What happened while I was gone

So  pretty long title for a post if you ask me but I couldn't seem to come up with anything clever today.  I think it's my brain still in vacation mode.  So while I was gone Thomas went to Scouts and he made this tool box.  Apparently there was some misunderstanding and it accidentally went home with one of the other boys but his excellent leader, Mandy Phelps, went and got it and brought it to him.  That was super nice of her and good for grandma too. 

 It was also Valentines day at school and here is Thomas and Becca's bags.  I should have taken a picture of the "train" car my mom made me when I was in 2nd grade for my valentine's.  I still have it after all these years.  Lets just say our day is more disposable. 

 So I couldn't resist these next two pictures. I am sure this happened while I was gone too.  The T.V. was on, can you tell?  The two older ones were suppose to be eating in the kitchen and they were "mesmerized" by the TV and not doing what they were suppose to be.

 The two little ones were in the chair that they had turned around and snuggled up in their dad's blanket while they watched TV.  It is a sad fact at our house that all the children zone out on the TV like their dad. 

I found some more pictures so I added them to this post.  My dear niece, McKenzie, gave Grandma and me a flower for Valentine's day.  It was awfully nice of her.  I rarely get flowers these days.  So you should have seen all the men with flowers at the airport.  It was crazy.  I guess they go through security pretty well though.

 This is what grandma did with the kids while I was gone.  Not one kind but two kinds of sugar cookies.  I got the chocolate recipe off of the Pioneer Woman website.  They look and tasted pretty good.

Spokane, WA

So it's hard to believe it but 15 1/2 years ago Quinn and I were in Spokane for our honeymoon and here we are again.  Except for a different reason.  We went to a conference put on by North West Farm Credit.  We have a loan through them and this conference was free plus they gave us money to get to the event.  I have loved working with them so if anyone feels so inclined I would use them for my financial intuition.  It was a great conference and we learned a lot.  I hope to implement even half of it and I think we will do well.  My mom came and watched the kids and they really enjoyed that.  Andrew discovered that he can get out of his crib and scared my mom a couple of times.  He is a trickster.  The hired man and Uncle Justin and Uncle Mario and Aunt Cynthia took care of things outside so that we could go.  It was great!!  Here is the view from the top of our hotel.  It is crazy how much I remember from my first trip here. 

In this picture you can see the white building (kind of) which is the IMAX theater.  I also didn't get it in this picture but there is an old building that was once the Broad View Dairy.  It was cool and we visited it when we came here the first time. 

Here is our Hotel.  We went outside for a group picture so I snapped this one on the way back in. 

 So the next few pictures are taken from the plane.  I thought it was cool and I wanted the kids to see the airport and such.  We haven't flown in 10 years and lets just say I was a little on the worried side.  I think we should probably do this a little more often than that. 

 This picture is taken after we took off in Spokane

 Same with this one

 These pictures were taken at SLC airport.  Poor Quinn got a little sick on the plane ride from Spokane to SLC.  He looked our the window the whole way and it was a little on the turbulent side.  He doesn't do so well on Roller coasters.

 The Mountains by the SLC airport.  I thought it was a pretty good shot but it was a little overcast so you can't see much.

 Antelope Island.  I think.

 You can't see it very well but I think it's the pass from Brigham City to Logan.  I could be wrong but that's why I took the picture.

Haircuts

Normally I would have no pictures of the hair cutting that goes on here but someone apparently grab the camera.  I can't see to remember who it was but you can see the result.  My little Andrew was sitting so patiently.  He actually does pretty good compared to my 11year old, Nolan, who literally cries when he has to get a haircut. 

Let it Snow!!

I was trying really hard to show you how hard it was snowing but I am afraid the camera isn't quite up to it but if you will look closely you will see the signs.  For instance in this first picture you can see the snow on the hand railing and in the background between the tree and the yellow house you can't see the road so that means very low visibility. 

 I finally got smart and took a picture this way. But I should say that I had already shoved this spot three times before I took the picture.  Sorry I will be smarter next time.  So it is always a great day here when we get snow especially after a summer like we had last year. 

 In this picture you can at least "see" the snow which is what I was trying to accomplish.  I was at our back door and saw the kids coming so I zoomed out to get them.  Little Andrew was dress up!! He had on four layers and was loving the snow.

Winter Projects

So the week before we went to Spokane we had LOTS to do in order to leave.  Yes this is very typical no matter what we are doing but it gives my dear husband a deadline (don't tell him but that is a really good thing) which motivates him to get some things done.  I had to take pictures so that he could "see" how much he got done.  The lounging shed door has had quite a large hole in it for quite some time.  I am so sorry that I can't find a before picture for you but just imagine a large hole that a smaller sized cow could easily step through.  Also a larger cow could knock the 2x4 up and open the doors.  So a week prior to this that is exactly what happened but Quinn happened to be nearby so it was not as big of a mess as it could have been.  So here is the door fixed and only a slight hole on the right side but definitely an improvement. 

 Out in the cow corral we have a manure pit that borders a walkway for the 2nd herd cows to go up to their feeder.  The manure pit slopes downward and is bordered by cement.  In the past there was a fence here made up of metal posts and wood poles.  Once again I apologize for no before pictures.  The cows love to rub on this fence and lets just say it was in slightly less than perfect condition.  In the week prior to this the 1st herd and 2nd herd cows were getting mixed quite frequently.  That's not great when Quinn is here but awful when he is gone.  So this summer he went to the salvage yard and picked up some metal that was bent in a slight curve.  This is what he used which is good in some cases (the end) and not so good in other cases (the top part).  But he had to reconstruct the metal posts because the old ones had rotted out and were no longer available for use.  He did this then started at the top welding the metal on with the use of tabs.  As he worked his way down the hired man pulled the metal down while Quinn welded.  This is the end result.  It is nice and to my knowledge no cows crossed it in our absence.  I forgot to mention that on the other side the snow and ice and built up so that it was an easy step to get over the concrete wall. 

 Poor Quinn!  I made him pose by his fence.  I think it turned out really good and I'm glad he was able to find the metal underneath the snow.  Good job!!

Snow Glorious Snow

So I viewed my posts and realized that I hadn't posted anything in February till today.  Wow time does fly when you are having fun.  Or maybe when you are gone.  We went to Spokane this last week to go to a conference that North West Farm Credit put on. It was about Finances and Communication on the farm.  I went for the Financial part but came away with more.  Quinn went to be with me I think.  But he enjoyed it as well.  It was a great conference!  Before we went though we took some pictures of us going to the ranch after some more snow.  I know there are those who don't care for the snow but for us I have seen what happens when we don't get enough snow and it is not good.  We desperately need the snow so I can not say I don't love it because I do.  I thought this was a cute picture of Nolan trying to "get" Andrew.  Andrew was walking behind me as I was skiing to the ranch.  He did not want anything to do with his dad or anyone else.  I am not that good of a skier to manage him too.

 Bless Thomas' heart he walked with Andrew for a little ways so that he wasn't alone.

 Becca took off in front of us running and she made it was farther than her brothers did.

 I LOVE this picture.  I have tried to get a picture of Nolan jumping off the sleigh into the snow but it seems like I am always too late.  But this one caught him in mid air.  It was pretty cool!!

 In case you didn't already know snowmobile tracks make the best sledding runs.  You stay in the grove and shoot down the mountain.  It really is the best way to sled.  This is a picture of Callie Crane with Becca and Thomas behind them.

Matt's Snowcat

I should say that this particular snow cat has been down at the ranch for a few years.  We used it a couple of years ago when it was really hard to get down to the ranch with the team and sleigh and that it was too muddy for a tractor to make it with the feeder.  I tried to take a video of it moving but I am afraid I don't know how to post a video.  I do apologize.  Who knows maybe I didn't even take a video and just thought I did.  That has happened before to be sure.  I should also mention that Matt and his wife Leslie were working on the snow cat before Matt drove it up from the ranch.  Apparently they left a knife underneath and forgot about it.  I was cross-country skiing up from the ranch and happened to be looking down at the right moment and I found it half way up.  I know it's hard to believe but it's true.  That would be defined as a Miracle at our house.  We are constantly loosing knifes or Leatherman. 

I found the video so I hope it works!