Foto Story Friday #135 -- sledding MT style!

Last Tuesday we took the kids, the 4-wheelers and the sleds/tube out to the OHV (off highway vehicle) park for a little winter fun.  Cody was the first victim!  He had a blast..... who wouldn't sliding behind the 4-wheeler with snow flying into your face?!  :)  It is tons of fun!  Although there are no pictures to prove it, I did take my turn on the tube and the sled!

 Then Robby took a turn....

 But they had little bit of trouble....

 And had to untangle the tow rope.

 Then Emmy was up.  She had a blast as well.

 Scott was to follow Em.  Look at that grip!  He had fun, but when he took a turn on the sled behind the 4-wheeler, he flew off and was less than thrilled with that ride.  To me the fling off is part of the fun! :)

Savanna was having a bunch of fun too... can you see the smile?
Now I had tons more photos I wanted to share, but Google tells me my free picture storage is all used up?! :(
Have a series of Cody getting suck and rescued by his dad.  Have a bunch of the kids flying down a huge hill on the sled. Some fun ones of Cody acting as a horse and pulling Scott behind him.
Go here to see the rest of the photos, thanks.



Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Foto Story Friday #125-- scary faces

Halloween is just around the corner...... we'll not be Trick-or-treating this year since it falls on Sunday.  We will be attending trunk-or-treat tomorrow night at church.

 We are practicing our scary faces....

and carving some too!

Happy Halloween to one and all!




Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Foto Story Friday #123--5th grade social studies projects

Four kids through the 5th grade and four projects on the indigenous people of north america.
(Six years ago I was using a borrowed camera, because I was between cameras and trying to make a decision on what kind to get.  Please forgive the quality of these first 2 photos!)  Cody made his first real project for school and boy was it a project for both of us!  He did a cliff dwelling.  We got a shoe box and covered it with paper mache, then painted it.  We made bricks with a bake dough and painted them.  We visited the hardware store and got some tiny fake tree branches and cut them down to size.  It really did look pretty cool, wish the photos were better so you could see.

His teacher entered into the fair and he got a purple ribbon!

It is amazing what 6 year will do for a person:

Five years ago, Shantel wanted to make a dwelling like Cody had and she wanted it to go to the fair and win a purple ribbon!  She's not competitive! :)  She worked very hard on her Long House.  First she and Grandma went to the dump and wallered around searching for bark to properly cover her house.  We needed to build a pole structure and skewers lashed together with twist ties work nicely.  Thank goodness for hot glue, as it held her house together.

She was able to take it to the fair and it got a ribbon, not the purple but at least she placed!

Fives years can really change a person!

Two years ago it was Savanna's turn.  Her teacher said she would like them to not make a dwelling so Savanna opted for a Coup Stick.  After researching it on the net we did our best with what we had on hand.  some string to pass as leather and beads and some collected feathers.

She brought antlers to display it on in class.

Just look at what even 2 years will do for a body?  Getting pretty!

Now this year is Robby's turn.  He chose to follow Savanna {I see a pattern here :) } and make a Coup Stick.  He also had to do some internet research and then set to work.

Robby chose to wrap his stick a little more tightly with the selected strings in school colors.  and place several beads on for some added flair.  Now he didn't have any luck hunting feathers outside so he had to settle for some recently removed pink ones from a dress-up boa!  He teacher loved the pink feathers.

We didn't get a finished photo..... will have to take one when he brings it home I guess.

It will be 4 years before these two will make their own social studies projects, wonder what they will make?

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Foto Story Friday #111

Monday morning, as a gift for my friend, I took her baby's photos.  Here's a little peek at here little girl.

Monday evening, Shantel and Savanna wanted to dye their hair.... red!  So we did and they look so cute!

Tuesday bright and early, Troy and I loaded up for a trip to Billings.  Troy had a dr appointment.  We spent the night with friends and Wednesday afternoon he went in for elective surgery.

He had the gastric bypass.  he is doing good and we should get out tomorrow, Sat.




Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

FotoStory Friday # 110 last week

Last week was kinda busy.  Thursday the 8th was the twins 6th birthday.  I made cakes and Savanna helped me decorate them.  We couldn't celebrate on their birthday as Dad was out of town.  They were sure to tell everyone they came in contact with that they had to wait till the 9th to have a birthday party.

Here's Em's cake.  Every year I get her a small doll. I like it to be Strawberry Shortcake, but some years she's hard to find.

Every year Scott gets a new John Deere tractor to top his cake.  When he went to bed I placed the tractor on and guess what?  the little booger got up for a drink and snuck a peek.... said, "Hey, I like my new tractor!"
Friday morning I crashed a wedding.... OK so I went along with my mother-in-law as her guest.  Would have loved to photograph this wedding as it was in our local state park, Makoshika, and it is just a beautiful area.... perfect for a wedding.

Here's a little look at her stunning dress.

The happy couple.
That evening we had a little BBQ in the park with presents for the twins.

There's a great story behind the above photo.  Scott and Em have been asking for bikes for their birthday for months and months.  They have borrowed the neighbor kids bikes and taught themselves to ride.  We told them all sorts of reasons why we didn't think they were ready for bikes and just really gave them a hard time.  I think they hoped but didn't really believe they would get them.  They opened up the other presents and we had them sit on the ground so I could take a photo (the bright sun and the shadows were terrible).  Shantel and her friend went off to retrieve the much anticipated and wished for bikes out of a friend's truck.  Everyone kept the twins occupied while the bikes were wheeled in behind them unseen.  Scott turned and looked right at them and DIDN'T see them, not once or twice but three times!  Em also turned and looked at them twice before she actually saw them!  Then she asked: "Are these for us?" just at the same time Scott said: "Bikes! for us?"  Troy being Troy said: "Nope!"  Oh man! I wish that I could have captured the crestfallen look on his face when his Daddy told him that!  It was priceless!  That statement was quickly followed by: "of course they are!"  after-which his face lit right up.  I like that photo because if you just look you think he is high-fiving his brother in excitement over the new bikes, when in reality, they haven't even seen the bikes sitting there yet!

Riding like a pro on Saturday in the church parking lot.

Oh so happy to be a bike owner!
Saturday afternoon we hit the pool.

Robby the little studmuffin!  He is just getting way to grown up way too fast!  I love how his hair looks when it's wet.  The curls hang down and look like the character from the movie Holes, Zero.




Hosted by Cecily and Momma

Foto Story Friday #104-- life is precious

This past week my community has been dealing with loss and reflecting on how precious life is and how fleeting it can be.  Last Friday was the last day of school and the first evening of summer break.  We had a tragic 4-wheeler accident that took the lives of 2 young women aged 15 years.  They were in Cody's class.  My heart is heavy and goes out to the families of these 2 young ladies.  I cannot even imagine how or what they are feeling. 
Having been reflective all week makes one want to hug their kids and husband a little tighter, say "I love you" a bit more often and not fight with anyone.  Loss makes one want to take back every thing even slightly mean. It makes one want to be a better person. 
So today I offer you my blessings

My husband, my love, my life

my oldest, my experiment child-- poor kid!

my second, my girl surrounded by drama, working and striving to stay strong

my third, she just turned 12!, just starting out on her journey to womanhood  

my fourth, my trial of patience, one with an infectious smile who makes friends easily

my fifth, my silly one my cuddly one

my sixth, my head strong little girl, my animal lover, my little boss.

I cannot imagine losing any of them, excuse my while I hug them and tell them how much they mean to me.




Hosted by Cecilyand Krista

Foto Story friday #97 3 years old

This past Saturday morning I had a date with this little guy.

I set up shop in his front room and he was such a good sport.

As you can see, he was full of smiles

and just too darn cute! Go here for a collage and a few more cute pictures of him.

Hosted by Cecily