The Big 10

Today is Bo's birthday. It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years! By my calculations, I was 2 weeks late, very large and uncomfortable and ready to get the show on the road! My doctor decided to induce so at 7:00am, Rick and I went in for the "P" drip.

This delivery was going to be different for me. I'd had medication during my first delivery and afterwards I had a few women that I thought were friends tell me that having medication didn't honor God or his design for childbirth. Of course, I felt like a failure, less of a woman, and pretty crummy about the whole deal. Of course, these women were NOT true friends and had a pretty warped sense of honor. But still . . . I set it in my head that I was woman enough to have a child without medication and that is what I was gonna do!

We were cruising right along, not making much progress and about 10:00am, my sister, Yvonne showed up. She hung around till noon and told Rick to go get some lunch since this would probably be his last time for food. I was having minimal contractions, moving from the big rubber ball to the rocking chair to the bed and then back to the ball. So he left and I tell you . . . the minute he walked out that door, I can feel it like it was yesterday . . . I had a contraction that made me think I was crazy to do this without medication. That one contraction took me from 2 centimeters dialation to 6! When Rick came back after an hour, he came in the door, looked at Yvonne and said, "What in the world happened!" Of course, I was letting the whole world know that I was NOT enjoying this process!

Once Rick got back into the room, though, I seemed to regain my focus, I felt safe - he was there and I was going to be okay! My sister stayed with us and it took about 2 1/2 hours to get to complete and then it took me about 3 hours of pushing to get that little rascal out! Of course, I thought I was having a girl so imagine my suprise when they laid this squalling 8 pound 3 oz. baby boy up on my chest! It was glorious!

Rick said the minute I pushed that baby out I went from near hysteria to complete calm. He said it was the craziest thing he'd experienced!

I proved to myself that I was woman enough to do anything I set my mind to and smart enough to realize that medication is a good thing!!

My boy is now 10 - some days I feel like I give birth all over again! Bo is a source of great joy, laughter, frustration, and love. What would I do without my baby?!






Of course, I can't seem to get a serious picture of him EVER unless I catch him off guard!

Happy Birthday, Ricky! I love you with my whole life!

Ricky opted to play fall baseball instead of wrestling so our next 10 Sundays will consist of baseball double-headers. We've had rain-outs but the weather was perfect this last Sunday for baseball and family time at the park. His first game was at 10:00am so he and Rick missed church but the rest of us went and then met them at the park between games for a picnic and frolic!

We started on the tire swing - everyone got a push from Dad - Even me! Of course, he grunted and groaned that he didn't have the strength but managed to get the job done!





He really got to swinging Bo around and said, "Better watch out, I bet I can hit your head!" Bo yelled, "NO WAY!"

Giant Push!

Even bigger!

Slam!

Daddy has more strength then he thought!

On to the teeter-totter!





My "Monkies" monkeying around!










It was an absolutely glorious day! We ate our peanut butter & apple butter sandwiches, enjoyed each others company, Ricky played a great game, we came home with sunburns on our noses, and just felt blessed to have the day with each other!

Apple Butter

When I was a newlywed, my Grandma Margaret gave my husband a jar of apple butter for Christmas and my DH thought that was the best stuff in the world! So I spent a day with Grandma that next spring and learned how to make apple butter! We had a good visit, I always enjoyed going to Grandma's house. When I was little, I would spend a week with her during the summer and sit and play checkers with Grandpa.

I was really excited to see fruit trees when we were first looking to buy our place. I have two apple trees, two cherry trees, and two pear trees. Our first spring we had a bad freeze and I lost my cherries and pears. The pear trees haven't quite recovered but cherries came on strong. I put up several quarts of cherries but the real work has been with the apples.

Let me tell ya - we've been up to our eye balls in apples and we haven't even made a dent in what the tree has produced. At first it was a family affair - I would core the apples and everyone else would peel, before long, I was coring, Bailey was peeling. We managed to get five - 5 gallon buckets of apples done.

It started out like this - 5 pounds of peeled apples in the crock pot, 2 teaspoons Allspice, 2 Tablespoons cinnamon, 3 cups sugar, cook for 14 hours on low, blend up smooth, place in piping hot jars and waterbath for 10 minutes - and ended with 1 heaping crock pot of apples, a couple shakes of Allspice, a couple shakes of cinnamon, and pour on the sugar,cook on high for 2-3 hours then put on low because it smelled like apples might be burning, stir with a wisk, dump in jars as fast as you can and waterbath until you remember to take em out.

I put up 27 quarts of apple butter, have given 3 away and devoured 2. Here is the fruit of my labor.

Thank you, Grandma, for teaching me the art of apple butter. Next time I will follow all the rules!

Blissful Slumber!

Isn't it amazing how a soft pillow case made from hands that are loved so much can make even the crankiest child sleep better! Aunt Leah sent pillow cases to the kids, just because she loves them and has been in a sewing frenzy!







Thank you, Aunt Leah - you are LOVED VERY MUCH!!!!!

Good Morning, Monday!

Good Morning, Friends! We are having a glorious Monday in Kansas. We've had alot of rain and some more expected today. But the rest of the week should dry up with fall-like weather! This is my favorite time of the year - I took a walk last night right before the sun went down. It was cool and quiet.

Today is Rick's first day at his new job. I told him this morning that I had butterflies for him! I haven't shared much, but the company that he worked for was sold to a very large insurance brokerage and he was not guaranteed any type of position. All was "up in the air" as they say. Being a man of action, he started looking for a new position right away. He interviewed with our county's department of mental health for a chief financial officer position and they called him two weeks later and offered him the job. He's wanted to get into "non-profit" for quite some time and this is a good move. Drive time is less, not necessarily shorter, but since he doesn't have to deal with Wichita rush hour traffic, it takes him about 15 less minutes.

I'm really excited for him because he'll have about 12 people that report to him and he has his very own assistant! I can remember being an assistant to some one and whenever the wife called, she got sent through right away . . . I wonder if I'll get that priority! (smile)

On to other news . . . when you have horses and kiddos on the horses, your heart tends to go pitter-patter much faster then normal! Rick and Bo were roping and Bo's horse just did not want to get-up-and-go. So he and Dad had a conversation about the spurs on the back of his boots and how to use them. On the next run, coming out of the box, Bo gave Blackie the 'ol yeehaw and Blackie gave Bo the pitch of his life! I saw my boy fly about two feet above that horse's back and then gravity took hold and I watched my boy hit the dirt like a sack of potatoes! Dad took off and roped that horse like he was a wild mustang and I got back down the arena to Bo. Trying not to make a big deal of the whole thing, we checked him over, cleaned the dirt out of the nose, ears, and mouth - checked the shiner that was going to be on the cheek and he climbed his little hiney back up on that stubborn, mule-headed horse. Got back in the box for another run and gave that 'ol cus another yeehaw! The boy and the horse have a whole new relationship!

We had Bo convinced that Blackie just crow-hopped and it wasn't any big deal. But he had a chat with his sister and she quickly told him that he had been soundly pitched! We are proud of him, though. He got back on, didn't allow fear to grip him, and continued to rope - really well, I might add!

My sister, Leah, lives in Kentucky and has twins also - her boys have gone to college so she has gone to a fabric shop for a part-time job. Pictures will be coming of the adorable pillow cases she has made my kids! When she gets in the sewing mood, no tellin' what the mailman/woman will be bringing to my door. I definitely do not mind either. She has always been a really good seamstress!

We've got birthday's coming. Bo's turnin 10, the K's are turnin 4 and I'm looking at 40 and trying to decide if I'm going to accept it! I've started walking in hopes that the 20 pounds hanging on to my hiney will drop off rapidly! We'll see . . . I'll keep you posted!

1 Peter 2:16-17: Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone; Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the King.

Blessings~
P.

Funky Weather

I am posting this just shortly after it happened and am still breathing heavy, sweat trickling down my back! I figured posting would be good therapy for the post traumatic stress disorder that I am sure to relive from this harrowing experience!

I heard a crack of thunder and thought - GREAT - we have a horse in the round pen! So I took off toward the barn, another crack of thunder made me run a little faster and then I look over my shoulder at a lightning bold wanting to fry me like chicken! Suddenly . . . with a burst of youth, I ran even faster!

I got the horse haltered and headed to the barn - of course - he only wanted to walk - he has NO CLUE that we were about to be cooked in our skin! We finally got to the barn, I got the stall closed and look out the door and thought - God in heaven, have mercy on me today - do not strike me down for all the naughty I've done!

Then I ran back to the house like a 20 year old track star! But, I am almost 40. I think I set an Olympic record for racing lightning! Unfortunately, I only have pix of the clouds!

Imagine my fright, relive my terror . . . you are breathing heavy, your pulse has quickened from the adrenaline rush this post is giving you . . .

















Okay - so the pictures aren't telling this story, I am!

STUCK AND MUDDY!

Someone help me understand the male species! What was he thinking . . . that this would just slip on and off like a T-shirt? It slipped on like one, but did NOT come off like one. Fortunately, he laughed through the whole thing! We finally got it off with much tugging, pulling, twisting, yanking, etc.















And Muddy - Bailey babysits three kids, Shelby, Trey, and Riley everyday before and after school. Last Friday, they had an early out day so the pond called their names!
















Bailey is demonstrating an "All Country Mud Facial" - suprisingly, all blemishes are gone!














Kash is displaying his wild side - let me tell ya . . . he can get wound up!