March 2015 - Life on the Pharm

March = Springtime = sunshine = watching 7,534 one on one basketball games, Ben v. Des.

March = Springtime = sunshine = family walks through the woods = sometimes holding hands = mama's heart melting

March = Springtime = sunshine = buying way too many baby chicks (because how can you resist baby chicks...even though they have to live in your house and do nothing but make your whole life smell like poop, but my gosh they are cute.)

March = Springtime = sunshine = taking said baby chicks on their very first outing to the grass and protecting them like crazy from hawks and dogs and honestly, kids.

March = Springtime = sunshine = much more fun on the farm!

March 2015 - We are official cattle ranchers!

In early March we started our ranching career at the Holdenville cattle market. Our good friends Kevin and Carole literally held our hands through the entire process to teach us the ins and outs of raising stockers. This method of cattle ranching is different in that you buy babies in the spring, feed them and care for them all summer and then sell them in early fall. No bulls, no babies, no breaking ice and feeding all winter long. Brad and I were into it.

Brad and I took off work and headed to market with GG in tow and learned so much. We came home with 21 babies weighing about 300-400 pounds each. They were trucked to Kevin's ranch where we would "process them" over the next couple of weeks.

Genevieve was in heaven. She loves cows and she loves candy bars so it was a fine day for her! It was quite funny walking in with the only little kid, and that kid just happened to be dressed in a pink princess dress and carrying a pink care bear! It was even funnier when she kept walking down to the front to talk to the cows and twirl around for everyone to watch!

After school, we took the boys out to see our new babies. They immediately started thinking of names...Strawberry, Hot Dog, Bobby the Bull, Elsa, Annie, Buttercup...

Although our babies were big enough to eat on their own, Kevin and Carole had a bottle calf that we got to help out with a little. Little Annabelle was a feisty one, but the boys loved giving her a bottle!

 For the next couple of weeks we kept our babies out at Kevin and Carole's so he could keep an eye on them and we could get them all processed. We had to go out every day and feed them and check on them and count them. This included when Brad went to London for 9 days and I had to carry those 50 pound bags of feed by myself and the lot was so wet that the boys lost socks and boots in the mud! We eventually got them all named, tagged, de-balled, de-horned, vaccinated and ready to move over to our place! What an adventure!

Even the princess has to help with the cattle.

*We would end up selling in August. It was a bit earlier than we planned, but we barely beat the crash of the Chinese Stock Market which meant we just barely made enough to pay back our big time loan. :) All in all it was totally worth it and we will be doing it again for sure!

January 2015 - Farm Life

Although there are not nearly as many outside chores to be done on the farm in the winter, we still keep at it. This January, we had the pastures brush-hogged, we worked on clearing fencelines, I began my chain-sawing career, and we took Rudolph the Big Red Steer to the butcher.

This was a big day for the farm! We had been eating a vegetarian diet for too long. (When you raise your own meat...nothing else can compare.) We had been on the butcher's waitlist for months and we were anxious, sad, and excited to take Rudolph in. The kids loved Rudolph but wanted to come see the Butcher and say goodbye. Talk about a learning experience! We got him settled in the corral, patted his nose, told him goodbye and then went inside to sort out all the different cuts we wanted. Inside, there was a couple of big cows hanging and the kids didn't even flinch!

Here's Desi lingering at Rudolph's stall. :(

Of course, when the sun comes out in January, we take full advantage. We miss being outdoors! We held a "tee ball" meeting at our house. A bunch of our friends with kiddos the same age put together the team and of course we had to meet to plan it all out...this involved beer, fishing, and eating a huge meal together of course.

 8 handsome little boys fishin' in our pond. G is often the only girl. Lucky little thing! :)

November - Snow Storm!

11/16/14

 

How exciting for a snowstorm to come in November! The boys couldn't stop checking the weather and talking about sledding and the snow man they would build! And sure enough, it came. Huge beautiful, fluffy flakes floating down and they couldn't wait another minute to get out in it. First things first...a snowy football game!

Then in just a few short hours, our yard was covered and they were ready for some sledding!

They did get around to building a snowman with that perfect snow. He was short and plump and wore a metal bowl as a hat. :) Because they built him in the shade he stuck around for like a month after! 

October - my favorite picture ever?

 

October 2014

October was filled with fun! One of our favorite months, we filled our days with storytime at the library, playdates with friends, STILL mowing the lawn, a few Fall Ball baseball games, evenings on the back porch, and football watching. There will be some fun posts coming about BIG adventures like my 35th BIRTHDAY SURPRISE TRIP! But here are all the other adorable photos from our month...

 

Graham (blue chair) and GG (red chair) working on their craft at Library Storytime. They are best friends and her favorite play date.

Gg and I spent an ENTIRE day mowing while the boys were at school.

Ben was home sick from school one day and of course got on Pinterest to find a fun craft we could do. :) A spider in his web made for a fun Halloween one.

Lunch date with my girlfriend Carrie and her stud muffin Griffin.

GG on her countertop.

GG and Graham having a snack at their playdate.

Ben played like 2 games with his Fall Ball Bullfrog team. We were so busy that he missed almost the entire season!

 

GG and I love our mornings on the back porch.

1st grade is a piece of cake for Ben.

My sweet, sweet Des cuddling with his light up turtle inside his Toy Story tent on top of his bed. :)

 

A mini photo shoot with my girl wearing her mama's dress. 

Desi and Baby White (our back porch chicken.)

Just a girl jamming on her harmonica at sunset.

 



The boys and I at a SHS football game one Friday night.

The only two pics I have from OSU Homecoming. My kids are funny.

 



Desi got sick but he and GG were SO happy that the doctor's office had a playroom. Ew.

My sissy sent me a "sister ring" and I wear it every single day. She has a matching one. :) "May the circle be unbroken, by and by Lord by and by."