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Conrad's Birthday Party!!

Today was Conrad's birthday party! We had so much fun. Conrad said, "This was the best birthday ever" and we were so glad. We hadn't had a big birthday party for him in a long time. There were 15 kids who came: Cousins Michaela, Dayton, Jake, Austin and Eli, and Friends Abbey Hopkins, Levi Glidewell, Bailey and Sterling Main, Kyle Bosley, Maison McGhee, Madison Claire, and Austin Peregrine. We started with cake/ice cream with some time also for holding kittens and playing basketball. Conrad opened presents and loved everyone's thoughtful gifts. Next, they divided into two teams and played Capture the Flag using squirt guns to stop their opponents. Then, we had a little fishing derby. Chuck spent his whole time untangling lines! Uncle Dave helped, too. Before Jake fished at all, he caught his hook on his shirt, and then on his shoelace! We gave a prize to the most fish caught--and that was Abbey (aged 4!) and she also had the first fish caught. Then, Levi caught the biggest fish, and Kyle caught the smallest fish (he also caught the second most fish!) Next, we ate--they were able to roast hot dogs over the fire and also make S'mores. The weather turned out to be really nice, and we were so glad that everyone was able to come!

Memorial Day!

On Memorial Day, Conrad went fishing at the pond. He saw tadpoles in the water right by the shore, so he scooped them up and used them as bait (no girls live here!). He caught 14 fish in about an hour. We ate them for supper!

Summer School!

Caden started summer school yesterday. Chuck is able to take him to school each morning, but Caden begged to ride the bus instead. He gets on at 7am! Yesterday, he was beside my bed at 6:15, fully dressed and ready to go! His favorite class so far is cup stacking. He doesn't get home until 4pm on the bus.

Conrad is doing summer school with me. He has done summer school at Minnie Cline each year, but this year we both decided he wouldn't do it with the 7th and 8th graders (the 6th/7th/8th are all together). When he saw that "Dancing with the Summer School Stars" was one of the classes, he was SURE he didn't want to do it! I talked him into (OK, I bribed him) doing a 1/2 day summer school with me to finish up a few subjects and explore a few that we didn't have time for. He also has a summer reading list. I have been enjoying the time with just him--it is rare that Conrad and I are home alone.

Kitten Update!

Caden was playing with the kittens and one of them got ahold of his ear and wouldn't let go. They are about 5 weeks now--just about ready to be adopted!

Caden's snowglobes

Caden thought I should add his snowglobe collection onto my blog! His favorite snowglobe is the little Santa with the hat. Grandma Dixie and Grandpa Jim gave it to him when he was very little. They had gotten him a Christmas stocking and put the snowglobe inside. He loves snowglobes and usually gets one for Christmas. I have also brought them back for him from places I have visited for my Homemade Gourmet conferences and trips.

Conrad's Second Horseriding Lesson

Conrad had his second lesson today (the last before the summer clinic for his birthday). He LOVED his time there today and all he could talk about is trying to take some more lessons this summer. When he is on that huge horse, he does still look like my "little boy," but in all other ways, he looks huge to me--he has grown several inches in the last few months and is growing up so much.

If you click below, you can see video.

Oklahoma!

The first time Chuck took me to meet his Uncle Herbert and Aunt Jimmie in Oklahoma, (15 years ago!!), it was Decoration Day, which I had never heard of in my Northern upbringing! The Sunday before Memorial Day, families take a picnic to the cemetery and decorate the graves. In the area where his uncle lives, over a hundred people attend. Chuck's dad wanted to go this year. They also have a family reunion on the Sat. before for the Earl family, which was Vern's mother's side of the family. Chuck took him down for the week-end. They had a good trip and really enjoyed their time. We have gone down sometime during the year almost every single year since we have been married (even the year I was 8 months pregnant with Caden--after that trip, we can honestly say at every bathroom we pass, "We've been there!") It has become such a fun part of the kids' childhood, as it was for Chuck's when his family went down to visit every year. We are hoping to get to go later in the year for a long week-end, after Chuck is more settled into his new job. I have loved spending time with his aunt, Jimmie and getting to know her.
In the picture, Chuck's dad, Vern, has the maroon shirt with the tie. His uncle Herbert is in the cowboy hat and striped shirt. His aunt, Jimmie, is sitting in the chair with the white shirt. Chuck's cousins, Stephanie and Dereck are in the sunglasses, and Jimmie's brother, Bud is in the other cowboy hat, her brother Sonny is by Herbert, and her sister, Wauneta is behind her.

The week-end was full of many stories of Vern and Herbert's childhood.

My niece, Eliana Grace Busch

This is a current picture of my niece. She is two months old and in Houston. She belongs to my brother, Kevin, and his wife, Trena! :-) I can't wait to see her. I think they will be coming here soon, so I am trying to keep myself from hopping on a plane to go see her now!

Not an outdoor girl!

When I was growing up, we lived in the country and had a variety of animals--pigs, cows, a horse, chickens, ducks, many cats and dogs. When we got new bottle calves, my sister, Donna, would be out feeding them with a bottle and named each one. I was in the house reading a book. When we had a pregnant momma cat, Donna was making room in her drawer for the birth and named each kitten lovingly. I was in the house reading a book!
So, imagine my surprise to marry an outdoors guy, live out of town, and suddenly realize that my blogs consist of wild game, the birth of incubated pheasants, horse-riding lessons, and the care of new kittens!

Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

The kids and Chuck made me breakfast and put it on a cookie sheet and brought it to me in bed, but I told them I would rather come to the table and eat with them. They had each made me a card and Chuck had made me "mom" blueberry pancakes! They were so proud of their work, and it was very nice.

Conrad and Caden had heard me saying the other day that all of our spoons seem to have disappeared over time. (some, I know, were victims of the garbage disposal). So, they decided I needed some new spoons. They tried to find just a set of spoons, but instead got me another set of flatware. We now have spoons! I thought it was sweet that they had been listening for something that I needed.

Circus!

On Friday, May 9th, we took the boys, Grandma Dixie, and Abbey Hopkins (age 4) to the circus in Savannah! We got to go by early in the day and watch them setting up. Unlike the big three-ring circus' with amazing animals, etc. of my youth, this was definitely a small-town, old-fashioned, family-business circus! Because it was just one small ring in a small tent, we were right in front of the action and the kids loved it. They got to do pony rides before it started. The only animals in the show were two elephants and pigeons! There was a clown (who also did a side show, sold concessions, etc.) It was a lot of juggling, throwing fire, balancing on tall things instead of the many animal related acts in other circus'. Caden loved the cotton candy, of course. They had colored a pix from their website for a contest, and Caden won a little balloon.

More babies!

The boys incubated pheasant eggs this year that they intend to put out into the wild after they are bigger. They had to turn the eggs twice a day and keep sponges wet in order to have the right humidity. We had ten hatch. It was supposed to take about 24 days, but ours were from 26-30 days. All of them are a yellow/brown/black stripe except one that is all yellow. I am attaching video that shows one of them trying to hatch.

Conrad's Piano Recital/Birth on the Side of the Road~

Last Sunday, on May 4th, we were able to celebrate Mother's Day with Colleen. We went to eat at Houlihan's in Saint Joseph and gave her a break from her normal Sunday cooking that we all appreciate.

Then, Conrad had his recital at 2pm. What a thrill for him to have so many in his audience: Grandpa Vern, Grandma Colleen, Michaela, Grandma Dixie, Grandpa Jim, Clark, Stephanie, Jake and Austin. Thanks Aunt Stephanie for the pix that I am attaching. (I was able to watch it when I clicked on the spot with the 'x'). Let me know if you can't.

We brought Jake and Austin home to play for a little while after the recital. On our gravel road, on the way back to St. Joe, we saw an amazing site. Just as we were driving by a bunch of cows grazing just by the road, we saw a calf that had just been born. It still had the umbilical cord, and they all got to watch it try to stand up for the first time. They were all very impressed. There was an inner fenced section and the mama was inside that, but had been facing down the hill for the birth, so the baby was born on the outside of the fence. We could hear the baby and momma mooing for each other and the baby trying to walk through the barbed wire fence on wobbly legs that wouldn't bend. Austin, especially, was very worried about it. So, we stopped at the farmer's house to tell him, but he wasn't home. I told Austin we would check on the calf on our way home. By then, it was back with its mom, and they had somehow managed it on their own. The farmer hadn't helped, and he said it is better not to interfere when they are that age. So, for the country boys and city boys alike, they were amazed at the birth of the calf.

Horseriding lessons~

Conrad doesn't know it yet, but he is going to get a horseriding clinic for his birthday. He will go 70 minutes once a week for the summer and learn all about horse basics--taking care of them, the kinds of horses, how to ride, etc. He has loved horses since he was very little and continues to ask us to get a horse. In preparation for the clinic, the teacher wanted Conrad to come for two lessons ahead of time. On 03/31/08, we went for the first one and told him that the two lessons were his early birthday present. We will tell him about the clinic on his birthday. He was so much more nervous than I thought he would be, and at one point, when he had finally gotten on the horse, he almost told her that he wanted to get down and go home! Then, she asked him to trot, and he said, "no", but she made him do it anyway. Then, she asked him to do it again, and he said, "no, it is too fast" and she made him do it again. Then, she said, "Are you ready to go in now?" and he said, "No, I want to do it again!!" Afterwards, the horse lesson was all he could talk about and he is eager for the second one on May 21st!

Conrad's Turkey

On 04/26/2008, Conrad shot a turkey while he and Chuck were hunting. He was very proud of it!

Update on Crazy Cats!

The kittens are growing. Here is what they looked like on 04/30/08. Their eyes are now opened. Chuck is already trying to find them homes!

Conrad's Program

Conrad's school program on 03/31/08 was about summer vacation and Conrad was a boy fishing. Here is a video of it!

Crazy Cat Story!

04/26/08 is when I wrote this:

This is the story of our crazy cat week!!
A month ago, we realized that we had THREE pregnant cats (were going to get them fixed, but didn't get it done in time!) They were the mom, Katie, and her two daughters, Angel and Cutie (that were born in the summer).
Last Thursday, (the 17th) when we got back from Omaha, the mom, Katie, had had five kittens, but two were dead. By the next morning, the other three were also dead. We couldn't figure out why. She was so sad, wandering around meowing, looking for her kittens.
Then, this Tuesday morning, I was walking to the van and heard meowing---I finally found the source--under the holly bush between the sidewalk and garage. There was the mom, Katie, the pregnant sister, Cutie,and the new mother Angel with six kittens. All three mothers were under there in a circle around the kittens. Then, we saw that Katie was also nursing some of the kittens and she looked so happy. When Angel left for too long, her mom would go get her to come back and take care of her kittens!
The next morning, Caden noticed the mom Katie trying to move her grandchildren into the box the boys had put out there for them, but Angel moved them back under the holly bush. Then, later in the day we realized that three of the kittens were missing. We couldn't find them anywhere and all three moms were under the holly bush. Then, later in the day, another one was missing and nowhere to be found. At that point, Caden and I moved the remaining three kittens into the garage into a box. Within 10 seconds, Angel was moving them back under the holly bush. We got up the next morning, after a storm in the night, and there were no kittens and the moms were all just wandering around seeming to look for the kittens. The boys were devastated thinking they must all be dead.
Then, as we were headed into Savannah at noon, I looked into the garage and saw the heads of all three moms poking out of a big barrel that Chuck had in there. There was stuff in the barrel, so there was hardly any room there at all---the kittens were on the bottom and the three cats were piled on top of them. We're sure it was Katie who moved them all throughout the day. When we got back from Savannah, the boys got another box and tried to convince Angel that it was a better spot. Two of the kittens were dead because they had gotten completely smashed on the bottom of the pile in the barrel. Then, as Conrad was standing there, the other sister, Cutie, gave birth to a kitten in the barrel and Conrad saw it fall through a crack clear to the bottom of the barrel. Had he not been standing there to retrieve it, it would have died because we wouldn't have known it was there and the mama couldn't reach it.
They put her and her new kitten in one box and Angel and her four remaining kittens in another box. Then, Katie of course had to go in with Angel and start nursing some of them. Pretty soon, Cutie had left her brand-new little kitten alone in her box so that she could go in with all the others! After Conrad kept putting her back in her box with her kitten, he came out to find that she had just moved her kitten in with the others. All of them were piled in one box while the other box was completely empty. She then had four more kittens in that box and now there are three mamas in a circle with 9 kittens in the middle---all nursing wherever they feel like. It is the craziest thing. I guess it "takes a village"!

Boys and their Toys!

Spring is here! How do I know? It isn't because of the green grass poking through the ground or the robins outside my window--it is that my husband's heart has turned to motorcycles!! It is always a sure sign of Spring! First, he cranes his neck at all bikes that we pass; next, I see that he has 'googled' for different bikes on the Web, and then I hear him calling on ads in the paper , and he tells me that the one in the paper is "a steal"!! Then, I remind him that we don't have the money for a bike (his reply: "But, it would pay for itself in what we would save in gas"), that it is too risky for a dad of small kids ("But, I am a safe driver") and so it goes---similar to trying to reason with a teenager! :-) We'll see what the outcome of this is!

Oh, for a brain!

I finally got an e-mail response from the "blog help" people who told me that my previous e-mail spot was associated with a different hotmail address than the one I used. However, I don't have another hotmail address!! So, I guess I will just start over here!

I am an incompetent blogger!!

I started a blog last month and was so proud of myself for figuring out how to do it! My sisters-in-law, Michelle and Stephanie inspired and encouraged me to set one up. Well, tonight, I was going to update it and the only blog that would come up was one that I had set-up and decided I didn't like and abandoned it for another. I can get it to come up on the Web, but I couldn't add to it!! I spent TWO HOURS tonight looking through all the help sections, etc. and could not ever figure out what happened.
I finally gave up and will start over!! I think maybe I wasn't meant to blog!