Another Day, DONE!

Well, another day has come and gone and today was actually pretty uneventful! The livestock is all taken care of with only a minor complication with the 4-wheeler (4 cranks to start her up)....I think it's getting low on gas?!?

Anyways, it was a beautiful day so we spent some much needed time outside! The kids played on the swing set for over an hour! We didn't end up heading in for dinner and a bath until almost after 7:00! Caleb learned a new trick - jumping off of the swing in mid-air! I can't believe I got such a good shot of it! Ahhh to be a kid again! (you know I tried it!!!)

So, the kids have their Easter program at school tomorrow and then we are headed to Houston for the Rodeo! Clay Walker!!!! Thanks Randy!

It's been a bit crazy around here trying to get their clothes together for their program and for the weekend. It was discovered while packing that we are missing one of Berkleigh's new white shoes that she was going to wear to the program....it's sitting in the airport parking lot in Matt's truck! That throws a bit of a kink into the mix...she owns 37 pairs of shoes but do you think she would have another little white pair? Uh no, but we are improvising the best we can! Guess I'll have to take all of her pictures from the waist up!!!

After a stay at Grandma's house in Houston we head to Nanie's house in Round Rock for her annual Easter Egg Eggstravaganza...this is where my Mom gets all the kids and grand kids together to celebrate Easter...we decorate eggs, eat Mom's cookin' and we even get a special visit from the Easter Bunny!! Though he's not a very convincing Easter bunny - last year all the kids figured out it was Uncle Doug-o - it's a lot of fun and a very special time! It's great to have everyone together and this year is going to be even more special because it's my Dad's birthday and he's been invited to come and celebrate with us! A good egg hunt, the Easter Bunny, birthday cake and your whole FAMILY - what could be better!?! Thanks MOM!

Well, I'd better run - I have laundry and packing to finish and the kids are in the bathroom brushing their teeth by themselves....not sure how it happens but they manage to get toothpaste ALL OVER THE HOUSE....I even thought one of them had written on the wall with a marker only to discover that it was toothpaste...how hard is it to go from your mouth to the sink? Practice, practice, practice!

Goodnight! We miss you Daddy!

We can do this........

After a short nap we head back down to the calf pens determined to get this horse back to where she's supposed to be. We load up on the 4-wheeler (only one crank this time!) and head to the back pasture. There she is strollin' around in her new shoes dirty as can be. I grab the feed bucket and the harness and head in her direction all the while Caleb is yelling that I need to "bounce" the feed bucket so that she can "hear" the feed and I do....I mean he is a cowboy and all so he's sure to know what he's talking about! We (the horse and I) begin moving towards each other and before you know it her nose is deep in the feed bucket and she's just a chowin' down....I'm beginning to think this is a pig and not a horse! The second she comes up for air I place the harness over her nose and behind her ears and finagle some sort of knot in this thing that doesn't have a proper closure device. We walk toward the 4-wheeler and Caleb holds on to her while I put the feed trough back in with the calves and secure the fence (with a piece of wire about a foot long that I have to twist and twist and twist) yet another defective closure device! We slowly head towards the front pasture....it didn't take long for me to realize how hard it is to drive a 4-wheeler less than 5 miles an hour with two kids (one in front, one in back) while leading a horse to greener pastures! We finally make it and while crossing over the electric fence wire laying on the ground we all realize by the bucking bronco act that she's doing that the electric fence is actually hot! No sooner do I get her settled down do I turn around to see that Caleb is about to go down the same path....Hello cowboy? Didn't you just see the horse step on that thing and go ape wild? Anyways, we got all the animals fed and taken care of and can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

I Should Have Known!

Well, I should have known! Matt heads out for Vegas and everything goes to &%** in a hand basket.

First - the farrier-he's the guy that puts shoes on the horse - and why this horse needs shoes for strollin' around in the pasture is something that I just don't understand but at $70.00 a pop I don't say much because that means there's a mani/pedi in it for me....even exchange right? Anyways, the farrier arrives and appears to be stuck at the gate...I let him linger there for a bit thinking to myself "surely Matt gave him the gate code, how else would the he get in?"(I'm usually at the gym at this time) and then I see him scale the fence and head toward the house....I meet him halfway yelling the 4 digit code to him while my viscious Chihuahua is barking his head off protecting his territory!! A tiny bit of frustration begins to set in but at this point in time I'm still okay! I do, however, think to myself "good thing I was home to let him in or I'd be out of a much needed mani/pedi!!!" WHEW!

So, the farrier is doing his thing, I take my morning walk/run, and it's then time for me to head into town to get the kids. Upon arriving back home I realize that the farrier is no longer here and the horse is nowhere to be found. Hmmmmm? I, again, think to myself "was he given the directions to put the horse in the front pasture?" At this point I'm seriously doubting this mans ability to do a job -- I grab my cellphone and call Matt...."Did you give the farrier the gate code? Did you give him instructions to put the horse back in the front pasture where she belongs?" Response? You guessed it - no gate code given and Matt couldn't remember if he told him to put the horse in the front pasture or not....he thought the farrier would remember from the first (and only other) time that he'd been out to shoe the horse not only the gate code but also where to put the horse! HELLO, anyone home?!?!

So, before getting frantic, I look toward the back twenty and there she is, tail a swishing, in the pen with the five calves. She's completely devouring their feed! GREAT! Matt's horse is going to founder (collapse/kill over) on medicated calf feed while Matt's not even here...just my luck! Exactly how am I supposed to dispose of a rotting horse carcus before the buzzards settle in making our back twenty home while partaking in an overfed horse buffet???

Off we go! Caleb, Berkleigh and myself load up the 4-wheeler with all the necessary feed supplies, jump on, crank it up (after about six tries!) and head down to the calf pens. Once we get down there we can't find the harness for the horse. We place yet another call to Matt..."any idea where the farrier might have put the horses harness?" Matt calls the farrier and in the meantime we search high and low and finally realize that the farrier has placed the harness on the gate at the very opposite side of the arena. Of course! We "kill" the electric fence, which means I have to get on and off the 4-wheeler four times and retrieve the harness, ride back over to the calf pen and approach the horse with the pretty new shoes and OFF SHE GOES! Wouldn't you know it, the horse and all five calves run off into the extremely muddy pasture/roping arena. It's a pretty sure thing that I am NOT chasing her down so Caleb and I begin jumping up and down singing some song about feeding while bouncing the horses feed bucket so the horse can "hear" the feed-at this point I'm not sure if Caleb's making this up as we go along or if it's something he learned at school or from Matt for that matter -either way, it looks as if it's working when suddenly...OFF SHE GOES again! Needless to say, I'm hot and unhappy but refuse to get frustrated so I pull the feed trough out of the calf pen and decide to give it another try after our nap. Looks like this story is to be continued......Hope Matt's having fun at the craps table!!!

Daddy's Gone on a "BUSINESS TRIP"

Well, Matt's leaving first thing in the morning for Las Vegas! It's one of those "business trips" you know...lucky for him! So, looks like I'll have to hold down the fort while he's gone. He's left explicit instructions for caring for the livestock -five baby calves in need of medication and routine visits, a horse that lives within the confines of an electric fence (which I became all too familiar with yesterday), two dogs - one is a complete pain in the %##, a rabbit - that poops more than I ever thought possible and a cat that tends to tear into the garbage no matter how concealed it might be! Needless to say this should be a FUN four days for this city girl gone country!