Project Life Layout, July 9 - July 15 {Week 28}

July 9 - Today was the girls 4-H Achievment day.  Here is my second daughter doing the barrel pattern for the first time.  She was so proud because she was awarded a 1st place ribbon for her two runs (the most consistent time between the two runs earned a first place).

My oldest girl took a nasty spill on her second run of barrels.  She got her horse going to fast coming home and there was to much momentum for her to stay in the saddle and when the horse came to a sudden stop she got thrown out of the saddle into the perimeter fence.  She was hurt, but she was a trooper.  She got right back on her horse and finished her next two runs on the pole pattern.  In the end, she was okay, shaken and lucky she didn't have any broken bones.  She has a nasty bruise on her nose.  We are just very thankful that it wasn't worse - good thing there is the rule for kids to wear riding helmets.

July 10 - My oldest son wanted to make a ramp to ride over, and didn't want to leave anything undone.  He got a cooler with water bottles and chairs for his spectators.  He didn't want his spectators to be thirsty...lol!

July 11 - Our neighbors have cattle right beside us and here was a lone cow staring at me.

July 12 - I was lucky and got my kids into a second session of swimming lessons this summer.  They love the water!

July 13 - A friend of ours came over to clip our horses hooves.  Our oldest daughter never stopped talking the entire time they were here, not sure what got into her.  We have never heard her say so much!!

July 14 -  Practicing the back float.

July 15 - Now this is what I live for all winter long.  I can't wait until the snow melts so we can pack our camper and head out on our annual vacation camping trip with friends.  Today was the day that we left our yard behind for two whole weeks!!!!!

Alas, {Week 28 DONE}.

Project Life Layout, July 2 - July 8 {Week 27}

July 2 - Uncle Jack made these carts for the kids to push - what great fun these guys had!

July 3 - Big family supper down at the family farm.  All the relatives are still around, so the immediate family got together for a big buffalo burger feast!  Here is my husband and his dad.

July 4 - Happy Independence Day to my American friends!!!  In the past few weeks my son has really gotten into building things with his Lego.  The other day he built a side by side with row bars and all.  Love seeing him being creative this way!

June 5 - My daughter picked these wild flowers in our pasture today and brought them to me in a nice bouquet.  I think they are just beautiful!



July 6 - My husband pulled out the yard sprayer today as the weeds are starting to creep into the gravel - time to lay them to rest!

I would also like to add that today, I ran 4 MILES!!!!  In the afternoon I ran 2 miles indoors on my treadmill, then after supper before my husband pulled out the sprayer, they went on a bike ride and I ran along side of them.  I only planned on running 1 mile, but I ended up running 2 additional miles, for a total of 4 miles ran today!!!  An update on my weight loss also for those who have been following it.  At the end of February I set a goal to lose 20 lbs by July 1.  I came up a bit short.  I lost 15 lbs.  It is still a success in my eyes.  I have set a new goal, to run a 5 KM race in 30 minutes.  I am going to set this goal for September 5.  If I can do that, I am buying myself an epiphanie camera bag then!!!  Wish me luck!!!!

July 7 - This is one of my surviving plants in my flower bed.  It isn't that I can't keep them alive, it is more a fact that my dog causes trouble where trouble isn't needed.  So far I have lost 11 plants that I planted in there...naughty dog!!!

July 8 - Tomorrow is Horse 4-H Achievement day so it was time to bath the horses and braid their tails and mane's.  Should be a fun and long day tomorrow.  The girls are even 'nervous' about it all.  It will be a great day, I know it,

So today I got on my treadmill and ran my first 5 km EVER, non stop!  Took me 33 minutes and 40 seconds to jog the entire distance.  I surprised myself by finishing it. So glad that I did it.  Now I know I can shave a few minutes off of that time by September...I am going to try anyhow.

{Week 27}, done. 

See you for {Week 28}!!



Project Life Layout, June 25 - July 1 {Week 26}

June 25 - With all of the flooding the air traffic has been pretty steady here checking things out from above.  There is a guy that goes to our church who has his license and this is him flying this chopper.

June 26 - My nieces birthday so we headed up there, rode horses for the afternoon, ate a yummy supper (homemade burgers), then rounded off the night with a few rocket launches.  Kids loved that!

June 27 - On June 7 I started this task, and today finished it.  We home school and every year by June 30 we must  submit a report of our child's progress - what was studied, where they excel, where they are weak.  Today, this report hit the mail, finally!

June 28 - My daughter in her swimming lessons.

June 29 - Today there was a double lesson day.  A make up lesson in the morning for one cancelled last week and the regularly scheduled lesson in the afternoon.  Rather than head home for 3 hours until the next lesson we spent the afternoon at a friends house.  Kids had fun playing.

June 30 - My birthday.  I turned 37 today.  We travelled to Melfort as the big family reunion starts tomorrow.  Little did I know that my sister in law (who lives here where I do), made a cheesecake yesterday (I LOVE cheesecake), and hauled it 6 hours up to Melfort to surprise me with it.  The picture is on her camera so I have to get a copy of it from her then will post here.  I was surprised that is for sure.  The cheesecake, absolutely delicious!!

July 1 - First day of the big family reunion.  This shot isn't the best, I didn't bring my 35 mm lens so had my zoom lens on and I couldn't back up far enough because of all the people behind me to get all the grand kids into the shot.  This is Grandpa (he lost his wife at the end of May) with all his great grandchildren.  He is a very godly man - he prays for each and every grandchild and great grandchild three times per day, naming each one individually.  We love him dearly.  With so may photos to choose from today, I opted for this one because the next reunion is 5 years from now, and he just may not be here any longer.  Love you grandpa!

{Week 26}  DONE!  Half of the year is gone, so hard to believe.  See you next week!

Project Life Layout, June 4 - 24 {Week 23, 24, 25}

June 4 - My dear friend Josi and her adorable little pug Belle.  Way back in February I posted a picture of her and her husband on my blog stating that they would be leaving this spring.  Well, the time has come, one more week here and they will move back to where they are from.  I will miss her.  Gives our family a perfect excuse to head to the East Coast now and visit them!  They are also due to have their first baby in 6 weeks.  She is the most adorable pregnant lady ever!

June 5 - Craziest thing - wake up Sunday morning and can't find our youngest son.  Here we found him underneath his bunk bed and the duvet was infront of him so we couldn't initially see him there!

June 6 - Tavis and Josi came out tonight and Tavis went for what will likely be his last ride here this time around.  My son is doubling behind him.

June 7 - A ditch on our property had a ton of tadpoles so I got the kids aquarium upstairs and put 12 of them in there to watch them turn into frogs.  You can see the wee beginnings of their back legs starting.

June 8 - Like father like son, going on a 'doubles' ride.

June 9 - Did some yard work and some riding, then finished it off with a nice little fire and of course some coffee and smores!

June 10 - 4-H riding night.  Uncle Cal brought in one of his littler horses and gave pony rides to all who wanted.  My son loved it!!!

June 11 - I took my youngest with me and we headed to Minot to pick up the 5 new bikes we ordered a few weeks back for the family!  Here are three of the kids are theirs.

June 12 - Went to Estevan to take the Ford in for some recall work, then followed that with a real expensive oil change....going to insert the bill into the slot.

June 13 - This was so awesome.  Tavis and Josi are our friends who are moving.  Little did they know that we planned a surprise farwell party for them.  They thought they were gettting together with us and one other couple...nope...about 80 other people were there too.  You can see their smiles through the window.

June 14 - Here are the little tadpoles.  We have had them for a week and you can tell they are really advancing along well.  Got their teeny back legs out and the front legs are soon to follow.

June 15 - Normally I wouldn't likely take a picture of a plane up in the air, but this was different.  It seemed like it wasn't very far up compared to normal.  Maybe it was just the atmosphere making it seem closer, but none the less, thought it was a neat picture.

June 16 - Wow, time flies.  My little girl is 7 today!  Happy Birthday!!!

June 17 - Today was the day that my husband headed to Minot to pick up our new stock/combo trailer.  No more borrowing!  YAY!!!

June 18 - We had a 3 day conference at our church and that brings alot of visitors who need a place to stay.  We had a family of 5 stay with us - first time meeting them, and they had a blast!  Here is their second boy with our kids at breakfast.

A month back you will remember flooding that I blogged about, well the call came today that the three area dams were forced to opend up their gates and start releasing water again.  My husband and other locals helped move our neighbors down the road out because the water WILL come over the banks and into their house.  So sad.  They moved everything that they could into our barn which is empty right now.  Thankfully we are on high ground that we should be okay.

June 19 - Here is the family that stayed with us.  They are great!  So talkative and so friendly.  I was so glad that we were asked to have some company for the weekend.  Such a blessing!!!

June 20 - I love the smell of lilacs blooming!!

My husband took the day off work to help move more stuff.  A neighbors farm equipment has all been moved into our yard and by days end, our barn was full with other peoples belongings.  The reports of water coming down stream are not encouraging either.

June 21 - I didn't know if it was going to happen this year with all the moisture, but in the end I did go and buy some plants.  Here is one of my million bells plants.

June 22 - My neighbor just down the road.  Lastnight the dikes let go at 9:30 pm.  The water took over almost instantly.  As of this morning, the water was as you can see up to his picture window (that wast taken at 6:30 am).  As the day has worn on, the levels have risen and will continue to rise.

June 23 - Amidst all that is going on just 1000 feet from our home, life does still go on.  I found a young black bird just learning to fly - momma bird wasn't happy that I was anywhere near her little one.  Got my picture and off I went...lol!

June 24 - The two girls were taking their new bikes for a ride when the one wiped out.  My son took off running to help her.  I was so glad to have my camera to capture his caring little self run to help his sister!

Weeks 23, 24, and 25 all caught up in one post, I am planning to post Weeks 26 and 27 in a single post in two weeks.  See you then!