Kicking Up Dust

 These pictures are of Quinn doing some harrowing.  I had to record it because more often than not, it's me in the tractor not him.  Also I thought it was kind of cool looking. 

 Doesn't this one look all mysterious?  Or maybe just dusty.

 And some more dust.

 And even more dust.

 Now you can see him.  He's in the 4630 and the radio works so it's pretty nice.

 This is a shot of the mountains from down at the ranch.  I am trying desperately to make Robert Timothy homesick.  Is it working yet? 

 Here's the old house.

 The Old House again.

 And again.

 This is the view from the top of the lane. 

 I was on the 4-wheeler and lets just say that the bugs were out.  It was hard to get back home.  I think I ate a few.

Sweetwater Culvert

So if you remember I mentioned some time ago about how we had to cross the Sweetwater this winter because there was no culvert.  So here is a picture of the Sweetwater now crossable.  It isn't that great right now but it will be.  The kids were picking rocks and putting them in there to help with the mud.  We'll see how long it takes to dry out so we can fix it more.  Good Job Quinn!!!  It's not even halfway through the summer.

Farming Time!!

Well we all knew it would come eventually but it's time.  Farming Time.  I am usually the first in the tractor.  I guess it's cause I do such a great job.  No, you're right it's not that.  It's more that I'm a body and that I can drive a tractor and that I actually like to do it and that there is not other option.  So after all that being said I was the first this year to harrow.  We got new harrows last year but not in time to actually use.  Imagine that.  So here they are.  I couldn't get a picture of them folded up because I was in the tractor trying to get them to unfold.  There is Quinn and Joel Teusher in the background "fixing" it. 

 So the next couple of shots are what I was seeing from the tractor.  I didn't get some of the most interesting shots though.  I was looking down at the kids by the rock bridge and saw my oldest child, Nolan chasing something.  At first glace I thought maybe it was a bird or something with it's tail in the air.  But I quickly came to the realization that it was a skunk!!!  I was yelling at him not to do it but he didn't hear me.  Big surprise.  I don't know what was going through his head.  But I think the dog got the brunt of the spray.  Nolan just wanted to kill it.  What goes through his mind sometimes.  So this is a picture out my back window.  You can see I'm kicking up some dust.  The manure is from a few loads we hauled this spring. 

 This shot is out the front window.  I don't know if you all know this or not but it is hard to get a good shot in a tractor.  It's a little bouncy.

 Here is my traveling companion.  He was really good actually.  He sat there for the longest time and then I realized that he was nodding off.  So I picked him up and held him in my arms while he slept and I drove.  It wasn't great but we got through.

 This is a picture of my kids picking rocks.  I know it's not fair.  They should have to do it on foot.  But this does speed up the process quite a bit. 

 Here is Quinn and Joel trying to get the manure spread out that we dumped last fall.  It was not a great thing but we got it done now.

 Yes that's me.  I am not particularly fond of this picture.  I have got quite the outfit on.  Pink gloves, red had, crappy sweatshirt.  And I've gain quite a bit of weigh lately.  It shows.

REALLY?

 So I was down at the ranch on the Old House piece and I was getting ready to harrow and turned and saw this. What is up with this?  My son is out of control.  My dog is lazy!!!  I can't believe her.  She now wants to get on all the time.  I am not o.k. with it so she usually doesn't get away with it with me but apparently has no problem convincing Nolan.  Wow what a dog.  What a son.

Birthday Party Girl!

So last Saturday the 20th Becca was invited to a birthday party for her fellow Kindergartner, Cohen Crane.  I trade days with his Grandma on picking up the Kindergartners.  It's been a nice arrangement for me at least.  That's not to say I'm not counting down the days till its over.  Kindergarten is a hard year.  Too much disruption and a LOT of reading.  But to be honest Becca is a great reader and needs little to no help anymore.  It's been nice for me.  So back to the subject Quinn and I were out in the Quonset, cleaning it, with the boys and she was in the house getting ready.  She made a hat and wrapped her present and then took the tube that the wrapping paper was on.  She was prepared.  It was pretty cute.  I would have taken a picture of the Quonset because we made great progress but we are not done and I wanted a picture of it done.  We'll see if it happens. 

Something for me!!

 
 

Well it doesn't happen very often but I made a quilt for me.  A snuggly to be exact.  In our house that means a minky blanket.  So I was cleaning out my sewing room the other day and saw this project and noticed that it sure was taking up a lot of space so I thought to myself, "Self you should hurry and do this so that you can use that space for other things."  So that's what I did.  I should have said, "Self you should get that done so that you feel more accomplished and you wouldn't have to keep fighting everyone else (except Andrew) for use of their snugglies."  But that's how I roll.  Now the following pictures will show quite plainly that although this was made for me it is not used by me.  Andrew loves it of coarse because of the cow and has no prejudice against pink.  Quinn informed me that mine was just so much softer.  And Becca just loves it!!!  So much for something for me.  But at least I got it done.  Right?  Now I just have to get Andrew's done so that he doesn't have to use his little one.

 You can't tell that I really like cows can you?

Pony Ride!!!

So my baby is obsessed with the horses.  He LOVES them.  He wants to be on them all the time.  And guess what?  I am not the gal for the job.  So that means someone else has to pick up the slack.  And in the case it was Thomas.  Andrew was crying!!! before Thomas when out to do chores and so Thomas promises him that if he got dressed and put his coveralls on that he would take him on a pony ride when he got his chores done.  And true to his word he did just that.  Did I mention that Andrew has no fear with horses?  None at all!!  So yes here is Thomas getting ready for the pony ride with Andrew "helping."

 Please don't notice the pink gloves.  It's just so much easier to put on sisters old gloves than to find the boy ones.

 Pop Quiz:  How many Jenson boys does it take to give another Jenson boy a ride on a pony?

Answer:  However many there are nearby.

 Oh how happy Andrew was!!  I wish I could reproduce how he talks but it is impossible.

 BOYS!!!  GET OFF MY GRASS!!!

 Plainly they didn't listen.

 Still not listening.  Maybe the hats are in the way!!!

 

 

 

 

Thomas 9th Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Thomas!!  April 16, 2004 is the official birthdate.  You may notice a slight discrepancy on the picture dates.  We are so into birthday's around here that we celebrated two days.  On the actual day Quinn and I took Thomas with us to Logan and went to a dairy meeting.  What is better than that?  Skipping school, good lunch, and movies the whole way.  That is the life!!!  So since we were in Logan the whole day we didn't really have time for the meal and birthday pie so we did that the next day.  But we did the most important thing on the actual day and that was to open presents.  Because really that's all that matters.  So here are some pictures from him opening his presents.

 You really can't tell his facial expressions on here but he was pretty excited.  Mostly when he thought he was getting a working computer instead of one to tear apart.  But true to form he was o.k. with tearing it apart.

 What I find extremely funny is that I live with a bunch, and I mean a bunch, of knife carrying boys!!  Do you think a one of them had a knife handy at this moment?  Oh no that would have been too convenient. 

 

 TOOLS!!!  He was super excited.  In fact he was so excited that he promptly hid them from his dad.  But Grandma and Poppa planned for that and sent a lock and key.  Smart of them!!!

 So I did make him breakfast the next morning of Sausage and Egg.  (His request) We put a candle in it.  Can you tell he hasn't quite combed his hair yet?

 So for the birthday meal we had Hawaiian Haystacks (his request) and PIE!!!  I have a family that would much rather eat pie than cake.  Don't get me wrong they totally will eat the cake but they request pie more often.  So I whipped up four pies that day for my cute little question boy.

 You should be able to tell in this one that Andrew is getting ready to do the honors of blowing out the candles.  His birthday was pretty fresh in his mind and so he knew exactly what to do. 

 Dad tried to block the shot but it actually worked out better for Thomas somehow and it blew out every candle.  Aunt Cynthia, Uncle Mario, and Zane all came to eat dinner with us.  Please ignore the messy kitchen in the background!!  What can I say I got the meal prepared?  What more do you expect from me?!!