Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Each year, we try to attend the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet. It is always a fun time and supports a good cause, as it raises money for elk preservation. This year, the banquet happened to fall on Valentine's Day, so our romantic evening was spent playing games, bidding on items, and enjoying a delicious prime rib dinner. We shared a table with my Dad, Jana, Tiffany and Chad. Matthew and Peter also went with us. The banquet appeared to be very successful, as there did not seem to be an empty seat in the place. While we did not win any of the drawings, we did purchase a set of three RMEF duffle bags in the live auction. As always, we had a lot of fun and saw many friends at the banquet!



Happy Valentine's Day!

These two are quite the pair!

Peter won a set of knives!

Matthew participating in the youth gun drawing.

It was a big night for Tiffany and Chad.
It was their first night out without MacKenzie.



Love her!

Dad and Jana

 

The table decorations and RMEF swag were very nice!

 

15 Years

Toby and I celebrated our 15th anniversary today! It is amazing to think that 15 years have already gone by. It feels like yesterday that we were walking down the aisle. So much has happened during the past decade and a half that I thought it would be fun to find a photo of us together during each year. This turned into an evening of sorting through photos and reminiscing. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate our anniversary. Here is to the next 15 years and beyond!

 

January 7, 2000



2001

2002

 

2003
 

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

January 7, 2015

Fishing

Now that the weather has improved, we have been spending most of our time outside. One evening last week, we all went to a nearby pond and fished. This was William's first time fishing, and he absolutely loved it! We bought him a Spiderman fishing pole, and he is fairly certain he is an expert fisherman. Throughout the evening, William (and Toby) caught two fish! As William puts it, he has "two fishies in the bucket!" Matthew did not have much luck, as he did not catch a single fish. However, Peter did very well with a couple of catches. Peter also caught the largest fish of the evening! Joseph and I did not fish, but we had a lot of fun taking pictures and watching the boys fish! I am sure that there will be many more evenings spent by the pond (as soon as baseball season is over)!

Purdum's Pumpkin Patch

 

Each year, we try to go to Purdum's Pumpkin Patch to find the perfect pumpkin. Purdum's has an expansive patch and offers free tractor rides to and from the pumpkins which is always fun for the boys. This year was a very special trip because Toby was able to go with us. In the 10 years we have been going to Purdum's to pick out pumpkins, this is the first year he was able to go with us. Although it was a very cold fall afternoon, we had a lot of fun and found some perfect pumpkins to carve!

 



 

 

Family Photo Shoot

In August, O2 Photography in Boise, Idaho held a contest on Facebook to find their 2012 Model Family. I knew that they took excellent photos because they had taken the photos and my sister Tiffany's wedding. As a result, I decided to enter the contest by submitting a short description of our family and the reasons that we would be a good choice for the 2012 Model Family. A few days after entering, I received a message that we were chosen as one of the top 10 families to receive a free photo shoot. After the 10 families were photographed, O2 Photography would choose the Model Family and that family would receive a complete photo package free! I was so excited at the opportunity to receive a free photo package, so I started selecting outfits for the big day! As you can probably imagine, Toby was less than thrilled; he really does not enjoy family photo shoots.

In late August, we drove to Eagle, Idaho to meet Jerry and Jennifer from O2 Photography. The location they chose was perfect; there was an old milk barn and old corrals in the background. The setting fit our family's lifestyle perfectly! It was miserably hot, but everyone performed beautifully!

A few weeks later, the 2012 Model Family was announced and it was not us. Even though we did not win the huge photo package, we did receive a free photo shoot and 8 x 10. In addition, we purchased a couple of prints to display in our home.

Joseph - 3 Months Old

William - 2 Years Old

Peter - 8 Years Old

Matthew - 10 Years Old

Weaning Time!

Fall is such a busy time at the McBride household. One of the major events that takes place in the Fall is weaning the calves from their mothers. This is a multi-step process that involves a lot of time and help. A few weeks ago, Matthew, Peter, Joseph, William and I had the day off while Toby was bringing a group of cows home to wean. As a result, we were recruited to help! Matthew and Peter did an amazing job helping to gather the cows and bring them to the feedlot while Willim, Joseph, and I blocked roads for the crew. It was so fun for William to watch the cows as they came into the feedlot.

Overall, it was a very busy and productive day. With all of the help, Toby was able to wean around process around 300 calves that day! I am sure missed our help when he weaned the other two groups!

Mama and Joe waiting for the cows.

Watching the Cloud of Dust

Here they come!

Moo!

Toby

Matthew

Travis

Peter and Fidel

The Crew

This is one tired, dusty boy!

Peter

Fidel

Matthew

Matthew