Feeding the Moos

About a month ago, Ev load the family in the truck to get a "surprise." We went to our neighbors' dairy and got a little black bull calf. 2 or 3 days later, we did the same thing except it was brown. Why did we get the calves? According to Evan, it's for the kids. And for dog training. And maybe for eating. I told Ev, I couldn't eat a calf that was named.

 Introducing: Red Cowboy (Riley's brownish/reddish calf) & Rio (Hyrum's black calf).

 Ev & Hy used to have races to see who could get done first. That kind of ended with Hy freaking out. Especially when Riley beat Hy one day.

 It's fun to see the kids' personalities come out as they feed their calves. Hy: he knows it's cold, but he's got to do his work! He's gotta take care of his calf.

 Riley: HATES feeding calves. It's cold. It's so far to walk. The bottle is HEAVY. She wants to stay in the house in her nightgown. But once she's out there, it's all good. We occasionally threaten that we'll give "Red Cowboy" to Lins.

 Lins: as soon as someone even goes close to the door, she's putting on her boots. "Moo? Moo?" She follows the gang out there, taking her sweet time with her little legs. she gives the calves a handful of hay, pats them on the head, says "hi" to the dog and the kitty, and usually carries Riley's empty calf bottle back in the house.

I LOVE watching...sometimes I go out with everyone, sometimes I stay in and watch from the front window. But it always brings a smile to my face. Except for the one time Ev was gone for a week and I had to feed the calves (I definitely felt like Riley that week). I love these little things about my husband, my kids and my life! :)

Happy 7th B-day Si-rum!



Since Hyrum's birthday was on Sunday this year, we decided to give him his gift on Saturday. Riley got up with us to wake up Hyrum. She ran down the stairs and yelled, "Hyrum, there is a green bike for you!" Ev tried to shoosh her, but Hy had already heard.

 

 He was soooo excited anyway!

 We all went outside to try out the new bike. That evening we had Brooke & Zayne Bingham over to ride bikes with the kids. I think Hyrum's legs fell off that day from riding so much.

 On Hyrum's actual b-day, we had cake & icecream with cousins & grandparents.

 (Yes, I've made this cake before, but he requested it again!)

 I love Logan's arm around Hyrum as he blows out his candles.

 Birthday Spankin's!

 Riley is enjoying this WAYYYY too much

 

We love our Hyrum and the great big brother he is. He always wants to do what is right and has a desire to be like Jesus. He LOVES to be out working with the guys, especially his dad. Anytime we go do chores, he has a shovel, a rake or even a stick in his hands and he is "cleaning" something out. He isn't a huge fan of school, but he works hard at it. His current dream in life is to be a farmer and a firefighter (and occasionally other occupations jump in there as well). He likes girls, but he says that he doesn't like to talk about them because it makes him feel awkward. And he is so fun to watch movies or Duck Dynasty with because he starts to giggle and it makes everyone else giggle too! Love you, Hyrum :)



Enlightened Words



We had a little neighbor girl over to watch her and she told Hyrum that it is her aunt's last year for trick-or-treating.

Hy: Why?

Brooke:  Because she's going to be 12.

Me: A lot of kids stop going trick-or-treating when they are about 12.

Hy: Why? Is that what it says in the Book of Mormon?



Uncle "Si-rum", the little girl that didn't get dressed up, Riley the Witch Mermaid (who didn't have her witch's hat)

 

Riley was looking at the clock and said, "Look Mom, the big "finger" is pointing to the 4 and the little "finger" is pointing to the 8." She also calls the iPad game "Church Run" instead of "Temple Run" (temple as in "Temple of Doom" from Indiana Jones "temple")

 

 

Lindsay loves the song by Blake Shelton when it goes "red, red, red, red, redneck". I was trying to teach her more body parts and said, pointing to my neck, "Neck." She pointed to hers and said "red, red, red, red, redneck!"

 Sister Martinez, Hy, Lins, Ri, Sister Calero (our missionaries in Malta)

 

Hyrum and I were discussing if his teacher would be at school or if she was getting a substitute for the day.

Hy: "Yeah, she (the teacher) likes to hire moms who own a kid in her class."

 

Riley was outside feeding calves with Evan. "My heart is beeping so I can get warm!"

 

One especially hard and long day, I was loading the dishwasher and getting close to the end. One of the older kids needed me, so I went off to help them for a bit. When I got back, ALL of the dirty silverware was gone and Lindsay was wandering around. I looked in the sink, I looked on the floor and I COULD NOT find it!!! Finally I opened the silverware drawer. Lindsay had taken out all of the dirty silverware and put it away for me. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What a helper! :)

 

Lindsay had her little shopping cart and was pushing it around downstairs. I didn't really look at it until later, but she had 1 baby in the baby seat and two more dolls, headfirst in the basket--just like mom. There are so many kids now, that there is no room for food in the grocery cart. She really is the 3rd child.

 

And the most enlightening comment of all from Riley:

 

"Did you know dipping your pig in your egg hole is really good?"

 

Yeah, that one made Evan almost choke. Interpretation: she was eating her breakfast and "pig" means bacon. The "egg hole" is the yolk of the egg. So there you have it. :)

 





Harvesting Corn & Pumpkins

This year's corn crop looked so good and got so tall, we couldn't help but keep taking pics of it. It usually doesn't happen in Malta :)

 Morning of Harvest:

 Poor Hyrum was gone to school, so he missed out on the photo op. :(

 Dad, Evan & JC off to work for the day!

 About the only thing we grew this year were some pumpkins. It was fun watching Ev & the kids gather them.

Then, me, being the dutiful wife I am, forgot all about the pumpkins in the shed and we didn't even carve them for Halloween. Sigh. You win some, you lose some.

And just in case you didn't know that I was a nerd, I was all excited watching the choppers drive behind the house and had to get pictures so I could someday tell my grandkids about my glory days as a chopper operator...hehehe.



Irreverent fhe??



*The following are actual events, although they may or may not have happened at our last fhe:

 

We began by singing "HY on the mountain top".

 (Hyrum likes to wait for the school bus on this pile of dirt and then RUN down it to catch the bus)

 

Then Riley offered prayer and prayed that the big, bad wolf wouldn't blow down our house.

 

Evan gave the scripture about the beam in our own eye when we try to get out the mote of our neighbor's eye. Well, he had had a piece of metal that had rusted on his eye over the weekend and the optometrist had to scrape it out and then actually drilled to get the rust off of his eye...Ev is doing much better. But he also informed us that he can now look at everyone else's beams in their eyes because he got his mote out????

 

Then for the lesson, Ev got out our "Plan of Salvation" chart and Hyrum asked: "Are we learning about the 'Plan of Celebration'?" Yes, Hyrum. We are. :)

 

Finally, after all is done, we tuck the kids in and Hyrum tells us: "I'm not afraid of the dark; I'm just afraid of bad guys."

 

Our old fhe chart had seen better days.



 So when I asked Ev & the kids what our new theme should be, Ev suggested monkeys...and I thought it was perfect. Can you tell who is who?



Wild and zany girls

Mom, Jessica, Sara and I bottled 7 batches of peaches! Whew! Kept us busy. Janelle & crew even came to visit that day. I love days like that with family. While I was outside watching the camp chef, the kids were making faces at me. (*Little Women movie fans: This would be the place where you'd say, "LOVELY CHILDREN."

 One morning, the girls were playing farm girls...evidence that these truly are my daughters. Notice the pink tractor AND the purple truck?

 Riley in all her glory.

 The girls in their new school outfits from Gmummsie.

 Riley playing with Zayne Bingham in the sandbox.  They were playing together great and then Zayne ran over Riley's "castle" with a tractor. They went to opposite sides of the sandbox angry at each other. It was hilarious. I told Riley to get used to men doing things that just "tick her off" or that she doesn't understand!

Steven Tyler Pickering

On August 10, I was excitedly preparing for Janelle's baby shower that we'd have at my house. Sara & crew showed up, followed by a very PREGGO Janelle. Mom & Jessica had dropped by the night before and would be there as soon as Mom had her salad done. The phone rang and Mom was on the other line. She told me Steve had been in a serious 4-wheeler accident and started crying. She gave a few more details amidst her tears and I asked her a few questions. Janelle & Sara could tell by the questions I was asking that this was pretty serious.

 

We decided to go be with Jessica for a 1/2 hour before she left to go to Ely or Las Vegas (they didn't know which hospital Steve would be in). We laughed about Steve ruining our baby shower and that he'd have to watch all the kids sometime to make up for it. I remember telling her it was going to be okay. I felt she needed to hear that.

 

Jessica & Dad flew down to Vegas. In the beginning, I felt that this was "just another Steve accident" and he'd bounce out of it like normal, with a few less brain cells....he had wrecked a 4-wheeler on the ranch the first year they were married and was fine. I figured the same would be true here.

 

But after Decca & Dad got to Vegas, the next day Mom went down, the more I heard, the worse it got. It was a long time waiting. I felt so bad that I couldn't be there to support Decca or the Pickerings, but at the same time, I didn't want to be under foot. I was grateful to feel useful by updating friends and family via Facebook or phone. I was grateful for Evan and Janelle that I could talk to and vent and worry with. I had other friends that would just let me speak my mind without judging, so that I could be "strong" when I talked to Mom, Decca or Dad.

 

We just waited. Things were changing, but never so we could get answers. They did say the brain injury was very severe and that Steve would not be the same. I began thinking about Decca and the long road she had ahead. I just figured I knew best and that it would be easier to let him pass on than for Decca to have a life with an invalid husband. I prayed that he would be able to go, especially if the brain injury was as severe as they were guessing. I prayed for a miracle, even if that miracle was death.

 

But at midnight on the 22nd, when Evan got the phone call from Dad that Steve actually had passed away, my heart just broke for Decca. I wondered if I had been praying for the wrong thing. Again, I bawled and vented to Evan. I cried to Janelle.

 

We got to Enterprise and were well taken care of by the Humphries. I love that we have friends down there that are like family; we can turn to them anytime and they open their doors to us. 

 

The viewing was the first time I had seen Jessica. I "butted" in line and we just held each other and sobbed for a minute. Steve did not look the same. But in some ways, it was easier to let go of that broken body than it would have been if he had looked like the young, healthy Steve he was.

 

Mom & Dad looked worn and tired. The previous weeks had taken their toll. I couldn't believe the love and support that our family had from friends that travelled very far to be with us. It meant so much.

 

The funeral was an overcast day with a soft rain throughout the day...a perfect funeral day. Again, so much love and support.  There was a seat by Mom because Dad went up to speak. Evan whispered, "Go ahead and sit by them" and so I sat by Mom & Decca. I loved being there. I felt like I represented Janelle and Janeen who couldn't be there with her.

 

The funeral was "perfect" for Steve. There was laughter and tears as stories of Steve were told. There was beautiful music. Dad and Bishop Moyle both did a fabulous job.  There was a strong spirit there.

 

The graveside was beautiful as well.  Steve is buried in a family cemetery and it is on a hill, just above his parent's home...I think he would love it.

 Hyrum and Trace....not cousins, but they share the same cool uncle.

 Decca was still our sweet, cheerful Decca, even during sad times. She's putting her faith in the Lord through this and trusting that He has a purpose and plan for hers and her baby girl's life without Steve here.

 Later that evening, we went back to the cemetery. The kids were playing around the headstones (I think that is just what kids do in cemeteries). This is me, Decca & JC....we missed Janelle & Janeen, but know they would have been there if they could have.

It's been over a month now and sometimes, it feels like it is just a nightmare and we'll wake up and Steve will come in with his goofy grin and try to get us to go do something more exciting. Or he'll come in and hug all his nephew and nieces.  But it really has happened.

 

Steve and I butted heads...just personality differences. I'm the "mother hen" and he was trying to prove himself as a young newly wed. He always thought I was too nosy or too bossy or too involved and I thought he was too much of a male chauvinist! He wanted a boy and I thought it would be good for him to get a girl (*Steve, I won that one!). But despite all that, he was always kind to me and LOVED our kids. He was a super uncle.

 

I think when I die, I'll go give him a big hug and then thump him on the back of the head and say, "You dork! What did you do that for?" :) I do know that we'll see him again and he will be "100%"....something the doctors didn't Steve would ever be if he had survived the accident.

Love you Steve. Watch over us!



(Favorite Uncle Steve with Lindsay at JC's bday party, one year ago)

Date with Mom

Somewhere back in the beginning of August, Hyrum & I went back-to-school shopping; just us, no sisters! I let him choose the restaurant and he picked the Chinese buffet. This is how we do chopsticks in Idaho:

We had a fun day together!

The week after school started, the PTO had a fundraiser "Jog-a-thon" where the kids asked for donations. Mostly because Grandpa wasn't in the right frame of mind, but also because Hyrum did 9 laps around the track in a half hour (and worked his little tail off), he was a high earner. He was so excited and worked hard.

Besides the monetary support, he had Gmummsie, Aunt Decca, Poppa, Dad, Mom, Riley and Lindsay all there to support him and run/jog/walk/waddle with him.

Love our Buzzy Boy!!