whoa! long time.

Wow has summer flown by. I keep thinking things like, "When summer gets here I'll be able to... and the list gets longer and longer as summer gets shorter and shorter. It has been about 2 months since I last sat down and put finger to keyboard and let you see what we have been up to.
So here goes...

We are all fine, happy, mostly healthy (except for the occasional cold or flu bug) and going crazy. The biggest news of the last 2-3 months I would have to say is that I have finally, successfully (yes I am knocking on the wooden desk as I type this) potty trained a 3 year old and a 2 year old. Wahoooooooo! I leap for joy every time I hear my little chitlins flush or holler from the bathroom that they have just did their duty. I begin to think that the twenty dollar bills I had to turn over to the cashier at "King's" in exchange for cheapo toys that were only cheap in the way they were made was probably worth it. Now I get to buy cheapo toys instead of diapers. But let me tell you I'd rather step on a toy in the middle of the night than a very used pull-up my child took off and hid so he didn't get in trouble for soiling it.

We were able to sneak in a trip to Driggs this year after all. We went up with Aaron's siblings and after fishing, 4 wheeling, and chasing kids, we came home exhausted. I did enjoy the trip but when we got home I paid for it. My lower back muscles fused for about a week. Nothing a few hundred dollars and 2-3 trips a week to the chiropractor couldn't fix. I'm good again.

I have also joined the ranks of the normal mother the past month as well. I had to let my nanny go. Not much has changed as far as the household chores. But I really miss the nanny part. I have been taking all 3 kids to work and it is tough to keep them happy and still get things done at the office. So if you know of anyone who might like a job 2-3 days a week let me know!

Lincoln has started pre-school and on Wed. he had his first day. I took him to his class and he saw toys and was fine. When I picked him up he was so excited to tell me all about his day. I loved it and the best part is that he did too. Today he had bit of a harder time. He fell off the slide and bit his tongue really hard. (Now he'll have a scar like his mama). He isn't too sure if he wants to go back. Hopefully that changes though.

I am still milking the goat for Austin. He is the fattest of my kids so far. I don't even mind having to do it since I figure I save about $225 per month by doing it. Wahoo for living on a farm.

Oh I do have a funny picture to paint for you but only if you keep in mind that I live on a farm and grew up on a farm and that I am for sure still learning at this mothering thing.
We had twin baby goats and I loved going out to milk their mama cause they would nibble on my pant legs or climb up on my back as I sat milking, and then bail off as if I was a huge mountain they had conquered. Well a stray dog that visits every summer for the past 3 years showed up right on schedule. But this year instead of the scrawny mangy mutt she usually is, she was fat and almost healthy looking. Now I know why she was so fat. That night she stole one of my baby goats. I was mad and kinda sad but we couldn't see her around so figured she had gone home. Well the next day she showed up a few miles down the road. I saw her out in the field and thought I should tell Aaron to "take care of her" but I got distracted.
When I came home 4 hours later I went to milk the goat. No more babies. I looked out to the field and saw it laying dead. Then I saw the da*n goat sprawled out next to it. I got so fired up I ran over and kicked that dog so hard Ii thought I broke my leg. I kept screaming at it as it took off. So then I called Aaron who came home and grabbed the 22. We hopped on the 4 wheeler and chased the cloud of dust being kicked up by the thief.
I was driving and Aaron was just trying to hold on for dear life. I am sure if you saw us you would have ran the other way. I'm glad no one saw me, the maniac, mad woman behind the handlebars of a 4 wheeler. My husband, clinging to a rifle with one hand and the rack of the 4 wheeler with the other as I hit 45 miles an hour on the rutted dirt road. I calmed down a bit when I noticed that we passed the irrigation ditch (about 3 miles from my house) and remembered that my kids were at home... alone... locked in the same room... together. "oh crap!" Embarrassment crept up over the anger as I called my mother-in-law to see if she would run down and sit with them as I calmed down enough to turn the 4 wheeler around. She said she would be right down. Thank goodness for wise mother-in-laws who are close by to save the day (the kids were fine by the way when she got there)
Aaron and I headed home after making sure that our animals would be safe in the future from a particular stray.
I guess the moral of this story other than to prove once again I am not a girly girl would be to show just how much my kids need a nanny at the house or at least a grandmother that is only seconds away. Thank you Susan for always being so willing to help out!

I'll post pictures of the past few months later. hopefully not too much later!