Catching Up

I think it is rather fitting that I skipped the winter season in my blog entries seeing that winter skipped eastern Oregon. We had a few skiffs of snow but nothing worth putting snow tires on for (even though we did...you never know). Spring kind of snuck up on us but I was determined not to be caught unaware.

Mikelle is modeling her crown and necklace from Aunt Liz

We had some company for Christmas and we couldn't have had more fun. Everyone chipped in on the food so we had lots of treats and thanks to Mary lots of healthy snacks too. Mikelle and Chance loved having their cousin Max around I loved having my sisters Liz and Mary and their hubbies and my fun brother Dave.
          We tried not to go overboard on the gifts this year. The few the kids got they loved. Danny got me some great pampered chef knives and I commissioned James (Danny's dad) and Eli (his younger brother) to make a display rack for Danny's John Wayne rifle. It turned out beautifully and he was really happy with it.

Chance got some trucks and horses, that is Max's chubby hand stuck in there.

We played a lot of games and Danny even took the guys Quail hunting. They shot over twenty birds and then Danny grilled them up and we had them for dinner. Good fun.

You can tell they are proud of their kill

We spend a lot of time in the house in those cold months leading up to spring. Despite our sometimes extreme boredom we manage to entertain ourselves. Chance likes to do some trick riding and Mikelle does a lot of dancing.

Mikelle is a Sunbeam now in the Primary and I am the music leader as well. She is finally getting over seeing me in there and she is adjusting really well. She likes the songs and really tries to sing. Chance is still getting used to the nursery, all the colds he keeps getting keep him out of there half of the time so the adjustment is slow.

Chance is doing a lot of talking and Mikelle is doing a lot of drawing. She also really likes puzzles. She can put together a 25 piece jigsaw with normal pieces. She has moved on to a hundred piece one and hasn't quite conquered it but she tries every day.

Hanging out with daddy and possibly playing with a Sleeping Beauty Doll

Posing with her Ponies and showing off her new haircut

  Mikelle and Chance have become really good friends. As long as they don't want the same toy, there is a lot of fun playtime together. We have been trying to get to the park more now that the sun is shining brighter. They are both just big enough that I don't have to stay on their heels the whole time. Mikelle really likes to look after Chance, keep him safe, kiss his "owies" and boss him around. He takes it all in stride.

Playing at the park

 Trying to go up the slide and falling onto each other over and over. This is pretty much what we do at the park.

I wish I had taken more pictures of Mikelle's regular wardrobe changes. She needs a different dress every few hours. I am just content that she wants to be dressed at all. Chance prefers hats of any kind and likes to pose in them. Occasionally we catch him in some jewelry ;)

  We like to take Sunday drives now that we have church in the morning and the kids usually fall asleep and Danny and I enjoy the scenery. The other day Mikelle requested my sunglasses as we drove to take Danny some lunch, she fell asleep in them before we got there.

  Not much is new with Danny unless you count the regular changes to his gun collection. I have lost track despite my efforts. He is always making trades and looking up serial numbers and values. In fact one of his favorite gifts at Christmas was an updated book on gun values. I think I mentioned his trapping hobby in the last blog. He will be taking it to the next level this year with a trapping license and a fancy GPS device that shows property boundaries and owners of where you are trying to trap. It's better than being addicted to some video game I think.

I signed on as an Independent Consultant for The Pampered Chef in the end of February. I really like it. I just do parties about once a week. I made back my small investment and then some and have also earned $300 in free products from the company. It's going well so far and hasn't been too stressful. Mary and Liz were kind enough to host parties for me down in Utah so that I could go visit them and right off my mileage and gas (another perk). It was beautiful and warm most of the time we were there and the kids had a great time. 

Mikelle loved the park near Mary's house, and it was
warm enough to leave her coat in the car!

Chance like the little "beehives" with the mini benches

Mikelle, Chance and Max watching Curiouse George
Just after waking up, everyone hade their "blankies"

Chance got into the dirt a little too much and wasn't too happy.

  Now we are just trying to get my garden ready...that's right we're going all out this year. Danny brought home a rot-a-tiller (sp) and dug up a nice little plot on the south side of our shed. I have my pumpkins, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and peppers started. I'll also be planting pole beans, onions, garlic, potatoes and corn. I can't wait. My tulips and daffodils are coming up and I can't wait to see everything in full bloom.

This summer is going to be fun. Big birthdays, Danny's 28th, Mikelle's 4th, and Chance's 2nd. I won't be mentioning how old I will be this year, it's just too depressing. I hope I caught everyone up effectively and didn't overwhelm y'all with too many pictures. Much Love!!

I love this picture, happy kids!

The Smell of Fall

I have really been enjoying this fall season. Although it snowed the first week in November I am optimistic that we won't be buried in it just yet.  I feel much more prepared for winter this year.  Danny got our winter supply of firewood early enough that he wasn't too stressed about it and he even was able to sell some of the extra wood he cut.  He does a lot of little side jobs that earn him a little spending money.  He usually uses that money to buy a gun or something like that.  This year he bought another pickup.  He bought a little Ford Ranger from Brad.  That is now his work vehicle.  It is working out really well for him.  The car that Dale was letting him use is parked in our driveway with a broken starter.  He loves his little pickup and I love having my car to myself.  It gets decent mileage and Dale helps with the gas.  We aslo get an insurance discount because he uses it almost exclusively for his ranch work.  It was a much better purchase than a gun if you ask me. 

Danny has been really busy this season.  He got both a buck tag and an elk tag.  He also shot both a buck and an elk.  We butchered the buck ourselves; not my favorite thing to do.  The Feiks helped us butcher the elk.  The elk was much bigger than the one he shot last year but nothing to brag about according to Danny. 

You may not notice his arms covered in blood...yuk

He is a really good shot and I am proud of him.  He has also gotten into coyote hunting alot lately.  He does it early in the morning before work.  The joy in that escapes me but he enjoys it.  He bought a coyote caller and even has a CD  that teaches different distress calls that attract coyotes.  Again not my favorite thing.  But hey, he is happy.

We invited some friends over to press apples for cidar a few weeks ago.  It was really fun.  We roasted hot dogs and apples and drank lots of cidar.  We came away with 8 gallons and sent 7 or 8 home with our friends. 

This is what is left after the cidar is pressed from the apples

The apples go in the tops to be ground into chunks

Then you crank down on the chunks and press out the cidar.

I was released from the Relief Society and called as the new Primary chorister.  I am really excited about it.  I'm hoping it will be really fun.  I get to go into nursery and sing with them for about 10 minutes each Sunday.  In January Mikelle will be in Sunbeams and it will be fun to be in Primary with her.  Chance will be in the nursery in February.  I can't wait for that.  It will be tricky balancing Chance during the 3rd hour of church for a little while but we'll make do.  I am enjoying doing new crafts and finding new ways to stay sane.  I have been using Pinterest to get lots of craft ideas and things to stay busy and productive.  I also found some tips on a cleaning schedule that helps me stay on top of my household chores in stead of barely staying afloat.

This time of year is really fun.  We went trick-o-treating of course and they looked adorable and had a lot of fun.  Chance didn't want to stay in the stroller and Mikelle was a little intimidated by the crowds.  We went on main street and there were lots of people. 

Taking a little break from the Main Street crowds and tasting the goods

You can tell he is trying to get out

Kelly, David and Jonathan went with us.  Mikelle loves her cousins.  Mikelle was a princess, not suprisingly, and Chance was a cuddly little teddy bear.  We went trunk-o-treating at the church as well and I let Chance run around on his own then.  He enjoyed himself a lot more I think. 

He cried a little trying to adjust to the bear suit once we were outside
there were no more problems

That would be brown eyeliner on his nose

She would not pose for me...little diva

She needed to wear a coat but it was still obvious that she was a
little Princess!!

Clearly she was very happy to be wearing a crown.

I put out some fall decorations in September and that included a basket of little pumpkins for my table centerpiece.  Chance instisted on playing with it everyday. 

The kids got to play in the leaves from our walnut tree and even though it has been really chilly they still prefer to be outside if they can.

 When I need some quiet time Mikelle sits down and watches a movie.  Her new favorite is Beauty and the Beast.  She could watch it all day if I let her.  Believe me it is tempting.

Chance LOVES stuffed animals of any kind, it's adorable

Watching Beauty and the Beast totally engrossed

Mikelle still loves her blankie but at least it stays at home

If Chance is a little sleepy he will sit and watch a movie with Mikelle for a few minutes.  He loves to sit in chairs like a big boy, especially the chair that daddy usually sits in.  I am sure you will notice that Mikelle is not really dressed in many of our pictures.  I usually have to bribe her to get dressed if we aren't going anywhere.  She just prefers to run around the house in her undies.  At least it's not a fight to get her dressed when we are leaving the house. 

Breakfast is the best time to do her hair

such a pretty little girl

Handsome little man

Wearing daddy's slippers

Chance and Mikelle are getting along really well.  I think the biggest factor is that Chance can fight back if he is being bullied.  I guess it isn't as fun to bully him anymore now that he hits or punches back.  So there is less of that and a lot more fun.  They love each other and it is really fun to see.

Reading Stories together

I am really looking forward to Christmas with the two of them.  Chance is big enough to appreciate the fun and Mikelle is finally old enough to teach about some of the Christmas traditions.  We'll be getting a tree and pulling about the decorations around Thanksgiving and it's gonna be a blast.  I really love this time of year.  Who doesn't?!