Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  Now, honestly I love the thought behind Mother's Day.  But truthfully, good bad or otherwise, it's usually just another day.  Now don't get me wrong, I don't forget to acknowledge my mother or grandmother, it's just that we don't do fancy dinners, or day the spa or any of those things that Hallmark and tv commercials tell us we have to.

Growing up, most of my Mom's Mother's Day were spent either at a rodeo, branding, going for a ride through the calving pasture, or we helped her get the garden ready.  Now, there were gifts, or fresh crocuses plucked from the pasture and presented to her in a old cup found in the garage.  We would make cards.  It's just the way it is and was.

Now that I am a mom, I really don't expect or want much.  We are usually farming, of course still calving and what ever else needs to be done around here.  Hubby will usually make me biscuits and gravy for breakfast (my fave) if time allows, or I get an IOU.  I am ok with that.  Last year when I was asked what I wanted for Mother's Day, I informed my family of 2 things.  1 was that Tally and I could go for a horse ride and 2 was just to spend some time and go tag calves together as a family.

I thought I would take a few moments of your time and introduce you to the Mother's in my life.

Now of course there's my mom, Mother Tracey.  She's tough, strong, stubborn and bossy, and still with us.  She has lived 12 years longer than any doctor gave her when she was first diagnosed.

Mother Tracey and Mother Marilyn

Mother Marilyn!  In no way is she related to our family, but when her and her husband became friends with my parents....she became Mother Marilyn.  She's been there through the good times, bad times, fun times, wedding, baby times.

Me and Mother Marilyn, wagon train circa 2009

My mother in law, Canova.  I have said many times that I won the lottery when it came to mother in laws.  She's a great friend, great mother, great mother in law and an awesome grandma to my children.

Ruth Ann was one of the first neighbors my parents met when we moved to North Dakota.  I spent so much time at her house through grade school and high school that she probably disciplined me as much as my parents.  Her oldest son is one of my best friends, and was a part of my wedding.  Ruth Ann also made a beautiful cake for our wedding.

Now that I have children there are 'mothers' in my kids' life that I would be lost without.  They have given me advice, helped with babysitting, given me advice.  They've laughed at me whenever I tell whatever recent shenanigans  my kids have pulled, and are just there whenever needed.  Most have kids way older than mine, and some didn't even have kids when I had my first.  The saying 'it takes a village to raise a child' is so true, and I have come to believe and rely on that.

Laura, friend, babysitter, and everything else.  

Me and Tam.....there's nothing we can't talk about or bitch about when it comes to life and our kids. 

No matter what you do or how you do it, thank your mom tomorrow.  Thank those moms that treat you like one of their own.  A simple phone call or text is worth a lot.

Lauri, she's takes my kids, helps me out and lends me her daughter to take on road trips to babysit.  

Pamela, a great friend, cousin, and god mother! 

Uncle Jess, (no that's not a typo, kids same the darndest things).  Sister in law, god mother and she's got my back when I need help or a babysitter.  Thank God she moved closer and is willing to help with my crazy kids. 

Wild Bunch.  These gals rock and have been and are awesome to my kids.  They help. they discipline and they give this mama a break.

I am truly blessed. 

Happy Mothers Day to all my Mom's and every other Mom out there.





Disclaimer; there are plenty more other mom's out there that help me out that I didn't mention or find pictures of.  All help me tremendously to help make my world keep going around and my kids happy.  

Spring in Montana

Mother Nature isn't letting up.  April Snow Showers will bring May flowers, right?  Snow in May? Sure, why not!

 Now, why were are truly grateful for the moisture she is giving us, couldn't Mother Nature at least warm up by 20* and send us this much needed moisture in the form of warm spring rains?

Here is a few snapshots I have taken in the last couple of weeks.  Sadly, this is the most snow we have had all winter.

Wet, cold horses begging for some hay

Mama taking care of her brand new baby

Hubby filling hay feeders for the heifers calves

Snow covered hay bales kind of makes for a pretty picture

Black and white

TC enjoying the snow and helping do chores

nom nom nom 

slushy, watery muddy mess

Tearing into the bales before they got put into the feeder  

Heyyyy Bossss!

Ok, let's try posting this video once more so it can actually be viewed.  Sorry!

TC is (so she sometimes informs me) mine and papa's cowboss.  She's learning at young age, though honestly most of her time is spent catching an nap while we are out feeding cows.
This morning I had to stop and capture this little video of her.  She cracks me up.    Enjoy!

Cruel and Unusual Punishment?

Who doesn't love Birthdays and the Birthday song?

TC, that's who.  Doesn't matter if we are singing Happy Birthday to her, you, me or her best friend.  She. Hates. It!!!

No joke, when attending friends birthday parties I try to remove her from the room before the singing starts.  Now, we, her aunts and uncles, our friends and everyone else who has witnessed gets a good laugh out of it.  Its the craziest thing.

What's that?  You don't believe me?  Well ok then.

Well there ya go!  Oh, and I am sure you noticed how her loving family did NOT quit singing to her!

Family Friday Night

Family Friday nights around here in the summer are not your typical family outings.

Nope, on any Friday night (and really any night of the week) we load up the kids and dog and head out to go check cows, check crops, go do some irrigating or a hundred other things that need to be done.  We take this time to be together as a family, but do get our work done and teach our kids.

T and TC just love going to check cows and helping putting out mineral.  I could say its because they are with mom or dad, or because we are spending time as a family but I would be lieing.   They enjoy putting out mineral so much because 'mixing' and 'stirring' the mineral is just the most fun!  It really is, just ask the two little blondes in the picture!

Putting out mineral is just one of the many things we do together as a family.  We irrigate, we seed, we hay, we move cows, we work cows, we harvest, we play, we fight, we hug and we love.  Its just what we do.

The kids, though they are young, have already learned you can't go check cows, put out mineral without checking on the water!  And maybe so mom can snap some pictures.  

 I just love old windmills.   Our Family Friday nights may not be typical, but they are who and what we are and do!  Pretty sure I wouldn't change a thing!

Picking Sugar Beets with Daddy

Irrigating with Daddy

Me & TC went irrigating with her daddy the other night. She wasn't quite sure of that water spraying everywhere, but her curiosity had her checking things out. I snapped a few pictures I thought I would share. Oh, and that would be wheat we are irrigating in this picture. And if my husband finds out I posted pictures of him in his 'irrigating uniform he's not going to be too happy with me!

Checking on the Horses

We caught a glimpse of the horses the other day and headed on over to the corral to give a look over and a scratch on the head.  All of our horses, besides ol' Fred, are kicked out to pasture during the winter to take care of themselves.  If the snow is deep, or weather is bad we will take pity and go roll out a bale of hay for them.  They do have to come all the way into the corrals at home to water which makes it easy to keep tabs on them.  

TC is all smiles as Fred says hello.

It was a nice day right after the first of the year, and T had been out enjoying a ride on Fred.  We had TC in the stroller just messing around in the yard when the herd came in. TC was all laughs as the horses were being curious and sticking their noses into her stroller checking her out.  I ran back into the house to snap a few pics of the girls with their dad and our horse herd.

Preacher was very interested in the stroller and TC.

Preacher is kind of a camera hog/poser!  

Just a little bit closer.

Dusty, my good ol horse who is in retirement.  Man I love that horse.

Squirt and 6pack (brother and sister) were quite curious of the stroller also!

Fall Work

These pictures/this post was scheduled to be published last October.  Somewhere there was a hiccup and it wasn't.  I find the pictures too cute not to post now.  So here ya go, better late than never.

It's October in Montana which means fall gathering, shipping calves, and working cows.  One of my favorite times of the year.  I missed out on a lot of gathering and fall work this year because I have a sweet 10 month old baby girl to take care of.  Such is life.  

Last weekend our good friend was gathering his herd and planning on running his cows through and working them.  The forecast called for an unseasonably warm day with no wind.  Let me tell ya, no wind in Montana is call for celebration!  Big T was at preschool with Grandma scheduled to pick her up.  So Baby T and I loaded up and headed out with Big D to go help Uncle Charley.  Baby T and I waited as the rest of them gathered the herd.  She actually caught a good nap, and I got caught up on some reading.  

Then came the sorting and the working and the visiting.  So what else was I supposed to do.  We backed the pickup up next to the chute, and threw the jumper/exersaucer on the back and  Baby T got to take in all the action!

Checking out the herd.

Smiling for mom.

Some may think it's wrong.  I think that there is no such thing as too young!  The weather was great, and she was happy!  And like it or not this is her life until she is 18 and gone!  :)  Besides, it's fun to watch all the cowboys (young and old) interact with a baby when the baby is on there turf!

Branding 2011

Branding has been a long drawn out process this spring/summer due to rain, farming and everything else Mother Nature has thrown at us.  We finally got Schledewitzs' done the other week, and the day after we got ours done.  

The old wooden post, woven fence round pen is not the easiest to rope out of, but its tradition

A shot of the branding stove and irons

The Boss

Getting the job done

Ragtag Crew.  Jakob, Tally and Tenley.  Tenley was a trooper all day long.

Today

Please take a moment to honor the ultimate sacrifices made by our military men and women so that we may enjoy all our days.

We did get our friends calves branded yesterday.  Tally wrestled her first calf, and baby slept the day away in her stroller in the branding pen!  It was a good day of work, but also of visiting and catching up with friends.

My uncle is supposed to brand today, but we have had an inch of rain since last night, so I have my doubts if that will get done today.

We are trying to talk Big D into branding ours on Wednesday, as the sun is supposed to shine.  I shall keep you posted.

Enjoy your memorial day and don't forget to thank the military past and present.

Little Miss TC

I was messing around trying to catch a picture of Tenley smiling.  I finally caught a smile.