2nd post, a year later…

Here I am a year later, making my 2nd post! I've missed out on blogging about so many different events, but my hope is to briefly catch up on a few things and then keep up to date!

We're to the end of the month...which also means, the end to one of  the craziest months on the ranch! We have 275 cows left to calve out. We will have calved out 1,700. Things have slowed down so much! All 3 barns (99 stalls) are no longer needing cleaned every day! Hooray! And now, Chase is doing ALL the doctoring and I enjoy tagging along with him! We like to do it on horseback, but once in a while we go out in the ranger or on the wheeler.

Right as things started slowing down a bit, we came down with something...crappy (no other word seemed to fit). Unfortunately, the cows didn't understand and continued calving. So...we had to continue coming to work. No rest, no quick recovery! This is what our counter, right below the medicine cupboard, has looked like for a few weeks.

It's too much work to get them in and out of the cupboard every morning and night, right? Thanks to some drugs, we are feeling much better and hope to be completely well any day now!

We are grateful when April, Chase's sister that lives in Montana, is here! She came for a week, with a cheery attitude and lots of energy! She loves it! And we LOVE having her here! She's an extra boost for those of us that are tired and wore out! Thanks Ape! My sister, Krystal, also came up for a few days and helped us out! It was fun having her here and it gave me a little "family fix." I've been here for 18 months, and so far, February 2010 and 2011 are the ONLY months I haven't had some sort of "family fix." I think it's a good tradition..... :) Let's see how long I can keep it up! Ha! It helps that she is going to school in Logan. Although, she graduates in May!

Some of my favorite memories are of my Dad picking me up from Kindergarten to go check his cows on his ranch on the Arizona Strip. I've always loved cows! I always wanted to marry a rancher! I wasn't ever the little girl that wanted to marry a doctor or lawyer. Except for when we played MASH...and you HAD to choose 4 different occupations for your future husband. And as much as I love working and being outside with the cows, I am ready for calving to be done and I am ready for Spring! Some of the things I'm looking forward to are:

First and foremost, some Spring Cleaning! Organizing, Organizing, Organizing! I LOVE organizing! I can hardly wait til I am waiste deep, de-cluttering, re-arranging, and organizing my cupboards and closets! Days of window washing, cleaning mopboards, dusting light fixtures.....you know how it works! My house is ready for it....and I'm ready to do it!

With a little warmer weather, I anticipate the day I can water and mow the lawn, plant my flowers and garden, hang laundry on the clothesline, and get all the sheds at our place cleaned out!

I hope to get this old homestead that is right out our backdoor, moved and burned! It's neat that it's the original home, but I'm ready for this mice infested building to be OUT of my backyard!

I am excited to do some sewing! My wonderful boss, Sharyl, sent me home with one of her Berninas a year ago, along with all the material (we spent a day getting me started) to make the cutest quilt. So along with that quilt, I have a few other projecs to finish up, and many more to start. Yipee!

Cooking! Say what!? I never thought I'd say that! During calving, Chase and I get to the ranch at 7:30 and usually don't leave beofre 6. Paula feeds us all a BIG lunch and so when we get home at night, we are not starving, plus we are exhausted. So we usually just have some salad or a smoothie. It's been over a month since I've cooked! It will be like I'm a beginner all over again, but I'm ready to get back to cooking some meals!

Young Womens! Girl's Camp, Youth Conference, etc, etc. I'm the secretary in our Young Womens and I LOVE it! We have the best group of girls. And the President and her counselor (that's right, just a president, counselor, and secretary) are such great examples and friends to me! I hope to magnify my calling and participate in all the activities and to grow closer to the girls and leaders I serve with.

Biking! Chase got me an awesome bike for my birthday last year. It's currently in the house, set up on the trainer. It didn't get a whole lot of use outside this last year. But I plan on breakin it in real good this summer!

Traveling/Family/Friends! These go hand in hand. I hope to see my family A LOT this summer! I miss them all so much! I miss the everyday activities with them! I miss seeing some of my neices and nephews on a daily basis! We hope to have some family come to the ranch. I remind Chase everyday how excited I am to bring my oldest nephew, McCoy, home with us when we go down the end of May. So hopefully he is being obedient and a nice little boy....so he can come! We miss out on so many of my family's different activities and that has been such a huge adjustment for me, cause I was ALWAYS there-to ALL of them! I look forward to a visit from my mother! Just spending lots of time together, learning how to be domestic :) My Mom is very domestic! She's awesome! And there is SO much for me to learn from her! I hope to have outings with friends....like camping, cookouts, horseback riding, ATV riding, shopping, etc.

Ropings! I love traveling to ropings with my hott cowboy! It gives me joy watching him do something he is so passionate about! Don't get me wrong....there are times I get wore out. But I love supporting him. And hopefully here any day, we will both be roping the heel-0-matic.

And of course, Ranching! We live in such beautiful country and when we're out moving cows or whatever, everything is so peaceful and breathe taking. I'm grateful for this lifestyle. I'm grateful I can go to work with my husband every day, if I choose to. Ranch life and working with family every day (especially when it's not your own :) ) can be real tough, but it is worth it and I wouldn't choose a different life. I'm so thankful for my sweet husband. He is so patient with me and all my adjusting. He makes me smile and laugh every day. How blessed I am to have him in my life!

MOVIE NIGHT @ THE FOSTER'S

Chase's sister, MariJill, and her husband, Boyd, recently moved into their new house. They have an awesome family room in their basement with this luscious couch.

And this 55" flatscreen!

Talk about clarity and precision!


Jill had called Chase and told him they were going to Idaho Falls for the night, so he asked if they needed a house sitter-ha! We went over and watched a flick and drank a pepsi! This is my favorite spot on the couch!

Every couch should come with one of these! They also have this fancy blower on their wood stove. I'm thinking my parents need one of these!

 

Thanks Fosters, for letting us come enjoy all your new furnishings!