JOYOUS FAMILY

A true cowboy only takes his hat off to sleep & pray...

2010-09-21T18:10:00.003-04:00

Photos of... well, just photos.

2010-07-30T16:10:00.004-04:00

My "Cowboy Photos"

2010-07-30T15:45:00.002-04:00

Two of my favorite Cowboys!

If you know my little palomino Cowboy, then you know it's always a good idea to have prayer before you ride.

Every Cowboy needs a hat... wouldn't you agree?

Happy 1st Birthday, Dear Henrik!!

2010-07-19T15:13:00.005-04:00

A cupcake boot - lemme at it!!

It took a WHOLE YEAR, but they finally let me have cake with icing!

I don't know... do you think he enjoyed it very much???

Getting to those hard-to-reach pieces.

He would squish the cake in both hands, then try to flip it out before getting another bite.

I can't believe it. I mean, it all happened so fast! One minute, "Here Magnus, meet your new baby brother!" and the next, "Guess what Magnus? Henrik is having his very first birthday!!" Time sure flies with a fun little chap like Henrik. He is the life of the party around here, always joking, always content. The day after he turned one, he really started pulling up on everything, and even scooted faster than ever before. Guess he thought he'd better hurry up now that he's a big boy! And speaking of that... he weighs 29lbs and is 31.5" tall. We moved him into Magnus' bedroom about a month ago and they have become better friends than ever, being silly together making sound effects during nap-time and "talking". We did hit our first snag the other day when we heard them in there laughing... but it went more like this. Cough, gag, laugh. Repeat. Upon further investigation we discovered that they were having a gagging contest. Magnus had 4 fingers in his throat, and Henrik's thumb was doing the trick for him, even to the point of making him spit up on his clothes. It took some sternness NOT to laugh, and to make them quit! I have a feeling this is only the beginning of some very interesting adventures in boyhood. But hey, I WAS the one that prayed to have little boys! And boy, am I ever glad I did! =)

Celebrating Fathers - 2010

2010-07-06T10:54:00.002-04:00

Our little family with our bald leader. =)

Me and my dad.

The Smith fellas. =)

My brother and Dad.

Just Henrik...

2010-07-05T22:51:00.004-04:00

Henrik is 11 months and such a character! He can say DaDa and MaMa, and tries lots of other words that don't come out quite right. Somehow he still gets his point across though! He shivers and squeals with excitement when there is a horse, or a dog, or any animal nearby to pet... he nearly jumps out of your arms trying to get to them! He doesn't crawl, but he sits on his butt and scoots around to get from point A to point B. He's a busy little man... sweet as honey, so affectionate, so adorable... yet he has his share of temper also that flares up most often when he's tired. He's a super fun baby though, and just loves to be loved! Squeezing him puts such bright spots in my days!

First Hair Cut!

2010-06-23T16:40:00.002-04:00

Checking out the clippers... oh my!

Getting started...

Happy with the finished product!

Joe insisted that 10 1/2 month old Henrik's unruly hair needed "help" a couple weeks ago. So, he whipped out his handy-dandy clippers and went to work. The clipper attachment Joe chose for Henrik's new "do" really had me worried - I just knew Henrik would be as bald as razor-shaved Daddy when all was said and done... but it turned out great and he's as cute as ever. Now Mommy doesn't have to comb or try to tame any unruliness on the top of her youngest boy!

You're Going to WHAT? Cut off my hair?!?

2010-06-23T16:10:00.001-04:00

Resnick Kids Photo Shoot

2010-06-13T11:56:00.006-04:00

Michael

Dirt on the face, sweat rings on the neck... perfectly boyish!

I had a great time taking birthday pictures for my friend's kids. (They were born about a year apart.) Horse-crazy Britt wanted her pictures taken with my horses, and Michael brought his Golden Retriever, Sonny. They are really sweet kids and we had such a fun time!

Pretty Ears and Frosted Manes

2010-06-03T14:00:00.004-04:00

Our colts are growing! They both just turned 2 and are the sweetest things a cowgirl could want. (Aside from a sweet cowboy like mine, that is!) Cowboy has the cutest ears on the planet, to match his darling little face, and Dusty is just downright cool. He has the neatest frosted mane that prompts people to ask me, "Did you do that to his hair?". My barn gals call him "Rock-star Dusty". We had Cowboy gelded a while back, but Dusty was crypt-orchid so we are hoping he is ready to be gelded this fall when the weather is cooler and flies are less numerous. We put him through weekly hormone treatment shots for a couple months in hopes to make him drop - of course, he is still a stallion in "capability" though, so we may be looking at a new baby on the farm next spring! I'll certainly keep you posted on that possibility. Both the colts are such fun. Joe and I have had the bit/bridle on them a couple times and they did better than our trained mare does! Cowboy LOVES the taste of the copper bit and doesn't want to give Dusty a turn. Little does he know that that yummy piece of metal is going to tell him what to do later on... Dusty is the lowest in the pecking order and has always been a little on the shy side, but is coming along great and now wants attention as much as the rest of them and will wiggle his way in next to you when you're grooming the others. We love having colts to play with - especially these sweet boys!

My Barn Gals

2010-05-31T14:35:00.005-04:00

Krissy, Katie, Me and Laura having fun, as usual!

Krissy

Krissy and Laura

Katie

Some friends (3 sisters) from my church moved in our barn "bunkhouse" for the months of May and June to learn how to ride horses. We have been having a blast! They are doing great riding and having fun on the farm. Now if I could just convince them that they need to stay in my barn full-time... Just think of the fun we could have! =)

Strawberries - Do it Yourself Style!

2010-05-31T10:08:00.005-04:00

We had a great time picking strawberries last week! It was a deserted little self-"serv" stand with a mailbox to place your money in. Afterward, we made strawberry freezer jam and have been enjoying ever since!

Henrik's 8 Month Pics - April 2010

2010-05-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

February 2010 - Myrtle Beach, SC

2010-05-14T09:17:00.004-04:00

I know you're probably thinking, "A post from February? In May?!" Yes, that's the way it's been rolling around here. I've been so busy with springtime things, etc.... but I didn't want you to miss any fun details from our year, so here's a belated post to catch you up to speed. =) Joe had a long weekend trip to Myrtle Beach back in Feb, so the boys and I drove down. What was supposed to be a 6 hr trip "quickly" turned into about 9 hours by the time I stopped to feed hungry little mouths and let cramped little legs stretch. It was still worth it though, as we had a wonderful time! We all enjoyed a bit of (chilly) sand between our toes and even got to spend some time with my cousin Lori and her family.

OH MY COW!

2010-04-12T22:08:00.004-04:00

I told all my friends that "something" new was hanging above my fireplace, but told them they had to come VISIT ME to find out what it was. Well, I'm caving in friends, and letting you peek at him.

This is "Red". He is my Texas Longhorn, and I love him. I don't expect you to understand. I really don't. The feelings of euphoria when I found him at a yard sale -no, not even in Texas, but in boring little Virginia- were enough to make me giddy for a whole week, even though he probably does absolutely nothing for you. I do hope you enjoy meeting him though. He really is pretty awesome! Although, you still really must meet him in person to really appreciate him. He keeps asking when you'll be stopping by...

Of Dogs and Dirt Roads...

2010-03-21T21:47:00.003-04:00

Magnus is "Free"!

2010-02-27T12:05:00.007-05:00

Daddy and Magnus helping me with the cake design.

The icing!

The finished product.

Just don't eat the propeller!

Wishing a very special boy a year full of wonderful things and delightful memories!

Magnus turned three yesterday and had a fun little party with some little friends. When asked his age, he now proudly announces, "I'm free!" And I guess if you think about it, turning three would probably be rather liberating, huh? =)

A Special Monkey

2010-02-27T11:36:00.007-05:00

A special monkey is one that likes the same toys as you.

A special monkey is always up for a good nap-time cuddle.

A special monkey doesn't mind if you chew on its leg now and then.

A special monkey always laughs at your jokes!

To all the special monkeys out there - keep up the good work!

Snow, Snow, Go Away, Come Again Some Other Day!

2010-02-12T22:13:00.005-05:00

We've had more snow this year than I even thought possible for VA. We've lived here over 8 years and have never had such a cold, snowy winter. We've been spoiled into thinking that "mild" was normal for around here! We certainly have had a rude awakening. We're cold. The snow has been here for weeks and more keeps piling on. The barn area is a complete mushy-disaster. Our electric bill is insane. We're totally stir crazy. The driveway is destroyed. We've forgotten what color our Excursion used to be... Look out, Florida! We've got our eyes on you, baby! Too much more of this "winter" and we'll be tempted into action and moving your way! Well, maybe...

Finally!! Some real food!

2010-01-22T10:56:00.002-05:00

Henrik just turned 6 months old (can you believe that?!) and got his first taste of rice cereal. He'd been tortured at every meal, watching us eat and trying very hard to get a bite of it... now it's his turn. He eagerly accepted that spoon and after licking his lips a little bit he decided that was enough tasting - time for some SERIOUS slurping! I was carefully spooning it in (ya know, so he could get used to this new phenomenon) and he started to fuss, but I couldn't figure out why until Joe wisely informed me, "You're not feeding him fast enough." So I sped up and he brightened up! Since then he's enjoyed sweet potatoes, squash and applesauce. He's still getting used to the slightly sour applesauce, but the kid is a natural born eater, and is determined! Look out, grocery bill!!

She's back! And there's someone else too...

2010-01-15T09:12:00.003-05:00

Great news! Clue beat Parvovirus and is all better. We picked her up from the breeder (whom we won't mention here) about a week ago and she is like a new dog! We realize now that the sweet little lap dog that we brought home the first time was actually a sick little puppy. The "new" Clue is a feisty little bundle of love and energy that is very much full of life! We are having tons of fun with her! And if you don't recognize the other dog in the picture, let me introduce you to Rocky (known in a former life as Sorvino). We have had him since before Christmas and the shy, insecure dog that he was when we brought him home has also had a transformation. Rocky is a sweet, lovable, goofy brindle Mastiff. He's 10 months old and loves his new life on the farm. He certainly will never be a replacement for dear Jack - It was hard for me at first to even have him around - but, I now can at least love him for who he is, and we enjoy having dogs again.

Christmas Eve and we're Clueless. =(

2009-12-24T14:30:00.004-05:00

Magnus showing Clue her little "house".

The sweetest puppy ever!

We aren't having much luck with dogs these days. Monday we went to look at some Rat Terrier puppies and couldn't resist this sweet little gal we promptly named "Clue". Magnus adored her... spent hours with her, and she loved him right back... then she got sick yesterday and I started to worry. Joe and Magnus took her to the vet this morning and we were floored and devastated to find out that she has Parvo. The breeder took her back, but it was so hard since we already loved her so much. She was such a darling, and we never heard her bark even once.. just a little whine every now and then if she was missing us. (We chose the Rat Terrier breed since they are generally friendly and non-yapping!) I miss her already, and hope Magnus doesn't take it too hard. Thankfully he's still young and bounces back quickly, but boy is this really putting a strain on our Christmas cheer! It reminds me, though, that it's not about us, but a baby named Jesus that came to give us Life. We know we can always rejoice in Him!

Goodbye hurts!

2009-12-09T14:05:00.005-05:00

Last night we lost one of our best friends, and the world's finest dog. Jack went to doggy "heaven" at the age of 8 and Joe and I are devastated. We dearly loved that dog! Joe noticed a large bump on the top of Jack's head Monday night that wasn't there earlier in the day and we have no idea what happened. Jack moped around all day Monday acting very unlike himself, and died basically 24 hours after we noticed the knot on his head. We will miss his sweet, gentle spirit, his wagging tail, and the way he always danced around the yard with us, flipping those gigantic feet as he went. Thankfully Magnus is not to the age where he mourns the loss as Joe and I have - I think he understands that he's not coming back, but he's very matter of fact about it. This morning he told me, "Maybe some food will make you feel better, Mommy." and later he said, "Jack died. Lets go tell him we're sorry." I could fill this little blog page with so many wonderful things to say about dear Jack... but it's really just enough to honestly say that he was the best. Now I just sit and cry, wondering... what in the world am I going to do without him??? =(

Dear Santa...

2009-12-06T20:00:00.003-05:00

Henrik fills up Santa's lap at only 4 1/2 months old!

Magnus, though shy, seemed to really enjoy sitting with Santa.

These "elves" were just too much fun, and this picture of them with my fellas really cracks me up! Joe and Magnus had a blast trying out all the toys on display at Bass Pro Shops' winter wonderland. Such a fun place to take the family at Christmastime!

Bumbo Cowboy

2009-12-02T14:28:00.002-05:00

My sweet little cowboy Henrik is 4 months old, and at his check-up he was in the 97th percentile just like Magnus was at his age. He weighed 19.1 lbs, which was a pound more than Magnus did, but was around the same height... around 27-28" long. I'm not sure how this happens... guess we just grow them big around here! =)

One sick little mommy!

2009-12-02T13:24:00.003-05:00

Here I am after my kidney stone surgery... still a bit under the influence of anesthesia I'd say! What an awful 2 weeks I had in November, full of pain and Percocet (drowsiness!). I'm so glad to have it over-with and to be feeling great again! I don't know how I would've made it through without my sweet hubby and my good friend Tamela.

My men ROCK the grocery store!

2009-10-25T16:44:00.003-04:00

Zooming around the isles!

Lets get some of that, Mom!

Stopping to smell the... orchids!

Believe it or not, my men are fabulous grocery shoppers! Joe does most of the shopping on his way home from work, which saves me much time and grief! Now I have another little grocery shopper too! Joe and Magnus have discovered the tiny grocery carts at Kroger, and Magnus is hooked! He doesn't care how much stuff you pile on, as long as he gets to drive it "all by myself". It really is amazing how much stuff you can pile in one of those little carts, but the bagger-boys can never seem to quite fit it all back in... Magnus also loves to stop and look at all the pretty flowers, but those beautiful and fragile orchids are always in grave danger when he stops to inspect them more closely! I always try to usher him over to the sturdier looking sunflowers. ("Here honey, sniff these!") Who knew grocery shopping was so much fun?

This one's for James...

2009-10-24T23:08:00.004-04:00

Thought you would like a recent picture of the boys! We just love these little guys, and they are growing like weeds. (For all my blogger friends, this is who we bought our colts from!) Joe got your phone message the other day, but since his cell was turned off (he was at work - up in the clouds!) it didn't show your number and we can't seem to find it in any of our papers. He would love to chat with you though, and give you a proper update on the foals, so give him a ring again sometime soon!

We Love a LittleYeeHaw!

2009-10-24T14:01:00.006-04:00

I declare, that man looks good on a horse! =)

One of my all-time favorite horsie pics! You can just feel the energy & beauty!

Having fun, but my hat always tries to blow off!

Heading off to try out E-Z's new "boots".

Still trying to keep my hat on! =)

Well, what do you know...

2009-10-16T13:55:00.002-04:00

...We finally all made it into the same picture! We were having a fun little family date to Bass Pro Shops last night so I took my camera. The thoughtful lady that worked there offered to take our picture, so we gave her the "privilege". ;) Then we went to McDonald's and on into Wal-mart, where Joe realized he'd lost his wallet. We searched the Excursion for it with no luck, then drove back to McDonald's, where it was sitting on the table right where he'd left it, as if it were waiting for him... 45 minutes later!! Talk about an answered prayer from a caring Heavenly Father. God is awesome! Meanwhile, Magnus was in the back seat saying, "Daddy hosst his wawwet?"

A Monday smile for you!

2009-10-12T11:44:00.002-04:00

Or is it a grimace? I needed a laugh today, and keep looking at this picture of the colts to keep some good humor in my cloudy Monday full of grumpy toddler and crying baby. Joe has been gone so much lately that it seems to be affecting us all. I am exhausted from getting up every hour at night with Henrik (what is his deal lately?) and miss Joe terribly. Maybe you're having a rough day (week?) too, so I'm sharing my silly horses with you, and we can cheer up together. =) God's blessings on you today!

Cowboy Cutie

2009-10-05T13:22:00.001-04:00

Meet Alf, my new friend. He's a Sony a700... and I love him.

2009-10-03T11:41:00.006-04:00

The lawn-mowers.

Somehow Jack got adorned with flowers and pretended not to notice.

Magnus likes to play in my flowers that hang through the rails on the porch.

The cutest smile!

With fill-in flash...

Without fill-in flash.

My impatiens behind the house.

Olly - waiting for his next victim.

I love my new camera! My other one took great pictures, but simply can't compare. Here are some shots of my first couple days shooting with "Alf". My former Sony was a bit outdated at 8 years old, and I love the newer technology of the alpha700. Enjoy the pictures from my latest and greatest toy!

My favorite day of the year...

2009-10-01T14:08:00.006-04:00

~~~~STATE FAIR 2009~~~~

Stopping to pet a Corgi at the blacksmith competition.

Daddy's little fella.

Poking around in the pigeon cage. (He didn't read the sign.)

Beef!

Mommy's little man.

Addison and Magnus loving the corn play area!

Petting a cow cutie.

Tamela and Melvin hung out with us. =)

I saw the Dr. that delivered Henrik! I'd always regretted not getting Henrik's picture taken with him, and now I have one.

Henrik in his horsie outfit. Not to be outdone!

Too Many Great Pics of Labor Day...

2009-09-22T22:28:00.008-04:00

Magnus' first time shooting the .22 rifle. It looks like he's praying he'll hit the target!

The guys shot clay pigeons and did some target practice.

Rick and Joe took the canoe down to the swamp to check out the beaver dams.

Rick helped Joe get the hay in the trailer, and the kids LOVED jumping in it!

My little farm-boy. =)

Christopher riding our gentlest & sweetest horse!

The sandbox saw a lot of action.

Julia (Pocahontas? =) ) kept the barn swept clean.

Magnus always lies down to play in the dirt. This is why I buy stain remover.

Jennifer is pregnant with their 3rd - due in March I think.

The kids all got "pony rides".

Christopher and Julia loved Oliver, and he loved them!

Joe and Rick even got some yeehaw time in.

Our Labor Day was full of fun since our good friends Rick and Jennifer, along with their beautiful munchkins Christopher and Julia, came to spend it with us! They might as well be family, especially since they're "hillbillies" from West Virginia like I am! =) And the kids even fought like siblings, which didn't dampen my spirits in the least. Jennifer has been pretty wiped out with her pregnancy (first trimester woes) so we hung around the house and chatted a lot. Henrik enjoyed being held so much! And of course, it wouldn't be a proper holiday with the Alexanders if we didn't grill shrimp at least once! =)

Henrik Wade - 2 Months... almost. =)

2009-09-14T13:44:00.001-04:00

Master Bath - Before and After

2009-09-08T20:32:00.000-04:00

The project... and the helpers. =)

The bath "before" - vinyl curtains & white trim.

The door - inside.

So pretty!

Now if I just had some copper sinks....

My amazing shower door, and the towel hook Joe brought me from TX! =)

We also got glass cut for the window, & painted the trim brown. I love my bathroom!

Big Brother, Little Brother

2009-08-04T15:44:00.004-04:00

Henrik is already 2 weeks old and Magnus seems to really enjoy him. At least once a day he'll say, "I wanna hold Henrik". He sits and strokes his head, looks at his "teeny tiny fingers" and gives him kisses. Not at all what I expected from my ornery 2 year old! I guess Henrik is just irresistible! Come to think of it, I think both my boys are. =)

Henrik Wade Smith is here!!!

2009-07-21T05:57:00.005-04:00

At home. =) July 20, 2009 One day old!

Making faces for mommy.

Behold! His eyes do open!

Bringing Henrik home. What a delight for us all!!

Mommy's heart is going to burst.

Newborn Henrik - July 19, 2009

Proud Daddy!

Henrik Wade Smith

July 19th, 2009 @ 1:24am

20" long - 7lbs, 14oz.

Wow! What a weekend we had. =) Our little Henrik Wade arrived 2 weeks early and gave us quite the nice surprise. Joe and I crawled in bed Saturday night at midnight after a busy day working around the farm, and as I was lying there trying to muster some energy to write in my journal I felt the strangest *pop* inside my stomach, along with a pain that frightened me! Joe asked me what was wrong as I started to cry and I said I didn't know! He helped me out of bed and then I felt the trickle... Keep in mind I was induced with Magnus and didn't know anything about going into labor on my own! I informed him that "I think my water just broke", and we stood there looking at each other asking, "What do we do now?" We couldn't decide whether to rush around to get to the hospital, to take our time and make sure everything (and everybody) was taken care of, or what. Joe even asked if we had enough time to get a good night's sleep in and then just go in the morning (since I wasn't having steady contractions up to that point). That's when it hit me... the pain... I said, "We better go now!" The contractions were hitting me steadily then, and we rushed around grabbing things, calling Melvin and Tamela to come stay the night with our sleeping Magnus, and off we went. My groans made Joe speed a little, but he didn't want to get pulled over (and further delayed) which was good since we did pass one cop on the back road. Our 35 min. drive seemed to take forever, but we made it, they wheeled a desperate me up to labor/delivery and got me in a hospital bed. Joe announced immediately that I needed my epidural, like now. =) The nurses checked my progress & said they'd try to get me one but it would take at least 30 min's & they didn't know if there was enough time. I tried to wait, but ended up pushing (it felt slightly better than trying to breathe & relax through the pain, and before I knew it, Joe was rooting me on saying, "He's coming!" Before I knew it, there was Henrik... but he wasn't screaming his head off like Magnus did, and I kept asking, "Is he okay? He's not crying!" They assured me he was fine, and he ended up crying some just to make me feel better. =) 1 1/2 hours of labor and I had my little man. No epidural, and I'm not sure what pain meds they gave me but Joe said they squeezed a little something in my IV. (We'd only been at the hospital maybe 45 minutes, which is why I didn't have time for my epidural!) Poor Joe was as pale as can be from the scene he'd just witnessed, and I had to remind him to get the video camera rolling on the new baby. But if we thought that was bad, we had no idea what the next 2 hours would hold! The placenta was stubbornly hanging in there and 2 hours is how long it took the Dr. (a decent sized man, with big hands and arms... oh my, the pain!) to get it out. They kept giving me more and more morphine at that point, but all it seemed to do was make things blurry and my eyelids heavy. I'll spare you all the gory, horror-story parts of the story and hurry along here, but you get the picture. All in all, it finally emerged (after I went through "labor" pushing all over again, only worse!) and all was well. I recovered very quickly, and after having Henrik at 1:24am, I was up and taking a shower at 5am. They let us come home a day early (we nearly insisted, and they didn't seem to mind) and we are happily starting a family life as a foursome! Magnus has been so sweet to his new baby brother, but then... it's only been one day! =)

New Kids on the Block

2009-07-12T11:44:00.006-04:00

Meeting the new kids - Jake (middle) put on the best show, surprisingly, and he's still upset about their arrival today! We're not going to put them in with him for a while...

We named the little tiger (see his legs?) dun Dusty Doc - he is such a sweety and Joe has claimed him as his own!

This picture makes them look bigger than they actually are, but I like it anyway.

Dusty - 1 year old

The little palomino that I just "had to have"! He's also 1 year old and I'm trying to find a suitable name for him.

So, you only only thought we were crazy before. =) We saw an ad for these colts (well, they were selling their whole herd) and couldn't resist going to take a peek at them. Now look what we've done!! They are just what we wanted though, and Joe and I are both excited about having a couple more little project horses to train and love. They are already warming up to us, and we're giving them lots of TLC. We had only intended to buy one colt, but we just couldn't leave either of these boys behind! Our family is growing... and growing... and overflowing! =)

Powder Room... Westernized

2009-07-02T21:09:00.003-04:00

I get western and horsie catalogs much more often than my budget can afford, but Joe and I always enjoy looking through them and getting ideas for our "next house" that will be totally western/rustic in styling. After 4 years of living in our current home though, I decided to continue decorating it as if it were western and we were to live here forever - it's been so fun! Being on a budget requires me to get creative though, so I'm pulling out my paints and going to work! I saw an idea in one of my books for a neat wooden sign, and it inspired me to paint this one that is much like it, but was quite a LOT cheaper! Stay tuned for more home decor pictures to come!

Fun Firsts

2009-06-22T09:37:00.003-04:00

First canoe ride! We had so much fun, and Magnus enjoyed trying to paddle "all by himself".

This tree frog jumped on our canoe and stayed with us (in spite of our efforts to ditch him!) until we got home - he even rode in the canoe on top of the car! I thought he was cool until he jumped on my arm with those sticky pads of his. Joe thought it was funny to actually hear me squeal like a girl! Magnus thought the best part was when the frog pooed on the canoe, and he still talks about that, as if it were the highlight of his trip!

Magnus entertained himself by trailing his hand in the water as Daddy paddled us around.

First painting (acrylics)! I gave him a couple of my paint colors to experiment with, and when he got the hang of it, he started asking for specific colors to add to it! ("Please, red!", "I need the blue!" or "Need more white!") He was very careful to stay on the paper (as I told him to be!) and I think it turned out to be one of the most beautiful paintings ever!

He accidentally touched his brush to his face... =) Here he is still deep in concentration.

First kite! Joe introduced Magnus to another great flying phenomenon.

Magnus was so proud of his kite!

Surprise!! It's a shower for... me??

2009-06-06T09:16:00.005-04:00

Tamela's decorations were the cutest ever!! (Note the fruit bouquet in the cowboy hat!)

So yummy! Tamela made all the food, and chocolates too. =)

Nasia, Laura and Katie Hinton. Thanks, Katie, for taking all the pics!

Angie, Tamela, Lisa (left) and Krissy and Hannah Hinton (middle).

I'm blessed with friends with good taste, and received the cutest gifts!

Seemed like an ordinary girl's "hang-out" night invitation to me, when Tamela invited me to come keep her company one Friday evening while Melvin was at a meeting somewhere. Then I was under the impression that plans had changed and the guys' quartet from church would be meeting Joe at our house to practice, and I thought, "Oh good, I'll go hang out with Tamela while the fellas "rock" my house with melody and very loud soundtracks!" Joe offered to keep Magnus and I was all for that too! He and Tamela were so smooth about the whole thing. No details, no set time to be at her house, nothing! Joe asked, "So what time were you going to go to Tamela's? and I said, "Oh, I don't know - I'll text her and see..." Tamela's reply: "How about in 1/2 hour?" So I dawdled around, never checked the clock (Joe suggested the sooner I get going, the sooner I could get back - lol!) and left - pulled into Tamela's drive and noticed a couple cars from church and thought, "Oh no! The guys' quartet must be meeting HERE! And we thought they were supposed to meet at our house! I better call Joe and tell him to get over here, but first I'll run in and explain to Tamela why I didn't bring the boys." I got in the house, quickly started explaining to Tamela and then realized that in the other room, I saw girls, not guys... and balloons! And decorations... What was going on?? Then... "Surprise!!" The girls from church had driven near and far to throw me a wonderful baby shower and I had no idea! Some drove 1 1/2 hrs just to be there. We had so much fun, and I went away feeling all special and like somebody important. =) I guess I thought since I already had one boy (and kept all his things) that a baby shower for the 2nd little tyke would be a non-essential, but thankfully, my girlfriends disagreed!

It's hay making season again!

2009-05-29T09:11:00.004-04:00

Mt. Dew keeps Joe going - or so he says...

Yes, I helped rake too... for about 5 hrs the first day.

Day 2 - Magnus helped by making sure Jack didn't get cold.

Magnus enjoyed covering Jack up until....

you could barely see him!

Day 2 - help arrives! We must have REALLY good friends!!

Tamela, Magnus and Jack

Well, folks, if you thought we were crazy for hand raking our hay last year, you would've thought we were insane this year! We let the grass grow even taller, and we raked the ENTIRE pasture (5 or 6 acres?). We got about 120 bales' worth of hay this time (quite a lot more than last year) which should be enough to feed the horses all winter! =) They really like this "special" hand-raked/stacked hay too for some reason, and will leave their precious grain to start digging into it. Joe worked hour after hour, raking, loading in the trailer and unloading in the barn. He spent two whole days furiously working on it before the rains came. I was good help for about 1/2 day, with pregnancy as my excuse to pardon myself. Then Melvin, Tamela and Melvin's brother Ben came for an evening and helped us finish. What a blessing they were! I can't believe what good friends we have - they have the blisters to prove it! =)

Memorial Day Feast With Friends

2009-05-26T12:33:00.002-04:00

Joe and Magnus holding "Spring", the Boardmans' sweet little Italian Greyhound

The trampoline!

Backyard cookout and playtime.

The food - and oh, was it yummy! Chicken, burgers and shrimp on the 'barbie!

We went to the Boardmans' house for a Memorial Day BBQ with friends. The guys grilled some yummy meat, the kids played non-stop and Jennifer, Lisa and I talked pretty much non-stop too, when I wasn't too busy stuffing my face. =) We had more food than we could hope to eat, but we certainly gave it a valiant effort!! I thought I wouldn't want to eat again for a week, but today, not even 24 hours later, I'm thinking of that grilled shrimp and roasted corn on the cob... Ahh, what a wonderful way to celebrate and remember what our veterans and troops have done and are doing for our country. I definitely think we should do it more often!

You know spring is here when...

2009-05-12T21:36:00.004-04:00

Little boys get dressed up for Easter Sunday at church.

The grass needs mowed - frequently!

The Goldfinches are back in town and hungry from their long journey.

One horse sheds this much fur in just one brushing! (Jake was the donor for this lovely pile.)

Slate River Ranch - April 2009

2009-04-26T17:14:00.010-04:00

Magnus helping Daddy fly the Learjet 45

Petting one of the pretty strawberry roans at the ranch.

One of the many cute babies!

At the Fort Worth zoo.

Checking out a display at the zoo.

The lions kindly posed for me, per my request. =)

Magnus finally got to see a real live giraffe! His books were as close as he'd ever come.

Daddy and Magnus with some of the pretty SLR cutting horses.

Magnus helped me make friends with the two year old's.

One of Magnus' favorite things on the ranch! The golf cart. He was good at steering it too!

Daddy took Magnus for a trot on one of the ranch's "using horses".

The newborn foals were such sleepy-heads!

We found this poor fellow along the road (beer and all!).
♪ He put the bottle to his head and pulled the trigger. ♫

Checking out the daily cattle drive in cow-town.

Dining on BBQ in Stockyards Station.

At the Stockyards Rodeo - Magnus loved it!

I love this picture of my boys on the ranch pony! Magnus really enjoyed this ride.

Normally Magnus and I don't get to go on trips with Joe, but the owner of the Learjet (also the owner of Slate River Ranch!) generously allowed us to go on a week-long trip to his ranch at Weatherford, TX! They put us up in the large house there, so we had the "comforts of home", plus a golf cart to ride around on. =) We got to enjoy the ranch at the perfect time, since now is when they do their breeding/foaling. We didn't catch any foals being born, but the activities at the breeding barn were interesting to watch! Discovery channel material, to be sure, but really neat. They use "surrogate" broodmares for a lot of the foals so they can save their cutting mares for competition, and they do all the implantation, etc. right there on the farm. We took video for all of our friends to see, so just come on over and be enlightened! We took Magnus to the Fort Worth Zoo one day, as he'd never had the pleasure of such entertainment, and we enjoyed other local events like the cutting horse competition, Stockyard Station (a bit touristy, but hey... that's what we were!), the rodeo and of course some shopping at the western stores! Joe and I both agreed that the "cowboy culture" out there sure leaves Virginia with much to be desired! The people were great and all drove trucks... with horse trailers following close behind. It was a very relaxing visit, lots of fun, and by the time our week was up we were ready to come home to our own little farm. Check out the ranch website sometime: www.slateriverranch.com. It's truly a beautiful place!

Children's Easter Festival

2009-04-07T14:36:00.006-04:00

Magnus loved petting the sheep, and they didn't seem to mind either. =)

He even got to ride the most adorable donkey!

The firetruck was definitely a huge highlight!

Ahh... sitting on the super-cool red machine!

Picking up "Easter eggs"!

On the prowl for those egg-shaped candies!

Magnus certainly enjoyed his trip to the Children's Festival where he go to experience his very first Easter egg hunt! It was a great way to pass the time while Joe was away (he's been gone forever, it seems!) and the only downside to the happy occasion was having to come home! The Easter egg hunt was fun for him, but I think he enjoyed the festival part even more! (I was just disappointed that they weren't real plastic Easter eggs! I am new at this Easter egg hunt myself though, so I didn't know they just throw out sugary egg-shaped candies!) Magnus loved going around to all the little vendors and having everyone give him candy! A guy could get used to that, for sure! His favorite thing was the firetruck though, and I think he could've just sat on it and soaked it in all day. He was very brave for his donkey ride too, and he wanted to pet all the lambs (and the baby goat, which wouldn't cooperate - it was sleeping safely in the MIDDLE of the pen!). We got to ride a little "train" and we even took advantage of the swings at the playground since it was held at the middle school right down the road from us. He had the time of his life, and the only things that would've made it better would've been Daddy, and getting to stay a lot longer!

Curing those rainy day blues...

2009-03-30T23:27:00.004-04:00

Joe was gone most of the week, and I'm convinced he stole the sunshine away with him to Aruba, because it didn't bother to come out the whole time he was gone! Magnus and I were getting quite tired of all the rain and gloomy weather until he found out that it can be quite fun! He went out in the rain and splashed and played under the gutter spout until he was quite a mess! (I poked my head out the garage door to take pictures. Maybe if I had super-cool froggy rain boots I might venture out too, but until then...) The last two pictures have a story behind them, and I wonder, am I a bad mommy for calling this the highlight of my day? Maybe you should be the judge. Well, Magnus got tired of splashing in mud and decided to experiment with the garden hose. (You already know where this is going, don't you?) How he managed to squirt himself (on the first try!) full force in the face is still a mystery, but he did, and Oh! the shock and *chilly* horror on his face! I think he got lucky though, as it seems to have mostly glanced off the side of his head, peeling his hat up on the side! Well, imagine me, the innocent by-standing mommy... snapping pictures of my little boy playing in the mud, and then to see this great adventure unfold! I totally lost it... totally! I was reeling in such hilarious cackles and roars of laughter, that Magnus (who was crying at his misfortune) eventually turned around to see what all the raucous was about, saw his loony mother in stitches, and decided to join me in laughter! First he gave me this silly little smile (see photo!) then he giggled, then he let out a big laugh and forgot why he was crying. Maybe I'm not such a bad mommy after all. =)

The verdict is in! It's a...

2009-03-17T17:32:00.005-04:00

Look at that cute little hoof!

Giving Mommy a thumbs-up. =)

Our little BOY!!!!!

My whole pregnant look at 20 weeks - I could've just used a pregnancy pic from when I was carrying Magnus since I'm the exact same size... but I thought that would be cheating.

We're so excited to be having another little boy! He was uncooperative during his ultrasound photo shoot for us to get a really nice, clear shot of his profile, but at least we were definitely able to tell that he was a boy! This is good news for us, but bad news for the economy since we won't be needing to go out and buy any new clothes or toys. =) If the last half of this pregnancy goes as quickly for me as the first half has, we're going to be holding that little fella in no time!

Magnus & Sydney

2009-03-16T17:15:00.003-04:00

I have this picture on my desktop, and though it was taken a couple months ago, I just love it for some reason and thought I'd share it! =) Magnus loved Sydney, the Yellow Lab pictured, who was Melvin & Tamela's dog before he got killed in the road. Magnus still remembers him though (we would keep Sydney whenever his owners were away) and thinks any Yellow Lab-type dog is "Nidney". He even told "Nidney" night-night today at naptime... along with the stars, moon, Jack, Meow-Meow, horses, macaroni-cheese and everything else he could think of! What a precious little boy - who says the "2's" are terrible? I think it just gets funner and funner!

The Perfect Kind of Man...

2009-03-14T19:02:00.004-04:00

The perfect kind of man is not only Godly, just and kind... but the "kind" that loves chocolate - and knows how to make their own! =) Here Joe is showing Magnus this important quality of perfect manhood! I have the perfect men, and thank God for them every day! =) Mmm... when are those brownies going to be done, fellas?

Feb. 26th, 2009 - Magnus' big day!

2009-03-05T17:22:00.007-05:00

Magnus actually had two big days for his 2nd birthday. On his actual birthday, he did all of his favorite things with us. He got to ride the tractor, helping Daddy scoop dirt with it, play in the freshly scooped dirt, ride the 4 wheeler and just play outside all day long! This is his favorite thing to do. =) Then on Friday I baked him a Blues Clues cake (his favorite!) and we had dinner at home with friends Melvin and Tamela. He loved the balloons, presents and cake, and he enjoyed the liberty of dipping his fingers into that yummy Blues Clues icing after everyone else had endulged. For his 2 year Dr. check-up, he measured a tad over 38" tall, and 34 1/2 lbs. He didn't even cry when he got his shot! I'd say he's doing pretty well for himself, wouldn't you? =)

First "big" snow in 7 years!

2009-03-04T15:18:00.003-05:00

Our snowman! =)

He'd be the quickest draw in the East - if only he had some arms!

Magnus giving a big howdy to Mr. Wyatt-Frosty Earp

Mr. Cool... very cool.

We made snow-cream! It was our best yet. We added some secret ingredients. =)

Magnus got to take a 4-wheeler ride with his 3rd cousins, the Paulus twins (9).

Our house looked more beautiful than ever with it's lovely white shawl to keep it warm.

My Cowboys

2009-02-22T20:44:00.004-05:00

The old song says something like, "Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys", but I don't totally agree. =) I think it should be more like, "Mommas, don't let your babies grow up to be bullriders!" That definitely should be off-limits, but horsies are just too much fun, and Magnus is quickly finding that out! We got him a helmet so he could go riding with Daddy and he thoroughly enjoys it! Since riding horses is a no-no for pregnant ladies, I have to walk alongside instead of being in the saddle... but that's okay, my Dr. would be proud of me for exercising! =) Magnus loves to try to hold the reins just how Daddy does, and when E-Z would stop walking he'd say, "Walk! Walk!" The next day after this photo of my 2 favorite cowboys was taken, Joe and Melvin went horseback riding together. The only problem with that was that Joe happened to mention it to Magnus beforehand, and since Magnus couldn't go he was totally crushed and just cried and cried, saying, "Melwinn? Orsies? Mannees wide??" (Translated: Melvin? Horses? Magnus ride?) Poor little cowboy! We felt so bad! But that's just the way it goes sometimes. Cowboys have to be tough!

Anytime is a good tent-time

2009-02-16T18:41:00.003-05:00

Magnus has to play some sort of "tent" game every single day. He just has to - it's that simple. Whether it's climbing up on our bed (if it's freshly made, no problem - he just tosses pillows aside and throws back the covers!) to get under the sheets that either Daddy or Mommy hold up in the air for him, or using a blanket going from chair to chair, he loves it all. His latest bit of tent wonder and excitement came when Daddy pulled out a real, live, musty smelling, old, camouflage tent! Oh what fun! It even had a zipper for the door, which was even better. Joe and I have looked forward to the day when we can take our little "camper" on a real camping trip down in the woods - or maybe just out in the yard. I think he's almost ready, and it won't be long at all before he's a happy camper in the literal, fresh-air & roasted marshmallow sort of way!

Chillin in the Shrubs - 22 months

2009-01-28T17:38:00.005-05:00

Showing me his cheeks.

Pointing out his nose... You can see Olly lying in the background.

Saying "cheese"!

Magnus loves to hang out in the bushes with his "meow-meow" Olly. He'll contentedly sit back there "hiding with meow-meow" as he says, and play in the mulch and dirt. They are quite the pair, and Oliver is very tolerant with Magnus' endless tugs on his tail. Not that he never swats Magnus for his rough treatment, but if he ever does, Magnus always proudly points out his battle scars and says, "Meow-Meow Owwie!"

Maymont Park, Revisited

2009-01-12T21:18:00.002-05:00

Mr. Owl

Aunt Jessica and Magnus

Watching the River Otters play.

Clayton, Courtney and Magnus (cousins) beside the fish/turtle tank.

While part of Joe's family was here during New Year's week, the ladies and kids had a fun little outing to my favorite Richmond park, "Maymont". The men-folk were too busy seeking action during the last week of hunting season, and missed all the fun. It was a very cold day with some freezing rain, but it let up in time for us to see the bears and other outdoor critters at the petting zoo. Magnus thought it was a wonderful experience and didn't complain at all about the frigid temperatures. I simply must be a good mommy and take him back again soon on a sunny day. =) But for now, all he really wants is to just go to bed, so I am off to oblige him!

Christmas Fun 2008

2008-12-30T13:14:00.004-05:00

Erika loves helping in the kitchen! Here she is rolling out the dinner rolls.

The successful hunters! Joe got an 8 point, Dad a 6 point and Eric 2 does.

Joe's 8 point. Lovely deer with broken antlers. He must've been a rowdy one!

Unwrapping presents! Ahh, what joy!

Eric & Joe went riding. Check out how Eric & E-Z both have their mouths turned the same way!
Silly clowns! I know they did that on purpose.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had a wonderful Christmas with my family! My parents, my brother Eric and my 5 y.o. niece Erika came up for a few days of Christmas-ing, feasting, hunting and visiting. Erika and Magnus played together nearly non-stop. They spent hours drawing together with their markers at the bar while Mom and I cooked, and they enjoyed playing with their new toys. Magnus has missed them since they've gone, and asks about them every day by name. He'll go, "Nana? Pa Pa? Eweeka? Eweek?" He won't be lonely for long though, as Joe's family is coming in tonight to spend the rest of the week with us. I see more feasting ahead, and probably more deer slaying. Guess I better get my knife sharpened up again. Joe and I just finished packaging/canning/marinating the last of the deer meat from his 8 point today, but I have a feeling that with Joe's brother-in-law Paul (a professional in hunting) and his Dad in town, we'll be pulling out the meat grinder and pressure canner again very soon... =) Run, Bambi, Run!

Cruising with Tyler

2008-12-13T16:54:00.004-05:00

My cousin Lori from Nebraska was in NC for a few days, so we went down yesterday morning to spend a little bit of time with them before they headed back to no-man's land. We got to stay with my parents (of course) and Magnus really enjoyed having some PaPa and Nanna time. He loved seeing Lori's kids also, and thought having another little boy just his size (and only 3 1/2 months older) to play with was just pretty cool.

My Birthday Table

2008-12-03T16:06:00.003-05:00

I told you I would post pictures of my birthday gift from Joe (that he made for me!!) as soon as it was finished, so here it is! It's not COMPLETELY finished until I get a wicked-cool western drawer pull for it, but I just couldn't wait any longer to share it with you. I am so in love with this table... we made it out of wood from our very own old barn. The legs are complete with nifty little worm-holes & "tunnels". Am I spoiled or what? Just wait until you see the dining room table he's going to make for me! (Right, sweetheart??)

20th Month Pictures... now that Magnus is 21 months!

2008-11-27T09:23:00.003-05:00

Getting Close to Nature

2008-11-19T14:22:00.003-05:00

Looking all stealthy in Joe's fluffy camo.

Looking all warm in Joe's fuzzy mask.

The essentials. Shotgun, Bible and bag of snacks (chocolate).

You need to click on this photo & make it bigger - it's some kind of cute!

The beaver.

I have spent two afternoons in the woods since shotgun season opened Saturday. Joe kindly volunteered his wonderful babysitting skills so I could go enjoy some one-on-one with nature. My, what fun this hunting business is! If I actually do kill a deer I'm sure I'll be a hopeless addict. =) Although, my "cravings" for the woods stop short when the wind chill gets a bit, um, chilly. My first day out was a true delight. Along with the 70 degree weather, I enjoyed much wildlife that included 7 deer, 4 raccoons (mom and 3 young ones - awww, so cute!!) and many neat things in the sky - such as a partial rainbow, a Bald Eagle, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Crane that sounded like a duck with a bad cold, and some very amusing woodpeckers of several different varieties. The second day I went out, I took my camera in hopes of seeing my little raccoon buddies again. As you can see from the photo, they still live in that nifty tree-house! Such cute little rascals, and it was fun to watch their "mom" tell them to stay in the tree (which they obediently did, only poking a head or some little feet out occasionally) while she went around digging in the mud and washing her face - right under my tree stand. I also saw 2 deer on that second day (no bucks.. which was fortunate for them!) some squirrels, and tons of little birds that made a terrible racket behind me all day long, including a little Tufted Titmouse that perched on a limb about 4 feet above me and eyed my bag of goodies, chirping loudly as if he thought he could scare me away from the food stash long enough for him to grab a bite. (I had dark chocolate in there, so it wasn't going to happen!!) Two beavers also came out at dusk and crunched away at limbs as they swam through the water. All I saw (besides a cute little animal) was a lush fur cape draped around my neck... Those little critters are tops on my most wanted list, and if you ever see me curled up in luxurious beaver fur, you'll know where I got it. Hopefully I can figure out a way to clean all the swamp cooties off of it first. =)

Pig Roast Friday

2008-11-17T20:02:00.003-05:00

Melvin posing with Wilber before he turned to BBQ!

The chefs - they started the pig at 6am and cooked him for about 12 hours!

Wilber looks much tastier now! mmmm!!! Swimming in BBQ sauce.

Part of the church people (and other friends) that gathered - here we played "rythym".

We had a great pig roast of Friday (sponsored by our very own Grace Bible Church) in spite of the occasional rain. Some people got here early so we could let them have horsie rides on E-Z and I gave some super-fun cart rides, courtesy of Jake. There was more food than could fit in our little barn's apartment kitchen, along with a 160lb. (dressed weight) pig to eat too! (We even had enough pork leftover to have BBQ sandwiches on Sunday for the church's meal.) We had a small bonfire that we roasted marshmallows & Smores on, sang songs along with the guitar that Kris brought & then we played a couple group games. It was such a good time! Can't wait to do it again. I'm sure all the pigs out there are trembling at the thought! Run, Wilber, RUUUN!

Family Time

2008-11-11T13:10:00.003-05:00

Awww... we're all growed up!

Watch closely as the mighty male lion prepares to devour it's young in a single gulp!

Happy times with Nanna and PaPa

Our threesome.

Happy Fall, Ya'll

2008-11-02T17:52:00.002-05:00

Somebody stole my horse!! Oh, what am I gonna do??

I know! I'll just rope me another 'un!

The Buckaroo Baby

Yeehaw! This is the most well behaved horse I've ever ridden!

Nifty Nifty... mom is __!!!

2008-11-02T17:31:00.003-05:00

Can you guess how old she is?? You certainly can't go by looks - many times people have thought she was my sister. You have to decode my easy-peasy riddle from the name of this post. =) Since I've given away her age, I guess I better give mine away too. I turned 27 on my mom's birthday - October 29th. Now, wasn't I just the mostest specialest birthday present anyone could possible think of? She's the only person I know that can give kids out as a birthday gifts. =) She gave Dad one first, then 15 months later she got one too! (And for the last 28 years, Dad and Mom have been giving gifts to Eric and I on THEIR birthdays. I know that doesn't really seem fair, but Eric and I never really complained about it much, and neither did they.) I was thrilled to get to spend our birthday in NC with them this year, and we ate lots of good food, had a day of some great shopping, and just enjoyed being together. I was spoiled rotten, as usual, and got some cool birthday gifts, including one that Joe designed/made himself - pics of that to come later. (It's not quite finished!)

Cutie in Carhartt's

2008-10-25T08:24:00.003-04:00

Our little man is 19 months old & advancing every day - if not in stature (though he grows by leaps and bounds!) then in vocabulary. He's now trying to repeat words that we say, and getting quite close (if not right on) a lot of the time. If it's a word he's not sure how to say then he'll bob his head while "mouthing" it silently. He still has his own special language too though, and I'm sure only another 1 1/2 yr. old would be able to translate his utterings! Sometimes I'm thankful that I can't understand him - especially when he's teething... like right now!

Today's poll - what do you think of this chair?

2008-10-20T22:00:00.001-04:00

After finding this chair in a bunch of junk I won at an auction, the question now is... to keep, or not to keep. Bear in mind that it's not structurally sound, and the weave is broken in places. Your HONEST and candid opinion is wanted here. =) I could tell you in advance what Joe voted, but I'll save some fun for later! Thanks for taking my poll!!

A: I love the chair, even if it isn't sound.
B: I don't think it's my style, but it is kind of cool.
C: Without the decorations, it would just be a junky old chair to me.
D: A broken chair? What's cool about that? Not cool. Ugly, even.

Fall is my favorite!

2008-10-20T12:20:00.009-04:00

On my pub table in the breakfast nook.

On the island.

On my counter beside the sink.

I just love this time of year! I know for some people - I won't name any names, since I have to live with him ;) - fall means not much more than a few pretty leaves and the dreaded winter that looms in the near future. Instead of exclamations such as "Wow, isn't this season amazing! Look at those trees, and that incredible blue sky!" the sentiments are more like, "Man, it's freezing out here! I can see my breath!! I hate winter! Aaagghhh! Here it comes!!" But for me... well, like I said, it's my favorite. I love everything about it, from the pumpkins to the roasted marshmallows. It's refreshing and invigorating at the same time. Ahhh... breathe deeply from the crisp autumn air, and enjoy!

Old McDonald had a farm... but I bet he didn't make hay like this!

2008-10-14T09:20:00.003-04:00

First we raked... and raked...

Then we loaded it in the tractor bucket...

Then dumped it into our hay "manger"!

The first person who ever said "make hay while the sun is shining" actually had a pretty good idea! We mowed the pastures recently and there was so much grass lying on the ground, looking all sad and lonely, that we decided to try making our own hay "while the sun was shining" - the old fashioned way! We bought an extra yard rake, and went to work yesterday. It took us all afternoon/evening, but it was well worth our effort in the end, and we didn't even get to all of it! We stored 20 tractor buckets full, which is about a month's supply for our 3 hay-burners. (At the outrageous price of hay in this area, we got blessed just at the thought!) All it cost us was a bit of diesel fuel, a $10 rake, some blisters on our hands and a lot of energy. Yet, while it may not sound like your idea of a good time, I actually thought it was a ton of fun, and though it made me feel exhausted at the end of the day, it was also somehow totally relaxing just to be outside in the beautiful weather, burning off energy and smelling that wonderful hay. Although, today I feel like I need a serious back rub, and wouldn't you know it... Joe is gone again for another couple of days! Maybe I should go out and rake a little more to see if that soreness eases up. I told Joe we could even make our own "down on the farm" exercise video's - guaranteed to get you looking great in no time! Farmer's tan and all. =)

Fun All Day - At the VA State Fair!

2008-10-07T08:44:00.006-04:00

Joe on the mechanical bull - how cool! Yeehaw, cowboy!

Here's Pastor Melvin, going for 8! (Or anything!)

Magnus got a lot of attention in his cowboy attire.

Hey Dad! Those horses are just my size!

Giving our tired legs a rest before the rodeo.

Posing with a longhorn - don't we look authentic? Haha!

The Happy Family Fair People

Magnus checkin out the "chicks".

Our yearly trek to the VA State Fair in Richmond is one my absolute favorite days of the year! I literally came home with a sore face from smiling too much in one day... how is that even possible? I'll definitely need a double dose of Oil of Olay to smooth out all those extra laugh lines that emerged! Melvin and Tamela joined us for our day of animal shows, pig races and fun, although Melvin had to miss part of the festivities due to his obligation to coach football at the local public school. Tamela stayed with us though, and we walked around until our legs were sore, wondering how many "points" we'd burned off and could re-claim with more fair food. =) The guys complained of soreness for several days after their bull-riding experience (they rode twice), but they were really putting their all into it so I guess they had a pretty good excuse. We never ride the fair rides, although we did let Magnus ride a kids' car ride and the carousel. That kid had so much fun all day that he never fussed once, even when he got tired and needed his nap. I just put him in his stroller at that point with his blankie and he faded off into sweet fair-dreams and slept for a couple hours while we walked around some more. He was a perfect angel all day long... quite unlike him, actually! Too bad the fair only comes around once a year!

The Dude

2008-09-25T11:13:00.003-04:00

Okay, so is this kid cool or what? Joe won this super-bad chopper in a drawing before Magnus was even born, and I've been dying to pull it out and assemble it ever since. I figured a 1 1/2 year old should be able to learn to ride, so we finally dug out the bike and he's actually doing pretty well! He's definitely figured out how to twist the handle to go and stop, and I think the whole turning/steering thing is nearly within his grasp also. Clear the sidewalks! Vroom! Rappity Rap Rap Rap... VROOOOOOM!!

My Handy-Dandy Little Helper

2008-09-21T23:35:00.004-04:00

Trash Compactor

Trash Hauler

I pulled the kitchen trash out of the can the other day, and set it on the floor only to find Magnus ready to help! It weighed about 1/3 as much as he does, but he picked it up anyway and was hauling it around the house in perfect macho fashion. =) Taking out the trash isn't designated to any certain person in our household - it's just not something that's a big deal. If it needs done, he or she (or should I say, him or me!) takes it out. Somehow both of my men are more than happy to take out the kitchen trash for me, but when it comes to the diaper pail, I usually look around and realize that I'm on my own. Coincidence? I think not. Joe has this really cool ability to hold his breath for a long time though, and I'm quickly - but not quickly enough - learning to do the same! Maybe I should just learn to empty the diaper pail in 10 seconds so I don't pass out from lack of oxygen! I usually run out of breath right at the most crucial time in pail-emptying, and I have to gasp a big gulp of air just at the WRONG moment. Just thinking about it makes me want to camp out in the Yankee Candle Co.

Riding with friends - what fun!

2008-09-14T15:25:00.005-04:00

Tamela on E-Z and me on wild-child Xena.

Pastor Melvin taking his 2 1/2 y.o. niece Elaina (from Chicago) for a little ride on E-Z.

Well folks, I am happy to announce that God has answered my prayers and sent us some wonderful new friends - all the way from Idaho! They are the Assoc. Pastors at our church in Richmond that is a new church plant. We've only known them for about a month, but we've become great friends already and I can tell we're going to have loads of fun together. Hopefully they're ready for likes of us, because we've gone without close (nearby) friends for so long that we have to make up for several years of lost friend-time! Suddenly VA feels more like home, even though we still believe most eastern VA natives to be just friendly-looking snobs. (Please excuse my frankness, but it's totally true. We've lived here for 7 years and have come to know what the people are really like.) As you can imagine, we're thrilled beyond measure to have such wonderful friends in Melvin and Tamela Adams. As a bonus, they love horses and have been coming over to ride with us some, and graciously put up with our stubborn old equines. Anyway, I know I'm posting lots of horse pictures these days, but I'll try to get on a different subject soon. As a side note, we haven't been able to ride Jake lately since he's been quite lame the last 3 days. We think he sprained his back leg and it's got swelling from his ankle clear up to his hock area. I hope he gets better soon! He can hardly put any weight on it at all and limps around pitifully. Would anyone kindly come volunteer to kiss his owwy-boo boo?

And they're off!

2008-09-14T15:25:00.003-04:00

My faithful horse whisperer has been at it again! Joe's been getting up every possible morning at dawn to ride his project pony Xena. He has accomplished another goal in her training by teaching her that she can (and WILL) canter with a rider when commanded to do so. They can now be seen cantering across the field (see proof above - please forgive lousy photo quality) at a nice steady lope. It's a great way for Joe to take advantage of Xena's need to drop a few pounds, and he's helping her diet plan along beautifully. I believe, technically, that Xena could now be called "green broke" since she walks, trots and canters under saddle. I'm not sure if the occasional bucking/rearing episodes fit into the "broke" part very well, but at least they're getting fewer and farther between... I think. Oh well - you gotta' get your "yeehaw's" somehow!

Maymont Park

2008-09-08T11:06:00.003-04:00

We took my niece Erika to Maymont Park while she was here. It's a wonderful park in Richmond with wildlife habitats (for rehabbed animals) a little museum-type building with otters, owls, fish, etc. and several hundred acres of rolling hills and gigantic trees. The original "mansion" and barns are still on the property and can be toured. The gardens are beautiful, and the petting zoo is always a hit. My favorite thing is the black bears - they are so fun to watch. The one in the picture above kept digging around under the water until he found a stick to play with. He was so cute, I'm just sure he should belong in the petting zoo and not in that fenced in habitat. I would've petted him - wouldn't you?

Tea Party

2008-09-08T10:23:00.004-04:00

While Erika was here over Labor Day weekend, she and Magnus had a lovely little tea party. Erika and I set it up (she even helped me wash the dishes) and then Magnus promptly found a seat and waited to be served. Erika was quite generous with the goldfish, and it was funny to see how she and Magnus each took tea. The first photo shows that they do things a bit differently. Magnus piled his goldfish into the cups that Erika had filled FULL of water (those little soggy fish swelled up to impressive sizes!) while Erika proceeded to pour her "tea" onto her plate. I guess their etiquette needs a bit of work.

The Flowers

2008-09-04T11:54:00.003-04:00

I've been telling mom for a while now that I would post pictures of my flowers. They are finally here! The hummingbirds have enjoyed these flowers almost as much as we have.

Father and Son

2008-08-25T13:25:00.005-04:00

After I looked at these pictures of Joe and Magnus for a while, I started thinking about their wonderful Father/Son relationship, and how it relates to being a child of our Heavenly Father. How dependent we are, how we need protection and someone to take our hand and help us walk through this troubled world, and how we can have such meaningful and wonderful conversations with the one we trust and adore most. Man; created in God's image - the apple of His eye. How amazingly wonderful it is to be accepted as a child of the Great Creator and King of the universe! Loved beyond measure; held closely to His heart. Hand in hand we walk and talk... If you've never let God be your Father, I suggest that you let Him take your hand! You'll never want to let go.

Sprinklers are fun! Well, most of the time...

2008-08-20T17:02:00.003-04:00

Joe made Magnus his very own little sprinkler to help him beat the heat this summer. He loves it! It did squirt his eyes pretty good a couple times though, and I was glad to have caught that reaction on camera!

Family Vacation

2008-08-19T11:59:00.004-04:00

At IRCHA - helicopters EVERYWHERE!

Steve & Sheryl Clemens - aka PaPa & Nana by the grandkids.

Magnus - 1 1/2 & Reagan - 2 1/2

We just got back from our little vacation yesterday morning at 8:30am. (After driving all night!) We made the 11 hr. drive - to and from Muncie, IN - during the wee hours for Magnus' sake. We did end up taking quite a few naps on our vacation because of it though! (Maybe sleeping isn't your idea of a vacation, but I happen to be rather fond of it myself, so it didn't rain on my parade at all.) Our reason for choosing Muncie for our vacation was two-fold. One reason was that IRCHA was being held at the AMA headquarters there. IRCHA is the biggest annual R/C helicopter event in the country (world?). There were around 800 pilots (Joe included) that registered for it, and many more spectators. We enjoyed watching the world's best R/C heli pilots do their thing - it was quite impressive! Joe spent much more time at the event than Magnus and I though, since Magnus would have to get his daily nap-time in, and then just wanted to play with all the toys at Steve and Sheryl's. Which brings me to our second reason for choosing Muncie. The Clemens' have always been good friends of ours (they've known Joe forever) and we've been wanting to visit them for a while. They also have 3 children around my age (the 2 boys live nearby - see blogs "Shawn & Melanie" and "Scott and Kristina") who each have 3 children of their own - all aged 4 and under. So, Magnus got to play with 6 of the grandchildren after church on Sunday, and we got to visit with some of our favorite people. They treated us like family, and we had such a great time visiting. We kept Scott and Kristina's little boy Reagan (2 1/2 years old, but just Magnus' size!) one day/night, so that was extra fun for Magnus. They had so much fun - Magnus followed Reagan everywhere, and Reagan followed me everywhere. Then Saturday we ate supper with Shawn and Melanie (and kids) and they joined us later on for the helicopter night-flying at IRCHA, where they put neon lights all over the heli's and fly them after dark - very cool! Plus the kids were all given glow-sticks which made it fun for them. Shawn and Melanie have 2 Mastiffs, and though I didn't get a picture of their big male named Xander, you can imagine what he looks like if you close your eyes and picture a dark brindle colored dog that weighs over 180 lbs and has a head the size of a pumpkin, paws the size of my fists... and a neck girth of over 30"! He was so sweet, and I fell pretty much head over heels. We told them to put us on their waiting list when it comes time to have puppies! (Probably next year sometime.) Anyway, we had such a wonderful time with everybody that when it came time to leave, we couldn't believe that we'd been there 5 days already! All we could say was, "Man, I wish we lived closer!" We will miss them - until next time!

Silly Boy!

2008-08-09T16:00:00.002-04:00

Magnus was "smelling" my silk flowers, then made this face. This guy is a hoot!

7 Happy Years

2008-08-04T09:37:00.005-04:00

Joe and I celebrated our 7th wedding Anniversary yesterday! Now, I'm sure you're expecting me to write a bunch of mushy-gushy sentiments at this point... and since I have such a servants heart, I wouldn't want to disappoint you! =) We have had the best years of our lives these past 7 years, and it gets sweeter and better every day. We can't even look back on the years and remember one real fight between us. Our household is one of no bickering, no bad attitudes (unless you count Magnus on a teething day!) and no harsh words. We are so very happy, and no, you can't move in with us. As a bonus, last night as Joe and I were walking hand-in-hand to the barn (after Magnus was in bed) to let the horses out to pasture, we talked of our happy life and gazed at the stars. All the sudden Joe said, "Look at that!!" As we watched, this amazing shooting star went across the sky like a brilliant firework. It was unlike any we'd ever seen, and we stared after it long after it had gone. It was a definite blazing white ball, with a perfect tail that was first blue, then red at the last half. It appeared to leave it's colorful tail behind it at one point which looked as if it sparked out, then it disappeared also. We were completely awestruck, and will never forget it. I thanked God for such a lovely "heavenly" anniversary gift!

Richmond Mommies Playdate

2008-08-02T12:05:00.003-04:00

Look at all the kids! Watch out for that boy on the far left - he has a water gun & no scruples!

Drinking deeply...ahhhh! This sprinkler was Mag's favorite.

Waving at mommy across the lawn. Look out for the crazy blonde driver in your rear-view, Magnus - she's not looking where she's going!!

Magnus attended his first play-date yesterday afternoon. To say he had a "blast" would probably be an understatement! I'm part of an online forum group of ladies called "Richmond Mommies", and they hold play-dates quite often. We live farther out than 99.9% of the other mom's though, so this was our first time getting together with them. It was held at one of the "R.M." moms' house, and she had every backyard toy, playhouse and kiddie sprinkler imaginable! Magnus loved the water toys, and even let them spray his face. (So why do I have so much trouble just getting his hair washed in the tub??) A couple of the bigger boys were a menace though, so I had to watch Magnus carefully. They had squirt guns, of all things, and even squirted some moms and small babies in spite of their mothers' harmless "threats", counts to 3, and 30 second "time-outs". (Note to self: these disciplinary measures produce no effectual results.) We were served some anti-salubrious hotdogs afterwards, along with snacks, cupcakes, chips and cookies! Magnus and I will have to go on a vinegar & water diet after all that junk to purge our poor systems!

Baby's First Haircut

2008-07-30T21:04:00.003-04:00

Careful, Dad! Watch out for the ears!!!

This kinda tickles! Are you sure you've done this before?

All done... and the ears are still intact!

Well, I have to confess and clarify... This wasn't his first. FIRST haircut. I have trimmed his hair with scissors since he was teeny tiny, since I hated the way it got on his ears and poofed out from his head. (No son of mine is gonna look sissified!) Although, even with his little trims, his hair was getting completely unmanageable in this raging VA humidity, so I knew it was "time". It would flip out and curl straight up on both sides of his head, as if he were a full-curl Ram! Or a Great-horned Owl. (Lori will know from whom he inherited that trait, but I'm not saying any more about that, and I know the secret is safe with her.) Joe got the clippers out and insisted he didn't need any assistance, muttering something about "years of experience"... I was a TEENSY bit skeptical though, since his idea of a haircut is buzzing his own head with a #2 attachment (it's perfect on him - and it's free!) and I was afraid he wouldn't get Magnus' straight, he'd mess up the top, blah blah blah... (Aren't wives annoying?) All my *teensy* bit of worrying was in vain (again) though, and he got Magnus looking just the way I'd hoped. You rock, Barber-Dad! Do mine too?? Just kidding. It would be great though. Sometimes I get kinda' tired of dealing with all this "glory". =)

17 Months

2008-07-30T20:16:00.002-04:00

Here's a sleepy good-morning smile from our 17 month old little man. =)

Horsin' Around

2008-07-27T15:10:00.004-04:00

~Joe and E-Z~

~Xena being worked in the round pen~

~Magnus' First Buggy Ride~

~Helping Daddy Drive Jake~

Joe has been getting up early every morning (before Magnus wakes up) and playing with the horses. I have rolled out of bed several mornings to join him in the fun, but I haven't made it EVERY morning like he has! Somehow I just don't have that manly sort of stamina. Jake has not been limping much lately, so we pulled him out of retirement for some light riding/driving. I rode him one morning while Joe rode E-Z (his usual mount). Joe's also been helping with Xena's training, and has worked with her in the round pen several days this week. We've been making great strides with her in the past week, and it's exciting to now officially have another riding horse! I can thank my very own horse whisperer (Joe) for that though, as he is more assertive in his training and helped get her over the "hump" with some things that I was hung up on. Grant it, you wouldn't want to stick your grandma on her just yet, but she's doing great and we're very excited about knowing that we're training her all by our wittle selves!

Wonder Horse is Back!

2008-07-22T14:53:00.003-04:00

This thing is HOW old?!

Yeehaw! This is fun!

People who know me well enough already know that I'm terribly sentimental, and have lots of toys and "treasures" from my childhood. (Although, I have to thank my parents for not throwing out some of it before I reached the age of sentimentality.) Well, you people can laugh all you want when you go upstairs and see my stack of boxes, but it's a good thing I hang onto some of that old stuff. Just check out Magnus here enjoying Wonder Horse! This is the same horsie that my brother and I used to ride as little tots. Dad said we used to ride it so hard that it would "walk" across the floor. Magnus is really enjoying some "yeehaw" on that old thing now too!

Summer foods are just more fun.

2008-07-18T08:38:00.004-04:00

This bear thinks they're berry good.

Blackberry Dumplings (I think the bear got too full - just like I did!)

I never before have "appreciated" all the thorns that are growing across our property here in Virginia. I thought all that junk (including the endless poison ivy) growing was just useless waste leftover from the once-timbered land... until I noticed the Blackberries! So, we set out to get a few for some yummy desserts, and were surprised at how many we found. We just picked along the edge of the woods, but there were many, many more that nobody volunteered to dive in after. It was painful enough to get the ones that we could reach - but it was worth it! We got about 2 quarts and used half of it to try a new recipe of Blackberry Dumplings, and I plan to make a cobbler with the other half. This is what "living off the land" is all about!

Comparing Notes

2008-07-14T09:35:00.003-04:00

Joe's Baby Pic

Magnus - 16 Months (Now)

Me - 1 year old

Me and my brother Eric - the motorcycle gangsters!

In the beginning, I thought Magnus looked just like Joe, but now I'm wondering if there might be some traces of me showing up too. What do you think?

Fashion Designer, Rock Star

2008-07-12T09:00:00.003-04:00

Check out the latest fashions from designer Magnus Cole. Stay tuned - he's always coming up with a fresh new look.

My little rock star! Holding up his rock...

In case you need a laugh today....

2008-07-04T12:27:00.003-04:00

Oh no! Now what do I do??

This kid is always doing something that makes us laugh. He loves clowning around in mommy and daddy's shoes. It's funny to see him clomping through in my sandals or getting stuck in my flip flops - his foot slides all the way through, and he ends up wearing it up on his leg and wondering how to get it off!

Tall Drinks

2008-07-03T14:43:00.004-04:00

Hey, cool! I can reach the doorbell now!

Hovering the "foamie" airplane. Only pilots with mad skills can do this! =)

Our little man is now 16 months old! He is 35" tall already, and shows no signs of slowing down until he's as tall as his daddy. He's not gaining weight quite as quickly now that he's learned how to walk (and nearly run!), but he's still off the charts all the way around and weighs over 31 lbs. Don't my guys just look so handsome together? =) And they're really cool dudes, too!

More Wilmington Pics

2008-07-01T23:14:00.000-04:00

Watching Sesame Street in the hotel room. What fun!

Eating a waffle cone from Kilwin's.

Stopping on the river boardwalk to smell the flowers.

Helping Daddy prepare for takeoff.

New Experiences

2008-06-24T23:18:00.008-04:00

Today was a day of "firsts" for Magnus. We were able to come on a trip with Joe (I guess you could say we went to work with him for a few days!) to Wilmington, NC, and though the pictures pretty much tell the story, I'll fill in a few more details. Magnus' first trip to the beach pretty much just scared him to death. The roar of the waves, the water that chased us around and tried to eat our feet, and the sun-bathers. Yes, very scary indeed. So, we brought him back to the hotel room and introduced him to the pool instead. He thought that was pretty awful at first too, but there were some other little children there that made it look soooo fun that he started splashing around and soon was enjoying himself completely. This evening we chowed on some great food followed by a heavenly waffle cone, but the highlight of Magnus' day was *brace yourself* his trip to Wal-Mart. It was the first time he's been able to "run the aisles", and the toy section was especially enjoyed. I have to admit, it was a much nicer Wal-Mart than what Richmond could hope to offer, but still... I'll take the sun and sand any day!

Hubby's Heli

2008-06-23T12:09:00.003-04:00

Here's the belated video that I kept waiting on for that "Scorcher Weekend" post. They finally posted it on the internet, so I'm including it now for your viewing pleasure. Joe laments the fact that he was flying his Raptor 90 that wasn't broke in/tuned in yet, so it wasn't keeping up with his performance needs like his other ones (that were in desperate need of repair) would have. I still think he did an awesome job though... how about you?? The guy that you hear talking in the background evidently didn't know Joe's name, because he kept referring to him as "cowboy". =)

Munchin' Munchkin

2008-06-22T16:12:00.005-04:00

Joe and I were enjoying some corn on the cob one day recently, and I decided to leave a couple "rows" on my ear for Magnus to try. We obviously didn't leave the poor, neglected child enough though, because he chomped it down in no time and wanted more! Oops! Sorry Magnus... guess you have to be quick around your food-crazy mommy.

Promise in the Sky

2008-06-19T18:33:00.002-04:00

A little storm shower just passed over and it left behind this beautiful rainbow. I ran out on the front porch and took this picture, which only shows half of it, unfortunately for you. I really don't see how people can have enough faith to believe in a "big bang" creation theory and evolution. It's quite obvious to me that I serve a wonderfully creative and powerful God. He amazes me daily.

Scorching Weekend Outing

2008-06-17T17:04:00.000-04:00

Helping Daddy

Mommy's Hearthrob

Here are some belated pictures from our trip (2 hrs away) to Maryland 2 weekends ago. We left that Friday morning for a helicopter fun-fly event. It was rather miserable weather at 100 degrees with high humidity. Being in the shade was very little relief, and even the occasional breeze was hot. Magnus and I sat in the Excursion every so often to cool down in the A/C. Joe just kept flying and tweaking his heli's as if weather was of no consideration. (How do guys do that??) We stayed all day Friday and Saturday, and you can see by the hotel picture up there that Magnus was a huge help (that's a screwdriver in his hand) with fixing Joe's heli. He also enjoyed pulling out all the Kleenex's in the bathroom - you know how they have the box mounted under the cabinet - and when I told him "no-no", he did something really funny. He stopped, thought about it for a second, then watched my face while he carefully pulled another one out, slowly lifted it to his face and blew his nose in it. (He's very good at blowing his nose, by the way.) He tossed it onto the growing Kleenex mountain at his feet, then repeated the sequence. Pull, look at mommy, blow nose, drop. I realized, once again, that I don't give my "wittle baby" nearly enough credit... the kid is too smart!

Anyway, sorry this post is late in coming - I was waiting around for a video of Joe's flying to be posted on the internet, and it looks like they're not going to upload it. The video I took with our camera would be too big to include on here, and it didn't turn out anyway since I got "sidetracked" running after Magnus and was wildly taping footage of sky, ground and everything in between. =) On the bright side, that heat wave we had all that week has settled down to gorgeous and perfectly acceptable 80 degree weather now. We are loving it! Joe is at the R/C field flying his heli's right at this moment... I think we shall go join him.