Wild Man Willy!

What else can I say? The title explains it all. Our little angel, Prince William has turned into Wild Man Willy! As you can see from the video, after simply refusing to walk for what seemed like months, William is finally walking everywhere and is into everything! Over the past month, William would stand up, take a step or two, and start laughing so hard that he would finally just fall down. At first, we laughed at him and with him, but this reaction hindered his progress significantly. You see, instead of wanting to walk, William wanted to make us laugh so he would purposefully fall down!

In addition to becoming very mobile, William's vocabulary has dramatically improved over the last week. He can say, Dada, Mama, up, dadoo (interpretation - thank you), hot, hi (he loves talking on the phone), and of course NO! In addition, he has started to repeat animal noises he hears outside such as moo and baa. I am truly amazed at how quickly his vocabulary is developing.

William loves being outside and will grab your hand and lead you to the door in hopes that you will take him outside. He continues to adore his brothers and his dogs, as he will stand at the door, nose-to-nose on the screen with Tex and share various plans about their future explorations. William also loves music more than any baby I have ever known. He will dance to any kind of music, play the piano, and loves watching music videos with Daddy in the mornings.

At 13 1/2 months, our Wild Man Willy provides us with much entertainment and countless laughs! It is hard to believe that he is growing up so quickly.

Harvest

Fall is by far my favorite season. I have always loved the crisp, cool mornings and warm days. I enjoy watching the leaves and other foliage change colors as we progress through September into October and November. This year, fall has seemed to evade us, as up until this past weekend we have experienced temperatures in the high 80's and 90's. In my opinion, this is too hot for fall, especially when you work in a building without air conditioning! This weekend, we were able to enjoy fall-like temperatures in the 70's and 80's.

Although I love the weather, there are many other reasons fall is my favorite time of year. I believe my adoration for fall stems from all of the events that occur during the season. First, I love watching football! Professional, college, high school, it doesn't matter. Football is a true sign of fall. Hunting is another indication that fall has arrived. Deer, elk, pheasant, chukar, and quail hunting are also trademarks of fall. Of course, I also enjoy this season because my birthday is in October! Fall can also be a reminder that the holidays are just around the corner.

As a farming family, a necessity in fall is harvest. Primarily this consists of chopping corn, hauling it to the silage pit, and packing it so it will store for winter feed for our cattle. Chopping corn is a collaborative effort which requires the help of many people. But, as with other activities, the more people that are involved, the more enjoyable and memorable the event can be. This was the case this weekend, as we chopped our fields of corn with the help of friends and family. The beautiful fall weather combined with harvest made for such an enjoyable weekend!

Tex, William, and I climbed the hill to take some pictures.

William playing in the dirt.

A view of part of the field from the top of the hill.

Matthew and Peter helping upload trucks.

Peter rode with Bob McElroy in the truck most of the weekend.

Gary McElroy packing the silage into the silage pit.

William looking longingly at the corn chopper.

Here they come!

Toby and Matthew running the corn chopper.

A view from the captain's chair. William and I rode in the chopper for a short time.

Matthew, Peter, and Fidel unloading a truck.

Watch out!

Feeding a hungry crew takes a lot of food.

Today's menu consisted of pork loin, mashed potatoes,
marinated tomato and herb salad, watermelon, and pumpkin pie for dessert.

A New Year

On August 24th, Matthew, Peter, and I started a new school year. Matthew is in the fourth grade this year and has Mr. Wagner as his teacher. Peter is in the second grade and has Mrs. Hawkins as his teacher. The first week of school was very fun, but it was also very HOT! Luckily, all of the students at Vale Elementary had the opportunity to go swimming at the Vale City Pool during their P.E. block on either Thursday or Friday. We are very excited about getting back into the school routine and the possibilities the year will bring!

Our Sweet Baby is One!

One year ago today, we welcomed William Henry McBride into our family and our lives changed forever. As I say that, I cannot believe that it has been a year since William was born. It makes me sad because the year has gone by too quickly and our baby is not a baby anymore!

William is the sweetest, happiest, most joyful baby I have ever been around. I might be just a little bit biased though! Matthew and Peter absolutely adore him, and it is evident that he thinks that they both walk on water. William provides us with so many laughs and constant entertainment. I cannot remember what we ever did without him.

We celebrated William's First Birthday with family on Saturday, July 30. The birthday theme was "Prince William." William was in his typical happy mood and, as you will see from the pictures, he wore his crown proudly all night! He actually wore the crown all day as we were preparing for the party! Below are some of my favorite pictures from the evening. Sorry there are so many, but I have cut them down from over 200!

Our Little Prince William

Here he comes!

I love those eyes!

Such a happy boy.

William and Tex

 

 

Messy Boy

It is a good thing the crown was washable.

Bath time

William riding his ATV after the bath

Karen and Jordan bought him this adorable outfit.

First 5K

A couple of days ago, I decided to participate in the annual Oregon Trail Days Fun Run. Since I only began walking, running, or engaging in any cardiovascular activity whatsoever four days ago (I know, I am pathetic), I was not participating in hopes of winning. Instead, I just wanted to see what it was like. I have walked the 5k, but I wanted to experience running/walking the race in a competitive environment.

The options were a 1 mile race, a 5k race, or a 10k race. I knew that the 10k was not an option, so it was between the 1 mile and the 5k. After some thought, I went with the 5k. I knew that I would not be able to run the entire course, but I wanted to push myself and knew that the 1 mile would be too easy.

Once I decided to participate, I started searching for a running partner. I asked my sister to join me, but she said no. However, she informed Rachel Hinze that I was looking for a running partner. Now, if you don't know Rachel, she is a sweetheart. However, she is also an avid recreational runner, cross country runner, cross country and track coach, the list goes on. In short, Rachel's level of running and cardiovascular shape are extremely superior to mine. When I spoke with Rachel about the race, I provided her with a disclaimer that I am not a runner and have just started working out. I told her to imagine the worst cross country runner she has ever coached and multiply that by 10. Then, she would know my ability level. Rachel started laughing; she thought I was kidding! I wasn't; poor Rachel!

My first race number!

As you can see, I did participate. Here is an overview of the highs and lows:

Highs:

• I did it!
• I did not die!
• I did not come in last place!
• I am glad that I participated!

Lows:

• My goal was to run the 5k in less than 30 minutes, but according to Rachel's unofficial time we finished in 31:40. So close!
• I did have to stop and walk some of the time which I expected, but I was hoping I would not have to walk as often.
• A five year old girl beat me. No, I am not kidding, she could not have been older than five!
• It was probably the longest 5k Rachel has ever completed. Sorry Rachel! She probably could have won the race if she wasn't running with me.

Although there were highs and lows, I am very glad that I decided to participate in the 5k. It was a great experience and provided much motivation to keep running and working toward the half-marathon in October!