I LOVE Country Living

Look close!! These are my two oldest boys heading out the door to school, Yes, school. and yes those are real rifles hanging from their shoulders.
I know, I know you're now excited to watch the news tonight, or maybe you'll just have to have the T.V. on all day to watch for the breaking news when the S.W.A.T. team shows up and a lock down is placed on the "small town" Middle school in the middle of no where. Oh, wait!! did I say small town. did I mention that just about every boy in the middle school has a deer tag and probably the high school, as well. And they all can hunt until Sunday, and yes there's some pretty good hunting from home to school.
Oh, all right they can't keep their rifles in their lockers, and no they aren't heading for the bus where the native bus driver stops when she sees the big one on the road, so that every kid can jump out of the bus, or maybe it would be easier if they all just dropped their windows.

It makes me so mad that, though this is half way jesting, there are those people out there that are probably horrified that there's still a place where people and, heaven forbid, kids are still trusted to be responsible. I could go on and on but I won't. Just know that I'm extremely disappointed in the freedoms that our country has lost but, still extremely grateful for the freedoms that we still have. "God bless America" and God bless those people who are still allowing their children to learn how to defend Her.

Random, unsystematically, equally likely or Lacking regularity...you pick

So, I sat down at the computer you know.....checking emails, seeing if any one has blogged recently and suddenly I was seized with an uncontrollable desire to unsystematically blog something of no particular substance. I just felt like throwing to the public some pictures that I either like or think funny or, you know, whatever. At least that way when someone Else sits down at their computer like me this morning for the same purpose as me they'll have something to read and look at. so here goes................

This first one is of my intelligent and clever first son(put in just for him)

I think that I will never get a picture of this child with out her wild, natural side coming out. Even if I do get her to leave her hair alone or her clothes on it doesn't last for more then a random second.

This is my Caib, Chance is on the saddle in front of him. Caib is always is the one who looks out for the littler kids. when he's around I know that he'll make sure they get taken care of.

and....this is also my Caib, teasing and joking, trying to pose with Oaklee.

Aubree is Oaklee's opposite she loves beauty and drama.

My little Prairie girl, yes, that's a slip she's wearing.

I never tire of watching my cowboys work or taking pictures of them.

this was a quick one just before church that I hurried and took before the flower came out as well as the elastic band. She didn't even make it to her nursery class with her hair done.

Oh, the mischief in her eyes.

October Birthdays

Braden and Chance were both born in the month of October. Braden was born on the first and Chance was born on the 21st 9 years later. Braden turned 14 this year. It's hard to believe I still remember having such terrible morning sickness with him. I'd drag myself out of bed every morning puke, get dressed, puke, try to eat, puke go down to my sister, Laura's house puke, Lay on her couch and ask...."Will I ever like food again?" Oh, how miserable and oh, how worth it.

OK, let me explain this wonderful cake, lest any of you think I am incapable of making something so absolutely um......round and white. I made fondant for the first time ever in my life. I had a pumpkin or baseball in mind but that's as far as I got. a nice round balllish looking thing.
But, obviously we still had a blast!! and we all decided that fondant might make cool looking cakes if you ever finish them, but they don't really taste very good.

So Chance picked out this campfire cake. Ahhhhh!!! the foolproof kind that are nearly impossible to mess up.

He Loves it!! and that's really all that matters. The day I went into labor with Chance was soo memorable. It was the day the cows came home. Aubree and I had gone out to dry valley to watch and help a little and a man stopped and wanted to take some picture he took one of me and it still amazes me to look at the picture he took and realize that I had a baby the next day. I think That was probably my easiest pregnancy; even though I worried more about having a live baby then ever before. I'd miscarried three boys before we finally got our Chance. What a great kid!!!

I sure do love my October kids. They love the fact that they were born during the deer hunt month and Braden loves the fact that if he ever has a birthday on Sunday he gets to stay home and watch church on T.V. Happy Birthday Boys!!!

Cows coming home and floors

I was kinda putting off blogging about my floors until they were completely done, but I love them sooo much that I thought I'd do a little sneak peak. I can't wait to get them finished, the doors in, and the base board done. oh and yeah, the cupboard fronts and countertops would be REAALLY nice, too. ah well. here a little there a littNotice the clock. We've been working on the floors when we get the chance, which is usually between 10:00 PM and Midnight And we got the cows home!! yay!!!

sprinklers are done for the year, DOUBLE YAY!!! I'm thinking we can focus, a lot, on finishing in the house now. It'll be so nice to get it all done.

The Cows are Coming Home

Bringing the cows home last year

Dear Jo,(a good friend of mine)

This morning I woke Roger up at 6:00 so that he could wake the boys and they could go get the cows gathered and brought home. I had made their lunch last night so I wouldn't have to get up that early. Usually that wouldn't be a problem for me, But we'd been up till almost midnight putting flooring down. I'm not a night person, actually I'm not a person that can function well on less then 7 hours of sleep. Anyway, I lay in bed this morning drifting in and out of sleep as I listened to my boys getting ready to go gather the cows. I had been awake when Roger had quietly called down the stairs for the boys. It only took one call and then the sound I love the best began. a quiet scurrying, mingled with excitement to get out the door.

I finished getting my 7 hours of sleep in, and then woke to the other children whispering as they tried not to wake me. We'll go out a bit later so the little kids can help bring the cows in from the govt. corrals to our corrals and I can take pictures and run errands. As I lay there in bed I couldn't help smiling at the memory of Roger calling to the boy's "Boys" he quietly calls from the top of the stairs, and then the excited scuffle, but there was something in his voice, a tender emotion that, possibly, only I could detect in that one word, "Boys".

I know this poem is very rough but, I thought you still might like to read it. I don't even know what its title is yet.

“Boys” comes Dad’s voice from the dim light of the stairs.
It’s still early in the morning and neither of them cares.

They all are out of bed moving fast in the cool
Air of the morning, they don’t have to go to school.

Cows are coming home and they're aching for their saddle
They’re heading to the mountain, it’s time to gather cattle.

Winter’s in the air though the fall has just begun
And everyone is busy with so much that must be done.

The days are growing shorter, and the cowboys must work fast
To get ready for the winter, summer’s been here then it passed.

The cows are coming home now; calves are ready to be sold
Along with some dry ones and the cows that are too old.

The season is a good one and the boys are helping out
They’re quickly getting bigger, they’re strong; they look so stout.

And their mother has a swelling as she watches while they grow.
She feels it in her heart, but her boys seem to know.

They love to see her joy; they can feel it in her prayers
And also in Dad’s voice from the dim light of the stairs.


I'd better hurry now to get stuff done and little ones ready to go help dad.

Chancee's Chatterings

I love Autumn time. I love the colors, I love the brisk weather, I love the harvest, I love the angle of the sunlight, I love Autumn. I love being able to still send the kids out to play. I love the excitement when they come running back inside with colorful leafs, cold hands and noses, and rosy cheeks. I love it when they go outside barefoot and I open the door and yell, "Where are your shoes?" knowing darn good and well that I did the same thing as a kid and I loved it. I love the sound of Chainsaws it's a busy happy sound with great rewards when winter finally does come. I love watching the frost come in and seeing it sparkle when the sun comes up. And I LOVE the time change and we get to sleep in an hour longer. When is the time change, anyway?

So..... Chance and Oaklee were outside playing, with bare feet and glowing cheeks, in the sand box. I love standing at my new kitchen sink window and watching them play. I watched them as I prepared dinner and smiled that they were obviously having so much fun together. They were so involved in their game and It brought back childhood memories. For me Autumn is a time for reminiscing, too. It didn't last too long before they came running into the house filled with excitement and chilly hands.

Chance: "Mom, Mom, We were having SO much fun."

Oaklee: "Yeah, so much fun"

Chance: "We were playing Pirates"

Oaklee: " Yeah, Piwates"

Chance: "and we FOUND the lost TREASURE!!!!"

Oaklee: "yeah, Lost tweasure"

Chance: " It was SO much FUN!!"

Oaklee: (Bouncing up and down with excitement) "Yeah, SO much FUN!!"

Chancee's Chattering: (with loud sigh of contentment) "We were pretending to use our imagination"

Oaklee: "yeah, magination"

cabinets......finally

I'm getting more and more anxious to get my house put back together. Last Friday and Saturday my cupboards got put in. I had a piece of cardboard that showed how the counter top would look on my Island but it was a template needed to cut out the counter top so my cabinet guy took it. but these pictures show a bit more. I have to admit that I can't believe how nice everything is turning out. I'm so impressed with how well the cabinets have been designed. Everyone told me that it would be well worth the wait to have this guy do them. I believe they were right.

last Wednesday and Thursday we got bombarded with rain. I literally had a waterfall in my house right down the new back door. I called the guys that did my construction, they came and looked at it and told me when things dried out they would fix it. the next day when it rained again even harder I was worried about it ruining my new kitchen ceiling and called Roger. He came all the way home from Richfield, 40 minutes away, fixed my roof and then went back to Richfield to finish working. Just one of those things that makes me sooo grateful for my very own handyman!!

GRRR...........................in

15 years ago Roger took me up on the top of Boulder Mountain for the first time. We went out to Donkey Point and Looked out over our Beautiful home and he "proposed" to me. I parenthesized proposed because he was to nervous to actually propose but I knew....... I can still remember the feeling I had and the impact is obvious. so.....each year since then we have driven to the top of Boulder to enjoy the fall colors and be together.

The top of boulder is just over 11,000 feet the trees grow very compact and rugged.

Elbow Lake where we......


skip rocks,



stroll along the shore

Take more family pictures GRRRR.......IN

and Let Caib try his hand at photography.

I'm amazed that it's been 15 years! and except for a few wrinkles and fifteen pounds each and some sagging here and there we still look GREAT!! GRRR.........IN, again.