Chancee's chatterings, again

Chance, being in Kindergarten now, loves to make cards. Typical of a kid who is finally learning to write. This is his Christmas card to me this year. As he sat at the table he, of course, had to make sure that his spelling was all correct. But not only that, he decided to add a little punctuation.

He started with the typical, "Dear Mom, then he sat there for a minute and says, I think I want to put an exclamation point at the end of that because I don't want it to just say Dear mom, but I want it to sound exciting. so he proceeds to put an exclamation point after his opening. "There," he say's and reads it again with as much exclamative excitement as he can muster. "DEAR MOM!!" he then adds "I Love you" "hmm" he says I think this one needs an exclamation point, too. It's so easy to write one, it's just an upside down i" He finishes his card and again reads it out loud getting every bit of exclamation out of his upside down i's as possible.

I think this is my favorite Christmas card this year.

Chancee's Chatterings

So, The washer repair man came over while I was in the middle of fixing dinner to put the new part in my washer. It came in some of that nifty bubble wrap and he generously gave the bubble wrap to Oaklee, much to her delight. She found great joy in tormenting Chance with the fact that she could control the bubble wrap and pop whatever she wanted while Chance stood there Green with envy. It got to the point that Chance couldn't take it any more and began demanding, in a high pitched extremely loud voice that he be allowed to pop at least one bubble. OH NO!! Oaklee was delighting in her control of the bubble wrap and continued to smugly pop away as Chance continued to use every tone of voice to convince anyone who would listen that he deserved to pop a bubble. I finally intervened.

"Chance", says I " Those bubbles are highly over rated, run get me the scissors and I'll make you something. "

See, I had spied two paper plates sitting on the table and my childhood returned to me with a flash of ingenious awe.

Chance ran and got the scissors and then with his newly learned safety skills from Kindergarten pointed the scissors in the right direction as he carefully WALKED back to me with them.

"Mom," says Chance as he hands me the scissors, " the circle on these scissors is kind of like a fulcrum and the other parts are like two levers."

"Oh really," I say, and then in all seriousness ask, What's a fulcrum?"

"I'll show you." Says Chance as he picks up an apple and an orange out of the basket on the table

"See, the apple is the fulcrum," he says as he places it on the table, "and the banana is a lever." he places the banana over the apple so that it looks like a very fruity see saw or teeter totter.

All I could think of to say was...

" Chance, What Grade are you in?"

I quickly cut 8 slits in the edges around the paper plate folded the flaps I'd made in alternating directions and threw the now flying saucer looking thing and it flew beautifully to the floor where Chance ran to it with an exclamation of

"WOW that's awesome, Mom" proving that he is, indeed, only 6 years old and in kindergarten.

Thanks Giving and Straight from Santa's Workshop

Boy, Thanksgiving came and went and here I sit. I read my sisters blog and it got me thinking about Things I'm thankful for. First off, I'm so thankful for where I am, no, not sitting in a chair in front of the computer blogging, but that, too. I'm thankful for where I am in life. I'm thankful for a companionship that is solid and sure. A man that has become more important to who I am then me. Children who allow me to see things from a point of view that makes me a better person: more patient, more tolerant, more aware of my actions, more loving, bolder, braver, more tender, busier....etc. I'm thankful for animals, Cows, sheep, pigs, horses, dogs, goats, parakeets.... I'm thankful for good parents who serve more then we think they ought to. And I'm thankful for things that motivate. You know, like when your 6 year old uses to much toilet paper and it motivates you to use the plunger.....grrrr.... normally I would shun from such an activity =)

I will let that thought lead me into my next. Christmas has motivated me just a bit, too. so naturally I'm thankful for Christmas, as well.

Here we are in Santa's.....I mean Mrs. Santa's workshop. These are a couple of the gifts in progress. I spent most of yesterday putting the cradle together, I'd cut it out a week or two earlier. The quilt took me a lot longer then I intended but I can make up for that in the two I have left to do. AHH Motivation. I've attempted to make something homemade for Christmas each year for my children It's led to quite a few projects that have been fun. Aubree, who is older already has one of these cradles, She's the one that suggested I make one for Oaklee. I still have the finishing work to do. But I've found that I kinda enjoy projects like this.

Autumn

After an hour or more of raking the anticipation finally meets it's end.

One!

Two!!

THREE!!

YAY!!!SSSSOOOO FFUUNNN!!!

O.K. let's go in and get some Hot Chocolate



I still remember, as a child, the excitement when the leaves were on the ground. We'd make plans to go out and rake up all the leaves in sight. Not just our yard full of leaves but we planned to rake every yard on the block and haul all the leaves to our house and make the biggest leaf pile in the world, and then we were gonna jump off the house into it because there would be no way in the world that we would get hurt with that many leaves to jump into So.....I couldn't help it Friday, when I looked out the window and saw my kids busily raking Grandmas leafs up. She lives across the street. (she has more leafs then we do and besides all our leafs blow into her yard.)

So I headed out to help rake, despite the fact that my dentist had told me to take it easy because I have two teeth that have decided that they are done with this life and are dying. He did a root canal on the one and prepared the other one for a root canal but the infection has apparently settled in my sinuses and refuses to leave and then it started to move up into my eye. I guess that's not a good thing and I could have ended up in the hospital but he sent me to the clinic to get a shot and the swelling had mostly gone down so I couldn't help it, and we raked leaves, and then jumped into them, I think twice.

It was all worth it. =)

Yesterday we spent part of the day on the mountain getting firewood. I'm not sure why, but That is one of my all time favorite things to do. I Love the sound of chainsaws. It's such a busy comforting sound, and implies warm cozy winter nights, curled up by the fire. I think I may like getting wood even more then the cozy winter nights with the fire blazing. But, ya can't have one with out the other. I'm just mad at myself for forgetting the camera.

grrr!!

What Does Spiderman do when he's not bsy rescuing people?

So...What Does Spiderman do When He's not busy?
Hmmmm?

AH HA!!!

Amazing.

Actually I discovered these two outside
I think Oaklee Was in desperate need of a super hero. After all she couldn't build a snow man in her dress without help.

Halloween

A spooky parade

Except for this bunny. She was determined to have a costume that matched her two front teeth. and so....Sweet little not-so-scary bunny. She was a witch one year but for the most part she never has done scary.

a kitten and a ghost. The kitten let me pick the easiest thing I could think of and was happy. Especially since she now has a pretty skirt to dance in.
The Ghost kept switching from Super man to Indiana Jones to a ghost. I thought I had him talked into being Superman, but this morning he came to me and said, "Mom, I really think I need to be scarier I guess I'll be a Ghost." "grrrrr" says I in my head but I found an old sheet and quickly sewed a cape with a hood and painted his face. It worked, we all made it through Halloween one more year and it really wasn't to bad.

I Love Braden and Caib's Costumes!!! They were.......well......uh huh!! you guessed it..They were cowboys. I think for the last 15 years they've been cowboys in one way or the other about 85% of those years. =) That costume choice always makes me happy.

Sacrifices of the hunt

Well, They did it! Last week end was a busy week end. Besides Chance's birthday The cows came home. I wish I had pictures of that!!! I spent the week end at home tending to a tooth that apparently has decided that 38 years after it was traumatized when my face and the road collided due to a car running into me because I had decided to go play with the neighbors instead of staying in the house and helping with the house work. There fore I have no pictures. But, I did go help bring the cows from one end of town to the other. I started out on horse back switched to a four wheeler for a few minutes and then switched back to a horse. I talked Braden into letting me ride his horse =) My favorite story from bringing the cows home involves Braden this year.

He had decided he was thirsty and needed a drink of pop. He reached into his saddle bags grabbed his pop opened it and started to take a drink just as a calf took off. Well Braden's cowboy self kicked in and he spurred his horse to go after it with, yes, his pop still open and just one swallow gone from the bottle. The horse must have decided that if Braden was getting a drink that he was going to get a little breather, so when Braden spurred her she didn't take off after that colt she lit in to bucking. Braden road it out, got the horse calmed down and THEN put the lid back on his drink with not one drop of pop spilled. I wish I could have captured the grin on that 15 year olds face when he told me the story.

The next day we planned and prepared for Chances party , while the boys vaccinated weaned and worked the calf's. That was Friday. Saturday was the opening day of the dear hunt. Every one but myself and the little est was up and gone at 6:30 AM ish They spent the day driving around in the mountains looking at lots of other hunters. But according to Aubree they had SO MUCH FUN!!! Sunday was spent, of course at church and swapping hunting stories with who ever had a story to tell. and that night two very anxious boys worked as hard as they could on home work that if they could finish and have ready to turn in, they could miss school on Monday for one last day of serious hunting. That back fired a little on me...I was up till midnight helping them finish up =) Ah, but it was worth it!! Why is it that this mom finds more joy and excitement in the joy and excitement of her kids then...well....just about anything else. I'm sure glad they got their homework done.

"Well," says I, "Try to look happy about your Bucks!!"

and they did. I suggest clicking on the picture to get the full effect of their Joy!

Happy Birthday Chance.

Our family tradition............First thing in the morning we open presents. Dad loves giving presents and first thing in the is the only time he get's to be around to watch the excitement.Bradens so excited he can hardly stand it.
The opening begins. Notice the pretty pink wrapping paper? That's all I had. Chance didn't care.

LOOK MOMM!!!!

The excited expression or....Wow expression

The thing he wanted more then anything else....an Indiana Jones Hat!!


So the present opening is done and the day unfolds as a fairly normal day.......except we happen to have our very own party chairman in this family and she took control again. We always have a blast when she does!! Today was no exception.

After all the work for the day is done Dad came to get Chance so that we could prepare.

Chance and Dad coming home from the store with snacks for a big day of hunting tomorrow. Chance's reaction to our jumping out in the dark with the candles lit on his cake and yelling "SURPRISE!!!"

The Cake!! Yes it's a Ghost. That's what Chance wanted.

What games do you play at a birthday party for a kid that was born on the opening day of the dear hunt? PIN THE NOSE ON THE CLOWN? NOPE.

This is our very own party Chairman Playing Shoot the nose on the clown.
Aubree celebrating after she finally figured out how to work the bow and arrow.

Caib taking his turn. He may be too old for pin the nose on the clown but....Shoot the nose on the clown!! Now that's FUN!!

Braden won. He's number seven

I think we had another Great Birthday!! Chance sure enjoyed the day.......and the cake!!

Happy Birthday Chance!!

I love your excitement for life I love your funny comments and mostly I love, Love, LOVE how you are so full of Love.

All day long Whenever Chance came into the same room as me he would sigh and say, "Mom, you're the best Mom ever. I love you!"
The best thing about that is.....He does that ever day of his life at least once a day, but usually a Bazzillion times a day=)

Job Shadow

O.K. first off, When the kids have an assignment in school to pick a job and find somebody who does that job and ask them if you can follow them around for a day. You have to take into consideration the age of the kids, the job opportunities that are available in the area that your in, and how many of the kids will actually really put some thought into the assignment instead of waiting till the last minute, say like 10:00 pm the night before the assignment is due or at least the part where they have to get permission papers signed from the person they have chosen to shadow.

So Now we have two options left...either go with dad to work, which the kids have been strongly counseled to avoid at all costs unless approved by the mentor. or call your nearest relative and pray that they won't mind having a pesky 8th grader following them around all day. especially when their seasonal job is petering out for the season. Luckily Uncle Mike didn't mind and even though his client didn't connect with them Caib learned all about how to be a fishing guide......Sort of.

Or at least a client.

Childhood Fun

My little Oak Tree in all its splendor. With a beautiful Autumn sky in the back ground.

Enjoying a gift all year long.

There's nothing quite as cute as the face of a child with pure delight on their face.

The Oak tree in the pictures is the gift I'm referring too. It was a mothers day/ birthday present for me.

But, since it is an Oak tree. Oaklee is determined that it's her tree.

Winter?

Yes this is today!!I think I'll curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book.

You can't tell from the incredibly good photograph, but those snow flakes that are coming down are pretty serious!!!

A Herd, a Princess, and the Book

Ah...pictured here are 6 of our 8 purebred Australian shepherd puppies. Soo cute!! Well....at least I think so.

I think this is cute, too.
October first was Bradens birthday. I was busy bottling plumb and boysenberry jam, so when I was at the store getting a few necessary items and Oaklee asked me if she could buy this crown and earrings for a dollar, I decided it might just last long enough for me to finish what I was doing. I told her sure, she could get it. when we got back out to the pick up I said to her...."Hey, It's Bradens birthday not yours." She looked up at me and said " I give this to Bwaden for his birfday"
"are you sure," says I "because I know he'll really love it, or do you want me to open it for you?" she looked at it longingly for a minute and then said to me,
"No, It's for Bwaden"
"OK"
I say as we pull out on to main street and head for home. We arrived 30 seconds later and she hands me the package with the crown and the earrings and says.
"Maybe you can open it for Bwaden wight now."
"OK" I say with a hidden smile.
"I don't think braden will mind if you play with it for a little while."
I was wrong.....It only lasted long enough for me to take a couple of pictures of her. I was so hoping I could have gotten a picture of Braden, too. sigh.
Crown and earings.................$1.06
conversation with my three year old.....................priceless



The Book!
It came in the mail today. it ended up costing Misty and I each 19.00.





But..........

It's Priceless!!

Fall colors on the mountain

It's always amazing to drive up on the mountains this time of year. We always try to make at least one trip as a family to see the fall colors. Funny how each year though we've seen it the year before, brings new awe and a renewed feeling of contentment. At least that's the feeling I get in the Autumn time. So After Conference on Sunday, We all piled into the pick up with a bag of apples and some left over cowboy mix from yesterdays activity, bringing the lambs home. And we headed south towards Antelope spring.After driving by many groves of color
The first thing I did was make Roger stop for an annual kids photo shoot. This looked like a likely place. =)

I proceed to snap shot's while Roger danced behind me to get some smiles out of EVERYONE!!

Caib HATES pictures, He was trying extremely hard to be a good sport.

Sure makes it easier to try to get a good shot.

So I finish up with that shot spot and realize that Chance had his hood on the whole time. I make him take it off and snap one more of these two (Chance without his hood on) and threaten Chance with.....nothing serious, If he EVER leaves his hood on during another stop.

Notice, No hood. Caps are O.K. that's just who they are.

Dad, still in the back of me doing.....who knows what.

One other thing I love, probably most of all about Autumn time... The sky.

After pictures we gathered beautiful fall leaves of mostly yellow, but there were some red and orange leaves thrown in.

And of course we stopped numerous times to throw rocks into the ponds.

Even the older boys

Still love to throw rocks or skip them=)

We made it to Antelope Spring.
But, what is so intriguing?

Ah, As we got out to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the place. The boy's noticed the dew on the Quaky leaves.

Survival mode kicks in and yes, we all had to tate the dew and comment on how refreshing it was. Especially since we'd been in the mountains for day's with nothing but the clothes on our backs and no water within.......oh wait we just threw rocks into a whole pond of water.....hmmmmm!!!

And so the sun set on aother wonderful day and we headed home to begin another week of toil mingled with laughter, occaisional complaints about homework, and State baseball!