Happy Birthday Mark! We love you.

Meet Kate.  Mark's new baby.

Some Spring events

 

Another successful track season.  Korie did great and her team took league championship.  Yeah Wildcats!

I love that one day after track, this is what Korie chose to do.  Good stuff.

 

Stress, I mean Hay season, is upon us.  Mark actually really really loves it, it's just trying to navigate around the rain that is a bit stressful and somewhat unpredictable. 

 

Dinner, P Bar Style during haying season. 

 

Molly is seriously the best dog.  We love her.

They sure love to help their daddy.

 

Seriously.  The never ending problem.  Round 3 brought out the cone of shame.

 

Wanna play "eye spy?"

So, our poor Molly had to have surgery on her ear.  This means that she has to have time to heal and her ear cannot flap around until it's healed.  Maybe 10 days?  So, we had to secure her ear to her head (that gets the creative juices flowing) and keep her from rubbing it all off.

 

The dog is completely traumatized, humiliated and down right weird.  She tries with all of her might to rub it off her head (can't blame her) and she also is desperate to hide.  She runs and darts to anything that screams "cover" to her and does everything to disappear.

 

I feel so bad for her.  She has pretty much had to be quarantined to our laundry room so that she won't rub off her newly acquired gear.  When she shakes her head, blood flies everywhere.  Needless to say, it hasn't been a fun process for any of us.

 

I let her out to go potty, THIS is where she decided to go.

Another day, after letting her back into the house, she ran around like a crazed woman.  I found  her several minutes later in our bedroom.  I guess since her head is hiding, she thinks we can't see her?  She slept here for 3 hours.

THIS is what the poor dog has to endure....plus a tad bit more duct tape.  The duct tape grows more and more each day.  Pathetic right?

My favorite birthday gift this year, made by one of my favorite people.

 

Blessings

 

Funny, but weird family bonding moments.

 

We don't do this nearly as often as we should.

 

 

Three sweet girls, my girls love their cousin Sammie

 

 

Fun Uncle Dave

 

 

My sweet little girls holding hands with their cousin and their papa, with Uncle Wes strolling aside.  Precious.

Cousins



Reminders

I get tired, stressed and sometimes overwhelmed.  Work, kids, "wife" duties, well...pretty much life.  Thankfully, it doesn't happen too often.  It's so easy to take for granted the gifts given.  We are blessed with many.  Moments like these remind me how sweet, innocent and precious life can be. I need to look more often. Thanks for the great Thanksgiving Holly, aka "Grannie" and to the one and only God, who is there with me through it all.

Playing catch up

So, now that summer is over, things slow down right?  LOL.  I crack myself up sometimes.

 

 

The salmon are thick this year!  Mark has had the privilege of going out twice now with friends.  Look at that beauty.

 

Our first season of cross country.  Korie did a great job.  Thank you Mrs. Parsons for your dedication to our kiddos.

 

The itty bitty cheering squad!

 

Another bottle calf.  I tell ya, this horse needs a baby.  She wouldn't leave his side.  Such a sweet girl.

 

 

Pumpkin patch with friends and Kali's kindergarten class

 

Kali's class

Scary for poor Kendall and Lucy...run girls!

These girls are so stinkin' cute.  ALL of them!  I have tried to steal a few of them but their mamas don't go for it.  Darn!

She is growing up too fast!

Disneyland

We have been telling the girls that maybe we could go to Disneyland once Korie turns "12" years old.  So, with her bday being last month, we have had many reminders about this.  What the girls didn't know is that we planned a trip way back in February.  What they also didn't know is that we were also going to Disneyland with friends.  It wasn't until we were in the car for 10 hours, met up for dinner with our beloved Turrentine family (from Idaho) that we told them the news.  So much fun!!!

 3 days hopping between Disneyland and California Adventure.  We had such a great time.

 Someone was a little grumpy because she didn't get the horse she wanted.

 Parade time

 The girls in the front row with their buddy Dylan

 Everyone has to ride the tea cups!

Dinner at the Rainforest Cafe.  LOVE that place, but don't love the bill.  Here are the three guys looking over our tab.  Yikes!  LOL

 The whole gang, us, the Turrentines and the Pattersons.  10 kids, 8 adults.  A restaurants dream, I am sure.

Something new

This year, Korie's school has a cross country team for the first time ever, thanks to the wonderful Mrs. Parsons.  Korie decided she wanted to try it.  Her first meet was yesterday.  She did so great.  We are so proud of her.  Out of 48 kiddos in the middle school age group, she got 4th place.  I literally walked over to the meet from my work (how awesome is THAT?).  Needless to say, I didn't have my camera.  Fortunately, a few others did.

Happy Cows? Happy Garden!

I have a dear dear friend.  Her name is Rachael, also known as "Fluffy" or "Veggie."  She read a book about animal cruelty regarding slaughter houses.  When she first found out we had a cattle ranch she asked "are they happy cows?"  Yes, she really asked me that.  Well, several years later, she has fed our cows, pet our cows and even moved to Montana (sniff, sniff), she has come along way.  Anyway....we planted tomatoes this year.  We used some of our "happy cow" manure as fertilizer.  Result: MONSTER 'mater plants; and very delicious I must add.  So...Rachael this one is for you...happy cows, happy fertilizer, KILLER garden! 

The plants are so big that Korie has to go in and pick plants from the inside.  It's good to have little helpers.

Catching Up

The month of August is very full.  Fair time, Papa and Grandma's annual camping visit at Lake Siskiyou, birthdays, start of school...whew!

 

 First day of school for Kali (kindergarten) and Korie (6th grade)

 Kinley Shea turned the big 4

 And Korie turned 12.  LOL

Ok, that is the best I can do for now. September has some pretty exciting things too.  Can't wait!