Who you callin' trash?!?

So, Jeff turned 40 yesterday and since a good friend of ours, Steve,  turned 30 on the same day, we decided to just crash their party instead of throw a party of our own.  Who wouldn't?
Alida goes all out for everything and this was no exception - a White Trash Party.  The outdoor decor consisted of upturned strollers, gum boots, streaked underwear hung on the porch and, of course, trash.  Inside, there was tinfoil on the windows, old sheets on the couches, etc.

The costumes were the best part of the evening and it was interesting to see the different ideas.  Lisa and I  went with the 'Single Wide Trash' look while Marianne and Melissa went with the 'Double Wide Look' (aka the ones our husbands were hoping to leave with).

I admit - this is pretty how I've looked for the past 12 years (minus the root beer and black eye).

The 'mullett' was pretty much a universal choice for the men (except for the Twisted Sister), but the best White Trash Dude had to be Kevin with his mesh half shirt and sweats - HOT!!

There was a twinkie eating contest.  Apparently, those things have a 30 year shelf-life - I believe it because they certainly aren't a food product.  The film left in my mouth lasted all night.  I'm not to humble to announce that I dominated the women's twinkie contest - 5 twinkies (to tie the men) and the next girl maybe ate 2.  It took all Steve had not to vomit, Lisa wasn't as strong.  Jeff missed the actual contest so he had his own and kept eating them even after the time was up - that's just wrong!!

Steve and Josh apparently not enjoying the twinkie

I think they tasted better coming back up!

Jeff just happy to have all the twinkies to himself

There was arm wrestling.  I won my match - what can I say, I'm a farm girl!  Sisters against sisters, brothers against brothers.  Husband against wife.  Even the birthday boy won a match but I think it had a LITTLE to do with it being his birthday!

The 2 'corner' girls have a go at it

Steve, you are sooooo strong!! It's amazing really, when you look at the  difference of arms.

Jeff was 2 hours late arriving at his own party because of hockey, but we finally broke out the cake once he got there.  It was AWESOME.  Alida got it and Marianne added the nice touch with Tootsie Rolls.  YUMMY!!!

You can't see Steve's toes curling under the table!

The guys had root beer guzzling and chesse puff eating contests.  Luckily, there were accountants at the table, because Jeff got audited and was trying to get away with 46 instead of the regulated 50.

Jay killed in the cheese puff contest

All in all, it was a rockin' evening.  From the squeeze cheese, to the arm wrestling to the mass of mulletts.  Now, in case you think I am judging 'white trash', I'm am finishing with a picture of what has been on my driveway for the last 3 months.  I simply found my niche.

Uncle Bill

Today, after 3 hockey practices, 4H Ag Barn clean up and public skating, I went to Bill M's 65th birthday party.  I had a great time visiting with lots of Jeff's family.  Unfortunately, Jeff couldn't be there.   He is still combining and, as it is getting so late in the year, he can't (won't) quit for anything.  They had an open microphone for people to tell stories about Bill and Jeff's 'Bill' stories always make me laugh till I cry.   So many of the stories about Uncle Bill (as my kids so fondly refer to him as) revolve around hunting because that is his passion and you can't help but feel of his excitement for it when you're around him.

Jeff and Austin went hunting in Africa this spring with Bill and a group of friends.  Jeff tells how Bill is looking at a Kudu (I think it was) through his scope, and says to the guide, "Should I shoot it?' - BOOM!  He had barely gotten the words out before he shot and the guide says, "What'd you even ask for?!?"  There's is never a dull moment when Uncle Bill is around.
Jeff, Austin and Noah weren't out hunting antelope this past spring in the side-by-side quad and anyone who knows Bill can attest to the fact that he is a determined hunter.  They chased that antelope as fast as that quad could go for a good half hour with my boys bouncing around in the back.  Finally with tears in their eyes - my boys from the crazy ride, and Bill from not getting his antelope - they stopped.  Many 'Bill' stories are funnier in retrospect!
For example, last summer, the kids and I  went huckleberry picking with Bill & Linda out by Lakeside, MT.  We had gone up the hills for about an hour or so  and we were almost down when Bill calls out, "Has anyone seen Jade?"  Everyone is responding "No".  If you know Jade,you know she is not a wanderer and would never play a joke like that on me.  She is conscientious and sticks very close to me.  I thought she was up with Bill.  Now I'm getting panicky that she stopped for a second and then lost everyone and is somewhere up on that mountain amongst all those berries with bears all over the place.   I turn around and start running up the hill yelling "JADE!!".  Then someone below calls out 'Mom, she's in the car!" and Bill starts to bust a gut!  I could have killed him.  Sure enough, I get down and Jade says Bill thought that it would be funny - again, in retrospect!
Or, when Jeff & I and the kids went fishing with Bill & Linda out past Whitefish.  It took us forever to find the trail head to this tiny remote lake, and then we had to hike an hour into it.  Of course, we all feel safe and secure with Bill 'The Protector' with us.  If you've ever hiked with Bill before, you know you feel like you are running a marathon just to keep up with him.  So, he and Jeff and the kids take off and I'm walking back talking with Linda as we hike.  After, we've gone a ways, we catch up to them because they've stopped.  Bill asks us if we saw anything because he saw something black run through the bushes in our direction.  Our 'Protector' is half a mile up ahead of us with the gun, scaring the bears towards us!!  Thanks for that!
Two years ago, Jeff & Austin went fishing in Costa Rica with Bill.  Bill tells Austin that he'll give him $20 if he can catch a pigeon.  Anyone who knows Austin, knows how determined he can be when you wave cold, hard cash.  Sure enough, he caught one and Bill coughed up the bucks.  Austin came home that spring with a new goal, to catch a seagull.  With patience and determination, he managed to catch one that summer by laying under a blanket with bread crumbs and fruit snacks crumbled on top of him.  It was strictly catch-and-release so no seagulls were harmed in the process but that little guy did mange to take a chunk out of Tycee's finger when she tried to pet him.  I wonder if you can put seagulls to sleep the same way you do chickens?  We'll have to try next summer!
There were many funny stories told tonight.  One was Bill, Don and another fellow hunting coyote in Bill's truck.  Bill is driving, with Don in the middle and the other guy by the door.  Bill is driving crazy through the hills and this other guy gets so freaked out that he opens the door and bails!  Bill says to Don, "Where is he going?!?"  Don says "I don't know!!" And Bill says, "Well, close the door!" and they keep chasing a coyote until they've got him then head back to pick up the poor fellow that bailed!
The stories that Jeff tells are endless and hilarious about Bill and I'm sorry he couldn't be there at the party tonight to relate them himself.  Anyways, we love Uncle Bill.  Happy Birthday Bill!!

Autumn Splendor

For as much work as autumn is around here, I still love this season.  I love the colours.  I read somewhere that plants show their true colours in the fall.   During the summer, all that chlorophyll gives all the leaves that green pigment, but in autumn time they show their true colours.

I love gardening, though this year I severely neglected my garden and it was the weediest it has ever been. None the less, I love eating food, that we've grown and nurtured ourselves.  I love harvesting, storing and canning the food that we grow.  I love making pumpkin pie with pumpkins that we grew in our own garden.  Today, we dug up the rest of the potatoes, carrots and beets (the last of the garden).  YUMMY!!

Fall is also when the new chicks start laying their first eggs.  Their first eggs are so darn cute!!  They are about half the size of a normal egg.  I think it's mother nature's way of breaking them in gently.  Why didn't she do that with people?  The kids are always so excited when they find the first tiny eggs!  Then it's time to keep the chickens penned up for a little while, so they learn to lay in their nesting boxes instead of all over the yard (it can become a year round easter egg hunt).

The egg in the middle is our old hen's egg.
The eggs on either side are the new chickens first eggs.

While we finished up the garden, Jade was out working with Breeze (our 5 month old filly).  The kids have spent hours with this little foal and it shows.  She is so gentle.  They can climb all over and under her.  Jade trailer trained her last week and started putting a saddle on her.  This week Jade got up on Breeze bareback and rode her around.  Today, she put her little siblings on Breeze and took them for a ride.  Jade tried getting Breeze to trot with her three year old brother on board and that didn't go so well.  She bucked him off.  Gunner was a little startled but he got back up again.

Tycee with 5 month old Breeze

Anyways, it was a beautiful fall day.  Dad is very busy combining (thank heavens for the blessing of a perfect fall so far - as the summer was terrible farming weather).  Hopefully this weather will hold for a few more weeks and we'll get harvest done.

How much fun can you have with a chicken? Let me count the ways.

It was Gibson Thanksgiving dinner today.  All the Gibson's, my aunt & cousin, & our good friend Bill all came out to the farm for a wonderful day of good food and great company!  We had loads of fun playing with the chickens, skeet shooting, I managed to supersonically cook a 25 lb turkey in 3.5 hours, kick the can, electrocution, blow dart fun, talk of misplaced eyebrows growing 1 1/2 inches overnight (sorry mom), and Jeff managed to protect most of his dinner from Auntie Neen's thieving hands.

I love my chickens and guineas!!  I'm sure I'll have more to say about them at a later date, but one of todays highlights included putting the chickens to sleep.  Grandpa taught us how to do this a few years ago and it's always great fun!

Country kids - we're easily amused.

Piling grass on top of a sleeping chicken

My brother has a go at it

Grandpa & Uncle teaching AR

TaDa!! - my nephew

I'm so proud!!  (sniff, sniff...)

The kids had lots of fun stair sledding - with only a few minor injuries (you know, the funny kind).

NG riding a horse down on his sled

This hurt as bad as it looks (but it made for a great picture!!)

A Gibson Family Tradition - Kick The Can

Grandpa happy that he FINALLY caught someone!

The kids trying to be sneaky and Grandpa trying to peek under to see who it is.

Grandma trying the same 'sneaky' trick.  I've gotta be honest - it wasn't that hard to figure it out, Grandma!

The kids each had a turn in Grandpa & KA's Sheet Ride (until they finally tuckered out - Grandpa and Uncle I mean, not the kids).

The looks Grandpa & KA's faces cracks me up.  I think we're going to be needing some Robaxacet.

To top off the evening, AD managed to prove his mighty hunting skills again and blow dart a mouse in the chicken coop!  Good on ya!!!  Anyone up for a midnight snack?

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar!

 I’ve gone and done it.  What every woman either has had done, or wishes she has.

I got my nails done.

I’ve never had my nails done in my entire life, and I’m not sure what drove the decision to take this big step.  I believe my desire to do this must be another sign of me aging ( or I should say, fighting aging).

I never had any desire to wax my eyebrows until I was 30 and then suddenly that seemed like a very important thing to do.  I had no desire through my teens and 20‘s to have a regular exercise routine and now I’m feeling this burning desire to work out (not literally of course, because I’m not doing very well at it).

The other day, my mom told me that she went to curl her eyelashes and their was nothing there to squeeze!! Her eyelashes are falling out!!  NOOOOOO!!!!!  I am built just  like my mom and my grandma.  Same skin, hair, coloring, etc...  Hopefully I got my dad’s eyelashes!  I remember pinching my Grandma’s skin and thinking it was so cool because it would stay that way - ‘tenting’.  Now, my moms skin does it too and mine is starting to.  Her skin was also paper thin.  It was almost like you’d barely scratch her and she’d start to bleed.  Maybe I was scratching her harder than I recall.  Man, as I’m writing this, I’m realizing how patient my grandma was with me - the pinching and scratching and all.

Anyways, so my skin will thin out and tent, my hair will thin and turn grey early (apparently we redheads grey early), my eyelashes will fall out, bunions, etc - oh, what I have to look forward too.

I don’t even remember what I was talking about ( great -  another sign!!).  Oh yeah, my nails.  So I figure, this desire to start doing these things now, like nails, waxing and wrinkle cream, must be me subconsiously trying to retain some of that youthful beauty - or at least attain what I never had!   Who knows what’s next - maybe a butt lift.  Put my tush back to where it is supposed to be.  Then again,  maybe I wouldn't have to surgically position my butt if I was sticking to my regular exercise routine.

Remember, my JOATMON Syndrome, I can’t stick to one thing for an extended length of time -  it’s a disorder, I deal with it.

For now, I shall revel in my beautiful nails!!

Miss Holt: an A+

Today was an emotional day.   A friend and our children's teacher was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last week.  We had made Shauna a card and I went to the palliative care unit to drop it off.  I didn't intend on seeing her because I know she's been in a lot of pain and I didn't want her to feel she needed to put on a brave face for me.  When I got there her mom was there - who is also a good friend of ours.  My husband and I have gone on a few trips with them and have always respected them and appreciated their friendship. I had been emotional all day just thinking about Shauna.  She is only 39 and a wonderful person.  When I saw Shauna's mom, I broke down - I couldn't help it.  Her mom said Shauna is very at peace with her diagnosis.  We went in to see Shauna and though she was very weak she looked lovely.

My daughter, JB, who had Shauna as a teacher last year is having a very difficult time with this.   JB has always been afraid of death.  She was born 11weeks early and very, very sick.  She was septic, on a ventilator, bowel problems, blood pressure problems, bleeding in the brain, seizures, ... you name it.  I know she came very close to death and I think subconsciously she remembers it.  She had many prayers said on her behalf and received blessings and is definitely a miracle baby.   If you were to see how strong, beautiful, athletic, and smart she is, you would have no idea that she was once so sick, but I think the memory of it is still somewhere inside her.

Anyways, my son, AD, was trying to comfort JB a couple days ago, when she was having a particularly difficult time dealing with Shauna's diagnosis.  The words that he spoke to her were the exact words that I was thinking before he spoke - "She passed the test".
That's how we feel about Miss Holt.  We believe that she more than passed the test, she got an A+.  She is a great teacher and friend.

Ride away!!

 JB and I had a great evening riding.  JB rode our faithful mare, Lady, and I was on Oyen (who has issues - ah, well).   We weren't sure how Lady and her baby, Breeze, would do being separated.  Our beautiful buckskin filly, Breeze, is only 4 months old and they've never been separated.  But, we needn't have worried.   Breeze was happy hanging out with her older brother, Storm, he's 2 years old.  The time flew past and we came home well after dark, but happy!!

Breeze and mom, Lady

This is beautiful Breeze when she was first born - May 20th 2010

Big brother, Storm.  He doesn't look big here, but he's bigger than his mom

And, I'm still having fun with PSE, especially the vintage stuff.  But I'm tired so I'm going to bed early to try to get more than 5 hours of sleep tonight!!

Lovin PSE

I have been having way to much fun with PSE tonight and though it's very late and heavens knows I can never sleep in, I just have to put up some of the cool pics.

I had to put in some before & after shots so you can see how cool they are!

Well, good night.  That was fun!!