Horses, horses and more horses

It is Spring, and that means it is time to be out riding horses and getting them tuned up again.  This is Ranger that I'm on.  He's my favorite to ride if nobody else wants to.  Especially when we are out working with the cows.  He sees the cows and is ready move them.  Makes it fun that he doesn't shy off from them.

These 3 are the babies.  They are still too young to ride, but they are fun to watch.

The sun was setting the other night when I grabbed these pics.  This is the edge of the pasture that we have a few of the horses in for now, and on the other side is the field where they have planted new seed.  It was beautiful out.  I love how green everything is in the Spring.

And this here is my Ruby.  I thought she looked beautiful with the sun shining on her mane and tail.

  I snapped this picture of one of our family friends.  He is in the Army and was home on leave.  I thought it was a fun picture.  The editing that I used reminded me of the old western pictures. 

Baseball and dirt bikes

Our lives have been all about baseball for this whole month of May. Between Jesse and Emma they've had something going on everyday except for Sunday. I tried sneaking some pictures of Emma at one of her last games. She decided to be a little stinker and hide from the camera. Is it obvious?! :)

I was hoping to get some of Jesse playing ball, but just hadn't done it yet.  But now it looks like I might have to wait until next year to get any.  Jesse was out riding his dirt bike and had his first wreck.  He also had his first concussion.  :(  So we've been trying to make him take it easy and I'm not sure that he'll get to play anymore baseball for the rest of this season.  He only has a couple of games left and then tournament.  I need to get a hold of his doctor today to see what he thinks but from what I've been hearing, it sounds like they don't really want him doing much for about 10 days.

I'm so thankful that it wasn't any worse.  He was a little confused after the accident and wasn't sure what happened or how he got back to the house.  Emma kept looking at me and saying, "He's lost his mind.  Mom, he's lost his mind."  He already wants back on his dirt bike, and I'm trying to talk him into selling it and taking up a nice safe game of golf.  But this boy of mine is all boy and I think I'm going to lose this battle!  God please protect this boy of mine.

Spring Break Part 2

I think it was Saturday that the boys went out to hit some balls off of the driving range for a bit.

For some reason, I've never taken a 3 generation picture of them before, so I made them stand still for one before they could leave.  Someday they will be glad that they did. 

Jesse wasn't too impressed to be sitting for a picture. 

That night we went out to eat at one of the golf courses.  Here is a picture of Dan's parents.

Gracie and Jesse weren't as interested in getting their picture taken, so I guess we just got Emma in, as she snuck in the picture with us.  :)

Easter morning, I was setting the camera up to take our family picture and I had asked Dan to stand there so I had something to focus on and it worked out that both girls wondered into the couple of test shots that I took.  Score!  :)

This is our Easter picture.  It is NEVER perfect, but... it's a picture.  This was our 3rd and final attempt at getting a decent one.  Roger wasn't feeling good that morning so he didn't make it in the picture.  As for Jesse and Emma, I don't know what kind of family picture they had in mind.  Oh well.

Roger was feeling better just after the picture, (wonder if that was a coincident) hmm?!  ;)

Anyway, we went to their church for the morning service.  It was the first mega church that I've ever been to.  There were so many people that the parking lot was filled by the time we got there and they were directing people to park out in this grassy area.

When we got back from church, the kids found that there was a second egg hunt at the house.  Where better to search for eggs than in the swimming pool.  All the eggs sunk to the bottom and the kids had to dive for them.  They were so excited, I'm sure the neighbors heard their squeals and screams.

The kids swam almost non-stop the whole time we were down there.  But half way through our last day there, they did take a little break and hung out inside for a bit.

I think they were getting tired.

 

I took this picture of Emma the day after we got home.  She came home from school and was out.  I think we all feel this way.  :)

Spring Break

 The kids only got a 4 day weekend over Easter for spring break.  So we added on a couple days and headed down to Palm Springs, CA for a little getaway.  Dan's parents are down there for a few months during the winter so it's an awesome opportunity to go down to visit and soak up some sunshine.  On some of our previous trips down there we plan lots of little things to do.  But this time the only thing that we had on our agenda was to sit by the pool and relax.  Well that was my plan, I guess the kids didn't really plan to sit by the pool.  They fully intended to be in the pool swimming.  So it was a win win for everyone.  :)

 

  One afternoon, we did take the kids down the road to go miniature golfing.  It was a close game... Dan beat me by 4 strokes.  :(   

After we were done, we met Roger and Deane down in old town La Quinta for dinner.  I wish I would have remembered to take a picture.  It is so pretty and fun down there.  They've got the neatest little buildings and shopping area. 

This is the golf course that is right behind their house.  Isn't it gorgeous?!

 I think now I am ready for summer to arrive more than ever!  It's so hard putting my flip flops away and putting my boots back on.  I have a few more photos that I'll try and post soon.  There is just too many to put into one post.

  
 

Horses

Yesterday I caught Ruby and Tequila and we got them saddled up and rode around near the house.  Ruby is still pretty green, so I was a little nervous on how she would behave, but she actually did really good.  She seems to be where we left off from this fall.  

I don't think she enjoys getting her picture taken though, as she turned her head in this one.

Stuck her tongue out at me in this one.

And looks like she's so bored in this one that she might just nap.  ;)

Emma stopped over when we were finishing up, and I threw her up on Tequila and led her around the corral a couple of times.  That was enough for her and then we headed home to make dinner.

Baseball practice starts next week, so this weekend I need to get the house and car ready for us to be on the go.  Life is about to get busy again!  :)

Home

We have been home the last few days, as Dan, Jesse and Emma all came down with a stomach bug.  I've been playing nurse to everyone and hoping that Gracie and I don't get it.

They spent their day laying around the house and getting better.  As for me, it was too nice to be inside for long, so I headed out to work with Ruby.  All the horses are caked in dried mud from rolling around and laying in the mud.  So I figured I would catch Ruby and clean her off.

(Ruby is the one on the right.)

The sun was shining and it was warm enough outside that I didn't even have to wear my jacket.  After I was done cleaning her up I went and sat on the picnic table and took a picture of the pretty blue sky.  After a long cold winter, this sky is a beautiful sight.  :)

Fun times!

Lindy and I took our boys in to Missoula, to a birthday party for Zack.  We stayed at May's house and then went shopping the next day before picking the boys up.  

We had a lot of fun!  :)  I am so thankful for sisters!  I can't imagine my life without them.  They are my best friends and thankfully, they are stuck with me.  ;) 

The other day I went to tuck the kids into bed and I found Jesse and Emma laying on this inner tube that they had found out in the shed.  I laughed when I saw them.  I was also a little speechless that they actually would want to sleep like this.  

My goofy kids!