Happy Birthday America

We filled the holiday weekend with lots of family time. On Friday we went up to the hills with the Hillman side and rode 4-wheelers and went fishing (okay, more like casting since we haven't put hooks on the kids' poles.) It is so green and beautiful. We stopped to pick a bouquet of wildflowers but had to hurry back to the cabin as a storm rolled in. We made it back just in time. A few minutes later and it was down pouring and hailing.

Then on the 4th, we headed to Bear Lake for a fun day in the sun with my family. The kids had so much fun. Brother was so much more brave this year, and I think the fact that Uncle Chris was there made a huge difference. We participated in a sand castle building contest, snacked, and sunned. Sissy loved the game of soccer, which quickly became a contact sport for her. At the end of the day, it was finally time for Grandma Camp. The boys were so excited to go.

Week's Time

Some say you can hear corn grown, although I've not ever been quite long enough to hear it. It sure is fun to watch. Just in a week it went from this

to this.
I think we'll lose Brother by next week.

Scenes with Sissy

I've got an absolute character on my hands. Her outfit of choice would have to be her Dora nightgown and kitty rain boots. Actually clothes have become optional in her world, she'd just stick with the boots.

She can still tear a room apart in no time at all. I love when she plays outside because then I'm not constantly picking up after her.

She loves playing outside with Brother and has become accustomed to splashing attacks. She might be girlie, but she can rough house with the best of them.


We have had to zip tie the key into the 4-wheeler because she started "hiding" it. She loves to go on rides, sandwiched between Brother and me.

She is a mimic. When Brother or I wear hats, she thinks she needs one. The bill bothers her, so she insists on wearing it backward. As you can see from the picture, we're still in the refining stage with her.

She would also win the title of Biggest Tease. Whether it's pestering Brother, pulling Dad's socks off, or taking things from Grandpa, she's got it down to an art. Which in turn has wrapped her around most men's fingers, especially Grandpa.

No matter how independent she tries to be, I can always count on her needing me. She loves to cuddle and wrap her arms around me. And during the middle of the night, it's my name she'll call out, "Mommy, Mommy." I love her with all her spunk, energy, and creativity.

Since the mercury's been on the rise, we decided it was time to drag out the kiddie pool. In order to spice it up this year, I fashioned a bracket/ladder and attached a slide my FIL had lying around. We screwed it into our picnic table and it made a perfect platform. It's been a hit. The kids are much better nappers with it around.


We have also put the sprinkler under the trampoline. Sissy runs around like a mad woman. During one of her stints, she was a bit out of control and just ran off of it ( I guess it's a good thing it's low to the ground.) She jumped back up and was good to go. I on the other hand, was laughing so hard, that it took awhile for me to regain my composure.

If At First You Don' Succeed

Every day we check our traps. Brother always makes sure to be prepared in case we've got something. Never mind that it's been 90F, he'll still pull on his heavy coat. The first time I found the door shut, I was pretty excited. Since we covered the traps with garbage bags, I wasn't quite sure what kind of critter we had. I finally got brave enough to move the trap so I could go inside the coop and gather the eggs. As I was down, within close proximity to the creature, I could make out the silhouette of a cat. A little bummed, I turned it out. But not without a little reservation, I was still scared some different animal would dart out.

We set the traps again and were lucky enough to catch a little skunk yesterday. There was no way I was taking care of it, so I let my husband assume responsibility of this "man's job." He had it killed and buried within a few minutes, but it still stunk. The funniest part about the entire ordeal was that our next door neighbor happened to be laying out, sunning. I apologized for being redneck neighbors later.

The trap is set again. There's sure to be a mamma skunk still around these parts.

Unconditional Love

As I donned my over-sized scouting t-shirt to head to pack meeting I felt less than attractive. My little belly pops the buttons on my official scout shirt so I'm stuck with the "room to grow into" scouting t-shirt. The sleeves hit me at my elbows and hangs past my bottom. I had flashbacks to the early 90's, but rolling the sleeves or tying the bottom to one side wouldn't help spruce it up. I just felt ugly and awkward--like an adolescent getting accustomed to their changing body.

Holding back the tears, I kissed my husband good bye. He grabbed me and said "You look great." So as yucky as I feel and look, I'm glad I married a guy that can see past it all and love me anyway.

Skunked

Over the past few weeks my brood of chickens has been slowly whittled down to 5 laying hens and 3 pullets. A loss of 7 hens or pullets. At first I was a bit stumped to find 2 of my hens dead inside the coop. No blood or ruffled feathers, just dead. There's been digging around the coop, but I've fortified it with chicken wire and bricks. Still the digging continued and bricks would be moved. At the beginning of the week, I noticed that some pullets were missing. Realizing my fight with this unwanted visitor was futile, I called in the professional.

Our neighbor is a professional trapper, so he came over and set some traps.

At 4 o'clock this morning I awoke from the squawking of chickens. I figured the trapped animal must be making a little ruckus so as to frighten the gun shy fowl.

'Twas not so. The traps sat undisturbed, doors still open. While the bricks and dirt beneath the coop door were in disarray. This time I noticed feathers and a few drops of blood. That dirty varmint has taken another one of my laying hens! It smelt slightly of skunk, so I can officially say that we were "skunked" last night.

Hopefully tonight will be the end to his easy chicken dinner.

Stair Sleeping

We've been experiencing a strange and comical phenomena around our place. Over the past week, I've found both of my children sleeping on the stairs. It looks to me like something akin to Chinese water torture. But rest assured, they both were found doing it on their own free will. These are the same children that fight me to the very end about naptime. In this position, they peacefully drift off to dreamland.Maybe next time I'm having trouble sleeping I'll have to give it a try.

Picnic In The Park?

Well maybe it's not the park. but it was pretty entertaining anyway. We took Brent and the crew dinner the other night so they could get the triticale harvested before the next storm hit. The kids were in heaven. Brother's been begging to take the "guys" food all winter long. They ate their dinner on their windrow sofa.

Happy Father's Day

To a guy that our children can't get enough of. Thanks for being a great dad. I love watching them clamber over you, beg food from you, wrestle you, and emulate you. We Love You!

Big Foot

Sissy's not too picky when it comes to foot wear. His or hers, velcro or lace up, large or small. And since she's the smallest in the house, any choice but her own makes her a Sasquatch.

Visitors

Just when I was about to post pictures of our bathroom makeover, we had company. They got to see it first hand. Rest of you. . . well, just come and see for yourself. No more yellow formica countertops.

The weather was erratic (like the past 3 weeks) so we just stayed home and enjoyed being together.

Baby Linc brought his pacifier, but the recovering addict held out. She was pretty tough, although at times she'd hold it up to her mouth. "The Boys" played great together. They played in the sand, made felt food feasts, and put the finishing touches on some little burgers we made up for Father's Day.

The Garbage Man Took My Baby Away

Yesterday morning Sissy pulled her pacifier out of her mouth and showed me the severed nipple saying, "broke." I told her to throw it away, so she marched into the bathroom and tossed it in the trash. Minutes later, Brother helped me gather up the garbages and take it to the curb. Later she waved good-bye as the garbage truck took our trash and drove off. It all happened so quickly, I didn't know how she would handle this cold turkey approach.

Things went fine until nap time. She started pointing at her lips (her sign language for needing her pacifier) and I knew we were in trouble. I thought fast and pulled out a brand new tube of chapstick. She was excited to put it on her lips and think that she was grown up.

We've had a few minor melt downs and she's needed a little extra comfort at night, but I cannot believe we've made it 30 hours without it. I hardly recognize her without it.

Rainy Days Project

Since my husband can't get much work done in the field, he's decided to install a patio. I couldn't be more excited!! For 2 years now, we've had a walk-out sandbox. Which means when you walk back inside, you bring the sandbox with you.
It will be situated right off the kitchen/garage door.

As an added bonus we've been needing to keep a hired man busy, so I've been replaced!
There's a lot of prep work, but things are moving right along.
Sissy loves opening the kitchen door and yelling for her Daddy. The kids have loved "helping" on the project.

Warren's BBQ

With the cooperation of the weather (or lack there of) we were able to make it to Burley for the annual BBQ. *It's been a pretty miserable month for a hay farmer with the daily rain showers and all, but I haven't minded a bit.* Every year in June, my family celebrates my dad surviving a gas tank explosion. It was the last fuel tank that he has welded on. This year, it just happened to be on his birthday so it was double the fun. The weather held out until everyone had gotten food, but then the sky opened up and it rained.

It's always a good chance to be with family and see old friends.

Last Laugh

Last time I had the oil changed in my car, they offered to replace my in-cabin air filter for a mere $39.99. I told them no thanks and went across the street to Auto Zone and picked myself up one for only $14.99. I laughed.

In the parking lot, I popped the hood and had it replaced in a matter of minutes. I laughed again. Only to find out that I had left my keys on the seat when I popped the hood and they were now locked inside. Aargghh! Not so much laughing this time.

So, I called a locksmith. An hour and $40 later, I'm pretty sure the guys at Jiffy Lube were laughing now.

Yesterday when I drove past the location of my incident I laughed again.

Waiting Up

It's pretty pathetic that I'm waiting for my four year old to get home so I can go to bed.

Ever since 7:30 this morning Hudson has been waiting to go to the hills.
At 8:00 am, he called Grandpa. "Are you going to the hills? Today? Can I go with you?"
After doing some things around the house he said "You're taking too long!"
We went over and helped load cows, but Grandpa wasn't heading up yet.
By 10:30 he had his lunch eaten and was waiting.
After mowing both lawns, he convinced me to take him back to Grandpa's.
At 5:30 pm he FINALLY was headed to the hills.
This could have been the longest day of waiting of his life.

Branding, vaccinating, tagging, and sorting took place over the past weeks. It is eerily quiet without all of the bellarin'. (My spell check says this is not a word, they haven't heard it. To me, bellarin' is very different than "bellowing.)

Family Affair, Dirty day of Branding

The kids were well prepared for the long day.
Brother's job was keeping the alley was sprayed down.
Sissy sat as sentinel of the sunflower seeds.