Advent Calendar!!

My sister Jennie found an Advent calendar in the Pottery Barn catalog. It was $70.00!! We decided that we could make one that would be cheaper (and cuter!). It ended up costing about $12.00! Not including the many hours, especially since the glue wouldn't hold and I had to blanket stitch around all 25 pocket!! It turned out awesome and hopefully my kids will enjoy it for many years to come.

My mom made one for Kris and I when we were little, so we added some of the ones we could remember from our childhood. The train, doll, dog. It was alot of fun to work on this with my sisters!

Helping with the Christmas Lights!

As I was putting up our tree, Sophie crawled over and kept playing with the lights. She was so fascinated with them! She kept wrapping them around herself and singing. She is so much fun! She is attempting to walk. Soon she will be mobile and getting into everything! So worth it!

Pee-Wee Lamb show

Lainey was old enough this year to participate in the Pee-Wee lamb show. She was a bride and her lamb was the groom. She won runner-up for most original costume. I start planning next years costume as soon as the show is over. If anyone has an idea, let me know.

When Cooper was younger he won every year but one. He has been a sailor with a hula girl, a soldier with Sadam "on the lamb", a train conducter, missionaries,Old Ephriam and Mr. Clark. It is alot of fun, but getting harder to come up with original stuff!! Cooper showed a pig this year and got a blue ribbon and sold his pig for $850.00!! More money for college,

Making Memories!

I was just reading my aunt's blog about memories of growing up. I have to say that I was very mean to my siblings. It is something that I will always regret and wish I could take back, but hope that I have made up for it in some small way. It seems that as we have grown older, we have grown closer. I know I can call my sisters at 3:00am and they will talk things out. All 3 of my brothers are jokesters. I don't get to see Jeff or Matt alot, but Nate is only 5 years older than Cooper (who will be 11 in about 6 weeks!) I try to include him in things and hope that he will have good memories of me. I was so mad when my parents would make me take Krista with me wherever I went. I know I would have gotten into alot more trouble than if she hadn't been there. I am thankful for loving and forgiving parents.
Do you ever stop raising your children? If one of my children are hurt, I call my mom in a panic, I am a nurse!! I know what to do.
I am blogging at almost 0300 because I have a party tommorrow and my house is not perfect. I have spent 3 days cleaning (was it really that dirty?) and dipped pretzels for 3 hours this evening after a 2 hour American Legion meeting!! And I am trying to convinve people to be in charge of Pennies by the inch in our areas and am not having much success!! ( Having 2 bishops yell at you.... not a good time). why do I do this to myself?? UHHHH!!!!! I need to learn to say no and only do 1 thing at a time. I am going to go crawl into Madelaine's bed, since she is in my spott and won't sleep by herself. happy reading to those of you who made it tis far!!! ove to you all!

Cooper + Football = injuries!!

Cooper had been going to football practice for 3 and a half weeks when it was time for his 1st game. He had to miss it so he could show his pig at our County Fair. (Which he sold for $825.00!!) Then he practiced the next 4 days and at his game on Sat. got hurt within the 1st half of the game. Luckily there is a kid on his team whose dad is a Dr. When he ran out and saw Cooper on the field, he told Lane to take him to the ER. Cooper is in a splint on his Right arm for another 8 days, then we go back to have it re x-rayed to see if he needs a cast! He broke his hand last year the very last play of the football season. We had to go through all of that last time too! I'm ready to be done with Football!! But Cooper thinks if it's not broken he gets to play the rest of the season, I'm sorry to say, he doesn't!!

Cooper getting his 1st shave!!!

When we were at This is the place, Cooper went to the Barbershop. He decided to get a shave. The Barber lathered him up, sharpened his blade and away he went!! Cooper was a little nervous (especially after the barber said he had only cut off a few ears in his career). but he was a trooper and let mom take a bunch of pictures.

Cooper is a really busy 10 year old. He helps on the farm almost everyday. His favorite thing to do is to drive. (Yes he can use a clutch!) He helps change water, feeds the dogs, pigs, horse, rabbits and ewes/lambs we have at home. He plays football and practices every night from 5:30 to 7:00. His first game is tomorrow in Layton. He shows his pig Daffnee next week at our County Fair. Then starts the 5th grade on August 31st!! This summer has gone by really fast!! He is a really good helper and loves to watch the girls by himself. He is getting tall and is very skinny!!!! I can't keep him in pants or shoes!! He is a really good kid. I ran into his 4th grade teacher one day this summer and she told me how much she loved Cooper, how smart he is (he reads at a 9th grade level) and what a good friend he is to everyone! It made me really proud to be his mom!!

SOPHIE IS ONE!!!

Sophie turned one on 8-7-08!! The girls' birthday's are only about 10 days apart. She had 2 little pink cakes (one from me and one from Grandma Sue). We let her go at it and she was very dainty. I finally gave her a spoon to eat the cake, but she just kept using one finger to get tiny tastes of pink frosting. She is very spoiled and is always full of smiles and laughs! ( She has killer dimples, Lane is already worried about the whole dating thing!) She started crawling about 2 days before her birthday and is now brave enoughto kneel or stand up to things, she even tried to stand up in the middle of the floor the other day. I ALWAYS have to vacuum since she puts everything in her mouth! Lainey never crawled so we didn't have that problem!! She is so much fun and loves to play with her big sister and brother. She loves to talk on the phone to daddy and watch Dora. She likes to scribble on any of my papers that she shouldn't and loves all our dogs. I always have her in pink and try to put headbands on, but she rips them off. She has super long black eyelashes and perfect eyebrows (it really makes aunt Krista jealous!!) We love her and are so excited to watch her grow!! She is always a very happy little girl!! :)

Lainey Turned 3!!

She decided that she HAD to have a Cars Birthday. We went to This is the Place State State Park. She rode the pony twice ( all by herself, she is my litle cowgirl through and through!!) and we rode the trains. She was in heaven!! It's so hard to believe that she is growing up sp fast. She wears a 4 or 5 T because she is so tall!! ( She get's that from my side of the family.) She loves to drive the hiccup truck (no I didn't misspell that) with daddy, go on th 40wheeler, ride any horse that is here at home, go check on the sheepherders and ride/drive the tractors. She loves all animals and her Fifi (she couldn't say S's when Sophie was born). She loves to clean with me and is always mopping or sweeping the kitchen floor. I think we should own stock in Huggies wetwipes because she cleans everything with them!!! I find little shreds of them all over the house, or in Sophie's mouth! She has Daddy wrapped around her little finger, and is mommy's princess!! We love her so mucha nd are truly blessed to have her in our family.

When does it ever end????

I got more bad news today. I have another abscess that they think they need to go in and remove surgically. I had a CAT scan and blood work done today. Hopefully we will know in the morning what is going on and what the Dr has planned. It has been 5 weeks and seems to just keep getting worse, not better. I'll try to keep you updated. I'm just erally frustrated and at my wits end. If I could quit crying all the time it might help, then again.....probably not!!!

Unexpected Complications!!

On May 6th I had to have part of my tailbone removed. After 3 fractures over 15 years it would just not heal. The surgery went fairly well, just alot of pain. I went to a post-op appointment on Friday May 22nd. I was feeling alot worse and in alot of pain. I ended up going septic by about 10:00 that night and had to be Life Flighted to LDS Hospital in Salt Lake.(MY first helicopter ride and I don't remember a thing about it!!) After about 18 hours in the ICU, they were able to move me to the intermediate care floor. They found that I had an abcess by the surgical site. They ent in and drained the abcess. It was only filled with blood, not pus like they had thought. If it had been that, they were going to put a drain in and leave it for 10-14 days. It is feeling so much better and I was able to leave alot faster than the Dr.'s had thought I would. THankfully I am doing so much better and am actually going to leave for Girls' State on Sun. morning. I know that the reason I was able to heal so fast was because Lane was able to give me a blessing before I left on Life Flight. I am so thankful for the Priesthood in our home. Lane is such a strenth to me, So is my Parents. I was so suprised when Jeff and Heather came to see me Sat. afternoon, then Krista and Lance drove almost 4 hours one way to see me. My mom and dad came down, then Aunt Tiana, Brock, Brandon and Lizzie also came. It is so nice to have such an out pouring of love and support at this time. Thanks!!!

UNCLE BUCK

This is Uncle Buck. I was looking at some old pics. and found this one. Lane bought this dog as a pup for his brother Lee after his house burned down. Lee loves this dog more than anything. (He is single if you happen to know a great gal) Buck is so calm and sweet. My kids love him and as you can tell ride on him. He is HUGE.

lambing came in like a lion... or is that supposed to be march????

The last few weeks have been unreal to say the least. Lambing started as soon as shearing ended. (Supposedly a few days in between is what we schedule, but the shearing crew is ALWAYS late, thus pushing the end of shearing and the start of lambing right together). Then our lovely Utah weather is having an el nina party of it's own this year. Last Sunday it was rainy and the wind was blowing very hard in the morning. Then it snowed,some of the BIGGEST snnowflakes I have ever seen. Then the sun came out and melted the snow, then it snowed again!!!! We have spent alot of time on our knees asking for better weather. Lane came home Monday night with a temp. of 103.1!!! But could I convince him to see a Dr? Nooooo. So only 5 days into lambing he was already exhausted.
It's hard to have him be gone 20 hours a day. It's even harder on our girls. I think they get sick of being with mommy all day. Cooper gets to ride the 4-wheeler out to the sheds (after we get done feeding the 11 dogs that are still here at home) and work with his dad for about 3 hours. He's growing up way to fast. But he is a really hard worker and is learning the sheep ranching business at his fathers knees (literally). Next week he goes and picks out his fair pigs. I'm really not ready for that to start. If the weather was warmer and I could take the girls out in the wagon, life would be alot easier for me. Thankfully we have aunt Becca. I would be so lost without her help.
Now I get to do the grocery shopping for our 4 sheepherders, wire their money to Peru, and odd little jobs. I don't mind doing it, I get to go to the grocery store late at night and I listen to my I-pod while I shop. I reall cherish that "alone" time. Hopefully I'll get some pics. up soon of the kids and from the lambing sheds. It's late and I feel like I am rambling on. I'm going to bed.

Shearing is almost over!!

Despite the rain and snow and Sunday, we were able to shear today. We still have about 300 ewes left to be sheared. Because I am so new at this (and trying to figure out how to add and move or replace pictures) the shearing pictures are backwards cronologically. I love living on the ranch. It's a wonderful way to raise our children. Cooper is a very hard worker and enjoys going to help his Dad. I hope by posting this you can see what our life is like during the spring time. (CRAZY!!!!) We will start lambing on Friday. Then it goes to 20 hour work days for Lane. Hopefully I will be able to keep posting events as they happen. Unless they bore you out of your mind. Then I'll probably keep doing it anyway:)

Newborn Lamb and his Mama

This lamb was born early. He decided to make his apperance while his mama was in the corral waiting to be sheared. We had to keep them seperated from the rest of the sheep until they could go to the lambing sheds.

All sheared and nowhere to go!!

Here the sheep are in the pens waiting to be counted before releasing them back in to the herd.

Baa Baa black sheep has alot of bags of wool.

Here the wool is put into the tromper. The big white squares are the bales of pressed wool. They weigh between 350 to 400 Pounds. We will have about 50 bales of wool when we are done.

The Purple Shearing Shack

The sheep go into the shack to get sheared. The wool comes out the side after it's sheared off. The wool grader puts it into different grades(fine, corse,black, belly are some).

Cooper and Clunk (aka Clark)

Cooper took our dog Clark out to shear. But early on he got into trouble and had to stay tied up.(I'm not sure that he really has any "sheep" sense.) At lunch Cooper tied him around his waist and walked around with him so he wouldn't get in more trouble.

Lainey loves her PINK Cowgirl hat.

Lainey is looking over my shoulder as I post these pictures and wanted her picture in her favorite hat put up. She was so excited when she found this piece of wool on the ground. She carried it and a stick with her for the rest of the time.

The Shearing Crew (he's feeding an Ak Bash pup)

The shearing crew consists of 7 shearers (2 Americans, 2 Peruvians and 3 Australians). Then we have the wool grader (she's also Australian and married to one of the shearers). Then the tromper who is from Wyoming.

Daddy and his Girls.

Lane was eating lunch and Lainey wanted to be right by him. Mommy was still grilling the burgers, so he took Sophie. The girls love to be with Daddy, especially outside.

Waiting to be sheared.

Shearing began on Saturday at Little Mountain. We had 1050 ewes get their yearly "haircuts". It was a very busy day. Lainey and Sophie and mommy took lunch out for the shearers and workers. Daddy and Cooper had been at the corrals since 7:00 that morning. We grilled hamburgers and had lots of salads.

Let the Countdown begin....

It is only 2 weeks until we shear the sheep! And 3 weeks until lambing starts. When we shear this year we will be out at little mountain. I will fix lunch for 3 days for the shearing crew we bring in and for our guys. ( some of the shearers are from Australia or New Zealand-it's fun to chat with them.) Our back yard looks like a gypsy camp with all the camping trailers the shearers live in parked on any flat dry spot and plugged into any electric outlet available. This is the crasiest time of year for us. Lane works about 20 hours a day and sleeps for 3 hours. (if he's lucky) Cooper and I go out the sheds when he gets home from school to help dock and brand. Even though this is a really rough time of year, we feel blessed at the end of it. Hopefully our lamb numbers will be high and the weather will be good. A few years ago we were losing lambs left and right because there was so much mud on the ground. When the temperatures flucuate alot we tend to lose more lambs then also. So we'll keep our finger crossed and pray alot that this year things will go well.

Little Bo Peep and her 2 little sheep

For Halloween Jennie and I thought it would be so fun to dress our girls in outfits together.

We went to San Diego at the end of January for the National Wool Growers convention. I was so excited to go to the beach!! The weather was in the 80's the whole time we were there, except for the day I had to drag the kids to Ocean Beach It was rainy and wet and full of homeless people. Needless to say, the love I have for the beach was not passed onto my children that day!

Many of you may be surprised to know that Clark is our first family "pet". Clark Finnegan Grisbear is an Old English Sheepdog. Living on the ranch we have at times had over 25 dogs. Even though we have so many dogs, they don't live at our house. All of our dogs are herding or guard dogs. Even though they are good with my kids, they aren't really people friendly. So for Christmas Lane and I decided to get a dog for the family. Clark (aka Clunk) is very funny and is growing so fast!! His paws are huge! We are used to big dogs. Our Ak Bash guard dogs are very large. (We actually buy our dog food by the pallet.) Then throw in the Border Collies. We are definetly dog lovers.

I am very new at this. We were finally able to get hi-speed internet in our area, so i thought I would join the computer age. Hopefully I will get better t this as time goes on. It's fun to seea ll my cousins with their families.