...getting ready for winter

I sure wish that I was more consistent in blogging. For something that I really enjoy doing, I find myself writing less and less. That is a shame on my part. I started this blog to document the activities of our everyday lives, believe me, our everyday lives are happening, I just don't get to document the events like I wanted to.

I found a guy who lives in The Woodlands during the winter months but he is from South Dakota and goes up there in the summer to raise alfalfa. I am not sure exactly how or where I found his number but I thought that I would try some of his hay for my cows this winter.

I scheduled my load of hay several months ago, but in the mean time I started helping a friend manage his cattle. For those of you who don't know, we had a serious drought this summer and so it has been a little struggle to get some of the cows caught up. They got used to eating the grass down to the dirt. I talked my friend in to using some alfalfa to get his cows back in shape. He decided to let me try it. I am here to tell you, it worked. I would have given anything to have before and after pictures. These cows have slicked off, filled back out and look great.

This was the second trip and I got my hundred bales from this load then took the driver on over to unload the second half of my buddies 400 bales. I also got 50 "a" grade bales and I started feeding them to my horses. We will see how that goes...so far the horses really like the hay, I just don't want to mess the horses up by feeding them too much or not enough. I DO know that they eat it like candy.

I had everyone rolling. They were so excited to unload square bales (that's really a joke). Alfalfa bales make coastal bales feel like air. 60 to 80 pounds made it where the kids had to double team the bales or roll them. Taylor, the driver gave WD and Mal some hay hooks. They thought those were cool. They could hook on to the bale and drag them.

This guys trailer was a 53' trailer and my driveway was the only drive that he could fit in. We had to unload the hay on the side of the driveway and I loaded them onto another trailer to take them to the barn. We shall see how the whole process works out this winter. The kids may hate feeding by the spring time. Feeding cubes and round bales is not be nearly as intense.

The downside is that round bales and cubes are more expensive than buying alfalfa from South Dakota.

I love watching my kids work. I need them to know how to work, drive, ride and take care of animals. They are good at it. MLN is a junior this year in high school. We have already started looking at colleges due to her soccer situation. I knew that time would fly. I have spent the past 16 years trying to create a place where my kids would learn who their Savior is, learn to love each other, enjoy spending time with each other, and enjoy the wonders and challenges of farming life. They have seen just about everything to see around farming and ranching. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

There is definitely a legacy being passed down. I want my kids to be well rounded. Life is hard and I want them to learn how to be dependent on Christ for all things, but I want them to know how to "get a little mean" and push through mental and physical obstacles. Life on the farm can be a great teacher thus...it is the enviroment I have chosen for my kids to grow up in.

...getting to play/work with my family

What a Halloween. There was nothing scary about it. It has been quite a while since we have not had much happening on a Saturday morning. Pop needed his cows worked since he had 23 calves on the ground. So I decided Friday night that we could get that done for him. Papa was coming to Bryan anyway and MLN didn't have to be anywhere so I would have some good help.



We penned the cows with no problem. We separated the calves and were ready to work them. Our plan was to take the calves to Uncle Bobby's place and use the squeeze chute to make it easy on all of us. Some of the calve were small so we just started with the new babies so we wouldn't have to haul them. We kept going until the calves started getting bigger and bigger.



MLN got in on throwing a couple and she did well. Papa and I decided that when were half way through that we would take them on the the squeeze chute. We aren't as young as we used to be. And the kids aren't quite old enough to get in there and throw the calves by themselves. Needless to say it was much easier down at the pens.



Before we were finished with the cows WD had to go play his soccer game. They play in an U-10 age group which is an age group older than when they are supposed to. They have a really good team and each boy works to be good. They smoked this 10 year old team 4-1.

I went to work some neighbors cows while MLN played her soccer game. But after I finished and after MLN got back, she and I went to catch up with the others to go on the trick or treating hay ride. We had a great time and the families were great to spend time with. Jess and Mal worked hard all day. Jess kept our ear tag gun filled and Mal kept the shots full. This is critical when working calves whether you are throwing calves old school style or whether you are working them in the chute.

I love my kids friends. WD and Luke are best buddies. From playing Marines, to working cows, building fence, playing sports, feeding animals, riding horses and even killing snakes. These two are fun to watch. They are thinkers and they will make things happen (in a good way). Luke is always willing to learn and jump in to what we are doing. EXCEPT, yesterday. He drew the line. I started castrating the first calf. Luke had never seen that process. When I made the cut, he looked at WD and said, "Oh, Will, I don't think I can do this!" He went to work the gate after that.

...here is a funny story

This morning at 5:30 (that is A. M.), I sat straight up in bed. I heard a truck start up. Now I am the only one who ever sees 5:30 AM in our family. Even if we are going to work cows or travel somewhere, I have to be the alarm clock.

Last night I was in bed waiting on my daughters and wife to slow down enough so that I could go to sleep. During that time of dissertation, my oldest daughter casually mentioned something about getting up early to go decorate a car for some kids birthday. I was more concerned about the weather and sports I guess. I know I shouldn't have been, but I was.

Back to this morning and the truck. The truck didn't sound like a diesel. It sounded like Chevrolet, gas burner with pipes. I can tell you this because when I woke up, I was immediately in tune and going through my truck knowledge. I went to the door and looked out the glass, hoping that I was hearing the neighbors. I saw a dually driving off. I threw on shorts and a shirt, went out to the car port to find the truck gone. I was shaking my head, racking my brain trying to figure on what to do. I couldn't remember AT ALL, the story of MLN going to decorate a friends car for his birthday.

So head out to the highway with my gun. Enough time had past the I couldn't find the truck. I headed toward town but before I left I thought that I heard another truck going away from town. I gambled on town. I went to Kroger hoping to catch them at the the intersection. Nothing. So I picked up my phone to call MLN, BEFORE I CALLED THE SHERIFF. I called her and she said "hello". I said, "where are you?" She said, "heading to decorate that truck...I told you that last night!" I said, "now I remember...don't draw or paint on the paint...keep it on the windows." MLN said, "OK." I said, "bye...be careful." I came back to my bed and tried to sleep for a few more minutes.

My wife and kids have just had the biggest laugh. I told them that they better be glad I try to take care of them and their "stuff". I know the story is getting out so I thought that I would tell my side before it got too crazy.

Oh the stories as my kids are enjoying their teenage years. I am not wrong very much (ha), so my wife and kids are taking full advantage of this little mishap.

...Happy Birthday Mir!!!

We quit birthday parties about when the kids were 10...or less. Mir had one request to her mother this year, "I want a surprise party". As we laughed and laughed at the idea, the oportunity presented itself as we got closer to the big day.

I, of course, was not very excited about the idea and DLN was even less excited. We decided that this would be a great oportunity because Mir didn't have a clue that it was coming. Like any get together at our house, the party idea went from 3 or 4 girls to about 40 kids and adults.

All of us worked very hard hiding the idea and we didn't start cooking or anything until Sunday afternoon when Mir left for her church events. It was very fast cooking fajita's. A very helpful angel came through with rice, beans, cheese dip and I am sure some other items that I can't remember. The kids helped finish decorating and kept things lively.

Kakki brought chocolate sheet cake and I bought Mir's favorite, cheese cake. MLN did a great job keeping Mir from the house until we had everyone in place. Mal and Uncle Jack had the taxi service working, dropping people off at the house and taking all of the cars to Pop's barn. When Mir and MLN drove up there were no cars around. They walked in the back door as normal, rounded the corner into the dining room and SURPRISE!!!

One of the most exciting surprises was when the Nichols cousins from Nac showed up for the big party. They even stayed over on Monday where the girls could catch up and eat Wings and More.

...take advantage of high tech stuff when you can

I have never pushed anything on my blog. Typically I use it for logging our family events. This post will be a little different.

If you use the internet (ha!), there is a new browser that you can go to to set up your personal information, Facebook, Hulu, Email, stores you shop from, such as Target, Wal-Mart, Starbuck's just to name a few. There is way to information for me to explain.

I will say this... if you have an organization, not for profit or otherwise, sign them up and they can make money by sending people to this site. This would be an excellent PTA fund raiser or Baseball Team fund raiser or Youth Group fund raiser. Or if YOU want to make some extra money, check it out and you can get in touch with me if you have any questions.

Go to my web site. This is going to be huge.
Watch the trailer. Fill in the information and I can get back to you.

You can also go to see a sample of what it will look like.

The browser doesn't go active until September 27th but this is mine and I thought that you could just see what it could do.

...Trying to keep up

A little soccer,

A little fence building,

and Mal got her a new saddle.

These are just a few things that we have been up to.

...just trying to keep up

I keep thinking of all of the things that I need to blog about. Then I check my FB, feed animals, feed kids, go to practices, take kids to ride horses, tend to cows, try to adjust to the new school schedule, try to sell a few roofs, build fence, sell a few more roofs then maybe I get to look through some blogs but I don't have time to write.

I thought that I would get to post some more pictures of State. Since then we have been getting into soccer and school. This year DLN has picked back up on the co-op. She has spent most of the summer getting things prepared for the kids to get back into school and for the co-op. Basically she has put together a small private school just to give you an idea. The kids seam to love it. They are all very focused on what they need to get done.

This weekend was the first soccer tournament of the year. MLN 's back has been hurt so she didn't get to play. WD, however played two games today. The first game was ugly. They played boys a year older. We got smoked. The second game was much better. We played boys our age and we smoked them. WD played defender most of both games. There is no doubt why they like him to mark players. He is not afraid to go up against some pretty big boys.

He did get to play some forward and was able to score him a goal. He tried to tear the net off of the post when he hit the ball. The goalie got a hand on it but couldn't stop it. Very fun weekend. I even got a few more post set on my fence project. It seams that I have a continual fence project here lately.

I will try to get some pictures posted soon.