Neesie's Clan

Updates from Beyond

2012-02-04T21:02:00.000-08:00

It has already been a crazy and hectic year and it will only be getting worse! I started the year by taking 20 credits, in the hopes that I will be able to graduate in May 2013. This also means taking 16-20 credits in summer and fall with student teaching in January 2013. It will be a long year, but hopefully a productive one. The job market is not too good right now, but hopefully with a lot hard work, my Special Ed minor, a lot of prayers, and Heavenly Father's help, I will be able to find a teaching position hopefully here in Butte (although looking at my sister's (bestest friend ever too) pix from Hawaii, I'm thinking moving may not be such a bad thing.) I have been able to book a few more weddings to shoot this summer and am working at getting that to go a bit more.

Shawn has been working hard too. He will be watching and taking care of a larger herd of cattle than last year (could be up to almost 200+ head), and it looking forward to the exciting venture. He is hoping to be able to get to rope more now that the arena is finally finished.

Alexus with her pierced ears

Alexus & Shawn and her doll, "Natalie"

Alexus has been growing my leaps and bounds. She has managed to get straight A's so far - this is her first year for actual grades. She was a bit disappointed because her second report didn't have as many A+'s on it. She is now reading the 4th Harry Potter book and just finished Eclipse that she checked out from the library at school (not too sure how I felt about that one). She wants to grow up so fast and I just want her to stay that sweet little girl! Her favorite thing has been to play with her dolls, read, and argue whenever she gets a chance. :) She is looking forward starting 4-H next year.

Mr. Tyse-Man

Tyse in his cowboy pajamas Grandma Elsie got for him!

yse has been doing a lot better in kindergarten! He is getting into the swing of things a little better and has been doing a lot better with his reading. We still struggle with doing homework, but that too is getting better as long as we stay with it. Tyse is still all boy and loves to play whenever he gets a chance. There doesn't seem to be much he doesn't like to do. He still loves his roping and is starting to love to read. I think he will have his nose in a book, unless he is outside!

Christmas Pictures

2011-12-13T20:29:00.001-08:00

I had the brilliant idea of taking the kids pictures on Sunday evening about 30 minutes before bedtime.

Here are the results from that little photo session.

Halloween Fun

2011-11-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays, but the kids really love it and I actually enjoy making their costumes every once in a while. So this year I made Lex a Cleopatra dress and Tyse wanted to be a ninja, which was a pretty easy costume to sew. In the end they had such a fun time Trick-or-Treating in Rocker with family and friends, having Aunt Amber take them to a magic show and Trick-or-Treating (I had a math test on Halloween night - Thank You Amber and Kathy for helping out with the kiddos!!), and attending Halloween parties. Believe it or not - there wasn't any snow on Halloween, but it was a little chilly. I'm glad it's over but it's kind of sad seeing my two little munchkins turning into crazy, sweet children that are growing up way too fast!

Catch Up

2011-09-13T21:41:00.001-07:00

It's been a while - so here goes!

Lex turned 8 and was the top reader in her 2nd grade class. She just started 3rd grade

and is doing very well. She is growing into a beautiful young girl and I couldn't be happier for her.

Tyse turned 5 in May and started kindergarten just a few weeks ago. It has been a rocky transition and we have had some problems, but we are hopeful and praying that things will begin to level out. He is quite the little man and we love him so much!

I started my 3rd semester at Western and am enjoying it. It is very overwhelming and I am getting tired

of homework, but the outcome will be worth the sacrifice. I think that if I can finish quick enough, I may

end up with a job at Ramsay school where the kids are going to school - they need a special ed teacher.

Shawn finished up our arena and has been getting the kids into roping - they are loving it!

A quiet moment

2011-01-28T05:03:00.001-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been filled with very little time for quiet moments. School began this month, not only for Alexus, but also for myself. I will be receiving a second bachelors degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Special Education and in business 5th-12th. The additional work of 3-4 hours a night homework has left for very little free time. So this morning, after reading one of my more interesting textbooks, I thought I would take a moment for myself. One of my courses, "Reading and Writing Connections for all Learners, K-8", encourages journaling on a regular basis, so this could perhaps be such an event.

This isn't much more than a simple ranting, but I have included covers of some of my new reading material of late. It is a lot of hard work, but I also know that it will be worth it in the end. One bit of joy is the knowledge that I know this is where I need to be and what I need to be doing. The fact that my gen eds are complete makes it a little brighter. Hopefully in the next while I can get some pictures of the kiddos up!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas Season this year. We were able to spend some pre-Christmas time with my side of the family and then we went to Kalispell to visit Shawn's brother and sister-in-law for a few days. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Then, the kids were able to spend a full week with their dad right after Christmas, rounding out the holiday season for us. In between, we received our newest addition - Annie, Shawn's new cow dog/puppy.

Here are some pictures:

November and December Fun

2010-12-06T11:37:00.001-08:00

I thought it would be fun to post some pictures from the last couple of weeks!

Here is Georgia and Hank

My fat horse Barley

Lex finally lost her first Tooth!!

My Sewing Companion

Tyse playing Big Game Hunter with Shawn

Our horses Wolverine and Harley (purple blanket)

Our goats Maddy and McLovin (all white)

Tyse and Hank playing

Halloween Pictures

2010-12-01T05:34:00.000-08:00

Here are a few Halloween Pictures!

Thankful

2010-11-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm so thankful for the wonderful weekend we just had. Being able to be home with my kiddos and get things done around the house, while it may sound trivial, was such a blessing. I was able to get Lex's room cleaned out, sew more on their Christmas quilts, made bread, homemade cinnamon rolls, put up the Christmas decorations and play with the kids and niece and spend time with my husband and even do some Black Friday shopping. With the new year coming and school starting for me, I feel these leisurely times will become less and less and become luxury times. Hopefully in the coming days, to get some pictures up from Halloween and other events that I have been slacking on.

My Mom

2010-09-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

My mom is one of the most amazing women I know. She does so much for me and it has been such a blessing having her so close and being able to live here in Butte. I learned today that she and her husband may have to be moving and it literally breaks my heart. My mom and I are extremely close and to be honest one of the few friends I have here in Butte itself. It's hard to not shed tears.

Minnesota 2010

2010-07-28T05:35:00.001-07:00

The kids and I were able to go to Minnesota with my dad to visit my grandparents. It was a great trip, but two days there and two days back driving made for a long trip. The kids and I had a blast. We went shopping at a fabric store where the kids picked out fabric for summer projects, they finally braved the shallows of the lake and went swimming with a couple of cousins and loved fishing off the dock catching "sunnies" as Lex calls them. It was a great trip, I only wish Shawn would have able to go, maybe next year. I decided to take some pictures of the kids for the picture frame while I was there.

Wedding Tales

2010-06-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Now that the wedding is over, summer has started, and life has settled a bit - I figured it was time to post some happenings.

Lex ended school on June 4th and did very well. She was very excited to be done with school and to start having summer vacation.

Tyse is testing limits more and more, but he is learning that behavior can be a little tricky. He is still a good kiddo and loves being outside.

The wedding went well - thanks to my mom. She was so amazing and did so much for us - I couldn't have done it without her.

But I am glad it is over and life has settled into some sort of normalness. It was also amazing to have my friends from high school come down, since I haven't seen some of them for 9 and 10 years. They even came all the way from Hawaii, New Mexico and Utah.

It was great to see family and friends and to be able to share with so many.

Randomness

2010-05-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here are just some random pictures

Circus Fun

2010-04-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Shawn and the kids and I went to the circus. I hadn't been in years and don't really remember enjoying it all that much - so I wasn't looking all that forward to it. Shawn really wanted to take the kids and do something that we would all enjoy and I'm so glad we did. The kids had so much fun (especially since it was their first circus) and it was nice getting out of our normal routine. Here are a few pictures (I took a ton, but the lighting was terrible so the pictures aren't all that great.) There are more pictures on my facebook page if you are at all interested. Tyse loved the motorcycle guys in the cage and Lex loved the acrobats!

Updates

2010-03-31T05:41:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't posted in such a long time, I figured it was about time. The last couple of months have been filled with work, planning and craziness. As for me, I have been working at the stockyards and for my dad as well as trying to get more photography events and am currently working on building two more websites for clients. On top of that wedding planning is going slowly, but with only two months left, its time to get into gear. I finally closed on my home and am now the sole owner of it, my barn and 20 acres! Its such a wonderful feeling to know that I was able to do it on my own.My mom and her husband, Jim, recently moved to Butte! I'm so excited and blessed to have her so close now.Alexus is excelling in school in the reading program. She is really growing and maturing so quickly. I love her so much and it's amazing watching her but also a little sad to see my baby girl getting so grown up. With summer approaching, she is looking forward to not having to go to school and she is really excited to start learning barrel race on Barley and to hopefully start dance soon.Tyse is my sweet little monster. He is doing so well in preschool and is learning the letters to his name, can count to ten and retains everything! He is such an active little boy that being pent up in the house can take its toll on him. We try to get out whenever we can so he can let out some of his energy.Shawn is looking to build an arena in the field so he can practice his roping this summer and so we can all have a place to ride and is working hard to do so. He enjoys spending time up here - although the drive can get tiresome for him.
New Additions:
With all of this, we have managed to add some new members to our growing farm family. Shawn's two horses have been living here for a while and enjoying Mountain life. Madison the goat recently came to live here as did Hank the cow puppy and Casanova the barn cat.

2090-2010 Holiday Recap

2010-01-16T04:03:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be kinda neat to give a little recap of our events from the past little while. I don't have any pictures up yet for various reasons, but hopefully soon. For Christmas this year, the kids and I had a whirl wind of events. Starting off with my niece's Christmas play followed by Alexus's Christmas play. I love watching the kids sing, it makes it such a great time to feel so much less stressed! Christmas Eve was spent visiting friends in Butte followed by our time to open gifts at my house with many friends and family - no pictures though because my battery was dead :-( The kids were very excited about our family gift - a Wii. On Christmas Santa arrived and after Christmas breakfast, dinner was followed at my brother and sister-in-law's house. The next day, Tyse, my dad and I drove to Utah to visit family there. I was able to get together with one of my best friends that I hadn't seen in over three years so that was really exciting. New Year's Eve was spent driving back home and then playing the Wii. Alexus's seventh birthday followed a short week later. Her dad was in town, which was a great birthday present for her. Now for our individual updates!

Alexus - Turned seven on the 7th - her golden birthday! My little girl is becoming not that little anymore. She is reading like a whiz and is in the accelerated reading program. She also had her first skiing lesson, through her school, and loved it!

Tyse - What to say about my lovable little man! He started Sunbeams and with mom as teacher, lets just say its going to be an adjustment. He is learning his shapes and starting on his alphabet at preschool and is getting too smart for his mother!

Me - Work has been busy, as usual and it is nice to finally be winding down from all the holiday festivities. My mom is going to moving up here in the next little while! I'm really excited for her to be here - its been so long since we have lived near one another. I guess the only other real update is that I am getting married on June 5th to an absolutely amazing man.

I guess that concludes this update for now!

Santa Claus

2009-12-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to take pictures with Santa. Tyse and my niece Keelie were the only ones that would actually sit on Santa's lap, but Lex would have nothing to do with him. It was really funny and cute!

Introducing Baby Henry!

2009-12-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to introduce "Henry" into our cattle family. Alexus' cow "Bubbles" had her calf ten days ago. He really is adorable but with the sub-zero temperatures we have been having they have been staying at the neighbors. Here are a few pictures of them, along with our longhorn, Rapunzel.

Lexus

2009-11-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

In October, I took pictures for a benefit rodeo and we enter Alexus in the kids Barrel Racing. She won third place, and if this video worked, this was her third run. She was pretty excited and I was so proud of her for competing!

Halloween

2009-11-08T10:34:00.001-08:00

I know I'm a little late, but I had to post these. Lex was a maiden and Tyse an alligator. My niece Keelie was Daphne.

Labor Day Camping

2009-09-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day, we were finally able to go camping! I'm still trying to figure out this whole slide show thing. The kids had a blast fishing, roasting marshmallows, helping cook, and digging for crystals at Crystal Park and being outdoors. Lex enjoyed taking pictures with an old digital camera that worked okay. I think that will be our last trip as fall is settling in.

August Recap

2009-08-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy and crazy summer, so I thought that I would recap a bit. August has been an eventful month with visits and illnesses and exciting events. I started with month by photographing my first wedding professionally. Thank you so much to Kathy (Alexus and Tyse's grandma) for watching the kiddos for me! It was very exciting and a lot of work, but hopefully the beginning of more to come. Both of brothers announced their engagements - Jake will be married in October of this year and Brian will be married in September 2010. It was somewhat of a shock but a pleasant one.
I have been painting my dining room and the kids' rooms, which they are very excited about and I need to get some pictures on here to show. Tyse wanted a cowboy/train room and Lex wanted a colorful horse/princess room. It was quite the task.
Alexus contracted "Fifth Disease" which is a mildly contagious rash that lasts about a week the day after I was done photographing the wedding (always a good thing) and I fell off my horse for the first time while riding bareback and trying to go faster than I should have. Its somewhat funny now, but a little nerve racking when it happened. Oh well, thats when you get back in the saddle and keep going!
Tyse is now potty trained and is not even using diapers at night! I am very proud of him and very excited at the prospect of being done with diapers! Lex also started 1st grade today so we are back in the swing of things and the stock yards will be picking up which will be nice to be back to a fairly normal routine. As soon as I get my pictures downloaded, I will post them of Lex's first day of school.
I have been battling pneumonia for the past two weeks so I am hoping to have some energy in the next little while. My mom has been here for about a week which has been wonderful!

Our Garden

2009-07-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of June and into July, the kids and I finally finished our very tiny little garden. We had to mix 9 bags of garden soil into our sandy soil and build a fence to keep out the dogs. We planted some corn, cantaloupe, and different squash and some flowers. Unfortunately, two days after we planted we had frost, so I'm not sure if the squash is going to make it. I guess we will see!

Cherries

2009-07-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

When my grandma was up before heading to Minnesota in June, she brought up some cherries. The kids loved them, almost too much! It was so funny to see them and all the juices running down their little faces!

Academy Graduation

2009-07-12T17:08:00.001-07:00

Shawn graduated from the police academy in June. He was in Helena for three months while going through basic training. Now he will be able to excel in his career more quickly than before, he did really well and worked amazingly hard. It was such a great accomplishment for him and I am very proud of him too!

Shawn in all his gear (he enjoyed carrying a gun)

Shawn and I

Shawn and his parents

Shawn and our friend Sterrin

50th Anniversary

2009-07-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while so here we go. My grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary was in June. It was great to see practically everyone - it was a sort of mini-reunion, with only one cousin missing from the immediate family. Although the weather was hot and humid, we managed to have a little fun!

Tyse snoozing

My Uncle Jeff, cousin Maria, and his wife Maria with my grandparents

My Uncle Jay, Aunt Cel, their son Brad and grandson Randy (their daughter Amanda is the only one missing)

My Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Tammy, their sons Josh and Jarod with my great-grandma Mabel and grandparents

My Mom, with all her kids and grandkids (Keelie, Jacob, Mom, Brian, Tyse, Me, Alexus) and my grandparents and great-grandma

5 Generations

The Happy Couple

Graduation

2009-06-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Lex and Ms. Riordan

The graduating class

So Serious

Last Day of School

1st Day of School

Last Wednesday was Alexus' graduation. It was so cute to see all the kindergartners singing and growing and moving on to the 1st grade. Lex was so excited and very happy to done with school! Grandma Kathy came and so did Grandpa Kenny. They were so proud of Lex. She has grown so much and I am so proud of her too!

Picture Day

2009-06-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

So over the weekend I decided it would be really fun to take pictures of the kids and I with our horse Barley. Well, considering it nap time and lunch time, the kids didn't do too bad. Towards the end it got a little hairy, but we made it through and ended up with some great pictures. Here are a few.

The Great Worm Expedition

2009-05-25T20:11:00.002-07:00

With the Memorial Holiday, the kids and I were able to stay home so I decided to break-in my new, used jogging stroller. It rained through out the night so it was a little muddy and the worms were out. The kids were pretty excited, but a little grossed out. Tyse held his first worm and that was also his last worm. Lex wouldn't go anywhere near it.

Blaze of Glory

2009-05-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to burn about half of the sticks and branches that were in my yard, wash my truck and install my lawn hose carrier thing and the rake/shovel holder thing. It was a long day but at least part of it is done. Memorial day will probably be spent picking up more branches and sticks, but its getting there! My faithful companion, Georgia, was keeping watch for me in case any coyotes decided to come and visit.

Busy Days

2009-05-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

The last week or so has been absolutely busy! With the spring finally arriving I looked out my front yard and saw all of the branches littering the sloping hill side and decided it was time to clean it up. Needless to say, I think it will be an on going process with raking and burning for the next few weeks. I would love to lay some grass seed, but with the weather being so unpredictable, I'm not sure if it will really work or not. I have also been readying the area for our little garden, which hopefully will be ready in a few weeks when Shawn will borrow a tiller and we can get some good soil in there. There is so much I would love to do around here, but time and money can be a hindrance. That's why I guess its one project at a time :-)

Tyse's 3rd Birthday Party!

2009-05-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tyse's is turning three next week and my dad's birthday is tomorrow, so we did a combined party. It was a crazy but eventful day. We had home made pizza and cake (although the cake colors didn't come out quite as well as I wanted). Everyone came and it was so great to see everyone! I can't believe my little guy is three and getting so big. We measured heights today and in three months, both he and Lex grew an inch. They are getting so big so fast.
Here are a few pictures:

Pre-Birthday Party!

2009-05-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I just couldn't resist taking these pictures, especially of Tyse. He loves to play with his sister and that even includes dress up. I know when he is 16 and being all macho I can pull these pictures out and embarrass him. Mom's can be so mean - lol. My mom did it to me, so I guess that's why, but he was so cute I just couldn't resist!
Lex was mad because I didn't take her picture first, so she was a little upset, but she is still a doll and I love her and my kids and neice to much!

2009-05-05T19:56:00.001-07:00

Since it has been quite a while since I last blogged - here goes!
Alexus is getting ready to end her first year of formal education. I can't believe it has flown by so quickly. She has her Kindergarten graduation on June 3rd and is very excited. She almost talks about nothing else. Alexus also recently started our garden-in the house and in starter pellets. We still have snow up here so its hard to say when our peas, watermelons, and carrots will end up in the ground. She hasn't been feeling well so she wasn't too keen on a picture.
Tyse is nearing his third birthday very quickly! He has decided on a cowboy cake with a rope on it. He has become obsessed with roping and guns and horses and cowboys - at least for today. He definately is all boy and is testing his limits as much as he can. He also has acquired glasses which look absolutely adorable on him!
As for me, its pretty much the same old thing - working and chasing kiddos and taking care of sick kids for about the last two to three weeks. I recently broke down and read the Twilight Saga after Harry Potter was bumped because of the Twilight movie release. I actually really enjoyed them and read them all in less than a week, unfortunately my poor house suffered, so I am playing catch-up on that. The joys of house cleaning - lol.

The New Do's

2009-04-03T07:21:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Lex and I had girls day afternoon and we both got our haircut. I have to be honest and say that I hated my haircut - it was actually the first time ever that that has happened. The girl just would not cut my hair to the length I wanted and tried to fix it with odd layers. Anyway, I loved Lex's cut - it looks so cute on her. She looks more grown-up, which is hard to see. She is growing so fast and getting so big. Some of the things that she says are absolutely hilarious. She had originally wanted her hair cut above her ears, but I convinced her on chin length. So, we had another girls day afternoon where I had my hair fixed and cut. I haven't had my hair this short since my freshman year at UVSC - now UVU. That was a great time - aww reminising. But I absolutely love it and it is making me actually do my hair! Lex wasn't sure she liked but its growing on her. She is also liking her haircut better. She was afraid people would think she wasn't cute. That is one thing about Lex, she likes to look "cute" so no one will laugh at her. She is extremely sensitive, but just a great little girl!

Why Me?

2009-04-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

It seems that if something crazy is going to happen or if something can go wrong it usually does. I'm not one to believe in "luck" and I think that is because I am not a lucky person. This morning, while looking back at my two adorable children fighting, I slid off my little hill. The ice was so high that I managed to get stuck. I tried digging myself out, but was forced to call my father. He is an amazing man who came to my rescue with his dozer, but for those that don't know him - he has this amazing way of making you feel so "dumb" with just a look. But we are still so blessed to have him close and to have his help. Anyway, we are finally free and decided to take it easy today.

Spring time in Butte and Murphy's Law

2009-03-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

It seems that spring time in Butte doesn't quite hit until June maybe even July as the storm today has reminded us. In less than twelve hours, we have received at least 18 inches of snow and drifts that are reaching almost three feet tall. The pictures were taken early this afternoon after the power finally came back on - three hours with no power and for us, that also meant no heat! The wind has been blowing non-stop which has accounted for my hot water heater not being able to vent - thus no hot water either. Dishes were done by boiling water and hand washing while a load still sits in the Dishwasher - I didn't quite have enought ambition to pull them out. I'm not quite sure why, but these things always seem to happen on Sunday, at least to me. Perhaps its Heavenly Father's way to keep us safe from traveling down my already terrible road. The storm has had us in severe weather alert all day long and school has actually been cancelled for Alexus tomorrow; almost an unheard of thing in the great state of Montana where anyone can handle any weather. Its too bad they couldn't cancel work and I could still get paid. A girl can still dream. Anyway, I hope that this finds everyone well!

The long lost survivors of Cherry Top Hill

2009-03-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I have posted anything lately - life has been a little hectic. As for us, we have been surviving - Lex is doing amazingly well in school. She loves kindergarten and loves being with all of her classmates. Tyse is still potty training - an on-going battle I'm afraid. He is very much a boy! As for me, the last two weeks have been quite a trial. I was unsure if I was going to have a job for a while, as my dad decided to get out the livestock business. It was a shock and a scary one. The feeling of not being able to provide for your family or pay your bills is a scary one. However, the new owners have decided to keep me on, which is a blessing. The only thing all of us at the stockyards know are unsure of is how much of a pay-cut we will be faced with. I will still be working for my dad doing his book keeping for his tire business and for my brother at his shop as well. All-in-all, the Lord has definately been looking out for us and it makes you realize how important it is to be self-reliant.
As for the "Cherry Top Hill" - that is the name Alexus gave our hill. I kind of like - its a cute little name, but I'm not entirely sure how she came by it.
Alexus and my neice Keelie had put all their "ponies" in their hair and Tyse wanted his picture taken too.

Happy Be-Lated Birthday!

2009-02-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Lex turned six back on the 7th of January. I can't believe she has grown so quickly and she has become quite the little girl. She is an amazing little girl and has been such a joy in my life. I am so blessed to have her. For her birthday, we had a little family party at Silver Bow pizza and then over the weekend my brother Brian came in and we spent the day sledding. Lex decided she wanted a rat cake for her birthday, so that is what I made. She loved the chocolate rats!

Christmas

2009-02-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

I know this is way late but I guess its better than never. Christmas was great this year - we had it at my house again, which was nice. Of course it made taking pictures a little crazy because I didn't get a chance to take many. The one really nice thing is that our tradition on Christmas Eve is to have finger foods and open presents - NO big dinners. As crazy as it sounds, its actually really nice. On Christmas Day, the kids and I went to dinner at Shawn's house and then came home early because it started to storm and we were heading for Utah the next day for a quick quick trip with my Dad. Tyse had so much fun playing with his Great-Grandpa Reuben. Grandpa didn't have his dentures in so Tyse was doing his examination. Lex enjoyed sledding while in Utah (it was too cold here in Butte to go). I took some videos, but I'm still trying to figure out how to post videos on here and to work my new digital camcorder I got for Christmas. Its almost too fancy but its so nice to have a new one that works so well!

Opening Inaugural Celebrations

2009-01-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here watching the Opening inaugural celebrations program and realizing how truly blessed we are to live in this amazing country and to have the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted. I'm watching my son dance to Garth Brooks singing and realizing that I have so much to be thankful for. This is also an amazing moment in history. While I may not be extremely political or democrat, I realize that our country has come a long way in electing an African-American president and having a woman run for the democratic candidacy and for a vice-president, had McCain been elected. We truly are growing and maturing as a nation.

I know there are many terrible and difficult things going on in our nation and they are not to be ignored, but it seems that so much of the focus is more on the negative and its so wonderful to see all of the different people coming together and focusing on some positive things. Perhaps, some good may come and perhaps more people will become involved and take a more active role in our communities and in our country, me included, for I know I fall short in this area.

In the time that I have been watching the program, there has been made reference to the Lord in song and also to spirituality in talks; it gives hope that the Lord will not be completely taken out of every aspect of our country. This is such an important event in our lives and its amazing that we can witness it. I truly am grateful for everything in my life.

2008-12-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

My Friend Erin posted this so I copied it:

Everything that I have done is in BOLD

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables (do herbs count?)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung Karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance [not the patient]

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous - Richard Simmons (sad i know)

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

I don't tend to tag people, but if you think it is cool and do it let me know!

Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've ever had a busier Thanksgiving than this year. I am finally in my house and so I offered to cook dinner. I ended up feeding about sixteen people and started the day at 5 am after three hours of sleep. (Tyse is getting sick - poor guy.) With cleaning and cooking, I finally got everything done and sat down to eat at about 3. It was a great dinner and we had so much that food that I actually forgot to serve the stuffing! I had it warming in my roaster and kept reminding myself to take it out before I forgot - needless to say - I forgot. The funny thing is - no one noticed until after dinner was done because we had so much food! My refrigerator is now completely stocked for the next month. It was great being with family and being able to visit with them and to realize how many blessings I do have and can be truly grateful for!

(Thats my aunt and I trying to get the turkey on the platter (it was a fresh turkey too so it was really yummy) and in the background you can see the notorious roaster hiding the stuffing lol! and the other picture is of Lex with my niece Keelie.)

Harry Potter???

2008-11-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know that I am a little odd and obsessed but I was thinking that the 6th Harry Potter movie was to be coming out shortly. I have been without TV for the last month or so and have been feeling a bit lost so I got online to read some news and decided to find out when the movie would be coming out. I can honestly say that I was disappointed to see that it would not be opening until July of next year and not in the coming weeks as originally anticipated. I've watched some of the trailers and it looks amazing - I guess I will just have to wait and wait and wait.....

Our Thankful Tree...

2008-11-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

I got this great idea from my friend Brenda. For FHE, they did a Thankful Tree and wrote what they were grateful for on leaves and made a tree out of it. So I borrowed her idea and did the same thing with Lex and Tyse. It was so cute and funny to see w hat they came up with. With Thanksgiving being at my house this year, I thought it was a great way for the kids to start to understand what it means to be thankful for things, people, blessings, etc. It was so much fun to spend some good quality time with my kiddos and to see them and their personalities in full. Here are a few pictures.

My beautiful babies...

2008-11-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of days the kids have been visiting with their dad - which is wonderful for them. They enjoy his visits so much and they are so excited when he comes to visit. I'm so grateful that they do have such a loving father that wants to provide so much for them and wants to be there for them whenever he can and more, but I miss them so much when they are gone. It truly makes me realize how blessed I am to have them and to be their mother. It also makes me realize how short I do fall at not spending the quality time with them that I aught. Work tends to get in the way by working 9 hour days and sometimes an occasional 14 hour day. I truly realize how blessed I was to be able to spend my days with Lexus for the first four years of her life. With Tyse I was able to stay home with for the first year to year and a half with only working about 1 or 2 days a week. I know that I am blessed to have the life I have and that my father has provided so much for me so that I don't have to work as much as most. My kids have made my life so fulfilling even when they may drive me crazy lol. Since being in our own home, they have been doing so much better with their little quirks and they are so excited to have their own rooms and space. Its so wonderful to truly feel like we are settled for the first time in over two years. I can't describe how truly blessed I am and how completely loved my children make me feel. I love them so much and can't wait to continue to see them grow and learn.

Potty Training Help!!!

2008-11-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

I'm in desperate need of potty training help for Tyse. He seems like he is ready and he'll go in the potty with the incentive that he'll get a piece of candy when he is done, but he is so stubborn about it. Lex was so much easier, but I was also home with all the time too. I'm very frustrated that I can't be home with him like I was with Lex and be able to all the things I used to. Having to rely on daycare is difficult. Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely lucky and blessed to have the daycare I do have - they are great but its just not the same. I'm hoping to really work on potty training over the Christmas break - I won't have work for two weeks, but if anyone has any ideas - I would greatly appreciate them!

The Misfortunes of Home Ownership...

2008-11-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

We are finally into our house! Sort of, I'm still in the unpacking phase. Last week however, we had some extremely cold weather (it got down to 8 degrees) and my little manufactured home has yet to be skirted. Which means that pipes are exposed, but the exposed pipes are heat taped and insulated. Unfortunately, it did not stop mother nature from freezing one of my pipes underneath the house encased in insulation. I thought I was fortunate enough to have had a frozen pipe without a burst or leak. For several days, I felt secure in this knowledge until Sunday morning when I was walking around my dining room table and my feet became soaked. I thought one of my darling children might have spilt something but I hadn't given them anything, so my fears grew and I went to look underneath my home. To my great dismay, water had started to pool and the plastic covered insulation was bulging. I poked a hole to help drain it and started to dry my carpeting. Needless to say my Sunday became a stress filled day of trying to find someone to help, but to no avail. Fortunately, the people that I bought my house from are going up today to hopefully get it fixed. The joys of home ownership....

The End of Riding Lessons

2008-11-03T23:00:00.001-08:00

Lex had her last riding lesson last week and I can honestly say while I'm sorry to see that she isn't riding I'm not sorry to getting home late every week. She did great and loved riding and she wants to keep going when they start back up in the spring. Its getting too cold now to continue. Since Tyse wasn't feeling photogenic at Halloween I've added a few more pictures of him when he was feeling rather happy. His terrible twos are getting worse but his sweetness is also growing so its a Jekyl and Hyde kind of situation. Lex however is busy with so many school things and wants to keep even busier; she's is quite the social butterfly although thats the main problem at school that we are trying to work on.

Halloween

2008-11-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

This year Halloween was a little crazy because of trying to get all moved into our house! So I convinced Lex to wear her Belle costume I made for her birthday last year and Tyse was easy - Scooby Doo (how can you go wrong). Trick-or-Treating was great, we did a short loop the night before in Rocker and Lex had a great parade. Sorry for all the pictures, but I couldn't resist.

Rodeo

2008-11-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

Since I haven't blogged in forever, here comes an overkill of blogs. One of the things that I have been doing is photographing roping events. Its been really fun, so I thought I'd post a picture of one of the pictures I have taken. Its amazing how many you take. The very first event, back in May, I took almost 4000 pictures in 2 1/2 days! It was almost exhausting and in some ways I didn't care if I ever took another picture again. But I got over it, although I have been taking senior pictures and it seems to have thrown off the pictures I do need to take of my children so hopefully that will happen soon, since I didn't order school pictures.

My kiddos!

2008-10-09T20:21:00.001-07:00

The kids and were getting ready in the early morning hours (6:30 am) and I couldn't resist getting pictures because it was a morning when they weren't fighting me and were actually cooperating. Tyse is all excited to be dressed as a cowboy in his cowboy boots and cowboy shirt (which is growing smaller everyday). Lex was excited to have gotten up in time to have her hair done! She is getting so big and grown up - its sometimes hard to believe she was a baby at one point in time.

A Sad Day...

2008-10-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

This week has been somewhat eventful in a sad way. On Sunday, Daisy, our jack russel puppy went missing and has yet to be found. It has been a very sad thing; she was such a sweet little thing and with the cold weather I have to admit that she may not return. We weren't that hopeful when Georgia disappeared, but the conditions were greatly different. Daisy is such a small little thing and yet she is amazingly aggressive and fast; both of which are to her advantage and disadvantage. She runs far and fast and yet the predatorial animals around here have been out in full force. The coyotes are very active and we think a mountain lion has been dwelling near by or visiting on a regular basis as two of my aunt's sheep have come missing. Its such a sad thing to think about.

Birthday Surprises!

2008-09-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

One more year to the big 30 and its not as bad as what I thought it would be, but give me about 11 months and that could change! Perhaps the best birthday news I received was that my little house has power, which is a huge thing considering it wasn't supposed to be in until the end of October. All that is left is to get a drain field dug, a propane tank up, the well hooked up, the skirting put up and a porch built - all in all its moving a long great! I'm so excited to be getting closer to a place of my own.

Getting Dressed Up

2008-09-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

I used to love putting on makeup and wearing nice clothes, but it seemed after kids that kinda went out the window. Between spit-up and 4 am wakeup calls; there seemed little point, but I have realized how important it is to actually take care of myself. Not that its a daily thing, but its good to do all that especially when you aren't feeling particular nice.
(I had some fun with the photo)

Update

2008-09-12T16:21:00.001-07:00

I finally got this thing a little figured out - Wohoo! So I thought I'd give a little update on all of us. Alexus loves kindergarten and I love all of the great program her school offers and the small student to teacher ratio. She is learning to swim and ride horses and she love it. Tyse is like Jekyl and Hyde recently. The terrible two's are here and I'm not sure if they are ever going away! He does miss his sister while she is in school but he enjoys daycare and playing while I'm working.

Work. . . The never ending saga. Working at the yards is great but we are heading into fall run and kicked it off with the biggest sale this yards has ever seen - 5154 head of cattle. It was an extremely long day. My photography business is starting to pick with senior pictures and I'm also doing type-setting and graphics work through it as well. Needless to say its a little busy.

Our house is coming along, slowly but surly. While it on site, we still have no power, no drain field for the septic system, and no propane tank. This springtime project has turned into a fall/winter one. We are hoping by Halloween to be in, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyway, I gotta corral some children and head home for the day!

Finally

2008-09-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting this thing figured out! After countless minutes on a computer that wouldn't let me into the content portion and screaming children we have conquered! Life for us has finally settled into a small routine (after two years) and we are doing well. The kids and I seem to be busier than ever but we are taking it one day at a time and trying to stay sane in the process. I'm still trying to figure out how to post on other blogs, like ChickChat, so bare with as my eldering age is finally catching up to me!