It started playing catch with this green ball

Then it rolled under the couch

He was determined to get it

He tried really hard

Then he gave up

He is a little cooler than he looks

I gave Dean tickets to the Dave Stamey concert for Valentines Day. He is practically Dean's favorite singer. I used to not be able to stand his music, but against my will I started coming around to the idea over the last few years. When the concert started I thought I might poke my eyes out with the opening acts but I actually really enjoyed Dave. He was really funny and he has a really good voice. It was the only concert I've ever been too where the singer actually sounds as good or better than his CD. After the concert Brooks took a picture of Dean and I with Dave, and I'm sure it was super cute, but on our way home we realized that I didn't have a memory card in the camera so that was sad.

Feeding Cows

The kids and I helped Dean feed cows because Byran and Jed were both out of town. Josie loved it but Trig just wanted to get down. The tractor floor was wet so I just had to hold him and he was not very happy about it.

Feeding cow with Josie 16 months

Feeding cows with Josie 7 months

Funny how percepction changes

Dean called me today, he was crazy excited. He told me he just bought a new farm truck. He said it was in "mint condition", then went on to say... "Linds you wont believe it, I'm driving down the road right now 60 mph and I can hear you, this thing is air tight. The doors stay shut by themselves. I just took my hands off the steering wheel and its still driving in a straight line". It made me laugh that those are the things we would both now perceive as "mint condition" in a farm truck.

He came to pick me up and we went for a drive. When I saw it I was surprised that he didn't mention that it was actually MINT in color too, there is probably a reason he left out that detail. When I got in the seat was dirty and it rocked back and forth when I sat down. The passenger door doesn't open from the outside so I had to let Dean in, and I had to let off the clutch twice to get it in reverse but outside of that she's cherry (name that song) and my husband is quite thrilled.

I'll admit I even smiled a little bit when I first saw it because I know my dad will genuinely be jealous, a little bit of the truck but mostly the color. He is just a little tacky.

It was a really good deal and just perfect for what Dean needs. It is also leaps and bounds better than what he farmed in last summer. The red flat bed was a really good truck but it had seen its day. Both of the doors stayed shut by manually fastening them closed with a piece of hay twine once you got inside. It was incredibly dirty, it had none of the following; gas gage, lights, speedometer, seat belts, radio, power steering, O and most importantly NO Brakes. The window didn't roll up and the seat was always wet. People would comment when Dean took it to the gas station, "I'm surprised you dare drive that thing so far from home". Or my personal favorite was when Dean dropped it off to get a flat tire replaced and the guy called him and said, "I have an old set of tires I would sell you for $25 if you want me to put them on" Dean asked him what kind of shape they were in and he replied, "O they are way past worn out but a hell of a lot better than the ones you got now". That didn't stop Dean from driving it everywhere but it was really quite dangerous. Needless to say I didn't feel a bit bad when the transmission went out.

Just a picture to remember the red flat bed, I'm pretty sure this was at it's prime. Don't mind the hillbilly squirrel shooting activity following last years Fox family BBQ.

We took the kids to see the baby calves. Dean told Josie to be really quiet so she didn't scare them. But she instantly started mooing right when she walked in, and then loudly asked the baby cows if they were hungry and wanted some hay.

Dean gave the kids a quick discourse on baby cow bottles. Then he let them play for a while longer.

O the way back to the house Trig was going crazy, he couldn't hold still and he just wanted to get down. I kept saying things like, "your nuts kid" "hold still- I'm going to drop you". Then Dean chimed in, "He is crazy huh? last night I thought I was going to have to slap him just to get his pajamas on". Not sure that would solve the problem but it was funny.

Cowboy?

Tonight this is what Dean looked like when he left to check cows. I yelled to him to come get the garbage, it was a trick. I had to call him back to the house so I could take a picture. I like when he looks like a rhinestone cowboy with his wild rag, chaps, and hat but that's not the reality today. It's freezing cold and snowing hard so this cowboy looks more like an Eskimo.

Trig has another ear infection, in both ears. 5th one in 10 months. He is on another antibiotic and has an appointment with an ENT. He gets a little fussy but mostly I know he is sick again when he won't eat, If he ever turns down food I know there is a problem. He is getting SO fun, he is such a chatter box, and loves everybody. I love his big eyes and I fall for them every time he wants me to pick him up.

Josie is loves to read. She loves me to read to her and I do but I sure like it when I can trick her into being the mom and reading to her babies.

Today I should have spent nap time writing a paper for one of Dean's classes that is due tomorrow (I know there is a lot of things wrong with that sentence) but instead I watched these videos and went through pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZcRgQZgP3M&feature=related

It made me happy that my boy has Trigger's name!

Dean had 23 babies in the last 24 hours. I practically married a doctor. He hasn't got very much sleep and it is really starting to show in his additude.

Can you see a resemblance?

Josie and I were standing in line at Walmart and Josie was admiring the many things next to the checkout. She came across a box of Beef Jerky with a picutre of this sasquatch on it. She quickly poked him in the face and said, "O hi TJ" and moved on to the next item.

"I need Daddy, Mom look mine eyes, MOM LOOK MINE EYES, I need Daddy"

I'm going to go ahead a say this is the main reason why I'm not a concert pianist. My kids can't resist, they will not leave me alone when I practice. Not even if Dean is home. -notice Josie is on the phone while she is practicing her piano. She was talking to Koen, she heard he was sick.

OF COURSE...

I'm an incredibly private person so you can understand why I didn't know how to react.

The other day I was getting Josie ready for bed and she tooted, and then she laughed a little and said, "Mine bum burped mom, silly bum". I turned my head and tried not to laugh. Of course she would think her bum burped I have never taught her anything else and I can't even bring myself to talk about such things. I couldn't help but write it down, it was just too funny.

Last night I was driving to town, it was freezing cold, snowing really hard, and the wind was blowing. There was an old man who had pulled his car off to the side of the road and was leaning against it. I slowed down and asked if he needed help (I would want someone to help me if I was out in that kind of weather). He said, "No I was just waiting for you to pass so I could take a pee". My cheeks instantly went red and I was oddly embarrassed. Of course... that is what he was doing I guess I should have known.

Roppin' cows

Less is More

Josie had a little car seat/baby carrier for her baby and she NEVER used it so we gave it away. Now she just uses this little basket, and calls it a car seat. Maybe less is more for little girls with big imaginations.

"I do it Mom" Josie said she would do it, so I let her. She did pretty good and it kept them both occupied for a long time.

Just so you know 'Baby Five' no longer is named 'Five' now her name is 'Baby Princess' (I'm not even sure Josie knows what a princess is so that is why I find it suspicous that baby Five changed to baby Princess after playing with Rio for three days. Either way it made me laugh out lound when I was informed of the name change.) You can tell from the picture she takes this matter very serious.

Dean took me to Park City for 3 days. Thanks to Addy for tending the kids. We had a really nice time (after I got Dean to turn off his phone). I kept telling him it was my trip, and it really was, he let me do everything I wanted and was so patient and so fun!

P.S.

Dean did get me a Valentine gift... a book and a card, and he even got Josie a cute little necklace.

When we got home I started to unpack and didn't pay much attention to the kids. So this is what I get. He had eaten almost the entire banana and a lot of the peel. The mess was already made so I just let him finish.

Pillow Talk

The other night

Me: Dean remember when I had the worst pain of my life and you slept through it. Remember I told you the next morning that I didn't go to sleep until 5:30 am and you just shrugged it off.

Dean: Ya

Me: Remember it happened again and you were nice about it but you totally thought I was over reacting, and then less then a week later I had surgery.

Dean: Ya what about it

Me: I was just thinking how it really was a big deal and you totally thought I was overreacting. I'm not a baby so it weird that you didn't believe me.

(he then sat up)

Dean: Well I slipped on the ice yesterday and now I think I have a bone chip in my elbow.

Me: ... and we're back, you always make it about you. Then I laughed really hard.

Tonight

Me: Hey should we exchange Valentines presents a day early?

Dean: Well I was going to give you something but I forgot what it was.

No lie, he was dead serious. Then I laughed really hard.

Lately

It took a little bit of begging but I got Dean to take us swimming in Preston. I don't know why I had to beg he should have begged me. I got everyone ready, fed everybody dinner, packed all the stuff we needed (towels, clothes to change, life jacket, baby float, etc.) Sang Josie songs the entire 30 minute drive to the pool. Got the kids ready to actually get in the pool. We swam, played, and had a good time. Then I got one kid out at a time showered them got them ready for bed while at the pool, showered myself, gathered all our stuff back up, sang songs all the way back home, and put the kids to bed. When we went to bed I was thinking how much work it is to have a good time as a family; but it must be worth it because then I asked Dean if he would take us again!

Josie is wearing Rio's swimsuit (size 6 months). Trig is wearing Jake's (size 2T)

That is so Backwards. They are so opposite.

We went to pick Dean up for lunch one day and took some pictures of Jed bringing in the babies they started breaking this week.

Dean has started calving a little bit already. It has been really nice weather for calving so far. I always pray the baby calves will be healthy, I feel so bad they are born in the freezing cold.

Dad this is that Huck horse I've been telling you about.

Dean went to Alice Lake Snowmobiling. They ride in 30 miles on Snowmobiles to the cabin where they stay. It makes me crazy nervous. They are so far from everything and no way to get help in an emergency. It gives me serious anxiety but its Dean's Utopia. Obviously I didn't take the picture, I googled it, but you can imagine it looking a lot like this but with 7 feet of snow piled on top. He came home and told me the stories of all the scary snowmobiling he did, while I bit my names and checked to make sure our life insurance was still paid up.

While Dean was gone I took the kids to Utah. I went down to paint JD's house and had a really fun visit. Maddie stayed with me and it was so fun to have her. We took grandma great to lunch and took Gracie shopping. I only have one picture to prove we were there; Sunday we had a really intense game of ring around the rosie. I love watching the cousins play together.

We took Trig to the Dr. and he had ANOTHER sinus infection and an ear infection. The poor boy in 9 months old and on his 5th sinus infection. He has 5 teeth, three on top and two on the bottom. He is walking a lot along the furniture but not even close to walking by himself. He is still very happy and its been fun to see him play more with other kids. Its interesting to see how into trucks and balls he is already, boys must truly be born with that. He is getting so busy. He loves to pull everything out of any drawer, and he loves to make a mess.

Josie has been testing her limits. She is learning more about time-out and so am I. She is so funny and staring to say really funny things. She sings a lot, especially to her babies. I took this picture one day when I heard her singing "You are my Sunshine" to her baby inside her cardboard house.

She is such a ham

I walked into Josie's room and she was reading her books with a cowboy hat on. She is so funny. After I took this picture I realized I really need to put her in a real bed, I just really don't want to, just not yet.

Grandpa gave us a box

After the kids used it as a tunnel for two days. We made it into a house! Josie took her painting very seriously. She is proud of her house and will not let boy anywhere near it.

How I spend my time

I spend a fair amount of my time reminding Dean that he is not as cool as he thinks he is. But yesterday I found out that he really is pretty cool. Maybe I don't know as much as I think I do... no that can't be.

But really in reality he is an excellent dad, a great husband, a hard worker and a pretty dang good snowmobiler. I couldn't even get good pictures because I was to busy either screaming for his life or just trying to catch up to him.