April Calving and Regular Life

Kory sent me this picture when he and Quinn went out to check the cows one evening.  Q made sure to bring his football hoping they could play catch while they checked.

June covered her new lamb in hair bows.  And flashed a nice "smile" for the camera! 

More of her own outfits....

A lot of Saturday mornings, Kanyon gets to go feed and check with Kory.  Poor Kan wakes up too early, so often times he catches a nap in the pick up while Kory feeds.  Then he gets to "help" with the calves.  This cow was in the chute so her calf could eat (sometimes they have to go in there if the cow won't stand still or won't let her calf eat, or if the calf just needs a little extra help eating) and Kanyon was there to supervise the whole thing of course.  

KLP had J and Q with him one morning while I took Kanyon to therapy.  When I went to pick them up, there was a calf in the Ranger with them! You never know whats going to happen around here.  

Kanyon has been doing GREAT at school this semester.  He's really catching on to his letter sounds and to lots of sight words.  He's also being SO much more intentional with his drawings. Its been so fun to see his school work come home with these great pictures and words.  It sort of melts me into  puddle of sweetness and pride.  

Kanyon sat down at the table and said "I'm going to draw a tiger!" and then proceeded to draw this orange and black tiger.  Then he said,  "I'm going to write tiger!" and I heard him sounding "t-t-t-t-tiger" and then he wrote "tiger" below it.  He was pretty lost after the beginning T sound but this was a first for me to see! He totally planned what he was doing, did it, then labeled it! It was a Saturday, but I had to send this to his aide! We were all pretty pleased with it! Its so fun to watch this boy learn.  I know its things he's known WAAAAY sooner than he's able to show it, so its fun to watch it all come together for him.  He works so very very very hard.  

Kanyon has been OBSESSED with drawing eyebrows for a while now. It cracks me up.  Here is an eagle complete with eyebrows of course! 

Jaylie June and her chief watching basketball together. 

Just a good ol' April day around here.  UGHHH!!!! YUCKY! 

More calving adventures. Kory had a calf that needed to warm up a little bit, so he brought it to the house to stay in the unfinished basement.  Kory is in and out all night long, and while he was gone, I got a text from him really early in the morning that said, "Can you hear the calf in the basement? Is it bellering?" (I don't know how to spell bellering since I'm pretty sure its total slang, but oh well.  You know what I mean.) I texted him back that she was resting and quiet and then I wondered to myself.  "What kind of world do I live in where I get texts asking if the calf in the basement is bellering?!"

The calf spent an nice warm night inside and perked right up.  She was chipper enough to follow Kory out to the pickup to go back out to her Mama.  

One evening we all went with Kory to make a check.  The sunsets are just incredible. 

I stuck my phone out the window and managed to snap this sweet profile of Quinn.  It's good stuff.  

Our friend and babysitter Carley invited Jaylie over to take some pictures before prom.  It was fun to see Carley and her friends all dressed up. Jaylie was pretty impressed and pleased as punch to be included. 

J LOVES her "gunoculars".  Even if they are backwards.  She looks through them and calls out made up numbers like she's reading ear tags.  Its pretty hilarious.  

A little rain shower and then this pretty sight. 

Kory and I had to go to Bozeman one afternoon to consult with one of Kanyon's doctors.  The Crazy Mountains were so beautiful covered with snow! 

Another Saturday morning of work for KLP and klp.  The kids have loved the bottle calves.  With a little help holding (and great timing with the picture taking) kip can feed the calf the end of her bottle.  

I found a bag of hand me downs that Sydni and the girls had given Jaylie, so we got it out and tried on the stuff to see if any of it fit.  Though these 5T PJ's were a little big, this girl was way excited about them! 

Gram and Juney girl (wearing a hand me down dress from the aforementioned bag) coordinated just perfectly at church one Sunday! 

Amy and Mindi in Montana!

Several months ago, my friend Mindi and I spent some time talking and planning their spring break trip to visit us.  After some summer schedules got changed around, spring break wasn't going to be the best time for their family to come anymore.  So she told me one day, " I feel bad that you were already thinking we were coming and then we backed out so Chris (her husband) said I should just go!" So we got our other friend Amy in on the deal and they came to see us at the end of March/beginning of April!!!!  

I was SOOO HAPPY to get this picture from them when they boarded their flight! 2 of my dearest most favorite friends were ON THEIR WAY!!!!!

They wasted no time making a hair train.  This was a pattern for Jaylie and Amy.  J loved playing with her hair, and Amy thought it felt so good so it was a win win! Mindi did lots of her cute, fancy, good girl mom braids and stuff! 

The next morning we knew where to find Amy...in Jaylie June's salon chair! And we all know Kanyon loves hair, so he was usually close by too.  

I left Mindi and Amy in charge of Q and J while I ran up the street to pick up Kanyon from school.  They sent me this picture about 2 minutes after I left.  These 2 bonked heads and "needed" ice packs. I didn't fire my babysitters, but we got a pretty good laugh at how things went south when I left them in charge! 

Saturday morning, Amy went with Kory to feed and deal with calves.  They had quite a time! 

Amy got to check on one of the babies in the corrals.....

and even got to tag one!! She's turning in to a ranch girl in no time! 

Saturday afternoon, we went out to the ranch to show them around.  My dear Mother in Law watched the kids at her house so we could tour with a few less people! 

I had "promised" them a calf birth and we were able to catch one.  It was fun and funny! Especially when Mindi gagged.

On a bright sunny spring day the obvious thing to do is take them gopher hunting.  So despite the wind and the late time, we were able to see enough to have a great time. Here's Amy putting one between her crosshairs! 

Competitive Amy came out and she was NOT going to let a speedy gopher or gun with the sight off stop her.  She got her gopher!!! YAY!!!! 

Our church sits on a hill overlooking Main Street and the Judith Mountains.  

So we took the photo op! 

Juney girl enjoying her bike in the PERFECT weather!!!  

Sunday afternoon we couldn't rest until we got Mindi a gopher so we headed back out.  Success from out of the sunroof!!!

She even picked it up!!!!! WOHOOO!!! (Who cares that it took her multiple attempts to actually get the guts to pick it up.  She DID IT!) 

On our way back to the house we saw this.  3 ladies riding their horses through the drive through.  And yes, waving at us taking the picture.  Ha! 

Ms. Mindi did a super cute and fancy braid on Jaylie's hair! 

Mindi kept telling Jaylie she was going to put her in her back pack and take her home with her.  J was taking her up on the offer.  Ha! 

Its not a visit with the Phillips Pham until you've taken a porch picture!!!! 

I think that your "people" make you who you are.  These girls are definitely 2 of my PEOPLE and it was so great to be back with that part of me again.  I love them.  Like seriously, love them. A lot.  And I'm always humbled when people go through all the trouble it takes to make a visit.  I am so grateful and so happy.  And now I can't wait to get their whole families up here!!!!!!  

Birthday and Easter

It just keeps happening....kids keep having birthdays and turning another year older.  March 26 marked 9 years since I became a Mom!  My entrance into motherhood was NOT boring.  Very much like life with Kanyon Luke is NOT boring.  As always, the memories of the day Kanyon and Jayde were born flood my mind and fill me with so many different emotions.  But I always land on celebrating and being so happy to have Kanyon Luke!  He is getting more and more aware of his birthday and having lots of fun looking forward to the day.  He was telling everyone within ear shot (and even those not within ear shot) that he was 9 and a "big kid".  A big kid he IS and we are so so so so proud of him.  9 years ago I had no clue what life was going to be like (which really isn't any different than any first time Mom).  I don't think I'll ever be able to say "I wouldn't change a thing" because I would.  In a heartbeat.  But we have a wonderful life where I see God's goodness and mercy all over the place.  Kanyon's life has been a light to the world and I have a feeling he'll keep lighting up this place for years to come.  To God be the glory.  

He loves foosball so we got him this miniature version.  He loved it! So much so that I heard the ball rolling around playing at 6am the next morning.  YOUCH! 

By far and away Kanyon's favorite toy is his marble run he got for Christmas a couple of years ago.  He plays it all the time.  We keep it in our room because ours is the only one with carpet and I CAN NOT HANDLE chasing marbles all over the hard wood floored rooms everywhere else.  So with it being in our room, the sound of a marble rolling through is usually the sound that wakes me up in the morning.  He is INCREDIBLE building these things and knows exactly what spacing he needs to make it work.  Building it is by far the best part. As soon as he builds one and sends a marble through, he's tearing it apart to build another one.  Starting last year, I began to really loose motivation for cake creativity and design for a kid that hates cake. But I can't NOT make a cake on a birthday because no one would want to celebrate with him! Ha! Sooooo we went with the idea of his FAVORITE thing to play and Wa-LA! A marble run cake!!! 

It killed him to have to "give up" his marble run for the afternoon while I decorated and set the cake up.  But he had fun blowing out his candles.  While everyone sang to him he flooded the thing with marbles and laughed and clapped the whole time, then blew his candles out, and promptly asked for chips for his treat.  It was PERFECT.  

The Phillips Cousins from Bozeman came to town for the party.  We had the "party" at Wes and Susan's house because we celebrated Tye too.  His birthday is the day before Kanyon's.  The guys were busy with calving so it was good we could have the party at the ranch and cows could be checked easily.  The cousin table was cute as always.  

This is what 9 years will get ya.  A few more kids and a LOT of gray hair! But mostly one happy family.  

The next day was Easter, so the festivities continued! 

Jaylie June wearing one of my old dresses that my mom made and smocked.  

My little Easter Eggs. 

After church we all had lunch at Wes and Susan's and had a fun egg hunt!!! 

Quinn and Hayven are off at full speed!!!! 

Daddy and Chief walking Kanyon on the hunt.  This was by far the most interest Kanyon has shown in egg hunting. Usually I have to force him to look for more than one. I think he got 10 this year! 

Sweet Hayven girl found one! 

4 Phillips men (including Murphy the dog, of course)

This little one was having a blast! 

We hid one really big egg and it was the last one left so there was a serious hunt for it.  Even Chief and Daddy tried to find it.  

Sayler found the giant egg and all the kids ran over to the rock pile to check out their loot. 

Baby Jona wasn't quite ready for an egg hunt but she sure did make this picture even cuter! These kids have some pretty incredible Grandparents.  What a blessing for us all! 

The whole Phillips Pham! (it was QUITE sunny).

Quinn and good ol' Murphy

What a wonderful weekend of family and love.