I'm Back!!

Mike and the kids went camping with his family, a trip best not discussed. I went to Dallas with my mom and some friends for an Eastern Star meeting. We had a blast!!! Just some nice alone time with my mom, we don't get much. There was lots of shopping and lots of laughs, we even made some of the meetings!!

One week of getting things ready and then next week starts up with volleyball practice. Once it starts, so does everything else, teacher inservice and school mainly.

I've been making the schedule for the concession stand, trying to decide when the kids can work. Wow, I must give credit where credit is due. Scheduling is not easy and those that must do it all of the time can't have any hair left.

I know everyone is about to start school. I hope you all have a great year!!

One for the road...

So, I guess we'll be doing a lot of traveling this week. Today was spent 4-H'n. The girls did EXTREMLY well!! Morgyn only got a partcipation ribbon, but she is not old enough for the rest yet, one more year. Reagen had 2 projects today, her Decorate Your Duds got a blue, state qualifier and Reserve Champion. Her baking (cheese biscuits) got a blue, state qualifier and Champion. In fashion revue she got Reserve and a red. For her first year, it was pretty awesome!!!!!
Courtney also had two projects. Her leather got a blue and state qualifier. Her Clothing got blue, state qualifier and Champion. In fashion revue she got Champion, blue and state qualifier. That means we are headed to Pueblo at the end of the month so she can model her dress she made.
All three girls were awesome and four out of four projects are headed to state fair. I'll post how they place there at the end of the month.

After everything tonight, the girls left with Mike's parents for a couple of days at their house and then camping Wednesday thru Monday at Cimmeron. I go to Denver to pick mom and dad up from the airport (they've been to North Carolina to visit Michelle) and then Dalhart on Wednesday and Dallas on Thursday, back to Dalhart Sunday and home Monday. Mike hopes to go camping with his family this weekend as well. Lots of miles.

Middle of Fair...

... and I'm ready for it to be over. Of course, this is only the first of two this year. We still have Kiowa County in September. With everything else going on, I sure haven't sat with my feet up enough this week. I'm hoping and praying that it won't come back to bite me in the butt later; but maybe if it does, my butt will be a little smaller!! The leg does seem to be doing ok right now, but I can feel and see it at the end of the day when I've been up a bunch.

Courtney's sheep didn't do well at fair, not sure what happened. The judge was looking for something else I guess.

Well, gotta run!! Fair here we come (again)!!!

On the mend

So, I had my last injection this morning, thank goodness!!!! My abdomen looks nasty with bruises right now. I am still taking rat poison, aka as warafin; I will be taking it for the rest of my life. I go back for a protime blood test today to see if the meds need to be adjusted. Then back to the doctor Monday. I was figuring and I've spent a total of $300 dollars the last week on doctors, hospitals and such, and I know that I'll be getting bills in before long. My pocketbook needs this to all settle down. It is a really good thing I have insurance because I do know that one of my meds was over $1000, small blessings!!

So it seems that my medical stuff is all that is going on, but we are really busy and gonna get busier. This coming week is Cheyenne County Fair. Courtney is showing her sheep through FFA and will have to work concession stand for their volleyball fundraiser. I'm hoping we'll have a cooler week next week and it won't be so bad.

Once fair is over, we all are going our different ways. I'm headed to Dallas (maybe, lets see what the doc says), the girls are going camping with the Johnson family, Mike hopes to go camping as well but it has to rain first.

One more comment. If you get the chance, look up the Voca People (I think that's right) on YouTube. They are amazing. I saw them on the Early Show this morning and WOW!!

If it weren't for bad luck ...

... I'd have no luck at all. So we went to Texas this past weekend to help Mike's dad brand his late calves and pick up the new bed for the dually. When we got home last night my leg was bothering me and when I really looked at it I noticed that it was swollen something fierce. I went to the doctor in Eads today and he immediately sent me to Lamar to have an ultrasound done. I have blood clots, again. So I am getting injections in my stomach and taking warfarin. It is some nasty medication and I am defiantly not looking forward to all of the side effects. Oh, well, meds are better than the clots.

Another year...

So, I am now officially one year older and we had a GREAT time at my birthday barbecue. The festivities started Friday when I had the biggest surprise of the weekend. My youngest walked in the back door and I yelled at her to close the door when someone else walks in behind her. I didn't make the connection right away, she had to walk through the dining room and halfway through the living room before I realized that CORINTHIA HAD COME!!!!!! Man was I excited!! I guess everyone in the country knew what my big surprise was and I didn't even know one was coming!!

So, Friday night while Corinthia and Ryan were here, Tearle and Bart came out with some 'lady' friends and we had a nice evening. Stayed up till after 1 visiting and enjoying each others company.

I slept in till 8 Saturday morning, saw Mike, Ryan, Reagen and Morgyn off to the neighbors for a branding and waited until 9:30 to get Corinthia up. We then made a quick trip to La Junta (NOT Lawana, Corinthia) and had lunch and ran to Walmart. She made us drive 1 hour to go get a damn birthday cake, but it was DELICIOUS.

OH, my splurge. On the way to La Junta, we stopped at the C-Store and I bought 10 lottery scratch tickets. I always say that the 7-11-21 game is someday gonna pay off for me because my birthday is 7-11, so I bought ten 7-11s on 7-11. Scratched and scratched and won 33 dollars on my 33rd birthday. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?!?!?

Once we got back, Corinithia got the tour of the ranch. This is her second trip out and she has only seen the house. We went to look a prairie dog town to see that yes, they do eat grass. We checked all the tanks in the Rainy pasture and discussed how we do things out here. A quick stop at the house to pick up Reagen and Morgyn and then up to the creek. We check all the tanks in the state and cakehouse pastures and then went to the ponds on the creek. The girls wanted to swim, but we were being eaten alive by horseflies and I thought they might try to carry us off to their leader, so we hightail it out of there and back to the house.

Once we get there, Courtney is about back from Hastings, Nebraska and volleyball camp. Corinthia and I run to pick her up in KIT CARSON (not Carson City) and get back to where the barbecue is about to begin.

We had so much fun at the barbecue. Several people came out in addition to my family and Corinthia and Ryan. Brent, Pam and Dustin; Monte and Lori; Sam, Denise and the boys; Bonnie and Dwight; Bart; Tearle; Kevin, Angie and the kids; and then some friends of Dustin's came out later. (Gary and Janette was out the evening before since they had to go to Amarillo on Saturday.)

The brisket was a huge hit (Thanks Claudes Marinade!!) Lots of good food was brought (many different potato salads). The keg was flowing (or foaming). And the best company you could imagine.

I think I FINALLY got to bed about 4:30 this morning, but I feel wonderful. I am so glad that so many came out and they made my 33rd birthday so special. Love you all!!!

Summer Fun!!

So, the girls are back from Mom and Dad's! YEA!! We actually went to pick them up Sunday and had a busy few days.

They had a BLAST with mom and dad. During the 10 days they spent in the Dalhart area, the girls participated in Relay for Life, went to Wonderland Par, attended a Dilla's baseball game, went swimming several times and had their 3 cousins spend the night a couple of nights. They also helped Grandma and Grandpa with several little projects.

Since they've been home, we've done alot of 4-H projects (gotta get em done!), helped dad on the ranch and sent Courtney off to a volleyball camp in Hastings, Nebraska. She is suppose to be home Saturday, just in time for my birthday Barbecue.

Birthday Barbecue - too much work, but Mike insists. I really don't want to, I'd rather have a quiet evening where someone else does all the cooking, but you know how a man is when he gets and idea into his head. I guess I made a comment at the beginning of the summer that we haven't had a party out here in a long time, so he decided to do one for my b-day. I'd rather not mark getting another year older, just because that means my kids are too and they grow up too fast. So, we are expecting several out Saturday night and I'm fixing brisket and beans. Hope everyone else brings something to go with, I'm not sure if Mike got the word out or not. It'll do, whatever happens.

Strawberry plants - The dumb dog dug them up. She seems to think that my beds are her bed and she sleeps there. I was VERY upset!!

Well, have a great week!