Crazy Busy!

Kadie can you believe that your kids will be going back to school in less then 48 hours! It seems so unreal, and a little unfair. I will miss having them around and here goes having to have that darn routine again. You mean I will have to have breakfast at a certain time every morning and homework done after school. Not to mention all the chores done and reading kept up with. I feel the drill Sergent coming out in me, grrrr!

I have been doing some projects to show that I can do something somewhat crafty. I made some cute throw pillows out of table napkins and bag totes out of place mats. I am also going to make a apron out of a place mat as well. And when I budget in the money to finish the projects that I started and then ran out of money, I will take pictures and post them........

I am looking for ideas for the big Super Saturday that we do in Relief Society and being in a larger ward is a little different then in a small branch. I hope that I don't let everyone down! Oh, ok, I will but they are probably getting used to it by now!

I have been loving getting to participate in my little sisters wedding... Thanks Cali Sister Princess. Wait, I still can't believe that she is going to be getting married. That precious little spoiled one that I have grown to love oh so very much. In their engagement pics she has her hand on Justin's wallet. Justin, watch out, it has started already!!! She is just like the best of us! I can't wait for the special day and getting to see it go off without a hitch. Please, and I mean please!!!, no rain, wind or killer mosquito's! Let the cake stand unscathed, let the food be of plenty, let the decor be perfect or nearly their, let the bride be as beautiful as ever (ok, so we pretty much know that will happen) and let the groom not get scared and run from this crazy family he is joining.......

We are headed back to Utah on Friday for a post-op visit. It was scheduled for the following week, but of course, Reed has a lump in his cheek that they want to see, so we go down early. I realllllllllly am hoping and praying that is something that will fix itself, down the line!

I once again got out of going to the dentist. Which, for the second cancelled visit, I was again relieved. I hate root canals, almost as much as I hate this pain I am in.... Oh well, I have only wanted to take a bat to my head once and luckily Mike does not have a pistol. Ok, their is my drama queen coming out, but it is getting pretty bad. And of course, who doesn't take pain pills, oh yes, I don't!

Well, dinner is not cooking itself. The kids are not going to get all their clothes sorted and put away without me. The laundry doesn't change itself either. I guess I will go do my duty.....

Keeping our Minds Busy

Keeping busy has been our theme for getting through our recent loss. We have tried our hardest at keeping the kids minds occupied and active. But the bonus is the time we are getting to spend with them. Mike's days are letting up a little, meaning we see him before it is dark outside, and so he has been able to join us as well.



Saturday we went to Exploration Works (the kids place) where we enjoyed time playing with all the "science stuff". It was Mike's first time there and I think he enjoyed it as much as the kids. The good news is we have a year pass to go and so I think we will be utilizing it more now that he knows what it is all about. The cool thing is they have a play room for little tikes that keeps Reed and Hyrum happy as well. Mike also treated the kids to a ride on the carousel and we also had pizza. It was just a fun day for all of us and the kids liked having time with mom and dad both. It is rare that we have Mike home all day on a Saturday.



I started work yesterday at Fuel Fitness. I get free membership there and I also get paid to watch kids for 4 hours 2 days a week. Not to bad of a compromise, especially because I get to have my boys with me. After work I came home and got kids ready to go to the lake. Our friends own a boat and thought it would be a great idea to take our whole family out on it. We had so much fun. It has been a long time since I have been out on a boat and I enjoyed it immensley. Not to mention the kids loved it as well. They had an tube that they pulled behind and the kids loved riding in that. Hyrum was the bravest and kept yelling "faster". Their daughter who is in her early 20's rode with the kids. Mike and I had to take our turn as well. The goal was to see how long it would take to get us off the tube. Which was fine the first time we both went off we took the fall some what graceful. But the next time I went off was another story! As I was whipping to the side at a high rate of speed I hit a wake that threw me to the side and I literally skipped out across the water . Funny thing was, I thought to myself, I am not flat enough to skip. Once I caught my wind and could breathe, I was laughing at how hard I flew. Mike's second time flying off was farily similar, but he did not skip, he sank. We both woke up a little stiff and sore, I guess it is just another sign that our age is catching us!

Reed's Surgery

Reed doesn't know what he is in for!
Minutes before surgery...
Minutes after surgery......
Reed with his bear.....
Reed, packed his trunk and was leaving!

Reed made it through his 7 hour surgery and did well. He was such a trooper through it all. He stayed 3 days in the hospital, and got the drain out on his third day. He was so good and when ever the nurses or doctors would do something to him he would say thank you and then bye, trying to get them to leave. He loved his little car that sat parked in his room. He drove it all around the hospital. Sometimes he would shut his drain in the door, he would growl and then make it right. No slowing him down. He would take his sippy cup and bear with him on his journeys. His final journey was after he watched me pack all of our stuff into a wagon and he followed me and the nurse out. He knew we were headed out and every person he passed from the fourth floor down to the first floor entrance he was giving them a very excited "bye".

He is home and doing wonderful. He has slept great and does not complain at all about pain. He still hates his medicine, it takes two of us to get some of it down him. He is most happy to be back with his dad and on the ranch.

We are just so greatful for the tender mercies and wonderful doctor....

Kelpie

For the last ten months we have had the privilege of getting to bring a piece of Grandpa into our home. We have been taking care of Kelpie, whom Grandma gave to Spencer. Spencer was so excited to have his own dog, and the fact that it came from Grandpa Spencer meant a lot to him. They truly enjoyed each other's company.

I have to say that it did not take long for her to attach herself to me. I would throw rocks for her and I was one of the first people she let really pet her here. She would wait at the end of the drive for me to arrive home and as soon as my car door would open, a rock was placed at my feet for me to throw. I got in the habit of going outside to the porch while I was on the phone and she would place a rock on my barefoot. I in turn would pick it up with my toes and I even mastered throwing it out their with on good flick of my foot.
Kelpie got along well with our other dogs as well. She was kind of the queen of the ranch. All the male dogs would kind of bow down to her. She loved to pester the owner's dog a lot. He used to come steal our dog food until we got Kelpie. He did not come around much after that!

She loved the kids and it was running with them when she died. She would follow them wherever they went on foot or bike. I could always count on her to be with them. She was so patient with them, even Reed. No one could hardly pet her, and yet she would let him rope her and then she would just sit their patiently while he tried to doctor her and play with her.

Tomorrow is Grandpa's Birthday. I hope in my heart that she is there celebrating that special day with him.

We loved having her in our family, even for the short time that it was. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma for sharing her with us. We will miss her and hope that she was happy living here with us....


Picture 1 Kelpie and Spencer....

Picture 2 Kelpie and Payson sharing Grandpa's Blanket...

Picture 3 Kelpie with us the day we built our snow man. She was anxiously waiting for Spencer to throw his snow ball for her to go fetch it....

Ramblings

Here I am again. It has been a great week. We have had Cenzi here for the week and the kids have enjoyed getting to spend time with her. She has introduced KwinLee to a somewhat different "girl" lifestyle. They have played with their stuffed animals while swinging swords and wearing capes. They have talked about Hannah Montana while shooting hoops and playing make shift baseball. Do you see tom boys in their future? Cenzi has even sat down and read stories to the little boys, making their day. Unfortunately, their is not enough of her to go around and everyone wants to be with her.....

We went to a free early viewing of "Journey to the Center of the Earth". The kids really liked it and it was entertaining to watch them. Cenzi laughs every time she thinks of the young teen age boy saying, "I got dibs on the Mountain Guide" and Spencer was fascinated with the dinosaurs and lava. KwinLee liked it when they rode the T-Rex skull down the mountain through the grapes. Hyrum just said it was really cool. A few of the scary parts would come and KwinLee would lean forward and whisper in a very loud way, "Mom I'm Scared!" I would tell her it would be ok. As for Hyrum, when the scary parts came along, he would just put his face closer to the popcorn bucket and start shoveling it in even faster!

I was able to take little Hyrum, who informs me on a regular basis that he is not my baby anymore he is my big boy, to Costco all by himself. This is something I have not done in years with just him and only him. That kid talked so much I could not believe it. He had my undivided attention and was not going to let one second of it go by without sharing with me his insights on life. He was a little disappointed when I did not let him get a watermelon, (because mom I yuv them) but yuved it when I bought him his very own slushy!

Reed has found a new love, the passenger seat in the swather. Buzz has been knocking down some serious hay and for an hour or two here and there has taken Reed out with him. The first time Reed went he did not speak for the first few rounds because he was so fascinated. But after awhile he used his big boy work voice and conversed with Buzz in his own little way.

We went the to lake on Thursday and the kids played in the water. Except for Reed of course who ate sand again and drank that lovely lake water. Can we say Giardia. He has been suffering from bug bites that swell up and make his body look somewhat disfigured. Last night at the kitchen table I about started crying when I looked at his face and saw a huge swelling between his eyes on the bridge of his nose. He looked like a Cling-On, you know from Star Trek! This morning he still looks pretty rough and the swelling is putting pressure on his optic nerves so his eyes are doing funny things to top it off. Sure hope the Benadryl starts working soon!

KwinLee and Spencer will be especially sad to see Cenzi go. They have had so much fun with her here and I have to say, we kind of wish we could keep her for awhile longer. But I know how it is living without your baby and your mom. So I can't blame them for wanting to be reunited....

Well, now that I have bored even myself, I guess I will go and do more chores!

We LOVE the Lake!

Hyrum are Ham
Don't Fall Spencer
Give me a HUG dad!
Eating Sand
Reed and Mom

One night as Mike was up in the mountains and I was needing to get out of the house for a break. The kids propositioned me about heading to the lake. I made a quick spur of the moment decision and at 5 pm we started packing a dinner, gathering swim stuff, and putting on our bathing suits. At 5:25 we were pulling up to our favorite beach. Yes, you read that right, I had dinner for6, kids dressed and in the car and we were at the beach in 25 minutes. Conveniently the beach was on the way home for Mike coming out of the mountains and he stopped to join us. We had a lot of fun. Reed, Mike, and I were more toe dippers while the other three braved the cold. I remember the days when a little cold water would not slow me down! Yeah, those days are so over.....

Cow Camp 08'

I have a similar picture almost in the same spot from fall last year!
KwinLee, Hyrum, and Ol' Bean Dip
Moving Cows!
Setting up the Tepee!
Reed around the camp fire!

Well, we made it. The cows are tucked nicely away in green pastures far, far away. The kids enjoyed their camping experience, we stayed dry in our tent, and only had a few wild events. The little boys call cow camp "horse camp" because of all the horses that are there, parked in the middle of camp. Try keeping your two year old away from all the HORSES....

I was able to stay aboard my horse, others were not so fortunate. We were witness to a few bad horse wrecks, a bad cow wreck, and me roping a calf, once again on the first try. I put a bet out that if someone would pay me $100 I would even ride, not walk, my horse across the cement York Bridge. Not one offer, so like all the other good cowboys, I got off and led my horse across. No slipping off into the drink for me!

Yesterday, Buzz took Hyrum and Reed off the mountain to run an errand or two. Meanwhile, Mike, KwinLee, Spencer, and I moved 60 pair to their own beautiful pasture, where we all got off and gently walked our horses up a very steep, rocky, foraged hill, with a cliff off of one side. See, once again I am such a rider that I got off and walked. We made it to the top for a spectacular view, then rode the "long way" back to the cabin. Where we being the only ones back there, enjoyed a quiet lunch together. We also got dry, for it rained on us as we hiked up that muddy, slick mountain. At one point I was chasing a cow and had to climb a steep embankment, my boots with no traction were spinning under me, my borrowed horse gently nudged her head under my behind and gave me the boost I was needing. Us girls, we stick together.

Our first night found us trying to get our little Reed to fall asleep in the new, exciting atmosphere. Our tent was just a little ways away from Buzz and Sharon's, every time Mike and I would fall asleep, Reed would get out of his bed and start wandering around our big ol' tent, talking to himself and making lots of noise. This brought giggles from our neighbors. The next night I threatened Buzz a night with Reed in his tent, and conveniently he was in bed way before we were even to our tent!

So many events, including a tepee setting up. Smores around the camp fire, card games, and a lot of food. I know that once again it was such a great success with our kids, that starting tomorrow, we will probably get asked on a quite regular basis "when is cow camp?"