This little piggy went to market....

The Duchesne County Fair is next week and we've nearly got these hogs ready. They're looking great and we're hoping to do fairly well. I can't believe how much they've grown in just 2 months. Here's a comparison pic:

Sometime around the 1st of June...just little piggies. We were worried they might not make weight.



And here they are today...my guess is they weigh about 280/290 lbs. Perfect!



Look! I gave that pink pig a bath in buttermilk and it's glowing! lol (not really buttermilk) I do believe we'll call that pig Wilbur.

A week in Salt Lake

We spent a week in Salt Lake City for Karter's All-Star baseball tournament in Kearns. Not that I have pics though. I have one picture of Karter playing baseball in All-Stars and it's kinda blurry. There was just so much action and intense baseball going on I didn't even get my camera out.

His team ended up taking 2nd in Roosevelt after a heartbreaking loss to Tabiona and they played great in Kearns but didn't end up winning that one either. The boys had a great time though but are ready for football season now.

Here he is, playing 1st base...


While we were in Salt Lake we met up with Doni and Weston Horrocks, one of Karter's teammates and one of his best friends, for a movie. We saw "Journey to the Center of the Earth" in 3D. It was very cool. I highly reccommend it. Great movie for all ages. See it in 3D if you can.

Kansas? You're going to Kansas?

Yep, Kansas. The funnest state in the lower 48. Yeah RIGHT!! Kansas is not the most thrilling place to have to travel through, but we actually had a nice time and enjoyed our quick trip to Kansas.

We met Grandma Laura in Salina, Kansas to get Ally who had spent a week with Grandma in Missouri. Ally had the BEST time. She went swimming every day, went to the Precious Moments chapel and went shopping for some new clothes with Grandma and her cousin Tiffany. She said her favorite part of the trip was shopping with Tiffany and Grandma but she loved going to the pool every day too. Papa Chelmer said she'd turned into a water dog. Ally loved spending time with Papa Chelmer and told me she sure missed him and Grandma Laura once she got home. Papa Chelmer said he was missing her too.

Good shopping trip, Ally! Cute clothes.


We went to the Rolling Hills Zoo while we were in Kansas. It was 100 degrees and Hot! Hot! Hot! But, the zoo had a nice tram to ride and was a really beautiful and peaceful zoo. There was hardly anyone there the day we went and we really enjoyed our time there.







We all thought this big orangutang was cool, but Kenyon did NOT like him and wouldn't go near him.




The Reptile house was fun, but Ally and Kai were afraid of the pythons and the giant monitor.


Looks as if this monitor is saying, "Mmmmm...I'll have that little girl for lunch!"


Kai loved the camels, giraffes and rhinos.








We all loved this strange animal the most though. It's a Maned Wolf, but it's really not a wolf at all. It's not a fox either. It's its own species that lives in Brazil and Peru and, it STINKS! It smells like a skunk.




We drove all the way to Kansas and paid 15 bucks apiece to see a freakin' prairie dog in a zoo?? lol


Ally thought this spot at the zoo was especially beautiful and said she wants to build a house here someday. It IS right by the lion's cage. That would be kinda cool. lol

There's No Place Like Home.....

Whew! It's been a whirlwind 2 weeks! It's been All-Stars and baseball tournaments, a trip to Kansas and back in the space of 3 days, a week in Salt Lake then a weekend in Spanish Fork. But, we're back home now and life is still hectic. We're getting the hogs and lambs ready for the fair next week and we'll be off all next week at the fair. Can't wait! We love being extra busy.

Missin' my girl

I miss Ally. She's in Missouri visiting her Grandma Laura this week and I'm really missing her. We're driving to Kansas to get her on Saturday though. I can think of a million places I'd rather spend money on traveling to than Salina, Kansas, but that's ok. I'm actually looking forward to it now just so I can see my girl.

She has been shopping and told me she has bought two new hats. I can't wait to see them. She's also been swimming every day since Grandma lives right by the pool and she's been taking good care of Poppa Chelmer.

I'm glad she got to go to Grandma's and spend a week with her, but I'll be glad to have her back.

"Ball-player, TOO!"

Kenyon says he's a ballplayer too. Sign that boy up!

Can I just freeze time?

Ever have one of those days when you just enjoy your children so much you want to freeze time? I had a day like that yesterday. I took Karter and his buddy Weston Horrocks with me up Uintah Canyon to visit my brother. It was hot, so I let them wade in Power Plant Canal (now that is some COLD water!). They were just so cute together and had such a great time. It was one of those 'pure childhood' moments where you can just see kids having fun and enjoying playing together and you just want the innocence and the memory to last forever. Here is their adventure in pictures....

Let's go wading!


"It would be funny if I pushed Karter in..."


"Be careful, Dude"


"Oh my gosh it's COOOOOLD!!"


"Hey look! A matchbox car! Let's get it."


"I can't reach it, Dude!"


"That's ok! Let me get it with my monkey toes."


"Sweet! Weston got it with his toes!"


"Look, man! I see a quarter down there! Let's get that too."


Karter tries....


Weston tries....


"Dude you were so close!"


One more try....(meanwhile body parts are going numb in that cold water)


"YES!" Success!

Thanks for the Memories

Here's a fun game...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

WAHOO!

Hey look at this! Kai-Kai can ride a bike without training wheels!

He told us he was ready but when it came down to it he started to back out saying, "No, I don't want to ride alone!".


But, Dad, gave him a push and off he went! He started whooping "Wohoo! Wohoo! Wohoo!" as he rode all around the back yard on his first try.
Way to go Kai!

MWAH!

Look who we got to babysit!
OOOOO we love this girl.

Yay! No Break!

Hooray! We're back in baseball! There no break in the wrist. The doc said it looks good, nothing shows on the x-ray this week and he's going to be alright. Great news!

It's a little weak and may bug him a bit...


But he's working all that out. Exercising it his favorite way....


That means he's back to baseball practice and it looks like he's got practice every morning at 7:30 and every evening at 5:30. Wow. Lots of baseball right now. The All-Star tournament is next week though. It's Monday the 14th-Friday the 18th, his team's first game is on Tuesday. Go Roosevelt West!!

Karter's traveling team, The Roosevelt Strike, went to a tournament last weekend and even though it killed him not to be able to play, Karter went to the tournament anyway to support his team. Sportsmanship like that doesn't go unnoticed either. Here's what his coach said about him....

"All of the coaches were proud of the effort and thought it was a good experience that the kids can build upon for the future. Great performances were turned in by all of the kids, each one contributing in their own unique way, but I would like to highlight the efforts of a few because of their example and leadership.

First, Karter Rook, after injuring his wrist in a bike crash before the tournament, still chose to make the trip to support the team - attending all four games over both days and helping in any way possible."

Thanks, Coach!

Pretty Butterfly

Nurse Ally to the rescue!!

McGally the cat caught a butterfly and played with it for a while, but never fear, Nurse Ally is here! She's on the job and is nursing the butterfly back to health in the little bug barn we have. She's feeding it grapes and taking good care of it.





UPDATE: It was DEAD the next morning. LOL I knew it. She was kinda sad but not TOO sad. Knew that thing wouldn't survive the beating the cat doled out.

Dead Hogs Walking!

Time to walk the hogs! County fair is just 4 weeks away. Gotta get these piggies in shape. Ally helps Karter walk them and Kai scoops up the poop! What a team!



Piggies...meet McGally the cat. McGally...meet the piggies....


Super Pig-Poop-Scooper-Man!


Work em', Rookie!