Carroll Farm

Chaos

2012-02-02T13:20:00.004-07:00

I am not even sure where to start!

It has been so crazy busy around here.

-then again, it wouldn't be us if it wasn't-

Payton celebrated her 12th birthday last Friday.

I can't believe she is SO OLD!

We went to dinner and had cake with ice cream.

She opened presents

(her eyes look funky here - she was tired)

She got this Lego set, a new shirt and

her new cast!

Luckily she got a walking cast,

of course it is pink.

Her logic - the purple one was too dark so no one could sign it

and the pink was light enough to see signatures.

Then, on Saturday

we were off to another buckle series

I left the house driving the van

after Josh and Heather

who left with the horses-

just as I got into town I received a phone call.

I was told to pull off into this parking lot because

there was a blow out on the horse trailer.

WHAT!?!?

The tires are brand new!

So, we ended up putting on a car tire (?)

fortunately we only had 2 horses.

They both did relatively well waiting in the parking lot.

Before we could put the tire on I had to take it to get air in it... (hee, hee)

We made it to the series on time.

Then Josh took the van and made the 45 min. drive

to town to get a new tire for the trailer.

He left the horses; Heather on one and one tied to the trailer.

Josh did make it back for Heather's barrel run.

Heather's first run didn't make up the rest of her day, thank goodness.

She knocked over two poles, but

ran her fastest flag time ever on Cheyenne (10.561) and

then ran her fastest barrel time ever on Cheyenne (19.468)!

Payton stayed in this chair,

we didn't want dirt getting into her cast and itch.

She wrapped the chair cover around her foot

because her toes were cold!

Hailey kept her company for most of the time.

Savannah and Jasmine ran around and got dirty.

Cuz that is what you do at an arena!

And this is the face of a girl who just

got her fastest barrel time ever!

She was so upset after knocking down the 2 poles,

when we talked I told her she just needed to relax and

not let that ruin the rest of her runs.

She had the fastest time of the day with flags!

I call that a great job of redeeming yourself!

A Buckle and a Foot

2012-01-22T09:29:00.006-07:00

Heather finished the Fall Buckle Series on the 14th.

She did great.

Cheyenne was the horse she rode for all the events

(poles, flags, barrels)

her pole run was awesome

her flag run

not so much

see the flag falling to the ground

it is ok though

she had a beautiful barrel run

we did see all the things that she needs to continue working on

She took 2nd for the day

AND

got buckle number 4!

She is doing so great on her horses.

It will be fun to see how far she can go with this.

On another note,

we have been taking family walks

we go about 2 miles round trip

we take the black lab (Jade) with us

There are tons of treasures out in the middle of nowhere.

lots of big saguaros

random animal bones

the kids have a blast exploring.

they are always on the look out for coyotes,

although, they are so loud the coyotes will be long gone before one is ever seen.

Yesterday we went on another walk.

On the way home we were walking up our dirt road.

It is pretty well taken care of, nice and smooth.

Payton and the other girls were jogging to the house.

When I heard "OUCH"

"Mom I twisted my ankle!"

We got Payton home and it wasn't swollen or anything.

No discoloration.

She hobbled around for a little bit saying how bad it was hurting.

Josh ended up taking her to the Urgent Care.

Yeah, she broke her foot.

Payton stepped on a dirt clod, and rolled it just right.

She broke the bone that goes up her foot from her baby toe.

So today

she has it elevated

and is learning how to get around on crutches.

We all had a good chuckle.

I thought it was going to be the horses causing broken bones,

not the dirt road that we live on.

Girl Pictures

2012-01-15T15:43:00.006-07:00

We finally got a new printer

and we are able to print pictures

that actually look good.

I am so excited to have some current ones up on the wall.

Josh took the pictures in the yard one afternoon.

He did a darn good job.

The pictures on my side board are the ones we hung up on the wall

but here are a couple more, just because my girls are cute.

In other big news.

Savannah is officially riding by herself

(in an arena with C.L.O.S.E. supervision)

She is still pretty iffy on lots of things

so we really keep an eye on her.

Also, Jasmine is trotting Topaz around

and smiling.

She is my biggest chicken and it is

always a fight to get her on.

Once she is on though, she does great.

Christmas Day & New Year's

2012-01-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Christmas day was full of playing with new toys.

lots of tether ball tournaments

one of the gifts from Josh and I were new tubes for their bikes

(they all had flats)

they have ridden almost everyday since

- a good buy for sure -

the girls made a track across the street

with hills and ruts to ride in

their Aunt Rochelle made all the girls beanies and matching scarfs

she did an amazing job!

we also hit Hailey's new volleyball around quiet a bit

Uncle Levi and Niece Gizelle

(the baby in the background)

came over to pet the animals during Christmas Break.

We have played with our other new toys a lot.

we got them before Christmas.

Meet Larry, Mo and Curly,

don't ask me which one is which (the girls named them)

Josh has also been spending time with our other new toy.

We got him a couple weeks before break,

but still he is a lot of fun.

Meet Jet.

New Year's we stayed at home.

With kids and crazy people out on the road,

it is just safer that way.

We ate ice cream

played with sparklers and set off fireworks

at 11:45 we turned on the TV and watched the ball drop.

poor Savannah almost made it

Daddy and I

with the girls

Now I am finally caught up from the holidays.

On to 2012!

Christmas Eve and Trees

2012-01-02T10:37:00.006-07:00

I am catching up, I promise.

I always like pictures in front of the trees at Christmas.

They are just pretty.

Our tree, however, is nothing gorgeous to look at.

We have 3 indoor cats that think tree decorations

are just for them to play with.

The tree at my house:

sits on a card table, with few decorations.

Just less that we have to clean up constantly.

Grandma Honey's (my mom) tree is always one that

looks like it belongs in a magazine.

Every ornament has it's place and it is a huge tree.

We went to my parents house on Christmas Eve.

The kids got their presents

and got to pick fruit off Grandpa Hansen's (my dad's) citrus trees.

They also spent about an hour shelling pecans for him.

Then we went to Pepa and Mimi's house (Josh's dad and step mom)

Mimi's tree is another picture perfect tree.

look, I even got in on the picture.

We played games and opened presents at their house.

When we got home there was something foreign in our yard.

Santa had come while we were out visiting family.

This year they got:

a dome jungle gym

and

a tether ball set.

When we got inside Santa had even filled their stockings already.

They each got a brush, hair ties, chocolate, other little things

and the 3 older girls got watches.

It is fun to come home and have their presents from Santa already there.

It makes Christmas morning a little calmer,

all they have to open is presents from each other and us.

Christmas morning was spent outside

(after presents were open of course)

hanging around:

Check back soon for more Christmas Day and New Year's!

December Birthdays

2011-12-29T10:00:00.007-07:00

The month of December is a little crazy

(and expensive) for us.

We have 2 birthdays plus Christmas.

The first birthday was Heather.

She turned 12 on the 2nd!

When did we get old

enough to have a 12 year old!?!

this is when Heather was 5 and I married her daddy.

Grandma Lu's house in 2006 for the 4th of July.

Christmas 2007

Winter 2010

12th birthday.

She is such a great kid. Heather has a wonderful heart and is caring to all people.

She loves: all things horse related, her sisters (most of the time), reading, movies, playing games with us, school, doing her best at everything. She has won countless blue ribbons on her horse Cheyenne, and a saddle from the Wickenburg Saddle Club, and a lot of awards from school. Keep up the good work!

I am so lucky that I have gotten to be her mom for the past 7 years.

She is a wonderful daughter and so helpful. Love you Heather!!

The second birthday is Jasmine's.

She turned 6 on the 14th.

Again, when did my baby girl get so big!!

1 week old

6 months old - pretty eyes

1 year old in her Christmas dress

11-2009 at Dunn's arena

11-2011 showing off her new clip on earrings.

12- 2011 and 6 years old.

Jasmine loves: her sisters, reading, all things horses, helping her daddy with anything and everything, movies, playing games with mom, stuffed animals - mainly cats and horses, playing outside, school. She has also won ribbons on her horse and a trophy. We love you Jasmine!

Happy birthday to my 2 girls!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-17T16:26:00.004-07:00

Since I did Halloween in November,

I figured I could do Thanksgiving in December.

Heck, why not??

Thanksgiving was delicious.

We ate at Great Grandma's house on Thanksgiving,

and I completely forgot my camera.

Then, the next day we went to Grandma Honey's and

Grandpa Hansen's house to play.

They have some of the neatest toys.

Payton took her turn in the hamster ball first.

My dad (Grandpa Hansen) made this a year or so ago

and it is still their favorite thing to do when we go visit.

Savannah liked to rock back and forth, but wasn't excited about going upside down.

Same with Jasmine, I took this picture after I MADE her go all the way around.

She wasn't too happy with me.

Uncle Cody and Josh played with a Nerf bow and arrow.

The boys had fun with it.

And, it is never a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's with out a

big, huge, WARM, fire in their fire pit/barrel.

we ate a ton - smore's - yum.

of course, a picture with Uncle Levi and Aunt Charli, and cousin Gizelle.

Thanksgiving was sure fun.

Up next; 2 birthdays.

The girls are Thankful for...

2011-11-25T08:24:00.002-07:00

since Thanksgiving was on the 24th,

I decided to have the girls come up with

24 things that they are thankful for.

Here is their list (unedited)

1. family

2. friends

3. trail rides and spending time with Dad

4. spending time with mom

5. pets (dogs, cats, horses, goats)

6. Savannah said - thank you for cake

7. our house that's clean

8. a daddy that can fix things

9. Payton said - washing machine and dryer

10. warm clothes and boots

11. all our toys

12. Heather said - money (but we don't have any....)

13. the van, truck and horse trailer

14. our property to run and play on

15. our wide movie selection

16. a couch to cuddle on

17. nice beds to sleep on

18. Jasmine said - for the best mom and daddy

19. books to read

20. a dad and mom that will pay for events

21. Dad popped in and said - good neighbors, we have truly been blessed with that

22. our health and life

23. Hailey said - vacuum so we can play on a clean floor

24. freedom

then they added a few more because they were on a roll.

25. electricity and air conditioning

26. chickens (but they don't even lay eggs)

27. Savannah said - thank you for treats

28. Heather said - thank you for seasonings

29. happy memories

30. the opportunity to rescue horses that need help

31. vacations

32. tools

33. Jasmine said - thank you for loosing my two front teeth

Halloween in Nov.

2011-11-14T19:39:00.006-07:00

Yep, since I haven't posted in so long

I am just getting to the pictures from Halloween.

(sad, right?)

Savannah - pink power ranger

Jasmine - square dancer

(this is her Aunt Amanda's dress - it is about 20 years old)

Hailey - sorcerer

Payton - eye ball

(I got so many comments on this costume - it was a lot of fun)

Heather - Rodeo Queen

We had to go inexpensive this year with the costumes,

and these are what we ended up with.

Our girls are great about it.

It is fun that they can go as whatever and still have a great time.

On another note,

Jasmine has had 2 loose teeth for months now,

she is a chicken and won't let us (or her) pull them out.

Today I realized just how loose they were.

I told her that daddy could get them out by the time we counted to 10.

We didn't even get to count on one of them,

and the other one we only got to 4.

They were loose.

BUT,

both front teeth at the same time.

She has been singing

"all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"

all day long.

daddy pulled them out.

I was trying to get a good picture of her tonight and these are the ones I got.

she is such a clown.

Heather's Buckle

2011-10-29T10:52:00.004-07:00

The summer Buckle Series ended in October -

due to lots of crazy things, like the virus,

family issues with us and the other couple running the series....

Anyway. Heather competed again - this time on Honey.

We were pretty excited that she won something on her.

We are hoping that she will carry Heather through high school rodeo....

The buckles were late, so even though the last night of competition was Oct. 2nd -

we didn't get it until Oct. 13th or so.

These buckles are pretty.

AND - totally different than the other 2 she already has.

Tres Rios Buckles always does such a good job!

Congrats Heather!!

Today we start another series,

here's to buckle number 4.

Meet Star & Colt (a couple gross pictures)

2011-10-14T08:04:00.007-07:00

When Josh goes to the horse auction you never know what he is going to bring back.

This time; an 11 yr old gelding and a 5 month old filly.

First, meet Star.

don't pay attention to her front feet.

Our farrier was already here, and they are being fixed.

check out her rump.

We have had her for almost 2 weeks.

Josh has been rubbing her down daily -

picking up feet, playing with her ears, looking in her mouth.

Of course, leading her around the yard.

She does pretty good.

She is learning that people aren't all that bad, and loves attention from my girls.

I got her to pose for the camera, kind of.

We have her in the front yard,

she rubbed herself raw on her chest - from the stall panels.

The first couple of days she did great.

Pretty good eater, nice poop, friendly.

By the 5th day, we noticed that she had runny stool, and lots of laying down.

So we start trouble shooting.

Talked to some people and decided to deworm her.

when we saw this in her poop,

we knew why she didn't feel good.

She had 40-50 round worms, at least 6 inches long.

So she obviously didn't get them from our house.

She has perked up a little.

And her stool is looking more normal.

We will deworm her again around the first of Nov.

just to make sure that we got it all.

Now, meet Colt.

Josh got him to hopefully work cows with.

Supposedly he is a ranch horse, and lots of other things.

(but with an auction horse you never really know)

Josh and Heather took him out on a couple of trail rides

and played in our riding area.

They used a flag-

waved it wildly around his head and covered his eyes -

no reaction.

They got out a rope-

swung it around him, swung it on him, Josh roped his head -

no reaction.

He just stood there and really didn't care.

I am pretty sure he just rolled his eyes!

So, we threw Jasmine on him.

She went on her first out of the yard ride.

Heather had already ridden him on trails for an hour,

and played around on him.

Colt was tired.

Jasmine had a little trouble getting him to go.

Josh put the lead on him just to get him going.

Jasmine did great!

She followed Josh up the street and back.

Of course; I jumped on.

We just went about a block.

He is just S....O.... S.L.O.W.....

Josh was wondering if something was wrong with him.

He looked at his teeth, feet had been checked, no bumps or bruising anywhere.

Then, we realized that he never 'dropped' when he went pee.

Our other gelding is always 'hanging out'.

That got us to thinking.

So we called our trusty farrier

(Horseshoeing House Wife's other half - THANKS WADE!!!)

and asked him if he would come and help us check something out.

Wade ended up cleaning his sheath.

(for all our non-horsey family members - that's the area where his pee-pee tucks into.)

Don't know if you can really see it - all the black chunks - like 30 or so.

They are called beans. It is basically dried up gunk.

Wade said that he was so packed up there,

that he couldn't drop.

EEEEWWWWWWW!

So, now we are just watching him and

hoping that he will feel better - and get some speed.

Part of me wants him to stay slow,

Jasmine and Savannah really needs a good horse to ride.

Yavapai Calf Sale & birthday

2011-10-09T08:43:00.005-07:00

I have to back up a bit to keep this blog in order.

This past Sep. 24th we went to the Calf Sale up in Yavapai. We always have so much fun up there, and the weather is always nice. The main reasons we went up was for the Mutton Busting and pit BBQ. However, after we got there we learned that the guy bringing the sheep was in a car accident and wasn't going to make it. So, we just played all day in the grass and shade. There is always craft booths, horse sale, calf auction, and lots of yummy pit BBQ food.

Jasmine and Savannah ready for a day of fun.

Since the Mutton Busting was out - they did sack races for different age groups. Payton took 4th in her group, the foster boy raced too. No one else wanted to though. Weird.

By far the coolest thing there this year (at least for the 3 older girls) was AZ Game and Fish that brought bow and arrows, and targets for kids to use. Heather ended up getting quiet a few bulls eyes. She would have stood there all day, but the guys running it made her give other kids turns. Now Heather is convinced that she needs a bow and arrow....

Payton struggled with it a bit at first, being left handed always makes it a little harder for other people to show her how to do some stuff. This guy was really giggling at her trying to figure it out. She did eventually get it, her aim wasn't as good as Heather's, but she could get the arrow to stick in the target.

Hailey was just funny to watch. She could barely get the arrow to the target, let alone get it to stick in. By the end of the day though - she had it.

While waiting in the line to get our lunches - PIT BBQ (YUM) - Jasmine and daddy traded hats. Don't know that the little girls hat really fits daddy, but don't they look cute!

The Calf Sale ends up being right by my birthday every time we go. So, I always get to pick something fun. This year the craft booths weren't nearly as good as the past, but I did find some cute earrings for $2. AND, delicious homemade ice cream. Next time I will have to get a picture of me. lol

My birthday was fun this year! The 25th we went to eat Mexican food in Phoenix at a place called Garcias. They are the best restaurant around for real Mexican food. And, of course, it is expensive and a long drive - so we don't go very often.

While at dinner my dad called to see what we were doing ON my birthday. I told him nothing but cake and ice cream. So, he invited us to dinner at Red Lobster!

Yes, both of my favorite restaurants in 2 days!

Red Lobster was yummy and I needed to be rolled to the van.

By the time we got home it was too late for cake and ice cream, so we did it on Tuesday.

I can't remember the last time my birthday was celebrated for 3 days! It was awesome.

Heather & Jasmine waiting for their cake and ice cream.

(love the 'I love you' sign)

being patient

guess there should be a picture of me.

Hailey appears to need a little work on centering the subject of the picture.

and of course.

Josh - the love of my life - and me.

stay tuned.

-Josh went to the horse auction again....

-Heather had another buckle series.....

Did I Mention

2011-09-17T16:42:00.005-07:00

that I hate snakes??

Josh's mom was over to sing Happy Birthday to Hailey

(she is 10!!)

When they left, Josh walked her to her car.

As he was on his way to the front door.

This is the front of my house.

(so you can see how close this was)

All I know is that the front door opens with a

"Babe, grab my 9 and the flashlight!"

So, I did as I was told.

I looked down over the steps

This is what I saw

-nothing-

However, look closer

Now you see him?

he was the size of a pencil.

With only 1 little button on his rattle.

Josh was standing about 9 inches away from his backside,

and his mom was about 9 inches away from his head!

Talking for about 5 min.

How lucky are they!?!

Our neighbor has killed 3 this size in his yard.

(insert shudder here)

Apparently we are having such a problem because the eggs are laid

in washes and normally the washes get water, and the eggs are

washed down the wash. However, with the lack

of rain this year - all the eggs are hatching instead of being

washed down stream.

It may be a long, bad snake season!

Mrs. Mom is having issues with snakes too!

----------

We read a lot in this house,

Whiskers, the cuddle kitty, likes to help.

He was holding Heather's book down for her the

other day - and I thought it was cute.

Cute!

----------

Hailey did have her 10th birthday on Wed.

I can't believe how old she is.

She has changed a lot lately.

(this is July 31, 2008)

She is really into crafting type activities.

Dad picked up these for her,

she is really excited!

(I hope they last her more than one weekend)

----------

Bell

(Daddy's horse)

was running around our riding area the

other day and somehow hurt herself.

it was a pretty good gash,

but it healed nicely.

---------

Brown Eyed Cowgirls

posted about Cowgirl Happiness.

We received some of that yesterday.

After I took the picture,

I realized it looks like the ladder is holding the

hay up. (it isn't!)

But, this should get us through till Feb.

YIPPEE!

We still have this little bit to the right,

but watching hay prices go higher and higher,

we decided not to wait any longer.

2 in 1

2011-09-12T06:53:00.005-07:00

We have had H.O.T. weather here and breaking all kinds of heat records.

Finally we cooled off a couple of degrees -

by that I mean it went from 115 to 100.

It is funny exactly how much hotter that 15 degrees is.

On to my 2 in 1 story.

I go out to feed in the morning.

It was cooler, with a nice breeze.

Which always brings out the critters.

It happened to be Labor Day, so I had slept in a little.

I fed the goats in the front,

and fed the horses in back.

As I am feeding the last 2 horses, I hear a strange noise.

Thinking it may be a rattle snake, I head the long way around the house.

When I come around the corner, there he is.

Sitting outside my front door.

So while I try and keep all the dogs away,

call Josh to bring out the gun and kill it,

(because I couldn't get to the front door),

and watch him - his rattle is vibrating off the chain link.

That is why I didn't recognize the sound!

He was over 5 feet!!

Later that night, I go out to feed the horses.

Josh is at the neighbors house.

Out from under the truck slithers this snake.

He is only about 18in long.

Again I call Josh to make sure it isn't a rattler.

I watch him slither around the yard and keep the dogs from him.

This sneaky little snake

CLIMBS MY CHAIN LINK FENCE!

Ya'll I didn't know a snake could do that!

Sorry for the picture quality, it was on my phone.

Then he proceeds to slither along the top rail.

Since I am really surprised by this,

Josh nicely transported him down the fence line

by pushing his back end - till he fell off the fence.

He was a little gopher snake, so he went free.

That is how you get a 2 in 1.

(I hate snakes....)

What's for Dinner? (graphic pictures)

2011-09-04T14:50:00.004-07:00

So, Josh grew up eating lots of different kinds of wild life.

Me and the girls have stuck mainly to cow, chicken and pork.

We had the opportunity a couple nights back to skin some rabbit.

I put some of the kids to bed.

Heather, Jasmine

(she wants to be a vet, I figure this is a good test to see if she can handle it)

and I watch Josh and Grandpa skin them.

Jasmine is really in to it, and wants to see all the parts.

She constantly asks,

where is the kidney,

where is the liver,

I see it's lungs,

I wanna see the heart.

Josh is good and shows her them.

pullling off the skin

you can see the intestines

the yellow ball is it's bladder

liver

after it is all cleaned up,

and rinsed off.

it goes into a bowl

ready to be seasoned

Josh marinated it in some of his secret sauce.

then threw it on the grill

yummy

The girls ate it up!

Hailey

Payton

Jasmine

Some how I missed the other two girls.

It was delicious!!

Another School Year Begins

2011-08-14T15:30:00.008-07:00

It is the beginning of yet another school year around here.

So the week before school we played a lot in the yard.

Hailey and Jasmine played in the wagon.

the chickens stayed cool by playin in the mud

We did our back to school hair cuts last week.

Jasmine is growing hers out again, but we did chop Savannah's off.

When we went in it looked like this:

down to her butt

we left with it this short

above her shoulders

She sure rocks that hair cut though

Savannah and Jasmine showing of their new style.

new back packs all hung in a row

(notice the one that isn't pink or purple - foster BOY)

First Day of School outfits

Heather - 6th grade, 11 yrs old

Payton - 5th grade, 11 yrs old

Hailey - 4th grade, 9 yrs old

you can't really tell here, but Hailey chopped her hair off-

it was halfway down her back and it is right below her shoulders.

Jasmine - 1st grade, 5 yrs old

Savannah - kinder, 5 yrs old

Yes, my 5 year olds dress alike - a lot!

day 2:

the same outfit, Chipettes.

They are loving their classes and their teachers.

So far they are all having a great year!

I hope all my school years are easy - so far they have been.

Heather took first in night 2 of 4 in another buckle series.

She competed on Honey and Cheyenne.

Surprisingly well considering she hasn't ridden that much.

On another note,

we are no longer going to be whole around here.

We just learned a good friend of ours is moving.

Mikey and Wade at Fearless Farrier are moving on to better things.

However, we are upset.

Finding a farrier as good as Wade is going to be extremely difficult.

Friends, and great neighbors, moving away is always hard.

Josh has decided that he will make the 3 hour drive, each way,

to get Wade to do our horses.

A Whole Lotta Nothin'

2011-07-23T13:46:00.005-07:00

There is a lot of nothing going on here.

we've been loving on the fat dogs

practicing backyard hand stands

huggin

and ridin

It has been determined that Honey is just not the best at poles.

So, Heather has been practicing Cheyenne on poles,

Cheyenne does a pretty quick job.

here are the poles set up

the wind kept blowing them down,

so we took the poles out and ran cones

While Heather was practicing

we all had otter-pops.

Of course, Bell was mad that she wasn't getting ridden.

She was bucking in her stall, so I moved her to a bigger area to run.

Bell was racing on the fence line with Heather and Cheyenne,

then she'd turn and buck.

She apparently had a lot of energy.

what a silly girl

Payton practiced her steering abilities.

She pulled a double trailer 'rig' around the backyard for 30 minutes or so.

The girls all laughed!

Heather trotting Cheyenne around the pattern.

She was laughing at Bell the whole time,

so I am not sure how much practice actually got done.

We have this beautifully stacked squeeze of hay in the back yard,

however, with hay prices - you can never have too much.

When my dad called and said that he had some to sell us,

we hopped all over it.

Josh and I decided that I could never be a professional hay stacker

in my defense: it was 10 at night

and the bottom row of older hay was pretty wobbly.

On other news,

Heather ran Honey in the NBHA 5D barrel race last Saturday

evening and ran on of her fastest times ever.

20.130

she lost out on money by .2 sec.

We video tapped it and found some things she

can do to make her runs a little faster.

She has been practicing them all week.

She competes again today.

Crossing our fingers for a better time.

So, what have we been up too?

2011-07-13T10:04:00.005-07:00

Since Disney we have spent a lot of time inside.

It is hot!

In the evenings we go out and ride.

Heather is working a new horse to barrel race on.

She picked Honey.

Honey is fast, but not the most graceful horse you have ever seen.

The fun thing is; Heather's saddle that she won fits her perfectly.

walking the little arena in the back.

Since Heather is on Honey; Payton has started working Cheyenne.

It is an interesting match.

Cheyenne is used to Heather; Payton is used to Topaz.

every night the sky looks like this

every night the rain goes right around us

and we. get. nothing.

Jasmine watching Heather run

Daddy and his daughter

the orange glow is from the sky - pretty neat

Heather has also been practicing poles.

this is what we use

way cheaper this way

we found this guy in our backyard

he came slithering out right by Heather's feet

Josh caught him for the girls to see

and took him across the street.

5 min later he was snaking his way to the neighbors house,

so Josh took him back across the street.

We haven't seen him again - but sure he is out there.

Daddy's pet cat

Heather started a summer buckle series

in Wickenburg.

She is using Honey.

I am helping with the points and times

(with every buckle series)

so I get stuck in the booth.

Usually Josh is in the booth too,

but not this time.

So we were able to get a video of Heather's runs,

and a picture of me.

Savannah and Jasmine end up being the arena helpers.

Picking up trash, getting me drinks, and helping Josh.

Jasmine sure knows how to strike a pose!

The next event night for the buckle series isn't until Aug.

She took 4th for the night last Sat. - not too bad.

We found some things for her to work on.

And, she is barrel racing tonight.

I did ask Streak the kitty

how he feels about the heat and being outside.

this was his response.

One More Disney Post, I Promise

2011-07-08T12:33:00.006-07:00

Day 2 we spent some time at California Adventures,

since NONE of us had ever been to that side of the park before.

It was fun.

We definitely could have spent a lot more time there.

the kids all climbed a rock wall

and we learned what Spirit we would be (from Brother Bear)

Jasmine: wolf - wise and loyal

Savannah: beaver - hard working, ambitious

Hailey and Heather: loving, strong

Payton: beaver

and of course Josh and I did it too.

Josh: salmon - instinctive, strong willed

Me: eagle - intelligent, brave

the ride that you either love, or hate.

We watched the parade at Disney that evening

her face was like this the whole parade.

Jasmine was so excited she couldn't contain it.

(that parade, and the look on her face,

and the others, was about the best part of the trip)

Josh took a picture of me, taking a picture of the girls.

while we were waiting for the parade

top of the parking garage, leaving for the last time

(till we win the lottery and can go back!)

More Disney Fun

2011-07-06T12:43:00.004-07:00

One of the first things we do when we get to big places is

take pictures of the girls.

That way if something crazy happens and one can't be found,

we can show the police (or whomever) this is what they look like,

and this is what they are wearing today.

it was funny seeing all the girls in shorts and tennis shoes,

they wear boots so often.

one of the first rides we did was the Jungle Cruise

it was always one of my favorites as a kid,

and these gals loved it.

We were so lucky that first morning there,

we got in 6 attractions before we had to wait in line.

Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tarzan's Tree House

(remember when it was Swiss Family Robinson?)

The Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion

we did eat some delicious food

(Pizza Port (or something) for lunch

Ya'll, they let my girls drive!

Hailey drove daddy.

Payton drove Heather

We had a spinning good time on the Tea Cups.

Josh rode with Heather and Payton, because he could spin faster with bigger girls.

Jasmine (and all the other girls) used a magic feather to make Dumbo fly

We got pictures of these Princesses in front of the castle.

At that was the first day!

After this and much more, we went back to the hotel to get some rest

before day 2 - when we went to California Adventures for the first time!

The BIG surprise

2011-07-03T12:39:00.007-07:00

Being a family of 7, doing anything is expensive!

The movies are over $100 after tickets and popcorn.

Bowling - ya right.

Going to the water park - almost $150!

This year we decided to just go and do it.

A big family vacation.

We usually only take one a year where we actually go out of state,

get a hotel room, and get some wonderful neighbors to take care of the

horses, dogs and cats.

About a month ago we started researching different locations.

Heather, Payton and Hailey have been to Sea World

(Jasmine too, but she was only 6 months old).

Heather had been to Disneyland when she was 4.

We looked at Yellowstone, Yosemite, and other camping type locations too.

Josh booked the hotel, but we didn't tell the girls what we were up to.

They just knew that we were going to a hotel - for 3 nights.

Being the cruel parents that we are (hee, hee) we packed suitcases,

had directions and loaded the van.

The girls were told it would be about 7 hours to get there.

My 3 older girls were convinced that we were going to Grandma's house in Utah.

We just let them think that...

So, when we crossed the California border - they were stumped.

However, still no one figured it out.

When we got off the freeway and were minutes away from our hotel,

we had them watch for the Best Western sign.

As we were passing 'Disneyland parking turn here' signs we really thought

that they would guess. Ya'll - THEY NEVER DID!

So, we just left them in the dark. Josh went and got pizza for dinner.

After he got back, and they still didn't know, we discussed how we'd tell them.

Josh got out the e-tickets and had Jasmine read them.

Listening to her sound out Disneyland was pretty funny.

Finally, with the Disney parking garage outside our hotel window,

the girls were told where we were going.

We stayed at Disneyland and California Adventures

Wednesday from 8:00am - midnight,

and Thursday from 8 - midnight.

We did go back to the hotel for lunch and a movie on the laptop - just to rest our feet.

The girls were (and still are) completely exhausted!

However, it was a great time

We got to meet:

Jesse and Woody

Pluto

Goofy

and Payton and Heather met Mickey

We saw a lot more, but we didn't want to wait in line!

We got all 5 girls on all the rides!

Jasmine and Savannah loved Space Mountain.

Heather and Payton loved Tower of Terror.

Yep, Jasmine and Savannah went on that

too - but they cried the whole ride.

Hailey loved them all and couldn't decide what her favorite is.

Friday we had one more surprise.

Since we were so close to something else fun,

that none of them had ever been too or done.

We figured that we didn't have a set time to be home

(except for the fact that we didn't have another hotel room).

So, we put shorts and flip-flops on,

again not telling the kids what we were up too.

We headed to Newport Beach.

They were so excited,

however were scared of the seaweed on the beach.

Josh picked some up and made them all touch it.

The sand was beautiful and the weather was great.

They would run in the sand to the water,

then run away from the waves.

I heard a ton of laughing and giggling.

Everyone had their name written in the sand,

and a picture taken.

Because, that is what you do at the beach.

There were dolphins swimming about 50 feet out,

that was exciting to see.

And just for proof that I was there:

I got Heather to take a picture of us.

I have over 2oo pictures to share,

so I will put more up tomorrow.

And that was the best surprise

E.V.E.R.

Massages

2011-06-27T17:39:00.001-07:00

T.H.I.S. is what kids are for:

my back was itchy

so I got Hailey to rub it for me

This is what kids are for!

When it's 113 degrees

2011-06-23T13:54:00.007-07:00

When it is 113 degrees outside these are the things you find us doing:

playing peek-a-boo with Whiskers the kitty.

daddy beating us at board games and card games

hanging out at Cowtown Boots - buying Daddy his Father's Day presents

taking Great Grandma out to dinner for her birthday

playing indoor basketball

horses

and Polly Pockets

taking silly pictures with Daddy

and eating lots of

ice cream!

Oh, we spent a lot of time loving on the horses too,

but it is just too hot to saddle them up!

My Husband...

2011-06-19T09:49:00.005-07:00

I decided to do a Father's Day Post,

because sometimes I don't feel like I say it enough.

I love Josh.

He is so amazing.

He is my best friend, my better half, my rock and my whole life.

He is the one I get excited to call and tell random things to.

He has an amazing memory.

He enjoys fixing up our yard to make it better for us and the animals.

He L.O.V.E.S to cook

and has the best taste in food.

Which is hard when you want to keep eating it...

He enjoys trying new recipes,

usually one that he sees and tweaks it to make it taste even better.

He has a great taste in clothes.

I don't buy new clothes without him and

neither do the girls.

He surprises me with random items.

The post about the camera - I really had NO idea!

I don't get flowers often - because they just die,

but I get other fun things; a movie for us to watch, a game for us to try,

a new way to do stuff around the house so we can spend more time with the girls.

He is the best dad to our girls - he plays with them,

teaches them how to do new things, tickles them and watches movies with them.

He has planned the best summer vacation .

(which you will have to wait to see what it is, the girls don't even know)

He loves to sit and talk with them about their friends and school.

He has a great bond with Heather.

He is the one to keeps all the girls schedules straight.

He does the dr. appointments and dentist appointments.

He takes them on trail rides and to competitions.

He loves his mom and grandma.

We see them a lot and the girls love to spend time with them.

His mom and grandma taught him how to appreciate women/girls

and he does a good job at turning our girls into independent adults.

All in all,

He is great for me.

I love him.

new chicken coop that Josh built

convincing the girls that there are NO Easter Eggs over there

brushing Root Beer

greatest cuddler

posing with Savannah and Hailey

a surprise vacuum when the old one died

helping Jasmine overcome her fears

busting out with Karaoke at New Years

adjusting stirrups on Heather's saddle

official tooth puller

hiking with the girls

watching the 4th of July parade 2010

playing Uno (Jasmine beat him)

pic taken by Heather

New Camera

2011-06-14T13:42:00.003-07:00

Josh ran to town the other day to fill up his water jugs.

It seemed to be taking him quite a while.

So when he called me on his way home I asked

what was taking so long.

He responded with random silly answers,

but never a straight answer.

He came in the house with a small blue bag.

A prize for me?

(you can guess from the post title what it was,

but I had NO idea)

When he showed me what he got,

I was so excited.

a new camera!

Yeah~ my other camera still works, but very old.

Like 5 years old.

this one is fun.

since we will be going on vacation soon,

I am excited to take pictures with it.

He even bought me a case.

What a great guy.

I will take some pictures soon.....

Beef, it's whats for Dinner

2011-06-10T11:03:00.005-07:00

Heathers whole life she has been allergic to beef

(and MANY other foods).

We are chicken eaters.

It was decided that we should get her allergies tested

again, she hadn't had it done since she was 3, and being 11

her allergies could have changed.

So, Josh took her in to get her blood work done.

She did good, no tears.

However, they ran the wrong blood test and she had to do it again.

When we got the results,

SHE ISN'T ALLERGIC TO BEEF ANY MORE.

Josh and I were so excited to give her beef.

We eased her into it, so her body wouldn't go all weird.

On Sunday it was the most fun ever.

Josh made homemade salsa!

from this

add some of this

and stir

yum.

delicious!

Of course,

that isn't all we had.

there was sauteed mushrooms

BBQ'ed steaks

(and potatoes - but I didn't get a picture of them)

This is Josh's plate.

YUM!

Heather's plate, yep, beef on it.

And the eye roll that I got for taking her picture while

she was cutting up her steak.

She liked it, but she likes chicken more.

It has been funny to take her to restaurants,

she is so used to ordering chicken or pork

that she forgets about the beef.

On another note,

Savannah got shots on Wed.

She did really good for the first 3,

the guy that did them was so fast I couldn't get a picture of her face.

here she is when she was done.

2 shots in each arm.

Way to go brave girl!

Scooping with Style

2011-06-03T17:35:00.005-07:00

Josh bought the coolest little, kid sized,

red shovel, yellow rake and purple hoe set for the kids.

Jasmine and Savannah love them.

Payton is constantly hoeing the weeds

and raking everything in sight.

So, today was scoopin poo day.

I was cleaning out one of the water troughs

(because it was 2 inches deep of bleecchh and looked bad)

and told Jasmine and Savannah to

grab their red shovels and start shoveling one of the poo piles.

This is how you scoop glamorously.

They filled the wheel barrow and laughed the whole time.

That's what I call cool.

If all it takes is a red shovel to make poo scoopin fun,

I will go buy 3 more for the rest of the girls!

Allie has a new friend.

We saw him today after the horses got their senior feed.

can you see him?

this little guy would run up

steal a bite and sit there and eat it.

sneaky little thief

Jasmine took this picture the other day.

thought I should post one of myself once in a while.

(man, I look old.)

Home Done Buckle Series & Kindergarten Graduate!

2011-05-28T20:44:00.005-07:00

My girls are so funny.

They like to do their own buckle series,

where they are their own horses.

So, they did a bronc ride.

Jasmine took first and Heather made her a buckle.

Nice buckle huh,

I like the decorated belt that goes with it.

Heather has a neat way with tucking the paper in

so that the belt is adjustable.

AND,

Jasmine graduated from Kindergarten.

When did this girl get so old?!?

The kinder class all got these neat

"Class of 2023' shirts with their names on them.

She had just put on her shirt and came in to show it to me.

Walking into the gym

performing all the little songs that they had practiced.

With her diploma

While we were busy finishing our last week of school,

Josh was busy at the house.

We inherited chickens from Josh's mom

and they were just loose in the yard.

Since it is so hot, they needed some shade.

this is the result.

lots of shade and a place to roam.

the chickens are in heaven.

It's About Time for a Post

2011-05-21T14:37:00.006-07:00

it has been pretty busy around here.

The nice weather keeps us all outside,

before it gets to hot to be there.

Jasmine and Savannah keep the goats entertained.

Hailey practices her bike riding skills.

Hailey (Payton too) practice roping the dummy.

At the beginning of May it was teacher appreciation week.

I got these from a wonderful student and her mom!

And, on Mother's Day I was spoiled by my wonderful husband and girls.

One of the things I got was this poem written by Heather:

In case you can't read it, it says:

Mothers

They make us unhappy sometimes

They always protect us

They worry and wonder

They change their minds

But you need to remember

They do it all by love.

Can you tell by the first line that I have a preteen on my hands...

Josh also helped with laundry

There is only 2 things around the house that Josh hates

to do, laundry is one of them.

He will help with everything else around here.

He is so good to me!

The little garden in a pot is doing great.

All of the things are still growing.

Jasmine is graduating from Kindergarten on Wed.

The did little pictures with the kids in a cap and gown.

How cute!

(when did my baby girl get so old!!!?)

We took some group pictures for fun.

I have to update the wall now and then.

note: Heather is a head and a half taller than Payton,

she was irritated that I made her squat down a little for the picture

but it just looked funny.

Top to bottom

Heather - 11, Payton - 11, Hailey - 9, Jasmine - 5, Savannah - 5

And of course,

for my sanity -

Everyday after lunch when there is no school,

we make the girls chill and watch a movie.

there are actually 7 here, some are just hidden by the couches.

We haven't been doing any horse things.

With the Equine Herpes Virus affecting many horse owners and events-

we have just been enjoying them at home.

However, it has just involved petting and loving on them.

So, since no post is complete without at least one picture of a horse,

here is Tippy sporting his new fly mask.

Oh, the Insanity.

2011-04-25T20:55:00.004-07:00

Apparently we have been working the girls around here a little much.

Savannah crashed out while watching a movie,

then the cat came and curled up with us.

Cocoa, the yorki, was shivering the other day,

Jasmine and Savannah decided that she needed a sweater.

However, we don't have any for her.

So, they resorted to baby doll clothes.

We have been working a lot outside.

It is a little bright, and very warm already.

Josh has worn out his arm, brushing off the winter coats.

Topaz gets the best winter coat, so the most to brush off.

Heather has been helping, she loves to brush Cheyenne.

As soon as Heather walks into her stall,

Cheyenne runs up for a good rub.

Here I am Heather, rub me!

Oh, that is just great.

Here, let me try.

yep, that's it - that's the spot!

Josh planted a small garden.

We haven't gotten a large area ready yet, but we started here.

He is growing tomatoes and bell peppers

in his little pot garden.

He already has some of the plants that have started budding.

We are excited!

This cat used to live inside.

Then he started peeing on everything.

So, he moved out. He now has a happy home on the back porch.

The funniest thing about him,

he has decided that he doesn't like the little ground squirrels

that are everywhere.

Yesterday, Josh caught him peeing on the ground squirrel holes,

then covering up the holes!

We had a good laugh.

We didn't color Easter Eggs this year.

Josh's mom has her chickens at our house and we

have been enjoying fresh eggs everyday.

they come out already colored!

We did an egg hunt with plastic eggs, twice.

The Easter Bunny left a basket of eggs for Josh to hide,

next year we may have to check the eggs for chocolate first -

the candy got a little warm!

Then of course we took a Sunday nap.

Josh's buddy, Smoke, napped with him.

Then it was on to Great Grandma's house for a delicious dinner.

The girls put some miles on the grass in the back yard.

This is why every pair of Heather's jeans have holes in the knees.

The kid is part horse.

Here are the girls, running the yard -

and working off all their candy.

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Crazy Weather

2011-04-09T15:31:00.004-07:00

Last week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - it was like 90 degrees (F) and hotter.

Today we woke up to rain, and 46 degrees. Nuts!

Nothing out of the ordinary is going on. Just busy with horses, teaching and my girls. Heather did go on a trail ride the other day (Thursday) with Josh. She did good, a little but nervous - but she will never admit it. The wind was really blowing and Cheyenne reared up on her a couple of times. All those blowing trees and bushes were going to get her. However, she came home in one piece with her first ride, after broken arm, done.

Now we need to get going again with the competitions.

Really I just have some random pictures of all the cute-ness around here.

I walked around the corner of the living room the other day and saw this.

Two peas in a pod. The original trouble makers at this house.

I love it when they have days like this!

The kids go out to play and notice this.

Root Beer, laying in the hay and eating. Every sign of a nice relaxing day.

A couple of weekends ago, Josh and I built this little goat shelter. It was getting hot (mid to upper 80's and 90's) and they don't have shade like they used to. So, we got to work. The girls watched the goats while they ate weeds in the yard. The girls all got a sunburn. But, the goats love their little shelter. (especially today with the rain)

Heather - she was doing her arm exercises to help strengthen those muscles.

Jasmine and Savannah - climbing on the hay - again.

Those 2 love to pose for the camera.

Jasmine and Daddy

Savannah, Daddy and Hailey

Taking a break from outside,

Payton made friendship bracelets.

Savannah practiced Hanna Montana

Then played a wild game of Candy Land with Jasmine.

And, we got rid of Jughead. We got him for our girls to rid, but he was WAY too much for them. He had a really good buck on him. So, once again we are looking for a horse...

JUGHEAD?!?

2011-03-23T16:54:00.004-07:00

Man, you never know what is going to happen around here.

Yesterday I left for work, normal day so far.

I get a call from Josh, on his way home from town - still normal so far.

He tells me that he is going with a friend of his to look at a horse,

again - nothing new.

Then I get home from work and this is in my backyard:

His name is Jughead.

Our friend thinks he is the ugliest horse ever.

At certain angles, I agree.

However - he was my favorite price

F.R.E.E.

Jughead is an old rope horse we are told.

Our farrier knows this horse and said he should be ok.

We got him for our red heads to trail ride on.

Meet Jughead.

He is a brat and fights with all the other horses all day long.

So far he seems friendly with the littlest girls.

He came over and let them rub his face.

I think his butt markings are cool.

he got a good brushing from Josh

(can you see all that hair?)

Seeing all that hair, led to the brushing

of all the other horses.

Maverick loved his rub.

Man, holy hair!

So, today he tackled them again.

Shedding season - here we go.