HaRdTwiSt

Grandpa Dick, what a great man with a wonderful posterity. I say this because there is part of him that runs through my wonderful husband. I am sure that the love of good horses comes through the blood line of this man. The love of a good dog as well, and I know that is how our Jiggs got his name. He passed the love of ranching down the line and it always made Mike happy to be able to tell his Grandpa that it still runs thick in his blood. I often think of Grandpa when I hear Mike walking around with his spurs on, and anyone who knows that sound I am sure thinks of Grandpa as well. One year Grandma gave Mike some money to buy something that reminded him of her, and he bought a pair of spurs. Odd to some, but to those who knew how she would listen for Grandpa's to jingle in, they know this is a reminder of both of them for Mike.

Grandpa was one that enjoyed enjoyment. He loved to golf, bowl, take the family to eat to Chuck-A-Rama, and made sure that the game of Cribbage was passed down (with all the rules as well!). He in fact was the reason that my wedding gift to Mike on our wedding day was a Cribbage Board, that we have used many a time. He is also the reason my husband has such a desire to ranch in Wyoming. There is no doubt that he lives on through his children and grandchildren. He will be missed, but I hope that he is dancing with that beautiful woman he was so fortunate to call his wife!!

HapPy FeEt

This is the movie that we made for the Happy Feet contest 2 years ago. I can't believe how little the kids were. SandyKay helped me put it together and she did such a great job that they won. We got a Pizza Party and the movie "Happy Feet" given to us. Clips from this movie were also played on the tv station for about a month during commercial breaks! It was fun...

HaPpY St. PaTrICk's DaY

Nope, not a one of us is Irish, but we like to celebrate. Well, to an extent. I don't drink green beer, but we love Corned Beef and Cabbage. Yum. We even like to get the kids without their green on! It kind of looks like our St. Patty's day will be wet and icky. But it is March in Montana, so that is just par for the course.
We are doing good. A low key week, where I am staying home all week to be with the boys and keep Reed where he loves to be. He is recovering from having his tonsils and adenoids out, but is doing well.
Spencer and Mike are getting the DERBY car ready for the big race. It has been fun to see them work together and enjoy doing it. Mike has been letting Spencer do as much of the work as he can. Tonight they finish painting it and then I am sure it will be going for a few test runs!
KwinLee is getting ready for a piano festival. She plays in front of a judge and they comment on her effort. She did really good with this last year, so it will be interesting to see how she does this year.
Hyrum chipped one of his teeth and it is causing him some pain. Which is really sad because when Reed is having a Popsicle, Hyrum has to pass because it hurts to bad. Where is the justice in that. He is being pretty "tuff", but we have an appointment coming up.
Guess I will have some definite photo opps with the race and all coming up. Will have to post more later!

OuR HapPeNinGs

We have just been moving along through our day to days. We were able to have Flat Stanley come visit the ranch. He was able to meet cows, our horse, Dotty, Long John, see the cows be fed and meet the cowboy Mike with his dog Max. This is a picture of the boys with Flat Stanley before we sent him back to Utah and Payton's Second Grade Class.

On Sunday we went to White Sulphur Springs to see Keri and her family. We went to church with their quaint little twig (not quite a full branch, but very cool). Then we had dinner, music and games with them. Little Luke was sad at one point, so Uncle Mike decided to pick him up and make it better. One look and you can probably tell what Mike's discovery was, he was STINKY! I captured this at the right moment.

Today was very cold. A snowy, blustery day as a certain Bear might say. For those of us who witness these kind of days from the inside, we are lucky. Mike worked all day out in the bitter stuff and this is him driving by the house (of course I wasn't going outside to take this!) with a load of loose hay for the hungry cows! Let me just brag for him, it is quite a substantial load of hay. He kind of takes "pride" in how full he can stack the wagons.

TakInG IT LiKe A MaN!

Someone is turning 34.... And I have to say, that he is being a little bit of a boob about it. In fact he said something to the effect of "knocking on the door of 40". I told him not quite! Well, he is 34, married to me (how lucky :0), he has four wonderful children that think the world of him, he has his own horses, 3 dogs, and even a cow.. hee, hee. What more in life could he want?

I know he doesn't get to fish (at all), we travel very rarely, we are not joining the millionaire club, and he doesn't have a large cow herd, but he does have a lot of other blessings in his life. I love him so much and he means a lot to the other 4 under his roof that he works so hard to provide for. We are fortunate to have him in our life. So Happy Birthday my "ol' Man!"

My RanDoM ThOughTs

Here is my mind at it's random stage. I really do worry about myself. In fact I asked my husband what he would do if I started going crazier, and he replied. "I will join you, I won't be left behind!" Anyway, Dotty is back to providing us and others milk. She is such a nice cow and such a good momma. So here is a shout out to Dotty Ann aka. "Polk-A-Dot".

This is a picture of my mom when she was young, and I just need someone to validate me on this. Do you not see Tracy in her eyes and cheek bone area. When I first saw this picture it screamed Tracy for some reason?
We have received snow "YAY". But it is a little chilly, so in thoughts of dry, dusty days, I am posting this picture. I took it when we were trailing cows home up above York, you know right on the top of the steep hill with the switch back!

So now that I have been very random in my thoughts today, I am just going to end on a funny... This morning when Hyrum was watching his dad "knock of his whiskers" I asked him if he wanted us to knock his whiskers off. He said, "No, because I'm not a human yet!"

Lil' MiSs SmarTy PanTs

My little girl is growing up fast. This picture was taken of her in the first grade and she is just getting so much bigger and smarter. I am not just talking about book smart either. She is entering into that stage where she pops of comments that are out of the blue and very witty. Mike and I find ourselves saying, "Where did that come from," which then in turn is followed by us usually laughing. I say usually because every once in awhile, she crosses some boundaries of being funny, to being a smart allic. But what can I say, she is my daughter and well, I have been known for being the same way!

Yesterday we were at the breakfast table and she commented that Hyrum's ecosystem was off, and I asked her if she knew what that even meant, and her reply was, "Mom, he is in his own little world and he has his own ecosystem too." Of course if you know our little Hyrum, this was hysterical to us. I also love it when she mumbles things out of hearing range (so she thinks). For instance when I am hurrying the kids out the door and she decides she has the wrong purse or needs something out of her room and I tell her she does not need it and to go get in the car, as the door is shutting I hear, "Watch out boys she's gonna blow!"

Or another one of my favorites is when she is quick and at the right time she recites a quote off of one of the shows she has watched like (ASAP and I don't mean act swiftly awesome pacaderm). And then there is the time she drew Bob on her hand and does this reciting thing and when it is all done she has a picture of Bob after he gets smushed by the bus.
I can't believe she is getting so big, so fast. And I have to say, teenage years are looking , well um, adventuresome!