December 24th, 25th, & 26th

Dec 24th

So the day started out by waking up a few hours late, because Caleb and I didn't get home and into bed till almost 1am and I didn't get my alarm set. So when I finally do wake up and see what time it is, I jump out of bed and get moving cause I still need to put together a few things for the Christmas Dinner we are having at Caleb's parent’s house. At least I am relatively fast in the kitchen...but I'm not very neat when I have to move as fast as I was moving that morning.....so needless to say it looked like a tornado had went through my kitchen when I was finished. In the mean time Caleb had left to go and do the cattle chores. As the morning went a long the weather started making a mess out side....and by the time I left to go over to Caleb's folks house it was sleeting outside....and to make it worse the wind was blowing like crazy and the sleet would pelt you in the face! Well I made it saftly overther and we got to eat and boy was it good....Karen (Caleb's mom) did such a great job with all the food!!

After we ate Aidan finally got to do what he was waiting for all day....OPEN PRESENTS!!! After he and Lexie opened all of theirs Aidan helped open the presents of anyone who would let him.

Lexie wasn't to worried about opening her presents she just wanted to push them around in her new little cart

Aidan was way excited about the new drill that he got from Uncle Andrew and Aunt Holly

Holly showin' off the new hat and scarf that Caleb and I gave her.

After opening all the presents Caleb went out to check on a cow that earlier he thought was getting ready to have a calf....and since the weather wasn't letting up he wanted to make sure she didn't have problems and that the calf didn't freeze. When Caleb got over to the pasture he discovered that the cow still hadn't had the calf and there should have been some sort of progress, but there wasn't....so we were gonna need to get her in and pull it. So Caleb heads back to his parents to get the 4-wheeler and pick me up, and luckily I just happened to grab my bibs when I was leaving our house, so I put them on, then I change into a pair of old tennis shoes that I keep over there for times like this but not before borrowing a pair of socks from the sock basket in the laundry room....cause all I had on was a pair of no-show socks and when I went out side that wind shot strait up my leg....and boy was it cold!!! I first put on a regular stocking hat, but then Holly reminded me that there should be a ski mask in where they kept the stocking hats, so I search it out and put it on. Caleb then came up with the idea to wear safety glasses since it felt like you were getting pelted with be-be's when you walked outside....of course there wasn't a pair that I could wear so Caleb gives me a pair of goggles instead.....by this point I was looking good.....I got my bib's on, a huge sweatshirt, a ski mask and safety goggles! Well Caleb and I head off to the pasture in the chore truck and as soo as we turn on to the black-top road and are less than a mile away....the truck starts acting funny and the 'service engine soon' light comes on and the truck dies...great, this it just what we needed, it's sleeting we have a cow having problems calving and now truck problems. About a week or two ago the gas gage on the chore truck quit working and we had been gauging when to fill up by how many miles we would go....but you have to include driving in 4-wheel drive and idling...both of which we failed to take into account so we are now sitting in the middle of the road waiting for either Calvin or Pop to come and help. While waiting some guys stop and ask if we need help and then proceeded to call me a boy....ouch that hurt....but in their defense I was wearing a ski mask and looked like a big pile of clothes so the really could tell what I was. Finally help arrived, in form of Pop, and pulled us up to the farm we were trying to get to. Calvin arrived when we did with a little gas but once he got there found out that he need a funnel....so he went off to get that and Caleb, Pop and I headed off to get the cow. We didn't have much trouble getting her in...I mean we did have to chase her, but not for very long...Pop almost ran into the old creep-feeding pen and I had to crawl through a fallen down tree but we made it!! Once we got her in the ally we figured out that she wasn't that close to having a calf....she was still a day or two off. so we decide to lock her up in the barn for good measure and call it a day....cause we were sick of being out in that nasty weather.

      Well in the mean time we were suppose to be heading down to Caleb's Grandparents house which is about 20 minutes south of Caleb's folks in normal weather conditions. While we were gone messing with the cow Caleb's mom and sister's were suppose to be deciding if we were gonna go down there or not. Well since no body was ready to go and there were all sitting around....except Karen who was cleaning in the kitchen and constantly asking 'if they still wanted to go' and getting no reply....well I figured that we weren't going, cause it was 6 and we were suppose to be there at around 5:30. After being around this family for almost two years now one thing I have learned is that they are terrible when it comes to making decision. So at 6:30 there was still no decision made so I suggest that we stay cause I really didn't want to get out in this nasty weather again. Well about that time everybody then decided that we were going....soo 30 minutes later at 7 we finally leave to go down there....and 40minutes after that we finally get there! It was a longer than normal trip but we were sure glad we went!!! We had a great time with the Thompson family....there is never a dull moment when your down there!!

Well after we spend a good amount of time there and then decide to leave and make the 40 minute trip back to Caleb's folk’s house. Then Caleb and I head home and for the fourth night this week we didn't get to bed till after midnight.

Barnyard Fun...

On Wednesday we were out getting ready to go and build some fence I pulled my camera out and started taking some pics of all my critters and my husband.  While out there Caleb thought that it would be a good idea to try and ride Spot our bottle calf....he asked me "do ya think he'll let me ride him?" I told him no but he didn't listen....and well he wasn' on there for long...

I laughed pretty hard at this!!!

who needs a klennex....just use your toung, it doubles as a snack!

Brownie came in for her close-up

Jasper out havin' a grand ol' time....lookin' for a bunny to chase

You can't really see it from this picture but Jasper is currently a skin-head right now from his recent accident

My boys are home again....and causing all sorts of headaches for Caleb....For example, Caleb thought that it would be a good idea to leave three sacks of feed on the back of the truck one night and he parked it out where the horses could get to it....Well of course the next morning they had ate one full bag and tore the other two bags. His argument was that the calves wouldn't get into it....but they couldn't reach it. Needless to say he hasn't left bags of feed where they could get to them since that has happened!

Reasons why Caleb doesn't like messin' with Cattle and fixin' fence...

    This week I would say would not be a week that Caleb would wish to repeat....and it all started on Monday...and like most of my stories it involved cattle.

     It was a windy and cold Monday morning when Caleb and I headed out to put out some hay and check all our cattle. While out there we found one of our cows was getting ready to have a calf....so we let her be for now and figured we would check her after lunch to make sure she had it. Well after we ate, Caleb headed back over to check on her and of course....she hadn’t had it yet and she should have. So instead of having me come all the way up from our house to help pull the calf, Caleb goes and gets Pop and his hire hand, Tim, to help. Well, of course the cow didn't want to go without a fight, so Caleb and Tim start chasing her in on foot while Pop stays in our chore truck...the truck without a grill guard....well like they usually do, cow decided to make one last stand against the truck and now we have a busted up grill and a large dent in the hood, oh wonderful!!

     Well they finally get the cow in an pull the calf....but not without a little trouble cause the calf's head was sideways....now we know why she was havin a little trouble giving birth. Well they finally get the little girl out....and she was anything but little...she easily weighed 100lbs. Momma goes and starts licking the calf and Caleb thinks he is done for the day....so he goes and gets some hay and feed for momma. In the mean time I am trying to call and find out what's going on...and not getting any answer...I think I called at least a dozen times. Well I decided to head over and see if I can't find him to make sure nothing bad has happened to him....at this point I was thinkin’ he had better have a real good reason for not answering cause I was not to happy to say the least! Well as I was headin' over to the pasture I saw the chore truck turn onto the highway in front of me...come to find out Caleb had lost his phone while chasing the cow around the pasture. I decided to go with him to take the hay and feed over to the cow. It had been almost 2 hours since they had pulled the calf and the long-legged fool still hadn't gotten up and sucked yet...so we decided to go and get a bottle of coloustrum to give her to make sure she makes it through the night. Before we go and get the bottle, we head out into the pasture and I sart callin’ Caleb’s phone…..and amazingly we found it after calling it two times…I think that was one of the few things that went right for Caleb. Well, after we get back and give the bottle to the calf we notice that the momma had not done that good of a job licking her off, so we decided to load her into the front of the truck to warm up and hopefully dry the rest of the way off, cause the poor little girl had already had the tips of it's ears frozen off. Well after sitting there for a while we decided that it would be easier to take the calf up and stick it in Grandma and Pop's garage for the night.
     The next morning Caleb heads up to take the calf back to her momma. The calf is still having some problems standing, but he figures she will be fine. Before heading to the pasture he decides to put a tag in the calf's ear....well the little girl didn't like that to much and after that she stood in the front of the truck the entire way back to the pasture. Well while they were heading back she needed to go potty...and when you gotta go, you gotta go....and go she did...all over the passenger door of the truck...Oh that's gonna be fun to clean up. Well after it was all said and done, the calf finally figured out how to stand and how to suck and she's doin' fine!
     I dare say that was the end to Caleb's not so good week....after all it was only Tuesday.

     On Wednesday afternoon we head out to build fence, so we can turn our cattle out on our harvested bean fields. While out there Caleb proceeded to get the 4-wheeler stuck while trying to pull the sled that was holding the barbwire, through the creek that separated the two fields. In the process of getting the 4-wheeler out Caleb ends up stubbing the thumb on one hand and smashing a finger on the other. We finally get the 4-wheeler un-stuck, but the sled that was holding the wire is still on the wrong side of the creek...so Caleb grabs the chain of the sled and starts pulling it...right off a two foot cliff right into the water of the creek and he splashes water all over his legs. Well, I saw this coming...so when this happened I start laughing uncontrollably...I got a dirty look for this but it was funny. Caleb finally cracked a smile. We finally got finished stretching the wire but not before breaking it...but that was an easy fix. Now all that's left to do is put up a few more post and it will be all ready for the cattle. Now I think I know why Caleb hates messin’ with cattle and hates fixin’ fence!

Caleb puttin' out a bale of hay

I made him stop and smile at me for this one

This is the dirty look I got when I blinded Caleb with the flash....we were sitin' in the truck waitin' for the calf to warm up

Here's the little girl just soakin' up the warmth.

I think he was hollerin' at me for not helpin'....but somebody has to take pictures!!

I told him I wouldn't stop takin' pictures until he gave me a good smile!

A Missouri Thanksgiving.....

It's taken a while, but here's some pics from my trip to Missouri over Thanksgiving.  Unfourchuntly Caleb didn't get to go...it finally dried up so he stayed home in Kansas and combined soybeans.

The weekend started with me "helping" my dad with his cattle chores

Actually I was trying to get a good picture of him, but he didn't cooperate very well

When I went I took a new pet for my mom.....Susie....she was a little nervous, but did really good

Then we headed over to Oak Ridige Church for the Brown Thanksgiving dinner....lots of great food, but you have to fight your way to the front of the line if you want any of it

Here's my momma (left) with her sister Cyola (Ky-o-la)

Birthday wishes...

Today Caleb's grandfather...Pop....turned 86 years old, but you wouldn't know it if you looked at all he does.  He's out in the field working with Caleb and Calvin all the time, weather it's workin' ground, workin' cattle, in the hay field....or his favorite combining corn.

Pop eatin' his yummy angle food cake topped with cool whip and strawberries....Oh soo good!!!

Pop's showin' off his Birthday/early Christmas presents

The guys are over talkin' about buyin' seed when there is cake sittin' on the table just waiting to be ate...they need to get their priorities in order....food first, business later!!

The Smell of Christmas

Like others who grew-up on a farm in the Midwest, I grew up having a cedar tree for a Christmas tree. They are usually plentiful on the farm...or if you can't find a good one there look next to the highway or next to the railroad tracks. The family would all load up in dad's old truck (Big Red) and head out to find a tree. When we finally decided on a tree, dad would hand us the recently sharpened ax and every kid would get a swing at choppin' it down. After each having a turn Dad would then finish the job and load the tree into the back of the truck. We would then take it to the house put the tree stand on it and often find that the tree was a lot bigger than we thought, so we would cut it down to size and put it in the living room next to the window and try to position the tree so you can't see the hole or flat spot in the tree. After it's in perfect position we would pull out all the ornaments, lights, and garland and start decorating. Then to finish it off I would put the icicles on....usually to thick and too many, cause I love icicles.....then we would have our tree.

This year I decided not to do the "real" tree....Caleb and I remodeled our house and put new super plush carpet in and I'm not ready to have cedar needles stuck in it for the all the years to come. Luckily my mom hooked me up with a "Compton's Special" pre-lit tree a few years ago....for those who don't know what a "Compton's Special" it's a long story and I will explain at another time. It's not the fanciest artificial tree out there, but for $25 I'm not gonna complain!!

Most people have a color or some kind of elegant theme to their tree...mine is NASCAR...and mainly Jimmy Johnson. And thanks to my sister, Kim, I even have Jimmy Johnson stockings. I wrapped almost all the presents today so now I have some things under my. So I don't get things too confused between mine and Caleb's family I use different color wrapping papers for each family. Green for my family and Blue for Caleb's....I also used the green for Caleb's presents, just the reverse side.....His are all the one with the red bows. If you have a Sam's club card, I suggest going there for wrapping paper.....they have huge rolls and the paper is reversible. They also have really good deals on their wire ribbon.

If any of you are like me and get a lot cards and don't like throwing them out, then you might like this neat trick I learned from my sister. At the end of the Christmas season take all the cards and place them in a stack...then take some pretty ribbon and wrap it around them both ways like you would a present and tie a bow on the top.....if you have a formal tree....you can set them under it as mock presents.....or use them to decorate else where. The "present" with the gold ribbon in front of my tree is one I did with cards Caleb and I got when we got married.

Well since I didn't do a cedar tree I really wanted to bring that delicious cedar smell (the smell of Christmas to me) into my house. So I cut some branches off the trees we have out behind the house and made a centerpiece for the table.

It's nothing fancy....just some cedar branches from out back

....some candles I bought at the end of the season last year and wrapped with some wire branch rope.....

....and some bitter-sweet that I got along side the road to add a little color. Like I said nothing special....but it sure does smell nice in here now....it Smells Like Christmas!!!