Bucket List

Do you have a Bucket List? I do. It is probably different than most Bucket Lists because it is more of an informal To Do List with short-term and long-term goals. It is not a written list; instead, it is a list in my head. It is the list that I go over each night when I should be sleeping. I add, mark off, and prioritize the list constantly. I can't help it! For example, I have a list of tasks I would like to accomplish before school resumes in August:
1.  Paint the house.
2.  Paint the shed.
3.  Replace the yard fence (with Greg's help).
4.  Stain the front and back decks. I am investigating a product called Deck Restore. Has anyone used it, heard any comments about it, etc.?
5.  Take the boys on a vacation - Yellowstone, Oregon Coast, or both. We are not sure yet.
6.  Figure out how to decorate my newly painted classrooms with ORANGE trim (the color swatch was RUST). More on that in future posts.
7.  Attend my cousin Scott's wedding in Montana.
8.  Oh, and complete three more graduate classes.
I know, I have a large list. But, it is not crucial that all of these tasks are completed this summer. It would just be nice if they were.

In addition to a short-term To Do List, I have a long-term Bucket List. This list and its priorities also change, but not as often:
1.  Save enough money to build a home.
2.  Obtain my Master's degree (Which I will be able to mark off the list next May!).
3.  I also have a secret goal to someday obtain my Doctorate, but it is not much of a secret because Toby knows and now you do too!
4.  Become Pioneer Woman. I know this is very unlikely, but she is my idol. This woman is amazing, and since I cannot become her, I will settle for meeting her someday.
5.  Travel to Hawaii. Hint, hint Toby.
6.  Empower and equip my children with the skills to be successful in life.
7.  Complete a half-marathon.

There are more, I just can't think of them right now, but this last goal is the reason for today's post. I have decided to train and participate in the Run for the Hills Half-Marathon on October 1, 2011. This event is three months from today. To be exact, it is 13 weeks from tomorrow, so I have plenty of time to train and prepare for the event.

I am not in the best shape, so it is probably good that I have until October 1 to prepare. I have never considered myself a runner, but I have always admired those who participate in marathons and half-marathons. The proceeds from the event go to a wonderful, local, nonprofit organization, Love INC. In addition, I have been trying to get motivated to lose weight and get into better shape without much luck. However, I believe that an upcoming event is just the motivation I need. And, by putting the goal in writing instead of just in my head, I will hold myself more accountable.

So, today was the first official day of training. As I said, I am not in great shape, so I am starting slow. Amy was kind enough to join me this morning which was a good thing, as my other training partner did not offer much support:

Do you have any advice or suggestions? Do you want to join me? I will keep you updated as the event approaches!

Goodbye June

Wow! I cannot believe that June is over; school has already been out for a month! We have been extremely busy this month which made June fly by.

To begin our summer break, our yellow lab Dixie had a litter of seven puppies. They were born on June 3rd and will soon be looking for good homes. We have three female puppies and four male puppies, and they are adorable.

On the same day Dixie had seven puppies, William turned 10 months old. He is truly a joy in our lives, and I am not sure what we did without him. Although William looks very much like his brothers did at the same age, he has one distinct difference - his eyes. William's eyes are the brightest blue I have ever seen, and he has longer eyelashes than any woman I have ever met. People always comment on William's beautiful blue eyes. He will be a heart breaker someday! At 10 months, William is a very, very busy boy. He is crawling everywhere and is becoming very independent. In addition, William is pulling himself up and navigating furniture. He is a very happy boy with a contagious laugh. William loves being outside, and he adores Matthew and Peter. Although William's vocabulary is just developing, he is always talking. William chatters all of the time, bosses everyone around, and even sings along with the radio. We adore him!

Since Matthew is nine, he was able to play Minor's baseball this year. This is the big leagues! His season lasted six weeks with a total of twelve games. Matthew was on a great team with wonderful coaches, and all of the players had fun while improving their skills during the season. Although Matthew primarily played first base, he also spent some time at shortstop and pitcher. He played every Tuesday and Thursday evening, and we traveled to Ontario, Payette, and Fruitland and hosted some games in Vale. 

While Matthew had games on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Peter had coach pitch games on Mondays and Wednesdays. As a result, we were attending baseball games every Monday through Thursday during the month of June! Peter is a very energetic player and loves to be in the middle of the action. It was not uncommon for him to cover first, second, third, and home in an inning. He is quite the character!

During the last month, I have made significant progress toward my Master's degree. I endured a week of finals, made a trip to Portland for a class, completed three more classes, and started three more classes for summer term. I know it sounds crazy, but I am truly enjoying the classes I am taking and the knowledge I am gaining during the program.

Somehow, we were also able to find time for a week of swimming lessons, a week of basketball camp, and a week of bible school during the month of June. As you can imagine, we spent very few days or evenings at home during the last month. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of swimming lessons because I also participated in the Mommy and Me class with William.

On Sunday, June 26th, Matthew received his First Communion at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Vale. We are very proud of him, as he worked very hard during the course of the year to receive this sacrament. He also looked very handsome in his shirt and tie!

Although the first part of the month was slow due to the excessive amount of rain, Toby has been extremely busy during the second half of June. He spends many hours each day on the baler. We typically see him briefly during the day and occasionally in the evening. However, he is almost finished with first cutting and we will begin to see him more often!

This month, Toby also bought me a new camera - Canon Digital Rebel T3i. I have been wanting a Digital Rebel for many years, and was very excited to acquire this gem. I have only had time to explore the basic features of this camera so far, but I am anxious to learn more and experiment with the more advanced features.

During the last 10 days, we have also been completing a surprise home makeover for my brother Greg while he was hunting in Africa. This project consisted of many hours of labor, many trips to Ontario, and much collaboration with my mom, Tiffany, and Rachel. Greg arrived home today and was both shocked and excited about the transformation. Be sure to check out Tiffany's blog for a complete overview with pictures from beginning to end.

Now that June is over, it is time to relax and enjoy the Fourth of July weekend. Hopefully, our July is not as hectic as June was, but I will keep you posted!

My Three Sons

As soon as we discovered that William was going to be a boy, people began to make comments about My Three Sons. Little did I know that My Three Sons was a television show that began airing in 1960. However, the label could not be more fitting for my boys. Below are a number of pictures of Matthew, Peter, and William. You will note as you scan through the pictures that My Three Sons look very much alike. Can you guess which picture is which son? Toby says he will buy a margarita at Chabelita's in Vale for the person who gets the most correct! YUM!

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My Baby is Growing Up!

A few weeks ago, Matthew celebrated his 9th birthday. Wow - 9 years old! He is quickly maturing into a very handsome young man. Matthew is very compassionate and caring. He is extremely bright, loves to read, build legos, play chess, and hunt! He is also very tolerant of his little brothers and is typically very helpful, especially when it comes to helping is Dad outside! I can't believe my baby is growing up!

Matthew's Birthday Cakes!
He requested Red Velvet, but we also had a chocolate on hand.

Matthew's First Duck

Matthew helped move 200 cows 8 miles down the highway last week.
It was a full day of riding the four wheeler. He was in heaven!

 

Feeding the Cows

When the snow starts to fall, and fall, and fall, as it did earlier this winter, it only means one thing around our place - time to start feeding the cows. As you will see below, feeding that many cows is not an easy task. Instead, it is very time consuming and does not come without risks.

William's First Day Feeding

Here come the Mommas!





Meet Stickers. He is our friendly Longhorn steer.

  

Toby keeps Stickers in a pasture near the house at all times.
He likes to keep a close eye on Stickers.
Someday, Toby hopes to have Stickers' horns hanging on the wall.



Peter giving Toby a kiss. How sweet!

Toby throwing the hay off the pickup.

Uncle Greg found out that slick roads, loaded pickups, and washouts don't mix very well.

Luckily, Uncle Greg was okay. He was a bit shaken up though. I would have been too!

Uncle Greg describing his wreck. The pickup was also fine!