Barn Re-build Part I

Last fall we set out to overhaul the barn.  We contacted a barn company and put them under contract to reside our barn.  They had a 3 month waiting list which gave us the time to do a few things in preparation.

The first thing being a new water line.  The only hydrant we had was across the yard from the barn.  It required 150 feet of hose to reach the barn.  Not a fun thing to drain in the winter.

Our friend Tim Hager is a plumber and helped us with the project.

While the men worked on the water line I put the kids to work setting up the new trampoline that had been sitting in boxes for weeks waiting for us to have the time to set it up.  Tim's kids lended an extra hand.

You can barely see it, but there is a new hydrant in front of the barn!  The previous siding was nothing more than painted plywood, probably from the 80's when the barn was built.  The door took two adults to open and close it.  It was long overdue for an overhaul.

Here are the barn guys removing the plywood siding, simply by kicking it off!

We had over a hundred chickens in the barn that needed a temporary home.  We loaded them in the stock trailer, drove it across the yard and set up fences for them.  Not the ideal situation, but the best option we had.

Once the barn was done we brought them back.  It was kinda funny!

Such a difference!

Barn Re-build Part II

The wiring in the barn was in as bad of shape as the outside was.  We were down to one single bulb for light and it was terrible.  Rich gave us some LED shop lights and we asked Matt to overall all the electrical and instal the new lights.  The picture above is him in the process of hanging lights.

A lot of ladder work, if you can see him up there.

This was the back side of the barn before. 

We had a lean-on added on to the back of the barn to provide extra protection for the livestock.

We also added a short fence and gate.  Here the boys are digging the post holes for the gate.

Because of the coyotes, dogs and rotational grazing the fences we use most are portable electric netting.  With this fence and gate we no longer have to turn off the electric fence to check on our animals.  An outdoor outlet not only provided power to our electric fence but also for a stock tank heater.  No more electric cords laying on the ground to trip on or cause problems!

Barn Re-build Part III

What a difference lights make!  We still have some work to do, but it is looking really good!

Can we keep it this clean, that is the question.  

Even the horseshoer likes it.

Nora's Baptism

Nora was baptized this last month.

Here she is reading her testimony.

I'm so proud of her!

The 2018 Kansas State Fair

The kids and I went to the State Fair with Sandy and the kids.  After visiting all the livestock and exhibits the Midway opened for dollar day.  Thankfully, Sandy had the foresight to limit the kids to 10 tickets each which translated into 10 rides.  She took the toddlers to ride the slow rides and I took the older kids to the more adventuresome rides.

Ella waving from above.

Nathaniel re-enacting a photo I took many years ago when he was a toddler.

Everyone got ice cream.

Wyatt and Tim

Air Show 2018

A month ago McConnell Air Force Base opened it doors and had an air show.

The boys walking under an engine on the Dream-Lifter, Spirit's larger than large airplane that transports the parts of the fuselage of the Boeing 787 to Seattle.  It is considered one of the world's largest planes and regularly flies over our house. 

The Dream-Lifter and a B-1 Bomber

A reactant of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Thunderbirds were there, but the weather grounded them.  They flew the next day and we saw them from a distance.

Timmy had a grand time.

The lines to leave were unreal.  For security reasons we had to be bussed in and out of the base.  We waited an hour to ride back to our car.

The Final Pictures of the Demolition

Here it is all cleaned up.  You would never know there was a cabin there.