Chancee's Birthday, Hunting, and Jak-o-Lanterns

Chance was born during a busy time of year. But we managed to squeeze him in. He was born on the 21st but he was due on the 31st of October. Chance wanted a Thomas cake
Braden hunted 4 days before Chance's birthday, Chance's birthday, and 3 days after.

It took him all week, but.....

He finally got a little two point

And then tonight we carved pumpkins

first we designed them

then we cleaned out the insides
anyway

we chose

Then we waited for dad to light them

and VOILA!!!




This is only a few of the many activities that go on during October. I just haven't gotten pictures of all the other activities.

Why I don't hunt.........yet.

Saturday we woke up just before the first rays of the sun had begun to show from behind Thousand Lake Mountain. yeah, It was still dark and we were on the move. I had awakened with a start, realizing that this was the day that, well.........the boys had been anticipating since the long white envelope had appeared in the mail containing the deer tag.(I use singular because Bradens the only one with a tag this year) I jumped from my bed, paying no heed to the warm comfort of my nice, snugly warm blankets, and rushed to the kitchen to begin making Lunches fit for hunters. I pulled all the makings of a ham and cheese sand which from the fridge.I spread 16 pieces of bread across the counter top and began slapping on the Mayo,
Then the cheese and last of all the meat, I threw on the top piece of bread cut the sandwiches in half bagged them, Gathered up the extravagant amount of treats and goodies that had been purchased the night before,and sent my four boys on their way. They were gone until about 4:00 PM with the report that they hadn't even seen a single deer. Sigh.... They saw PLENTY of hunters though.So, about an hour before dark The whole family loaded up into the pick-up and we headed out into the mountains again. we saw plenty of does this time but no bucks. Braden decided that he should climb up asmall hill,walk across in search of the bucks and meet us on the other side. He had to have someone go with him so I volunteered.

We walked up on top and about halfway across,having seen no deer I decided to get in to this whole hunting thing. I borrowed Bradens hat and took the gun from him.

So......Now you know why I don't hunt.......Yet.
I just get way to into it.

Working Ranch Horse and Cowboy Poetry Competition

I would have to say(as a mother) that I'm extremely pleased with the experience we had last Saturday. No The boys didn't win, but they had a good time. They took 11th and 14th and learned what this kind of a competition is all about. They're thinking next year they'll do better.
I just have to throw in the thing that amazed me the most. We were competing against mostly just regular kids but there are always the kids that spend all kinds of time training for these competitions on horses that have been doing them as well for as long if not longer then the kids themselves. Well our horses have never been trained for this kind of competition at all except for the real work that they do during the summer working the cows on the mountain.
I was somewhat nervous about the reaction Bradens colt would have to the 60 plus horses in an indoor arena. Both Braden and Sammy, Braden's colt, did amazing. I can't say for sure but I'd bet money that Braden was the only kid there that was riding a horse that he'd broken himself. In fact, nobody else has ever even ridden Sammy. I'd also bet that Sammy was the youngest horse there. He's only three.

And then I have to brag just a bit about Caib, too. I accidentally signed the kid up for the wrong age group. He was the youngest kid in the competition and I'll bet not one person even knew it. It'll be funner next year with a little experience behind us. Here's some pictures. Caib coiling his rope after a head throw.

Braden in the sorting pens

Braden on Sammy as he rides his pattern

Waiting their turn

And then there was the cowboy poetry competition. Chance was in the peewee division. They didn't judge the Peewees.

Caib won the Junior division and Braden took second in the intermediate division.

I'll tell ya though, I was sure glad when we were finished and on our way home. That was an, awfully, long day for a one year old and her mother.

Braden Thinks We Over Did It!!

Tomorrow Braden and Caib are riding in a Working Ranch Horse Competition. They are pretty excited about it and wanted to get home from school today and head right up to the Rodeo grounds to practice. That wasn't in the master plan today. Dad informed Braden that we would be digging potatoes first. I had to throw in my reasoning as well and explain to Braden that real life came before the other stuff.

So we went out and began digging our potatoes. After an hour or so we were about a third of the way through when Braden starts in about how long this is taking and asked "Why did we plant so many?" I had to remind him that it was he and Caib that planted them. They must have enjoyed the planting because they just kept on planting, all by hand.

I think we ended up with about 400lbs of potatoes. Not a bad harvest after such a late start because of the extremely cold spring.

Mean while my little dog lounged in the sun. And all were so excited to be done.


They figured Chance had enough smile to prove it.
Notice the bags of potatoes they are sitting on. (one bag not pictured)

Chancee's Chatterings

Remember, "Mr. Fantastic," Chance's friend? http://cattlekids.blogspot.com/2009/02/cancees-chatterings.html



This link will take you to the blog about him.

Sunday as we listened to conference Pres. Monson in his last talk uses the phrase "I testify to you that we are all in this together" When I let Chance watch it again on the internet he got all excited and wanted to write a letter to President Monson.







This is the letter we wrote and sent.








Dear President Monson,
My name is Chance Kirk Brian. . I am going to turn 4 on Oct. 21rst. I live in Loa, Utah I have a friend that I call “Mr. Fantastic” I'm not sure what his real name is That's just what I call him. He lives in Loa, too. He got in an accident a long time ago and because of that accident he is in a wheel chair. He works at Loa elementary school helping kids learn to read.
My Mom, me and my little sister are the crossing guards in Loa. Every morning, after my two older brothers leave for the school bus, we take my older sister to school, she's in second grade, and we help all the kids cross the street who walk to school. I mostly just stay in the pick-up and watch my little sister.

Almost every morning, for about two years, my friend “Fantastic” has wheeled himself to school. He goes right by our pick-up and he always stops to visit with me. We talk about all kinds of thing's. One day I told him about a dream I had that he could walk. He told me he sometimes dreams that, too, and that someday he will get to walk again because of Jesus. That makes him really happy. Me, too.
We only visit for a few minutes each day, and as soon as we're done I always tell him “Don't forget, and stay out of trouble, and remember, we're all in this together. Good bye”
I first started telling him “Don't forget” Then I guess I just decided that it's important to “stay out of trouble” so I added that. Last year I decided that “We're all in this together.” and so I added that.
Jesus must know how important it is for us to remember that, too. Because in your last talk for conference I heard you say “I testify to you that we are all in this together...” I may not be very big yet, but I know that if Jesus wants the Prophet to teach us that “We are all in this together” Then we'd better do everything we can to help each other do what's right, because, After all, We are all in this together.
Love, Chance







Well, what do you do when your almost four year old son want's to write a letter to the prophet?














You write the letter, I guess.