So Much To Be Thankful For......

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 "Round up" day is a BIG day, but with plenty of help who are willing to work hard, the work gets accomplished in good time!
Josh Cox came to lend a hand and is apparently entertaining Tim and Noah.  It looks to me as though they are all having a pretty good time

Maggie and Jay McNeil came up to lend their support as well.  The kids keep the shot needles filled and ready for the calves' vaccinations.  They are good to make sure there are no air bubbles and the exact amount of vaccine is measured out carefully!

I love this shot!  It just really shows the work and cooperation that goes in to this job.  What you can't see is a little bull who was born around the first of Feb.  He needs a full array of services provided by this team of medical personnel, so it takes all six guys working together to make sure things go smoothly.  What really shocked me, was I put this picture on FB.  Tim's sister in Idaho saw it and identified Tim's hiney!  Now that's what I call close siblings!

Our really good friend and neighbor, Mike McNulty helps Earl out every year, twice a year (sometimes more).  He is great at wrangling up the cattle from the field and keeping them pushed in to the alley way to the chute.  
Horse = $1,500
Saddle = $1,000
Boots = $150
Hat = $65
Cowboy = Priceless!

The kids love to come and help out at the big round up.  There are plenty of lessons to be learned, for example:
Noah: "Grandma, what's a heifer?"
Grandma: "A girl cow that has not had a baby."
Noah:  "Yeah, Grandpa said it takes a bull and a cow together to have a calf."
Grandma:  "That's right.  They're kind of like husbands and wives."
Mia:  "But there are only two bulls and LOTS of cows!"
Grandma:  "I know.  Bulls and cows are kind of like polygamists."
Noah:  "What are polygamists?"
Grandma:  "Whew!  Does your mother watch Sister Wives on TV?  That's when one husband has more than one wife."
Noah and Mia:  "Oh!  That's how it works!"
I didn't realize quite how handy Sister Wives could be in explaining the facts of farm life!

These guys are intent on their work.  I guess that's the way to "get 'er done!"

Emmie and Evie aren't quite sure about the events of the day.  Patrice wasn't sure about Emmie's shirt when she brought it to her Daddy.  Her Daddy said it was just fine for little girls to wear backhoe shirts!

There are discussions held that will be remembered in years to come by these cousins.  There are friendships forged that will never end!

Rick's job was forcing the animals down the alley way and in line to enter the squeeze shoot.  Little Miss Mia thought she was big enough to handle this job too.  You must remember she might be small, but her will is huge!

Patrice and Olivia had to make a run home to get more juice, pop and water.  Liv never did make it out of her pj's, so therefore could not get on the trailer to play with the other kids.

Billie Jo is the recorder of who the mother is, if the calf is a bull of heifer, and what number it is given.  There are times when she has to run through the pasture to try and find a number of a cow or calf that got turned out prematurely.  She is good for it, however, as she and Tim are training to run the Ragnar!


As I stated previously, we have the best family ever!  They are always there to help us, laugh with us, and share with us.  We love them so much.  Even with all the good times and great events we've had in the last month, the best thing is our little 
Ayla Noelle being born and welcomed in to the family.  She will take her place in our hearts just as our other beautiful grand children... and her parents will love her and teach her the gospel, just as our other children do with their children.  We are so very thankful to a loving Father in Heaven, who loves us and takes care of us and offered up his Son, to do His work here on the earth, which would allow us the opportunity to become an eternal family.  There is so much to be thankful for!





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May was just so full of wonderful things happening, I should have posted at least once a week, but in all honesty, I was just too busy having fun to be pinned down blogging!
  
   Our entertainment showcase began with the piano recital.  Luckily, all the grandchild taken lessons from the same teacher, so it makes it easy.  Each student played a solo; additionally, they played a duet with someone of their choice.  Little Miss Mia played her solo so strong and confident and concluded with a duet with her teacher, Mrs. Young.  Her piano skills are very impressive.

Tess played her solo with the soft touch she possesses.  Ellie played a beautiful piece, which did a great job of showcasing her level of skill.  It was so cute, because their duet was together, and the whole time Ellie was introducing their piece, Tess stood in front of her and Ellie lovingly stroked her hair.  The show of natural affection was as touching as their beautiful duet.  What wonderful sisters!

Luke played his solo skilfully and then he introduced his Dad as his duet partner.  They wowed the audience with a Latin piece that got everyone toe-tapping!   Music is such a wonderful way to have interaction with your children.  Seeing these two sit side by side, doing something they both enjoy, was really fun!

   Earl hosted "Family Fun on the Farm Day" and we started things off on Friday night when everyone got home from work.  The site was the Upper Church Farm.  He had a put together a scavenger hunt for all of the kids (I think he was giving them a taste of a Special Forces navigation course) for all of the kids.  Ellie, Luke, Tess, Mia, Noah and Jack took their instructions and
began their adventure.  About an hour and a half later, soaking wet from missing a que and getting soaking wet from crossing a ditch, the kids all returned.   The younger set -- Evan, Eli and
Rajko had a little bit shorter course, but in the end, they all found a buried treasure of a $5 bill!  It was worth the effort.  The rest of the family gathered around a camp fire and feasted on lots of yummy food.  The evening ended with "night games," with the leader being, of course, Grandpa.  I begged for mercy and asked for headlights, but Grandpa was vehemently opposed to that.  Miraculously, there were no broken bones or face plants, even though the kids were all running around in the dark on the side of a mountain with twigs and holes and what not.  The only thing sustained was lots of fun and a ton of wonderful memories!

   The next morning, the real work began with everyone digging or hauling rocks. 

Evan, Eli and Emmie are focused in on their duty.  They filled up buckets quite quickly and they loved it!

   Rajko is busy, with some guidance from  his Mom.  Giselle worked with a vengance, like she was supposed to clear the whole 100 acres by herself!

Chelsea got super serious and got right down on her hands and knees to dig up rocks.  She has cut enough hay that she knows how rocks can tear up the knife!

Billie Jo and Evie were in charge of driving the 4-wheeler and wagon to haul the rocks off the field.  Evie quite enjoyed her job!

Miss Mia is always a good hard-worker.  She probably gathered four or five bucket loads all by herself!

Tess had a very good attitude about the work.  I think she made the record of money earned for buckets of rocks!

Rick and Tim took down a fence, which will enable the swather to cut a huge field rather than go from one small field in to another.

Noah picked up a couple of rock haulers and their cargo for stacking along the edge of the road.

Allen and his helpers were in charge of taking the fence posts out from the fence Rick and Tim removed.

Water break time for the guys.  I am pretty sure they must be discussing more plans ahead for all of us!



Water break time for the girls, as well.  Earl has to give his girls a hug of appreciation for all their hard work.

One of the best things about "Family Fun on the Farm" is getting being recognized for one's efforts and feeling how great it is to work hard and receive recognition and rewards for your efforts!  The boys show some of their money they earned for working hard.

Lagoon Competition is next on the agenda.  Lagoon is fun, because you perform your best and then run and ride the exciting rides...run back to the stage to perform then more rides....and so it goes.  My camera died, so unfortunately, I only caught a few pictures.  Body Motion Dance Co. was again named one of the top five studios who compete in the Dance America line and the girls were named to the top five directors as well.  I am always so proud of Billie Jo and Giselle when I watch their teams!  Even the judging sheets said, "We LOVE watching this Company perform!"

                             Congratulations...BMDC!!!                                                                                        

Our Beautiful Ayla Noelle is here!  With Lagoon Friday night and all day Saturday, Giselle was pretty busy.  Sunday, she threw a birthday party for Noah.  She stayed up all Sunday night sewing ballet skirts and paso capes for her ballroom boys.  Monday was the BMDC spring concert, which was enormous!  Tuesday morning, she begin having contractions, so Chelsea took her to her doctor.  The doctor told Giselle she was dehydrated and needed rest.  She went home and drank lots of water and taught dance all afternoon/evening.  She contracted all night and by Wednesday morning, the contractions were closer and regular.  Noah stayed home and took her to the doctor and they admitted her.  Her date to have the baby was set for June 2nd and she still had BMDC Competition Concert and a Veteran's Tribute show to go......BUT Noelle decided it was time.  Our beautiful little girl was born Wednesday, May 23rd and weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 19 inches long.  She looks like her Daddy, yet has a look of Giselle.  She is absolutely beautiful!

Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays.  We gather with family, friends and acquaintances and visit and honor our predecessors.  We may only see some of these people once a year, so it is a special time.  The graves all look so beautiful, decorated with flowers.  The weather had been terrible--blizzarding--both Saturday and Sunday, but the sun came out for Monday and it turned out to be a nice day.  DeLoy and Trudy were home and Cache turned his mission papers.  My kids are really good to visit the graves and show their respect and love.