Snowmobiles

I was cleaning the back and front entries one day and realized we have a problem. I counted up the snowmobile helmets and we have 9.  Nine. And 1 snowmobile here. :)  Fun. It's nice storing things like helmets when we don't have enough machines for people to run and wear the helmets.  So I told Matt we need to either get rid of the helmets or find some snowcats for the kids.   He thought finding snowcats was a better idea, so we did.  We found a few new (to us) ones that everyone's having fun driving around the yard and fields.  The kids just beg to go for rides - like they do with ranger rides in the summer.  Now Matt's used them to check cows in the big herd at night, too, because it's kind of a long walk out there and back (and who knows, maybe he's not so scared out there with a big fast snowcat. :) )  

Cute little Cliff...

 They were getting ready to go with Matt for a ride...so cute to try and watch them get on by themselves.

 Clarence loves to drive this cute little one...it's perfect kid-size!

 The boys were waiting for Matt to take them for a ride one day and I looked out and they were pretending to drive.  Adorable!

 This one's Uncle Mark's...

 Hi boys!

Off they go - I thought Clancy was with, too, but I don't see him... hmmm. I'm not sure.

Snowcats have been a great addition this winter - they make the snow seem a little more fun.

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!

It's In Their Blood

Yep, it's in their blood...
What, you might ask?

Ranching...farming...taking care of animals.  It's what we do here, day in and day out.  We also color and read and play outside, but essentially, all the "inside" toys we have here are to build ranches.

Friends come over to play, and all the boys are on the floor setting up pens, laying out hay bales, filling pens with cows, horses, pigs, and sheep.  They divvy everything out - some to one rancher and some to the others.

My favorite part about listening in on their conversations is this:

Gruff Old Man Voice for all boys...
"Hey, you got any heifers to sell?"
"No, not right now."
"Do you think we should butcher some steers?"
"Can I buy that cow from you?"
"No, I like this one...how about you buy this one?"
"Oh, this one's got a broken leg. I'm bringing her to Dr. Mattson."
"Should we haul some hay today?"
"That's not how you're supposed to load bales!"
"Stack the bales over there."
"Let's work cows today."
"What kind of shots should we give them?"

And on and on...ha. I love listening.  They're grown men in little boys' bodies.  From the biggest boys who come and build elaborate pens, to the littles who push pickups with trailers around the floor, it's what they know, in and out.  How cool that we can live this life and teach them so much without even knowing it.  They soak up all the information they learn outside in real life - working cows, feeding cows, watching their dads, fencing, etc. and come inside to play it over and over again.

Thank you, Lord, for this life we live, that we can teach our children to love and take care of our land and animals, and for all the time we can spend together in the process.