Fun In The Mud

Well, We're back! I have not posted in so long, but we are finally getting back to normal in our house. Kyle has been gone again, and we've all been fighting an icky cold that we can't seem to shake. Natalie is on some cough medicine, which really helps her sleep at night. Hopefully we're turning the corner this week.

The Cowboy Carnival is also over and was a success, despite more rain here than I've ever seen since I moved here! It made me feel like we were back in Portland. Out pastures and ditches were flooding, and the grass is still so wet it feels like a sponge when you walk on it, even though it hasn't rained since yesterday morning. It's hard to complain about it when we're in a drought, I just would have preferred a different weekend! Anyway, it was sunny outside today after we went to story hour at the library, so Natalie and I were planting herbs outside. She wanted to swim, but it wasn't quite warm enough yet for our cold water. Before I knew it she decided she wanted to take a mud bath in our ditches where there are still puddles and several inches of mud! I tried to make her get out once, but then I said forget it. She was having too much fun.

She'll get me for this one later...

Hope you all have had a good last few weeks and are getting some nice weather. We have a chance of showers the rest of the week, the it's supposed to warm up for good. Kyle should be home sometime this week. We're here for a few weeks, then headed to see Karrie and Madison in Nebraska. At the end of June we head to Portland! Smiles and hugs to all.

Cowby Carnival 2008

Despite heavy rain for four days straight before the carnival, we still had a good turnout. We did have to cancel the horse races because the track was so wet, but a lot of people came to have fun anyway. It threatened to spit rain a few times, so we rushed to set up tables and chairs inside, but of course as soon as we did that it cleared up! It really was a blessing. We had a great band for live entertainment that helped keep a good crowd around for the live auction. My dad (Ipa to Natalie) and his friend Jimmalea came for a few days, and that was a huge help. They had Natalie most of that day and then let me sleep a lot Monday when I was sick. We've all been battling a bad cold/sore throat at our house for weeks, and mine peaked this weekend! Kyle was gone (still is) to North Dakota again, but Aunt Karrie and Cousin Madison came out to visit, too, so it's been a lot of fun. Here are a few pics from Sunday with our sunny weather...


The BBQ was great!

Ipa and Jimmalea

Natalie and Madison tearing it up to the live band, a blue grass band from Thermopolis...

Cousins are fun to hug!

Natalie dancing...she really has a great sense of rhythem (is that spelled right?) and dances to the beat most of the time. She gets that from Daddy and all their dancing sessions in the playroom.

Cowboy Carnival

Ipa took Natalie on a pony ride...

She would have stayed on those little guys all day if she could have. I think she rode at least 10 times throughout the afternoon...

Momma, Natalie and Ipa...

Yet another mount...

Who could resist a baby raccoon?

A big Girl In A Big Bed

Yes, our little girl is growing up fast! The last few weeks have been so busy, but we did manage to get her "big girl bed" set up, and she loves it! She's only fallen out of bed one night, but now she gets up and comes into our room whenever she wants! I just put her back in bed and she goes back to sleep, but I usually don't even hear her until she's right there staring me in the face. It could get a little creepy if she just stares at me, but usually she wakes me up. She woke Kyle up at 3 am last week with a bright smile and said, "Good morning, Daddy!" She is really doing quite well and has not asked to go back in the crib yet. Thanks Mandy and Taylor for the bed!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I hope all you mothers had a very Happy Mother's Day. It was beautiful here (even though it's raining today). Natalie and I went to church, then to a quick Cowboy Carnival meeting. Less than 2 weeks to go now! Then we headed to Powell and Cowley to meet the rest of the family who were helping Grandpa Chauncey with his lambs. We played a bit, visited and had a good Mother's Day lunch at the cafe in Cowley. We saw some adorable little goat kids, so now Natalie wants a goat! They really were too cute for words. Natalie and Daddy gave me gift certificates to the salon for pedicures and massages! That was on top of the new stroller I bought myself, so I definitely got spoiled. After lunch Natalie and Daddy headed home while I went to Cody to run some errands. I thought I was going to get up to Billings this week with Mandy, but I have to grace everyone with my presence on the radio Thursday morning for the carnival, which is when she's going. So, I got what I needed in Cody. Probably better I didn't go to Billings, seeing as I always spend more than I intend to there! Anyway, we had a really fun weekend. I even got to work my filly a few times so she can get ready to go to the trainer in a few weeks. Hope you all had a relaxing weekend and are looking ahead to a good week. Hugs to all.
P.S. Jill is continuing to improve and is doing great.

Jill's Update

Sorry, no pics today. Just a quick update on things our way. Jill was released from the hospital and went home Monday night. She continues to improve, as long as she doesn't overdo it at home. Thanks for all your good wishes.
As for us, our doctor appointment went great yesterday and everything is fine with me and Baby Beckett. Our due date is still about the first week of September. I've been having a few problems with my bad elbow and joint swelling agravating the nerves to my fingers, but not much to do about it right now. However, Kyle is now at the doctor for some bad ear pain, so thus opens another medical chapter in our lives! Natalie is doing great, despite a fall into the door and bum lip this morning. I'm finally getting caught up on the carnival stuff (would be fun to see lots of you there!) and hope to get some other errands done today. Hope you all are having a wonderful week. Hugs to all.
P.S. Mariah (or Anne), tell me what you're having as soon as you know so I can go shopping!!! Another friend of mine just told me she's pregnant too, so baby fever is in the air!

Please Send Prayers For Jill

Here is our last branding picture. I had to put this one in because she asked all afternoon to ride Jitters with Grandpa. I just can't believe it was that time of year again. I tend to mark the days with recurring events that happen at the same time every year, and each one just seems to come faster and faster!

PLEASE send your prayers to Jill this week. She was admitted to the hospital with severe pneumonia after going to the emergency room Saturday with chest pains. She has a severe infection and will likely be in the hospital for a few more days. Her white blood cell count was more than three times normal (I guess normal is a ratio of 6, with 10 being an infection. Hers was a 26 yesterday). Her white blood count was down to 22 today, and she is on several antibiotics, oxygen and breathing treatments. She will recover, but it will take weeks and be very painful. Natalie keeps asking about her. We've been to see her several times, and she understands that the hospital and tubes will help make her better. She is so cute and just sits on the bed with her and lays her head on Jill. I'm convinced children really do understand more of the world around them than they can tell us.

Anyway, hope you all have a better week than we've started out with! Kyle should be home for a week or so now, which is wonderful. I'm not sure I'm too cut out for the single parent thing. I'm sure hormones have a lot to do with it! Yes, Beckett is doing well and moving around a lot. We have an appointment Tuesday for a checkup. Hugs to all.

That Time of Year Again...

We also branded last weekend, which Kyle also missed. But Guy's crew of girls (Nate Boyd was the only guy helping) managed to get the job done pretty well! It was tiring, but a lot of fun. I actually got to run the calf table (usually Kyle's job) because we were short handed, even though I'm pregnant. Don't worry, I didn't get near any vaccines! Above is Natalie with Nate's daughter Brendan on one of his horses...
Natalie and cousin Madison in the back of the mule pretending they were cows being loaded in the chute...
I love this one. The girls were peeking inside the horse trailer while Guy was saddling a horse...
Karrie, Natalie, Brendan and Logan on a ride in the mule...

And we end with Grandma Jill with the girls and Logan on the haystack. It was a beautiful day.

A Fun-Filled Weekend

We celebrated Eddie's 80th birthday last weekend, and Karrie and Madison came, which was really fun. On the way Karrie picked up her cousin Logan in Colorado, and he and Natalie instantly had a bond. She wanted Logan to do everything with her all weekend (above). It was fun. He asked if he could take Natalie home with him, and I said he could if he took Bella too! Needless to say, it didn't work out...

Here is the birthday boy and his lovely bride...
Grandpa Guy and Madison and Aunt Pam...
Grandma Jill and Aunt Karrie...
And the whole crowd giving a toast to Eddie. We practically filled up the whole Manderson cafe, which served delicious prime rib that night. The only one missing was Kyle, who had to go to North Dakota again and missed seeing his sis and the party.

getting caught up...

Well, the worst case scenario for me and the Cowboy Carnival did indeed happen last week. My computer crashed andwe lost everything and had to have it rebuilt. Well, we are back online now, but I am scrambling to get things done this week for the carnival. So, sorry I have to neglect you all for a bit. I will try to post this weekend or early next week. We do have some good pictures from branding last weekend and Aunt Karrie and Madison's visit. Hope you all have a good week. Kyle is home as of last night, and Natalie and Baby Beckett are doing just fine. So, I guess all the important things that really matter are in order!!!