Christmas Break

This week I have had so much fun. My to do list was to get Bob's journal done before I go back to work and I pretty much have it done but the pictures. So Saturday we painted Bob's room and Monday I painted Duchess room Purplish and Misty blue it looks good I am really happy with it and Duchesses says it is a new me. She is funny I get such a kick out of her. Bob has been busy working cattle and running around with Papa this week. Papa calls and ask is Bob busy today. It is so funny.

I wish you all could see this a little better.

This is Bob's Classic Red or when Papa came to see it he said International Tractor Red.

Pups and kids

I hope you all had a great Christmas we sure did. The kids kind of got an early present this year we had some stray dogs come to the house a couple of weeks ago and they had 4 puppies. We would like to give this one away if anyone wants it. I think they were dumped out.

This is Duchess's Goldie.

This is Bob's Cowgirl

Chief has one too and I think her name will be dog not sure need something he can say.

She follows Chief everywhere which is good because Chief wonders he is just like Bob was and Bob had a dog named Red who went everywhere with him.

Chief's First Hair Cut

Friday was Chief's first hair cut he did so good sat so still for Mr. Ron we were so proud of him. However for $11.00 a hair cut times 3 boys I can clip cattle, sheep, and hogs for the shows, so maybe I need to learn how to do my boys too. What do you all think do you think I can. I did shave a old boyfriends head at State Fair I guess that is why we did not last long.lol

Burrrrrr.....

Well it was a 8 degrees this morning and that was at 9:00 when I looked outside down here in the bottom. I hate this weather. The sun was so nice but so unfair. It looked beautiful outside but I did not even go out but to church and home and to friends house to get some Christmas stuff took care of and that was it. My sister came down today to take some pictures of the kids on our stair case. By the way notice the brand new railing Jon put up for me. I am so proud of it. We had a great weekend we cleaned house and worked outside all day yesterday. Jon's folks are coming Christmas Eve down here so we are trying to get ready. Which is good it seems like to really get my house clean I have to invite people over. Casey even pledged the base boards in the living room. I am a terrible house cleaner. I never did get to the windows in the spring so I did all the downstairs windows yesterday. Today was nice though I got new curtain rods I had been saving $$$ for these for the last several months. Jon put those up today it was so cold out he worked in the house doing this and that until about 3:30 and started doing chores. He gave Col the day off today and he did all the feeding and checking cows and busting ice by himself. Col helped him all day yesterday hauling wood and unloading and cleaning up outside and stuff. I think he enjoyed it but he just said he had not done nothing when Neil came to visit us tonight and I think he is about to get tired of being inside I know I already have cabin fever and it has been one day stuck in this house. I think we need to put some heaters in out at the barn so we aren't stuck in the house all day.

This is Neil he loves to pick on Bob, Dutches, and Chief.

Neil came tonight he brought me back my bowl that I sent some left over chili in about 3-4 weeks ago, and guess what I fixed today. You got it Chili and sent some more home with him in the same bowl he brought back. I did re wash it you know college kids and boys for that matter. I feel sorry for him I tried to get him to stay the night these next couple of nights. Him and another guy live in this old old house no insulation, matter of fact a month ago he had the space heater on in the bathroom and he went to take a shower and there was a snake in the shower he said the bathroom was warm. I hate snakes and mice but this tells you how their house is I won't go over there he comes here. They do have a wood stove but it was 8-9 degrees this morning!!! I can't believe him some times. He did say he was looking for an apartment in Springdale which I hope he will get but I don't see him living in town very long the kid has never lived in town. But I do think it maybe good for him I will miss him though I doubt he stops by as much as he does now even if he does for food it does not matter he is family and Jon and I treat him like our own.

Until next time hope you all stay warm it is times like today I wish we had a heat pump to go along with our wood stove.

What a great morning!!!

I have to brag Bob is awesome!!

There is not very many 10 year olds that help like he does this summer he mowed 3 yards off and on ours, Nana and Papa's and sometimes Granny and Grandps.

He had to learn to fluff hay this year and when Jon left out for Hurricane Dolly he learned how to rake real fast because when he left Papa had cut 60 acres of hay. I know he is not my baby no more it does not seem. When Jon left seemed like he turned into the man of the house. I guess we watch to much John Wayne and Westerns around here. He helped me with everything and Papa too.


Earlier in the week it was sooooo cold. One morning it was a 15 down on the creek bottom. There is not very many 10 year olds who gets up and helps me chop ice for the horses and the show heifers(even though they are his heifers) and does not complain. Jon does all the chores at night with Bob's help and Bob and I do it in the morning. We also help Papa in the evenings when we are needed so sometimes I do all the chores down on the bottom and Jon stays and helps Papa.

I usually bust the ice while he mixes the feed. I guess it was Tuesday my arm got soaked and it was bus time so I had to beat it to Nana and Papa's so the kids could catch the bus and I got to open a early Christmas present to wear to work. Now I can laugh that day I could not. Ice water and 15 degrees is not fun. I also got to dig my shovel out of the water when I got home.

Today I am home it was so nice I got up fixed pancakes for the kids and Jon at 5:30. Put the kids on the bus and went and got the Christmas presents I had hid at Nana and Papa's house. It was about 58 degrees down on the creek bottom this morning so nice. I am going to go to Dutches Christmas Party today then pick up the kids and meet my sister so the kids can deliver the food we collected for the homeless shelter. Chief is getting a hair cut to day first time. Bill cut his Daddy's hair the first time and Bob's so we have to get Chief in before Bill retires on us. Then I have to run to Fayetteville tonight and get one more present and I am done. Yea!!!! I still have to wrap.

Have a good weekend!!!!!

What a great morning.

Christmas County Spelling Bee

Last Sunday night was the our church's children's Christmas Program. I loved it, it was so fun and cute. I think the kids enjoyed it.

There was some really long practices and I think Debbie wondered are we going to pull it off or not but the kids did great.

I hope they do one next year. I do miss the Country Church we got married in and I was raised in. We always had a Christmas program and it was not as we would say fancy but it was fun. It was always something you would see on the Hallmark channel or something. Kourtnee and I did the Candy Cane one year we had fun with it we made our own candy store with old canning jars old time. I went and dug in the old Thompson House (that is on the East side of the farm) that Lisa and I would always say was haunted to our friends and found all kinds of things. Now I would not step foot in it it would probably fall in. Lisa and I use to play in it all the time. I guess that is why not very many people came to our house Lisa and I was kind of mean to those city kids and tell them all kinds of stuff then mom would end up taking them home about 1 or 2 in the morning. Sorry I guess that is another story.

Last Sunday night was the our church's children's Christmas Program. I loved it, it was so fun and cute. I think the kids enjoyed it.

Christmas Card

I got all the Christmas Cards mailed out yesterday. Jon and I both have good size extended families so I got made 40 copies of the picture and still only have 2 left. When I got them developed I forgot to take the red eye out, which makes me so mad at myself. This is the only picture Chief would smile in and Col was not dressed in his best go figure. I hope you all can enjoy getting ready for the holidays. I love Christmas even though it was hard to get motivated this year but this year I think a lot of families will remember what Christmas is really about. I am as bad as anyone else and get wrapped up in the whole big Christmas gift buying and stuff. So this year has been really kind of enjoyable and I have not felt so rushed and felt like I had to try and get the best for everybody. Most all of the gifts are homemade. Which is stressful trying to get everything done. I am making Jayme my niece a Blue and Gold fleece blanket that has her name on it which I got 1 yard of each which total blanket cost $6.00 then I got her a cap from the Razorback store (the buy one get one for $.99 sale plus the day I got it was on the staff and faculty sale day 25% off everything in the store sale). I am putting together calendars for both Nana and Papa and Granny and Grandps of my sister Lisa and my kids and on Thanksgiving I had the kids put hand prints on dish towels to give to them too. I just have a few to get few things to make the kids and I do lots of baking.

You all should read this post off this blog I think my life and hers is a lot a like sometimes.

http://www.raisingcountrykids.com/ Letter to Santa

We are so Blessed!!!

You guys would be so proud of me I did not stay up worrying Sunday night about us selling calves. We did have a yearly note due and I gave it to God. Wow I don't think I have ever completely gave it all to him to worry with. Jon was so shocked I did not toss and turn or even get up Sunday night. Cattle prices took a huge fall yesterday as everything else and Jon had to sit from 12:30 to 6:00 till our calves sold. He left the sale barn at 6:30 and did not get home till 8:30 last night. It was one of the biggest sales they had this year. I guess everyone is needing Christmas money and who wants to feed a bunch of 500 lb calves all winter with the prices of feed so high. We only had 6 to sale this time which is not a lot I know but we sold all the others back in July and cattle were a little off then but we did make our payments then that is all we can ask. These 6 just did not make weight so we fed them out a little longer we do not sale anything on our place unless it weighs 500-600lbs or over you just don't make that much. We did have one heifer that weighed 400 and we took a loss there. The kids and I babied her and everything she just would not gain weight. Oh well you have that sometimes. Anyway we was not able to make the full payment with the cattle check but we was able to pay well over half of it at least. Then Jon got a call while he was waiting at the sale barn and a neighbor bought his little red s10 which has over 200,000 miles on it and has been sitting for 3 years it has little things wrong. But we are using that money to pay also. All I can say is God is so good!!