June 2011

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So since I've been a bad, BAD blogger this year, I thought I'd try this just for a quick update. I really miss the journaling of our lives, so I need to get back into it, but at least I can share some recent pics from this summer. It's been a good one, but has gone by way too fast!

The first photos are of Jayten playing with the library the girls had set up. They used the whole living to set up all their books and such. It was really cute.

In June, Mackenzie showed her first Hereford heifer. The plan was for everyone to go to the show in Twin Falls because Matt was showing several head, but unfortunately he tore his ACL the weekend before and couldn't show. So, Josh and Jayten decided to stay home, and Carla, the girls and I went to the show. Since we only had one head, we sent the heifer with Hereford friends of ours, and we packed the mini-van with our show supplies and headed out. :0) As soon as we got there, the girls got right to work making the beds. They had dumped huge piles of compost in the barn for us to use. Emma immediately said, "I want to help," and grabbed a shovel. She is such a great worker. MJ did so well with her heifer, getting her washed and brushed. She was a little frisky each morning so I exercised her first, then MJ could lead her anywhere. She was so proud. We had brought the heifer up to our house for several months so Mackenzie could start working with her, then she went back to the barn to be bred. The last few weeks before the show, MJ went up to the barn to work with Crystals. She named her that because she was born in February. I was a nervous wreck for the show. It's so hard watching them out there. I didn't know whether to jump in and help or let her try to handle it on her own. The heifer did well for her, but did push her around a few times when she had to go in first to the ring. We had some great teenage girl friends who stepped in and helped where needed. Emma showed in Itty Bitty with our friend Emilee Holt. It was really cute. Emilee led her big heifer in the ring, and Emma did the stick work. It was such a great experience for all of us. It gave us girls a chance to do something together, and Josh and Jayten had fun doing cow stuff at home.

Jayten also got moved to a big boy bed that weekend. He'd been getting his leg stuck in the crib rails, so Josh decided to take him out. I was just glad he was doing all that! They went and picked out Cars sheets, blanket and pjs. He really likes his new bed!