Pumpkin Fun with Jasmine!

Jasmine and Chantile had a fun pumpkin adventure on Thursday thanks to gorgeous weather and no school! Here are some pictures Chantile sent me from their outing. Looks like they had a great time! (Ciara - Jasmine said today made her think of all the fun we have had on Halloween together and that she sure misses you!!)

What a cute scare crow!


Jasmine picked out a pumpkin for Papa and I as well. THANK YOU JASI!! We are going to carve them next Friday. I'll post pictures of that too!!



Just hangin' around

Jasi being ....... Jasi (I love that girl)

To the Bat cave!

Christmas long past

I found this little note while packing that my younger sister left for me many years ago and just had to share it. Jenny would have been only 10 years old and I was 14. This was 36 Christmases ago. (Christmases?? Is that even a real word??...and quit that adding in your head...quit it!) Jenny is the sunshine in our family. She always kept us laughing as she still does today. Jen, I love you!!

Hmmmmph

Last Saturday we had a garage sale. It went really well and Chantile and Jasmine came over to help George and me. Windall was a "BIG" help too. I think her expression says it all, but just in case you need an interpretation............

"Hmmmph...what in the world does she think she's doing making me sit here in this silly basket....like I'm supposed to be all cute and everything.... I mean really ..... doesn't she know I could hunt her down in like ....seconds .............. this is humiliating...I hope the neighbor cat doesn't see.....I'll never live this one down........."

Spoiler Alert - Pictures of a RAT! hahaha

Jasmine is in 4H and she is doing a display in the county fair with Patrick, her rat. He really is a unique and unusual rat. He has such a cute personality and he and Jasmine are quite the buds!! They came over for a photo shoot so Jasmine could put some pictures together for her display. Thought I would share a couple - they came out really cute.

Best Friends


Patrick's Halloween costume - he's a musketeer.


Ready for some fun in the sun!



Is this hilarious or what?

Good luck Jasmine at the fair!! I love you!!!

Oh, and keep scrolling and reading...I put up several posts..catching up on all the summer fun so far....

Mooooooooooo

Some of our bovine friends just down the street.


Griffin is learning how to "call the cows" from Pockie. You should hear him!! The two of them went out the other day and called the cows over to them. Griffin was thrilled! (George really can call cows over to him...its quite fun!) He will be a cow calling expert soon....so cute!!

Yea it's cold, but......

....look how gorgeous it is!!

You can't see the huge snowflakes quite like I had hoped, but it's still beautiful.


The other morning I woke up to a breathtaking sight. It was like the whole outside was a giant Ice Castle! Check out these ice crystals on this limb.



The trees and bushes looked amazing!

McNugget Boy!

McNugget Boy and his trusty side-kick: Sponge-Zane-Square-Head!

McNugget Boy to the rescue!

TO THE NUGGET CAVE!

Creative Minds...

George has been working diligently on an upcoming Eagle Court of Honor. As a way to present one of the awards he wrote this story - he has an actual bear claw to award to the two young men who are receiving their Eagle. Anyway, I thought he did a great job and wanted to share it - enjoy!

The Legend of the Eagle, the Bear, and the Man
Written by George L. Wells


Many years ago there was a great young eagle. He was strong and a mighty hunter and was known by all who flew the skies. On a clear spring day as he soared in search of food for his family his keen eye spied a very young grizzly cub wandering aimlessly bawling. Instantly his wings clinched tight against his body. He spiraled towards the cub reaching out at the last second with large strong talons. With a sure hold on his meal he opened his wings and rose gracefully in the air as he banked towards his nest. His hungry family would surely hear the bawling of their coming banquet. The thrill of the hunt and providing for his family caused his heart to pound in his chest; the cub still bawling and straining to break free. And then the world changed for both the Eagle and the cub. Empty. Quiet. The Eagle stood on the edge of the nest looking into its emptiness. Even the grizzly cub felt the heaviness of the eagle’s heart and fell silent as he too realized what the remaining feathers meant. The young cub, anxiously aware of his impending peril, offered words to the Eagle. Voice quivering with fear and anguish the young cub whispered, “My mother was killed just moments before you snatched me. The men came and . . . . I am sorry, great one, for your loss.” The Great Eagle’s breaking heart quieted. Releasing the cub he looked at his prey with new eyes and a changed heart. Together they formed a pact to work as one to protect their kind from the greed of man and bring harmony and peace to their two worlds, the earth and the sky. The Eagle protected and fed the cub and he grew quickly. He was strong and bigger and quicker than any other grizzly in the land. With the Great Eagle’s keen eye in the heavens and the Mighty Grizzly’s undaunted strength on the earth, together they became mighty guardians teaching and protecting the young ones how to survive and how to be noble examples of their kind. As one they ruled with peace and harmony in the forest and sky above. They became unsurpassed champions.
Then one day a great Crow chief came to the forest. He had earned the name Red Bear because of his expertise in hunting the grizzly. His mighty skills were legend and displayed throughout his tribe with the many skins and claws of the grizzly bear adorning their clothes and teepees. The chief had his aim set on the Mighty Grizzly. He coveted the honor of being the warrior who took down the largest and most powerful grizzly of their land. The Great Eagle saw Chief Red Bear stalking his brother and flew swiftly towards him. He landed in a great display with head held high, eyes piercing, wings spanned to their fullest, and a forceful cry that echoed throughout the entire land. Paralyzed in awe and fear, the Chief knew this was a life changing moment. His people greatly revered the eagle. No words would come, his body could not move. The Great Eagle told the Chief of his life and partnership with the Mighty Grizzly, of how they were brought together by the greed of man. He told him of their pact in protecting and teaching the young ones to watch for greedy predators who hunted for fame and not for food. He told the Chief of how they taught the young ones to be noble examples of their kind. The Chief listened intently and entered into their pact to hunt only for food and not fame. The Eagle, the Bear, and the Chief counted each other as brothers and swore an oath of peace between them and their families. Peace blanketed the land for many years, but the greed of other men again became strong. Some wanted to be known for hunting down the elusive Great Eagle and Mighty Grizzly. And one day, on a quiet trip to visit his brothers, Chief Red Bear froze in unbelief as he surveyed the scene before him. Only a few feathers and claws remained of his kindred brothers. In grief too heavy to bear alone he raised the feathers and claws in clinched fist and cried out loud, “You will not be forgotten my brothers!” And from that day forth, the Chief carried the feathers and claws and vowed to protect and teach the young ones of his tribe. He taught them to be humble and grateful, to always strive to do their best, and be a noble example of goodness to all. And the feathers and claws were passed down, from generation to generation, but only to those who would promise to teach their young ones and accept Chief Red Bear’s oath, an oath between brothers – the Eagle, the Bear, and man.

Bubbles, bubbles,bubbles

Last Family Home Evening night we had a short lesson on provident living - short being the key word!! And as a part of the lesson we made our own laundry soap! AND I CAN"T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO GET PICTURES - can you believe it?? The girls had a blast mixing the ingredients - you make it in a 5 gallon bucket and we used a drill with a paint mixer so all the kids took turns mixing. This coming Monday we are having our annual Pumpkin Carving Dinner. I WON'T forget the camera that night I promise (hopefully no one gets sick between now and then - we are getting hit HARD with the flu around here - pig variety included!) Anyway - stayed tuned - pumpkin pictures coming soon!

Good Morning Surprise!

Yep, this is what I woke up to today......




hmmppphhh.........

Yellowstone

Except or the family reunion, George and I haven't had a chance to get away or do anything this summer, so we snuck away for a quick trip to Yellowstone. We actually didn't see very many animals, disappointing, but the weather was spectacular and the scenery was gorgeous! Just thought I'd share a few pics from the day......

We were taking pics of the buffalo and I turned around to get in the car and spotted this guy peeking over the very high embankment on the opposite side of the road....I thought it was kind of funny...he was watching us watching the other buffalo...turned the tables!!

Man they're big animals!

This shot and the next one is just for Dad and Jenny!

"Just to give you an idea of the size" hahahahaha Jenny, can't you just hear dad saying that??!!

This was in West Thumb - the colors were amazing!

I think he was having fun....I was loving it!

Check out the depth and clarity and color...wow

I love how light refracts in water...I know...I know...DORK!

I thought this shot turned out cool!

This one too...

Elephant Head Mountain....hmmmmm...wonder why they called it that???

Giggle for the Day ....

I was checking my email and this caught my eye - there was a list of 35 "truisms." It was on AOL. I copied a few that made me laugh out loud - thought you might get a kick out of them too:



*The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text. (I put that one in for George)

*The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again

*I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger

*Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

*I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

* Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

*While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

*I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

*Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

*There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

*I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

*As a driver pedestrians bug me, and as a pedestrian drivers bug me, but no matter what the mode of transportation, cyclists always bug me.

Laughter Is The Best Medicine!

Yesterday I was watching the kids for Amber so she could go to the temple. Ciara and I started texting George at work. Here's our conversation:
Julie texting: "Hey"
George's reply: "Straw"
Julie: (giggling to self)
Ciara: "What are you laughing at Grandma?"
Julie: "I typed 'hey' to grandpa and he typed 'straw' back"
Ciara: (laughs with a head shake and eye roll)
Julie: (eyebrows raised with surprise that she got the pun)
Ciara: "Type..... FLOWER NECKLACE ... Papa will laugh so hard he'll drop the phone"
Julie: "OK" and I type 'flower necklace' and what Ciara said about laughing
George's reply: "yep, I almost dropped the phone"
Ciara: "Did he drop the phone?"
Julie: "Yep. What should we type next"
Ciara: (thinking for a second)... "Type BOO....he'll laugh harder than a bee!" (roaring with laughter and slapping the table) "Aaahhhhh, I'm a natural!"
Julie: "OK" (wiping a tear,uncrossing my legs and texting the message)
Julie: "Papa wants to know if you're a natural comedian"
Ciara: "No...(smiling crossed with a questioned expression) I just make people laugh naturally!"

I LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH MY GRANDKIDS

Angels Among Us

I have always believed their are angels among us - both the two legged variety and the four legged ones! I was checking my email this morning when this story caught my eye. I have read other stories where pets and animals play a key role in peoples' lives and it always touches my heart - deeper than just the emotional level if you know what I mean. I truly believe animals were created to bless us - not just to feed us and help us to work, but to bless us spiritually as well. I wasn't sure how to create a link to the site so I copied and pasted the story here. Unfortunately the picture of RaeLee (pronounced Riley) didn't come through - suffice it to say, his is a very cute mid- sized tan dog. Enjoy!!
Lost and Found Dog Saves Life of Boy with Down Syndrome
by Helena Sung (RSS feed) Aug 11th 2009 5:00PM
Photo: St. Petersburg Times / ZUMA Press
Do you believe in canine guardian angels and the kindness of strangers? You just might after reading this story. Early one morning, Yolanda Segovia's neighbor, Stacey Savige, knocked on her door and asked her to temporarily take in a stray dog she had found. The scruffy terrier mix had no collar or microchip. Segovia eyed the pooch -- burrs sticking to his belly and mud caking his fur -- and reluctantly agreed to foster him for the day. An erstwhile hairdresser, Segovia hasn't worked since 2006. At 47, she is a survivor of breast cancer and cervical cancer. A divorced single mother of two, Segovia shares her Port Tampa, Florida home with her 10 year-old son Azaiah and 21 year-old son Christian. Her elder son has Down Syndrome; he cannot speak or bathe himself, and he has had heart surgery and a kidney transplant, reports the St. Petersburg Times. Azaiah immediately took to the dog, whom he named RaeLee (pronounced "Riley"). Segovia and her sons bought the dog a collar, leash, ball and brown bed from the dollar store, and all that day, Azaiah played with the dog, laughing gleefully whenever RaeLee licked his face. "Don't fall in love with him," Segovia warned.Segovia and Savige made 4,000 FOUND flyers with the dog's picture, stuffed mailboxes and put an ad on Craigslist. When no one called, RaeLee stayed the night at the Segovias' house. His dog bed was placed in the living room, but when the boys climbed into their twin beds, RaeLee dragged his bed down the long hallway and bunked with the boys in their room.By Saturday -- four days later -- no one had called to claim RaeLee, and he was still living with the Segovias. The honey-colored terrier had started responding to his new name. He almost never barked, loved playing rambunctiously with Azaiah, and was tender with Christian. One afternoon, the dog settled himself on the floor near Christian as he watched a "Barney" video in his room. Segovia was outside watering the plants when the placid moment was shattered by the sound of RaeLee crashing into the screen door and barking crazily. Alarmed, Segovia opened the door, only to have the dog race back through the house towards the boys' room. Segovia followed, screaming when she caught sight of her son. Christian was "slumped over, his body writhing in a seizure, blood streaming from his nose and mouth." RaeLee stood next to him yelping, but suddenly went quiet when Yolanda reached down to hold her son. "If he hadn't come to get me," Segovia said, "the neurologist said Christian would have choked on his own blood and died." The dog, she decided, was a keeper.But the next day, Segovia and her sons were heartbroken when someone called to claim the dog they had come to love. Randy Cliff, 34, who lived six blocks away said he had been searching for his dog -- real name Odie -- for over a week. Odie had lived with Cliff, his wife, their four children and infant granddaughter. Savige cried, telling Cliff, "That dog saved my friend's son."When Cliff came to collect his dog, RaeLee a.k.a. Odie, leapt off the Segovias' porch and into his arms. Christian watched from a window. Azaiah stood on the porch watching the man hug the dog he knew as RaeLee. "We're going to miss you," he said, tearfully. Looking up, Cliff took in the scene -- Christian looking scared, Azaiah looking downtrodden -- and asked, "Is that your brother?" Azaiah nodded yes.With a sudden change of heart, Cliff put the dog back down. "Maybe Odie was supposed to find you," Cliff told a stunned and delighted Azaiah. "Maybe you should keep him."And that is how the kindness of strangers -- Savige for rescuing a lost dog, Segovia for taking him in, and Cliff for giving up his pet to a pair of brothers who needed the dog more -- brought RaeLee to live with Azaiah, Christian and their mother.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

- came home the other day - obviuosly it was a stormy day - saw this rainbow - thought it was cool - took a picture - posted it on the blog. The end.

Can't Wait for the Harvest!

Last Monday I went over to George's Dad's garden and picked some fresh peas. He also gave me some fresh carrots and radishes! That night we had homemade chicken pot pie with the fresh veggies in it and home-made (well, does the bread maker count?!) potato bread that I made during the afternoon - yum! We love the fresh fruit and veggies in the late summer and fall - those are good eats!!!




The master sheller at work!

Friday Picnic 5.15.09

Today Amber and I took the kids to Riverfront Park in Billings to see the baby gosslings that I took pictures of a couple of days ago. Amber packed a lunch and off we went!


Here we go 'round the mulberry bush....


.... and round and round they went!


Oh how I love my babies!



The wind up!




Ageless...timeless...eternal even...the SPIT BATH!



Enjoying the rays!



You dare me?? I'll do it! I'll stick this rock right on my tongue and I'll bet it tastes great!



ohh...yuck....ick.....never mind...that's disgusting!



All you have to say is "Hey Ciara, give me a pose!"




Mommy and Dudie



Where's lunch?!



Cookie Monster (kind of looks like a black upper lip and a big cheezy grin!)

This is For You, Dad!

I've mentioned on earlier blogs about ICT's (Ice Cream Trips) with my family when I was a kid and how I still love to go on them. There are a lot of pictures here (I probably should have put them into a slide show, but I can't see slide shows on my dial up modem at home - hope you don't have scroller's cramp by the end!) and I hope you all enjoy them, but this entry is dedicated to my Dad. Dad I can only imagine how you miss Montana ICT's, so here's the next best thing! I hope this brings a smile to your face - enjoy!!

"....and then this big dog came and I just froze.....like this...."


Cute little babies


Vogue-ing for the camera!


This is a golden eagle we spotted just outside of Big Timber


Ever seen a Stealth Fighter plane???



By Little Big Horn Battle Field



This is at Little Big Horn Trading Post - cow skulls - only in Montana!

This is what I see every night driving home from the office - cool, huh!?

Riverfront Park in Billings

A robin and a flicka chattin' it up- you don't see flickas very often!

Ummmmm....a meadowlark..... I think???

So many pheasants this year!

This is a blue heron - they are on the endangered species list but must like it in Montana - we saw 4 the day I took this picture. It's not very good - man are they squirrly critters!

Strut your stuff!

Are these the cutest fur balls you've ever seen!?

"You just gotta squeez 'em" (Mom and dad will get that comment!)