Happy Birthday Colten

Bruce and Colten shared a cake for their birthdays

Colten loved his new bull and calves.
Thank you Grandma and Papa!

His own rope that came with a bag

and his own roping glove

Where did 3 years go? We had a great day celebrating Colten's birthday. We had Bruce and Helga and Grammie and oompa over for pizza and cake. It was also Bruces B-Day so Colten was excited to share his cake. It was a great evening.

FRIGID

feeding the cows

Sunshine roughing the cold

Horse Peak

Colten's new spurs

We had a frigid week last week. It was so cold we could hardly bare stepping foot out of the house. For 2 days the temp. never got over 2 degrees and got as low as neg 37. They cancelled Harvey's school for two days because the buses would not run from the cold. One morning school was delayed a few hours so when I went to start up the truck at 9:00 AM it would barely start and the temp read neg 27. I think that day at noon it was still neg 9. That kind of cold is just not right! Luckily it has finally warmed up a little bit.

We had a great year this year with our outfitting business. Jay works very hard all year on the ranch and guiding and hunting everyone else so this year he was able to hunt a little bit for himself. He was able to get a big tom, bull and a buck. Not bat for only being able to hunt a few days.

White Sands National Park

Jay and my dad trying to spot an oryx

White Sands

A few weekends ago we went down to Alamagordo to spend the weekend. I had an oryx hunt down on one of the missile ranges so we took the kids and my mom and dad. Mom took the kids around the sites in Alamagordo while Jay and I and my dad went hunting we had an awesome time! We all went to the White Sands Park and it was amazing. It looks just like a sea of snow as you can see in the pic but it is pure white sand and it feels so cool. The kids got some sleds and we went sledding down a few hills. We had a great weekend.

I have been thinking a lot lately how great it is to be experiencing the life we live every day here at the ranch. To be able to work together and include our kids in the work and in the fun stuff of the ranch. No better place to raise a family. My kids love this life to be able to run free and do the things they love to do. The western, ranch life style is a great one in my mind. It brings a lot of memories to my mind of being raised in a similar setting. Jay and I always say what a great experience our children are having and we will always treasure the memories we have made here on the ranch.

WINTER HAS FINALLY COME!

Snow in St. Johns

Jay breaking ice



Well the nice 60 degree weather is gone. It was really nice while it lasted. I knew it was only a matter of time. It has been in the negatives for the last several nights and not over 20's in the day. On New Years Eve it got down to -30 pretty crazy. It is very bitter cold. We drove over the creek we cross all the time the other day and it didn't even crack. I don't ever remember it being like that even in the crazy winter we had last year.

More Christmas break

Learning how to ride a bike

oompa helping Colten ride

Enjoying a day at the park

Grammie, Savannah and Colten

Christmas

Jay made these corrals for Colten

Colten and Brits making candy trains

Colten loading his cattle truck


Harvey finally got screature, he loves it!

Going caroling with the Heap family

We had a great Christmas this year. It was much quieter than usual with many people missing this year but it was nice. We had a fun party with the Platt family which mom and dad where missed very much! We also did our normal progressive dinner with the Heaps and had a great time.

Christmas Time Is Here!

The boys were so excited to see Santa. Colten kept following him around with the biggest grin on his face. He told Santa " I just really want a bull and cow. Santa thought that was pretty funny.

Harvey had his school Christmas program. He played the part of a soldier in the toy shop and did a great job on his parts and songs.

Jay and Harvey topping the tree with the star

The boys insisted on there on tree for there room
we found a good one

Jay and the boys cutting our tree down



I love this time of year . It seems to have come so fast we are a little slow at getting all the decorations up but thanks to Harvey and Colten's excitement we finally got most of them up including our trees and they even talked me into putting a few lights outside even though we live in the middle of no where. I love when it is all up though. There is something about the lights, tree, decorations and music that just puts you in the Christmas spirit.