Well it looks like this has been neglected for some time now!!

So much has happened. Nick is home!! Duh!! He has a job now at PSNS and is doing security.

Kayla's poor rabbit died the day after Nick

got home. We got Kayla her own pony right after he got home. Her name is Seneca and she is a 21 year old POA (pony of america). Kayla did fair with her this last year and she did great. Kayla is ready to move up in horses so

Seneca is off living with a smaller little girl and we got her another horse. He is a paint named Trigger that is about 15 yrs old. He is quite a character. She had her first ride on him yesterday and they both did great!!

We got nick his own horse too. We had issues with one of the others we got so we traded and came out on the better end of the deal. She is a great horse and he is learning a lot. He wants to start doing some cow work. I cant wait to do it too.

I have been blessed to be chosen to be a part of the Thunderbird Rodeo Drill Team with my horse. We do a grand entry performance for the rodeo with flags. The rodeo is in its 6th year now and all the

proceeds go to help Corey's Day on the Farm and the NW Burn Foundation. If you want more info go to our website www.thunderbirdrodeo.com.

Nick got himself a new truck so we can do more hauling.

Kayla will be 11 in Feb. She is turning into quite the teenager already. She has had her first set of braces on and off again. She is in the 5th grade now.

She finally learned how to ride her bike. She has quite the personality too. She got the best of Nick and me.

Anyway. Will try to keep this up a bit more. We have lots to do and just not a lot of time to write. It helps me remember all the stuff we are blessed to be a part of.

Almost there

WOW it went so quick.  Lots have happened in the last few months.  Nick should be home in Aug. some time.  So far we have bought a house, my jeep, a cat, a rabbit, and 2 horses since he has been gone.  That must be some kind of record.

We are excited to see him.  He will have some de-briefing when he gets back.  But he already has another job when he gets back.  He is excited.  Kayla will be out of school soon.  She will be leaving for Alabama the day after school gets out for 3 weeks.  Don't know what I am going to do.  I have lots to keep me busy with the horses.  With less than 2 months to go now we are counting down the days.  

KAYLA TURNS NINE!!!!!

Well Kayla turns 9 tomorrow.  It seems like it was just yesterday we were bringing her home.  She has grown into a great person with a very funny personality and a very big heart.  Nick got to come home for his 2 weeks R&R.  He got home last Sunday and has to leave on March 3rd.  We are so glad to see him and for him to get to be here for her birthday.  We had a skating party on Sat. and had a blast.  She had a few friends from school and a few from the neighborhood.  She has quite a few friends now and is fitting in well.  She got a rabbit from us for her birthday and has joined a 4-H group.  She will be showing and going to fair and other activities.  I am so glad to get her in to something finally.  She would not do sports or dance or cheer.  It drove me nuts.  Nicks parents and his sister and brother-in-law are flying in for her birthday tomorrow so we will party some more.  Her birthday does seam to go on and on and on.  We are going out to eat tomorrow night and some other stuff this weekend.  We will have a full house.  

The picture above is from a monster truck show we went to.  It was fun.  My mom and Justin came along and it was my moms first time.  She had more fun than she expected.   

Hope everyone had a Great holiday

We had a very busy season.  Kayla had half days on the Monday and Tuesday before her Christmas break and had school cancelled the Thursday and Friday before due to snow.  We had a total of about 1.5 feet.  It melted and snowed and melted and snowed.  We had a white Christmas.  We got to get online and video cam with our family in Alabama to open presents on Christmas Eve and then we headed to my moms house.  We made a gingerbread house there.  My brother flew up, and my sister and her husband and new baby Emma came over and we all stayed the night there just like we were kids again.  It was so much fun.  We all got some great stuff.  Kayla's biggest thing was a WII and mine was a new coffee table.  Justin (my step dad) hand made it out of a slab of pine with iron legs.  It was so very cool.  Nick surprised me with a new watch he ordered online.  I barely got it.  We left and it still had not come.  I just happened to see the fed ex truck at the gas station by the main road and saw some people picking up packages there.  I stopped and she was getting ready to leave.  She was nice enough to check one for me and it was there.  I was so happy.  

The next day we braved the weather and headed out to my Grandparents house in Forks, WA.  The rest of my family was out there and I got to see them for the first time in a long time.  We are all grown up now.  We all had to bring our dogs so I had my two and my mom had her two and my Aunt had her two and my grandparents had their one and my uncle who lives out there now had one.  They had about 2.5 feet of snow and we all spent the days walking in the snow and 4 wheeling in the woods.  The dogs had a blast.  We headed back on Sat am and got to rest on Sunday.  

Nick had to work on Christmas and he missed the dinner they threw for them.  We all sent him stuff for Christmas.  He got a bunch of games and movies.  I sent him a Rudolph stocking that sang and light up.  It was funny.  He annoyed his roommate with it a lot.  

We spent New Years Eve at my sisters in Auburn and went home shortly after midnight and lighting off the biggest firework ever.  We went home and went to bed and then I went and hung out at my moms on New Years Day.  

Not long ago I got a wild hair and went to my front yard and pulled all the plants the crazy lady that lived here before me planted.  There were a bunch of raspberries and strawberries and a stupid artichoke that was huge.  I hurt so bad the day after but it looks so much better.  

Well the next big thing is Kayla's birthday at the end of Feb.  Nick is trying to come home for that and his parents and his sister and her husband are coming up.  She is going to have a roller skating party.  She will have a few people from school come and a few of her new friends in our neighborhood.  

and more snow

So we are working on another 6" of snow.  We got 5" over night and it has been snowing all day.  We again have spent most of the day out side sledding and playing in the snow.  We made a snow man first thing because there was too much snow to sled it.  It is perfect snow man making snow.  We did a short one because we can't reach.  Bear had fun again.  He loves this stuff.  He likes to eat it and attack snow balls.  The neighbors made a snowman and sprayed it with green food coloring to make it the "Hulk".  They are so funny.  They say another 3-6" for tonight.  We'll see how much we really get.

More snow

We had another round of snow last night into today.  Not much fell last night but most all day was filled with snow.  Kayla was very upset this morning because school was only going to be 2 hours late and then ended up being cancelled all together.  She was disappointed that she was not going to be able to have their Christmas Concert as scheduled.  She said she was mad at the snow and she was not going to play in it.  She got over it shortly after she had breakfast and the kids across the street came to see if she wanted to play.   They took turns at each others houses sledding and having hot chocolate.  The picture is at the top of my drive way looking down at the house that my jeep hit.  The kids were able to start at the top of my hill and side all the way down into their driveway.  They had a blast.  She is now pouting that she had to come in.  It is dark now and the threat of snow is over but it is still on the roads and there is a major threat of it freezing over night.  Her class is suppose to have a Christmas party tomorrow at school so we will just have to wait and see if they even have school.  We are suppose to have another round of snow on Saturday night and Sunday all day and Monday.  We will cross our fingers.

Till next time

NICE @$$

So Nick has a new friend.  He sent this to me this morning.  He said there are a few that hang around outside his office.  Kayla saw the picture and asked him if it was his and if he had to ride it on patrols.  He said he did not and then she said good i think you might hurt it.  She is pretty funny sometimes.  He insists that the bombs behind him are fake.  I asked him if they were like decoys.  The bad guys see them and say " i guess we already bombed that spot so we don't have to again"  He did not think that was funny.  I think they need a new landscaper.  Maybe mom and I can come out and help. 

Thats all for now.