I must be having fun...

Because time is FLYING BY! ha ha

I can't seem to get on the computer for much, except work here lately. I love summer and all the stuff that comes with it...but quite honestly...I'll be glad when I can come in the house before 9 or 930 at night....I'm a weinie I know, by then it's a shower and hit the hay for me, 515 am comes too early for me to stay up much later. I'm behind in reading as well...I'll be by to visit all my blogger buddies soon.

This coming week is our county fair and we've been busy working sheep getting ready and of course I have waited until the last minute to print of pics for photography...etc etc. I've pretty much been on my own with everything...DH has hurt his back and is not able to do much, I've got to quit stressing over it and move on....it will all be fine. But I've been in near anxiety for the last week. Geez.... I want to let RanchWife know...my oldest DS is taking her famous biscuits to the fair this year....so excited!

Last night we celebrated my nephews 6th bday...they had a water balloon fight and played on the slip and slide...all while it sprinkled! What a blessing in the Sunflower State to have any moisture at the end of July.

Well, this is short and sweet, but I must go hit the shower and get ready for church. Starting a new thing tonite at church "Sunday Night Prayer Meetin" Please keep us in prayer as we begin our new group. I have felt that God was leading me toward this for a long time and a friend and I are beginning this tonite. So excited as I know we don't spend enough time in prayer. Why is it that we avoid something so simple and easy as TALKING to God? That's what he wants...our time, our voice, our communication, our desire to "be still and know I am God". I think of this line ALOT out of one of my favorite hymns...."Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."(What a Friend we have in Jesus). Have a wonderful and Blessed Sunday! Not sure I'll be back before next week...we'll see how it goes!

Take a few minutes in your day and Thank God for all he is, has done and will do!!!

p.s. A few pics to share.

Mr Ben(my nephew) who is almost 5 mos old!

The Before pic of my window I bought--it's turned

the wrong way...oops.

The After pic...spray painted black, used some

recycled cardboard and mounted my collage

on that. Easy picture frame. I have 2 more

I'm going to do...probably use bigger pics of the

boys and only black & white.

Wordless Wednesday

So Much to Tell!

I can't believe it's been a week or more since I've posted. Time keeps moving faster and I think I'm moving s-l-o-w-e-r! Last Thursday, went to OKC to take ZB to the dr...met up with LeAnna for dinner while we were there and had a great visit and got to hold that sweet little baby boy of hers....my boys and I really enjoyed him! After we ate, we all went to the western store to shop a bit...while on the way there...my "check engine" light comes on...I don't think too much of it...my van is a 1997, has 150,000 miles on it and that light has come on before....nothing to get worked up over...get to the store, shop, visit some more and then we part ways...but before we part ways, we are talking about LeAnna's new pickup, how nice it is, blah blah blah...her car is down and out, transmission. The boys and I take off the shop some more then head back towards KS...I get to a "main" road that will take me to the turnpike...rolling along I ask ZB to call dad---while he's talking the van just starts rapping out at about 3400 rpm's while I'm driving 40mph...that's weird...so I talk to Justin "something's wrong with the van...I think the tranny is going out...." he says, " can you find somewhere to pull in? let someone look at it? is there anything?" I say..." I don't know for sure...I'm not familiar enough with this road, I'm looking....praying for something...."GOD IS GOOD!!!! There was a Chrysler dealership ahead on my left...of course, I'm in the far right lane and it's on the far left....mind you, my van is limping along...and I'm trying my best to get over to the other lane, there is 3...(i hate city driving) people really are very RUDE, honking, talking smack, acting like I like driving like this. Finally get over and have to turn around and go back a ways...pull into this garage...a very nice man says, we'll try to get it looked at...mind you, this is about 330pm and it's 2 days before a Holiday. They were busy. So the boys and I head inside...about an hour later, he comes in and says..."we need to drop the pan and see if there is debris....if so, you need a new tranny, if not, parts" I'm thinking...Ok, go for it. Another hour passes...my boys catch a couple episodes of iCarly on the kids TV..."good news he says, there is no debris, so you probably need a selenoid(sp?) kit and a valve casing(i think), ok i say..."how much is that and do you have one????? I'll go check...he came back in a bit, "no parts in house, closest is Dallas, won't deliver until Mon or Tues because of the holiday." I call JB, "honey, you better come and get us...they can't fix the van until Mon or Tues"---he gets about 15 miles from home...calls me back, " can you rent a car?" I hadn't even thought of that...so I go ask Jesse, cuz we're on first name basis now....he says"I'll check for you, might be hard since it's a holiday wknd, but we'll see...." Enterprise is around the corner, low and behold they have a car for $30 day! It would have cost the same to fill the pickup up several times to come to the City! So by now, it's around 6pm and we're at Enterprise...they get me fixed up in a little car...I do mean little, like my purse and I filled up the front seat!!!! But it was nice and it was a running vehicle! The boys and I finally got out of the city by 630 pm, stopped in Guthrie, got gas and supper at Sonic and headed home...
Monday, they called and my van was done...I made a flying trip back to the City on Tuesday afternoon and picked up my van....even though it's old and rattly, I was happy to have it back, my back didn't hurt from riding in it, my purse was handy beside me, I had ROOM!!!! Let me tell ya, never planned on being a "mini-van mom" but the shoe is fitting and I like it!! ha ha
So, that pretty much was an eventful trip!!!
Had a great 4th of July at my aunt and uncle's house...my boys LOVE shooting firecrackers!!!!
Here is a hodge podge of pics....I need to get moving, sale day today and I haven't even hit the shower!!! Happy Wednesday!




Isn't that pretty?


The thunderstorms brewing in the
south Sat night--we watched a lot of lightning
and fireworks!



CB lighting up the sky

ZB lighting up his stuff too

My front porch flowers

In between my garage doors

Pecan goody for my butter pecan, home made

ice cream

Mixing up the ice cream..so so so GOOD

My boys have been hitting the trampoline

a lot, with the sprinkler underneath!!

CB getting some Big Air

ZB doing his flips

The Belly Flop! Ouch

Goofy boys!

Angel watching the boys jump around like monkeys

Where we ate with LeAnna and Little Man

Fabulous Vacation

We returned home on Saturday from a week long trek to TableRock Lake in Missouri...had a wonderful time with family and friends and a heat index of 115.....heellooooo...its only June???? Anyway, good time and I was NOT ready to come home. Short on time...so I posted a video...or at least I'm attempting to. I hope it works....it all looks so easy and then I attempt it...and, well.....anyway

Have a wonderful day!

Les

Wordless Wednesday

Fun Birthday Weekend, Sheep Show & stuff

I have been wanting to share pics of our family business...I remembered to take pictures last week at the sale. My f-i-l has owned the business for 35 yrs...JB has worked there since the beginning. He started auctioneering at a young age and has followed in his dad's footsteps. We have the nicest livestock sale facilities around. I'm very proud to be a part of the Winfield Livestock Auction and proud of my family! Enjoy the pics.



My f-i-l and DH in the Auction Block during
the sale last week.


Looking into the Sale Ring--we have stadium seating
to the right and left. We re-did that about 2 yrs ago and
put in air conditioning too which is awesome about July
when it's 100 degrees out and we have 2,000 cattle!


Looking down the hall toward the sale ring--
on the left is the cafe--right side (2 doors) are
small offices for the buyers to use.


These benches were all hand-made in TX
we have several of them in the lobby.



The view of the office as you walk in the front
door of the barn. We remodeled about 1 1/2 yrs
ago...we love our new space. Much bigger and we
can see out the front door!

Saturday we had our first show...went well. My nephew got first in his class and CB got 3rd in showmanship, all 3 boys got in the top 5 in the County Class, with ZB getting Reserve! It was fun and the boys did a great job.



CB showing his lamb





The judge checking out ZB's lamb


Sunday, we did the birthday thing...after church we headed to the lake with a couple of extra boys in tow! The water was good and the boys tubed and swam and had a good time. Came home after a couple of hours and ate on that giant chocolate chip cookie, which was divine AND oh so easy. Not sure I won't be doing that ALL the time now...make one big cookie and cut it up. You're done in 1 baking session!!! Not sure why I haven't thought of it earlier!!!



Lake Dare Devils!




The 3 Amigos ready to start tubing!


The boys have gone to my folks to stay a few days...its been so quiet around here...last night I didn't even know what to do with myself! Today is sale day...need to get moving and head to the barn. We received a much needed rain last night...possibility of more today. I can't believe how dry it is around here.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Happy Birthday to You!

Fall pics....The coonskin hat is still around the house. ZB LOVED Daniel Boone and
wanted that hat for Christmas...he wore it all day and all night!


When he was little, he wore his chaps nearly every day as well...usually just a diaper,
chaps and a hat!
Losing some of our first teeth...his little face is red because he was mortified about getting
them pulled out...even though they were hanging by a thread, after it was over, it wasn't
so bad!


Oh how he loved this little firetruck my sister gave him for his first bday.
He would ride it everywhere...which wasn't very far in our little house!





That is JB's grandma holding ZB, he's about 2 weeks old there...we were celebrating her bday
she passed away last Fall at the age of 100. A very beautiful lady!

Standing in a beautiful KS wheatfield with a million dollar smile!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZANE! We Love you!




Today, my oldest baby is 12 yrs old. WOW where does the time go? When he was born, I didn't even think about him being anything but the tiny little guy he was...and he's now almost as tall as me, wearing a 10 1/2 mens shoe and just as adorable as he was the day he was born!

When he was a baby, I got a really nice 35mm camera...not digital of course. So I've had to scan in the pics I could find, so they aren't the greatest....but anyway.

In celebration we are headed to the lake after church, taking a couple of ZB's buddies and going tubing/kneeboarding/etc. I've made a giant chocolate chip cookie for the celebration(his favorite!)

It's supposed to be nice and hot today here...perfect day for the lake. This is a short post...need to get around for church. Will have birthday pics to post later, sheep show pics and our life in general! Hope all is well with you today.