My Babies

I finally took some new pictures of my babies, even if they aren't babies anymore. Its next to impossible to get the two of them to coperate but I try. We have had a busy summer, between farming and going 100 miles an hour fall came entirely too fast. We lost several animals this summer from cows to our family dog that was 10 years old (he belonged to zacks old roommate and he gave him to us when we got married) that was a very sad day but Tom was incredibly sweet and brave and pet our snack dog and told him goodbye. I fear my children are becoming all too used to death. Levi killed our two fish so I went and got a new one for Tom and Levi pulled that one out of the bowl and killled it too. (he spent lots of time on his bed for that one cuz mom was really mad). My children have taught me patience, its not a fun lesson but its finally sinking in. (I hope) Levi is learning new words all the time and is even learning to use his words. One day when he was throwing a fit I looked at him and said I don't speak baby, use your words so he goes "well I want that" (in his baby talk of course) but I about fell over, since then I have been giving him more credit than I did before. Thomas turned 4 and is becoming a big snuggle bug (which I love). He is learning lots of new things. We do preschool at home. Since he isn't going to kindergarten for 2 more years I figured we would do preschool from home and then next year he could go to an acutal preschool. its good for him, he is really smart and about the only word he can't say is Hospital no matter how hard we try. We love our boys and are excited to see them continue to grow and learn!

cutest little crack ever

So Levi suffers from either saggy diaper syndrome or just having a bad mom, I'm not sure which, but this is what I found running around my house this morning, until of course he pulled it off and peed on the carpet.

Branding time

It was that time of year again... In years past I have escaped it because I was either pregnant or had a newborn baby, Since this year neither of those applied (thank goodness) I was roped into helping brand cows. I asked Zack if he would teach me to castrate them but he wouldn't, I dunno why, maybe he thinks i'm crazy or something. Anyhow, Tom had the time of his life. He had found the stick off of my blinds and was using that as a sorting stick. He wasn't too big into chasing the big cows but calves he could handle. I did catch Levi out with the cows twice. Luckily he didn't get hurt even tho the mamas were very angry. I got a horrible sunburn after being out there for more than 6 hours but at least its done. I dont understand why my husband wants or even likes the stupid things but good thing I have two boys, Maybe someday they won't need my help at all. Ha, yah right, he'll just get more :(

Where does the time go!

I am pretty sure every time I blog, I talk about how I should blog more but I just don't. I don't have any time these days. My hubby thinks taking care of two small children and helping with the cows is a simple task but really, it does take time. My two baby boys are growing up and they are super busy. This weather has not been kind to them, teasing them, letting them think its warm enough to go out and play but then the next day its not. Its driving my youngest one crazy. Most days I just shut all the garage doors and let him go out there and play just to give him something to do. Poor kiddo. I am still doing my photography and am learning, but loving every second of it. My own children hate my camera but I am slowly finding willing people to let me practice on them. So if you want to become my next practice session just let me know :) For Easter this year we ended up with a bunny. After all the other animals we have killed Tom was very worried about keeping this thing alive. Much to his happiness it is prospering and i'm hoping that it jumps out of its pen and runs away some day soon :) Levi didn't even open up his candy and just ate it wrapper and all. He has also been eating lots of sand. My kids will have healthy immune systems, needless to say. We are off and running with farming this year. After the bank decided to loan us our lives for this year, its going. Zack has been crazy busy with his job in town that his mean wife won't let him quit and chasing around to his farms but its been good for all of us and at least our grain is growing and our hay looks good. The cows are almost done calving and hopefully we will take most of them to pasture here shortly. I am tired of having to feed but I am really not looking forward to moving pipe. The only good thing about that situation is I get to spend time with Grandpa Larsen, thats a relationship I never thought I would establish so well but am truly thankful for it. Hopefully we will by still alive by this time next month when I finally get around to blogging again :)

Death at our house ... Again

So death at our house is close to a daily occurence - Now nothing to terribly dramatic, when you have a herd of cows and a wife who loves to bring home puppies and other random animals its bound to happen. But our last loss was something that made everyone a little more upset than ususal. Zack has a friend who is a cowboy but has kids that are not. So we borrowed this cute little shetland pony from him because his kids didn't ride her anyways. So we get her home, love her and ride her for, oh about 2-3 weeks. She's kind of stubborn and set in her old ways and I had saddled her and taken the boys for a ride but then had to leave to go feed cows. I got lazy and left the saddle on her and told Zack when he got home she needed unsaddled. Well he went outside and she wouldn't let him catch her (she was just in a small round pen) but insisted on running. So as she was running and being ignorant she turned too fast on her leg and it snapped in half. Me and the boys were watching and it was a tiny bit tramatic. Zack had to go get a gun and shoot her. It was needless to say a very upsetting evening for all of us but it was my 3 year old who comforted me. Sometimes you forget what a grasp they have on the world around them. Later Tom kept on asking me where the pony was and I would tell him well she's in heaven with Grandpa tom, Jet and Tiny (when anything dies this is automatically the list we have to go through of who they are with in heaven). He would then get upset and say 'No, we haven't buried her yet, WHERE is she?!" so now as it goes we have to find him a new pony, heres to hoping we don't have a replay of the last one.

Gosh I have never updated on what my sweet little children are doing so here goes:

Tom is now 3 1/2 and into everything that his cousin Roan or Zack are into.

- He is an entertainer through and through. He loves attention and is always singing or dancing to get a laugh out of someone

- He always randomly tells me how much he loves me (especially when he is in trouble or made his little brother cry)

-He loves his little brother and for the most part play well together

- He refuses to count

There are so many fun things that kid does that I really should write them all down, there is never a dull moment with him and we are so blessed to have him in our lives

Little Levi is now 14 months old

- He tries to do everything Tom does

- Always climbing on something

- Constantly bugging the dog

- LOVE LOVE LOVES outside, he is always bringing me his shoes so he can go play

- has 8 teeth and is working on 2 more

- giggles when I clean his nose out with the bulb syringe

We love our little levi just as much and can't wait to watch them grow up

Life as we know it

This is a normal picture of Thomas, which is why I hardly ever take them of him!

Levi, being Levi- need I say more

Yes, that is a can of (empty) copenhagen he is sniffing, I guess he is off to his thing with addictions at an early age

Cute little Rudy, the kid never smiles but I finally got one

Oh my I have been a horrible blog slacker, but oh man its been a crazy few months. Zack leaving me for 3 1/2 weeks was long and not a whole lot of fun but it has led to bigger and better things for us. Zack drove truck back to Maine and then worked on a welding job for a previous employer that he hadn't worked for in years since he decided to become self employed. When he got home we went about our normal everyday lives until about 2 weeks later that employer called and offered him a job as shop foreman. Now while Zack is not crazy about a 9-5

job (which I don't know why he works twice that long on a normal day being self employed) but all the same I have loved having the regular paychecks and all the benefits that come with the job. We have started calving season and I don't do cows. Its like my day isn't complete unless i'm covered in cow crap and afterbirth. yuck. Levi turned a year old and I got some cute pictures but umm yeah one of Zacks friends knocked over the laptop and it is now undergoing construction and so until then most of my pictures are unavalible. I did get an off camera flash for my camera and I am Loving it. Now If I could just get my littlest one to stay out of stuff it might just be safe. Levi is into climbing on everything and teasing his older brother, while thomas is into screaming at his little brother. AHH I didn't know that they could fight this much but it happens I guess. Well off to deal with the smallest one, for the millionth time today!

busy busy busy

we have been insanely busy the past month, we had Opeys birthday, then Kara had her baby, then Jamie got married, then chirstmas, then our anniversary, yay for four years! and then of course our anniversary is on new years eve so we get to celebrate both together and then Opey is gone for a little while working out of town so its been insanely busy trying to get everything done and ready to go for everything. My hubby of course took the laptop with him so I don't have any of my pictures on this computer which is a bummer because I have so many to share. Oh well he will be back soon enough and then I can get caught up on my slacking!