Monday, March 31, 2014

INDY!

Keenan's first race of the season was yesterday.  We were so excited to see him on TV - and to do so well!  Kyle, Alex, and Lyn came over to watch the race.  I think Alex and I were more nervous than Keenan was!

So proud of him!  What a fantastic job Keenan has been blessed with!
3rd place finish - so awesome!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Kirsten is 9!

2005

Happy Birthday Kirsten!  We're so glad you're in our family!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Fence Problems

Now that it's finally spring-ish here, it's time to open up the back pasture and let the cows in.  Dallin checked the fence yesterday and discovered that the logging company that was working next to our property totally destroyed the fence!  I can understand how trees might fall on the fence while they are clearing land, BUT WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL US!  (and for those of you who read the post about complaining, YES - I'm complaining!)  So, we lodged a complaint with the police.  They're going to try to get the information about the logging company and inform them that they caused property damage.  We'll see where we go from there.  I really wish I would've gotten the company's card!  While they were logging, someone from the company came up to our house and told me that they "talked to your husband and he said it's fine for us to start logging your land".  I said "really?  Let me call him and check if he meant to start right now."  The guy told me he'd wait in his truck.  He got in and drove away.  He had never talked to Tim.  That's bad business!  Anyway, I am wondering if there's anyone who has always wanted to fix fences on a farm....we're going to need a work force!  There'll be food :)

Fence post ON THE GROUND




Pink ribbon is from the logging company.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Disney - 2004

Here's a Throwback Thursday photo that my kids will love me for posting!  We went to Disney World in December 2004 for a soccer tournament.  In between games, we took the kids VERY QUICKLY through some Disney parks.  Lots of fun times!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Let It Go

The Disney movie - FROZEN - just came out on DVD.  We took the girls to see it in the theater and loved it, so we had to buy it too!  The popular song (that is on the border of becoming annoying because it's being played so much) is "let it go".  I am thinking of adopting this phrase for our household.  
I'm not sure if it's just the bad winter we've been having, or poor attitudes, or too many outside influences, but lately we sure have been a complaining crew!  It seems we complain about everything - jobs, weather, prices, politics, people, etc...the list goes on and on.  I'm even starting to complain about all of the complaining!  Something needs to change - we all just need to "let it go"!  

Gordon B. Hinckley, a former LDS Church president, has some wonderful quotes about our behavior.  I love this one: "Let there be something of a light tone in your life.  Let there be fun and happiness, a sense of humor, the capacity to laugh occasionally at the things that are funny."  We do precious little laughing when we complain.  Many times when one is complaining, we all end up on the angry train right along with the complainer.  Our tempers flare and we see only the injustice of our situations.  Ironically, the people we complain about HAVE NO IDEA we're complaining about them!  

President Hinckley also said, "I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect.  If you will do this, your lives will be without regret.  Your marriages and family relationships will be preserved.  You will be much happier. You will do greater good.  You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful."  I know that there are times in our lives that we get upset and it helps to vent, but you know what?  If we are just complaining to complain, it's a waste of time.  In almost all situations, the one who ultimately needs to change, is the complainer him/herself.  

I'm pretty sure that this time parenting is to blame.  We listened to, and participated with the kids, in complaining about teachers, homework, coaches, referees, friends, game losses, lunch food, farm work, poor grammar (okay, that's mostly me!).....  Now, with grown up kids, the complaints are work, people at work, people in general, government, money, farm work, how time is spent....etc...  We are a family of able-bodied, capable people who can accomplish much good, but we choose instead to hide behind complaints.  I'm stating on the record that this has been WRONG. I'm also going to state that anyone can change at any time.  We've been complainers for a brief moment, if you look at the eternal timeline - so let's fix this!  The sooner the better.

There's only so much time we are given in this life!  Another favorite quote of mine is by Professor Dumbledore - the headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books.  He says "It is our choices, Harry, that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities."  Let's choose to look at the good, at the opportunities we have been given, at the beauty of the world, at the blessings that we have, and have fun more often!


Monday, March 17, 2014

The Beach!

On Saturday, Dallin had a soccer game against Cape Fear (we won 3-1 and Dallin got a goal!!).  We were so close to Wrightsville Beach - like 15 minutes - that it seemed a shame not to at least go and stand on the sand and see the waves.  
Dallin thought it was windy and chilly....

I was thinking "why didn't we move to the beach??"

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Engagement Photos

We had beautiful weather here on Saturday!  I took some photos of Keenan and Mallory for their save-the-date cards. 
I think they look pretty darn good!  And the photos look good too! 
Love that barn backdrop...

And I love picmonkey - it's possible to take my average photos and turn them into something nice looking!


Monday, March 10, 2014

Anything Else??

Again. Really??  This cow stood here for the longest time.  Like she was frozen and hungry.  (notice the HAY TRAILER behind her IN the pasture where ALL OF THE OTHER cows are!!)  No, that isn't a calf near her.  That's a large pile of fertilizer.  Come to think of it, maybe the other cows sent her away :)

A lot of us spent last week coughing.  And coughing.  And coughing.  Even if school would have been open on Friday, I wouldn't have sent poor Kirsten.  She wore herself out coughing!  We all seem to be doing a little better now.  Thank you Triaminic!

This is what Hayleigh did with her time off - painted a fantastic Scottie Dog portrait in oil!  It's a gift for one of her teachers.  She did a great job!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Destructive Beauty

As beautiful as ice is when it coats the world, it can be very dangerous and destructive.  In NC, a lot of our winter storms are ice, or usually what they call "a wintry mix".  A wintry mix sounds almost festive, kind of like an icy blue drink with large crystals of sugar around the rim.  BUT, it's not.  A wintry mix means at least a 2 hour delay for the school kids, a possible loss of power as the lines get heavy and break, and dangerous travel.  On Friday, we had the dreaded wintry mix.  What started out as a 2 hour delay for the kids turned out to be a day off.  Not for Keenan though - Keenan had to go into work - and ended up being pushed off the interstate and damaging his car :(  We're not sure how bad it is yet - we are picking it up tomorrow. 
We lost a big limb from the tree near the chicken house.  The limb had new growth just waiting for spring - it was almost here!  The ironic thing is that Saturday's weather was so nice we were able to take Keenan and Mallory's engagement photos outside without jackets or anything!  

Friday, March 7, 2014

What the Heck??


Yes, these photos are dark.  That's because it's at dawn.... 
The morning after Dallin forgot to close the fence...... 
And the cows wanted to be OUT of the pasture.  AGAIN.  

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Throwback to 2000

Every so often, the kids would have an activity that wasn't soccer when they were growing up!  hahahaha!  I must've taken these photos to prove that not only did we do non-soccer things, but apparently they were fun!

Tyler and Keenan

Ethan and Brandee

Dallin and Kyle

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