Branding - Plagiarism at its Best

Last weekend after we got home from a two-day basketball tournament watching Jill, we went to a branding at Dixie's house. My cool friend Marilee posted it on her blog, so I am just copying her words and pictures. My additions are in italics.

This is my cool friend, Marilee

When it is branding time people seem to come out of the woodwork. Trucks and trailers just kept coming with people of all ages, from little babies to grandmas and grandpas.

Our truck is the white one in the back

Look at all these friends and family that came to help Dixie with her cows. Country folk are nice like that.

I am standing by the gate holding Carly.

After the mammas are separated then you have to get the babies one by one to brand them. Here they rope the babies, hold them down, then do their thing. This is Austin, he is the Jr. High Principal and the teachers' quorum advisor for Neal.

Girls do this sort of thing too. That is Raven in the green and she is one of my Mia Maids. Jill is there too, she is a Beehive but would like to be with the Mia Maids, anyways, her dad is Austin. She has three sisters and they can all ride. Her mom Kaylynn learned how to load horses into a trailer and haul the trailer this year. I think that is amazing that she can do that all by herself. When she married Austin she didn't know a thing about horses and now she is an old pro.

Here is Jill and her grandpa, Buck, showing her the ropes of wrangling a calf.

Spring Break

We enjoyed our spring break the last week of April.

First, we went to Waterton Lakes Lodge for a night. We went swimming that night and the next morning. (after Austin drove all the way back to our house because we forgot to bring the swimming suits.) We had the life jackets and water toys, but only 2 of the 6 swimming suits.

Can you tell it was bright? Lucy had to hold her eyes open:)

Then we celebrated Easter.


Then we went to the ranch to visit Joe and Joan. The highlight of the visit was de-horning yearling cows. My job was to spray the de-wormer on their backs as they came through the shoot. Jill ran the back shoot gate and came away splattered with blood. Austin was splattered, too. Hanna tried for hours to catch a frog, but with no success. Jill took 300 pictures as she did photo shoots of each of us on the farm equipment.

The weekend ended with Stake Conference. First, we got to have dinner on Friday night with Elder Marlin K. Jensen who was the visiting general authority for stake conference. He was Austin's mission president in New York. He is an amazing man. We are lucky to know him, and he has been a HUGE influence in our life.

On Saturday, Austin got to go to priesthood leadership training and hear him. Then we got to listen again during the evening adult session.

On Sunday, we got a front row seat saved for us because Hanna spoke in Stake Conference. Elder Jensen had told our stake to ask a 10-year old primary child to speak. They didn't know we knew Elder Jensen, and Elder Jensen didn't know it was Hanna who had been asked to talk until we told him while we were eating dinner together. Not a coincidence if you ask me.

Anyway, Hanna got to sit right next to him on the stand during the Sunday general session of stake conference. She did an amazing job. Her topic was "Why I Believe in Jesus Christ" and she had to talk for 5 minutes. We were so proud of her. We got comments for weeks about what a great job she did.

We enjoyed our spring break!

Dixie Dee

We are lucky to claim Dixie Bevans as our friend.

She was the lady at the border window that welcomed us to Canada when we moved here.

She is in our ward, and now we serve in the Relief Society presidency together.

She became a runner, and we ran in a race in Montana together in October (plus had a super fun time shopping and eating and hanging out)!

She organizes fun friend activities, and is the Mom who brings us water and jerky for our snacks while we are skiing!

Austin has trained 3 of her colts.

She is our mailman and brings us our U.S. mail once a week.

My kids love her and she is a great friend!

We had a birthday party to celebrate her 49th birthday!

Dixie and the Cahoons

Dixie and the Nunns

Dixie and the Salmons


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DIXIE!

Mother's Day

I love Mother's Day!

I love the little things my kids make for me from school. Plants, scrub brush flowers, bath salts, and a necklace.

This morning my family made a special breakfast, and when it was ready, they told me to come in and sit down and that I was the queen. About half way through breakfast, Carly said, "Queens don't talk." Then I told her she was a princess. She said, "No, I am jabberbox, not a princess."

Lucy gave me a card from school. She had to fill in the blanks.
My Mom is 26 years old. Her favorite food is salad. Mom's favorite thing to do is pushing me on the swing. Her favorite color is blue. She is afraid of bears. I love my Mom because she will come and help at the school.

My family showered me with gifts: a flower, a tablecloth, 2 wall hangings, a spray bottle, a necklace, and new wooden spoons. Hanna made me clay bowls out of mud.

I love getting flowers at church and listening to great Mother's Day talks.

I love having my family prepare dinner and clean it up.


I love my Mom and for the great sacrfices she has made for me. She is a great teacher and a friend.

I love my Mother-in-Law. She is very giving and wise.

I love all other mothers that are a good example to me and to all those who are like mothers to my children.

April Birthday

Carly turned 3. She has been talking about her "April" for months. Birthdays are really exciting when you are 3. We went out to dinner on her birthday, and we had an extra special guest that we got to have dinner with. Elder Marlin K. Jensen came to Cardston to do a temple review and preside at our stake conference. He was Austin's misison president, and we knew he was coming, so we got to pick him up and go to dinner with him.

We were worried about finding a good place to eat in Cardston - the choices are very limited. We decided against Dairy Queen, and we went to the Cobblestone Manor. It turned out to be great - the food was good, not too slow, a quiet place where we could visit, the waitress was a student at Austin's school. They even brought out a birthday cake with candles for Carly.







After dinner, President Jensen came with us to Austin's parents house for more cake and to open birthday presents. Carly said cute things and was really excited to open presents.

Thanks to the grandmas (including adopted grandmas) to and our awesome Aunt Diana and adopted Aunt Dixie for the birthday presents.


We didn't eat dinner at Dairy Queen, but they do make delicious ice cream cake!

Easter

My kids got 2 sets of Easter dresses this year. The first set is from Austin's sister, Sarah, who sewed dresses for all 4 of our kids. She is amazing. I don't sew. It is a skill I don't even want to have.

The first Sunday they wore their new Easter dresses we got a foot of snow.

Lucy walking into church through the snow.

On Easter Sunday, they wore their second set of new dresses, the ones we bought in Utah/Idaho at Kohl's/Ross. It was a sunny day, a bit chilly and windy, but at least the snow was gone.





We went to a fun Easter egg hunt at the Remington Carriage Center. Lucy and Carly and their cousins collected some quality chocolate candies.



The Easter bunny came to our house. It was a true test for the older girls since it was Fast Sunday, but they endured to the end. (It was Fast Sunday since we have Stake Conference next Sunday). He brought lots of candy, and Jill and Hanna got new piano books and Lucy and Carly got a new shirt and shorts.