Spring and Riding Horses

We had the most wonderful week last week. It was so warm, the boys spent hours outside. Ruxton and I came in everyday with a little bit of a sunburn and by the end of the week Addler was spotn' a pretty nice tan without ever having a sunburn, definitely not my jeans! Addler now HATES school, because it messes up his outside plans! We are all counting down the days to no more school.
So growing, up when warm weather hit, you were outside riding horses getting ready for rodeo! I loved it! I still get the itch in me every time a nice day comes in the spring. Well the boys had it bad! Austin and I had been riding quite often going out and riding through the cows and calves, and they really wanted to ride. I knew what they were feeling, so I went out and caught the horses. They had fun, but are not yet quite full filled in their yearning, they want to chase cows! I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to grow up with horses, and that I learned to love it. It is my life saver on many a rough day. It is therapy for me! I can't explain what it does to the soul to go out for a ride. I feel so much better about life when I come back in. I love my children, husband, and house more! It makes me a better person.

This is the horse we bought for the boys, he is only four going on five, and you can put the boys on him. He was the best find ever!

These are just some pictures of the boys riding. Like I said they really wanted to go be cowboys not just ride around. Addler go bored pretty quick. He is getting a lot better at riding however, he is still very caution. Ruxton on the other hand, is not! He had a scary experience late last fall so I wondered how he would be, I don't know why I ever question his abilities. He was on the horse a whole one second before he was kicking and running off!

This is my hot husband catching my horse for me so we could go for a ride together. I love seeing him out working, he is an amazing man! I love this picture..this is our life and I love it!

Ruxton is patiently waiting his turn for a ride.
Don't we live in a beautiful place, I thought the mountain in the back was awesome!

Holdan

I have a bunch a fun pictures of Holdan. He is my baby and I thoroughly just love him. He has been such a joy, I think because I have just stopped long enough to enjoy him. I told myself I didn't care if somethings did not get done, I wanted to just enjoy this baby. My life seemed so crazy with the other three. They were all so much fun, but I was really caught up being a mom, and not in enjoying them before they got big. He has been so much fun, I ask him who is my baby and he raises his hand and says "Me". He talks in sentences now, it is crazy! You can even understand most of what he says. His newest cutest is butterfly, I can't even spell it how he says it. Last night he was not too happy, I picked him up and said, "Are you sad?" he sadly says "yep" a little while later while I was loving on him I asked if he was happy he said very quietly, "No". He says after you ask him if he wants something, "Yep, lease" he has started the ever famous with all by little one year olds, the "Well" or "Welp" when they are ready to move on to something else-just like their dad! The best is when he is leaving to go even just to the next room, "See ya mom, love oo" Nothing more rewarding! So here are some fun pictures of my Baby!These first two are of him, stopping for a moment for family prayer I thought it was cute how he was on one knee, and the other is of him reading scriptures, he loves those little scriptures. He also says the cutest prayers, a little hard for the older boys not laugh the entire time, but so dang cute.

Holdan loves, loves, loves to read books he asks in his own little way, "Mom read a book"

This was so funny one day at breakfast he was eating and I looked over and he has one foot propped up, just hanging out!


Austin does catch a nap,not very often, on Sundays, and Holdan wanted to join, so he got his own pillow and thought dad needed a hat too. Not quite the nap he was wishing for.

Zane came over this week for the day, him and Holdan had fun. We spent a lot of time out side, and Holdan would call to him and boss him. He says Zane so cute. Then on the slide he would say, "My tun, Zane." So fun to have his cousin over to play for the day.

Our goings and comings

So Austin and I have been pretty busy throughout the winter with Farm Bureau. We have had the opportunity to be in Seattle, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Reno. It has been fun but we are happy to be home. In Tulsa the highlight for us was going to a huge food bank there and volunteering our time. We helped them package and sort food that will go out to families in need. We took a group of 50 Young Farmers and Ranchers. We overwhelmed them. Young Farmers and Ranchers are not lazy by any means. We all jumped in and got every job done in record time and they were scrabbling to find things for us to do. We handled a lot of food that day. It was fun and really rewarding. This is a picture of the group from Idaho that went.



I do have to make a note of a funny story of Ruxton. He stayed with Shancy and Kade while we were a way. They saw some deer out behind her house and Ruxton wanted to shoot them. She told him that they couldn't because they were on the ground that belonged to the "Indians". This went on for a while, him asking to shoot one, and her trying to explain why we can't until he finally came up with his own solution...and I quote,"Well, why don't we just shoot the Indians?" I guess he has watched one too many old westerns, and I told Shancy to tell him they are Native Americans!

Our last trip for a while was Reno, we had planned to leave the kids, but they were sad for us to leave again and we did not want to leave them, we were getting sick of leaving them. So on a last minute whim, we took them all with us. It was a eventful trip to say the least. Monday night in Elko, Holdan woke up sick, throwing up. Next I got sick. We left Elko on a long drive to Reno. After we got there, Ruxton was sick. And by the end of the night Austin wasn't feeling too hot. Luckily it stopped with Austin not ever getting real sick but not felling too good for a day. Maestin thought about it but he didn't either. I love silver! There was a good swimming pool and the boys had a blast swimming. The workshops were good, and we had a fun time really together as a family. Here are a few pictures of my sick family.



This is a cute picture of Holdan, he was a bit better but still not felling great he would lay down a lot. He went and got the pillow and found this little hole in the hotel and laid down in there. I love one year olds.


We are happy to be done for a bit, but have been grateful to see some new places. We also got to spend some fun time with Walt and his family while we were in Seattle, and on the way home we had fun with Blake and Tina. Thanks to Tina, Ruxton got to have a little bit of a birthday party. She made him cake and we sang happy b-day to him. It was really the highlight of that trip to see family!

Thank you to everyone that has helped with the kids while we have been away. We really do appreciate it. The boys feel at home with each one of you. Kade Lusk you will have to clarify why you ate an apple and it is still stuck in your throat. And a few more interesting facts that Ruxton came home with, but we will forgive you for your serviced on my behalf! ;) Also thanks to Dale for taking care of the place while we are away. We couldn't do it without his support, he is a great Dad!