Have a JOYful New Year!

Greetings from the Malson Family!

We are thankful for friends and family both near and far. Please know we think of you all often and enjoy keeping up with those of you on social media. We loved receiving all the cards and letters in the mail this holiday season. I had hoped to get ours out also, but this year in review will have do.

We have our first teenager in the house now. Mackenzie turned 13 in September. It seems for her, hitting this milestone means it’s now okay to wear my shoes. If they are missing from my closet, I know where to check. Soon it will be my clothes! She’s a beautiful, bright young woman and we are very proud of her. She is enjoying 7th grade and it feels more official that she is in middle school now, even though she’s been in the building the last two years. It’s hard to say what her favorite subject is as she loves them all. I love that she’s an avid reader and you can catch her with a book in her hand most of the time. I think if she had to pick a favorite it would be history. She and I enjoyed a Mom/Daughter trip to Chicago this summer for her to compete in the National History Bee. It was quite fun exploring a new city with her. She loves showing cattle and was quite competitive through the spring and summer with her heifers, and also won overall showmanship at two shows. She competed in cross country for the first time this fall and really enjoyed the sport. She received 12th place in several of the meets she ran in with varying times, but had a personal record for her last meet. Her basketball team was also undefeated. She’s looking forward to playing tennis in the spring. 

Emma, our 10 year old little firecracker, seems to leave a little sparkle wherever she goes. She has a smile and a hug for everyone she meets. It seems anywhere we go she knows someone and says hello. School has been more of a challenge for her as she learns differently than her siblings, so we celebrate any little success she has. Math seems to be her favorite subject. We’re committed to helping her be the best Emma she can be, and we’ve all had some “light bulb” moments this year as we figure out how. She has a big heart and is very aware of other people’s emotions. She loves to help and is a very hard worker as well. These are valuable qualities to have and we’re excited to see where her own "brand of beautiful" takes her in this world. She’s a natural athlete, and enjoys running, playing softball, basketball and tennis. She showed sheep again this summer, and was part of a show circuit, attending several shows in Idaho. Showmanship comes naturally to her as well, and we were all thrilled when she won a belt buckle at the end of the year for all her efforts.

Our boy. I’m afraid 7 year old Jayten often feels outnumbered with all the girls in his life, but he seems to handle it pretty well. I’m hoping he’s going to grow up tough and tender. ;0) He loves being outside, helping with all the animals whenever he can. He was still on the sidelines this year, but did get to show one of Emma’s lambs in Pee Wee Showmanship. He lives for the day he’ll be able to show his own animal, and asks when that day will be regularly. He knows his way around a pitchfork and a broom, and can often be found out cleaning up around the sheep and pig pens. In fact, he’d rather muck pens then clean his room any day! I kind of don’t blame him; I’m not a huge fan of housework either, ha! At shows, you can often find him helping others with their cattle and cleaning pens. One highlight from his summer was spending the night with friends of ours, going to a show and helping them with their goats and cattle. He’s enjoying second grade, doing well at math and becoming a better reader every day. He’s started into chapter books with the Hank the Cowdog Series, which I also read in my younger years. Jayten played flag football for the first time in the spring and is excited for wrestling season to start again.

Miss B, as she’s affectionately known, has pretty much stolen the show around here. Her looks and personality seem to be all her own, and it’s easy to see how smitten everyone is with her. Brynleigh turned four in August and started her first year of preschool. She only goes a few days a week, but is enjoying the routine, learning and playtime with other kids. She is quite proud to show us her papers from her backpack each day. Her smile is contagious and she keeps us entertained. She has lots of “buddies” and enjoys hanging out with friends and family. You can find her tagging along and quite often right in the middle of things, whether it be watching the other kids compete in sports or the show ring. The sheep are really the perfect size for her as the cattle are still a little intimidating. She likes to love on the lambs and lead them around the pen.

Having the girls in 4-H has been a fun family activity for all of us. We do several community service projects a year with our club and all the kids enjoy raising the animals, practicing for shows and exhibiting at the fair. Along with several shows that kept us busy all summer, the girls also showed cattle and sheep at the Western Idaho Fair in Boise. We have so many wonderful family memories from this year. Even though the mornings are early, the nights are late and the work is sometimes hard, the kids all seem to thrive. Besides the piles of laundry we have when we get home, these times we’ve spent as a family have been such a blessing.

In addition to the summer showing, we were able to have some other family time this year. During spring break, the kids and I went to Portland/Vancouver for Mackenzie’s Regional History Bee Qualifier. It’s always a beautiful drive over there. Because we were so close to the coast, we went to stay in Seaside, Ore., for a few days. The kids had never been to the ocean or the Oregon Coast. The weather was still a little cold and rainy, but they couldn’t help but run and play in the water. We had fun exploring the area too. It’s definitely a place we’ll want to go back.

In April, we made the trip to Reno, Nev., for the Western National Angus Futurity. Mackenzie showed a heifer and a steer in the junior show, and we exhibited cattle in the open show as well. We had such a fun time hanging out with family for the weekend.

In May, my parents came up for their annual visit. It usually happens around Emma’s birthday so they were able to be here for that as well. It’s always fun having them here. Mom and I enjoyed sewing projects and had a lunch at a local winery for a Mother’s Day treat. Dad and the kids worked on getting our garden planted and a few building projects. We are so thankful to have them come visit.


Also, in July, my parents and siblings made a trip here to celebrate my parents’ 40th anniversary. We went up to the Malson family cabin in McCall for the weekend and had an incredible time. The cousins got along great and had so much fun playing in the sand and water. We rented a boat for a couple days so they also enjoyed tubing and kneeboarding. We created many great family memories together. It’s such a beautiful, peaceful place; it’s easy to just relax and enjoy each other.

Josh and I’s work keeps us busy, but it’s very rewarding. There is plenty to do around the ranch with spring and fall calving herds, breeding two times a year, plus getting ready for our fall bull and female sale in November. Thankfully, he also has time to help the kids with their animals and travels to shows with us. We couldn’t do any of this without him. I finished the 100 Years of Idaho Cattle Centennial book for the Idaho Cattle Association in the fall, which was the culmination of my 13 years as the magazine publisher. I continue my writing and photography business, and have had some fun freelance projects with agriculture and western lifestyle clients to complete the year. The flexible schedule allows me to help Josh with ranch stuff, and focus on being a wife and mom too. Josh and I even got a few nights away for the ICA Convention in Sun Valley. It’s always fun to see cattle friends and have some couple time. The kids love any opportunity to stay with the grandparents too.

We’re thankful to have so much extended family nearby to help celebrate birthdays and special occasions with us too.

Sure, it can feel like some days are never ending, but we realize the years are flying by. Life is not without its challenges—marriage, parenting, family dynamics all provide for learning and growing. However, we are very thankful for our health and our opportunity to live and work here, raising kids and cattle on the ranch. As we gathered with family this year, wrapping presents for those less fortunate, we looked around and saw indeed how blessed we are.

We know friends and family who have lost loved ones and are living without them this year. Our thoughts and prayers are never far from them.

May you have a JOYful New Year!

An update for May

Praises: (so much to be grateful for)
-We had a wonderful visit with my parents. Always great having them here. I wish our visits were more frequent, but it's nice to know I am where I belong right now. They definitely gave all of us kids roots and wings. Now if my dad would just win the lottery he keeps playing they could have the travel fund they always wanted, ha!
-I was able to get a lot of things cleaned out of store room and basement, as well as closets while my parents visited. I also had time for work projects uninterrupted and feel a lot less stress with work going into this next few months.
-We had a fun-filled weekend with family. We attended a local cattle show. Both girls got to show. It was Emma's very first time out with a heifer and she did awesome. Definitely a novice, but we couldn't have asked for a better first-show experience. She had fun and didn't let her nerves get the best of her. Her little Hereford heifer behaved really well. We celebrated my SIL's college graduation that night and the kids stayed and had fun at G'ma/G'pa's house. Josh and I had some much-needed time alone the next day.
-It's raining!! That's a huge praise. I know so many parts of the country are still in drought, but hopefully the rain coming this spring is starting to help. I planted some flowers and picked up some veggies to try some container gardening. Jayten was so excited he said, "So now we can grow our own food and don't have to buy it from the grocery store anymore." Umm, well, yes, we'll try son, but not sure you should depend solely on my green thumb just yet. Love that little guy!

A few recent happenings

Jayten and Pork Chop, the pig. He enjoyed helping with the pigs this winter. I think he learned a lot about how they have to be fed and taken care of every single day, no matter what the weather was like or what we wanted to do—just like the cows and horse. We have to take care of our animals and give them the best feed, water and shelter we can while they are with us.

Bryn loves to doodle. She's really getting into pretending with dolls and toys also. It's so fun to see her personality come out.

Look Mom! I'm an F!

4-H Presentataions-MJ did hers on the importance of hooves-care, structure and byproducts. J did one on his Duroc Pig Project. E showed everyone the parts of a sheep.

 

A "hair" bow for Crazy Hair Day during Dr. Seuss Week.

Aww, working together to make some cornbread. Loved listening to MJ be the helpful instructor.


Just a little photo recap of recent happenings. I have so many more, but at least wanted to get these down before I forget!

Happy 6th Birthday, Jayten!

Happy 6th Birthday to our little man! He decided he wanted a football birthday as we were having his party on the day of the SuperBowl, so it worked out perfectly. He also had a football birthday when he turned three, so I had a few things around I could still use. He asked for Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes, which MJ made for him (she loves to bake). She and Josh also made an Oreo Dip in the shape of a football as a dessert.

Looking back, I can't believe how much has changed. I had a hard time when he turned five last year knowing he would be going to Kindergarten. But I think six is even more bittersweet. He just looks so much more grown up. He's a great big brother to his baby sister, and he loves his big sisters too. He comes up with the best one-liners. I still smile thinking about one in particular. We came home from a family Christmas in December, and it was dark and late. He started putting on his work clothes and said, "If I'm going to call myself a man, I have to go out and check my pigs right now." Oh it was the funniest thing.

He still loves going with Josh to help with cows (and pigs) now. He plays cows at home, but also loves cars, trucks and trains—really anything he can push around. He enjoys building things whether it be with paper, tape, glue and cardboard or Legos. He loves to help cook and with chores. He's looking forward to wrestling practice (which starts today) and already talks about playing football when he's in first grade. Slow down, son! You don't have to grow up so fast! Love this little guy of ours!

A look back at all his birthday parties; John Deere 1st Birthday, Orange Creamsicle Cake for 2nd Birthday, Football Party for 3rd Birthday, Angus Cow Party for 4th Birthday (I have loved them all, but this is one of my very favorites!) and a store-bought cake for his 5th birthday. (I love making the kids' cakes, but some years you can only do so much. As you can tell he still loved it!)  

B by the Tree

I loved capturing these precious moments of my baby girl by our Christmas tree. She would just sit and look at it, gingerly touching it as if she knew it wasn't something to mess with. Every now and then she'd get brave and remove one of the ornaments and try to replace it again. I love her little pointed toe as she tried reaching up.

Happy Birthday to the State of Kansas!

Happy Birthday to the state of Kansas! I will always remember that little piece of Kansas trivia I learned growing up—Kansas entered the Union Jan. 29, 1861 as a free state. (More Kansas Info)
I've actually always had a pretty good memory for numbers and such. When little J was marking off the day on his calendar this morning I mentioned it was Kansas' birthday. He said, "Well, we should have birthday cake for dessert tonight. You have to have birthday cake when you celebrate a birthday!" Oh I love that kid! (I also remember it's my cousin Coy's birthday—so I guess another reason to celebrate, ha!)

I have come to love the state of Idaho. In fact, I didn't realize how much I really love learning about history, but I can't get enough of it, especially after going through Idaho history last year when MJ was in 4th grade. And now that I'm working on the cattle history book, there is just so much cool stuff to learn from the past. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise though because I've always been sentimental and big into preserving memories.

I'm all about learning as much as I can about the state I reside in now, but I will never forget my home state of Kansas, especially western Kansas. I am a Kansas girl at heart. Wheat fields, sunflowers and beautiful sunsets will always remind me of my home. And you know I bleed purple...go Wildcats! It's been awhile since I've been in a Kansas wheat field; so glad I have these images to remember it!

Blogging

I started blogging to help my family and friends far away to keep up with our growing family. It was getting harder to find time to scrapbook, so our personal blog became my online journal of our lives as the girls were growing, then we added another little one to the mix when J was born. Then life became even busier. I joined Facebook, quite reluctantly after a friend sent me several requests. I finally gave in. I loved my blog, but I realized I was spending so much time with it. I got caught up in reading lots of other blogs from all over the world. II was connecting with other people, but it took so much time. And I couldn't figure out who I was blogging for or to. Did I want to grow my blog? Was it just for family and friends, was it just for us? Then once social media came, my blog went by the way side. Now I look back and wish I had kept up my blog. We added a fourth child to our family and her first two years have not been documented nearly as much as I would like. I had even printed out blog books and my kids love looking back.

I need to connect with the little people in my real life. I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I don't miss it when I'm away from it, but I enjoy it when I'm on it. I just want more time and I know I won't get more, but I have to create more space in my life by letting go of some things. I'm in a real journey to find what it is I have to let go of. Work is so busy and yet I keep adding to my plate.


I've been wanting to start blogging again. I need a place to share stories of the kids and to put my thoughts down. I have been trying to journal every night, but truly I type faster than I write. Maybe if I get back into blogging then I'll also get back into scrapbooking. I will probably be random and weird and all over the place. I'll try to get all my grammar correct seeing as I am a writer by trade, but I'm sure they will be occasional typos. (My mom will catch those.) I may write to you (whomever happens to read this) or to myself or to my kids. I'm just going to do it; if no one reads it, no big deal. I just need to stop putting off keeping track of our life and our memories. I'll have professional pics and phone pics. Sometimes I worry that since I am a pro photographer all my photos should be perfect. But really, nothing is perfect and something is better than nothing. I take phone photos all day capturing my kiddos, our life, funny things, food I make, etc. Better to put them somewhere than continue moping because I've done nothing with them.

And because I said I was going to be random, here is a random photo. I guess you can post photos from your phone so I clicked on it. This happened to be the only photo that came up. Our little guy, probably around age 2 at the time. He'll be turning 6 next week, oy! Can't believe that! But, what a fun memory right here.