{a happy heart}

Before getting too far into this, you should know that there are a lot of pictures in this post that give me a happy heart.  There is also a novel, comprised of our weekend's events and some wonderful memories.    

As a side-note, I was asked by my sister, Katelyn, to be the photographer for the North Gem High School Jr. Prom this weekend.  It was a great experience, for the most part.  There was one tragic event, which led to a giant disaster, but that is for another post.  Just wanted to document that our purpose for going to my parents was to be a photographer for Saturday night's events.  I'll do anything for my brothers and sisters and parents.  :)

Back to having a happy heart:

I've always wanted my own children to experience the joys and luxuries we had as children.  So naturally, I was elated as I drove up the road to the house to see mama cows with their calves in the pastures, with frost on their backs, and my little boys exclaiming, "Mom!  There's a baby cow!"  My cold heart melted (for I drove down by myself as this was yet another opportunity for Ryan to have some quiet time to work on his paper, and it was a long two hour drive) and I couldn't wait to get out of the car, except for the blizzard that greeted us at the driveway.  As I watched the snow clouds roll in, literally, it was at that moment that I remembered that I didn't bring us heavy coats, and I left the boys' second pair of pants in the dryer at home.  I wondered if it just might turn out to be a really long, wet, cold, muddy weekend.  Thank heavens my mom and dad have a working washer and dryer! 

Friday was so cold, the boys spent the day in the garage, riding their bikes with auntie Deseret.  I spent the afternoon at the high school putting up a backdrop for the dance pictures.  As Katelyn held the pins for me, I balanced on a chair on the stage on the auditorium to hang gossamer, and I must say, the backdrop turned out pretty fun.  Pictures to come with the "Prom" post.

While my dad was in Raft River (the winter range) checking on calving cows, my mom was given the assignment to check on them here.  Being the wonderful mother/daughter I am, I insisted on us all going out to see the newer calves in the calving shed (I'm so glad I don't have to have a baby in a cold, windy, straw-strewn bed, with other species watching my nervous self give birth).  I slipped on my dad's rubber boots, we layered ourselves with coats, hats, and gloves, and set off on a wonderful adventure.  As we walked to the barn, memories, wonderful memories, began flooding back.  My heart was happy.  Still is.

Tanner was quite turned off by the smell.  Funny how some things stink to little stinkers. To me, it was a familiar scent that took me back to being a little girl, helping (more or less watching) my dad as a calf was pulled, warmed up, or milked.  Taylor instantly fell in love with the little black calves.  He wanted so badly to get in the stall and pet the new calves.  Lucky for him, there was one near a gate, where he could stick his arm through and rub his little head.  Sadly, that particular calf died before we left.

On a happier note (a much happier note), my brother Keith and his wife Tricia decided late Friday night to come up for the weekend.  I suppose they needed a break from city life, too.  While waiting for them to arrive, I did some pattern work on a Jr. Miss dress I'm making sleeves and a bolero jacket for, for my friend's daughter.  More fun stories on that experience to come...and it's still ongoing.  

Saturday was a bit warmer, even though it snowed in the night.  The boys were excited to go swimming with auntie Deseret and uncle Clay while I played around with the camera, preparing some settings for the dance pictures. (And yes, the pictures in this post were taken with my little Canon Powershot A560.  It's been a good little camera.)

Just before lunch, we headed back out to check on our mama cows in the coral.  Nothing too exciting about that little jaunt, except that grandma had climbed up in the attic to look for roller skates, and found a box full of them, plus rubber boots in every size.  Tanner and Taylor were so excited to have something they could step in the poop with.  *snicker*  More memories, more wonderful memories.

Since one of the mamas and her baby were doing well, they were discharged from their birthing suite and sent on their way, out to pasture.  We followed along, finding lots of fresh snow to eat...even if it wasn't fresh, we're just going to pretend it was.

My mom is amazing.  She's spent the first 20 years of my life taking care of me and my siblings, rarely in a situation where she could help my dad much with the ranch work, except for feeding hungry helpers, keeping us out of the way and out of trouble.  Recently she's had the fun opportunity to help with feeding, moving, and checking up on the cattle.  I'll be honest.  I'm jealous that I'm not there to help.  I miss it.  But I know that it's my time and season to be with my own children.  (Isn't it ironic that I spent so much time when I was young, wishing I were a grown up, and now that I find my self an adult, I wish I could go back and be a child...without a care in the world.)  Just one more side note for posterity's sake:  This blue coat that my mom is wearing is also about 20 years old.  I smile when she wears it; though it's faded and out of date, it's still warm and functioning.  My siblings and I went in on a nice, new, stylish Polaris snowmobiling coat a few years ago.  I chuckle knowing that I'm becoming more like my mother, wearing things far into 'out-of-date' time, and just letting it be. 

This just might be my favorite picture from the weekend.  Taylor had frozen hands from eating the snow earlier.  His stance is so "grammpa", and reminds me of my dad; observing, with hands in his pocket. 

I am reminded of two of my own little brothers, Keith (younger than me by 1 1/2 years) and Reed (younger than Keith by 3 years), when I look at my boys.  Keith was always the ring-leader, brave, daring, and all-knowing brother.  Reed seemed more contemplative, trying to keep up, and observant brother.  It's fun for me to compare the two relationships, and I pray that my boys will be the best of friends, as my siblings and I are to each other.

After some much needed naps, the sun decided to shine and warm us up.  Fortunately for my boys, it also warmed up a leftover pile of snow in the barnyard.  As Taylor was riding a tricycle around, he tipped over, or so he said, into the big puddle, and so his coat, gloves, and pants needed washing (remember, I left their change of clothes at home?).  My mom found some of Desi's pants, hot pink, nonetheless, and cinched them around Taylor's waist with a rubber band (you know, like we used to knot our big t-shirts at the hip in the 90's...oh, you didn't do that?) and we put Tanner's socks and sweatshirt on, an old Levi jacket of Reed's and tucked the pants that were three feet too long into the rubber boots and embarked on another adventure.  

This is Taylor's "big wock" that was one of many thrown into the big puddle.  We all stood around outside, visited, reminisced, watched the chickens, Roxy, our faithful pup, sighted in guns, laughed, and enjoyed the afternoon.  Upon finishing a bike ride, Tanner found a pile of "shootin' fings" and sat and dug and burried and pocketed handfuls of used .22 shells.  I'm still finding them dropped around the house and in the dirty laundry!

It was fabulous and liberating to just let them play.  I didn't have to worry about them inhaling the neighbor's cigarette smoke as they played outside in fresh air.  I didn't have to worry about the registered sex offender down the street stalking and taking my children.  I didn't have to worry about them going too far looking for something new and exciting.  I didn't have to worry about the sketchy neighbors across the street, tearing up asphalt as they drive away. I felt safe.  I felt happy, my heart was happy.  My children felt safe, loved, adventurous, and happy.

I had an extremely happy heart after an afternoon of watching my children play and explore together.

Despite missing Ryan, and wishing he could share these two fun days with us, it was a nice get away.  Turns out he had some fun of his own, disc golfing with buddies and being moncho and doing squats with weights and pulling a few muscles...he also made quite a bit of progress on his research project.

So thank you, mom and dad, Keith and Tricia, Katelyn, Clay and Deseret, for helping us make some wonderful memories.  Reed and Stephanie:  We missed you!


*Saturday night was spent at the high school having a great time taking pictures.  I even persuaded Tricia to come along and be my lovely assistant.  Things got a little crazy, and the crowd was great; about 5 times the amount of kids I was expecting (I thought I'd have about 8 or so couples).  But like I said earlier, more on this later.