Thursday, July 31, 2008
If This House Is Rockin'...It's Bo!
Bo couldn't have been more excited when he came home from Lake Powell and saw that his new amp was here. His old one is 15 amps and this one is 100 amps. What does that tell you about the volume level at our house? Here's a short clip of his impromtu music...make sure you turn up your speakers for the full effect!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Cado's Take on Raising Animals
The local newspaper asked Cayden to write a story on what it was like to raise animals for the County Fair that is coming up next week. He wrote it up and then was pleasantly surprised to get paid $40.00 for it. That was a lot less work than raising animals in his opinion! Here is his story.
The Inside Scoop of Raising Livestock for the County Fair!
Raising animals isn't all that it is cracked up to be. In fact it's kinda hard work. This year it all started in the freezing month of February when my parents left me and my brothers home so they could go to Mexico.
We had to stay home because the pigs were going to have their babies. My brother went outside to check on them about every hour and then, just like that, he's back telling us that our sow is having her babies and that they're all over the farrowing pen because someone did not close the gate to her pen.
We get done gathering the pigs and putting them where they belong. Finally we think she is done having her batch because she started to calm down. We're out in the freezing barn for about two hours and then we hear quiet little sounds that sound like baby pigs.
We start looking for what is making that noise. It was coming from under the farrowing crate. We shine a flashlight down there and see baby pigs. We start digging to where they are at. When we do find them they are about dead so we have to run to our house with the baby pigs and put them under warm water so they don't freeze. That was a really long night. And the beginning of our stock show hogs.
Right now in the summer I get up at 6 a.m. and go feed the animals. You have to fill their self-feeder up with grain, give them fresh water; fill up the mud holes and look around to see what else they have wrecked from yesterday that might need to be fixed. My dad doesn't feel sorry for me one bit. He said he had to do the same thing when he was my age, only back then the summers were hotter!
You only can work with your pigs during two parts of the day--early in the morning and late at night because the pigs are too lazy to even walk when the sun is up in the day.
Oh and while you're doing all of this you also have to work with your sheep. Sheep are a lot easier to take care of when they are born, but they are a lot harder to train for the county fair livestock show.
First you have to catch your lamb and let it get used to you, and then you get it in the right stance and walk it around. That's not even mentioning feeding it.
Finally it is the start of the fair. You go there and then you have to weigh your pigs and sheep to see if they are big enough. If they don't weigh enough...well then better luck next year. Then, you have to get their pens ready because they will be living at the county fair for almost the whole week. You need to wash your pig and sheet too. Everyone is washing their animals so they look better than normal. You should try to look good yourself.
Second day: This is the showmanship day where the judge is judging you to see how you show your animal. Some kids are pros at this and know exactly how to make their animal look good and some kids - especially the kids just starting out, usually have a hareder time. If you smile a lot that is good. But it can be really hard to remember to smile.
Third day: This is the read deal. This is where the judge judges your animal. In my opinion that's what really matters. With pigs all you do is walk around and whack them with your cane--but you don't whack them too hard, it's for sure not a whack that hurts them. It's more like a tap really, but you do this to try to keep control of your pig in the show ring.
But for your sheep the judge has got to feel them, you have to walk them around and get them in the right stance. It's really scary. My first yeart when I was 9 years old, I could barely hand on to my sheep that was twice as big as me. Mine got away from me the first year, and then the judge caught it for me. Losing control of my sheep sure did not rack up any good points for me wtih the judge.
Finally the judge places you. It's not that cool when you're in last place and you just have to stand there in front of everybody and they all know you're in last. Believe me, I've had it happen!
Then the fourth day at the county fair livestock show is the sale. On sale day, your're really happy to get money for your animal but you're also kind of sad to see it go. I've ben in both boats. One thing that I've learned over the years is that it's actually not that bad to be in last place because it seems like last place gets more money than everybody...except Grand and Reserve Champion!
The Inside Scoop of Raising Livestock for the County Fair!
Raising animals isn't all that it is cracked up to be. In fact it's kinda hard work. This year it all started in the freezing month of February when my parents left me and my brothers home so they could go to Mexico.
We had to stay home because the pigs were going to have their babies. My brother went outside to check on them about every hour and then, just like that, he's back telling us that our sow is having her babies and that they're all over the farrowing pen because someone did not close the gate to her pen.
We get done gathering the pigs and putting them where they belong. Finally we think she is done having her batch because she started to calm down. We're out in the freezing barn for about two hours and then we hear quiet little sounds that sound like baby pigs.
We start looking for what is making that noise. It was coming from under the farrowing crate. We shine a flashlight down there and see baby pigs. We start digging to where they are at. When we do find them they are about dead so we have to run to our house with the baby pigs and put them under warm water so they don't freeze. That was a really long night. And the beginning of our stock show hogs.
Right now in the summer I get up at 6 a.m. and go feed the animals. You have to fill their self-feeder up with grain, give them fresh water; fill up the mud holes and look around to see what else they have wrecked from yesterday that might need to be fixed. My dad doesn't feel sorry for me one bit. He said he had to do the same thing when he was my age, only back then the summers were hotter!
You only can work with your pigs during two parts of the day--early in the morning and late at night because the pigs are too lazy to even walk when the sun is up in the day.
Oh and while you're doing all of this you also have to work with your sheep. Sheep are a lot easier to take care of when they are born, but they are a lot harder to train for the county fair livestock show.
First you have to catch your lamb and let it get used to you, and then you get it in the right stance and walk it around. That's not even mentioning feeding it.
Finally it is the start of the fair. You go there and then you have to weigh your pigs and sheep to see if they are big enough. If they don't weigh enough...well then better luck next year. Then, you have to get their pens ready because they will be living at the county fair for almost the whole week. You need to wash your pig and sheet too. Everyone is washing their animals so they look better than normal. You should try to look good yourself.
Second day: This is the showmanship day where the judge is judging you to see how you show your animal. Some kids are pros at this and know exactly how to make their animal look good and some kids - especially the kids just starting out, usually have a hareder time. If you smile a lot that is good. But it can be really hard to remember to smile.
Third day: This is the read deal. This is where the judge judges your animal. In my opinion that's what really matters. With pigs all you do is walk around and whack them with your cane--but you don't whack them too hard, it's for sure not a whack that hurts them. It's more like a tap really, but you do this to try to keep control of your pig in the show ring.
But for your sheep the judge has got to feel them, you have to walk them around and get them in the right stance. It's really scary. My first yeart when I was 9 years old, I could barely hand on to my sheep that was twice as big as me. Mine got away from me the first year, and then the judge caught it for me. Losing control of my sheep sure did not rack up any good points for me wtih the judge.
Finally the judge places you. It's not that cool when you're in last place and you just have to stand there in front of everybody and they all know you're in last. Believe me, I've had it happen!
Then the fourth day at the county fair livestock show is the sale. On sale day, your're really happy to get money for your animal but you're also kind of sad to see it go. I've ben in both boats. One thing that I've learned over the years is that it's actually not that bad to be in last place because it seems like last place gets more money than everybody...except Grand and Reserve Champion!
Cado's Basketball Tournament
Cayden had a basketball tournament in Salt Lake on Monday and Tuesday. We had a great time except for the fact that it was so hot. The air conditioning was not working in the gyms and everyone was miserable. We finally bought a spray bottle for the second day and Rhett became the "spray boy." Every time a player would come out from the game he would go and spray them down. They seemed to appreciate that! I told them to especially get their underarms! He did it faithfully.
We got to eat at the Texas Roadhouse. That just might become one of our favorite spots to eat. These boys thought it was great because they didn't even sit by the grownups and they got to order whatever they wanted, whether they had permission or not! Fortunately Cayden's wasn't as expensive as Jesse's!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Summer School Finale!
Dave and I took Mariah and her summer school buddies and Cado and Carson to the new Vernal Rec Center for their end of the summer party. They had so much fun on all the fun slides and in the cool pools! There was this little round pool that jetted them around in circles. Everyone seemed to think that was great.
Boating with the Woolstenhulmes
We are so lucky to have friends with boats! Yesterday we got to go to Bottle Hollow with the Woolstenhulmes. It was a great way to spend the 24th. We almost had the lake to ourselves!
Everyone knows that I'm a water wimp. However, I am getting more brave. I tried knee boarding after seeing that Mariah, Cayden and Emily didn't drown when they did it!! It was actually very fun and look...my hair is still dry! Mariah and Emily came out to help me get set up. They were great moral support!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Hey Pig Farmer! HEY PIG FARMER!!!!
I posted in May that we were hoping for a garden miracle. This is NOT the miracle we were hoping for but the pigs sure were happy!
Shopping With Dayton
I guess when it is your 19th birthday and you are going on a mission, you can plan on a full day of birthday shopping! That's exactly what Dayton and I did last Thursday. We had a great trip out to Provo and managed to spend lots of money!
We went to a variety of stores to check things out and finally decided to buy most of our stuff at Mr. Mac. Here are some of the salesmen (former missionaries) offering Dayton their best advice.
As we entered the stores, Dayton made the comment that he really doesn't like it when the salemen put on a suitcoat or etc., and then ask him, "How does that feel?" Dayton is not the "express your emotions type" and didn't like the pressure of trying to tell them how it felt! "It feels like a suit!" were his main thoughts. We had to laugh from there on out as each time he tried something out, he once again was asked, "How does that feel." He would just look at me and smile and say "fine."
I think Dayton was actually relieved when the shopping day was done, and we arrived home with a car full of missionary stuff!Monday, July 14, 2008
Did They Ever Think to Make a "Mom" Scout Handbook?
Scouting was invented by men. As such, they completely forgot that women would be doing all of the record keeping and sewing work. Somewhere in their realm of thought they assumed that mothers are just born with the knowledge they need to get their boys through scouting! They are very, very wrong. So far in my life I have asked mom's if they have any clue about scouting and most don't. We just find ourselves in this painful situation where we have to purchase ugly scout shirts and be excited about sewing on numerous patches as our children earn them. Of course for the first child, we do it out of duty. I found that hot glue at least got the patches on for a while. It worked for Mr. Expecting and I was a dutiful mother and did it. By the time Mr. Appreciative came around the patches had fallen off, so it was basically like he had a brand new shirt. Cool! But, then I realized that I was starting all over again, with new patches and Bo was on to the fact that the hot glue did not last. Fortunately for me, he didn't care, so we never sewed any patches on!
Well, Mr. Demanding is not that easy going. After he attended Timberline, he realized that other boys had better mothers than he did. How could he tell? They had patches sewn on to their shirts! You guessed it. Mr. Demanding wanted them on! So, I took them camping with us. This is where all the trouble comes. Once again, I did not know where to put those patches. I looked all through the book and finally found the best instructions that I could. They were on the front and back page covers and pathetic at that. I looked at the scouts in the book and went to sewing. Fun, fun!
A couple hours later I was done. It's not a pretty sight. In fact I will never point out to Cado how terribly my sewing looks on the inside. (Hopefully he will never compare this with the other scouts.) But, fortunately I got that last stitch in before that needle broke! Isn't it time for iron-on patches? Definitely a woman could come up with that!
The best idea I ever had in my "mom" scouting career was to have Carrie photoshop Dayton's head onto HER son's Eagle Scout picture! That sure made me look like a good scout mom!
Law Family Reunion
We had our Law Family Reunion this past weekend. The kids love being with their cousins. We spent a day at the lake and had a boat and 2 jet skis. It was tons of fun!
A day by the water is never complete until MANY people have been thrown into the water....against their will!
Lots of card playing went on! No betting though, that I know of.
Cado's super sidekick...Savannah. Boy, she adores him!
Bo and Cado on the jet ski. Bo was a maniac driver!
Jackson and Kellen sharing a pair of flip flops. Someone had taken the other pair and they had to come clear from the dock to our spot this way. Good thing they have those great hopping muscles!
Grandpa and Grandma just enjoy watching.
Maddie, Mariah and Abbie could have spent all day being pulled on that tube. Come to think of it...they about did!
These are the boating beauties!
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