Ketchin' Up

We really haven't been lazy...we had to dismantle our internet dish which was attached to the house when we had the exterior redone. Despite the fact that we had called 8 weeks ago to get it moved and reset up in a different place, it wasn't until today that we finally went live again.

Last weekend, Tess, Grandma and I went to the College National Finals Rodeo to watch our cousin KC compete in the team roping finals. Tess had a great time clapping, cheering and dancing and waving at all the horses who went by.
Tess and I had a day full of rodeos as earlier in the day we went to watch Eric in the Glendo Ranch Rodeo. Eric put together a team at the last minute and they WON!

KC in action. Tess says the most important news is that she is now three! Being 3 means you get to decorate your own cake.

Chico's progress

Chico is making lots of progress. Eric is able to ride him and he and Tess are buddies. He really seems to have a desire to learn.
No rain for the first time in several days today. The roads are improving and maybe the corrals will be dry enough to have our rescheduled branding on Sunday. The calves are a week bigger and full of green grass...wrestlers always appreciated.

how high's the water, mamma?

The weather is the big news around here. We got 7+ inches in a little over 48 hours. The sanddraws ran..twice. Here's some photos.

Eric's new fence just barely missed getting washed out. There used to be a hill here.

We didn't have tornado's but plenty of scary looking clouds.

Tess came back inside and put her swimming suit on.

The new ceiling survived, no leaks.

The sound of the flood was cool, but I can't get blogger to upload my little video.

Moms Day Out

Here's grandma and Tess at our mothers day brunch at the Paisley Shawl in Glenrock. It was superb! Tess liked the strawberries the best. Afterwards we went to Meadow Acres Greenhouse and got a few plants, although it has still been chilly but with the chill has come some rain, so we aren't complaining.

And...just when you thought you had escaped the boredom of CONSTRUCTION pictures..we are back in the swing of things. Here the guys are moving an entire piece of the deck, in hopes of putting it back after we have the exterior redone.













It looks somewhat like a tornado hit around here as there are three other big pieces of deck strewn about the yard. But we are rockin' and rollin.
Oh, and the mustang is named Chico!

The biggest news around here is the Mustang Challenge. Eric was chosen as one of 35 big hearted and wild minded folks willing to spend the summer with a mustang. After 100 days of working with similar horses, there is a competition at the State Fair too see who has made the most of their horse. An extreme mustang makeover!
So last weekend, Tess and I went to Wheatland with Eric to pick up the beast. He came down the alley at a lope, kicking at the horseman behind him and into a chute where Eric and helpers put a halter on him before he went into our trailer somewhere near Mach 2.

There were several reporters there and so Eric is now somewhat famous:
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2008/05/04/news/wyoming/2b11f9eb334fef0a8725743e00832d51.txt - 33k -

That was last weekend. Since then I have been what I have termed a mustang widow.
The good news is that for mothers day I got a new camera....
Which of course I have to take mustang photos with.....







Saddle! This was after Eric's had him a week.

What a handsome fellow!

Our lunch break

For anyone who wonders why we live where we live and do what we do. Here's how Tess and I spent our lunch break. After a year or two of improving our irrigation system, Pops is able to irrigate in May. Here's Tess at the sump.
Someday soon there will be hay here.

Twins! Not sure if Pops was quite as excited about this as we were.
Remember the baby colt from this time last year? He's getting bigger!
Clay and Slurpee
I couldn't resist proving again how hard it is to take pictures of these beasts!
Cooper likes the sump too!

Reggae dancing

Who knew Reggae would be such a hit!

Pizza Chef

We like to make Pizza. Tess thinks its pretty cool to decorate her own, but thought it was unnecessary to share the olives or tomatoes. Her remedy was to stuff everything in her mouth as quickly as possible.

In other news, after two surgeries (one emergency) and eight days in the hospital, Spike has recovered from his latest fiasco. The vets told us we ought to take him to Vegas he was so lucky. I think he must be part cat because he has got to be on his ninth life. But he is now back to patrolling the place for wild varmits.

Cousin Joseph

Tess had a big weekend. She got to fly on the airplane to go visit her cousin in Albuquerque. We thought the airplane was pretty cool, especially the earphones. Uncle Brian and Aunt Maggie were excellent hosts and fed her lots of guacomole and honeydew melon. She got to enjoy the children's musuem, the zoo and old town Albuquerque. Brian and Maggie also told the Easter Bunny that Tess would be at their house so he left some eggs for her to find.

Joseph was a wonderful, handsome baby and was full of smiles.

Maddy's Birthday Party

Tess started going to "work" at a new babysitter at the first of this month. She adores her new friends at Dana's house and couldn't wait to go back when Maddy had a birthday party last weekend. Here are some photos from when she was standing still long enough. Finger -paintin' is serious work.
Gathering up all the balloons to see just how many she can carry!
We are on our way to visit cousin Joseph and family this weekend, so hopefully we will get some good photos.

Hoo-ah

Eric was promoted to Major last night.

Pictured above is the patriotic Major family.
Hiliary and Barak were also in town, but neither stopped by.

Tess couldn't stand that someone else was getting attention, so she had to go stand with Daddy while Major Romero read the official orders.

Tess is the one not in camo!





Tess and the Major. She is glad the Army uses velcro now instead of the pins, this makes it much easier for 2 year old to stick on the oak leaf.

Big kid bed

Celebrating a big kid bed!

Cow work

We moved the heifers today. A rare photo of momma on a horse. Note the stylish new chaps, Daddy picked them out of course.
Tess and Momma, Banjo and Rosie

On the Road Again

Last weekend, Tess and Jacob took their moms on a shopping trip to Colorado. They were delighted. Tess (and her mom) thought Gena's mini van was cool becuase you sure can store lots of toys and strollers and juice and balloons in it. In fact, Tess was lucky Gena was in charge, because, once again, Tess's mom is a slacker when it comes to being prepared for trips with kids!

Miscellany

It has been hard to find us in one place recently, so here's some miscellany to fill the void. This is what normally happens when I try to take pictures of the horses.
Latest construction photo, on the inside we have beams and a fireplace!
Tess is a big help in the kitchen, here we are making chicken and dumplins'. She got to help make Valentines for servicemen & women this weekend and thought that was fun. Last week she got some pet fish and this is a big highlight. She loves to watch, count and feed the fish.
Eric has been working hard and working with the contractors on house decisions. He is patient with Tess and they like to play airplane and ball in the evenings.
Two weeks ago I flew to Oklahoma City to argue a case in front of the 10th circuit court of appeals. I spent about 24 hours in Oklahoma to argue for 15 brutal minutes. But I relish the experience.
Tess has a new cousin Joseph who has had to spend some nights in the hospital, but we are thankful everything is ok and we hope to go visit him sometime soon.

Waiting for the 4th

If we wave the flag long enough, maybe it will be the fourth of July?

This is the front porch.

Tess went to the Dentist last Monday and no one got hurt. She got to play with her first friend Gena and kiddo's from Cheyenne and had a great time. Gena even posted some pictures of Tess on her blog, which you can find here: http://goodtimes2003.blogspot.com/ Everything I know about blogs I copy from Gena. She is the one to blame for my new layout. :)

Tess calls everyone her "friend" now. She happily introduces me to everyone. "This is my friend Daddy."

Eric and I have both been so busy it is hard to see straight, but we haven't driven off the road yet.

Go Speed Racer

Photo from the first annual Palen downhill sled races. Tess won the award for the most rides. Cooper for the shortest ride. Eric for the most trips pulling the sled uphill and Wendy for the biggest wreck. Tune-in next year.

We had a wonderful Christmas - hope you did too!

Eric got an elk license this year and has spent the past few weekends out hunting with my dad, who also got a license. Pictured is Banjo in his hunting get up. Happily, Eric was able to get an elk shortly after this picture was taken. Banjo is only three and this was his first experience with gun shots. Banjo stood still and wasn't phased a bit. I think they may have caught the hunting bug.

Next is a photo of the house progress. Things have been moving quickly and everything is now framed and enclosed.

Of course, Tess thinks that this is a great dancin' floor.

Some of our Glendo friends roped us into being on the Rodeo Arena committee. The committee sponsors the chariot races in Glendo so we spent last weekend gambling and outriding. Eric, of course, was the outrider, helping to catch the horses at the end of the race and to get them in the gates. It was 3 below and the wind was blowing a gale both days of the races. I helped with the calcultta and gambled, my job was much easier - taking other people's money and loosing my own.

I turned 35 this weekend. I feel older and wiser -- hope you do too.