Time Marches On

Where does time go? It seems that we just got out of school, and now we are school shopping. We will start school in two weeks. Hayden will be in 3rd grade and Ryker will be in the dual language program in 1st grade. He is so excited to start, but Hayden is already whinning about it. Cole will spend another year in preschool, he is very excited to start in September.

This year we planted a huge garden. We planted all of the regular stuff and tried a few new things like broccoli (which is really good) and sunflowers that are now over 12 feet high. I have been canning as a result of the good harvest. This year I have been making fruit leather. The kids seem to really like it. I am also starting to dry things. I am learning alot and building my food storage!

I have also opened a facebook account. I don't know what I am doing, but I have found several people that I have lost touch with through the years and that is very exciting. We have also gotten in touch with family. We are enjoying hearing and seeing what everyone is up to.

Cash and Emi are growing like crazy. We spend several hours a day out with them. Ryan is riding the horses to get them ready to try and take to the fair. I have decided to enter a few things as well. We are in charge/ helping with the Kareokee Contest and the Photograph booth at the fair. I told my mom I feel like I am Grandma Jeanne (there is no one that I would rather be like!)

As summer comes to a close, we like our lives are settling down. A year ago we moved to Othello, and now we are in so deep (Preschool Pres. PTA VP, church, soccer) that who know if we will ever get out? Until next time.

Two miracles on the farm!

First miracle occured on July 25th at around 11:30pm. Jewel finally had her baby. We had gone to Idaho and anticipated that we would miss it and we did. She had a filly and both mom and baby are doing well. We named her Emerson Drive (all of the horses names are related to music.) We will call her Emi. She will most likely be a bay or a buckskin like her mom. She has very long legs. She runs like a giraffee. We are very excited to have her here. We cut our vacation short because we are so excited (sorry Eddie and Jennie we will see you house someday. Also, here is a current pic of Cash our other foal.)

The second miracle happened on July 27th, after two months, we got our puppy Charlie back. We had some friends tell us that they had a puppy that they thought could be ours, so we went out to see; without a doubt he was our dog. We did not tell the kids so they would not be disappointed if it was not him, when Ryan brought him home, they were so excited. We are glad to have him home!

Hayden
While we were on vacation Hayden had a great time. She played with her cousins in the playhouse at grandma Julies and did not want to leave. She also ran in her second 5K. She was the first girl over the finish line 0-12. She is amazing. Thanks to Aunt Penny for running with her.
On our way home she got a very big cut on her foot. We had white boards to entertain the kids, and some how she sliced her big toe on it. I thought with all on the blood that we would have to get stiches in Missoula MT, but we finally got the bleeding stopped. We have it all wrapped and she hops from one place to the other.

Ryker and Cole
They love going to Idaho. They play till they literally fall over. They were lucky enough to be able to ride little cows at the rodeo. It was so cute. They also got to chase a few to try and get some prizes. (Thanks eddie and jennie for driving all the way from utah to see the boys be cowboys.) Ryker and Cole are both excited to get back to school, I am also excited to send them!

Ledger
Everyone in my family wants to keep him as there own! He is such a fun, happy, beautiful boy. He is talking like an old pro. He wants to do what the big boys do and follows them as much as I will let him. He loves Cole and is picking up some of his habits, scary! He loves the some Five little ducks went out to play. I am so sick of singing it, but you do what you have to do to make him happy.

Ryan and Stephanie
While we were in Idaho Ryan celebrated his 30th birthday! He was not to excited that he was turning the big 3-0. We went to dinner with all the adults in my family and had a great time. Hopefully he will enjoy the next 30 years!

I was so excited to go home and to see all of my family. On the 24th of July the Grant Hill family gets together to celebrate the Pioneer Days. This year will mark the last time we do that at my grandparents home. It was great to see all of my cousins, but I was very sad at the same time, some of my best childhood memories are during those times.

As we get older we realize we are very lucky to have such great family and friends. We also know that miracles do happen!

Time flies...when you have four kids!

Life has been so busy! I think that there is less to do when the kids are in school, than during summer vacation. We have all been enjoying our new baby colt Cash. He is so much fun to watch. Ryan has been spending a lot of time with him and it is amazing how fast he is learning. He lets the kids and I walk up to him and pet him. Now we are just waiting on the next one to join the herd!

Hayden
Last week she partacipated in the state wide Hershey Track meet. She did amazing. She was the youngest participant in the state of Washington. She ran in the 400 meter (she was first in her heat, but did not place) and the 100 meter (she finished 8th overall). She and her dad will be running the mile on the 4th of July! She is also doing swimming lessons, she is learning all of the diffrent strokes. I wish I could talk her into joining swim team, mabey next year. She has also been doing art classes that the city offers and enjoys doing the fun projects they offer.

Ryker
He graduated from Kindergarten and talked his dad into letting him have a mohawk. I told him that he could only have it for a few days, but here we are three weeks later. I told him tonight it was coming off, we will see who wins that battle. He is also taking swimming lessons. He loves to read and is participating in summer reading at the library.

Cole
He is growing so fast. He wears the same size of clothes as Ryker. He eats twice as much. I am going to have to get a job just to keep him feed! He is a lot of fun. He loves the animals, they are not as fond of him. He tries to ride the cows daily. The colt loves him, it is so fun to watch them together. He is doing swimming lessons. I have to keep my eye on him, he is fearless.

Ledger
Much to our dismay, Cole is his favorite person! He is starting to take on a little of his attitude, which terrifies me. He likes to climb into the corral without me and pet the horses. (Scary!!!) He is doing a mom and tot swim class, but he only last about 15 minutes. He would rather chase the birds. He is starting to say names and calling Hayden, Hay- Hay. He likes nursery and stays as long as there is snack and bubbles.

We are excited for the 4th of July and hope that you all have a great one. We are going to Idaho at the end of the month and look forward to seeing our family for an extended vacation! Have a great summer!

Finally Here!!!

We are so excited one of the colts is here! Of course it is from Jett, the mare who we thought would deliver last. Ryan is so excited. On Father's Day at around 10:30 pm we watched the little sorrel male take his first breath. Both mother and baby are doing well. Needless to say we stayed up most of the night just watching. We are naming him Johnny Cash Oleana (Oleana is a bloodline name). We will call him Cash. We will bring you more pictures of the colt and the kids when we have a little more time, summer is buzzing by and we have only been out of school for a week.

Sad day on the Farm

A week ago we lost our dog Charlie. Ryan had left him at his parents while he went to work and the kids and I were out of town. We could not find him anywhere. Hayden and I were in tears. I did not know how much I loved that little guy untill he was gone. We have kept up hope that mabey he would find his way home, but still not sight of him. Hayden has had a hard time sleeping (he always slept with her.) It just brakes your heart.

The horses still haven't had their foals, but we do know they are pregnant (the vet checked!) Ryan has been busy at work and working in the yard. I have been subbing more often than I usually do, and shuttling kids from one thing to another. I have also been busy being the new preschool president, the PTA vice- president, and putting on an enrichment dinner. It keeps life exciting.

But the most exciting new is that we have sold our home in Las Vegas! We are so glad. It has been a rough year hanging on, but know we are hopefully past the worst! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH!

Hayden ran in the Hershey Track meet and did very well for being the youngest participant. She won the 400 meter, and got a 2nd in the 100 meter dash. We are so proud of her and get to go to the Regionals in June.

Ryker is still baseballing and having a ball! He also love to ride his bike. He is getting really good! He is very smart and has tested out of reading, math, and computers. He will graduate from Kindergarten in two weeks.

Cole is done with school. We had his bike day on Friday. He was the only one able to ride without training wheels and he is the youngest. Boy can he ride a bike. He rides so fast I am affraid, but he always wears his helmet and that makes me feel a little better.

Ledger is starting to really be able to associate names with faces. It is so fun to watch him! He is now officially in nursery! My Sunday has officially gotten easier!

We are excited for summer! Hope to see you soon.

No Special Delivery...Still!

Once again we still have not had a colt. It is wearing us out waiting for one to come. We finally took her to the vet just to check to make sure that she was pregnant (she is). The vet said that it would probably be a couple of weeks and so once again we are impatiently waiting. Luckily life has been very busy and so we only check on her 2 or 3 times a day now.

Hayden
She has been working hard a school and doing very well. Reading is not her favorite thing to do, but I introduced her to a few of my old favorites and she is enjoying it better. She is a little board because she is not in soccer right now. She kicks the ball against the fence a 100 times a day just to keep herself in soccer shape. She is also looking forward to running in the Hersey Track meet that is coming up in a couple of weeks.

Ryker or I mean Babe Ruth
Yes it has happened, Ryker has fallen in love ...with baseball. His dad is the coach and the practice four times a week and play twice a week, but Ryker cannot get enough of it. On Saturday, he hit two home runs and caught a pop fly for an out. Yes it is only T-ball, but he is serious!

Cole
He is not old enough to play baseball, but practices with them religiously. He is growing like crazy and I am affraid will soon take over Ryker in size. He is full of energy and wears me out. He loves the horses and cannot wait till the foals come, and told me that he wants to be a baby doctor. If he only knew all that that includes, I think he would change his mind.

Ledger
He is a talking machine. His latest words are drink, love you, and poop. We are so proud. He loves being a boy and playing in the dirt. Out to the farm there is plenty of dirt. We always bring enough home with us to fill up the bath tub.

I had the privlage of attending Women's Confrence with my mom and three sisters (and baby Jack). We had the most wonderful time. I would not have wanted to be there with anyone else. What a memory.

Back in the sadddle!

Well we have not updated in almost a month! Time flies when you have four kids! We have been working really hard in the yard. We removed over 50 bushes. We planted new grass and hope it comes up soon. We have a landscape plan, we just haven't put it into action. We are going to try and paint the house first. We are also anxiously waiting for our two mares Jewel and Jett to foal. Ryan has spent a night or two out to his parents waiting, but nothing happens. He treats them far better then I remember being treated when I was expecting a real baby. He is like a kid in a candy store, but the store has not opened yet. We will continue to wait.

Hayden
She has been playing soccer and doing awesome. She played her last game on Saturday and scored four goals. She will play a few tournaments in the summer and attend a soccer camp. She has started to try and curl her own hair, the worst part is she also tried to curl her cousin Ashley's. Both survived, but I have had to hide the curling iron.

Ryker
What a boy! He just finished soccer with a career high of 15 goals in one game. He does this move where he does a sliding kick to score. It is pretty fun to watch him play. He starts baseball today! He is really excited, grandpa ed and Dad are his coach.

Cole
Needless to say, but everyday with this boy is an adventure. He loves going out to the farm to see and play with all of the animals. He is fearless, so I have to watch him! He has tried to ride the cows a time or two, the chickens fear him, and the horses run from him. He was not as successful as Ryker on the soccer field, half the time he was sitting down, watching the team run by. He is our work in progress! The one thing he does religiously is make us laugh, which is worth a hundred soccer goals!

Ledger
He is only a month and a half away from nursery! He is growing up so fast, he is talking and saying new words everyday. He also loves the horses. He clicks his tongue to get there attention and loves to give them a treat. He has a shoe obsession. He puts them on first thing in the morning. He wears any shoes he can find. Dads are a little heavy but he tries.

Life is good. We had a great Easter and are excited for Spring to Spring!