My Crazy Life as a Farmers Wife

Pure Joy...

Our Slip and Slide is the number one attraction in the summer. The kids live on the slide whenever there is nice weather. We have to get up in the morning and get all of our chores done...and after lunch, at about 1:00, all of the cousins come over to meet up for a slip and sliding party. If it's a hot day, you can almost guarantee that all the kids will be found on the slip and slide. It's like having a water park in our own back yard. After having the slide for almost four years now, I can't believe how they still find new tricks and creative ways to make each day different. The three boys (Russell and his cousins Wyatt and Carson) decided to start having races down the slide the other day, and I had my big zoom lens handy...I love the sheer look of delight on their faces in every photo. Their smiles are just contagious...

Montana...

This past weekend, Grace and Shelby had a fiddle contest in Red Lodge, Montana (see previous post). We have been to a lot of contests this year, and since David was too busy with farming to go with us, I had decided that I would let Grace go with my parents and Shelby to the Red Lodge contest. They were planning on leaving Thursday morning at 5am. All day Wednesday, I kept having a feeling that I needed to go. On Wednesday night at about 7:30pm, I decided that I needed to go. I hastily packed up the car, and we left with my parents at 5am the next morning. About 30 minutes from home, Grace starting throwing up. She was yellow in the face, and extremely sick. She threw up most of the way to Billings, where we stayed the first night. She was stressed...she wanted to be home in her bed, and she kept saying that she wanted to go home. I assured her that we could make it to Billings and stay the night, and if she didn't feel good in the morning, I would take her home. She cried a lot. She was so torn because she wanted to go to the contest so bad. After plenty of prayers, a blessing from grandpa, and lots of assurance from mommy and grammy, she got feeling better later in the day. We stopped in Bozeman at Music Villa. The kids have been wanting to start playing the Mandolin, so my kids got a Mandolin to share, and Shelby also bought one.

 

When we arrived in Billings. We stayed at the Wingate with a big indoor water park, and Grace was able to play all evening without feeling the least bit sick. The kids had a great time getting their bugs out in the water park...

The next morning, we headed to Red Lodge for the fiddle contest. My kids were troopers to sit all day through the contests. The girls did great. I always pack a big bag of color books, goodies, and movies to keep them busy...

During the contest breaks, we explored the little resort town of Red Lodge...

there was an awesome old fashioned candy store...

the kids even got to have a picnic at the park and play on the playground...

everyone was so cute eating their ice cream...

and then...this...

we explored the town and went to a few cool antique stores...

and after the fiddle contest (which was Friday and Saturday), we spent Sunday traveling home. We went over Bear Tooth Pass (which was BEAUTIFUL!!!) and through Yellowstone Park on our way home. Lily and Kate had a lot of fun marking off the animal check list in the park...the saw a bear, elk, bison, antelope and more. It was a great weekend getaway!

Red Lodge, Montana Fiddle Contest...

We're addicted...to Fiddle Contests! Grace has fallen in love with fiddle contests this year (it's a good thing, because we have attended a LOT of them). She has grown and become a MUCH better player with all of these contests. They have motivated her to practice more, and to focus a lot more on having successful practices. I am so proud of the growth she has made this year.

We spent the weekend in Red Lodge, Montana, for the Montana State Fiddle Contest. We were thrilled to see Grace take first place again in the pee wee division :) It was a fun experience for her. Shelby also did great, and placed second in her division. The girls also entered the twin fiddling and novelty division for fun :) The videos for these two divisions can be seen here and here.

we also had a fun "mini vacation" along the way, so I will be posting more photos of that shortly :)

Back to Normal...

We've been out of town for four days in Montana for a fiddle contest and mini vacation (photos of that to come soon). It was a blast, and my kids had a wonderful time, but I'll tell you...when they get home from being away, they are so thankful to back to their "normal" life. Yesterday was our first day home, and my kids didn't come into the house all day long...they were occupied with their swingset, trampoline, animals...they even filled water balloons and had a water fight. They were so glad to be home...and the animals got some much needed attention...

Kate had a baggie full of potato chips for a snack, and she decided to share a few with her chickens...

Picnic Portraits...

Here are a few of the photos from our little photo shoot after our picnic...