Reflection

As I reflect back on 2011, I realize we are very blessed,
for our warm home and fireplace,
for our health,
for our families,
for faith,
for good friends,
for the egg producing ladies,
for the pets... even Jingle Bunny,
for the checker board table on the front porch,
for my new Janome... she's quite a machine,
for Grandpa's cabin... fishing, trap shooting, eating,
for Christmas break... 4 1/2 months until summer
for making soap,
for garden vegetables,
for "glamper" camping,
for technology... the girls love their new gizmos,
and mostly, for the opportunity to experience and live life to the fullest!

For 2012, our goals are to...
arrive at school on time,
eat more vegetables,
keep homemade noodles in the freezer,
not loose any calves during calving,
make more soap,
weed the garden,
lower our rodeo times,
attend the Craig Reunion and Cheyenne this summer,
de-clutter more... started in the basement over break (4 bags of trash)
take piano lessons,

and enjoy every given moment!

Happy New Year to All!

(Note: house cleaning did not make either list)

ZeBrA

A few weeks ago we remodeled the girls' bedroom from sweet little cowgirls to rockin' zebra-print cowgirls! Here are some before and after photos... we also found some missing treasures when we "deep" cleaned their room. We misplaced a DS about 3 years ago... we found it! We also found "Blankie" who had been missing for 4 months. Absolutely amazing!

Before... do you see why we lost treasures?

After... nice new look!
Added some beautiful cowgirls!

Get Along Little Doggies

Monday morning, we got the call... "Dad's moving cows today, can you keep them out of your yard and let the neighbors know?" Now, most people move cows with trailers, or horses, but not us... we move them right down the rode. That means, Dad leads the cows with his truck and a feed bucket and the rest of us keep them on the road and out of yards along the way. And "most" of the time this works well, but I can recall a few times that it did NOT! Once they shot through the evergreens at Helen's, another time they followed the truck out, got spooked, and returned to the pasture at a high rate of speed. A few years ago, the old cows were trained to travel from Richard's to Pete's (our ranch) except, curve ball, they were going to home, so they just circled the ranch house, and headed on down the road. Sometimes, the "I'm sick of running down the road" cow jumps the road fence and is M.I.A. for a few days... always unpredictable.

The next generation in training!

Here they come... I almost had to hurtle the fence, Olympic style, to keep them out of our hay... almost!

Get along little doggies!

And there they go... only with a few communication errors this time, the lovely ladies returned home to feed on fresh round bales of hay and sparkling ice cold water for a few months until they will produce another bumper crop of calves.

Homemade Christmas

Our "Homemade Christmas gifts" were a great success again this year.  I gave the six pack gift, including homemade vanilla, fire starters, homemade soap, and hand painted glamper ornaments.  I love this tradition!

Homemade Noodles

A couple days ago, the girls and I made noodles. I haven't ever made noodles. Our chickens finally started producing eggs again, 4-6 each day.  Way to go ladies! With our abundance of eggs, we decided to make noodles. For supper tonight, we had homemade chicken noodle soup (not with the chickens, but with egg noodles) and beef and noodles are on the menu for tomorrow.  The homemade noodles are awesome!  BL even liked the soup.  There is no reason why we can't have these noodles in our freezer all winter, Polly Pioneer thinks they are a must!

All I Want...

For Christmas is my 2 front teeth!

Wreaths

The first stack of 10 wreaths.

Our wonderful family agreed to make 350 fresh, Christmas wreaths for a local 4-H group. Must I say we have been eating, breathing, and sleeping greenery for the last 3 weeks. I must admit, it is a HUGE accomplishment. I am very proud of us all for #1 sticking with it, and #2 not hurting each other in the process. We have had a few (high note) awkward times, but we also have spent more "family time" together. Teamwork was the key to our success, without everyone's help, this task would have been impossible!

Three weeks, many beverages, countless hours, miles of plaid ribbon, tired kids...

350 lovely, fresh, beautiful, Christmas Wreaths!!!

Awesome work, Shumen Seasons!

The Wizard of OZ

Halfpint is a Munchkin in the Community Players, The Wizard of Oz. She has been practicing once a week for about 6 weeks, and about every other day for 2 weeks. The performance is amazing. For a small community, we have wonderful actors and actresses. Of course, the lion is my favorite. Those people donate hours upon hours of their time... simply amazing. We are very proud of our Munchkin for her hard work and dedication!

cLoWnS

We had a few early Trick or Treaters tonight, so I made the "costume up" for our guests. I made them into clowns... the same costume I once wore. My mom made these clown suits for my cousins, my brother, and me to Trick or Treat my Grandpa Harold in the hospital. The stripes and dots are showing a little age, but are still as cute as can be!

Farming

Again this year we planted a smalll patch of the ranch in soybeans last spring. With our 18 acres of beans, we hire out our planting and harvesting. It took our "custom farmer" two hours to cut the beans. Within the two hours, the girls and I took BBQ beef sandwiches to the field. I remember loading in the station wagon with grandma and mom to take lunch to the field, to Edna's. It was ice tea and wash-day dinner at its best, on the tailgate those fall days. Later, I also remember being bummed because I had to go to school and everyone else got to take lunch to the field.

Little Pumpkin

Our little pumpkin is now a Jack-o-lantern.  Halfpint has pulled two teeth this week.  Hope the Tooth Fairy remembers this time!

Mashed Potatoes

We are glad to be back on the home front. BL and I recently went on a weekend getaway to a PRCA Rodeo in Omaha. (Remember last year, that is where I picked the inspiration to paint my house?) Well, this year I gather some fun, homemade, Christmas gift ideas. We attended the Farmer's Market on Old Market Street in Omaha, did a little shopping at Bass Pro, gambled a little, and had a fabulous time. The girls had a wonderful weekend with Aunt Lindsay and family, thanks again! I love to go places and see new things, but I also love to get home to pot roast and mashed potatoes! Half-pint ate three helpings, she must be growing!

Happy Homecoming

The girls got home Wednesday and decided to dress up for Wacky Wednesday because their friends on the bus dressed up.  Friday, Brett sported her dad's #55 jersey! Go 'stangs! Happy Homecoming!

Labor Day

Over Labor Day weekend, we enjoyed the Union/Perry Township Days. The event included a 4-wheeler ride, (in the rain... what's that?) Annie Oakley Trap Shoot, (she was a famous Missourian) trail riding, and campfires. We truly enjoy spending time with our wonderful friends and family. Blessed are those who live in Union or Perry Township. (giggle, giggle)

Picker Sisters

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/picker-sisters

Check out this link to my new favorite show... it is amazing! While looking for monarch caterpillars in the back 40, I must confess, I have started "pickin" our junk!

There is a gold mine at the folk's north 40.

New projects are in the works!

From Grapes to Jelly

Saturday afternoon we turned grapes into jelly. First, while the girls were swimming in the neighbor's pool, their mama picked grapes. She then called the master of all trades, Grandma Chuck, for a recipe. Of course, the master of all trades came running (actually driving) right over to help. In just a few hours, we were sampling wonderful, fresh, concord grape jelly... simply delectable!

Grape Jelly Recipe

Cook a large pan of grapes with 1 1/2 cups of water until the grapes are mashable. Run them through a tomato juicer. Pour 4 cups of juice into a pan, stir in fruit pectin, bring to boil. Add 7 cups of sugar, hard boil for 1 minute. Let sit for a few minutes, skim stuff off the top, pour in jars. We melted wax on top of jelly to preserve longer.

2nd and 4th

It's hard to believe that the girls are in second and fourth grade. Just last week, I say one of my first fourth graders with a baby... man, am I old? We are all still adjusting, early bedtimes, early mornings, and lunch money? BL loves the thought of getting back in a routine, and together we will have a successful year. (yes, that is a teacher phrase)

Iowa State Fair

We enjoyed the the state fair again this year... now it's back to school.

Tea Party

Half pint dressed up in her finest duds and attended a Tea Party with her friends.  She was amazed with the little cubes of sugar, they even put them n the tea.  I bet she used ten.

Swimming

We have spent many of these hot day in the water... at swimming lessons, an afternoon at the Beach with cousins, and at our neighbors` pools.  The girls are developing fins!

DC Fair 2011

Turtle Charmer C wrote a story about Princess B and B for the Queen contest Wednesday night of the fair... absolutely the cutest story at the fair. It must have worked because the "Turtle Charmer" won the DC 2011 Queen Contest. Way to go "Turtle Charmer!"


Cherry Bomb and Thunderstorm were part of the Cattleman's Bucket Bottle Show. The girls did a great job. Cherry Bomb's leader won her class, but couldn't pull off the BIG title. She also was given a hot, pink show stick because she has shown in this event for 4 years. GREAT JOB!Miss CC is the real turtle charmer. She won two monster trophies and was extremely excited and proud! She was so fun to watch... she smiled for three days!
Believe it or not, she does do a little work!
This mean team placed second in the kids games Saturday morning in the three legged race. Grandpa Ralph coached them to take home the silver... or $3 and a pop.

Sunday, Halfpint threw a flip-flop and eliminated herself from the Pedal Tractor Pull Trophy.
This year as always, the Utts all attend and compete in the fair... many successes, a few disappointments, but always a wonderful, fun time.

Those past presidents are smiling down from above!

Minute to Win It

Halfpint entered the Minute to Win It at the fair, eating pretzels with a gummy worm.  She has great focus and determination for 1 minute, it's the 2 minute mark that we sometimes have trouble.  She won $20 and had a mouthful of pretzels!

(I am blogging from my phone, something new I'm trying???)

Bible Boot Camp

Last week, we attended Bible Boot Camp at the Troy UMC. We put on our God's armor, made shields of faith, helmets of salvation, belts of truth. We also sang "I'm in the Lord's Army." (an all time favorite) It was a great week! Drill Sargent Leslie keep her troops very busy and HOT! BL was drafted for the pie eating contest, but had already ate to much supper and got second place.

Off to the DC Fair we go!

Summer Projects

Here at the Lough Ranch, or should I call it Project City, we have been very busy cutting, tying, and taping.

The girls made fleece blankets, they even picked out their own colors and patterns.

We used zebra duck-tape to embellish the "show tote" (like a show box, that will go to the fair with the bottle calves, and hold feed, buckets, brushes and other useful objects... is it big enough?)

We have also adorned our lovely cowboy hats with beautiful pink, cheap, silk flowers. These Dollar General jewels replaces the large feathers and provide a taste of girly-ness to the hat.

Last week we welcomed Canon Guy to the family, our projects started then, when Brett helped me embroidery-thread quilt a blanket for her newest cousin. Her stitches were not even and sometimes she would miss a stitch... but looking at the finished project, one couldn't tell her stitches from mine?????

Happy Independence Day

Of course our 4th of July was celebrated at the Ft. Bloomfield Rodeo, we enjoyed riding in the parade, volunteering at the rodeo, camping in the RV, cheering for the local contestants, watching the fireworks, and participating in the "calf dressing" competition. BL and Rodeo Committee team took home the big money, beating the rest of us! We need a rematch, maybe at the Chuck Union??