Stake Season

Early spring has always been the busiest time for Ed and stake making, and this year was no exception.  He was working from the end of December right through to the end of March, most weeks were 6 or 7 days and most days were 10 hours ( except days with Tay, but then he works late into the night.) The end of March saw the last of the spring orders go out so we breathed a sigh of relief that they all got done and we could take a time to do other things around the property and house.

Big Truck, Big Truck! Ed had to load with the tractor as it was too muddy for "Stinky" the forklift

Moving things around - we had to move everything around to get the stakes on to it took at least an hour. The driver was really nice wo him and I chatted most of the time while Ed zoomed around

The Goings on

As usual I haven't had time to update our blog to let you know what we have been up to. Most of the time it's me forgetting to the take pictures and its just too crazy around here to get them on the blog (if I do take them) So here I am sitting in my office way too early in the morning, but I can't sleep and what better way to spend a quiet morning drinking tea watching for the sunrise and updating friends and family.

I am going to post the pictures throughout this week then they are not all cramed together.

Happy Monday and have a wonderful week!

Love all of us

Afternoon with Babies

This afternoon the kids and I went to visit our neighbours up the road at Pincott Ranches, its calving time and we got to tour the fields and look at the new little babies, some only born hours before. 

This littl eguy was only a few hours old already testing out his legs

When we arrived Rita was just heading out to milk her -"milk cow" so we could bottle feed 4 calves in another field.  The kids had so many questions - Rita was so patient answering all their inquiries over and over.

Tay bottle feeding this little one - his mommy doesn't produce enough milk

Dylan feeding hte same little calf

Russ giving it a go with Ritas help and guidance

This little calf was so curious about Russ it kept slowly coming up to him and bouncing away, Russ was trying to get him to suck on his fingers

 Just before we left this field to check on the new babies, Dylan had a go at trying to catch one of the more friskier ones - we were trying to bottle feed him but he was having no part of it.  It was funny to watch because just as Dylan got within a few feet the calf would race off in another direction.

Jumping out to see a newborn calf only a couple minutes old - its between Tay and Dylan the Mom has her head down licking it

Rita took us all through this field checking on the cows and we came upon this one, but everytime she saw us watching she would get up and walk away - so we decided we would try see her from the road but by the time we made it up to where she was - she was tenderly licking her new baby!

We got to watch this one being born the kids were fascinated - poor little guy was all stunned at first then mom started cleaning him up - she was so gentle

We had such a fun time riding around with Rita and her dogs Steele and Zip, chhecking on the cows. The kids were so excited and couldn't wait to get out there, they were helping carry buckets and opening gates - it was really cute.

Dylan kept saying if you need help I love to help, so I think he wants to go back at branding time - we'll see how long that will last - not sure mommy will last on that visit!

Kids Rooms

Russ happy to be sleeping in his own bed

Dylans disaster - but he's happy to be sleeping in his own space

Yay back in my big girl bed - now I won't fall out of bed anymore - right Mom!

With new paint on the walls the kids happily moed back to their rooms - I think they were tired of camping in Mom and Dads room - they were very easy to move back to their rooms - thank goodness.

Tays room is a pale creamy yellow, which I liked so much I have started painting our room with it too and the boys wanted green so we compromised and I tld them we would paint a light creamy color and accent with green - thank goodness they agreed, all I could picture was mint green walls - I know there is way more shades of green but mint kept sticking in my head!

Spring break-up- A.K.A. - The Mud Season

Mud in the driveway

Mud on the pathway

Mud in front of the house

Stream of water under the snow

We have melting snow and deepening mud. So happy to see signs of spring and melting snow.

But I could do without mud - oh well couple more weeks and it should be dried up - we hope.

My disaster

I can't resist I have to show you our living conditions at the moment.  As most of you know drywalling is messy and mudding and sanding is even worse!

Taylers Room, everything pushed to the centre of the room and covered with a tarp.  The side windows of the bay window in her room have yet to be cut out, that is what the little square is to the right of the picture



Our room looking to the bay window. The tarp in the foreground is covering two dressers, my hope chest and all our clothes, the far tarp is covering our bed which is piled high with kid beds. Night Routine sweep up dust on floor lay down mats for kids to sleep on, next morning get everyone up, put all beds up on ours and cover with a tarp.  Doesn't sound that bad but do that for a month and a half and it gets really frustrating.

Scaffolding has been in our living room for months now, so I started making use of it - its great for drying laundry!
Triples as an indoor jungle gym for kids



Couch and TV in the dining room to help control the layer of dust - biggest problem with this the dining room is a cold area in our house - far away from the fireplace!



Dylan and Russells room are the same, in that, all the toys and furniture are in the centre of the room covered in a fine layer of dust.



On the bright side of all this we will soon be able to paint and move the kids back to their own rooms - life will get back to some sort of normal. 

I am excited to get past this part of building - soon !

Morning Visitors

This Mom and calf came munching through last week, we watched them for quite a while out the bedroom windows at the back of hte house.