Friday, April 25, 2014

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter with perfect weather and great time with family! 

We kicked off the festivities dying eggs at Gram's house.  


I fully expected him to have green hands for days, but surprisingly they were almost back to their normal color by church the next morning.  

Jaylie June took this VERY serious.  

She would drop the egg in the cup, throw her hands up, and yell "TA DAAAA!!!!" Susan had bought these fake eggs and they were so great for Jaylie.  They looked like a real egg and you could dye them like a real egg, but the didn't crack.  She dyed them over and over and over.  It was perfect.  

Q Man. 

Here's our lovely art.  The ones on the left are the fake eggs.  The colors didn't stick to them as well as the real eggs, but oh well! 

Busy little Easter kids

This year was a little different than ever before since we now had to factor cows, calves, and feeding the cows in to our Easter morning routine.  Add in a sunrise service that Kory went to and things got really tricky.  But it all worked out great.  In between the sunrise service and checking cows, Kory came home so he could be here when the boys hunted eggs.  





Quinn had so much fun running around snatching up eggs.  And he was pretty sweet waiting for Kanyon and helping him find some (for the most part). 

Brothers after a successful hunt.  They left a few eggs for when Jaylie June woke up, but she had ZERO interest in putting them in her basket. 

The Easter Bunny brought this chick some cool new shades.  She LOVES wearing glasses so I guess its a good thing she has her own girly pair.  

reading her new book, holding her new horse. 

Kory left as soon as the boys finished hunting eggs, so it was just me trying to get them dressed in time for pictures.  We were spiffy and ready to go and then the WIND started blowing. It was blowing so hard.....as you can see by my attempt at pictures.....

Jaylie would turn her head and say "Brrrrrrrr", Q was trying to smile through the pain, and Kanyon was quite overstimulated by the wind and cold.  

This is as good as it got.  

I did manage to get a shot of the Juney girl in her pretty dress..

We were in the entry room at our house so the lighting was OK and the wind was gone, but it wasn't the most beautiful background.  But really...when this is the best shot I can get of my 3, why do I worry about how pretty the background is.  

After church we all went over to Kory's grandparents house.  His grandparents, aunt and uncle that live here in town, his great uncle, and his aunt and uncle that live in Helena and their 4 kids were all there. It was a great afternoon together.  Isabel (the oldest cousin) hid eggs for everyone and the kids enjoyed hunting the eggs together.  I just love these kids. 

Quinn and Ainsley were big buddies.  

Eloise was Jaylie's personal Nanny!  



Gram and Isabel helped Kanyon in the yard where his walker wouldn't really work. 

Ainsley, Jaylie June, and Eloise.  

The next day Me and my kids, Susan, Julie and 2 of her kids, and Grandma and Grandpa all went out to the ranch to pick crocuses.  They are the first flower to start popping up when spring rolls around.  It was fun to run around outside.  

Kory's Grandpa Bob is so much fun.  He was picking those flowers like crazy. I loved seeing him out there with all the kids...some his grandkids and mine being his great grandkids. What a gift that my kids get to pick flowers with their Great Grandpa! 

Gram and Kanyon taking a break.

Busy pickers

Eloise, Quinn, Ainsley, Kanyon, and Bob

....and we couldn't leave Jaylie out of this one.

We had a little picnic together. 

Complete with watermelon!!! That HAS to mean that winter is over!! RIGHT???!!

Later that afternoon, klp had swim therapy so I took Eloise with me to watch Kanyon.  Everyone else was scattered with other cousins, Gram, etc.  We stopped and got a treat at McDonald's after therapy. We enjoyed our time together!

Once we got home, Julie and I put some of the crocuses in vases.  (The daisies are left over from a bouquet a friend sent the week of Kanyon and Jayde's birthday.)  
It was such a great weekend and a great reminder of how blessed we are to be surrounded by awesome family whether we are in Texas or Montana.  Happy Easter!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Mom and Dad's Visit

This post is going to have tons of picture and be really long, but I'm going to keep it all in one post.  
We were all so excited when they day finally came! My parents were coming!!!  Kanyon was at school that day, so just Quinn and Jaylie went for the pick up.  We left for Billings Thursday morning (after I made sure the contractor knew there was a calf in our basement...haha!) to pick them up from the airport. I made a stop at Wal-Mart and got most of the things I needed and then we headed to the airport.  Their flight was a few minutes late so we killed time at the museum by the airport. We actually didn't go in the museum....just played on the train outside. 


We were so happy to see them!!!  We ate a yummy lunch, my dad entertained the kids in the fabric store while Mom and I took forever making decisions about tablecloths.  Then we headed to Wal-Mart. Not only was this a great day for Q because he got to see Paw Paw and Gay Gay, but he was getting a BIKE!!!!!!  So we went back to Wal-Mart and the boy finally got a bike! He was kind of between sizes, so we went for the smaller size so he'll have an easier time learning on it.  He was so proud of his red rocket bike! 




The kids wasted no time demanded all of my parents' attention....Paw Paw reading to all 3

And the bike riding was endless all week. Thankfully we had good weather (other than annoying wind). We have lots of good places to ride right around our house so we put the miles on the bikes! 

So happy on his new wheels! 

He took a few spills. I caught him pouting on the curb after this crash.  

A little more frustration/pouting and then he was back in the saddle.  

My mom brought more of my old dresses. We had fun playing dress up and June was LOVING the attention! She would bring us another dress and want us to put it on her. If she didn't get enough reaction out of someone she would walk over there to them as if to say, "Ummmm I guess you didn't see me in this the first time!"  Hahaha. 

Coulda been her Easter dress! 

I LOVE this one! 

Not sure that she'll wear this little goose number but check out her face!!  

My mom made this for me (and a matching one for my cousin). I love it! 

A sweatshirt with my name on it.  

These next few pictures are ones my dad took.  He went out with Kory every morning to help him and took some great pictures.  

Beautiful sky.....


Early morning cows...

Early morning cows #2

I wish I could make the pictures bigger without making them blurry.  This one was really neat with the cows silhouetted on the hill.

Sayler was in town staying with Gram and Chief for a couple of days. We had fun playing with her. 

This girl is SERIOUS about her pizza.  

(another instagram post) Kanyon LOVES playing Hungry Hungry Hippos. It is the perfect game for him. Its just out of control insanity.  Perfect for him. He laughs and squeals the whole time.  And he never gets tired of it.  Like ever.  Which is not always a good thing.  Its kinda loud.  

The boys checking out the bulls.

The day my parents got here we had a set of twins! 


Other than the fact that you're looking straight at a cows rear end, I love this picture.  Maybe its the mama in me but its just so sweet to see them eating. This Cow is raising both of these calves. For several reasons, that usually doesn't happen.  But thats how this one has worked out and my photographer Dad caught this shot. 

My parents being in town means that I actually got to go with Kory one evening to check. It was so fun and then the magical thing was when I got in supper was ready!! AWESOME.  

Jaylie June and Gay Gay! 

One sunny afternoon  we did a little gopher hunting.  This would be my fierce mother with her .22 out the window.  

Paw Paw and Kanyon scoping out the pasture.  (Don't worry the gun in klp's lap is his play gun)

klp takin' aim (again...play gun)

Eagle Eye. 

We took this silly picture for my brothers.  You know Big Game Montana hunting.  

Dad took it over to the car to show Kanyon. He was asking to take it home.  




It was so fun having them around all day for almost 10 days. Lots of good play time. 

And lots of good cuddle time.  (and it also appears that my Dad only has one shirt. He did NOT wear this blue shirt the whole time, but I guess its all I took pictures of) 

Take your Mother in Law to work day!!!!!  

Mom got to tag this calf. 

Q helping Daddy put out some mineral. 

Gay Gay came with fun treats! Battery powered glow sticks!! WOHOOOOOO!!!!!

The glow sticks even went with us to get ice cream (and french fries). 

We walked to a little restaurant by our house.  Juney girl was big stuff walking with Gay Gay. 


Mom and I got crafty a couple of nights after the kids went to bed. My Dad's contribution was the gopher on the far left.  He started out making a dog, but it ended up more like a gopher so we embraced  its new identity! 

There was quite a sad adjustment for all of us when they left but we had a BLAST!!!  
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