31 of 52

What an incredible and busy time it's been. As soon as the boxes were unpacked in our new house we packed up the suitcases and headed to Disneyland. Phew, it's all been so exciting and tiring at the same time. After Disney, Lineman and my mom flew back home to Montana while I stayed a bit longer so the boys could see Papa and Grandma. The boys had an absolute blast at the beach. Little Man is FEARLESS. I was exhausted from keeping him under control at the beach. And the emotional toll of worrying about the older boys. I don't know how parents get through a day at the beach. The entire time I was worried about the rip tides pulling the boys out. We did have a ton of fun and it was worth it!

Disneyland was wonderfully fun and I'll have pictures as soon as I get home. For now I'm with my mom through the weekend and then we'll head back home. Then I'll take a long nap and try to recover!

My sincerest apologies about the Mr. Linky the last two weeks. I contacted them before my trip and they said it would be fixed. Oops, guess not. Sooooo, I'm giving Mck Linky a try, I'm crossing my fingers.

********************52 Weeks********************

52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

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30 of 52

After a long day of unpacking boxes we figured it was time for a bit of play. My mom was here helping (thankyou,thankyou, thankyou mom) and so we all headed down to the beach which is less than 2 miles away. We were out there just relaxing and enjoying ourselves when my mom attempted to push me into the water. I showed considerable restraint and did NOT throw her in. Next time she won't be so lucky. No matter how many boxes she unpacks!

After unpacking we packed the suitcases and headed for Disneyland, a trip that's been planned for a very long time. So I unfortunately still won't be making the rounds, sorry about that. Also, not sure what is going on with the ol' Linky I've put in a help ticket with them but hopefully they can just get it working without me as I won't be near a computer. Here I am crossing my fingers. Otherwise leave your link in the comments section. Thanks and I appologize if it's not up and running.

********************52 Weeks********************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!
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At last

It has been a lot (and I mean a lot) of work but we are finally moved into our new home.  I am so happy to say it was worth the wait.  I have a peace (and a piece) about me that’s been missing over the past several months.  I feel refreshed, even though there are boxes to unpacked.  I feel refreshed, even though I have hiked flights and flights of stairs.  I feel refreshed, even though we’re going to bed late and waking early.  I feel refreshed, even though nearly every muscle is still aching.  I feel refreshed.

After a day full of unpacking we headed to a beach that is very (and I mean very) close to us.  What a perfect way to unwind a bit.  Walking on the sand was like my own personal foot massage… ahhhhh.

This pretty much sums up how we are all feeling!!

Thanks for all of your well wishes.

I’m off to unpack more boxes.  Refreshed, that’s me.

29 of 52

We are smack dab in the middle of moving right now, the computer is unplugged and I’m probably pulling my hair out about now. For those of you that have been following me for awhile we moved in April from Wyoming back to Montana. It’s great to be close to family again (close being 3-5 hours away). Well, we couldn’t find a house to buy in this sparsely populated country immediately so we have been renting. We finally found a house and yeeee haaaa, we are moving in now! I have been so tired (thus the picture) and I’m hoping a bout of extreme energy has kicked in by now! Needless to say I won’t be making the rounds this week =( Hope you understand.

Next week I’ll have another 52 weeks post ready (if I get the computer hooked up in time) but again, I won’t be home. We are taking off for a planned vacation/reunion. I can’t wait to see you all again when I am up and running and settled in our new home =)

********************52 Weeks********************

Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

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Friday Photo Flashback ~ Vrroooom

I am in the middle of packing boxes for our move this week (we’ve been renting since we moved in April) and I have a dolly I’ve been using. I walked by it yesterday to hear my Little Man rolling the wheels on it and making vrooom, vroooom, vroooom noises.

Having three boys in the house is crazy at times. But I know God knew what He was doing to give me all boys. I didn’t have Barbies growing up, I had these…

Yup, I never doubted Him for a second!

28 of 52

My mom has a 8x10 picture in her office. I've looked at it for years. It's a picture of the two of us on our horses up in the mountains. On the corners of the picture she added the words: "Always my daugther, now too my friend". I love looking at that picture of us.

What a great picture to return the love. My mom and I have always been close and she is my closest girlfriend. We went golfing while I was visiting her. We had a blast of course! I'm lucky to have such a great mom and friend!

********************52 Weeks********************
Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!**************************************

The 4th and the Reunion

This last week was certainly a full one.  I went to my moms and then to a family reunion.  Sorry I didn’t make the rounds to all the blogs.  I tried on Thursday to make the rounds for 52 Weeks but it took me 20 minutes to go to 5 blogs and then it locked up on me.   I’m trying to convince my mom to get a new computer!

It was so great to go to our family reunion.  My boys have been waiting and waiting to see Lineman’s Uncle Randy… or Farmer as he is usually called!  The caught sight of him and wouldn’t leave him alone. 

 

We went to the 100th anniversary for Laurel.  They had a parade, vendors, a band, and of course fireworks.  The parade went on and on and on!  It was a long parade for such a small town!  Thankfully Grampa was there to hold Little Man for a bit.

And when Grampa wasn’t holding him, that’s when Farmer would take over.  I don’t know if I’ve said it on here before but my Little Man loves being with the boys. 

One of the floats came by with water guns and Farmer and Little Man got hit with water.  As you can see Little Man wasn’t too fond of that, what a chance to snuggle up!

Another float came by throwing out popsicles.  Tons and tons of popsicles.  Jackpot!

Grampa got some popsicles too.  Little Man got some beads and my oldest son got a new hat (yes, all thrown from floats).  Talk about a crazy and fun parade!

Unimaginable pain

We just heard some horrible, saddening, heart breaking news.

My mom worked for a ranch near here as their general manager. The family had three children and their middle son was the same age as our oldest boy so consequently they became fast friends. They played together, my son spent the night at their house, we taught him how to ride my sons motorcycle, basically the boys just had fun together. Of course my mom knows them all very well as she was at the ranch daily.

We found out on Wednesday that their middle son, Cole, was killed when he was drug by a horse. We don't know the details surrounding this yet. All I know is that my heart has just been breaking for this family. It is just unimaginable pain that I can't even begin to comprehend. I just think of him and look at my son who is the same age, into the same things, with two siblings. So many similarities and I just can't imagine it all.

My thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family during this incredibly difficult time.

Hug your loved ones tighter today.

The Chronicles of Buck ~ Part Four

If you want to catch up you can click on Part One, Part Two and Part Three

There were so many wonderful qualities to Buck, one thing that will stand out was his love of sticks and balls.  Pretty much at any given moment you would find him either with a stick in his mouth, a stick sitting right next to him, rolling a stick with his nose, chewing a stick down to nothing, or waiting for someone to throw a stick.

 

A 2X4 would work fine but I don’t think it was always his first choice.  This is a classic Buck picture here.  Sitting right outside the door with his stick just inside.  Hoping that someone would come along ready to play and the stick.

 

He would play, play, play with those sticks, wear himself out (only briefly), go lay down in the creek, lay the stick in the creek next to him, get up, grab the stick from the water and go lay down for a second, hoping someone would come and play with him. 

He never went very long without having someone throw him a stick.  He was a Bed & Breakfast Dog.  New people everyday!  It doesn’t get much better than that.  He could literally go for hours and hours chasing and playing and chewing sticks.

On the occasions that another dog (this was our dog, Clem) was around he would have to defend his sticks.  Honestly though, I don’t think he was amused one bit by this sort of play.  This was NOT his style.  All he wanted was to have his stick back and go on his merry way.  He was a lover, not a fighter I guess you could say. 

This right here is true, true Buck.  He would go out into the pasture or forest and come back with the best prizes!  He would bring sticks, and really we could say LOGS back to the yard to play with.  If there was no one to throw then he always made his own fun.  He would growl at the stick then run his nose just under it to scoot it along the ground.  It would move ahead a foot to 20 feet, then he would grab it with his teeth again, growl, bite it, and then start pushing it all over again.  It was the craziest thing to watch.

Buck always made us smile when he would show up with these sticks.  It never failed.  He would be bringing the stick from the pasture and wanting to take it near the house.  The problem he faced was fencing.  He would frequently get sticks that were longer than the span between fence posts.  That would mean the stick would be hitting both fence posts and he couldn’t get in.  He was so incredibly smart though.  One or two knocks on a post and he would ease one end in, turn slightly and he was through.

 Nothing would stop him when it came to sticks. 

Nothing.

…….. to be continued….

27 of 52

I am visiting my mom again and we made plans ahead of time to see the Billings Mustangs play baseball. Oh so much fun! They had a really good turnout, I'd say close to a sell out. Funny thing was my mom saw two people she knew and I saw a friend too, my sons baseball coach who also works with Lineman. I tell you it's a small world.

We had good seats right past third base and 3rd row up. We were so close to the pitchers warming up it was incredible.

We didn't take in the whole game but we saw as much as you can with a little toddler. It was great fun!

********************52 Weeks********************
Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!**************************************

The Graduate

I’ve been so busy that I forgot to post pictures of our niece who graduated high school at the beginning of June. I don’t know why but it just really hit me when she graduated. I guess it was hard to imagine being at this point already, and I’m only the aunt! It was so incredibly awesome to get over there to see her and her family. A truly wonderful girl and a fantastic visit! Congratulations Erin!