HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season this year. Here are some of the things we have been busy doing.

Analeise posing by our newly decorated Christmas Tree.

We got a little skiff of snow that the kids had to take advantage of. Thanks to Kyla, she got Tessa all bundled up to go out to sled.

She looks like ET!

Ready for some snow fun.

Decorating the tree.

This was the night of the kids School Christmas play. The production this year was Christmas In Oz. As always, Santa came to visit after the play.

Kyla

Tessa

Zane

Dallin

Waiting in line to see Santa.

Kyla, playing Toto, in the school play.

Analeise played the Head Elf.

Zane's class played the Munchkins.

Dallin's class were Elves.

1 UNHAPPY FARMER

There's never a dull moment on the farm. The other day Chad called me from his cell phone. He said you need to bring the Backhoe down to the field, we have all 3 tractors stuck. I couldn't believe it, all 3!! Chad had cleared some sage brush this summer to turn the ground into farm ground. Well I don't know if water subs under this ground but it was a mess. This is the scene I saw as Tessa and I pulled into the field with the backhoe.

Chad was discing with the red tractor when he got stuck. Well they tried to pull it out with the John Deere only to get that stuck as well.

This is how we mud bog in Idaho.:)

The white case got stuck trying to roller harrow.

Chad tried to dig out in front of the tires with the backhoe.

It didn't work, the JD is still stuck. The backhoe was not much force in trying to pull it out.

In fact anywhere the backhoe went it got stuck. But Chad, being the great driver he is, can use the 2 buckets and push his way out. It kind of looks like a worm crawling across the ground.

digging his way back out of the field onto dryer ground

Chad and Marcelino accessing the situation. At this point I was glad I couldn't make out much of his vocabulary, I'm sure some of it was not very pleasant.

Pulling the JD free!!

Pulling the case free!!

They unhooked the disc from the red case so that they could pull the disc out backwards. This was quite the problem. The tires kept sinking so they kept having to dig out the tires with a shovel. The mud was wet clay and was hard shoveling. They finally got the disc out after breaking the chain 2 times. By this time I was ready to go home. I had been down there for 3 hours!! I didn't stick around to see them free the red tractor, Tessa and I had had enough.

If only we could look at problems through the eyes of a child. Tessa had a ball playing in the dirt and mud. When she needed a break she just sat down on the tongue of the disc.

Tessa even managed to make herself a little bed in one of the holes left by the backhoe.

what more could a kid ask for??

GOOFIN, UNDERWEAR, & RODEO

Tessa modeling a pair of her brothers unders

Back view

The whole gang of Mutton Busters

Zane & buddy Mitchell, before "the ride"

Wrangler Butts

Tessa

4-H club workin the food booth

Fish Faces

Dallin and Kyla wrapped up Tessa in the laundry basket with blankets and pillows and then secured her in with bungee straps. They then proceeded to give her a carnival ride, shaking and rocking her back and forth. Things kids think up to do.

Kyla and Analeise

"In my pretty garden..."

Our friend came over and Tessa got a hole of his hat.
Now you see me.....

Now you don't...

This is a video of Zane mutton bustin. It's really short so watch it a few times to get the full effect.

BACK TO SCHOOL

I can't believe it's that time of the year again!! Summer went by soooo fast but we did have a fun busy one. Like always, you have to take "1st Day of School" pics. I can't believe how old my kids are getting. That only means one thing.....I'm also getting older!! AGHHHHHH. I wish I could freeze time right now and not let them get older. I have no desire to enter the teenage years, but alas it is quickly approaching.

Analeise- age 11, 6th grade

Kyla- age 10, 5th grade
Because of the size of our school we have several different classes in the same room. Kyla and Analeise are again in the same room together.

Dallin- age 8, 3rd grade

Zane- age almost 6, Kindergarten

He has kindergarten every day all day, yesterday he fell asleep on the couch after school. Poor Guy. The first morning of school he got dressed and came out to the living room. He looked at me and said, "I even look bigger." My thoughts exactly. Isn't it amazing how much older they look on the 1st day of school compared to the night before, when they go to bed.