2019

Well, here we are in March...how does time fly so fast? We are wrapping up hockey season this week and figure skating...and jumping into calving soon. That's so crazy. The kids have had a fun and busy winter.  Clarence played on the Squirt hockey team and enjoyed having Matt as his coach. Clifford and Clancy enjoy Termite hockey practice and Clifford loved playing the few games he has had. He made lots of goals and was so proud of that. Tonight is his and Clancy's final game against me and the other moms of the Termites.  We always have lots of fun and enjoy skating against each other.  Clarence and Matt got to play each other last night, and they enjoyed that as well.

Adina finished figure skating this past weekend with her figure skating show. She loved it and was so cute skating with her group.  She also did her testing and was overjoyed to pass into the next level...Basic 5. And she gets to look forward to having Aunt Tori be her skating coach next year, which will be so fun for her!

 Betsy has loved her time as a rink rat this winter. She is very at home there and loves playing and running around during everyone's practices and games.  With snacks and friends at the rink, what more could she want?

We have made good use of our trips to town every day to stop in and say hi to Great-Grandma Muriel many nights a week...she loves having the kids pop in to say hi and always has a snack for them. Betsy found her stash of mini marshmallows and when she walks in the door, she heads straight for the spot Grandma keeps her marshmallows and needs to have that for her quick snack. It's fun having Grandma so close to the rink and be able to stop in and see her often.

So...onto calving. We had calf 1 in February. Yesterday, we had our 2nd.  I'm sure by next week, we'll have a bunch...hopefully they will wait to come until after the snow tomorrow. 

This weekend is the Old Timer's hockey tournament, so Matt will be skating in that with my dad, brother, and a bunch of others. On Saturday, though, we are all heading to Wannaska to a bull sale. Dan Anderson, a rancher who has sold bulls to us for many years, is having his final bull sale on Saturday. He has talked Clarence into being the auctioneer for it, so Clarence has been practicing his "auctioneer talk" for the past few weeks. He's watched youtube videos on it, printed off pages of tongue twisters to learn to control his tongue, and has been selling his toy bulls in the toy room to his brothers on a daily basis.  We will see how it all goes on Saturday. He's excited about it and it will be fun to watch him.

And today, March 13th, my dear old dad turns 60. If you think of it, call and wish him a  Happy Birthday! He's taking a break from work tonight to watch Nikki and I play hockey against the Termites, then we're going to the bowling alley for supper.

I've been subbing a lot now this winter, and it's fun to see my kids during the school day. Betsy and Clancy usually stay home and do chores with Matt, but sometimes, like today, they are off at Grandma Juli's to play for the day. Fun for all of them! They have also gotten to spend more time with Aunties Megan and Nikki, too, so they enjoy getting to play with cousins.

Well,.....I'd better go air out Matt's hockey equipment...he wore it last night and it's sure to be stinky. I'm so glad I don't have to do this skating thing too often...I really don't like skating, but I don't mind the game once we actually get on the ice. 

See ya!

Matt's Amazing Helpers

We've had a busy winter feeding our animals every day. Last year and other previous years I've gone out most days to help. This winter, I'm hanging out with Betsy and trying to keep up with the endless housework, so I haven't made much of an appearance in the tractors.  Matt's had to recruit some other helpers this year. They've all measured up to the job and are so willing to head out every afternoon after school to help Dad watch gates.

Betsy's learning in the house - how to write ear tags.

Cliff's got great coveralls for working outside!

We went out to visit one day before we sold the calves...Betsy loved "helping".

Gate watchers...

They're so cute!

We've also got new babies coming - about 70+ so far. We have had great calving weather, too.

1st calf born in 2018.

Hey guys!

 Steers ready to get loaded on the semi...

 When the kids go and lay on the fresh straw, the big calves will come right up to them to smell them...makes for really tame calves!

Matt and Willow.

 The calves are moving in...

 Cliff's helping take net wrap off (I think).

 Following Dad everywhere...

 His great helpers...Clancy's a great helper, too...he was sleeping this day, though.

Teamwork - Filling up feed buckets for the bulls. 

Here's Clancy - he loves helping Dad.

Betsy was exhausted after she helped outside.

She loves dressing up.

Going out to help Daddy again.

Six Months Old!

Miss Betsy Jeanette is six months old today. Wow.  Time sure flies, right?  Betsy is the best...she's squishy, smiley, happy, and such a hard worker.  She's really been into working in her office lately. She's happy to sit in there for quite a long time, which is helpful (for me).  She loves her siblings - and they love her.  The minute Adina walks into the house after school, she looks for Betsy. She carries her around for a long time and just plays with her.  Cliff and Clancy haven't gotten sick of her yet either. They play with her off and on throughout each and every day...kissing her, giving her toys, talking baby-talk to her, etc.  And Clarence...he loves her too, but has a lot of grown-up work on his mind. I had him watch her at the arena the other night in the warming area while I helped decorate for the skating show...I came in about an hour later and he's watching hockey...she's sitting in her carseat with a toy and crying because she's sick of sitting there. I told Clarence he's going to miss not getting to hold a baby next year and he just told me that he can hold a baby cousin if he wants to hold a baby next year.  Ok Clarence.   He's got baby calves and selling chicks on his mind. :)

Six Months Today!

  She was playing with the little boys one day and they decorated her. :)

She was learning how to write ear tags.

 Cliff sure loves baby Betsy!

Working in her office is one of her favorite things to do...she gets so much done!

Interview with the boys

I don't know if this video will work or not - it says that it's too large. Anyway, I interviewed the boys about the heifers they bought yesterday.  They are all so cute - they went with Matt to pick up some bulls that we'd bought. Matt thought he'd let Clarence and Clifford both buy one.  Clancy called me in the afternoon and told me he'd bought one too.  I guess when they're all so excited about buying a cow, we can hardly say no. It's a great investment for them and a great way for them to make some extra money as they grow up.

Here are a few cute pictures of Betsy...she's growing so fast. I got teary-eyed last night because I was thinking about how fast she's growing and how I'm so going to miss this baby stage.   A chubby little person to love and cuddle.  There's just something about a tiny little person that can't be explained.  She's such a happy smiley little baby and is so loved by everyone.

Boy do we all love Betsy. Did you notice her jammies? There's little holsteins all over them. She loves them because she loves cows. :)

Have a great day!

Betsy loves to visit!

Little Betsy is growing like a weed. She's such a fun baby.  The kids are obsessed...every time they walk by her, they say hi, kiss her, touch her, get right in her face, etc. The novelty of a new baby has definitely not worn off yet.  She knows she's loved, though, and that's important. 

It's crazy that it's been over a year since I've written....life has been so busy. I was pregnant all last year and oh-so-tired from it - then Betsy was born in September and life kept happening. But I was reminded a few weeks ago how much I appreciate this blog to remember stories of the kids, so I wanted to get back at it. 

Yesterday the 2 little boys went out to play...I was busy trying to make a photo book and lost track of time. An hour and a half later, I hadn't heard a word or seen them anywhere outside, so I thought I'd better go check. I went out and heard their voices coming from the barn and I thought, "Oh good, they're just playing with the chickens or working out there...". Haha...nope. I got closer and see little red snowpants peeking out under calf legs. Clancy and Clifford were out in the big calf pen (with calves born last spring) and they told me they were rounding the calves up.  Luckily they were just walking through so the calves weren't too riled and lucky for us that we're out with the calves often so they're not too spooked from some kids walking through them.  We had to walk back through the big pen of calves because they had left one of their tonka trucks by the bale ring.  We got that and walked out of the pen.  I said to Clancy, "You can NEVER go in any cow pens unless you have a big person with you.  NEVER! It's so dangerous."  His reply was, "I wasn't in a cow pen, Mom...I was in the calf pen."  :) 


The boys all went with Matt last night to Roseau. We are having 2 animals butchered today there, Matt is doing some mudding in his parents' attic and wanted to finish that up, then today they are going to pick up 2 bulls we bought last week and maybe getting a few heifers for the boys.  The boys are missing school, but they love the cows and farm so much that we allow a skip day here and there so they can participate.  It's also Matt's mom's birthday today, so it's special that they can spend some time with her on her birthday.  Happy Birthday, Carmen!

Hopefully I can keep up with writing little stories now and again and sharing pictures of my sweet kids!