And they're off!

This weekend is the Bitterroot MT. triathlon that I told you about awhile ago. If you don't remember, you can read about it here.



My siblings from Utah are on their way up to MT. today to join my parents and other siblings who will be participating in this race.



Can I tell you it is killing me not to be going up there???



My daughter's 8th birthday is this weekend....kind of an important one.....so even the option of going up just to cheer my dad and siblings on isn't an option.



Turns out others think this is a big deal too. The Ravalli Republic (local newspaper) wrote up an article on my family and the event. You can read it here.



I love how in this article my dad and oldest sister's sense of humor comes out.



I am soooo stinkin' proud of my family and for how hard they have worked and trained for this thing. One of my sister's knew she wouldn't be able to make it to the MT one so she trained and entered the local one in CA. You can read about her experience here.



I've listened to my siblings and dad all summer joking and laughing with each other about how they hope to be able to just make it across the finish line without the help of a stretcher.



I know my family. We're perfectionists. We are high achievers. My dad and siblings will make it across the finish line in stellar fashion and they will have a blast doing it.




You can bet there will be a lot of laughing and joking along the way.......



cuz that is what my family is all about....having a good time together....



When times are tough....we've got each other's backs.....




The brother in laws call us girls the cackle club when we get together.



Ummmmmm, hello?



HELLO???



Come baaaaaack! You forgot meeee!

My first born son! My right hand man! My boy who is growing into a man and I'm not happy about it!

This is my boy on Kane. Kane whom I love. My hero Kane. Bet ya didn't know Kane was a hero did ya?




Actually, truth be told....and we must always speak the truth.....I loved Kane long before he saved my life. For some reason his soul is very calming to me. I walk up to him, place my forehead on his and breathe.....it is very calming. Did I happen to say that it is calming because if I failed to do so......I would like to mention that now......that it is very calming......




This boy......and this saddle........a year ago.........



Couldn't do this...especially not on Kane who is way too many hands tall (almost 18 hands?) and requires someone like me to do the splits just trying to get on him. Now my boy lifts the saddle like it is nothing way up in the air above Kane and then gently places it on his back. I'm a wimp......I still have to have my boy help me and Kane thanks him everytime because when I do it, it is like a freight train has just been hurled up into the air and lands with a back cracking thud on his back.




I love this boy.......I love this horse.......






Kane! You take care of my boy who is fast becoming a man ya hear? You take care of him like you took care of me, k?

My second boy

My second boy. My boy who can bring a smile on my face faster than anything else. My boy who can take any task and make it fun.




Riding has been a challenge for him. He spent about the entire first year and a half terrified but came back time and time again with gritted teeth. Now he's an old hand.........thanks to many hours in the saddle and a teacher who has given him confidence and enabled him.



See? He can't even saddle up without playing peek a boo!




Check that girth my boy who makes me laugh even when I don't want to. You remember what happened the last time you didn't? Poor horse couldn't understand why what was once on her back was now under her belly and her rider on the ground.




What a good boy. Pulling his horses legs forward after tightening the girth so she won't be pinched and uncomfortable. See? His teacher teaches him things like this. Back in the good old days when I rode I never knew to do anything like this.




Waiting.....waiting.......waiting.......for the others to saddle up so he can hit the trail.




Napping....napping....napping.....cuz it used to be this boy was the last to be saddled up......now he's got experience under his belt......and he's waiting for the others........I'm proud of my boy who makes me laugh and gives the yummiest of hugs.

Short bread

This is why one should not try to make bread at 5:30 in the morning on their children's first day of school......or at 5:30 in the morning on any day frankly.....

I'm sure it is the bread machine. Some sort of a design flaw. Couldn't possibly be my fault. Couldn't be that I forgot to add the yeast and water because I was too busy trying to get photo's of my adorable punks before they were walking out the door.....couldn't be that I finally noticed the yeast growing over the measuring cup and all over my kitchen counter causing me to frantically grab the frothing yeast, yanking open the bread machine lid, and throwing in the fungus thinking because it is a machine it should be able to fix it!

Must be the machine.......faulty machine.......

Take 2

It must be tough having such an obnoxious mother. Punk gets home from a long day at school and I make him pretend that he is just leaving so I can have my "Kodak" or in this case "Canon" moment.....



Look at him. Do you blame me? Danged handsomest punk there in that whole high school if you ask me........snicker...and according to my sources I'm not the only one that thinks that......as a girl walks past my boy and says, "I like your name".....

School's Started!

A busy morning. The first day of school, the first day of high school, and the first day of Junior High.

We started the process with my oldest boy. His first day of high school. We were both such a nervous wreck I forgot to take pictures of him. Not that he'll mind....but I had planned on taking his photo.....that was before the rush out the door trying to figure out just where the bus stop was and if he was even on the right bus.

I've always laughed at the mom's who bawl when they take their kids to the first day of Kindergarten. I've never been much of a crier. Guess I'm a bit of a stone in that way. This morning after the bus pulled away with Brennan on it I did WHAT? I started to BAWL! Stil trying to figure that one out.......



An hour later it was this punk's turn to grab the bus. This time was easier. First day of Junior High and he had a friend who has been his friend for years so they put on stiff upper lips together and embarked on this new adventure side by side.





And then another hour later these three took off with lunch bags in hand for the elementary excited to pick up their friends along the way as I am shouting out to them to "stick together and don't talk to strangers and stick together in a clump and don't leave each other for a second and I LOOOOOOOVE YOUUUUUU!"

Next week Levi will start Kindergarten again so he'll have his first pictures then. Weird. It will be only Jadon and I here at home........poor Jadon.......

Sure is quiet around here this morning........sigh..........

Black Hawk

Yesterday we woke up early and headed up to the mountains. My punks riding instructor has this tradition every year where she reserves a campsite at Black Hawk and her students join her for a week of camping and riding in the mountains.



For one reason and another we weren't able to spend the week with her but I was able to take the punks up yesterday where they spent the day riding, stayed the night last night,and will spend the day riding today while I sit at home with the youngin's and feel sorry for myself.




My punks riding instructor is amazing. Truly amazing. If you had ever thought of having your punks take lessons she is the one to take from. I don't know too many people who love what they do as much as she does and is willing to spend a week in the mountains with a bunch of punks taking them on rides that are breathtakingly beautiful.



Not to mention the lessons themselves as she teaches not only how to ride but how to care for your horse. The lessons are supposedly two hours but I've yet to pick up my kids after two hours. If the weather is cold then maybe they'll be done after three or four hours.......during the summer......you mine as well forget about getting your punks as they'll be having too much fun riding and won't want to come home OR you'll go to pick them up and when you do you find they can't leave because they are busy involved in extracting teeth, vet care, hoof trimming, castrating,...etc. etc. etc........



Their instructor makes sure all of her students are involved and it is all hands on baby.




After all of the students went on a long ride yesterday I was able to jump on one of my favorite horses Kane and go on a short ride. (Kane is the horse that saved my life last year. You can read about it here.) Punks number two and three also came with while the oldest punk stayed back at the camp watching the babies.......



I wonder when the "babies" will start protesting at me calling them "babies"......they are 3 and 6 now....





Anyway, back to the ride. It was short (about an hour..hour and a half give or take) but it was perfect. I needed it. The mountains are so clean and quiet and my spirits were rejuvenated and like the students after lessons....I didn't wanna quit!