down and take things easy.