Saturday, April 18, 2015

March

Sweet little Mommy with her baby.  



Reading her "bible tells me so"to her baby.







Texas had a few snow days this winter and all my friends were showing off their fancy snowmen, snow ice cream and anything else snow related they could come up with.  I realized that my kids had never made a snowman.  It seemed like a crime considering we aren't lacking in snow, so I decided to step up my snow game.  

Deer poop got voted down, so we used blueberries for the eyes and mouth.  





We almost forgot the arms! Quinn wanted to pose just like the snowman.  
I will also admit that the snow was almost melted by the time we made him.  So he was small, and had a short life span.  BUT WE DID IT OK?!?!?!


And we made snow ice cream too! Kan could care less about snow ice cream, but these 2 loved it! 


Terry took this picture out at the ranch while she was here. Its a cool shot from inside the old barn.  




If you read about or ski trip, you'll remember that, thanks to a bacterial gut issue, Quinn never got to ski.  I had promised him I would take him skiing at Showdown.  I intended to take him a few times, but it turns out its kinda of tricky to get 2 other kids taken care of so that I can take him.   But we went one day and it was one of our best days ever! I woke him up early in the morning and we threw our clothes on and hopped on the car.  I mean how much better does it get than to wake up  and hear "we're going skiing today!" I wish someone would wake me up like that.  

Here's the excited skier when we hit the road.  Showdown is a little local ski place about 2 hours away. The weather was beautiful and we had a nice ride there visiting and talking about what skiing would be like.  





Here he is all geared up to walk across the parking lot.  Ha!






I was so excited/nervous when dropped him off at ski school, but I was thrilled he was finally getting to ski.  Meanwhile I enjoyed some of my most ideal alone time!







But if you know me, you know I'd much rather be with people than be alone! Sydni and I had been trying to figure out a way to ski before the season was over.  We had been tossing around lots of dates and it seemed like nothing was working.  Then on my way out of town, I texted her that me and Q were headed to Showdown and she said, "I might can meet you there today!" It was an awesome last minute plan that worked out perfectly.  We skied the morning, then ate lunch with Quinn, then skied the rest of the afternoon while he did his afternoon class.  It was a blast and we decided it will happen much more often next season! 



Quinn the Snow Monster! 


He had a total blast skiing. I was a little worried he was going to be upset if he fell so I made sure that he understood that everyone falls and its nothing to worry about.  Turns out I think I oversold the "don't worry if you fall" thing because he loved falling! So next time we will work on trying to stay up a little more! ha! He had a total blast and I was on cloud 9 hearing him talk about it! 


He wanted to take a picture "making a really big pizza"! 


Then he wanted me to take a picture of him like he had poles.  Ha! 


We all know skiing makes you super hungry so after our day was over, we headed in to the lodge to pick out snacks and a drink.  The perfect ending to the perfect day! 


Spring around here means CALVES!!!  They started hitting the ground and the guys go into overdrive.  They put in some LONG days and nights.  I love it! I also don't work 18 hour days and stay up all night in freezing cold dealing with it, so its easy for me to love these little cuties! 






This little guy's first steps....



....and first meal.  


Quinn is proud to wear the title of "gate opener"! I love this so much.  Its like he's so tiny and so grown up all at the same time.  


The cousins came to town for a few days during their spring break.  Quinn (mid-blink) and Jaylie June sharing Daddy's lap with Hayven. 


We had such fun with the cousins.  They loved playing London Bridge on the trampoline. 



Sweet cousins. Sweet static electricity. Sweet pose, Q.  


We drove one evening to meet Sydni to give the girls back.  We met in the middle of no where where there is a little store/lunch spot. It was closed so its porch was the perfect place for our picnic dinner together.  One last bit of fun before the girls headed back home.  


I just really think a tiny kid on the potty is so so so cute. 


Y'all this is deer poop on my sidewalk.  I had to sweep it away just so I could get in my car! They walk through our yard all the time, but I never knew they came right up to the house.  




Daddy and his biggest fans after his city league bball game. 


More calving help....driving the Ranger. 


Kory took this picture.  Maybe now my kids will have proof I was around.  ha.  We were bedding down one of the calf sheds.  





Juney grabbed the ring of recycled ear tags, threw them around her neck and said "Hey! Its a necklace!" Who needs diamonds????


I had to leave to go get Kanyon from school and Jaylie June looked at her daddy and said, "I don't want to leave, can I stay wif lu Daddy?"  It was an irresistible offer for her daddy. She spent the rest of the day with her Daddy and her Chief.  And boy was she proud.  The next day we were driving out of town and passed lots of black calves.  Quinn said, "Hey mom! Look at all those calves!" and Miss Hot Shot Ranch girl said in her most proud/bossy with a touch of bragging voice, "I already worked with they." Ha.  She's big stuff now that she goes to work.  


Me and the kids left the day after these pictures were taken for a bonus trip to texas.  That picture overload is up next!



Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Rest of February (and further proof that my daughter is INSANE)


While the Big Sky ski trip was the highlight of our February, we had a great rest of the month....translated: UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPS!! 

klp's therapy schedule has changed a little bit so that means Juney and Q get to tag along some.  She wanted me to take a picture of her while klp was swimming.  


See this??? Bike riding on BARE sidewalks during a Montana winter??!!! 



My favorite biker dudes.  


This boy loves his bike so much.  I snapped this shot of him sitting there dying laughing.  He has the best laugh in the world! 


klp got a marble run for Christmas from my parents and in the words of Quinn, "Kan is the King of the marble run!" He gets so excited to drop the marbles and watch them swirl through.  He gets a little frustrated trying to put it together, but he could do it all day long.  


Jaylie June and her Longview BFF Meg face timed one day. Here they are giving each other a kiss.  


Mommy always keeps her baby safe. 


Snow catching


Jaylie drew a picture of her new cousin Colbie Marie. I was so tickled when I saw this. She even drew a tiny little face and lots of arms! Great stuff.  Jaylie's feelings about new little Colbie Marie are nothing short of totally and completely obsessed.  Its all about "Colbie AREE" all.  day. 


Somebody didn't want her picture taken.  


Quinn doesn't draw pictures very often.  He thinks he can't so he would rather write letters and "spell" stuff.  So I love it when I actually see something that he's drawn.  Here he was trying to draw his friend Allie a picture of him shooting a bow and arrow.  He threw it away because it wasn't right, but I got it back out of the trash.  Looks just right to me.



A few weeks ago, my good Camp Deer Run friend Terri texted and said she was coming to visit! She spent her childhood summers in Helena, Montana, so I can't pretend that she came just to see us. We know we were just a good excuse to get back to Montana after years and years away.  We were happy to get her back to Montana and in our house!!!!  We had such a blast and she was so great to tag along and handle my fam day in day out. Its no joke, people.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, hanging out with us ain't for the faint of heart! 

We took our "porch picture" when the wind chill outside was -20. True Montana stuff right there. 





Me, klp, and Q picked her up from the airport!! YAY!!!! 


Kory had a bball game so he missed the pile up on the couch. I'm sure he wasn't sad about that.  


One day while Terri was here, klp had 3 Dr. appointments in Billings.  She was so great to come with us and sit with Q in the waiting rooms.  Who comes on vacation to sit in Dr. offices??!! 
We tried to take advantage of the big city so we went to the giant Scheels store. It is AMAZING. There were all these fun photo booths throughout the store.  

Here's Q making his tough Jeep driver face! 


There's a ferris wheel inside!


Skunk photo booth! PEEEE UUUUUU!!!! 


Terri and Q taking a Mountain Lion selfie! Yikes! 


Terri took this of Jaylie June while Kanyon was swimming.  It is so sweet.  Kind of a heart melter.


J and Q went with me to take Terri back to the airport.  We were sad to see her go, but SO SO SO SO happy she came! 




I feel as though this picture is a pretty good glimpse into my life.  klp in the rocking chair (its his self modulating sweet spot), toys everywhere, june still in her PJ's, and marshmallows all over the floor.  Q was shooting his marshmallow gun and convinced Jaylie to hold the basketball to see if he could hit it.  She was a little unsure of the whole thing....rightfully so.  




Oh my dear.  She better be glad she's cute because she's as bonkers as she is cute.  Insane.  Cray Cray. Hilarious. Spicy. Spunky. Insane. Off tha hook. "Somethin'"...the adjectives are endless. I'm not sure that I've come across a word that perfectly describes her but the girl is just Somethin' else.  She just kills us every day. She is just so much fun. Which is her saving grace cuz she's a hand full too.  

Just picking up marshmallows.  Amazingly she DOES have unders on under these jeans I'm just not sure where they were at this particular plumber-esque moment.  



My mom gave her this baby so she calls it "Gay Gay's Baby".  She noticed the baby's hands one day and said, "Hey! Gay Gay's baby does like this!!" and held up her hand. haha.  


 I've never claimed to maintain a perfectly neat household. My house is usually just barely to a point where I wouldn't be totally mortified if someone showed up.  I'd be embarrassed, but not mortified.  BUT this girl of mine takes it to a new level. She drags all of her toys and drops them at the top of our little entry/mudroom/where everyone walks to get in the house.  This is also my kitchen.  And this is where she chooses to store her toys.  Ugh.  She managed to find the #1 worst place in the house.  Makes me crazy.  



She hasn't quite figured out what she's supposed to do when I take her picture.  She usually does something along these lines....I'm trying to convince her that this isn't her best look.  


I don't even remember how this next series of pictures happened. I don't know where her shirt was. I don't know how her pants got hiked up that high, but it was a photo opp I couldn't resist. 

she makes this face a lot.  When she's being funny and she knows it.  She's a total ham.   

This kinda made me wonder if she's been looking at maternity pictures....it still doesn't explain the lack of a shirt....



 Ha. Ha. Ha!!!!!  

There you have it...further proof that my daughter is insane.  

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