We Are Still Here

Yes, we are still here.  I guess we have been super busy.  Between playing, working and getting all the food in our garden put up, I seemed to have forgotten to update our blog.  Here are some happenings!

We bought a new puppy.

The kids amazed us with their building abilities at a family reunion.  

Levi went on an overnight school field trip.  Dad decided to go along.

They learned a lot of new stuff.

They shared an old stinky cabin with mice during the night. There were about 50 boys plus dads that slept in there. 

They ate good food.

Levi had fun with cousins.  All three of them are in the same grade!

I found these pictures on the camera yesterday.  The kids must have gotten ahold of it.  I guess the kids are proud of growing something so big.  I am embarrassed  that things got so out of control.

On Saturday Levi and Dad took a long ride (5 hours) up on the mountains with some friends and relatives.  It was Thumper's first mountain ride since we have owned him.  If you look close Tike, the horse we are breaking, is behind Levi and Thumper.  It was his first time being rode outside of the corral.  There was no bucking!  Yea!  Chris says he thinks Tike might be a lazy horse.  We will have to see.

Chris is trying out his great grandpa's pony cart to see what needs to be done to fix it up.  Chis used this cart when he was a kid so it is bringing back a lot of fun memories.

Saturday night we had a little storm and lightning struck pretty close to our house.  This photo is taken from our front yard.  We had the wild fire firefighters here all night.

Every year when school starts we have a cousin sleep over party.  It is so fun to get all the kids together.  This year we had a blast!

Whit is learning to walk.  The whole family is proud.

We decided to try out our new pony for a nice Sunday ride in Chris's great grandpa's old pony cart.  We rode all over town.  Thumper did better than expected with the cart.  

Pony Pony Pony

All the kids could talk about when they got home from school was the new pony.  I wanted to talk about their first day of school but I could hardly get a peep out of them.  So, I sat down BY MYSELF to go through their backpacks.  Before I knew it Levi was asking me for some shampoo.  I told him he didn't need to shower until tonight and he told me it wasn't for him.  I walked outside and there was the pony tied to the carport.  I didn't know Levi knew how to put a halter on let alone be brave enough to get him out of his pen.  Levi had the rope all twisted around the carport pole in order to tie him up.  It was pretty cute.  We decided to have a lesson on slip knots used for tying horses up.  

---I decided the school stuff would have to wait.  ---

So, we gave the pony a bath.  Afterwards Levi and Casey rode him all over the yard and the neighborhood.  By the time we were done we had quite a few kids over at our house.  We did go through their backpacks but it wasn't until after dinner.

Thumper was was wet from getting a bath.  The kids couldn't wait for him to dry so they put a couple towels on him so their bums wouldn't get wet. ---- It didn't work.----

Thumper likes getting a drink out of the hose.

First Day of School!

Today is the first day of school.  The kids sure jumped out of bed faster than normal.  I wonder if they will be as excited tomorrow!

Levi is now in 3rd grade.

Casey is now in 2nd grade.

Heston is finally in Kindergarten. He doesn't start until next week.

Dad waiting for the bus with the kiddos.

Last night we added another addition to our crazy house.  We picked him up in Nephi and didn't get home until about 10:00 pm.  I am still trying to decide if we are good parents because what kid doesn't want their own pony or poor parents for letting the kids stay up that late the night before the first day of school.  We have spent the last 3 weeks going to bed early so we would be used to it.

Cute...What is it?

Cute is walking outside and finding your boys shaded up under the tomato plants eating carrots.
Cute is looking out the window and spying Heston sneaking up on some chickens. 
Cute is walking outside to check on the kids only to find they are jumping on the trampoline in their birthday suits..........not their swimming suits.
Cute is when your oldest is trying to show how grown up he is by helping dad with mom's honey-do list. 
Heck, who needs words for this one.
Finally....cute is watching Heston talk to Whit like I talk to Heston when he is taking a bath. "Wash in your ears and wash your arm pits.". 

Whit is learning to climb trees.  He can't quite keep up with his older siblings.

The kids love helping snap beans.  

Levi is getting ready to find a snack before dinner.

Our chickens finally have a little freedom now that the garden is big enough to share with them.

Whit trying to decide the best way to eat this giant cabbage out of our garden.

Whit had his first B-day.  Uncle Tim made him an awesome cake.  It was yummy!

Grandma took us on fun four wheeler rides.

While camping Whit learned how to sit in a chair without falling out.

We love our cousins.

Casey riding a rare Norwegian Fjord up on the mountain.  

Harvesting has begun!

Last year Papa Ed explained to us how to grow cauliflower so we decided to give it a try.  

Thanks Grandpa!

It is hard to get the whole garden in one photo.....so.....I tried to get it in two. 

It still didn't work.

Sections will have to do!

The kids helped harvest the beets.

By the time we were finishing up harvesting they had pretty much had enough.

So...I brought out a big knife for each of them to help top them and they were all of the sudden interested in helping again.  These kids love using knives.  It makes them feel so grown up.

After all that work it was time to cool off.  

By the end of the day we had 31 pints of pickled beets.

That is enough to have a lot of yummy salads this coming year!

I had to add this even though it has nothing to do with the garden.  The kids practice with him several times a day.  He loves the attention!