Trick or Treat...

  The kids had so much fun this year with Halloween. Austyn was so excited about it and Quade was excited because Austyn was excited. I made Austyns costume this year and altered an old costume of my brothers for Quade. I LOVE making their costumes. We went to my Grandmas trunk or treat at her church first, then went to my sister-in-laws, and we got to walk around with their family while trick or treating. Jordan had to go to Lone Pine early so after we were done walking around we headed off to Lone Pine to show my parents the kids outfits. And lastly we stopped by our old place where a good friend lives now. Very busy Halloween. Can't wait for next year. I'm thinking cowboy and Indian. 

  Lone Pine is officially over. And the corn maze is taken down and mowed. It sure goes down faster than it does to set up. The kids and I are bummed that it's closed, but we know Jordan and my parents are in need of a break. Jordan is heading off for Elk camp on Wednesday. And should be home the following Wednesday. It sure would be nice if someone got an Elk this year. Not that any of us need the meat though. Now that Lone Pine is done, let the winter projects begin! We are going to finish the goat barn, close in the overhangs, frame our bathroom mirrors, backsplash in the bathrooms, and maybe hopefully closet organizers. 

  Holiday season is coming up fast! I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR! Jordan and I are getting excited to go to Vegas for the NFR over my Birthday this year. We have never been to Vegas before so it should be fun. The kids are staying with my parents which my parents are totally stoked for. My one wish for this Holiday season is that we can take it slow enough to enjoy it. But that's the story of my life! Hope everyone is doing well.

Tough Mommy Days . . .

  Some days are harder than others as a parent (obviously). But the days I struggle with the most are the days when I have to become "Mean Mommy" instead of a buddy to Austyn. It's so hard and breaks my heart when I have to seriously discipline her. There have been very few times when she has needed a major attitude adjustment. In the moment I don't have a problem disciplining her because she has pushed me too far, but it's so hard to follow through when she is so upset with herself and just wants me to hold her and love her.  When she is telling me how sorry she is and how much she loves me, and pleading with me "NOT TO TELL DADDY!". I just want to hold her and tell her it's ok, but I know she wont learn from her actions that way. I know how lucky I am to have such a wonderful, caring, smart, helpful daughter. My heart melts every time I see her playing with Quade. There isn't a better big sister in the world than her. She is so kind to him and loves teaching him new things. I can't get over how amazing she is in every way. I just am so thankful and blessed that I don't have to get her in trouble very often. It cracks me up how leary Austyn is of Jordan when he never has to get ornery with her like I do. I can't remember the last time he gave Austyn a whipping. She is so scared of "Daddy talks". She would rather take a beating instead of getting a "Daddy talk". But I remember feeling the same way growing up. I would much rather get in trouble with my Mom instead of my Dad. If we ever got in trouble with my Dad it was more of the "I'm disappointed in you talks". Those sucked. So I can totally relate to how she is feeling. With that said, I may or may not use Jordan against her when needed. It's the only leverage I have with her. 

  Now Quade is a different story (as usual. I'm beginning to see a pattern here). This probably sounds terrible but I could whip Quade all day long and not feel a bit bad about it. That little fart deserves every whipping and time-out he gets, plus some. So I guess the disipline equals itself out between both kids.

   

Pictures on the Blog ...

Whenever I post the blog from my iPad it cuts off the pictures. If you click on the pictures you can see the whole picture. And for some reason it messed up and didn't post some of the picture I chose. Sorry, I'm not good at computers so you get what you get. 

Busy Fall Days...

  Now that October is here we are living on Lone Pine time. The kids and I are loving it. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we head over after nap time and ride the cow trains, take hay rides to the pumpkin patch (and of course get a pumpkin every time), eat dinner, and put the goats "to bed" (close them up in the barn), and then play at the maze for the rest of the night. Austyn likes to take tickets at the gate and Quade and I just hang out. Everything seems to be running smoothly for my Dad and Jordan in the maze. And the weather (knock on wood) is amazing. Hopefully it will last all October. 

  We were able to take Austyn through the Mountain Trail Course at the Oregon Horse Center. Her cousin Kate got to ride in it too. Austyn did so good I was just blown away. She went over a bunch of different bridges, rock piles, over logs, up on table tops, in ditches, through water, and on a teeter totter. She rode through the course for an hour and a half. Chocolate Chip is the best pony ever. 

Kate and Austyn 

Thanks to Lisa for thinking of the girls and getting everything ready and put together for them. Austyn has started to trot a bit at home on Chocolate Chip. She's getting better, still a bit reluctant. I've been putting fly masks on the fence and having her walk up to them and grab them and put them over the saddle horn. Then put them back on the fence. It's really been working good for her. And she is really learning like crazy in school this year. I'm impressed at how she can recognize her letter and numbers. And she knows the sounds they make. I love that little girl. She had her first dentist appointment the other day. She had been complaining about a tooth hurting her. So it turns out she has the most sever cross bite the dentist has ever seen at her age. It will take extensive orthodontics to correct the problem. If she continues to be in pain we will fix it now, but he would like to wait for her permanent teeth to start coming in at 6ish. Poor girl. 

  Jordan renamed Quade. His new name is LB (little bastard). That kid is just determined and very head strong. You really have to think ahead and distract the hell out of him if you need him to do anything. Or stop something he is doing. Redirection and distraction is so exhausting. He is a complete fit thrower😒 and nothing will end a fit. I'm at the point where I literally forget why he is STILL throwing a fit. That's how long his fits last. Yay us! But we love him and I'm telling myself this stage will end and we will move onto something else. BUT WHEN?????? 

Quadehelping me blow leaves

Quade being Quade

  Jordan built the kids the most adorable swing set off their playhouse. He used old firehose. They are so perfect.

 He is now onto building a goat barn. We are breeding the goats now and will be kidding in spring! Should be fun. We're hoping for twins from all of them. After the goat barn he is going to work on a slide on the other side of the playhouse. I'm glad he is so creative. 

  We finally got a mediation meeting with the CCB for the damage to our trim after we had our flooring fixed. We've been fighting this since March. Needless to say it's great to have the walls fixed and to be able to use the bathroom in the garage again. It pays to be the squeaky wheel sometimes. We still need to replace some trim, and fix a transition piece in the floor, but that can wait for a little bit longer. 

  I'm so excited for this Halloween. The kids are going to be Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. I made Austyns costume again and then altered one for Quade. They will be so cute. 

Sneak peek. They aren't completely done in these pictures. 

  That's about it for us lately. After corn maze Jordan is off elk hunting for a week. Then the Holidays start!!!!!!! Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Fall weather. 

  

  

4 Years . . .

  My little buddy has turned 4. She thinks it's the coolest thing that's ever happened. I think it's so sad. It's way too fast. I just can't believe it's already been 4 years! 

  She has become such a little person these days. She's witty and very bright. If you're planning on teasing her, expect to get it back even heavier. She has the best memory, especially if we are driving somewhere. She usually knows where we are and how to get back home. It's pretty impressive. She is also very very observant. She will notice the smallest changes that Jordan won't notice for days. Probably a girl thing.  And I know Quade doesn't recognize it, but she is the best big sister ever. She is helpful, and loves to teach him and show him things. She doesn't mind him tagging along and constantly wanting to do what "sissy" does. She never fights with him even when he eggs it on and deserves it. She is very kind and giving. She loves giving things to people. Even if it's her own stuff. I know I've talked about it before but she has become quite the quad and horse rider. She rides quads that are way to big and powerful for her and zips right around on the them. And she rides her pony all by herself. She does circles, can stop, and can rein her wherever she wants her to go. I'm so proud of her. I just need to add a few more things to our lessons now. I love how she wants to do everything by herself these days. Get dresses, tie her shoes, brush her teeth, etc. And she loves to help anyone do anything. What a great little helper. 

  Austyn has a great disposition. She has a very even temper (not sure where she got that trait). Has NEVER thrown fits. She follows the rules and knows her boundries and doesn't need reminded to use manners. Very very very friendly to strangers. Between both kids it takes an extra long time to get through any store because they think they have to talk to everyone we pass. It's so cute. She is always happy and smiley. It's unusual to see her in a grumpy mood. And it probably is because she has missed too many naps. Yes, she still naps! For 2 hours even. She can easily go without a nap these days but will ask to take one if we've skipped a nap for two or three days. I'm soooooo lucky!!!! She has been the easiest kid in the world. She never did the terrible twos or threes thing. And rarely is there a stage that isn't pleasant with her. Austyn is playing soccer right now and is enjoying it. And she's really excited for T-ball this spring. 

  It's hard to think of anything undesirable about Austyn. Her general age related issues are about it. A little bit of arguing, and some drama here and there, and already the hormonal emotions. But nothing unmanageable. The drama and emotional issues will be something I should get used to I guess. Those middle school years are going to be doozies. 

  I'm so blessed to be able to be her mom. I hope and pray we will be best friends forever. I'm trying to build up a relationship with her now, so when she gets older and it's harder to tell me things she will still want to and feel comfortable doing so. I think it's important for a girl to have that kind of relationship with their mom. I really hope we do. And as always I'm hoping she will have what I have.  Where she lives close to us and can raise her kids close to us too. I think the one thing I wish I could do more with her is spend time with just her and I. Just like going to McDonalds or shopping. Just an hour or two here and there. But it's hard with the little man cub running around. 

  We had her birthday party at Lone Pine agian. She had a blast. I her actual birthday we had a play date with friends, and had her first soccer practice, then got to go to Abby's for dinner. Jordan had to work, which was a bummer. But Austyn had a great Birthday. 

My Dad brought the boom truck home one day and gave the kids rides. They loved it!

The morning of her Birthday. 

At soccer practice. 

Birthday party day!

This picture was on her first day of preschool last year, then the first day this year. Think she's grown any?

Recent Events . . .

  Ok so we have been busy as ever lately. Austyn and Quade got a "new to them" playhouse! My parents old neighbors had a cabin in the back of their property and when they moved they left it there. So my mom asked the neighbors now if we could have it. Since it has never been used. They said yes. So after 8 hours of moving the thing, we now have an amazing playhouse for the kids. It has bunk beds and a wood stove. Jordan and my Dad jacked it up and put beams underneath it. Then they boomed it onto a trailer and drove it over to our house. Much easier said than done. But they did an amazing job because nothing broke or got damaged in the move. They are the all around handiest men I know. 

The new playhouse

Bunk beds

  We also go to go to the coast for a fun little day trip. We took the Bronco and Austyns little quad. It was a bit too windy for my taste, but the kids didn't know the difference. Once they got their bare feet in that sand they couldn't have been happier. Those two kids were bred to love the dunes. 

My little "man cub"

  We have been enjoying the Scandinavian Festival this year. Austyn is dancing in it and it's so cute to watch all the little kids try and dance together, while staying in a circle :) it's comical to say the least. Her costumes were so adorable. And it wasn't blistering hot, so she wasn't miserable in the big thick dresses. Jordan also got festive this year. He helped out in the JC Fire Stations Booth. 

One of Austyns adorable outfits

The opening parade

Daddy in his festivities. 

Austyn in her second outfit. Her cousins gave her flowers after her performance.

  Austyn now rides Chocolate Chip by herself while I stand in the middle of the arena and direct her. She can steer her and kick her to go perfectly. I'm so proud of her. And she has turned into a little water dog. She swims by herself and bobs around in the water and floats on her back (with a life jacket). She also went down my parents huge water slide with Jordan twice the other evening. She's a brave one! I've been able to talk school up a little bit to her. I've been telling her that she gets new friends and new school supplies when she goes back. It has seemed to work:) 

  And Quade, oh Quade. What a little rotten monster he has become. We are still teething:( So enough said there. But he is so wild, determined, spoiled, and ALL boy. And I love every bit of him. He's very exhausting, but so cute and smart as well. He still carries a gun around with him all the time. He shoots birds, Jordan's elk head, all of us. Man, that stuff is just hard wired into boys. As usual, he doesn't eat well while he's teething. So I've been trying hard to be patient with him. He has definitely gotten away with murder compared to what Austyn did at his age. But with that said, they are 110% different from each other. We are making it! It's a bit touch and go sometimes, but this little fart will not be the winner. Mommy will be the winner as soon as this last damn tooth pops through. :)

My best little pal and I at a family wedding

And then there's Quade ... Need I say more;)

My masked bandits

  Jordan has been bouncing back and forth from project to project.  He started the irrigation, then some parts broke. So we had to wait for that. Then the playhouse came up. Then back to the irrigation. Then finished up the playhouse. There's always something going on and something to do out here. The corn maze is starting up now, so in a few weeks he will be spending his free time doing maze stuff. Austyn and I can't wait. We love October at Lone Pine. And I have a feeling Quade will never want to get out of the cow trains:) 

  We have our 10 year High School reunion this weekend. Can you believe it's been 10 years already?! We also are getting ready for our last camping trip. The crab trip in Charleston with the Eugene Fire group. I look forward to this one all year. So this year we are staying Wednesday through Sunday. I can't wait, hope the weather is nice. 

  Quick update on KODA- she is continuing to loose weight. And she still doesn't have her normal energy. Vets still don't have any answers, due to the fact we aren't willing to invest in numerous tests when we know the outcome will be the same no matter what the tests say. But she is still happy and pain free as far as I can tell. So that is how we want to keep her. Cheers to the best dog, I'll ever have!

  As the summer comes to an end I've been reflecting a lot on our life. And I've tried to think of what makes our life so perfect. I think I've figured it out. More to come in a later blog...

My Circle of Life . . .

  I can honestly say that this summer is the best summer of my life, hands down. So I started to think of the reasons it's so much better than the previous summers. And even though the common denominator has never changed, and I hope it never will, I just think I'm at the age where I can truely be 100% grateful and really appreciate how blessed I really am. And I'm talking about FAMILY (and friends)! 

  It has been brought to my attention over the last few years that we have something that is out of the norm for the majority of people (and all these years I thought we were the normal ones). We have a family that is so close (even in proximity) it's mind blowing for people to comprehend. And I'm not just talking about my parents and my brother. I'm talking about my Grandma, and my Aunts and Uncles too. I don't think I've ever met a family like ours. I am now hoping and praying that one day I will have what my parents have. Which is having my kids living next door and that they want to see me every day and be wrapped up in every aspect of their lives. I hope that's what my parents wanted, because that's what they got :) Which also leads me to think how lucky my Grandma is. She sees at least one of her kids everyday. And it's not uncommon for her to see all three of her kids on the same day or even numerous times a day. She also gets to see her grand kids and great grand kids almost daily. She is such a huge part of my life and my kids life it's unbelievable. I am so thankful to her and my Grandpa for having family be so important that they passed that importance down to their kids, who now have instilled it into my brother and I. And I'm doing everything in my power to continue the trend with my kids. 

  When Jordan got hired at Eugene it took me a few years to adjust to his work schedule. And if it weren't for my parents it would be sooo much harder. Every night Jordan is working I go over to my parents and eat dinner and let the kids play. Since it's summer we usually feed their steers, play on their play ground, eat dinner, then go ride quads. And sometimes we play at the river or ride Chocolate Chip. Or do all of that in one evening. So it's not uncommon for us to still be up and playing at 9:30 or 10:00. Which works out beautifully the next morning when the kids get up at 8:00 :) I can't wait for the day my kids understand and appreciate how fortunate they are. It hasn't been until I've had kids that I've really understood everything my parents did for us when we were little. And I can't even begin to tell them how grateful I am for that. Now that I have kids I bow down to them for giving my brother and I such a huge amount of respect for people and things. They also gave us great morals and values, which have carried us through life and gotten us out of many predicaments. I don't know how they did it, but I'm trying to follow exactly in their footsteps on this one. I also think they gave us a lot of responsibilities as young kids and those responsibilities came with consequences. I am very thankful they did that. I hope that I can continue helping my kids out like my parents are still doing for us. Hats off to the best parents a kid could ask for. And I hope they know how amazing they are and how appreciated the are.

  It hasn't been until recently that I've understood the rare connection between a brother and a sister. Some recent events showed me just how much I would do for my brother. Which is literally ANYTHING he needed me to do! And I know that if the tables were turned, I could count on him to be there for me too. I'm forever grateful for my brother. He made me the tom boy I've always been. He took me hunting, riding, wheelin, we made forts, and the list goes on. He never ever left me behind. And all of his friends were like brothers to me growing up, which is something I'm sad Austyn won't have. Thank you brother for letting me tag along all those years. I love you so much!

  While reflecting on my life I've realized that not only did I have the best immediately family ever. I had the best extended family too. All my childhood memories are filled with cousins and Aunts and Uncles. I spent every summer with my Aunt Diane and Uncle Brice. They took me everywhere like I was their daughter. They taught me so much about horses and animals. And all the time and money that goes into those things. And thanks to them I can now pass some of that down to Austyn. And every school break we could count on my Aunt Debi to take all of us somewhere amazing. Not until now do I know how much planning, packing, and expense that requires. But she seemed to love it as much as we did.

  Needless to say I'm blown away at the bond we ALL have together. There has never been any drama or harsh words said to one another (to my knowledge). And everyone is so giving it's amazing. I'm happy to say that everything good I'm my life is because of each and every one of my family member in some way or another. 

  And let's not forget about our friends. We have the best friends in the world. Our lives are so parallel it's creepy. Jordan's childhood best friend is still his best friend today. And I can proudly say his wife is mine. I never have really had many girlfriends but this one is a keeper for sure. I love the way we can all get together (when our busy schedules permit) and act like it hasn't been over a month since the last time we've hung out. And I'm so happy our kids will grow up together. 

  I could go on listing people and specific memories, but I would never be able to stop there are so many. All I can say it thank you to my family and friends for making me who I am today. And with family and friends like mine life can't get any better!