Early Christmas to me----well maybe.....

NOT!!!!!

Preston's new puppies are finally here.  I don't know who is more excited-- him or the kids.  They are pretty cute, but they are puppies who love to chew on things and bark and all that stuff. 

We have the coolest redneck puppy pen you have ever seen.  I should really post a picture of it, but then again maybe you should just come by and see it.  Let's just say that anyone who comes to my house will not miss the new puppies. 

We still have Hobbs and Viper who Preston says are getting better all the time with the cows, but he has BIG plans and HIGH hopes for these pups!!

To be honest I do too, because nothing makes Preston happier than when his kids and his animals are doing what they are supposed to be doing.  He hasn't been training his horses as much this winter, but I love to hear him talk about how they are progressing, and I love to see how excited he gets when they finally get something he is trying to teach them.  For all you mothers-- just think about how good you feel when your kid actually starts going in the potty instead of diapers. 

By the way their names are Rex and Rusty and dang me I can't remember which one is which, but Ry tells me that she "just needs to get a black one, because she can't tell them brown ones apart."  She loves them even though they do chew on her a little.  She has not forgotten them in her prayers since she found out that we were getting them. 

I guess we hadn't been remembering our cows in our prayers often enough because we had nine yes nine (that is ten percent of the herd) fall through the ice and drown last week.  We don't know if they all went out there together or followed each other in, but good grief.  The joys of ranching and farming.  Kind of like the stock market going belly up!!  Anyway I hope everyone is ready for Christmas and if you are come on over because I am SOOO not.  Merry Christmas!!

HOWDY

My kids were sooo excited for the snow.  It took them a couple of days before they could get out and build their cowboys (they built them Monday after school while I was at work),  but I think they turned out AWESOME.  I just love the fact that Nathan and Megs actually worked on something together and I didn't get one call to tell me about the latest fight--That is how my Monday afternoon at work usually goes--It's a good thing I have an understanding boss.  Maybe there is some Christmas spirit in the air. 

 Nate actually stayed home from school on Monday to go to the doctor.  I had kept him home Mon, Tues, and Wed, of last week because he was running a fever and had lost his voice.  His voice had never come back, but he wasn't running a fever anymore, so I sent him to school Thurs. and Friday.  I was sure he had croup because we had taken Ry to the hospital at midnight on Tuesday to get her a steroid shot because her croup had gotten so bad.  Anyway Monday morning he woke up sounding worse than ever.  He started antibiotics and oral steroids.  The doctor had told us cold air and drinks were good for the croup and I think building that snowman might have helped Nate out.  As of tonight his voice is still a little scratchy, but it is definitely getting better.  And Ry, well you know Ry, her croup sounds better but now she has a different bad cough and snot like crazy.  I also know that one ear tube is plugged so I figure we should have a good ear infection going by Friday night.  Dang kid.  I just have to remember to be so grateful that my kids are MOSTLY healthy and it has never been anything serious.  We are BLESSED!!!

"Santa's reindeer dance dance dance"

Ry loved taking dance from Aunt Jeanna this year.  I thought their performance turned out awesome.  Ry used to dislike most people and now she is becoming my most social child.  She loves to go to pre-school and she loved to go to dance.  She just pretty much loves to be where there are "friends."

I am glad she has made so many good friends this year.  Ally (the girl to the right of Ry) went to Ry's babysitter for a while and she  loves Ally.  She loves that Ally has SPARKLY make up and things.

Three seriously cute girls.  I love the bright red SPARKLY outfits. 

One seriously cute girl!! I love the brown SPARKLY eyes!!

MEGS

I actually started this post on November 6th.  I uploaded the pictures, but then I never got to posting it. I won't mention how many other drafts I have that I have not posted.

  Megs turned 11 on November 5th.  ELEVEN!!!! That means that in less than a year she is going to be going to young women's.  This is her last year in grade school.  How the heck did this happen?  I wish that my scanner worked because I would love to upload some baby pictures of this girl.  I can't believe how time has flown by.  When I was pregnant with Nate (she was 3 and 4)she loved to hear the story about the night she was born.  She loved kindergarten, but first grade was a hard year.  FIRE!! She was sooo afraid of fire.  She also broke her hand in two places when she fell off Skeeter that year.  She never trusted that horse after that and I don't think she really started to love riding again until Janny and the girls started letting her practice for 4-H and rodeos with them this past summer.   She has always kept riding, but I think she is truly starting to enjoy it again. 

Of course, just a few weeks ago she fell off of Ace and got drug for a little ways, so I guess we will see how it goes.   She is an excellent student even if she doesn't think so.  She has always loved sports and is one heck of a soccer player.  She is really getting into basketball and volleyball will be starting soon.  She is also starting to really like her little sister and realize that she is not just a crying baby.  Her and Nate still fight more than I like, but I even catch them being friends more than she would ever admit.  I guess what I am trying to say is I think she is a pretty well rounded child.  Okay what I am really saying, is that I think she is totally awesome, and I can't believe I have a part in that.  She is getting to be so beautiful!!  Those big brown eyes haved turned into a beautiful hazel, that change colors with the mood that she is in.  Megs you are awesome and I love you!!!

Halloween 2008

Wow a year goes by really fast!! I figured this would be a great time to get these pictures posted.  Nate was an awesome pirate and Ry was a shy little lady bug.  Megs dressed up as a cowgirl, and I didn't get a picture of her before school and then I never saw her again until about 10 that night.  She went to a friends house after school and then begged to go trick or treating with them.  Heck they grow up fast.  She has already told me she doesn't plan on trick or treating with me this year.
Ry has decided she wants to be a lady bug again this year, and the outfit still fits so yea for me.  Nate is going to be a ninja, and Megs plans to be a football player.  Hopefully I will get a picture of her this year.  Maybe I will see if I can find some more pictures of Halloween past. 
My kids have loved the BOO game this year.  They love to drive by the houses and see who has been booed.  Ry is horrible at keeping secrets, and told one of the people we were going to boo them before we got them booed.  It was hilarious.  Megs kept trying to change the subject and get Ry to be quiet, but Brittany and Brooklyn just kept asking questions.  Megs thought we shouldn't boo them anymore because the surprise was ruined, but I think that would have been mean. So BOO to you.  I Love Kids!!

Farm Days 2009

Well, this is a random post, but I guess most of mine are.  We have farm days every two years here is San Juan County and for the last several years it has been at Lyman farms.  When I was in grade school I can remember when it was at Lewis Farms.  Anyway Steph has been in charge of the ranch animals/petting zoo for the last couple of Farms Days, and I usually hang out and pretend to help her.  It really  is a lot of fun.  There are so many kids that really never get to see or touch animals and they love it.  I am grateful my kids get to be involved with animals as much as they are.  They are good for all sorts of lessons. 
This was one of the nicer farm days we have had in several years as far as the weather goes. Although it definitely was not warm enough to go swimming in the pond like the kids did, but that is one of the great things about being a kid--totally oblivious to weather when fun might be had.  I should probably make that statement a little more general--it is great being a kid because they can be oblivious to most everything.  I wish they got to stay that way somedays. 
I'm feeling kind of guilty because I didn't get any pictures of everything else that goes on at farm days, but in my defense, my back REALLY hurt.  Anyway there is so much that goes on.  Ice-cream, tractor rides, rock wall climbing, beehives with honey, beef council, pork council, watching a dummy get thrown in a combine and the list goes on and on.  Maybe 2011 will bring a better diversity of pictures.
Anyway I hope this slide show works.  Happy trails.

Megs and Nate this fall

This was Nate's first year to play flag football and he loved it.  He had a great coach (John Laws) who let everybody do everything.  I don't even remember his team's record just that they won some and they lost some.  Nate is so fun to watch.  It doesn't matter what he is doing, he always has a big smile on his face.  It is sooo endearing.  It doesn't matter if he is losing in a wrestling match, can't get his horse to move, or running around on the soccer or football field--he just has this amazing grin.  I love watching him.  I love watching Megs too, but for a whole different reason.  She is playing to win and always has a look of determination on her face.  SO FUN. 

The 5th graders at Meg's school get a chance to be the "safety mannequin" every year.  A teacher takes their picture-front and back-and puts it on the mannequin and then the kids bring one of their own shirts for the mannequin to wear.  I think it is a cute idea.  The school has a crossing guard for the front, but these "kids" are the safety precaution in the back.  If you click on the pictures to make it bigger you can see that Megs is smiling the exact same as the real person and as the mannequin.  Why that girl never likes to show her teeth, I can't understand.   I can't believe she is going to be in middle school next year.  Oh they grow up so fast.
 

Slacker

  I was asked to invite more people to my blog today, so I opened it up and I can't believe it has almost been a month since I have posted.  I started this because I wanted to keep some kind of journal and it looks like I will be keeping it updated like I do most journals--very sporadically!! 
  The past couple of weekends we have been in Colorado gathering cows for shipping.  We shipped them out on Monday.  The weather was unbelievably awesome.  I know I have a few picts on my camera from 2 weeks ago, but I didn't get any this last weekend because my battery was dead (insert swearword).  Then I lost my camera, but Deann told me tonight when I was at Dylan's b-day party that it was at her house (insert hurrah).  So hopefully I will get some pictures downloaded soon.  I also want to get a copy of the video Justin made of the talent show that the kids put on this weekend.  This was  the 2nd annual shipping weekend talent show.  The kids plan this for 2 weeks.  Signs are made.  Tickets are made.  Money is made (literally they make fake money for us to buy our tickets and purchase our treats.)  I am afraid that within a few years they will probably be selling t-shirts and CD's for real money. It is great entertainment.  I am not saying that it is the most well done entertainment ever seen, but it is good to see the kids up there trying to perform because some are mighty uncomfortable with it.  OK there are those that love the spotlight too, so it is good for everyone involved.  The girls mostly perform and the boys mc  and walk around selling treats and drinks.  It wasn't quite as cold this year, but we still need to find a better time than 8:30pm to do this thing.  Again, I am so grateful for the great memories my kids get to make with their friends and family.  We live a blessed life.
  Living a blessed life--that was another reason I wanted to do this blog.  I want to remember the good things.  Mostly I want my kids to remember the good things.  A lot of times in my private journal or should I say when I used to keep a sporadic private journal, I would vent a lot.  I go back and read those and think --wow I wasn't in a good mood that day.  I really don't want that to be what I go back and remember, so I'm going to post (mostly) good stuff.  I am sure I will vent because we all need to sometime, but I want to concentrate more on the good things.  There are so many more good things.  Let us remember them!!

collages from colorado

This is the first thing Nate did when we got to Colorado.  He loved watching the boys shoot.   Again, I am so grateful that everyone played so well together.  These boys never told him he was too little, and they were careful to watch out for him too.  Some of the "big" boys (Preston and JJ) did some shooting too, but I never took pictures of that.  Preston let Nate shoot his 22 the other day and Nate even hit the popcan.  He is growing up so fast.  All of these boys are growing up too fast.

This is what the "little boys" spent a lot of time doing.  Last year Grandma LouAnn gave them each a hammer with their name on it.  They have hammered many a nail since then.  They were very proud of this HUGE nail they extracted.  They worked very hard.  They also broke apart the old outhouse after it was thrown into their wood pile.  They keep talking about taking the wood up sea shell hill and building a fort, but right now I think they like taking things apart more than building things, but we will see what the years will bring. 

These are random pitcures that Ry took. She probably took 30 pictures but these are the ones that turned out ok.  She loves playing with the camera.  I love the one of Trey with his big blue eyes.  You can even see his tooth if you look closely.  I love the picture of her toes, too.  Anyway maybe one day she will be the next Ansel Adams or something. 

A few of my favorite things.  Enough said.

This is the coyote that Preston shot as we were leaving to come home.  Ry had been "looking for him a coyte(you would have to hear her pronunciation) to shoot" the whole time we were there.  Nate actually spotted one ten minutes before we saw this one, but Preston was never able to get a shot at it.  Then we come around the corner and well "BOOM."  Ry took the picture with it, but she kept telling us she was a little bit scared of it.  When Ry would tell the story she would state, "We saw two coytes, and my dad shot one but he missed the first one."  Preston would quickly argue that he did not miss the first one, he just never shot at it.  I told him that she had told her story to a few people and he was very concerned whether or not I had clarified that he had not shot at the first.  I loved listening to Preston trying to make Ry understand that and her going right back to saying he had missed it.  Too funny.

Ry and Macee in Colorado

These girls were a lot of fun out at the mountain.  Megs and Nate probably think I take more pictures of Ry, but let's face it, for the most part that girl is with me 24/7. 

Anyway this is Ry riding Macee's hog.  She always thinks her friends should share their toys, but some days she struggles with thinking she should share hers too.

Miss Beautiful Brown Eyes

Miss Beautiful Blue Eyes

These girls played in the house more than the other kids because, well, they had to.  Anyway it was so fun to listen to them have conversations, and tell stories--some true and some not so true.

Both of the girls LOVED playing with Trey.  I'm pretty sure everyone out there loved playing and talking with Trey.  Love his dimple in the top picture.

Macee's dad took the girls on a horse ride.  He was soooo awesome.  He led those girls around for at least an hour or more.  Ry LOVED it.  She especially loved the fact that she was truly riding all by herself.  The day before, when she had gone with Preston and I, we kept a lead rope on Shorty, but on this ride NO ONE was holding Shorty at all, so she was one happy girl.

This is when they headed up a big hill and Ry kicked for all she was worth, but Shorty didn't want to move.  She was so funny.  I was pretty far away, but I could hear her yelling at Shorty, "come on get moving.  Let's go." She also made the little kissing noises her dad makes to get a horse to go.  I wish you could see how hard her legs were kicking.  Eventually her uncle Preston had to walk back down with Macee and grab Shorty's reins to get him moving. 

Miss So Big and SO Independant

Off to more adventures.

Thanks everyone who helped watch Ry and keep her entertained out there.  Again I am so grateful for all of you!

The Island

This was one of the funnest things about Colorado. It always is. The kids love to go across the road without the supervision of adults, and the great thing is, is they don't need it. Even if we send the little ones over we know they are going to be watched. And if the kids fight, they must resolve it themselves because we never hear about any bickering. This year all the girls were island girls and the boys were either soldiers or island boys. Their island was awesome. The girls had a house and the boys had a house. They invited each other to dinner and parties. Asa made an awesome cake. Apparently it was for the wedding ceremony that I missed, but I think Jeanna was there for it, so her post may one day show that. I love the imagination the kids have. I love that they know how to be kind to each other. I love that we have the school house in Colorado and that we have that little reunion there on labor day. I went out a couple of times earlier this summer and the kids always have fun, but it is definitely not the same without all of the cousins.

MarDawn says their island reminds her of a favorite book Roxaboxen which I have never seen or read, but now I want too. Anyway this was one of the favorites for the weekend even though there was so much else that went on. Hopefully I will be able to post some more of that great weekend. Again, I am grateful for Preston's family, and the great love these cousins share. I hope they remember these good times, and in a perfect world this labor day weekend will last generations to come.

Ry's haircut

So I was reading all the blogs that I tend to read last night and saw that my brother Tyler had posted a new one.  It was all about Sky's haircut.  So cute!!  Anyway that was last night and before noon Ry has a new haircut just like her cousin Sky.  She looks super cute.  She has been trying to call Sky to tell her and to tell her to come to Grandma's to play, but no one will answer the phone.  Ry doesn't get the meaning of Sky lives a long long ways away.  Anyway I have been wanting to cut Ry's hair, but she wouldn't let me, so thanks Keni.  We have two awesome cute girls.  I will hopefully be posting a long post later this week about our awesome labor day weekend in Colorado, but I'm not there yet.  By the way Grandma Forrest did the cutting, not me.  For as many talents as my mom has, I sure don't seem to get any through the gene pool.  I think that is my talent in life--to keep looking for a talent.  Anyway thanks Keni, Sky, and Grandma.  Ry looks so cute eve  n if she was being a bum for the pictures.

She also wouldn't let me do her hair, but that was one of the whole purposes of the haircut.

I LOVE this face!!

funny

Okay I just e-mailed out the invites again, and I am pretty sure I did it right this time, but I am no blogging expert. I thought I would share another funny from Rylan.  I have been trying to get her to quit picking her nose and especially quit eating the boogers.  Sick I know, but I think pretty common for a 3 year old.  Anyway tonight she was picking her nose and I decided not to say anything, but she noticed I was watching her and she said "Mom, when I get bigger I will quit eating my boogers, but I still need to get bigger."  So I asked how much bigger she was going to need to get.  Her reply  after a few um's  "maybe when I am as big as you and dad!!"  I hope she can keep friends.

Nate

Nate was pretty sure that since I had done pictures of Megs and Ry that I better make a collage of him also. Not that he has any idea what a collage is, but he wanted "one of those pictures that just had a bunch of pictures of him" so here he is. These pictures were taken back in April when we were branding calves. I LOVED watching these boys. I think I took more pictures ot them than anybody. Nate and Jensen are getting to be quite the ropers. They are even getting on the horses and roping now. I am so grateful Nate has Jensen who lives so close to him. I don't think Nate is ever going to get a brother, and that make me sad, but I am so happy he has Jensen. I hope they will always be as close as they are now. I am grateful for all of our family that makes our life so much easier and happier. As an end note just look at that boy's face. I think there are going to be a lot of girls that think they love that face as much as I do.

Ry turns 3

Yes, I know that this is old, but I am sure for the first little while of this blogging thing that most posts will be out of order, out of date, and all that other stuff. This was was Ry's third b-day on June 13, 2009. I can't believe how big this girl is. She is growing up so fast. She is sooo hilarious. I can't seem to get enough of her lately. She started pre-school this last week, and it has been greatly entertaining. Anyone who knows Ry very well, knows that she is pretty attached to those she knows and pretty scared and unfriendly with those she doesn't. Well she has been looking forward to going to pre-school all summer, but the closer it got, the more nervous she became. She kept saying funny little things, but my favorite was the morning she was starting school. She stood up in her crib (we are working on getting her a big bed--a room too, for that matter) and said while moving her hands up and down to showcase herself,"Mom, look at me. " I looked, but didn't see anything too interesting so I said, "What about you?" She answered with a matter of fact tone, "I am just too little to go to pre-school." LOVE HER. The first day of pre-school was a little hard for her and there might have been a small throwing up incidence, but her teacher is awesome, and the second day went much better. She is so amazing. She still has amazingly loud vocal chords too, but I think she is using them less and less. I hope

Meg wins gymkhana

This is Megs in the different events at the gymkhana. She has grown up so much this summer, and her confidence on a horse is amazing. I am so glad Erik and Janny let her ride Cinco. She has done so awesome. The gymkhana had four speed events--barrels, poles, flag race and the gymkhana jig?. She was the fastest in all 4 for her age group which won her a belt buckle. SO COOL. I need to take a picture of it and get it posted. Her dad has also won his share of belt buckles lately, but that deserves a whole post of its own. Anyway I might really start doing this blogging thing. I made this collage on picasa and it will upload straight to a blog so maybe, just maybe. I don't want anyone expecting to much from me though. Megs we are so proud of you. Believe in yourself, girl.