Ethen started first grade last week. I can hardly believe it!!! It was very hard for me watching the other parents. I just kept thinking, "Shane should be here too". I'm not sure if I am sad or glad about this, but when we got there, he acted like I wasn't there. He just started talking to his friends and took off to play. When I told him goodbye, he didn't even glance my way as he hollered "bye mom". I wish he would have acted just a little bit that he didn't want me to leave. I miss him during the day, but it is much quieter. Emilee doesn't scream near as much as when he is home. She tries to boss him around and if he doesn't listen she screams at him. I am trying my best to break her of that. Today, she kept screaming so I gave her a swat. She cried so hard she threw up. I'll try to get some pictures of his first day up soon. Until next time.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass..... It's about learning to dance in the rain"

Sorry slideshow pops up twice....ENJOY!!!!!

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Return from Texas

The kids and I had a blast at the Ranch. We went coon hunting, fed and petted the cows, (Emilee especially loved that), went for rides on the quads and in the trucks, fed the deer, (sometimes 30 and 40 right in the front yard!!!!), we fixed fences, and just relaxed. Emilee absolutely loved the cows. She has just started to talk and she said "cow" all the time, day and night. Just about drove us all insane. It was either "cow" or "walkie". She wanted to take a walk and see the cows. She fed them cow cake and petted them. She screamed and laughed when they would lick her. She was filthy dirty and dead tired every night. I know she really enjoyed the Ranch. We never could get her to say "Hampy" but she always called for "Shiree". Now Ethen, he was Uncle Hampy's little helper...... that is if he wasn't on the quad. He would get on that thing with his little helmet and drive around in circles around the ranch house for hours. We actually ended up running out of gas once when Ethen and I went for a ride. He had to ride back to the house on the back of my quad to get the gas can. He went with us when we went coon hunting and was so excited when I shot the coon. He wanted us to make a hat for him.... I think I'll just buy him one. He helped out with feed the deer and the cattle. He would throw hay from the back of the truck with Uncle Hampy. Ethen and Grandad went for a ride on the quads one of the first days we were there and Grandad ended up spraining his ankle trying to start his quad. Granny and Uncle Hampy took him to the ER and on the way home a deer ran into the side of my van. As soon as they get back we will have to take it into the shop. Around the ranch are some ranches with exotic animals on them. We saw a zebra, a buffalo, sika, goats and these red deer with the biggest antlers I have ever seen in person. There were also other animals I don't know the name of. On the way to church we also some some elk. I took alot of pictures so I will post them next week.