Our 2011!

I can't believe that 2011 will be ending today.  It seems like we just celebrated the start of it.  It has been a wonderful, exciting year for our family.  We have had many adventures together.  I have got to take many photos that I love of those adventures.  And even though my family grumbles they love looking at them.

Doing this blog has been one of those exciting things for us this year.  I have met many new people.  You all have been so great at sharing your thoughts with us.  And the photos you all share are amazing.  It inspires me to take more photos and challenge myself more.  So thank you to our blog family.

We started the year with a cattle show.  We had a great calving season.  We had an even better breeding season.  Our Little Man had Grand Champion Heifer at county fair.  We went to our first Junior Simmental Show, where we met so many nice people.  And we spent plenty of family time together.  We had a new addition in our little Possum.  My SIL, her momma and I took the babes to Tennessee for a few days.  Then we took the heifer to NAILE. Then in December our Little Miss showed for the first time.  And is now in   4-H.  All four Dawson children showing, I thought it would be forever. How time flies.

And in between all the fun. Our son had surgery on his left foot in April.  Then the right foot the first of  December.  We had more rain than I care to mention.  We haven't had much snow.  We had our first family cattle sale.  We had an awesome trip to Michigan this year.  And we loved every minute of it.  2012 should be full of so many memories too.

I hope you all have had a wonderful year with friends and family.  And that 2012 brings you much joy and happiness.  I can't wait to see all of your posts and pictures.

January - Scarlett & Gray

January - ice and snow storms

February - Calving in full force.  Our little Alias we sold in the fall sale.

March - And the twins! They were sooo much fun.

April - Bill Rogers Classic

April - the rain started

May - the hail that do lots of damage.

June - Rush County Fair

July - Simmental Junior Nationals in Sedalia, MO

July - Possum became a part of our family.

August - Michigan trip and the boy with the catch.

August - Michigan beach, we don't just go for the fishing.

August - the babes in Tennessee.

August - all the babes in Tennessee

September - we had our first family show calf sale.

September - the stand off!

October - i took family photos for my baby brother

October - I took wedding photos for a child hood friend

November - Showing at NAILE, so exciting!

November - raising turkeys is so much fun

December - Little Miss showed for the first time.  And she turned 9.

Happy Birthday Little Miss!

Today is our baby girls birthday...  9 years ago today we were gifted with a beautiful, blue-eyed, blond headed, chubby cheeked little girl.  She is such a great kid.  She thinks of others before herself.  She worries about everyone.  And she has a style all her own.  She loves big, blingy, zebra girly girl things.  And to make her a little more extra special, she's the first Dawson Girl born in the last 50+ years.  This 9 years has gone by so fast.  Happy Birthday Baby Girl! We love you..




3 month picture..




Happy 1 year!




And now!



Happy Holidays!

Our family would like to wish you the best for this holiday season.  We hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday with family and friends..  GOD BLESS!

Where is winter?

Normally this time of year there normally a little snow on the ground.  Normally we are bundled up wearing all of our Carharts and winter wear.  Normally it's in the 20s to 30s.  Well.....

It's anything but normal around here.  It's been in the 40s and 50s.  There's no snow.  We haven't even hardly worn our winter wear. And all it's done is rain.  I'm not complaining, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.  At some point is will drop off cold.  And I have this awful feeling it will be right about the time that we start calving.  And the rain and mud, I'm sick of it.  And it just doesn't seem like Christmas without a little cold weather and snow.  Have a great day!

Happy Thoughts

Your happiness is what you make it.  And you are the only one can make you happy.  You need to find what makes you happy and grab onto it.  Everyone is so worried about making everyone around them happy, but if you are not happy no one around you will be either.  I have stopped trying to make everyone happy.  The only people that I worry about every day are me, Mr. M, the babes and a select friends and family.  And I don't have to work at making them happy.  They take me the way I am.  So stop worrying about everyone else and think about the important things.

Some of my happiness:
Mr. M and our babes.
Our Farm
Our Cattle
My niece and nephews
All of our pups
The fresh smell of hay
The feel of rain on my face
My favorite pair of jeans
Flip Flops
Sand between my toes
And knowing that one day I will be in heaven with my mom.

What's Not To Love

There are so many things that are good right now.  Mr. M  had a short day at work on Friday.  Saturday we spent the day at a cattle cattle.  Then today we spent the morning hanging out and then went to a family dinner.  The nephews spent the weekend with us.  And that was a lot of fun.  We haven't had them over for a while.  Everyones schedules are so busy, so it was great to have them over to hang with us.  And the family get together was fun.  We got to see cousins, aunts and uncles that we don't get to sit and visit with often.  And of course Sandy is an amazing cook, decorator and host.  She needs to in Better Homes and Garden! The best part was being with my family.  And I am looking to forward to spending more time with them with the babes going on break, holiday dinners and get togethers.  So have a great week ahead.  Take care.

Possum the cattle dog

As many of you know I love my dogs.  We have 5 of them.  Each with their own story and a few with health problems, and one that has been with us since the begining of our journey as a married couple.  The last little pup Possum, has a personality.  She is a typical female, running where she shouldn't, digging and getting into everything she can.  But her favorite thing: give chase.  She loves to go out for the morning feeding and help bring the calves in.  She loves to help move the cows.  And she loves loading cattle.  She's still small and shes fast.  Between her and Duff it makes calf work a little easier when you are by yourself or have a cow that doesn't want to  cooperate.  The best part shes a small dog, so she still has those wonderful puppy qualities.  Happy Thursday!

Recipes

I never put recipes on my blog.  It's not because I don't love to cook.  I really do.  It's just that there are times when I have to fly by the seat of my pants to get a meal on the table because, as much as I'm a planner, the best laid plans sometimes go by the way side.  I love fall and winter cooking, soups, stews, comfort food.  And I have mentioned some of those recipes on my Facebook Page and had lots of requests for them.  And there are plenty of my blogger friends who share recipes that I try.  So as of January my goal will be to post at least one recipe a month.
I hope everyone is having a great week.  Take care.

Shopping With Mr. M

Mr. M is not a shopper.  And I'm not unless it's something I think one of us needs or I have cabin fever and need adult conversation.  In the 12 years we have been together Mr. M has shopped with me for Christmas once.  We we first got married, because he was madly in love! hahaha  And the second time was in 2002 because I was 9 months pregnant with Little Miss.  She arrived the day after Christmas...  And then today.  He is working nights, so he is home during the day.  And this year is the latest I've ever shopped.  It's just crazy busy around here.  With back to back cattle shows, Little Mans surgery, FIL getting injured, work schedules getting changed and everything in the middle.  And honestly, it just doesn't feel like December with the warm weather, no snow and it seems like time is flying by.  So thanks to my OCD and Mr. M's help we have all the shopping done except for 3 people.. And I will work on that, decorating and baking this week.  Aaaahhhh.  The marathon of life... Have a great week everyone!

my momma bought us this the first year we lived here..i love,love,love it!

Our Boy

Our Little Man had surgery on his right foot on Tuesday for curly toe (hammertoe).  He had his left foot done in May of this year.  We decided to wait till December to do the other.  He has to wear a heavy air cast boot for 4 weeks, keep it iced and elevated, and no weight or walking for at least 6 days.  So that would have meant no swimming, showing, running barefoot, riding his bike, all the things that a 10 year old boy enjoys on summer vacation.  So he and I have had a lot of bonding since Tuesday.  He yells and I go for him..  I hope he remembers this when I'm old and need him.  On Monday he goes back to school.  And he's pretty excited about that.  He hates having to sit in the recliner or lay on the couch.  He's done really well for a boy who has never had a broken bone, hospital stay or any major anything other than asthma.  So this weekend we will snuggle down, eat popcorn, watch movies and just hang out.  Then one day this weekend they are going to spend the day with Grandma so daddy and I can spend the day together.  Have a great weekend!

The piggies this spring before the surgery

resting on the couch in the spring

out getting dirty, because he had to sit down for too long


I was not allowed to take any new pictures of this go around.  He's getting good at grumbling at me whenever he sees the camera pointed at him.  So I didn't do it soo far.  But when he sleeping who knows what will happen.  lol

Gonna Brag A Bit

The 2011 show cattle season was very good for our family.  We all worked our butts off in some way.  It started at Hoosier Beef Congress in December 2010 and ended in November at North American Livestock Exposition.  Our Little Man has a bond with his heifer like some children with their dogs.  Only his weighs 1400+ and eats over 25lbs of feed a day.  So I wanted to share how proud we are of how well we did as a family.  We look forward to her calving in March and then going to the Donor pen in the spring with her mother.  Have a wonderful Thursday!

Hoosier Beef Congress; Indianapolis, In;2010- 2nd place Purebred Simmental







Scarlett & Gray; Ohio;2011- Champion Purebred Simmental Ring A
Reserve Champion Purebred Simmental Ring B




Bill Rogers Classic; Columbus, IN;2011- Reserve Champion Purebred Simmental Ring A




Rush County Fair; Rushville, IN; 2011-Grand Champion Heifer



Junior Simmental Nationals; Sedalia, MO; 2011-Division Reserve Champion
6th Overall Purebred Simmental

NAILE; Louisville, KY;2011-Division V Champion Purebred Simmental Yearlings

A surprise for the Little Man, being on the Show Rite display at Hoosier Beef Congress.

It has been a great year showing, making memories and new friends.  Now that the Little Miss is showing we are even more excited for the year ahead.  Showing cattle is more than winning.  It's responsibility, confidence, bonds, love for cattle and our family being together. 

She's Official

We at Dawson Cattle Company officially have to showmen.  This weekend our Little Miss showed for the first time.  And it was the first of many.  She was very nervous about the whole thing.  Her heifer is a January and is tall already.  But she isn't too short either.  Her big cousin went into the ring with her.  And he did a great job with her.  We didn't want her to get scared and not want to do it again.  She ended up placing 2nd in her class which was great for a first show.  And she was all smiles when I took her pictures.  Then that night as we were putting her to bed she looked at me and says " I really enjoyed showing today, I can't wait to do it again."  That and the smile on her face after coming out of the ring was all we needed.    Happy Tuesday!