Dance Recital 2020

Because of the virus we had to push our dance recital back all the way into June this year and actually had to hold it outside as well. It turned out to be a beautiful evening and it was fun to finally wrap up the year.

Laiklie was on the back row of this first dance and everytime I tried to take her picture Kyson's arm got in the way. I seriously got about 7 pictures just like these first couple. Lol! I had crappy timing. We laughed and laughed at these dumb pictures. Glad I did finally get atleast one where you could see her face.

They had a duet recital first(I only took vidoes of it...bummer!). Oakley and Logan did their duet, then my girls did one together, then Laiklie and Ellie did theirs close to the end. I LOVE watching my girls clog. It's even better when they clog together. 

I also had a little break down that night that I don't want to forget, so it goes on the blog. My mom had a week off of chemo because her white blood count was down, so with an extra week off she had regained some strength and was feeling up to a drive over to Rexburg to watch the duet recital. They left home early so they could get a parking spot where they could watch the recital from their car. When they got there the parking spots in front of the stage were full so their plan wasn't going to work. My dad parked somewhere else and then went in search of a better parking spot. When I got to the park I could see that the dance instructor, Kasandra, was the one parked in the spot infront of the stage. I called her to see if she would trade them parking spots and before I could even ask I broke into tears. This whole cancer thing is a rollercoaster and I never know when the emotions are going to hit me. I KNEW Kas would give her parking spot to my sweet mom is a second, with absolutely no thought, but the reason I had to ask (CANCER) sucked! I cried as I thanked her and I cried as I told my parents to move their truck over to her spot. They cried a few tears too. Such little blessings to be so grateful for. There are so many people on our "team" that support us on this crazy cancer journey. What a blessing to have love and support! It will be what gets us through this! 

Farming+Allergies=Sucks!

This is what allergies plus farming looks like. This kid came in absolutely MISERABLE the other day after having to climb up under the swather to fix a belt. I drugged him up and got him to where he could kind of function, but the poor kid has been an allergy sufferer since he was little so we know this isn't a one time deal. This will be what our entire summer looks like! Good things he's so tough!

Primary Activity

Here's the Scoop! Milo Ward Primary Ice Cream Party!

Coronavirus has caused us to have to get creative in reaching out to our primary kids. Our state is finally open, but the church is still being cautious, so we did a drive thru ice cream stand. I put together gift bags that each teacher could give their primary kids as they came through the parking lot and then they stopped by our cute stand for an ice cream bar. It was seriously so fun to see all our primary kids. We've been in this calling for 3.5 years now and we were actually suppose to have boundry changes the same Sunday the church shut everything down. We know we are getting released as soon as the changes happen, so it has been a little tricky dragging it out an extra 4 months with coronavirus, but for some reason or other I guess I'm still suppose to have this calling, so I  continue to push forward giving it my best. I love the sweet primary kids and they will be greatly missed when I am released, so I am soaking up the few moments here and there that I get with them. 

Hiking Crazies

Rhett, Laiklie and Ethan decided the other night to run up and hike Cress Creek. I'm still not sure why they had to do it in costume, but whatever the reason, it was hilarious. The poor people they passed on the trail. Hahaha! Such a bunch of random teenagers! Glad they are entertaining themselves! 

Dallin's Make-Over, Sisters Edition

Ryan and I came home from running a prescription out to my mom last Sunday evening to find THIS in our kitchen. Hahaha! The girls were doing an all out make-over on poor Dallin. Too funny! It involved eyebrow tweezing, blackhead removing and mullet curling. Lol! We actually LOVE the final product! The curls with his hat are seriously so cute!! Dallin is a good sport to put up with his crazy sisters and their funny ideas!  

Sleepover with the Littles

Last week we got to keep Chase and Yvonne's girls for a night while their mom was with her friends. We had a fun 2 days together. They played hard and we laughed a lot at their cute little remarks. We sure love spending time with cousins! 

p.s. notice in the bathtub picture Autumn trying to hold up her peace sign (3 fingers, hahaha) like Laiklie. Too cute! 

Farm Life

I will NEVER get sick of this view! 

Hauling Cows

I got to help Dale, Dallin and Stan haul the 2 loads to Bone this year since Ryan's building bins. I always love the day we get the cows out of here for the summer!!! I was so impressed with Dallin. Dale and Stan both barked orders over and over again and Dallin was in and out of the trailer, climbing up over the fence and up the sides of the trailer and trying to get cows out and keep both Stan and Dale happy at the same time.  He is such a tough kid and incredible worker. He was exhausted by the end of unloading! I'm proud to be his mama. 

Branding Day

On May 30th we branded the second round....the calves that were at our house anyway. It is always one of my favorite days. I love it even more when it is 80 degrees! 

 Laiklie was our photographer so she wasn't in any of the pictures. :( On branding day everyone has a job. This was Ethan's first branding experience and he pushed calves through the chute most of the day. He was pretty bruised and sore the next day. Farm life isn't for the faint of heart. :) I  love days working together with my family. 

Impromptu Photoshoot

On Sunday May 24th my niece Camille and her husband Gilbert were visiting from Montana so we put together a last minute BBQ for our family, Shane's and Arnica's families and because we decided to do it outside mom and dad came over and just visited with us from their car. We all circled around them in our chairs and had a great meal and visit. Just before they left I begged them for just a couple quick pictures. We made this sign a month ago and just haven't had time to get the pictures done. We were hoping to get them before mom lost her hair, but it started falling out and was really bothering her so dad shaved it just the day before the photoshoot. I think she looks amazing! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the way these turned out. She made us promise to do the bandana ones in black and white because her bandana didn't match her dress. Hahaha. Such a cute lady! The black and white ones are some of my very favorites. I am definitely blessed with worlds best parents. 

Working with the Boys

Stan got some big tanks that he needed painted and since Ethan came from Michigan and had to be quarantined for a week before he could build bins, him and Dallin got assigned to sand and  paint the tanks. Since the family knows I love to paint I got enlisted to help. It was a fun 2 days helping the boys get the tanks finished. 

Memorial Day 2020

This year Memorial Day looked alot different then our usual Memorial Day traditions. Because of cancer mom and dad weren't able to make it to the cemetery on Memorial Day so Dallin, Laiklie, my nephew Ethan (who is living with us this summer to build bins for Ryan) and I ran in to clean and decorate the headstones. It was so fun to be together and I even told them several stories about their ancestors as we worked just like my dad does. :) A few days later while my mom was in chemo me, my sister Arnica and our girls made a quick trip up to the Wilford Cemetery to decorate those graves as well. I feel like it is so important to remember and learn about who we came from. 

We didn't have our annual Swan Valley picnic this year. I think this is the first year in all my life that I know of it being canceled. Darn coronavirus. We hope that next year we can all be back together again. 

Cows + Flip Flops

I should know better then to help load cows in my flip flops, but apparently I don't! Dale and Dallin have used me several times this spring to help get cows hauled since Ryan is building bins again and this day I happened to run down to help them in my flip flops. I usually put shoes on, but was in a hurry this time and figured it was fine. As we were loading the calves on the back of the trailer one came up under the trailer at me and stepped on my foot as it did. I got my arms around its neck and 'bout took it down. HAHAHAHA!! It didn't hurt too bad right afterward and even up until I went to bed that night. Ryan kept telling me it was going to.....he knows from experience. ;) I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and about fell on the floor. I was in excruciating pain! I thought "I must have broke something in there!" I climbed back into bed but couldn't sleep because it was throbbing. I hobbled to the kitchen for ibprophen and ice and it took me several hours to get back to sleep. By morning it felt sore, but no longer broken. I hobbled around for a couple days and I got a pretty good bruise. I did learn my lesson. I will no longer be loading cows in flip flops. I will just bring them along in the car and change as soon as I'm finished. LOL!