"Choose your love ~ Love your choice"

Calves to be branded

Summer brings on a whole new list of "to do's" at our house.  While we enjoy the new season, warm weather and the chance to be outside more, we also remember why we like winter to come back around as well.  Spring sprung and we branded the cows again, seriously one of our favorite times of the year.  This year we recruited the help of my cousin from Cali, it was super fun to have him experience all the cows and dirt, ropes and shots, branding irons and dry ice.  

Now that the FUN part is over we move on the other "farm livin'" items.  Watering, cutting, baling, fixing, raking, fixing, spending, fixing, driving, fixing, watering, fixing, did I mention fixing?  It seems to never end! We are running (co running some) over 200 acres this year, the hubs is working overtime at his job most weeks and I'm still keeping my "plate spinning" acts at full capacity.  The other day Hank and I met up in the garage (he was going to change water, I had come from changing another field) I smiled and said "is it winter yet?" he looked at me a little confused and asked "why?" I replied, "Cause I need a NAP!"  Yes this time of year it seems the peaceful slumbers of winter and hunkering down by the fire are missed dearly.  We are a lot like bears, we work and work all summer then hunker down for the winter.  There is still work in winter but much less.  I don't think I have fed my family dinner before 8pm (most days between 9 and 10pm) this summer!  My kitchen floor is a disaster and I swear I sweep 5 times a day.  There is more laundry to do, fuel to buy, sheep to walk, weeds to pull, flowers to water, lawn to mow.  Then we top it off with all the regular things we do and it seems like it's never going to end.  I was thinking about all of the "to do's" and feeling pretty overwhelmed.  The kids still have their activities to do like baseball and swimming lessons to add to the list.  We have jobs and church and checking cows on the mountain as well.  But....as I run Buckwheat to baseball and watch his batting get better and better and his love for the game improve, listen to Jo play the star spangled banner on the piano, watching Peanut count down the days until swim lessons, changing water with Bud (who by the way will be a licensed DRIVER soon!), chatting with Sue on the phone, picking up Hank at 1am from a field he's baling, and washing the dishes by hand cause the dishwasher gave it's last wash months ago....I can't help but think of the quote by President Monson, "Choose your love ~ Love your choice!"  

Bud, waiting for the cows

the lovely shot giver and the new chute closer (oh, and the alley pusher)

roping cows

Jo and the boss in the new Kubota 

I love EVERY busy, chaotic, nap needing, so hungry we could eat a horse at 10pm, filled day!  This is what WE CHOSE!  Our family chose to live this life, we chose each-other, we chose to work HARD and hardly play....(except it is our play).  We are addicted to our jobs for sure, but we don't' regret it, we don't hold a grudge, we thrive when we are working hard and getting in late.  Not only do I LOVE my choice in the man I chose to be my eternal companion, and the family we chose to have, I love the choice in what we decided to make of our life.  There is nothing as truly AMAZING as changing water at dusk with your almost 16 year old son and talking, laughing, watching the sun set.  The wheel lines on the horizon, the gorgeous valley we live in and the BEST family I could have imagined by my side.  I chose this, I love this!  It's not always easy, and often times we are so tired we can't see straight.  There are times when more things break than we care to name, and times when we've spent so much money on fuel, seed and farm stuff we aren't sure if it's worth it....But in the end it's our Happily Ever After, it's the Ying to our Yang, it's the best life we could imagine!  So as you rush around in the life you've made, remember the choice is yours....Choose your choice and love it...it's better that way!

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

In a effort to feed the family in a healthier fashion, we've been trying  a few different things.  We raise beef - we eat beef - we eat more beef- we sometimes feel like NOT eating beef!  Our beef is grass fed, very healthy and we know what goes in it so I never worry about store bought stuff and I am very grateful for that!  I don't remember the last time I bought beef related products at the grocery store.  But in an effort to not ALWAYS eat BEEF we are broadening our horizons and trying new things.  I haven't been a huge fan the the turkey burger, it's very bland and doesn't have a real strong flavor when cooked ,but this time we kicked it up a notch and it was FABULOUS! These Teriyaki Turkey Burgers are a must try!  They have graduated to our DO EAT list and we are trying more things with turkey burger.  They were super simple to make and the turkey when seasoned properly is really tasty!

Grilled Pineapple...YUM!

As you can see, I just grilled them up on our cast iron griddle right on the stove top.  I seasoned the turkey with garlic salt and pepper and I added a little bit of Italian bread crumbs as well. I grilled the pineapple first, then Patti-ed out the turkey burgers and grilled them up.  We topped them with teriyaki barbecue sauce, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, and of course the pineapple and devoured them!  EVERYONE loved them!  Seriously a must!  I can't wait to get the BBQ fired up this summer and make these with some corn on the cob. DELICIOUS, EASY and Healthy!  

What's your favorite thing to do with turkey burger?

The FIRST one ~ twenty

She was the first, yet I didn't watch her first step or stay up with her when she was a baby. No, our firsts were different.  Our firsts started at age 8 when she became my little buddy, greeting me eagerly on weekends we had together, letting me dress her and curl her hair.  She was the first little girl, she was the first one I stayed up late with, the first one I made an Easter dress for, she was the first one I waited up for when the dating began, the first one I sent to school, she was the first one I took prom dress shopping and car shopping, she was the first one I taught to drive, the first one that made me laugh and cry, she was the first one that I worried and wondered about, the first one to move in and move out, the first to make me proud as punch, the first to get a job, the first to have her own room, the first one in braces, the first birthday cake I ever made anyone, the first one to wear makeup, the first one that I learned from...the first one.  She still is, the first one!  I can't believe 12 years have come and gone.  20 seemed like a very distant thing when we were having all these firsts together. I'm crazy grateful for this FIRST ONE!  She makes me laugh, we've had some great moments, some sad ones, some crazy ones and some awesome ones.  Happy 20! To the FIRST ONE!  I love you.....to the moon and back (mostest)! 

20 years old!

Dresses and Dances

                           

Mexico

My Little Maid of Honor

Rodeo flag 

 

I didn't write it....but I LOVE IT! Life gave me the gift of YOU!

                             

7th grade

First deer 

Springtime on the Farm

It's the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!  I know they sing it at Christmas time but I think I should be able to sing it at other times of the year.  Like Fall because I LOVE Autumn, or SPRINGTIME because it's one of the BEST!  The ground is thawing the calves are being born and things start coming to life again.  I absolutely LOVE this time of year! This year we have had a good abundance of healthy calves.  In years past we've had times when it seems there were more that didn't make it than did.  Sometimes we've had sick ones and mothers that wouldn't cooperate.  This year however has been one of the BEST!  Thank Heavens!  Sick cows and one's that don't make it are just part of the circle of life on farms, but it's never fun.  I prefer healthy years like this one, myself. 

Feeding the cows

Ear Tagging calves

Can't forget Uncle CJ's Piggies

Cute Calves!

Doctoring Calves

I don't know that I ever really thought about being a farmer (or being married to one) when I "grew up" but it just so happens that the man I married got the farming itch about 3 years after we were married.  We knew we wanted wide open spaces, no neighborhoods, we wanted to listen to cows moo and wake up to the sound of sprinklers hitting the fence or the creek running in the back. Now those are just part of what we call life.  We work all summer and feed cows all winter.  We don't vacation much......okay maybe not really at all, but do we need to?  Who says that's what life is about?  It may be for some, but for us - this is what we do and what we love!  I have never been disappointed with the choice we made! (It also is a fabulous way for the kiddos to learn.  We've learned TONS through working together, doctoring cows, branding, spending time together, and being out in nature).  There's no better life!  "Farm livin' is the life for me!"  Stay tuned for the next debut of the famous annual "Cattle branding weekend". Famous as is in we do it every year, it makes me happy and is another one of the MOST WONDERFUL TIMES OF THE YEAR!  I saw a cute quote on Pinterest (duh, where else would I see it haha!) it said

  "Live your life like someone left the gate open!"  

So true!  The joy is in the journey.  Find something you love and live for it!  I LOVE THIS LIFE WE CHOOSE TO LIVE!!!

Do you love your life?  Tell me about it! I'd love to hear what makes your life FABULOUS!

Thanks for reading,

Paleontologists in the making!

These cute little munchkins love to discover things.  When we registered with Harmony this year we got COOL things in the mail...Like CHRISTMAS!  In one box was this Dinosaur Dig kit....and what better day to break it out then a MARCH day.  March tends to be warm one day and miserable the next...okay who am I kidding it's like that ALL SPRING where we live.  No guarantees it'll be nice til, oh I'd say late June then it's just too freakin' hot to do anything.  So you gotta enjoy the nice days and live up the yucky ones.  And that is just what we did.  These three are ALWAYS on me about SCIENCE! So we pulled this bad boy out and they all got cracking on it.  They even let their friends in on it, everyone taking a whack trying to see what bones they could discover.  Really Cool! and kept them mesmerized for hours!!!!

It's all in the preparation :)

Paleontologist's look out!

Oh SHE'S CUTE!

My THREE MUSKETEERS

Crafty Kids ~ Make it Monday

Baby M's Blankie!

Jo! Oh she is a funny gal!  She often thinks her mother is not crafty at all!! And finds the need to express herself in craftiness (which I don't usually crave that desire).  I can do crafts, like them, don't have room for them, don't feel the need to do them often.  But this child of mine finds great joy in it! I'm grateful she's a self learner cause she can do just about anything.  This is a little blankie she mad her baby cousin.  Jo picked out the fabric, embroidered the name, cut the ribbons, I helped her pin them and then she helped sew it together.  It was just perfect!  Baby M loves it and Jo couldn't be more pleased! It's just a little blanket so Baby M can take it in the car or it can easily fit in a diaper bag, etc.  The ribbons give it texture and the fun colors are great for learning babes.  Crafts may be something we venture into more often :)!

Elf on the WHAT?

Jingle the silly little Elf!

That famous new tradition of this little Jolly Elf that appears in homes (when Grandma's feel the urge to grace you with one's presence).  It's another of those things that I think is OVER the TOP but one magically came to our home in 2012.  It was a sad sight!  The poor little Jingle elf we have barely made any movement, staying in the same place for sometimes two weeks!!! The blame was placed on the weather and other various acts that were not related to WHY the elf wasn't moving.  THIS year however was much different!  Our Elf gained a great sense of belonging, we found him hanging from a ceiling fan in Buckwheat's underoo's, he was found trapped by army men and Ken doll's by the back door.  Now, remember this is a kind elf, ours doesn't get into mischief.....I don't see the point in making messes for the sake of telling the kids the elf can but they can't.  So,our Silly but well behaved Jingle had a personality that he seemed to be lacking the year before.  All this was due to a certain creative little genius I like to call "Santa's little helper" a.k.a Jo!  Now looks are deceiving, this little helper of mine is WISE beyond her years and is constantly reminding me of things, helping with homeschooling, cooking, chores and anything else, I'm certain her spirit is older than mine, (she just happens to be younger than me in age).  When Jo was waffling in her belief of the man in the big red coat I decided I'd rather make things positive instead of negative.  See, I believed!!!! I'm talking, I BELIEVED til I was 13 years old!!!  My grandpa lived in California and would drive 10 hours, dress up in his Big Red Coat, deliver a sack of GOODNESS (I actually have no idea what he brought but he had a sack and that's all that mattered) to our home while I watched with AMAZEMENT from the doorway of my parent's room WITH my parent's (might I add).  Then he would drive all the way back home, never visiting as "Grandpa" on that special day. SERIOUSLY FOLKS........ I BELIEVED!!! Santa was MAGICAL, Santa was TRUE and I had seen him for SEVERAL YEARS with my own two eyes and my parents standing by my side.  So when my little (much wiser than his years) baby brother broke the news to his 13 year old sister (mind you, he was 3!!!) I was devastated!  But believing is so much more than that ........Believing in the Good the, hope the light!  I STILL BELIEVE but it's just a little different now.  Well, I didn't want Jo to find out the hard way and be crushed or feel deceived because that's not what Christmas and the Spirit of Christmas is about!  I wanted her to be BELIEVING and to help and hope and have the Spirit of Christmas with her Always! So I let her read a letter on Pinterest that explains this whole thing as I see it!  The parents who wrote this letter were so Right!  Santa is more than just a person who brings toys.  This is what I wanted Jo to know and to get a taste of so she would still be excited for Christmas and the Magic and Hope and Love it brings.  After she read it she asked a lot of questions and I happily answered.  We talked about Jesus being the reason we have Hope and the Spirit of Christmas is about GIVING and the gift the Savior gave to us is the most important of them all! Santa gives and we give to keep the spirit of Christmas alive.  Then the topic of Jingle our little Elf came up.  We had found the PERFECT roll for her to play in making Christmas Magical!  JO IS THE BEST ELF ON THE SHELF mover of ALL TIME!  She brought happiness to her little brother and sister, the joy she found in moving him and having them find where Jingle was each morning was something I will always treasure!  I love the creative things she did with Jingle, the dedication she had to do it daily (it gets to be a little much after a while!) and the joy she found in the journey.  (I'm so glad she took over this roll!  If it would've been mine again I think Jingle would've magically disappeared LOL!) My wise girl all wrapped up in a beautiful little girl package, her vibrant spirit and love amaze me!  I'm so grateful for her! I'm so grateful for the help she is for the Spirit she brought this Christmas to our home and for the light she brings everyday, I'm truly blessed to be her mom!

Buckwheat's Birthday!

Dice game

Buckwheat turned the magical number 8!!! And we celebrated with style this year.  I am SO not a birthday party thrower, just not my thing.  I like small parties with family and cake and ice cream, the child's favorite dinner and call it a day. But every once in a while Celebration is called for!  So we had a Minute To Win It themed party.  The boys that came were super fun!  We played: Keep three balloons up in the air (that was TRICKY!), stack the dice on your partners tongue depressor (SO FUNNY!), Marble and Pool Noodle bowling, eat the Oreo (HILARIOUS!) and elephant trunk game (Another HILARIOUS one!).  We also had Sloppy Joe's and I was told that I make the BEST Sloppy Joe's EVER!  Well, I'm glad that packet of Western Family sloppy joe mix and the tomato sauce made someone's day :)

Balloon Game

Elephant trunk game

Happy BIRTHDAY BUCKWHEAT!!!!!

Then and Now...change is good!

Reflecting....I think I do that a lot :)!  I was thinking about who I use to be and who I am now.  Thinking about the road that lead me to THIS place I am, THIS person I am....WOW what a journey!  You think you know who you are and then you turn around and you are someone very different.  When I was little I was cautious, shy, very observant of others.  When I turned 8 years old my family took me to a Mexican Restaurant and the staff had me put on a huge sombrero and they proceeded to sing "happy birthday" to me....well if you don't already know, now you do please don't sing happy birthday to me!!! Especially not in public places.  I melted, sank low in my chair then under the table and sobbed.  Yeah not a lime light kind of gal.  That definitely hasn't changed.  Although in high school I wasn't really popular, not unpopular but just kinda did my own thing, I was quiet and liked things just so.
I use to be an immaculate room keeper (because that's all that I had to claim as mine I suppose) every 30 days I would gut my room.  We are talking bed out, mattress out, everything OUT!  I cleaned, vacuumed, wiped down and put it all back in, in an orderly organized fashion.  I was thrilled to help friends clean their rooms, houses and the like.  I still have this obsession and have to remind myself to NOT clean so I can get other things done.  But my cleaning has taken a backseat.  Who knew 7 people could make a house so messy DAILY?!?!  Not me!  That's when I had to let things go.....or go insane.  (maybe I did a little of both ;0)!)
I've always been opinionated, but I use to not verbalize it out loud.  Now I'm happy to give my opinion whenever you'd like, and maybe even when you wouldn't like it!

I use to think that kids that misbehaved were totally not getting enough discipline at home!  After Buckwheat came into the world I kind of changed my mind about that one.  Sometimes the parents are to blame, but quite often these little people come to earth with these.........PERSONALITIES they developed somewhere that I am quite certain I didn't have much say in!  I will never forget when Buckwheat was about 18 months old I attended a movie with my parents and some other peeps in my family.  Buckwheat still had a binky and was doing quite well til about 45 min into it.  He got restless (he's a BOY and he's BUSY!!) so I tried to entertain, tried to let him stand by me, play with my purse, my phone (we didn't have smart phones then), and various other quiet activities in the proximity we were contained to.  Well he'd had about enough of that.... he started to get louder (he still has no idea what a quiet voice is) and louder.  Quietly I whispered "you have to be quiet".  He looked at me, binky in mouth, and GROWLED "MMMMMOOOOOMMMMM!"   "SHHHHHHHH!" I said.  Wrong word.   Out came the binky and I saw it fly into the crowded theater.  I'm sure it smacked someone in the back of the head or they later found it in their popcorn (SORRY whoever you were!).  I was mortified, now I had NO way of keeping this little man quiet or content.  So I gave in..........I just let it all loose and gave in.  I put him on the ground so perhaps his non quiet voice wouldn't be so loud!  Guess what he found?  Oh yeah!  POPCORN! No, I didn't buy it, others did, you know the popcorn you step on when you find your seat.  YEP!  He found it, and without the bink, HE WAS GOING TO EAT IT!!! So I just let him.  I felt like the worst mother ever, felt like perhaps he'd become deathly ill, but I just couldn't make him sit still and he had chucked his plug into the crowd so my son ate popcorn off of the dollar theater floor that night.  That's when I knew that the old me.........yeah she was GONE!  With Jo it was so easy, she let me feed her, SHE NEVER got messy (except on her 1st birthday when I took deep breaths and rocked in the corner as she ate her cake in her highchair). Seriously I was a clean Nazi!  And when Peanut came around it was every man or child for themselves :) HAHA!  No, but I have chilled IMMENSELY since baby number one. Peanut now frequently says to me "Really mom?!"  with all the attitude of a 17 year old in a 5 year old body!



Other things that have changed.... is that I always  had to look just so.  My dad use to go bonkers when we'd go hunting, because I had to get up an hour early to "primp" for the hunt.  He would say "Whose gonna see you?!" and honestly I have no idea who would've but it was just who I was.  I still get ready, I still like to look nice, but there are some days I have been known to go to town with a beanie and my gym clothes on (something I swore I'd NEVER do!).  And since we've started homeschooling I am constantly saying to the kids "please do your hair, you  look like you are homeschooled!"  HAHA!

Another....I use to remember things.....okay everything..... like crazy!  I mean weird dates, peoples phone numbers, memorizing long lists of words and their definitions, work phone numbers of numerous contractors we dealt with, crazy things and in great detail too!  I still do (I do know all my bank account numbers by heart, my SSN (duh) and my DL number too) but some days mommy brain has the best of me and  if I don't write it down I may have no idea what you are talking about ;)  there was one point it got pretty bad and my mom started calling me Dori like on Nemo... yeah mommy brain can be that bad sometimes LOL!  (Lists and calendar apps have become my best friends)

I use to have an obsession with moose.  I had a moose decor room, I had moose figurines, moose signs, moose dishes, moose sheets.  Now I still like moose, I just don't feel the need to decorate with them.  I use to be a rule follower, letter of the law kinda girl.  Now I feel the need to go against the grain, to find whats right for me and whats right for my family.  I don't like to be told what to do...never have (which is weird that I liked to follow rules, hmmm).  I use to want 12 kids, then after watching my 3 little bros in my tween-teen years I determined ONE child would be magical!  Glad that didn't stick ;)!



Another use to..........I use to always compare.....I wish I was more like her and could be more playful with my kids, or I wish I could relax and be laid back like her, or I wish I was as skinny as this one, or I wish I could......blah blah blah.  It's taken me a few years but for the most part I don't want to be like anyone else. Don't get me wrong, there are women I love, admire and look up to, many of them and they are inspirations, but I don't need to be them.  I have weaknesses and things I want to change about me, but I don't want to be someone else.  I like having my body, having my strengths.....and weaknesses, because I know what to do with me and what I know what I  need to work on with ME, I wouldn't have a clue what to do with her.  I love the quote that says "Comparison is the thief of Joy!"  Or better yet "The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday!"  That's EXACTLY right.  I am me, and I'm very glad I am! In a book I've been reading called Desperate hope for the mom who needs to breathe the co writer wrote something so inspiring to me, it went something like this: I need to be me, with all my strengths weaknesses, imperfections and all, my children needed this mom, they were sent to be with me for a reason and I am what they need.  I just wanted to SHOUT FOR JOY!  AMEN!!  I agree 100%, even though I want to be a better mom a better version of me, I am what they need, I am who they need and they will be who they are partly because of me.

So, then I was a growing girl trying to figure out who I was.  Doing what I knew how to do and getting better everyday.  And now, I am still trying to be better everyday, but in different ways.  I am sure when I am 60 and look back I will be pleasantly surprised at where I am and who I am... Just as I am sure the teenage version of me would be pleasantly surprised of who I am today.   Change is necessary, change is amazing and change makes us who we are each and everyday!