Rounden up the cows!

Danny enjoying his day.  Nothing better than mud! and lots of it!

Logan all saddled up and ready to ride.

Annie, Haydee, and Danny patiently waiting to saddle up and move on out.

Some of our Cowboys and Cowgirls..

Haydee, Olivia, and Tyla.

Savannah

Danny and Bridget

Logan, who knew that I married a cowboy at heart? ;)

This is my pony, not to fast but just right.  Tyla and me hanging out.

It was a great day.  Best of all no one got too hurt and we had a lot of happy kids oh and we got the cows home.  I just about forgot what the day was all about, the cows.  This is one of my favorite cow activities.  Taking them to the range, bringing them home and branding.  Fun times,and great memories.  I'm glad our kids are getting a little taste of my childhood.  They seem to love the great outdoors. 

BEAUTY

I love beautiful things.

These sunflowers are from Geo's garden.

I look at this sunflower and can feel the warmth coming off it.  It makes me fell calm, at peace and I can feel Joy.  I'm so happy that Heavenly Father has given us so many beautiful things in this world. 

Sunlight

I love that sunshine!!! Thank goodness for the light.  It helps in those times of darkness. 

My parents are in SLC today for my Dads 3 month tests.  It sure seems like those tests come so quickly.  My parents handle their trial with such grace, and courage.  I love them and I feel so blessed to be able to live down the street from them and to see them often. "Cancer is a disease that is mysterious and makes it's own rules"  and you have to adapt to those rules because they are ever changing.  "The true story of cancer can not be seen by the human eyes"  I feel like the story of my Dads Cancer has taught us a lot, about a lot of things. One of the lessons is that you have to have hope.  Hope, that in those dark times there will soon be sunlight.  Warmth to fill your soul and to embrace you from the cold darkness. 

RID EM COWBOY!

\

RID EM COWBOY!

(Oliver)

Growing up riding horses (sometimes) there were occasions that I would get bucked off.

Now getting bucked off can be quit a painful experience. 

Riding along enjoying the scenery and then BAM!  Next thing you know you are flying through the air sailing as if you have wings and then realizing you don't not even a parachute. To your realization your flat on your back, face, butt, head any of those parts or all of those parts.  Soon to realize when you come to, what exactly happened. Now, I have to say that these times are very vivid memorize for me.  Painful in fact.  Tears would flow and everything would start to ache and then the fear would set in.  What if the horse does that again?  So immediately my first response was to never again get on a horse...  Then I would see my Dad and he would say.... Get back on the saddle or get back on the horse.  I would say no, I don't want to, and he would say you have to.....  

My Dad what a smart man 1. knowing if I didn't get back on I might not ever. 2.  If I didn't get back on the horse it would think it was boss.  3.  To be able to overcome fear.  Now, I'm not sure all the reasons he made me get back on but, one thing I do know is that it was for my best interest. 

So, contemplating my last week I came along this picture from a couple of weeks ago.

It reminded me...... When you get bucked off you have to get back on.  You see I feel like I can't do everything and that I am failing at everything.  (OVERWHELMED)  But in reality I might have just got bucked off and I am going to get back on that saddle and not let Satan win.  I know he wants me to feel bad and sad and frustrated and to feel fear. (Oh he really likes that one for me)  Today I am ready to get back on the SADDLE.  Sure, I will get bucked off again, but I have a lot of people cheering for me and I am cheering for myself. Yes, I can do hard things, we all can!! 

Overwhelmed...

Oh to be young...

Lost in innocence's..

How precious that time is!

The time passes...

and one day you find yourself overwhelmed.

That has been my week. 

Reality creeps in and some days or weeks seem more overwhelming than others.  Funny, things haven't changed any from the previous week or weeks.  Sometimes your plate just seems full.  Mine feels full of school work that takes most of my day.  I do mine in the morning and then in the afternoon I get to help the kids with an hour or hour and half with theirs.  Breakfast-Dinner-Laundry-Pick up-cleaning-PTA-YW'S-Kids fighting-Teaching kids life lessons-Exercise-Social activities-Planning lessons-FHE-Bills-Bed time routines-More Bills-and did I say HOMEWORK.  I know I shouldn't say anything, there are so many others that are really having huge life lessons.  (I don't have to look that far)!  These seem so silly looking at them but they feel overwhelming to me this week.  I miss Logan and wish he could spend more time with us.....5 years of school working one to two jobs along with that and his church callings and life.  I miss him...  Maybe that's just how it is.  Dad's work there tails off to keep the kids pooping (that's what my Dad used to always say).  I hope all these years of education will pay off.  It's hard to be a mother-wife-teacher-student-visiting teacher-healthy (both body and mind) worker-friend-nurse and the list goes on and on...  

 "OVERWHELMED"

"Don't let so much reality into your life that there's no room left for dreamin"

Does the Tunnel seem long sometimes?

Does the tunnel seem long?

Sometimes you are waiting to enter the tunnel!

(These pictures are from 2010 in Coral Canyon,

I can't believe how much the kids have grown since these pictures were taken.)

and then the journey begins...

One foot in front of the other....

 and you find that it's nice to be with friends.

And then you see that the light is getting closer and that the journey with a friend made the time quickly pass. That it wasn't as difficult as you had thought it to be.

Thanks for friends!

I'm especially thankful for these little friends.  They make my own personal journey enriched!

CAN YOU FEEL IT?

CAN YOU FEEL IT?

or

 SEE IT?

FALL THAT IS!!

It's here...:(

It is the first day that are car and van had......FROST on the windshields.  No I didn't say dew I said FROST.

okay so maybe not FALL but WINTER.

Well you get the point.  Change is in the air.  It's constant, that thing called change, and it's moving this way.

Good Food

Corn, Corn, nutting but Corn

We got a box of corn through Bountiful Baskets and boy o boy it was good!

We ate some and boiled some for 5 minutes cut it from the cob and froze it.

Logan says he remembers his mom doing this when he was little.

Olivia couldn't get enough.  Those pieces of corn on the table are ones she already ate!

Working on her last piece.  She enjoyed every bite, and told us about it the whole time. " Oh my this is good corn" she would say.

This too was a delicious salad that made me say oh my this is delicious!

Thank goodness for really yummy food.  Can you imagine if we didn't have any.. 

DO YOU REMEBER YOUR FIRST?

Do you remember your first?  Well, this girl does!

In this case it was not just one first but two:

This is Olivia gearing up.

The hands you see are dads.

and this is the tool...

SUCCESS TWO TEETH CAME OUT!!

Thank goodness for the wash rag.

How can you resist this: It makes me laugh :)

and there you have it.  Olivia's first and second tooth coming out in one night.  Actually back to back.  I have to say she is a brave girl.  I had tried earlier in the evening and she told me I wasn't very good.  That she would wait for Dad to get home "He is better at it."  How does she know?  That was my first try and her first time being the patient.  Although, she has seen dad work his magic with the other two.  Watching Olivia takes me back to all the firsts in life.  How you are excited, scared, anxious, full of wonder.  How you have to build up the courage, and strength to do "that first time thing".  I'm proud of Olivia.  It is not always easy, but she embraced it and went for it.  She did it and was so proud of herself.  She couldn't wait to show everyone...  So I need to remember this life lesson, when I am feeling anxious and stressed to try something new.  Think Olivia and those two cute teeth or lack of now.  Thanks for teaching mom some important life lessons.    l

HOME SWEET HOME

"You never really leave a place you love.  Part of it you take with you, leaving a part of you behind"

Our Randolph Home

Part of our back yard

I love how green it is!

Some of the corrals in our back yard.

I love this little piece of red barn...

Funny how in life you just never know where you might end up?

But no matter where you are...

Having each other makes it, ..

ALL OKAY!

Blessed

"What we are is God's gift to us...What we become is our gift to God."

How precious is this?

This makes my heart warm.

I'm just grateful everyday to be so blessed!

LOVE INDA MEADOW

This is my Dads sisters family:  Elda and Cliff Wickam

they were the ones in charge this year.

This is my Dads sisters family: Barbra and Dale Peterson

This is my Dads sisters family:  Ralph and Marion Lee

This is my Dads brothers family:  Bub and Toby Putnam

and our Danny holding their flag!

This is my Dads sisters family: Glenna and Don Stonebraker

This is my Dads brother:  Blaine and Rayitos daughter from the side, Rocio.

I thought we had a family picture of aunt Ray, Rocio her husband and son.

I will have to get one from Dana.

Two other families are not shown.

Ours!  What was I thinking?

The Danny and Connie Putnam and friends.

and

My Dads sister Sally and Dee Thornhill

Sad to say uncle Dee passed away this week.  Our thoughts and prayers our with them.  We love them and all of the family and friends in the above pictures.  There was some family and friends that were not able to make it this year.  We love and miss them too!

In total this year: We made up a total of 215 1/2 :) people..

All because two people fell in love.

Thanks Grandma Olive and Grandpa Elden we love you and are so grateful for your example of hard work, family fun, play, good food and great reunion traditions.

It is amazing how green the meadow is.  Last winter has made up for some great hay, and a lot of beauty. 

So, if you are ever feeling down.

Just look at this picture and it will make you smile.

I mean who else rides cows at family reunions.

This is Emily, Justin Carnahans girlfriend from California.

Look close and you will see a spider web.  Wish the picture really showed how cool it was.  So amazing that such a little spider could do such an enormous web.

Makes you think about what little ole bitty you can do?