EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE....

We are having a baby...BOY! We couldn't be happier. I am 20 weeks today and feeling great most of the time! The only complaint....HeArTbUrn! It is awful but so worth it in the end. I feel truly blessed and am excited to bring this little guy into the world!

As Jauncee calls it, he has a dude...that makes him a boy!

The little guy was really active during the ultrasound, the tech had a hard time getting pictures of what he wanted...Oh no, hope that isn't a sign!

And last...another thumb sucker!

Our First Baby Calf!

This is our first baby calf of the season! It is so tiny, but so cute! Can't wait to get more!

Enjoying the Sunshine!

It’s amazing how fast time flies and how far behind one can get. I would like to say I have good excuses, but I really don’t. Last year I did so much better at posting…I am resolving to do better starting now!

We have been lucky enough to have had some beautiful sunny winter weather and have taken the opportunity to get out and enjoy it! The girls have been anxiously waiting for the snow to melt off of the road so they could get out their bikes and go for a ride! They rode and I walked spending most of the time trying to keep up, until the end when poor Jauncee’s little legs were so tired…she kept complaining about me not bringing the wagon! Next time, we will take the wagon! So, it was either walk…which she is a slow walker or keep pedaling! Every once in a while I would push her for a ways…but I am very ashamed to say that I am out of shape! I think we only went 2 miles…2 miles of fresh air and sun! I love days like these!

Later that day we had the opportunity to help Dirk feed, which I was so excited about and looking forward to…because I got to drive the team! It was to be my second time and the first, well, now I would say that I had beginners luck! It all worked out okay and I would do it again in a heartbeat! What’s the chance that next time all our horses will get out and run around causing the team to get all stirred up? Probably pretty good, beings that I am a poor gate opener who can’t get out of the way fast enough…actually in the way fast enough! Oh well, Dirk is so patient with all of us, he never gets too worked about anything. I love that quality about him! He truly is so amazing in every possible way!

Catching the horses!

Harnessing up, I can’t believe how fast Dirk did that…there are so many straps and buckles!

The girls waiting patiently!

Not the best picture...but we are loaded to the max and ready to start feeding. It's so amazing to me how 2 horses could actually pull all that weight really without any real struggle!

It really is such a cool experience...it kind of makes me feel so pioneer-ish...I was definitely born in the wrong era. I so could have done Little House on the Prairie!

Jeslyn even had driving lessons!

I struggled getting a picture of both of them looking...I was a little too close...and we were on the move...and if you are on the sleigh and it is moving...you better hold on, especially if you are me! Not sure how my husband does it...he feeds of course en route! He must have some awesome balance and then some! We finished right at sunset. What a blessing it was to all be together as a family and enjoy all the opportunities that life holds for us! Thanks sweetheart for giving us such a wonderful life!

The next day we were blessed with another fabulous sunny day…and of course we had to get out and enjoy it! We took the girls sledding in our backyard…technically our front yard! We hooked the sleigh to the back of the snowmobile and away we went with the girls in tow! Jauncee was kind of a boob and decided she did not like that at all…so the three of us rode the snowmobile and Jeslyn had a blast being pulled backwards in the sleigh! The mission was to find a hill we could all sleigh down! We were in luck…we found a perfect one! I think Jeslyn was the first to go down…the best part was that none of us had to walk back up, we always had a ride…kind of cheating…but so worth it!

We kept trying to talk Jauncee into going down with Jes...to no avail.

The sleigh hill! It was actually quite steep, one could get going pretty fast. So much fun!

After a little awhile Dirk had sledding fever and wanted to tackle a steep hill on his sled...he actually made it to the top and was standing on the ledge, but slow me didn't get my camera out fast enough to get a picture...but he was there. The amazing thing was watching him come down, he made me really nervous!

On the way home, Dirk decided he would ride out in the sleigh, I was kind of nervous driving...afraid I would run him into a sagebrush or two. He was a trooper and only ended up with a few big bruises (sorry honey)! He gave me the thumbs up and I am a summer/water/boating girl and thumbs up means faster! So of course I dumped him out on the road going faster than I should...I really felt bad, luckily it was nothing too serious!

We need more days like these!

The following weekend my parents came to visit...we had so much fun! So much fun in fact, that I didn’t even get any pictures! The first night we met them in Lava and ate Thai Food, it was very yummy! Our house right now is very tiny and unfortunately we really have no room for visitors! Unless of course you’re up to sleeping on an air mattress in the living room…which might not be too bad! I think my parents wanted to spend a little time together anyway so they stayed in Lava, which is only about 15 minutes away from our house. It is a small resort town, well known for its hot springs! The next morning they came out and we gave them a tour then we all went snowmobiling! It was so much fun and such a beautiful day! Later that afternoon we had to run the cattle through the chute for a quick vaccine boost…little did my parents know they would get stuck helping! But you guys were awesome and so much help! Mom – Terry was impressed! Of course you can’t come visit without going for a ride on the horse drawn sleigh! So we took a nice little ride and fed the cattle! Then of course it was dinner time! We went back to Lava and ate at a little restaurant where my parents were staying…can’t remember the name! It was sooooo good! I think it was probably the best prime rib I have ever had! Mmmm, can’t wait to go back! After dinner the men talked cattle and me, Jauncee and my mom enjoyed the band! The next morning we went to Sacrament Meeting and skipped out on the rest, my parents came over for one last feast! It was such a great weekend, I was sad to see them go! I love them so much, I am so blessed to have such great parents! I hope you guys come again soon!

The next bunch of pictures are totally random...most of them the girls took with their camera. I love seeing life through the eyes of a child!

This must be a reminder of all things that I still need to do...like hang pictures!
That would be our first family picture together, taken last September.

Not sure what it is with kids and a camera...they love self portraits!

Not sure where this came from or which child took it, but I must say it is awesome!

The llamas! They are one strange animal. If you make them mad, they will spit on you! Yuk!

The blue sky!

And, of course another self portrait! So cute.

The pond!

Ole Juke and Rooster

My sweet little angels!

And last but not least...


The calm before the storm!

Thoughts, Happenings, Life Lessons & Love

Hello from the FREEZING COLD Idaho! Right now it is a blizzard!!!! I am so not going outside today if at all possible! I do love to watch it snow from inside our cozy little house with a fire roaring in our fire place. What a month January has been. COLD, SNOWY, and FREEZING COLD!

Well, can you tell I started this post a couple weeks ago and never got around to finishing it? What can I say; it has been busy with our recent move and all! It seems I spend my days un-packing and trying to find a place for all of our things. But with each passing day, it is starting to feel more and more like home!

Here are a few pictures of the beautiful countryside we live in and the girls out having some winter fun…along with a few firsts! They are however in no particular order.

Mom and Jaunc hanging out on the couch trying get warm!

The dreaded CHICKEN POX! Not sure how Jauncee got them being vaccinated and all, but somehow she did. Three weeks later...still spots, but they are slightly fading...thank goodness! Funny thing is, they never itched nor did she ever have a fever. The doctor says it may be due to having had the vaccine...they aren't sure of the course or the duration...it definitely could have been worse! Love you little one and I am sorry!

The worst was her arms, she had a few on her legs and a couple on her cheeks.

One of the other firsts we had here I wish I could have gotten a picture of...we live about 15 miles out of town...Jeslyn rides the bus to school everyday and lucky her, she gets to be the first on and the last off! She has to get on the bus at 6:45 am Monday-Thursday. The poor thing is such a trooper...I am very proud of her and how easy she makes getting her ready in the morning! Well, the very first bus ride Dirk took her out and came back in and we could hear the bus and it didn't sound like it was going anywhere...it was stuck...in our driveway! The county snow plow was right behind it stuck as well! Dirk had to pull them both out with the John Deere! I was sure Jeslyn was mortified...but she says she wasn't...I think they were only about 15 minutes late that day! What a funny picture it would have been, but I couldn't talk Dirk into taking one for me...and it was too cold to go outside!

SNOW MUCH FUN!

These next few are pictures the girls took while they were out and about helping with the chores! This particular picture is a view to the East of our house...the cattle are ours and the mountain is the summer allotment.

This picture is the view to the West...Grandpa with the team and the sleigh.

This is Roper...Grandpa's dog!

This is how we feed the cattle and horses... team pulling a sleigh!

Jauncee having some snow fun!

The draft horse in the back is Kyle, he is a stallion!

The spot the girls picked out for the TrAmPoLiNe! Can't wait for spring!

What a sweetheart!, I LOVE YOU JES!

And, last but not least....

Jauncee started Preschool. She goes every Monday and Wednesday, she even gets to ride the bus!

She was so excited, she could hardly wait!

The girls are excited for Valentine's Day up and coming...they have a few gifts but I have made them wait to open them, such a mean mom I know. What a great holiday it is to teach about love and kindness...and to show love to all the love's in your life! It's crazy how time flies...it will be March before we know it.

I will end with this quote from Marianne Williamson
“We are not held back by the love we didn’t receive in the past, but by the love we’re not extending in the present.”