Miss Personality

This is one of our new sweeties! She is sooo funny. Shes always got her tongue sticking out. So yesterday I was trying to get pictures of all the calves for my software and these are a few. I hope they make you smile and pee your pants a litte like me!

Hay Time

Putting out hay in the maternity ward can be time consuming! You have to scrape the pad to get the old stuff off. Then bring in the new bale. Set in on end, cut off the wrap. Then lay it back on its side. Then roll the ring over. And if your strong as an ox as my husband, you lift it and flip it on end back over the bale. Me i cheat, i use the skid steer for all the heavy lifting!

Busy fun

Yesterday was a great day! We had our first cattle show for the year. Friday evening the kids and I got all the goodies for the show, fed the animals, got the truck and trailer hooked up while daddy was at a meeting. Then saturday we were up at 4:30 and pulling out of the driveway at 6. It was very cold, so I felt like I was packing the house. Garrett only took his Simmental heifer and showed her twice. He did soo awesome. He weighs 58 lbs and Bella weighs around 1150. And he did great. They played in the mud and hung out with all of their show friends. We got home around 10. And for the first time in 5 years we had sunday to recover. Now to prepare for next saturdays show in Henry County and Easter on Sunday. I'll try and get picts from show on soon.

Sunsets

We were on our way home from Safe Shooters the other night. I looked over at Mark while he was driving and saw this out his window. So of course i had to take a picture. I love sunrise and sunset!

New baby

This is one of our new babies. She as of yet does not have a name. We bought her mommy 3 years ago. The first year she calved her calf was breach, and we had to pull it. Last year her calf was a little large and she prolapsed (her uterus came out). We were able to get her back together and healthy. She had bulls calves both times, so we were hoping for a heifer this year. Yea, we have her. And shes just as pretty as her momma.

4-wheel fun

Tomorrow I am working all day, so to save time in the am I am posting now for tomorrow. We had a beautiful day outside yesterday. Garrett is driving the 4-wheeler like a pro now. Last week daddy showed him how to drive the skid steer. I would be guessing he will be driving equipment by the time hes 12 and driving a vehicle on the farm by the time hes 14. My baby boy isnt a baby anymore, and I hate it.

Unsual kitties

We have a LOT of animals right now. But they all amuse us in some way. The cat with the pigs is a momma cat at the neighbors. She is always getting in with the pigs and sleeping on the heat pads and licking them like they are her babies. The cat on the top is one of her babies we brought home. He is just as funny. We bring the chickens in for the winter and lock them up and hes always in with them. ( these are from my cell phone by the way)

Elmer

I finally got a good picture of Elmer. The sun was out and he didnt turn his head. He looks a little yucky, because he rolled int he dirt. Hes sooo pretty after he sheds out. But when your 23 and you've been rescued off the glue truck, life is good!

Skeleton

Mahlia found this out in the barnlot. Not sure what it is, but it had some narly teeth on it. This is the girl who used to not like to get dirty. Now shes dirty all the time and brings dead things into the house. I guess Garrett has rubbed off on her.

Guess?

Playing with weird pictures for something to do. Guess what it is?

Legos

Garrett being the boy that he is LOVES legos. He has thousands of them. He builds what in the books, then he makes stuff on his own. I am starting to take photos of all of the stuff he builds, because he has such a wonderful imagination. This is a combine he got for being on honor roll. It took him less than 30 mins. He wants to super glue it, but im thinking thats a bad idea.

Sick girl

Monday, little sister stayed home with a low grade fever. Around 11 she came to me crying, she had a rash all over her body. So we went to the Dr and she had strep. Shes feeling much better now. But until we went to the Dr we had to keep her from itching so I gave her some Benedryl. It knocked her out. Poor baby!

Fun with the fan

With the warm weather we have had to put fans on the show heifers to keep them cool. We dont want their hair shedding out like the other cows. Mimi was hot from playing in the sun, so she thought she would cool herself off. I dont Bella likes her using her fan!

OINK!

Charlottes nose! She really thinks shes a dog. She rolls over and wants you to scratch and rub her belly and behind her ears.

Clouds

Yesterday was just beautiful. The kids rode their bikes and we just did buy things out. I love clouds, they remind me of cotton candy! I hope everyone enjoys the beautiful weather.

The new girl

This is Bella. Garrett bought her this year. He will be showing her at the county and state fairs. I think she knows shes pretty, cause she always poses for me. I cannot get a good picture of his other heifer, because she always shows me her working end.

There is something about pointing a camera lens at an animal that makes them want to lick it. The horses do it too.

Babies

These are a few of our new babes! They are embryo calves from one of our cows. They have the same mom, but different dads. This is the best part of spring. We have waited for 9 months like expectant parents to see the fruits of our labor. Many hours of heat checking, shots and vet visits. It's all worth it when we see them out in the lot running with their tails up, making their mommies nervous.

11th Anniversary Dinner

Yesterday, Mark and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary. We chose to go to this Brazilian Steakhouse downtown, Indy. It was an experience! We had a traditional Brazialian drink, meats, and we even had dessert (it wasnt brazilian, just my fav)

It was fast paced. You have a card at your table. You turn it to green when you are ready for the meat, they RUSH to your table and cut slices off onto your plate. Then you flip your card to red until you want more.

The food was amazing and we have a great time doing something we normally wouldn't do. I recommend it for a special occasion. It is pricey, but worth it.

4-H Project

One of Garrett's 4-H projects is hogs. SOOOO, we now have 2 little piggies. The white barrow is Wilbur and the spot gilt is Charlotte. Mahlia is taking care of the spot, because she cant let her brother outdue her. Harley thought she wanted to smell them until they oinked at her.

The barn is filling up with critters for the fair and the calves that are being born. I just love this time of year. Not only because the weather is nice, but i get to do a lot more outside and I love the babies and fairs.

Nap time

The other day we had our first real sunshine. Mark had put out straw for the horses to get out of the mud, because their lot is very muddy and they cant be with the cattle. Anyway, I looked out and saw this in the straw. 3 hours later he hadnt moved, so i went out to check on him. After i took this, i thought to myself "I just took a picture of a dead horse" Well, after whistling at him he got up! And as you can see Diesel is just fine.

I saws Garretts tractor sitting in the yard yesterday on my way to the barn. I had to stop and just look at it because yesterday was his 9th birthday. On the way to school he says "Mommy what time was I born, so I know when my actual birthday start?"
This tractor is his personality, ALL BOY!

this is Bella. she is Garretts heifer he bought to replace one of his heifers we had to get rid of. she is a 3/4 simmental. her and disco are barn buddies and show mates.
today we are having Garretts birthday party. he will be 9 on wed. boy how times flies. we went yesterday and got pigs for him to show. i will post those pictures later.

This year is garrett's first year in 4-H. Being the child that he is he has chosen his projects. Cattle, which is a given. Hogs, cause they are small. Hunter safety, for multiple reasons. AND sheep! Who ever said he was an under achiever. So we will be busy and i'm gonna need a job to help pay for and feed all the animals when both of them are in 4-H.

I had to share these cause they grow incrediably fast. So we have our calves, getting the pigs this weekend. And we are going to the lamb sale on the 20th. I love that we are able to do these things for them. I believe it teaches so many things about the life cycle and responsibilities.