First day of First Grade!

Yep. It has come to this. My sweet Sofia has started First Grade. She is also starting in the Dual Immersion program (her teacher actually suggested this for Sofia) and I am hopeful that it will be all she wants it to be. She is super excited that her BFF Makenzie will be in the class with her so I am sure that helps her nerves. She was so cute and couldnt wait to get there. Sigh. I weeped my way to work when I dropped her off. My big girl. Its definitely a milestone type of day.

 Sof all ready to go! And at the school ready to head to the classroom with her BFF McKenzie!

Lyman, Wyoming Rodeo 2013

"WELCOME TO AMERICA" You will hear this each and everytime the MC (cannot remember the guy's name! ugh.) asks if anyone is from out of town as he introduces the rodeo. I love it!! Gives me shivers every time. It was chilly and a bit ominous as far as weather goes, but we kept dry (which was our main concern) and it was as fun as ever.

Sofia was in the chicken catching race this year and laughed as she ran trying to catch those chickens. MAN they are QUICK!! Ella was in the bunny catching race and cried and cried when she did'nt get a bunny. Cute girl. Not even the red rope that they give each child who enters could console her. I think Morgan and her sisters finally worked the magic and got her to smile again.

So here is the Lyman Rodeo via pics- YEE HAW!

Our two cute little cowgirls. Thanks to Tara for letting us borrow cowboy hats!

 Ella getting ready to race after a bunny and catch it!

 

 This pic cracks me up with all the kids RUNNING to get those bunnies!

 

The girls on the rail waiting for the rodeo to start and Sofia with her "Trice" Love those girls!!

Horse Creek 2013

I must do the Horse Creek weekend seperate from the Lyman Rodeo night. Just too many fun pics to put in one post. I already outlined the Goat Milking adventure we had, so had to get these two entries documented as well.

We have made it a family tradition to head up to Horse Creek for the July 24th weekend (when invited!!) to go to the rodeo. Here are a few pics from this year's adventure to WY!

In case you cant quite read it- "Welcome to Horse Creek"

These are boots that my cousins Regan, Patrice, Jusin and Britton have worn since they were kids. I LOVE the way they set these up. SO stinkin cute. Definitely a pinterest worth post!

I just loved looking at Sofia playing and seeing that beautiful forest just outside the window.

Morgan was nice enough to take the girls on the 4wheeler. They loved it!!

I think we counted about ELEVEN humming birds at one time at the feeder. Ella usually scared them away and they are WAY too fast to get a pic, but they always came back!

Cute girls. Cute sisters. Nuff said.

Chalk art tends to stick around these parts

An all time favorite thing for the girls to do in the summer is chalk art. And the great thing about living where we do, is it tends to stick around for quite awhile. We dont get too much rain around Utah in the summertime and if for whatever reason, the girls DO get bored of the art they have made? Its nothing a hose and some H2O can't take care of!

Yes. That does indeed say- "If you are a girl, then I am a grild" No idea what it means, but Sof seemed to get it.

 Ella was quite happy when Betsy talked her through making her own "bubble letters like sister" Yay Ella!

 

What did I do last weekend? Eh, ya know...just milked a goat

My uber cool cousin Patrice is my favorite of red heads around and she let me know that I was to be one third of a goat milking team at the Rodeo we went to in WY. It has become a family tradition to go up and visit my Aunt Kris at Horse Creek and go to the Rodeo over the 24th of July. The girls love it and we ALWAYS have the greatest time.

The goat milking event goes like this- there were 12 teams (I believe) that were participating. You spread out at one end of the arena and the goats were brought out at the other end. When they say go- you have to RUN the length of the arena, chase down and tackle if needed a goat. You are armed with a cup to put the milk in and once you have just enough to pour from the cup, you RACE back to the judge and get placed-and with the placing you get points. Only the first place gets money, but the top 6 teams place with points which are added to your score for the all around medal. Since we werent doing any other event, we just wanted to PLACE. And place we did.

So outfitted with brown t-shirts with white letters (they also had our names on back) Aunt Kris, Patrice and myself went to the line to go up aganist REAL cowgirls that do this every morning of thier lives....It was not intimidating in the least bit...ya RIGHT.

So when they said "GO" I took off as fast as my legs would go and the poor goat that I was gunning for did not know what was coming. Poor girl. I tackled her just as the guy was trying to get her to jet off again and I grabbed her before he could. Aunt Kris helped out and held her down while Patrice milked!

She shoved the cup in my hand and said run- so I did and raced back to the judge. We placed 4th!! Our team was THRILLED and I was given the honor and privledge to come back next year to defend my title. I cannot wait!!!

And just so you know this was not just an elaborate tale I have woven...Here is the proof!

Yep indeed. That is yours truly on the far left pumping my arms racing towards that goat!

 That is me almost running into the judge trying to get back to her to place!

 

Since when?

Since when did my 6 year old learn the art of communicating via text message?! I got a phone call this morning from Sofia who was crying saying that I did not say goodbye to her. JUST to clarify, I did. She was just SO fast asleep that she barely noticed me kissing her forehead. Which is a ritual I do every morning before I leave.

So we talked a few times this morning over the phone and then I look on my phone and see this-via text message.

Sofia: Mom I am criing

Me: Maka...are you ok now? (Monkey was missing earlier this morning so I had to help her re-trace her steps and find him. She did and felt ALOT better afterwards)

Sofia: Yes just a sniff

Me: Well I love you!!

Sofia: I love you to

So heres the thing. Should I be impressed that Sofia is spelling as well as she is...or disgusted that she is trading actually TALKING to a person and not just sending a text. Sigh. Is it too early to start the sentence..."When I was a kid..." I don't feel that old, but MAN. Cell phones? I had a pager at one point in my life. That will be as obselete as a home phone to her. Wow.