Cowboy Snowman and Kids

So last winter we just didn't have much snow and then it was dry and not good snowman making snow.  I know it matters what kind it is.  So this year we finally got some good snow.  Nolan just couldn't help himself.  He made a cowboy snowman.  The hat is missing.  I think the dogs got it.  But you can see the work gloves and the rope and of course every good cowboy needs a pink scarf.  At least that's what Nolan thinks. 

 I added this shot because it was such a cute picture of my kids playing.  It usually ends up with someone screaming but for a brief moment they are playing and having fun.  It was doggie pile on Nolan this go around. 

For those who miss Bear Lake or just like a team and horses

This post is for those who need to see a little snow and some mountains and the team and sleigh.  I know that there are quite a few pictures of the family but look behind them and see the beauty.  We went down to the ranch on Saturday the 26th and it was warm and beautiful out.  It was the calm before the storm.  Life is like that a lot.  I have been on the phone all morning with people about different things that have been happening in our valley.  It can all change in a blink of an eye. 

 Nolan can help hook up the team. I did question him a few times if he was doing it right.  I am nervous like that.  I made the Dad check too.  But he seems to do this way better than the fractions we worked on the night before.

 Becca riding on Rebecca.  Little Becca does not like to walk up the hill to get to the sleigh.

 Hey Quinn!!  Are you sure this is safe?  Or are we going to have some problems down there?  Don't worry I checked his work.

 I thought you might like this perspective from the sleigh.  Poor horse it really makes their hind ends look big.  Sorry Ladies!  Next time I'll take a more flattering shot.

 

 Here is my Andrew driving the team.  His dad got him a big "stool" (ok a block of wood) and he can see while he drives. 

 Yes I know Thomas went with us and he has his brace on under the coveralls.  We told him he could not tip himself out of the sleigh. You can tell that Nolan is not under the same direction.  He loves to knock his sister out of the sleigh.

 DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!  And don't try it for real!!!!  Nolan was only "pretending" to dive.  He actually jumped as you can tell from the next photo.

 Becca loves to jump off the sleigh with her brothers.  But only when there is a good snow drift.

 Andrew loves the dogs.

 Nolan loves the dogs too much!  Here he is loving on Mark and then Mark returns the favor with a "kiss"

 Yep we start them off young.  Here is Becca driving Rebecca and Fluffy.  Is that ironic?

 Here is the best picture of the day.  Not of me of course but of my dog Maggie.  The best part of the day was when I was calling Maggie to come to me and I realized that Andrew was also calling Maggie.  We worked with him a little and he finally got the M part and the "agg" part.  He thought that was great.  I think I named my dogs just so my kids could say their names and learn how to talk.

 Maybe I should have titled this post THE FEEDER part 2.  But that would have been no fun.  So here is the feeder and my 11 year old is helping dad pull the side up.  Just to note the feeder is literally swimming in crap.  I opted not to help since I didn't want to wash everyone's clothes.  I tried to get Nolan to be more careful but he was having nothing to do with it.

 If you look very closely at this picture of Andrew you will see that he just had an altercation with the front of the sleigh or the rack.  His dad had to cross the "Sweetwater" (o.k. so it's not the Sweetwater and it's not even Bear River, its just the stream that we have down at the ranch by the rock bridge that dad failed to get a new culvert in) and Andrew was holding on really tight and his chin was right on the rack.  Whoops!  He is ok. and loves showing everyone his chin.

 Can you name this Canyon?  Or maybe the Mountain behind it?

 Nolan was driving the team to while Quinn pitched the hay and straw off the back.  Can you name the Mountain area in the background?

 So even if you are not a native Bear Laker you should be able to name this mountain.  Especially if you are an avid snowmobiler.

 This is also a snowmobiler favorite.  Can you name it?  Can you Name the Canyon below?

 I tried to get a shot of the whole range but its not that good, Sorry. But it gives you an idea at least.

 Another shot of the mountain we like to call Lightening. 

 Here comes Nolan!!!

 Whoa Nolan!!!  He needs to have a deeper voice I can tell.  When I'm driving I try really hard to sound like Quinn,  I think it helps.

 This is a shot of looking across the river to the West.  We call it the fairy hills. 

 So these pictures were just to cute to pass up.  Poor little  Andrew was trying so hard to get up on the sleigh.  Becca, being the nice older sister, tried to help from on top of the sleigh.  Then she figure out pretty quickly that was not going to work.  So she got off and helped him up.  It was so cute!!!  I love when the kids help each other out.

 Seriously Nolan what is your obsession with this dog?  He insisted that I take a picture of him with Mark.  Then Becca joined him too!!

 I need a new camera.  One that is installed in my eyes that I can just blink and get the pictures or maybe even a fast shutter would be nice.  Instead you just get the story behind this picture.  So we untie the little sleighs when we go into feed the animals so they don't step on them.  So when we got back to where we left the sleighs Quinn jumped off and tied the one that Thomas was riding in onto the big sleigh.  We took off and pop the twine broke.  So Quinn got off and did it again.  Then we started to go again and it popped again.  (I am starting to doubt that he was an Eagle Scout) So the third time Thomas Cub Scouted up and tied it himself.  Lets just say it held that time.  Poor Thomas was tired of getting left behind.

 Becca really loves to ride on herself.  O.k. so that doesn't make much sense.  Becca, my daughter is riding on Rebecca the Horse.  Here is a pop quiz?  Who was named Rebecca first?  The Horse or the cute little girl.  Hint: Becca is 6 years old and the Horse is 15 years old.

 I know this picture looks kind of funny because I took it funny.  But it was cute because Andrew was sitting on the blocks his dad uses to keep the bales on.

 Andrew was not amused to be on Rebecca with Nolan.  We thought he would like it better with his big brother that he adores.

Cisco Fishing

So if you don't already know this Bear Lake has one fish that can be found no where else.  It's our claim to fame along with the Bear Lake Monster.  So to catch these fish you have to go at a certain time during the winter (January or February) when the ice is on the lake.  They you go to Cisco Bay (on the East side of the Lake on the Utah side) and take these big nets (which I didn't get a picture of) and then just scoop up these little critters.  On Thursday the 24th my wonderful husband decided that him and the boys would go cisco fishing the next morning.  So much for the piano lessons that I had scheduled.  So the boys got up at 7:00 a.m. and headed out to the Lake.  They met up with Joel Teusher and his son.  So I was not there so all of this is a little second hand but I think its fairly accurate.  So they got to the lake and went out on the ice.  Then the got their nets out and scoop up their limit in very little time.  When the cisco are "running" or is it "swimming" they are plentiful so it doesn't take long. 

Here are the "dead cisco.  They thought that mom was going to clean them up and cook them for them.  They soon learned that this is not the case.

These are the live cisco that they took down to the ranch and put into the new water troughs.  I saw them they do exist and seem to be enjoying the troughs.

 

 Apparently someone didn't tell me the whole story about the trip till he got home.  I realized that he didn't have a real "sock" on only a poor man's substitute.  He broke through the ice and fell in.  Lucky for him he was only in 2 feet of water.

 Andrew was really excited when the boys came home. (I think he doesn't much like being with the girls all day) He couldn't quit "talking" about the fish.  Thomas was kind enough to "show" him one.

 Nolan thought that he would show off a live one.  I don't know how much longer it lived since it was out in the air and cold.

 Here's the BOYS.  I do mean boys.  They were all equally excited about the fishing trip. 

 

 

The boys insisted that I post this picture of the guts and heads.  I was not as amused with this.  But I didn't have to clean them and Quinn came in later that night and cooked them up.  The kids really liked the fish.  Me, not so much.