Happy 9th Birthday, Ch'ree!!

My baby girl is 9 today! Seems like just the other day she was born (drug free, I might add, thanks to a nurse who, even though I was 9 days overdue, didn't believe me that I was in labor!). The next day she was airlifted via helicopter to UMC in Lubbock because she was spitting up blood and spent the next few days in NICU. She looked huge next to all the preemies in there, weighing in at 8lb 4oz. Luckily it was just some acid reflux and after a couple weeks of Tagament there were no more problems.

She has grown up so much! Such a girly girl, she loves sports and is pretty smart too. But don't have a TV on anywhere near her, she just zones out. LOL!

Newborn, June 23rd 1999

One year, 2000

Age 2, 2001

Age 3, 2002

Preschool, 2003

Kindergarten, 2004

2005, 1st grade

Cheering, 2006

Spring 2006

8 years old, 3rd grade 2007

June, 2008

Kids and computers

I don't want to hear about how old people can't figure out how to use a computer.

Yesterday my 2 year old went to my desk, hit the on button on the CPU, then waited for the log-on screen to appear. Most of the profiles are not password protected (just mine). He managed to click on one of the profiles, then started up one of his games. There was no help from me, I wasn't even in the room. But I heard him starting it and watched from afar to see what he would do. The boy just moves that mouse around and clicks on what he wants like he was born to do it.

He is 2 for cryin' out loud!!

My 5 year old loves to turn on iTunes and search thru the 2102 songs I have on there and find the ONE he wants to hear. His favorite is Metallica's 2x4. He clicks it, hits repeat, and has the most interesting dance moves to it. He's not moshing, I'm not sure what he is doing. But he seems to love Metallica (at least one song). He will also belt out Taylor Swift songs, but usually changes some of the words around to poopoo and butthead, stinkyhead, things of that nature.

He also will get online to Disneychannel.com and surf around on Power Ranger games or stuff like that. The boy KNOWS what he is doing. He can't read yet but he KNOWS! It's the darndest thing.

And of course the girls do all sorts of things on the computer. They will type up a story on Wordpad or something, then attach it to an email and send it to their grandparents. They keep in touch with friends via email. I wasn't even talking on the PHONE at that age and they have email. LOL!

May activities, 2008

We had Shelby's Birthday Party. She requested Cheesecake for her cake and Stuffed Shells for dinner. We had nearly 20 of our friends and family over, and between myself, my SIL Amanda and a friend Karen, we killed many a margarita that night. We later broke out the musical instruments, Amanda and I on our guitars, while Jeff played bass and Don on the fiddle. We are becoming quite the musical family.

Last Monday was Chance's Preschool Tea. The 2nd year preschoolers always wind the Maypole. Chance is so ready for Kindergarden!

Shelby and Ch'ree both had awards assemblies. I missed Shelby's because I was on Chance's field trip to the Clovis Zoo. But she received 7 awards, including A/B honor roll for each of her subjects and perfect attendance.

Ch'ree cleaned up as well. She was almost the only one in her class on A honor roll, but one of her grades slipped down to a B. I give her an A for effort, though. She received 6 awards (missed Perfect Attendance by one day when she was sick). With her is her best friend, Mercedes. (Buck, this is Consuelo's daughter. C. was sitting in front of me at the assembly and asked me where these nerdy kids came from).

And mom, these pictures were taken with my NEW lens! Not bad, eh?

And we have had wind the past few days. Here are the poor cows trudging along in a sand storm.

I went out to feed with Jeff one day. I think this is the cutest calf out of the bunch this year.

Hey, somebody help me get this cactus off my chin, please!

This baby caught my eye, too! He's so new, his umbilical stump hasn't fallen off yet!

Tex was on the prowl for rabbits. I though this was a cool picture because we were bouncing around in the feed truck when I took it, and it wasn't a smooth trip. I think it shows what a decent camera can do. I have a Nikon D50 and I absolutely LOVE it! The rains have finally helped our grass and it's starting to green up, as well as the mesquite.

Shelby turns 11!!!

Happy Birthday, my brown eyed baby girl!!!

Introductions

I realize that since I moved to blog format that everything I had on the old website is gone. I know, I've said this before. So periodically, I try to post things that were up on the old site.

One thing that I should do is introduce my family to all of you.

This is Shelby. She is our 1997 model. Eight pounds, 8 ozs. Twenty-four hours of labor, 3 of which was pushing (TMI?). Our firstborn, the oldest, the bossy one. She is in 5th grade (which is middle school at our small rural school). Most of the time she gets along with her younger sister and she and our youngest adore each other. But she and Chance just clash. All the time. It's mostly his fault. Anyway, Shelby LOVES to read, she started reading before she started Kindergarten (her teacher said she was the first student she ever had that started the year reading!). She has read every single Harry Potter book (after me, of course). She also enjoys horses, reading, listening to music, reading, Hannah Montana (and all things that have to do with Miley Cyrus), writing stories, reading, singing (and she is pretty good!). She does not enjoy watching Chance and cleaning her room. She cheers and plays basketball. As she is entering the world of tweens, she is adding talking on the phone and emailing friends to her list of things to do. Her foot is one size smaller than mine and I catch her in my closet drooling over my shoes and boots that she plans on wearing next year. Girl, you better stay away from my Ariat Fat Babies!!!

This is Ch'ree. She is our 1999 model. Eight lbs, 4oz. 12 hours of labor, 10 minutes of pushing with NO DRUGS! She spent a few days in Lubbocks NICU because she decided to spit up blood. I think she just wanted the helicopter ride to Lubbock to make her daddy jealous. Ended up she just had some acid reflux. She is the drama queen. She can cry at the drop of a hat if she needs to. She thinks it will get her out of whatever task I have assigned her. It doesn't work. She and Chance DO get along. Drew not so much (his preference, not hers). She also enjoys reading and writing stories. Except she likes to start many books and finish few. She also likes pretty things, she is kinda a frilly girl. She cheers and plays basketball (both girls have also dabbed around into soccer and baseball. They both enjoyed soccer. I didn't enjoy two different teams with all different times of practices and games in town). She can also stare at a TV and tune the entire world out around her. At any given time. She may not even like what's on or know what it is, she is mesmorized by the glowing box (Dad, does that sound familiar?). Like her sister, she also enjoys music. I think she is the most low maintenance of all the kids, though.

This is Chance. Our 2002 model. Nine lbs, 9ozs. Six hours of labor with an epidural, which after the last birth experience, I demanded as soon as I walked into the hospital. Even though he is three years younger than Ch'ree, he is the same size as she is (except she wears slim clothes and he regular). He's a tough boy. He shows his tough side to his sisters all day long. But when he is at school, he is the most compassionate kid there. He seldom gets in trouble at school (home is quite another matter). He can play the PS2 like there is no tomorrow (I have to work hard to beat him at many games). His biggest enjoyment is to get under Shelby's skin. He is on the verge of getting reading down. He talks about underwear alot. He likes to wear nothing but his underwear, alot. He wants to be in the middle of everything. He loves Power Rangers and Spiderman, and now rides a bike with NO training wheels. He also loves riding his 4-wheeler. He has a cousin who is 6 days younger than him. They are the same size, both blonde, both blue eyed, and when they get together, we call them Nitro and Glycerine.

And Drew is the baby. Our 2005 model, he was nine lbs, 3 ozs, 12 hours of labor. And the epidural guy did a WONDERFUL job with this one. After Drew was born, I was ready for more! Totally painless experience. He idolizes his big brother and Shelby. He loves Thomas the Train, Power Rangers and anything with dogs (currently Scooby Doo is a fav). He shuns underwear, prefers diapers (much to my dismay, as I want him potty trained). He loves apple juice, cartoons, his dog Tex, and the horses. He's quite fond of his daddy and mommy, and never have I seen a child that HAS to be snuggled as much as he. Like his mommy, he feels he must have shoes on his feet as soon as he wakes up and doesn't take them off til he hits the sack. And he hates hitting the sack. He would stay up all day and night if given the chance.

And this is Jeff and myself.

Jeff is 6'4". He's a 1973 model who was born and raised right here in Floyd. He farms and ranches, is on the volunteer fire department (and is almost done getting his EMS-Intermediate license. Watch out, he can put an IV in you!), the Lion's club, and on the school board. He works hard farming 1,300 acres and ranching another 1,200. He has put up with me and my Irish temper for nearly 15 years (13 1/2 wedded). He enjoys playing some old country tunes on his bass guitar, watching various Star Trek shows, wrestling with the kids, and pranks (his favorite is a remote controlled fart machine).

And me. Y'all know me. I'm a 1974 model troublemaker from Georgia who somehow found herself in New Mexico. I may not have been born a country girl, but I sure wanted the part all my life and now I have it. I love animals, especially my dog and the horses. I love being a farm wife. I've always been a tomboy, I grew up playing softball and on the swimteam and joining the neighborhood boys playing football and seeing if I can land on both wheels after jumping a ramp on my bike at the bottom of the hill (I didn't, it was a hard landing). I enjoy yardwork and gardening, I just wish I had a green thumb for it. I fear wasps. I'm learning guitar, I claim to be a scrapbooker and quilter (but haven't had the opportunity to do either in a long time). And recently I have found I love photography. I'm working on the basics of exposure right now with my digital SLR (a Nikon D50). I coach the elementary girls cheerleading squad (and no, I was never a cheerleader in school, but I wanted to real bad), and have coached the kids' baseball teams before. I love the Atlanta Braves, but haven't watched a game all year since TBS took my Braves away from me. I used to love to read books, but can't find the time for it anymore. Hmmm, maybe if I quit reading blogs....

We are a pretty close family. My life revolves around the kids and their activities, and around Jeff and what he needs me to do on any given day (get parts, rode machinery, get lunch, etc). I may go days without adult conversation. My MIL, FIL and SIL are my best friends, next to my husband. For fun we like to go camping (in the 5th wheel of course. I may be country, but I like my modern conviences) or just visit with family.

And now you know everything more than you probably ever wanted to know about us.

Playing with Photoshop

It usually takes me a while to decide what to spend money and gift cards I get for Birthdays and Christmases. But this week I finally spent the combined checks from last October and December.

First, I bought a new lens for my camera. It's a 55-200mm Nikon zoom lens with VR (Vibration reduction). It's supposed to be REALLY neat. It doesn't get here til Wednesday, but I'll let you know how it goes!

Second, I bought a photo editing program. Not Photoshop CS2 or whatever it is. That puppy costs about $600!! No, I got Photoshop Elements 6.0. And this morning I had a bit of fun with it.

You know how when you get pictures done somewhere and they are always doing some fun things to make you want to spend an arm and a leg? Like selective coloring, when you can pick one color or something to stand out in a black and white photo? Well, here are my attempts at it:

What do you think? I wouldn't do it all the time, but I think it's kinda cool for the right photo.

Tampoline!

With Shelby's 11th birthday approaching in the next couple weeks and Ch'ree's not far behind that, Jeff (never one to keep or wait around for a surprise) decided while he was in town to get the girls an early birthday present.

A trampoline.

Now Mom, I know you said you don't think they are safe, but it's pretty big and lots of padding. And it will help them with their cheerleading stunts. Ok? Feel better now?

Here is the crew putting it together. Drew especially wanted to help. There were a few little glitches (one of which is Jeff not reading the instructions in the right order, then not listening to me when my common sense told ME how to do it, and I backed it up with the correct order in the instructions). But, he is a man and who needs stinkin' instructions? Not him!

Eventually it was all put together. Drew isn't quite sure what to do. So he just likes to sit there and let everyone else bounce, therefore bouncing him in the air.

Ch'ree's got the jumping down, though!

And wow, Shelby! Look at that toetouch!!

Chance likes to get in everyone's way. Especially Shelby's. What else is new?

Drew needed a break from all the bouncing, so he decided to sit on the brown drought stricken grass that I can't water til my well is fixed and pick his nose.

And his toes.

"Here mom, want some boogers and toe jam?"

And yes, I have been jumping on it, too. It's really alot of fun and a good aerobic workout. Which is exactly what I need to lose these last few pounds.

Ridin' the horses

I've always been passionate about horses. Always loved to go riding, or just brush and look at them. My first ride I was probably 3 or 4. It was in someone's house. Not sure why. Hope that little pony didn't make a mess. When my daddy took me to San Diego to visit some family, someone took me riding then. I remember when I was about 6 years old and my grandmother took my cousin to a riding stable that rented out rides. And I wanted to go SO BAD. But, I was forced to wait in the car (because I was having a huge temper tantrum). I was dusty and dirty and remembered wiping my dirty tears on the white bed sheet that Grandma used to protect the upholestry in the car. I didn't get a ride that time, but later that summer after I had calmed down, I did. I collected Bryer model horses, watched dang near every horse movie and read many a horse book (Black Stallions, Misty, Black Beauty, etc). I love horses.

When my father and stepmother first started getting their horses, it was one of the highlights of weekend and summer visits, just to brush them. I taught myself how to french braid on their tails, and enjoyed just clipping them with the electric clippers and brushing their manes and tails. I didn't even mind cleaning their stalls that much (really, Dad, I didn't. Some of my fondest memories are cleaning stalls and listening to the radio).

My father gave me my horse that I still have now. He was one of the first horses whose parents he owned and bred. His name is Dude, and I've had him since I was about 13. Everyone calls him a circus animal, and rightly so. He has a "spirited" streak in him. But he is my baby. I remember when he would be asleep in his stall and I would quietly walk in and lay down with him. He had a way of letting us know if he was out of water in his stall. First he would tear the 5-gallon bucket off the wall and stick it on his head. Then he would run it up and down the slats of his stall making a huge racket. When he would hear us enter the barn, he would then toss his head so that the bucket would fly over the walls of the stall and into the hallway so we could see that it was him out of water.

His spirited side wasn't always so cute. There was an incident with my father and the manure pile that Dude dragged him through. And the time when he tossed me into a fence. I think one time my dad threatened to shoot him with his .38 Special. LOL! He also used to have symptoms of colic about every 6 weeks or so and we would spend hours day and night walking him around praying he would be ok. Oddly enough, once I dragged his butt to New Mexico back in 1995, only one such attack occured.

Today for the first time in about 10 years, the kids and I talked Jeff into letting us ride the horses. It's always been a fear to let the kids ride. After all, why would they need to? We gather our cows with 4-wheelers and a feed truck. Jeff has no intention of letting them rodeo or show them. Then there was the local little 3 year old boy whose horse got spooked by a rope and drug him to death a few years ago.

Mundy is my father-in-law's horse. He's old. He's so old, he's been fitted for armor. He's so old, he's been shot with arrows before. He's so old, Coronado rode him into battle. He's so old...well, you get the picture. Really, he's about 28 years old. He had an accident shortly before Jeff and I were married (13 years ago) and messed up his hind feet. He's enjoyed a retired life out to pasture since.

Being that old and half crippled, Jeff finally decided that he would be gentle enough for his precious children. So we caught him, brushed him and saddled him up. Then Jeff led them around (just in case. Not taking any chances here).

Chance and Ch'ree had a turn

Then just Ch'ree. Mundy kinda has a mind of his own. He runs in two speeds: slow and stop. Here he had decided to stop. Dude was also nickering back in the pens. They weren't too sure of what was going on.

Then Shelby got a turn.

Shelby and Drew together

Drew and Chance. Drew has discovered that he LOVES horses!

After Mundy had his turn, I decided to try out Dude. We had a bit of trouble catching him. When you haven't had a halter on in years, guess you really don't want to get caught. But we finally did. First I brushed him, then lunged him a bit on a line. Then I wondered if I remembered how to saddle a horse. I had a little trouble with straps. Dude and I were raised riding English (he's a Tennessee Walking Horse, not a Quarter Horse like everything else around here), and the hardware and buckles are a bit different than our Western gear, but Jeff set me straight. Dude didn't object too bad with the bit, and I lunged him some more. Finally, I decided to just get on him and see what happened.

Had this been Dude 10 years ago, I'm sure he would have bucked or spun (in fact, I think that's what he did do last time he was ridden, 10 years ago). But I guess age must have mellowed him, and we just walked around for a bit. I even got him to trot a little, but that's it. It was nice just to be on a horse again. It's sad that he is about 22 years old, think of all the years of riding I've missed (doing silly things like birthing and caring for children).

And for a reward, they got a nice big bale of alfalfa. This is Mundy. And he has ALWAYS been this skinny. No matter if he has been wormed and on grain and unlimited supply of good hay (all of the above we have done). He's just a skinny horse. Dude has the exact same treatment and he's kinda fat. Go figure.

"Alfalfa? Alfalfa!! Why do THEY get alfalfa and all we get are cubes and unlimited pasture and haygrazer. We want ALFALFA!!!!" Look at the dust they are stirring up! No, they didn't get any alfalfa. Guess they are mad at us now.

"Where is my alfalfa?"

Elida Tournament, 2008

Last weekend was the Little Dribbler Tourney in Elida, NM. This is our school's first year doing Little Dribblers. Some of the kids have played on city leagues for years, and many have never played at all.

Shelby doesn't get to play a whole lot. She is on a 5th-6th grade team, and her being a) a 5th grader, b) it being her first year playing and c) 12 girls on the team, 4 of which are 6th graders, she doesn't get alot of playing time. But I did catch a couple of shots that she was in the game.

Getting the rebound!

Here she is hustling.

And here on the bench. LOL!

Ch'ree gets a bit more playing time on her team. It's a 3rd-4th grade team. But there are only 7 kids on the team: 2 4th graders, 3 3rd graders (including Ch'ree), a 1st grader and a 2nd grader.

Ch'ree holding onto the ball.

Hey, I got the ball!! Now, who can I pass it to?

She actually dribbled, too.

Drew had a good time in the concession stand. Here is Terminator Drew, checking out the brackets with his nachos and my sunglasses. He'll be back.

Drew's 2 year pictures

Did ya know I like to have pictures done? Well, I really don't do it THAT often, but just in the past couple of months. Highly unusual for me.

Today's session was only of Drew. He's not in school so he doesn't get school pictures done. So, these are his annual ones.

He was an absolute TURD getting these done. It took 45 minutes, he just wouldn't cooperate. He managed to escape a couple of times (not counting the many attempts). That also explains why some of the pictures he looks like he is/has been crying (he was).

Growing up

Signs your child is growing up:

• You have her kill the wasps in the house for you (because you are too scared to do it yourself)
• She unloaded the dishwasher by herself, without prompting from me
• She figured out how to sign herself up for a Yahoo account (by lying about her age). This also got her a grounding from computer for a month
• She can pop her own popcorn
• She is begging to watch Nightmare on Elm Street (which I of course told her absolutely NOT!)
• She can reach the pedals on the pickup and still see over the steering wheel (she can also start it, which is very helpful on cold mornings)
• And she can drive the front-end loader in the field to help daddy stack hay
• She is talking to her friends on the phone now.
• She borrowed some of my clothes for her Halloween costume
• I go thru her friend's hand-me-downs first for myself before passing them on to her
• I go shoe shopping with her, because she is already trying to raid my closet

sniff, sniff. Yes, she is growing up. Picture is Shelby, age 10, this past Halloween. Dressed up as Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter.

Happy Birthday, Drew!!

Well, his birthday was yesterday, but we were busy all day. So, here is his birthday announcement.

I haven't downloaded the pictures from his party last night, so here are some pictures looking back at him over these last two years:

My lumpy headed child. 9lb, 3oz. This picture was taken at 4am. I had finally gotten him to sleep when the nurse bounded in all happy, flipped on the lights, and declared, "It's time for baby's picture!!". I almost strangled her.

3 weeks old. The lumpy head was better now. Not too traumatized after we were evacuated from our home the week before when our big fire happened.

Happy and 1!!!

Age 2.

Family pictures, 2007

Finally got our church directory pictures back from Olan Mills. I'm pretty happy about the way they turned out. Everyone has a decent smile, even me. And especially Chance and Shelby. Chance's is usually a stiff closed mouth grin, Shelby likes to be goofy for the camera. Drew just takes the cake though. He LOVES to have his pictures taken! Guess he's just used to it since his mother takes it all the time! LOL!

Late October Pictures

Time for some pictures, again. At least there are some good subjects to look at.

Here is skinned up Drew. The day before we were at our school's Varsity football game (we won, BTW). I was coaching cheerleaders and told him to get down off the rail of the bleachers. Well, he did, but not the way he intended. He fell 4 feet to the ground below and landed on his feet, then fell over onto the track. Got a good knot on his head and a few scrapes, but within about 15 minutes, he was after a lady's Cheetos.

This is how we usually see Jeff anymore: on the cell phone taking care of business.

Drew trying to start my four-wheeler

Then he decided the kids' one would be a better fit.

Halloween night. That's Spiderman, a witch, Hermione Granger (from Harry Potter), and a giraffe.

I know this isn't one of my kids, but I had to post a pic of a kid in Ch'ree's class. His parents usually keep his hair pretty short. But this year it has been a bit on the long side. Well, Halloween he showed up to school with the top of his head BALD. He said he was an old man, but I thought he looked like Ron Howard with all that red hair. Ch'ree said on Thursday they shaved the rest of his head. When I mean shaved, I don't mean buzzed. I mean, NO HAIR AT ALL. LOL!

Halloween was fun. After partying at school all day, we came home to drop off bookbags and get into costumes if they weren't already. Then we met Jeff in town at 5:15 for some Pizza Hut buffet. This year, we decided to try a different neighborhood. One thing about living in the country is that there isn't a place to go door-to-door trick or treating. So we invade a neighborhood. In the past we have parked at the ENMU dorms and walked across the street to the houses there, then go back to the dorms and attend a haunted house and trick or treating in there. But the last couple of years the haunted house was really lame, and candy not that great (the only chocolate they got last year was a mini snickers each).

So this year, we invaded Cannon Meadows, aka base housing. I thought the people were much nicer, and the candy was better (that is, more chocolate!). It was really neat, and I thank the servicemen and their families who hopefully didn't mind us country folk invading them. After that we went to the nursing home, where the residents there handed out candy in the hall. They were happy to have us there. Jeff saw his Aunt Maggie there and chatted with her for a bit. Chance's teacher was there visiting her parents, so we visited with her and her family as well.

And of course on the way home we have to stop by the inlaws and get homemade popcorn balls and more snickers. It was a late night getting home and the kids weren't too happy about going to school in the morning. LOL!

Ok, I think I have something to learn on positioning the pictures, but I finally got them to upload. So you will have to tolerate it for now.

Whacking of the pinata that wouldn't die


Chance working on whacking the Power Ranger pinata. The darn thing had no hole in which to fill it up with candy. So, we got to cutting into him and discovered he had no cavity in which to put the candy! We improvised by cutting his back open, taking out the newspapers he was completely filled solid with, and taped him back up full of candy. Still, it took many whacks to get him open. Twelve kids, ages 1-10, hitting him with a metal bat. Each kid got about 4 or 5 turns.

Chance and the cake

Here he is blowing out the 5 candles on his Lightning McQueen cake, which itself was a hard thing to find. Only bakery in town didn't have any kits left to make it. So, I went to Walmart in Clovis. They could make the cake, but didn't have the toys to put on top. She gave me a discount on the cake, I found toys in the toy dept. All was well. Of course, we had to buy two cakes, because it was not only Chance's birthday party, but his cousin Brantley's as well.

Drew and the new kitty

Ah, here is little Drew with the newest member of our family (who is currently sitting on my lap. She is very interesting in my fingers typing). Squeakers is her name. Drew loves her. She isn't quite sure what to think of humans, but tolerates us. She housetrained quickly, and loves to sleep on Chance's bed. So far Jeff is getting along with her well. She hasn't pissed him off yet. LOL!