2013 Year-In-Review (Part 3)

In late September, Tony and I took a road trip to check on some cattle that we have leased out in Tennessee. We started out by visiting the Arch in St. Louis on the last day of September. This ended up being a good thing as it was closed the next day due to the government shut-down. When we arrived there was thick, thick fog. We took in some of the movies and films that they had to offer on the history of the Arch and by the time we were finished with those the fog had lifted and we took the tour up to the top of the arch. Was very clear and we could see much of the city and more.

We continued our trip by traveling thru some of Illinois, Kentucky and then stopping in Nashville before we looked up the cattle. We ended up being able to get tickets to the Grand Ole Opry and getting to see Vince Gill who is one of my very favorites! After looking in on the cattle we headed to Branson, Missouri, which is one of my "happy places"! I LOVE going to Branson and Silver Dollar City is especially fun when it is all decked out for the Fall season! We traveled 2,400 miles in a week and decided that we wouldn't be ready for another road trip for awhile!

In October, Emily and I had fun decorating not only for the Fall season, but for Gunner's first birthday party! She picked the theme of tractors and pumpkins. I love this picture of the kids on the tractor. My Mom and Dad gave this tractor to Emily on her 2nd birthday. This last year, my Dad took it and totally refinished it! Does it look almost 30 years old?

We celebrated Gunner's first birthday with lots of friends and family. Again, Emily did lots of planning and it was a wonderful party celebrating a special little boy! This was his smash cake before the "smash"!

On Halloween Emily and Gunner and Tressie dressed up as Super Heros! She made their costumes and we had a busy day by taking the kids up to their Mama and Daddy's offices so that everyone could see their costumes, then went out for lunch, then home for trick or treating in the big town of Kit Carson! Tressie was really into it this year and it was a great evening weather wise. She got lots of candy so was a happy and excited little girl!

In November Tressie and I again did boxes for Operation Christmas Child. I challenged myself to do a box for each age group for the boys and girls which totaled 6 boxes. Tressie really enjoyed shopping thru the year for these and coming home and putting our goodies in a big box until time to send them off. She was a big help this year in assembling the boxes and getting everything ready. We will involve Gunner in the next year or two and continue this project that I have a real passion for! Such a blessing to know that some child who might not of ever received a gift before will be getting one of our boxes. I was able to receive information on where the boxes went. For the last two years, our boxes have gone to Mexico.

I found an idea on Pinterest that Tressie and I did in November. We had a "thankful" banner. Each day Tressie would tell me what she was thankful for and we would write it on a leaf and hang it on our banner. She loved this and each morning when she got here she would run over and want to do her leaf for the day! Such a simple but fun way to list our blessings and things we were thankful for in the month of Thanksgiving. Again, something that Gunner will be involved in probably next year!

Christmas can be quite hectic here on the ranch with the guys needing to do "chores" before anything else on Christmas morning. So, this year we decided that we would do our Christmas with Emily and Justin and the kids on Christmas Eve. We had a relaxed evening and enjoyed it very much! Tressie informed her Mama that they needed to wear their dress up clothes, so dress up they did! Don't they look nice?

Grandma and Grandpa's little cuties! Nothing makes Christmas as fun as the little ones! They bring such joy to our lives and we are very thankful and blessed that we are able to spend so much time with them!

And just like that, the Holidays were over and a new year has begun!

2013 Year-In-Review (Part 2)

In May we went to my Mom and Dad's and celebrated Mother's Day as well as my Mom's birthday. Her birthday is the 15th and always falls within days if not on Mother's Day.

On Father's Day, my Mom and Dad and my sister's family were on their way home from a wedding in Oklahoma and stopped for a Father's Day celebration lunch! It was a fun day and I am blessed to live within 100 miles of Mom and Dad and my sister and her family!

This summer we did receive some much needed rains. One of the awesome things about living on the prairie is to view a rainbow after a refreshing summertime rain! It looks really, really green in this picture. I think it was the lighting.

July brought our nation's birthday! Emily is always so good about getting great pictures of the kids no matter what the occasion! I'm usually her assistant and let me tell you, sometimes she takes lots and lots of pictures just to get several good ones! These two are a kick when trying to get them both to cooperate at the same time!

Emily and Justin and the kids celebrated at a family barbeque at Justin's Aunt and Uncle's house. Papa and I celebrated by sitting on the front porch enjoying the scenery and just relaxing!

This summer Tressie started riding her Papa's older horse, Moe. He started taking her with him when he was riding shorter distances to check cattle. She LOVES this and got to where she expected him to take her out on horseback every day! They had been out riding and came in the yard looking for a cool drink. Tressie said that Gunner was too little to ride with them but he could be in the picture!

One thing that I did blog about this past year, was our day at the Cheyenne county fair. It was a full day with alot of fun! They have a little carousel that you can ride for 25 cents. At this particular time, Papa and Tressie and Gunner were the only ones riding. They got a LONG ride!

I had a garden again this year and again it was a struggle to keep it going. Wasn't quite as hot and windy as the previous year but still plenty of hot, hot days with the hot, dry winds. Tressie and I did manage to grow a few things including cucumbers. Tressie LOVES cucumbers in any form.....right out of the garden or in the form of pickles! Her Papa is a pickle lover too, so I made pickles for them, hopefully enough to get them thru until next summer!

This summer and fall found lots of sesmic work in Cheyenne county. They started their surveying and work on some of our land and in fact are still working their way across the eastern part of the county. Tressie and I were easily entertained in watching as this helicopter dropped supplies and then later came back to gather those same supplies to move to another area. It was interesting to learn how the process worked from talking to one of the foreman one day.

2013 Year-In-Review (Part 1)

In looking back at my blogging for 2013, I realize that it has been a total failure......So, for 2014 it is my goal to either blog ALOT more, or give it up! I blogged a total of 3 times last year! Not 3 times a week, Not 3 times a month.....BUT 3 TIMES TOTAL!

I did not want to leave out so many great and fun times of 2013 so I am attempting to get them down in several parts entitled.....2013 Year-In-Review.

JANUARY 2013
January always begins our goats kidding season. Why would we kid out goats when it is so cold? These goats are having their kids at this time so that they will be the right size and age for 4-H and FFA prospects. It is always a busy time and is there anything as cute as a newborn baby goat? UNLESS it's your adorable granddaughter who is holding the baby goat! (And, FYI, the goats have a nice warm barn for when its cold!)



January also brought about a shorter Bronco season than we were all hoping for, BUT look out this year!!!



February 2013
I was the only one around who would help my daughter stage this photo shoot.....Poor Gunner his Dad said.... But my two precious little valentines!



March 2013
March 1st was Tressie's third birthday! How can she possibly be 3 already! Her Mom spent alot of time and planning for this "Under The Sea" birthday party. Tressie is such a party girl and loved every minute of it!



Easter was very early this year but the weather cooperated and we had a nice day for egg hunting.


Since Gunner chose to take a nap during this time and was too little anyway......our Golden, Hannah, decided to help Tressie hunt eggs! OK with Tressie as Hannah and her are best buds!



April 2013
We had our first on-site goat sale this year to sell the baby goats that had been born in January. It turned out to be a very nice day and had a good crowd come out. Tressie was very excited for this day and turned out to be very good help for her Papa and Daddy as they got ready and sold the goats!

A Day At The County Fair!

Several weeks ago we spent the day at the Cheyenne County Fair with Tressie and Gunner. It was a fun day but a very full and long day! Long like we were there from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm!

First up, the turtle races! This is a very big event at the Cheyenne County Fair! There were over 130 turtles entered this year! Each person can enter 2 turtles and almost all of these are entries from kids.

Tressie isn't real fond of turtles but we were able to get a picture. Don't know if this was "Mike" or "Sulley"!

Not to be outdone by his big sister, Gunner entered "Buzz" and "Woody"! He kinda likes turtles! He's a boy..... Well, none of their turtles placed but it is always worth entering as first prize is $50 cash! Papa and Tressie had 12 turtles in the horse trailer several weeks prior to the fair and would feed them melon rinds and other things all the while observing which ones were worthy of going to the races! There's always next year!

Next up.....the Kiddie Rodeo. This rodeo is for the younger kids and they compete using stick horses. Tressie and her Daddy and Papa set up a barrel course and tried to teach her the pattern several days before the fair. Well.....she kinda got it when she paid attention. Not to worry, the youngest of the kids were able to follow someone and complete their patterns. Papa was a good sport and helped her out. She ran the barrels and then did the flag race. I should mention that the course is much smaller than normal and they use plastic buckets for the barrels and poles. It was getting hot and Tressie had a blue snow cone on the brain. Halfway thru the poles she stopped and told Papa that her horse was tired! She was finished! Love it!

This is how Gunner enjoyed the Kiddie Rodeo! In his typical chilled out mode! Several more years and he will be entered!

After some lunch it was time for the carnival. A local church does an awesome job in running the carnival games and then for prizes they offer TONS of different school supplies! A great idea! Tressie was very into the games. She had quite the arm in knocking down the wooden pins and throwing the darts at balloons! She did the fishing pond, the ring toss and several other games. One of her favorites was the shooting booth! She loved it! Her Mom said that she looks like Annie Oakley in this picture!

After awhile she had a handful of tickets and it was time to shop the prizes! She had enough for this cute backpack, several folders, markers and several other things!

Then it was time for the carousel. Gunner, Tressie and Papa were the only ones riding at the time and got a pretty long ride. Gunner wasn't so sure he really liked it but he never cried!

By this time Gaga and Papa are getting tired but not Tressie! She had been wanting to do the big slide all day! She met up with a little friend from church and they had a blast on this. For awhile they were the only ones on it and the kid running the ride didn't even take their tickets for admission but just let them keep going again and again and again! They also rode in some kayaks and had a great time!

Tressie and Gunner with one of their favorite "girls" as Tressie calls them.....Lauren!

That evening Tony's Mom and Dad came and brought the team. There was a new event at the fair this year. It was a team driving competition. Each team pulled the same wagon thru an obstacle course. It was a timed event with penalty seconds added for knocking over different things, etc. Tony's Dad had already planned to enter and at the last minute, Tony entered. There were two different courses and Tony ended up getting third on the second course with "Tom" and "Whopper"!

It was a great day at the fair with our grandkids and we feel very blessed to be able to spend so much time with them and watch them grow and see the excitement of new things thru the eyes of a child!

Mother's Day 2013

I had a great Mother's Day this year!

About a month before Mother's Day, the FedEx truck delivered a package to my house.  As he was leaving he mentioned that he had a package for Emily and was going up to her house next.  I told him that he could leave it with me as they would be there that evening to pick up the kids.  He asked if I was sure and I said, "No problem"!  He went back to his truck and brought a package in and set it by the front door and was on his way.  The minute he left, I thought, "Oh, we MIGHT have a problem"!  The problem you ask?  Well, this package was from Kohl's but was in a box that told what the contents was, in this case, a KitchenAid mixer......Ummmm.....Emily already has a KitchenAid mixer and not two or three weeks earlier as I was trying to make buttercream frosting for Tressie's birthday cake and the beaters were literally pulling out of my hand mixer.....she tells me, "Mom, you need a KitchenAid".  I say yes, someday, maybe!  After I realize that I might of just ruined a surprise by having the FedEx man leave her package with me, I quickly shot off an email to her explaining what had just happened.  She wrote back and said, "Well, Happy Mother's Day and now I won't have to worry about where to put it until then or how to wrap it!  Go ahead and open it up and use it!"

I am SOOO enjoying my new mixer!  I have made several Angel Food cakes and several other things and I have to say I wish I would of had one years ago!  There is only one problem with this gift and it's not my problem.....You see, every since we built the new house I have watched Tressie.  In the kitchen I had this one cabinet that I was not using as it was Tressie's playing and hiding place.  The only available space for the new mixer.  She was NOT happy about it!  She would go over and open the cabinet and tell me to move it!  She has since accepted the situation.  Truth be told, she was almost too big to fit in there any more!

 On Sunday we went to my Mom and Dad's house and enjoyed eating lunch and spending the afternoon with them along with my sister and brother-in-law, one of my nieces, an aunt, and Emily and Justin and the grandkids.

My sister and I with Mom

 It is always fun to get a 4 generation picture.

Four generations

My beautiful red hair daughter and my sweet grandkids!  Don't know if either one of them will end up with red hair or not?
 

 Since Mom's birthday is tomorrow, May 15th, we also celebrated her birthday with birthday cake and homemade peach ice cream that Mom and Dad made!  My almost all-time favorite food EVER!  Yum.....it is soooo good!!!

To celebrate Mother's Day with Tony's Mom, I made lasagna last night and had her and Ernie and Andy come for supper.  

Another four generations picture

It was a fun Mother's Day week-end and I feel blessed to be able to spend time with my Mom and the rest of my family!

Christmas 2012

I decided if I was going to get a blog up about our Christmas, I had better get it done seeing as it has almost been two weeks since Christmas! And, again I am having trouble with getting pictures to come up in the order I want them to in Blogger.....so have decided to work with it instead of fighting it.....

One of the few pictures that we got of all of us together on Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we traveled the 5 minutes it took to get to the "Grandkids" house! It was a nice relaxed evening and Emily fixed us her yummy green chili for supper! Grandma knows that the kids don't need any more stuffed animals, but she couldn't resist these cute little 2012 Christmas horses that I found at Kohl's at a super low price. That always justifies it, right?

It was fun just visiting and watching Tressie open up a few of her presents and then helping her little brother with his. Gunner looked so cute in his little red outfit!

Before we came home, they opened their packages with their new pajamas in them and got ready for bed so that Santa could come!

I will make this long story short by saying that we had a great Christmas Day! We woke up to about 4 inches of snow that morning which was beautiful, but on the ranch, the cows need to eat before it's Christmas! So, Tony and Justin bundled up and fed the cows some hay and cleared the tanks of ice so that they could get a nice cold drink!

When they got in we had Christmas here at our house. I think Tressie's favorite present from Papa and Gaga was her Rapunzel doll. She also got a Rapunzel dress and crown and wig to dress up with.

It was a very busy day with stops at Tony's Mom and Dad's for lunch and then 100 miles in to my Mom and Dad's house! Happy that we get to spend time with all of the family, but it sure makes for a marathon day! We were again blessed with a great day celebrating our Saviour's birth!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HAMMER RANCH!