Spa Night Bennington Style

So this post is really for my good friend Linda Timothy.  I was at our Relief Society night last night and I took my camera because I wanted to record it and then I told everyone that I was taking their picture for Linda.  Wow Linda do you ever have lots of power!!  They were so much nicer to me when I said it was for Linda Timothy.  I wonder if that will work on my kids? 

 O.K. Hand number one (waxing of coarse)?  Can you identify this person by their hand?

 Shelley Burdick was a little afraid of this hand waxing experience but I won her over when I said Linda Timothy does it.

 These two were our first clients.  They have an adventurous soul somewhere deep inside.  Marilyn really wants you to send her your blog address!!!  In fact the whole town does.  I wonder how they found out about it?  Hmmmmm......its a puzzle for sure!

 Here are the ladies getting their nails done.  Tammy and Ann are up front and Ann also would like to me on your blog Linda. 

 Hand number two.  Who does it belong to?  I think you will get this one for sure.

 Valerie was not allowing me to take her picture with the group of nail doers so I just had to step up to the plate and take one of her.  Hayden (Keetch) Neal is helping her out a bit.

 I had to have a facial picture of Susie.  She was just so relaxed and enjoying herself.

 Lanette Says HI!  Or maybe it was, "Look at my really cool waxed hand."  Yea I think that was it.

 Teresa really enjoyed a little pampering.  She told her daughter-in-law that if she didn't do her nails there would be no Christmas next year.  Just kidding!!!  Poor Kayla she really didn't want me to take her picture.  But it turned out so cute.  She has a great smile.

 Ann is starting to really enjoy this night!!  I think we should do it every month!!

 Here is another random shot.  I can see Martha Tobler down there. 

 I thought Lanette was going to shoot me when I took this one.  But hey Lanette you can't even tell you don't have makeup on!!

 We were suppose to have a back massage station but as luck would have it our ladies didn't show up so we improvised and had a baby holding station.  Susie kind of took advantage of this station. Oh can you guess who's baby?  Probably not since they didn't live here when you did.  Julie and Dusty Pierson bought Brandon Bakers house and she just had this cute little boy a couple of days after Christmas.

Yea the facial ladies did not want their picture taken.

If you can't tell Kim Lewis is not to be trusted.
I hander her my camera so that I could have a
Little FACIAL.  So she went ahead and took
pictures of me.  How could she?  Maybe I won't
show up to school next week to help out.  Just
kidding Kim!!  I love you.  She is the mastermind behind this night.  She knew how much we needed a little pampering!!   I somehow didn't get a picture of the chocolate fountains and the sugar scrub station.  Sorry.

 Sorry Kim Paybacks are NOT cool!!  He He!!!!  I love you still.

Doctor's Visit

Well if you didn't know this already I am not the sympathetic parent in this family.  When Thomas hurt is shoulder (see previous post about Nolan's feet) I figured he hadn't really done that much to it because he wasn't in a LOT of pain only when someone touched his shoulder.  So on Monday when dad went to go get the kids up for school Thomas laid on the, "I'm hurting I can't go to school today" charm.  So his dad being the really really nice dad that he is (Wait! he is the parent that caused all this!) said no son you don't have to go to school now let's go tell your mom.  So I said o.k. well I will take him to the chiropractor and see what he says.  So I loaded up Andrew and Thomas and we went in.  The chiropractor didn't think that the collarbone was broken so he tried to put the arm back in because it was teetering on being out so he told me if the pain didn't get better in a few days to call him.  So I sent poor Thomas to school on Tuesday and figured he was good to go.  When he got home from school he kept complaining about the shoulder so I called the chiropractor and he said that I should call the doctor and get an x-ray done.  So I called and they could see us this morning.  So I took the little stinker (seen in the photo below: He was hiding behind the table in the doctors office) with us and he was all over the place.  He is not allowed out in public. 

 So needless to say the doctor sent us over to get x-ray's done and sure enough the collarbone was broke on the right side.  I could even see it (Aunt Lynsey Thomas has a hundred million questions for you.  I told him to call you but I figured it was too late tonight) and I'm not an expert.  So we went back to the doctor's office and he put Thomas in this brace.  Let's just say Thomas is not amused!  He is not a willing patient.  As I write this he is protesting very loudly about wearing the brace.  But it could be worse.  The fracture is not split open and is laying how it should be so that is good.  (don't you love all my technical terms)  So it's just another day at the Jenson Farm.  Oh so I texted his dad and asked him what he was going to get Thomas for breaking his collarbone (Quinn's dad "helped" in breaking Quinn's leg so he got him a puppy) so since we have so many dogs his dad got him a b-b gun instead.  It's too bad he can't use it for the next few weeks. 

Milkman and Chapmaker

I warned Mario that this was going on my blog.  I just couldn't help myself.  He is looking so very warm with this Russian hat on and with his Levi coat and chaps and I think wool pants but it's hard to tell from here.  But he was being so obedient and getting the milk jugs for his wife.  He was also being really nice and fixing the chaps he made for Nolan for Christmas.  They were a little too big for Nolan.  That is not Mario's fault.  I got grumpy and quit feeding that little rugrat, Nolan so that means he isn't quite a big as he should have been.  Wow Mario I love the shades!!!

Riders R Us

Quinn had to call me when I was working so hard on returning his clutch pack(so we could get our refund) to take these pictures.  Uncle Mario, Aunt Cynthia, Zane, Quinn, and Becca all went to the ranch on Monday.  Thomas stayed home with me because his shoulder hurt.  So here is Quinn with Becca on Fluffy.  Don't you just love how I'm a professional photographer and you can see the semi in the background?  I'm good.  And incredibly humble about it too.

 Here is Quinn with Becca and Cynthia with Zane.  Cynthia is riding on Rebecca (not to be confused with my daughter, the horse)  They were having a good time.

 I just couldn't resist posting this one of Zane.  If you will look closely there is a tongue sticking out.  I thought it was hilarious.  Go Zane!! Your Aunt Jen always has her tongue sticking out.

 I asked so very nicely for Quinn to move out of the shadows so I could take a decent picture.  He apparently thought that I was being rude and just left.  (Actually his horse was not what you would call cooperative)

 Cynthia is so much nicer than Quinn.  She stayed where I wanted her too for this picture.  Thanks!!

Cowboy Boots and Basketball

Well I have much to write about this week and very little to "show"  We have all been under the weather and mostly me so that means not so many pictures have been taken.  But regardless I did have one to show of our mishaps this week.  Nolan had Scouts on Thursday night.  I was at Quilt Guild so I wasn't here when he left.  I have been on him lately about the boots that he has been wearing.  They were slip on cowboy boots that he has successfully demolished.  I actually can fit into them so one day a few months ago I put them on to run outside.  He is always doing that to me so I thought I would return the favor.  I only made it to the garage and back once.  They were horrible!!!  It felt like I was walking on glass and barefoot.  I couldn't believe that he would wear them.  So we got him another pair of lace up boots.  Well he was wearing them pretty good most of the year but the last few weeks he has gotten really lazy and so needless to say he has been "slipping" these slip on boots.  So when he got home from Scouts he told his dad that his feet hurt.  He had been playing basketball (on carpet no less) and his feet hurt.  So he slipped his boots off and (If you can't tell I am only repeating this second hand) his socks were all bloody.  I don't have a picture of that so rest assured.  He managed to completely remove the skin on both feet on the ball of his foot right under his big toe.  To say he has been limping would be an understatement.  This is how our conversations have gone the last few days.

Mom:  Nolan would you please empty the dishwasher for me?

Nolan: Sorry mom but my feet hurt.

Mom:  Nolan could you put your clean clothes away?

Nolan:  Sorry mom but my feet hurt.

Mom:  Nolan could you practice your piano?

Nolan:  Sorry mom but my feet hurt.

Mom:  Nolan could you study your science?

Nolan:  Sorry mom but my feet hurt.

I could go on for hours with the responses but I won't bore you too much.  So needless to say he has been hurting this weekend.  I should of taken the picture earlier but this is what you get with a sick mom.  If you look closely you can see the missing skin especially on the right foot (left in the picture).  I think he will live though.

O.k. so another mishap for the week and I don't have a picture.  But if you'll remember the post about the round bales that we had to push into the feeder you'll remember a picture of the sleigh being to close to the feeder and we had to push it over.  Well Thomas went down to the ranch to feed with his dad, Alma, and Nolan and his friend, Jayden.  Well I guess when they went to tip the ton bale into the feeder the sleigh tipped and that caused Thomas to fall down into that crack between the sleigh and the feeder.  Then the bale rocked back and pinned him underneath.  Needless to say I probably wouldn't have gotten a picture anyway because I would have been screaming and running around hysterically.  But to say we've been blessed would be an understatement.  I guess Thomas has more questions that he needs to ask. 

One Tough Momma

We have an ongoing problem in our house.  My oldest son seems to forget how tough I am.  I think he thinks that he will outgrow me (I still am taller but only by three inches, but he has a bigger foot than me) and be somehow magically tougher.  I like to "show" him once in awhile how much tougher I am.  I keep telling him I can still drop him to his knees but I have to "show" him in other ways. 

 See how tough I am Nolan?  I am totally tough enough to carry you around for 9 months and I can still pack you for a few seconds.  Wow am I tough!!

 Nolan really wanted to go shooting after Thanksgiving last year.  He just kept harassing us about it.  (O.k. so maybe, just maybe I was the one who wanted to go shooting.  Mostly so I could show him up)  So we went down to the ranch and as usual we were with the setting of the sun.  But we shot a little skeet and for once I shot a few.  I am more of a rifle shooter and so the shotgun has more of an adjustment.  Nolan is a natural on the shotgun.  He can outshoot me generally but not that day!!!

Manure Pit

 I know these picture were taken last year but for some odd reason I wanted to post them.  I know to many this sight is not the prettiest but for those of us who know it is an empty manure pit.  It warms the cockles of my heart when I see this sight.  I love when the manure pit is empty.  Also if you will look a little further up the hill you will see that it is also empty and that is a miracle all unto itself.  We have not got the hill cleaned in 10 years.  It was wonderful to see!!  It is a hard place to haul from with the nature of the hill.  It is super slick and hard to get anything hauled out of unless its in certain conditions.  So for the first time in a long time I feel like we are headed into the winter with a "clean" slate.

 I usually participate heavily in the manure hauling.  I have my slinger and my tractor and a few kids and we usually are the ones to haul the crap away but this year I spent my time helping in the kitchen.  I've never cooked so much food.  I am not a cook and yet I did a lot of it.  I also like variety so I couldn't just make the same thing over and over again.  So I used some recipes from "The Pioneer Woman," and the "Food Nanny" and myself I guess. 

 Here is the crew!  Quinn (he was the mechanic and fix it man mostly), Joel Teuscher (he was the driver of the 4630 and slinger) Tim Teuscher (he was the big dump truck driver), Derek Nate (he was the loader and driver of the manure truck, and Alma Alleman (he was the driver of the manure truck and milker)

The others in this photo were the "pit" crew.  Thomas and Andrew and Maggie and Zeus.  The pit crew generally were involved in riding in certain vehicles lest the drivers get tired and drowsy.