Bassett's Bull!

Jelly Making 101

2011-10-26T10:00:00.002-06:00

Bob and Dani have been blessed with two apple trees in their new yard. So, of course that meant she had to pick them and use them. And use them she did!!! She juiced them, made apple sauce, apple pies and apple turnovers and then she asked me to teach her how to make jelly. The jelly turned out beautiful and tasted even better.

Dani making her first batch of jelly...

I still remember when my Mom taught me how to make jelly the first time. Dani was just a baby and we had picked choke cherries at the Ranch and then my Mom showed me how to make the jelly. I've been making jelly and syrup ever since. As a little girl I grew up watching my Mom make jelly and even remember watching my Grandma make her jelly and syrup. Memories and traditions are a good thing!!!

The fruits of Dani's labor...

Bringing Fall Inside

2011-10-25T10:00:00.004-06:00

It just wouldn't be Fall at the Bassett Home without bringing in a few Fall colors and touches. I really do love Fall, everything that it entails! It's a pretty close race between Christmas and Fall for me. However, Christmas wins out just for the plain fact of celebrating the Savior's birth and the Spirit of Giving that is so prevalent and present. Truly, I simply love the holiday season, which starts in the Fall for me!!

AND...I simply enjoy decorating my home for the Holidays, of which Fall is one of them!!! There's just something about the colors, smells and textures of Fall that say "welcome home"!! Below, you'll find some touches of Fall that I've added to our house to say "welcome home"...

There ya have it, primitive touches and all!! I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful Fall season as much as I am.

Loving the Fall Colors!

2011-10-24T11:21:00.000-06:00

I've been loving the gorgeous Fall weather we've been having and little by little, with the help from family members and friends, I've been able to add some extra Fall color and touches to the outdoor entrances to our home. Yes, that means I'm still nursing my back and I'm dependent upon others for most things right now, but it's looking up!! I do believe looking out my door and seeing these Fall colors and textures helps the healing process!! :-)

The front porch...

The views of the back door entrance...

Really, can a person have too many pumpkins??!! ;-) I really love the varying colors and textures of pumpkins. I'll have you know, I didn't take pictures of every pumpkin and corn stalk!! I left some room for your imagination to conjure up what else you think you might see in our yard. Just think: corn stalks, sunflowers, pumpkins and then more pumpkins!!

Look Who's Two!

2011-10-22T12:44:00.000-06:00

Our little Miss Addie turned two on October 14th!! Can you believe it??!! Time's a crazy "thing"!!

Addie loves Elmo, so her Mom planned an Elmo themed birthday party for her. Dani had Uncle Richard and Aunt Katie come and get Addie a couple hours before the party and then Aunt Lindi and Dani got busy on preparing the finishing touches and setting up for the birthday party. Dani wanted Addie to be surprised when Richard and Katie brought her home for the party and I'm pretty sure we all got the reaction that was wanted. Check out Addie's expressions...

"Mom, let me see!!"...

The proud parents...

The party details...

"Everybody needs a party hat!! " And...YES, we all wore them!! :-)...

Opening the presents. Give Addie a book and she's a happy camper!!...

Addie blew out her own candle this year!! Making a wish!!...

It was a great celebration and everybody got in on the action, including Addie's Grandma and Grandpa Weber...Thanks to Skype!!!...

More party action...

We love Addie and as you can see, she's a bright spot in our lives!! Here's to another exciting year!! :-)

The Winner Is...

2011-10-17T07:31:00.000-06:00

The lucky winner of the Tiny Tips books from Gooseberry is...

Kristy said...

What cute books! I would love To get cozy and have a get-together whith some of my new friends here in our new state;)!

Kristy, I will get these in the mail to you ASAP!! I know you will want to get your hands on them quick!! :-)

I wish I had books to give away for all to enjoy, but remember you can order your own here and here!!

Happy Monday!! :-)

Fall Weather

2011-10-11T16:57:00.000-06:00

This past weekend brought the first snow in the Big Horns for the season and blessed us with an abundance of rain, of witch we are still drying out from. Saturday morning I caught these pictures of the clouds covering the Big Horns...I'm blessed with a view I take for granted!!!...

October VT

2011-10-06T08:16:00.001-06:00

Happy October!! Are you ready to go Visiting Teaching?!!

Here's my "Happy Treat" for the month!! It has nothing to do with the lesson, just a fun Halloween treat!...

There's nothing better than some Russel Stover chocolate for Halloween and then some Bath and Body Works Caramel Apple hand soap to clean up what the tongue missed!! ;-)

Everyone, young or old, needs a Happy Halloween treat!!!

I say it every month and I'll say it again...The lesson was outstanding!! I'm pretty sure it was written just for me!!! Make sure you read the entire lesson here!!! You'll be glad you did!!! :-) I had a hard time picking out my favorite quote and thoughts from the lesson because it was all so applicable to me. However, this is what I came up with...

As we all go about our days and live our lives this month, let's remember the blessings that can be ours "If We Do Not Doubt"!!!

Harvest Time

2011-10-05T10:55:00.000-06:00

Harvest Time is in full swing around the place. The above picture, along with the rest of the pictures to follow were actually taken on August 22, 2011 of the barley harvest. Obviously, the barley harvest is long over as well as the bean harvest. We're in the middle of the third cutting of hay, the sugar beet harvest is in full swing and the last of the calves are being weaned and hauled into the feedlot as I type. Yes, I know I'm slacking on pictures and posts!! I guess life just has a way of getting in the way at times!! :-)

There were three combines working in this field at one time. It was a sight to behold. As you will notice, during harvest time the work doesn't stop just because it's dark!!!...

We've been enjoying a beautiful Fall and this morning I can definitely feel the change of cooler weather on the way!

Tiny Tips!

2011-09-30T08:40:00.001-06:00

Gooseberry Patch has done it once again!! They now have a new series of Tiny Tips books that are HUGE on clever ideas and cuteness!! These books are only 5"X5" and are chuck full of their signature line drawings and comfortable words!!

I've been given the opportunity to review the two following books...

As soon as I received them in the mail, I sat down that evening and read them from front to back. It instantly made me want to cozy up my home and have a get-together. AND...I plan on doing just that in the coming weeks, as soon as my back heals a little more!!

Take a look at a couple of great ideas from this book...

Now that you're getting your house all cozy for Fall and the upcoming holidays, take a look at this cute, little book for some inspiration on your upcoming get-togethers...

Just the pictures alone make me want to rush out and buy one of these cute, clever and inspirational books. You can order your own copy now...

http://www1.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/products.nsf/v.weball/n907?editdocument&lid=is_n907&cartprocess=textsr

http://www1.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/products.nsf/v.weball/n818?editdocument&lid=is_n818&cartprocess=textsr

OR...You can take a chance and enter my give away to win both of these books...!!!

All you need to do is leave me a comment with a way to contact you...email address, etc...

If there is no way to contact you I will choose another winner!

This give away will close on October 16th. I will post the winner on Sunday Evening, the 16th!

Good Luck!! :-)

Mailbox Surprise!!

2011-09-27T18:39:00.001-06:00

Today when I arrived home from work(I only lasted part of the day, read on for more info)I found a sweet surprise in my mailbox!! Happy Day!! :-)

Recently I was the winner of this fun Fall give away from Brenda's blog. You MUST check out her blog. She lives in sunny Arizona and is one, crazy, creative individual!! She also has an Etsy site, so make sure to check that out too!! I'm tellin' ya, she has CUTE stuff!! :-)

Check out my cute, fun, Fall pumpkins!!!...

Isn't the detail amazing!!??!! LOVE it!! I'm a detail kind of girl, in case you haven't noticed!! ;-) Sweet Brenda said I could pick out my own pumpkins, but I asked her to pick them out for me!! I thought it would mean more if she did the picking. She did a GREAT job and they look FABULOUS in our home! These cute pumpkins are the first Fall decor out in our home. I hurt my back last week and I'm only doing what is necessary!! SOOO...I thought I was behind before, I'm really behind now!! However, these cute little pumpkins brought a little Fall joy into our home!! :-)

I think you all need one more look to share in my JOY!!!...

Brenda, thanks so much!! The pumpkins are so creative and even better in real life!! I LOVE them!!
HAPPY DAY for a joyful mailbox surprise!! :-)

Adding On...

2011-09-18T19:33:00.000-06:00

...by four feet!!! :-)

Yes!!! That means we are expecting two new grandchildren!!

Katie, our youngest daughter is due the end of February and Danielle, our oldest daughter is due the middle of March. That means they will probably be having their babies very close together as Dani's baby will most likely come two weeks early.

AND...no, the pink and blue feet above mean nothing!! Soon we will know what they are both having.

Now you all know why life has been a little crazy!! Helping one sick Mommy get moved and settled and helping another sick Mom with house renovations and life, but mostly just this Grandma worrying, but all is good and life is exciting!! :-)

Makes Me Smile! :-)

2011-09-14T16:04:00.000-06:00

This is my view every time I walk from the back door of the house to the back door of the garage. I make this walk a lot and wanted to see something that made me smile and that my friends would be my flowers!! :-) I really love the pots of flowers around our yard!! They help to make our house a home. BUT Oh how these flowers have a survival story to tell!! :-)...

These flowers were originally in smaller pots that had come from the greenhouse. By midsummer they were not doing well and needed more room to flourish. Therefore, I transplanted them into two BIG pots. Just as I was finishing this task and moving the wagon to the exact spot I wanted, it tipped over, crushing the plants with all of the potting soil. Needless to say, I was not a happy girl. Once again I replanted the mess, making sure that the wagon was already where I wanted it this time!! See, I learned something!! ;-) After much fertilizer, water and some tender loving care the result has been worth the view!!...

The Simple Joys of Life!!! Enough said! :-)

Breakfast, Anyone??!

2011-09-13T19:17:00.000-06:00

We've been enjoying such great weather that I wanted to take advantage of it by cooking and eating breakfast outside in the morning sunshine. SOOO...last minute last Sunday night we decided we would cook breakfast for the Family the next morning morning, which just happened to be Labor Day.

It was a perfect morning with the sun shining brightly and no wind. The kids all showed up and 8:00 am and helped with the finishing touches...

A "stick to your ribs", country breakfast including:

Hash browns
Bacon
Eggs
Sausage Gravy
Pancakes
&
Orange Juice

...was enjoyed by all!!

After the cooking was done and most of the eating...Matt decided he would finish off his breakfast with "dessert"...pancakes with peanut butter and syrup. It looks and sounds disgusting, but it really tastes pretty good. However, I use much less peanut butter than Matt!! ;-) Well anyway...Matt had his plate all fixed and was just ready to eat it when he received a phone call. In the meantime, little Addie found his plate and began to help herself...

Needless to say, Grandpa didn't eat any of his "dessert"!! Instead he was ready to play a game of Bocce. It was one of his birthday presents that he had gotten from the kids. It's a great yard game, you should try it if you haven't...

The men enjoying the fresh morning air, sunshine and a few laughs playing the game of Bocce...

That was the extent of our fun for the day. It was a great way to start the day!! I love breakfast and I could sit on my porch every morning in the sun for about an hour...if only!!!

September VT

2011-09-12T15:42:00.000-06:00

Okay, it's better late than never. I guess after last month of not posting what I did for Visiting Teaching, this should make up for it, even it's later than usual. Someday...my life will slow down!! I think...

It's beginning to feel like Fall, so of course the "VT goodie" had to look like Fall. It included a simple sack of yummy chocolate and a pumpkin spice candle all put together in a craft paper sack with the thought attached to the sack...simple and easy!!...

Following is the thought I put together, at the end of the quote I added: "Shine Your Light Upon Your Family", to tie the candle in with the lesson. The lesson talks about how and what we should do to strengthen our families spiritually. So...if we have the Spirit with us, we will emulate a light, His light. Therefore, we should let it shine upon our family. Make sure to check out the lesson here, if you haven't. As always, it was outstanding with such good food for thought!!...

Enjoy the changing seasons, enjoy Visiting Teaching and enjoy your Families!! :-)

Tailgatin'!

2011-09-11T16:09:00.000-06:00

To celebrate Matt and Dani's birthdays, we had a tailgate party at the first home football game. We did this because, Bob, Dani's husband, coaches football. We all needed to be there to support his first home game, but it was also important to celebrate Matt and Dani's birthdays, so a tailgate party it was!!

Matt had requested all finger food. We had enough food to feed the entire football team. We all brought our favorites and I think Addie believes all football games will always be like this...A PARTY!! :-) I do believe she enjoyed herself a lot!!!...

Coach Weber entering the field at the start of the game. He's waving to his "fans"...that would be us!! ;-)...

Coach Weber in action, he's behind the team and to the left of the referee...

The views of a hometown, high school football game...

After the game we all headed to Bob & Dani's to eat more food and open Matt's presents. (Dani opened her presents on her actual birthday, the day before.) It was actually a fun evening. Maybe tailgatin' will be the way to watch all of the home football games!! ;-)

By the way, we won the game!! :-)

The Birthday Boy...

2011-09-02T06:00:00.004-06:00

...Is One Good Man!

Happy Birthday Matthew Clyde!!
Today's your day, enjoy it!! :-)

Not only is Matt, one good man, he's a great husband, father and grandpa!!...

To learn more about Matt, check out the following posts...

http://bassettsbull.blogspot.com/2008/09/one-year-older-wiser-too.html

http://bassettsbull.blogspot.com/2009/09/matts-turn.html

http://bassettsbull.blogspot.com/2010/09/old-man.html

We Have A 27 Year Old!!

2011-09-01T06:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Danielle!!

It's hard to believe this little girl with pigtails has grown into this...

A mature young woman, who is now a Mother!!

To read more about Danielle, check out these posts from the past...
http://bassettsbull.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-24th-birthday-dani.html

http://bassettsbull.blogspot.com/2009/09/its-danis-day.html

It's a busy birthday time around our house as Matt's birthday is September 2nd. Of course we have a party planned to celebrate their birthdays together. Stay tuned for more info!!!...

Dani, we hope your day is amazing, just like YOU!! We love you and appreciate who you are!!
Happy 27th Birthday!!!!

Back To School

2011-08-30T10:00:00.002-06:00

Sunday night, August 28, 2011, Matt and I hosted a "back to school" family dinner at our home after Church. One would think that we were done with all of that back to school "stuff". I'm learning that we will never be done...the circle will just continue on and that's a good thing!! :-)

All of our kids were home except for one. Lindi's husband, Nick, was missing from the event due to a wild fire that he is fighting. It's always fun to have the girls home with their husbands!! So why did we have a "back to school" dinner? Well, our youngest daughter Katie is still going to college and Bob, our son-in-law, is a school teacher. So party on!!! :-)...

Food's always a "good thing" after a day of service at Church...

The menu consisted of:

My glorified hobo dinner- I cut up sausage, chicken breasts, carrots, onions and potatoes and place them in a big tin foil pan. I then generously season them with seasoning salt, garlic salt, Alpine Touch, and Secret Seasoning(I'm not being selfish, it's really called Secret Seasoning!) I add to that, two sticks of cut up butter and about 3 cups of ice cubes. I then cover it with heavy duty foil and put it on the grill at 350 degrees for 2 hours. It's delish!!! :-)

Corn on the Cob

Garden Fresh Tomatoes

Garden Fresh Cucumbers sliced and added to a mixture of vinegar and water along with some purple onions. Matt also threw in some cut up garden fresh green beans.

Homemade Rolls

Chocolate Pudding Cake (click on chocolate pudding cake to find the recipe)

Look who's loving the corn...

After dinner, Farther's Blessings were given to the Teacher and the College student. A blessing was also offered to any others who felt the need for one. Offering a Father's Blessing before the start of a new school year has been a tradition in our family and it's nice to be able to carry it on.

Our little "back to school" dinner was a the perfect ending to a good day.

Really?? 10 Years??!!

2011-08-29T17:43:00.003-06:00

Today, August 29, 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of my Dad's death. He would have also celebrated his 79th birthday today, as he was born on August 29th too. It's hard to imagine, let alone believe that 10 years have already passed. So many things have changed in 10 years. As time goes by, it most certainly gets easier to go on with life without ones parents. However, I do believe there will always be an empty spot in our lives and hearts!!

Moments to remember...

My Dad carrying the Wyoming flag in one of Lovell's parades...

This next picture was taken in the Fall of 1980. I was the Homecoming Queen and my Dad is holding my flower and football as I was also the band majorette and still had to lead/conduct the band for the halftime routine. Notice my Dad's hand was broken and in a cast...

This last picture reminds me that it was time for my Dad to pass on. He was so sick and had seriously aged 10 years in 4 weeks. This picture was taken at his Preuit family reunion just a few short weeks before he died...

To read more about my Dad, check out the following past tributes...

http://bassettsbull.blogspot.com/2008/08/gone-but-not-forgotten.html

http://bassettsbull.blogspot.com/2009/08/time-marches-on.html

On a side note: this year also marks the 10th anniversary of 9-11. I can remember when it first happened, I couldn't even really comprehend it or make it even register. I guess I had just started to mourn the death of my Dad and was pretty wrapped up in my own thoughts. I was so busy before and after his death with all the details, that it took a couple of weeks for it all to catch up with me. Consequently, 9-11 took an even longer time for me to connect the dots. Our minds and souls really are intricate machines that have a way of their own. All in good time...is all I can say.

The Merry-Go-Round...

2011-08-22T10:27:00.002-06:00

...called LIFE!!

Yes, I'm still alive and doing well!! Thanks for all of the concerned emails!! They truly made me feel loved!! AND...yes, I did my Visiting Teaching for the month of August. However, I didn't take any pictures of the "goodie"!! I simply bought some "fun" ice-cream and wrapped it in cellophane and attached a thought from the lesson. SIMPLE and SWEET!! :-)

Our life has truly been a merry-go-round ride lately. I'm not complaining, just trying to adjust to the changes!! I've been saying I would like the merry-go-round to just slow down long enough to hop off for a day...I think the day has finally arrived!!

The changes in our life have been many with even more on the way!! It's exciting stuff, I tell ya!! ;-)

First of all, we have leased our farm this year. However, that doesn't mean Matt's been on vacation!! He still irrigates the entire farm, plus he is still putting up the hay. He also was asked to put up all the straw for the farmer that leases our farm. This has been a huge and time consuming job, but well worth it in the end. For the first time ever there is no corn planted on our farm!! Instead there are crops of sunflowers, beans, sugar beats and barley. I'm pretty sure this field of beans right in front of our house is one of the best in the country!!:-) ...

I believe Matt's adjusting to this change and we're hoping it proves to work out for all in the end. Leasing the farm has definitely freed up some time to care for the cows!! Yes, we will still be feeding calves in the feedlot this winter. Yet again another change as far as the feed is concerned. It's all good...we hope!! ;-)

The weekend of July 22, 2011 we moved Bod and Dani home. They were sad to leave their beautiful home, yard, friends and ward; however, I do believe they're excited to be home and start this new chapter in their lives.

Bob, Dani and Addie saying goodbye to their first home!!!...

Believe me, it was a fast and furious trip down to move them home. We left Thursday, July 21, 2011, we I got off work at 3:00. Katie and Richard also went down to help!! We packed up the trailer and all of the cars on Friday and left Lingle at 5:00 pm, arriving home at 1:00 am. CRAZY, I know!!

We parked the loaded trailer in our garage for about three weeks while we worked on getting their new home ready to move into. We've all been painting, cleaning, doing major yard work and decorating and they are now officially moved out of our home and living in their home. Happy day for all!! :-) Yes, there is still more to do, as I'm on my way today to help with a few more finishing touches. As for the yard work...let's just say there's still MAJOR work to be done!! BUT...it already looks sooooo much better.

On Sunday, July 24, 2011 the next change happened. Matt was called as the First Counselor in the Bishopric...

Left to right: First Counselor Matt Bassett, Bishop Scott Caturia and Second Counselor David Jolley

These are excellent men and I will add they have been very busy men. Bishop Caturia will be an outstanding Bishop!!

In this same weekend and the week to follow we had more changes and excitement happening. I'm telling you, the merry-go-round was in full gear for awhile!!

The changing of Seasons are upon us and that has brought in the new Fall line of clothing and decor items at The Hen House. I've been a busy girl at work, but in the end it's all good!! IF you haven't been into The Hen House for awhile, come take a look!! I'm there on Tuesdays and Thursdays!! :-)

Last, but not least!! I have a new calling in Church...I'm teaching Sunday School!! I'm so excited to be back with the youth. I will be teaching the oldest class of youth in our ward!! They are the best kids and I already know I will learn more from them than they will from me!! I will also be playing the piano in Relief Society, this is good for me because it actually makes me practice and I need that!!!!

So...I'm sure the merry-go-round called life will continue to go around and around at our home. I'm praying and hoping that I can hold on tight and not fall off. It's a big change for me to have all of our kids home (or close to home...Billings) and all that comes with that. As you can see from my absence on my blog, I've been taking time to serve my family as that's really what matters most in this life.

Stay tuned to see if I can handle the merry-go-round!! :-)

Progress??!!

2011-07-21T07:00:00.002-06:00

Remember, last year we built a garage and the absent lawn looked like this last Spring? Well, we slowly have been making progress on this new area.

We planted grass seed and last Fall, Matt hauled in gravel for the drive way so I wouldn't have to worry about getting stuck in the mud anymore...

As you can see from the pictures, grass had started to grow and by the end of Fall most of the bare spots had filled in.

So, this Spring I was ready to get this little part of the yard finished. Katie and Richard helped out one Saturday getting a perennial bed ready for the plants. We then planted the plants, placed the "treasures" and mulched the bed. It was a HUGE step in the right direction...

The only thing we didn't get done that day was the border of the perennial bed. BUT...it was still a step in the right direction. I had once again replanted the remaining bare spots and things were starting to look really good that is, until the last week of June.

YES!!!! The lawn is dying, along with everything else!! Why might you ask??!! I had a company come in and sterilize the ground around our yard. Meaning, that weeds wouldn't grow for a year where I had them spray!! Mind you, I didn't have them spray my yard!! However, because they were so behind, he had a young boy helping spray and he continued to spray after the wind had started to blow!! I was at work and missed the entire episode. Obviously, the outcome wasn't so good!!!...

Yes, the entire perennial bed is dead or dying!! Pretty much a waste of time and money!!!...

The half barrel of flowers is still okay because obviously it's roots aren't in the ground!!

The good news!!!: this particular company is going to replace the lawn and the perennial bed. They are doing all the work and we offered to haul in new top soil. They were back a couple of weeks ago and sprayed a neutralizer on the ground and I've been watering it in. It's also a good thing we didn't have the border in yet, as it would just have to be torn out. I'm trying to stay positive about the whole situation. I'm sure it's going to be a much better lawn after it's all done. I know it will be more level and the end result will be okay. I'm just really dreading the whole mess of replacing it!!

I really do feel bad for the company, but I guess life does happen and it wasn't anyone's fault!!

This to shall pass!!

On a side note: I love having the ground sterilized and I will do it again next year!! REALLY!!!! :-)

Enthralled

2011-07-18T23:00:00.004-06:00

Wild flowers + mountain air + busy little girl = Enthralled!! That's what Addie was on our family outing on the 4th of July. She was one enthralled Little Miss with all the wildflowers. Of course Grandma had her camera and couldn't resist snapping a view pictures.

Enthralled!!...

Grandma, I got the flower!!! :-)...

See??...Enthralled.

Oh to be a child again??!! To enjoy life's simple joy!!

Lesson learned!! :-)

More Family Adventures

2011-07-17T23:00:00.002-06:00

The 4th of July day trip continued with the next stop at the Dryhead Overlook. As you will be able to tell from the pictures it was colder, windy and hazy. I guess that's what happens when you go up in altitude!! The last time we were at the overlook, we could drive right to it. Now you have to park and get out and walk. Don't get me started on that subject...sometimes our government goes a little overboard.

Anyway...back to the overlook. See?? We're walking!! See the road?? But...we're walking because we're law abiding citizens!!! ;-) I guess if we were really law abiding citizens we would be walking on the road and not the grass!! Our bad!!

This is what we walked to see...The Dryhead Country below. It's interesting to look at it with Matt, he can point everything out and name all the individual ranches. It's always fun to see the border of the Dryhead Ranch from above. I wish the pictures didn't show the haze from the day, because it was really just so green. It was truly beautiful...

Addie says it's time to hit the road...

After we arrived back home, we built a fire in the fire pit and roasted hot dogs and made S'mores!! No fireworks for this family. I'm not a fan, they make me way too nervous.

Family adventures are worth the work and stress. Hopefully we made some good memories for all involved that day!! That's what holidays are all about, right?!! FAMILY!!

Family Outing

2011-07-16T23:00:00.012-06:00

On the 4th of July we took a day trip with the entire FAM to the Pryor Mountains. We packed a picnic and enjoyed the beautiful weather and scenery. The food wasn't too bad either. We even took a banana cream pie, after all it was the 4th of July!! :-)

Addie enjoyed running, playing in the dirt and picking flowers. There will be an entire post devoted to Addie and flowers!! :-) I'm not sure Addie likes having dirty hands...

Still taking in the sun and beauty...

After a relaxing lunch, we hiked down to the Big Ice Cave!! Make sure to check out this site for more information about it!! :-)

Taking a little walk...

These next photos show our valley below and if you look closely you can see the sugar towers in the middle of the pictures, they are a small white spot...

Take a closer look...

We made it the short distance to the deck of the entrance of the cave...

The girls are walking down into the entrance of the cave...

Checking it out...

Now, for the walk back out...PATIENCE!!!...

More to come on our day trip. It was a long day, but a good one!! :-)

Hometown Celebration!

2011-07-15T23:00:00.000-06:00

Once again another Lovell's Day celebration has come and gone. It's always a good time with lots of traditions. The last full week of June is the X that marks the spot. As usual, we had our good friends the Poague's stay with us for the week and that's always a good time. However, Matt and I were both under the weather and weren't much fun. In fact we didn't even make it to all our usual "stops"!!

High School class reunions are always held during this week and it's always fun to see everyone come home. This year marked my 30th reunion!! I already know, you don't have to say it!! ;-) 30 years is a long time and that means I'm old!! :-) We had about 20 classmates show up and they all looked great. I didn't make it to the picnic, my body and health weren't cooperating!! :-( However, I did make it to the parade...

Yes, I'm the lost looking one in the middle!! AND...No, my face is not really that FAT!! ;-) That is indeed one of the thin things going for me!! :-)

Another shot of the end of the parade...

The finale of Lovell's celebration is a fireworks display at Horseshoe Bend. I'm not really a fan of fireworks, but I like the drive and watching the people. Of course, we took a picnic, sat in the truck and visited with our friends the Poague's, complained about life and had some good laughs!! The complaining would have been about government officials and the Park...it's just a little crazy!! Our lives are good, no complaining there!! We did offer some brownies to the Park Rangers, but they refused!! Really, they were "safe"!! ;-)

Take a look at some of the fireworks...

Seriously, what would Summer be without a hometown celebration??!! I'm happy there are good people who donate their time and talents to organize this celebration!! It's a good thing!!

Check out this link for more pictures of our hometown celebration!!

Happy Heifers!

2011-07-14T23:00:00.000-06:00

Bright and early on June 24th we hauled the heifers into the Ranch. It was a pretty drive and as soon as we let the heifers out we had "Brunch", as one of the hired men called it. I had brought a cooler full of donuts, muffins, fruit, juice and chocolate milk. I must say, one couldn't have asked for better scenery for brunch!!

As you can see from the following pictures the heifers were happy to be at their Summer home. I don't blame them. It's gorgeous at the Ranch right now; lush and green!!...

Matt and the hired men are making sure they get headed in the right direction...

As we were all eating our brunch, I took the opportunity to take some pictures of the view: God's Country!! :-) Take a look, I think you'll agree...

Now, I'm just messing around. The hired men are used to being my "models"!! ;-)...

As we were leaving the Ranch, the heifers decided they wanted to head another direction and play follow the leader...

It was a beautiful morning at the Ranch and God's Country makes for happy heifers and happy heifers makes for a happy Matt and a happy Matt makes for a happy Tracy. :-)

Goin' On A Skunk Hunt!

2011-07-13T23:30:00.002-06:00

So what did you do on Father's Day? Well we did the usual: grilled hamburgers, made homemade french fries, homemade ice-cream, homemade pie and homemade brownies. It's a family favorite and it's always good!! As you can see it was a relaxed and casual evening until Katie mentioned that we had a new cat that was really cute and it was black and white!!!

"Wait"!! "It's not a cat, it's a skunk"!!!

The hunt was on!!

One must first understand that we've had a skunk hanging around our house for a long time. I'd even stopped feeding the wild cats because I didn't want the skunk coming around anymore. Well we hadn't seen the skunk for sometime, so the table scraps went back out for the cats. Just as we were getting ready to skype with Bob, Dani and Addie, Katie looked out the window and saw the new cute cat!! NOT!! AND...then the fun began.

The men were on a rampage!! They were going to kill that skunk no matter what!! I don't think they even cared if they got sprayed!! Seriously!!! Richard ran and got the shot gun, while Matt and Nick scared the skunk and were hoping to get it to move out into the field to shoot it. Well, let's just say the skunk had a mind of it's own!! Notice, I said had!!! :-) Well anyway, the skunk went under the cabin.

Now what?!?!?!...

The men saved the day!! They didn't even get sprayed!! I still can't believe it!! They finally scared the skunk out from under the cabin and Richard shot him!! Only once in awhile can we get a whiff of that cute little cat!! ;-)

Well, the hunt was over safe and sound and now the Father's Day celebration could continue!! Here Matt is checking out his new CD...

He also got a new croquet set and we've not even played it yet!! There's been way too much cotton in the yard from the cottonwood trees. Alas, I think I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the cotton tunnel!!

Now for the rest of the story...
The following weekend after Father's Day, we had another skunk come for a visit. However he wasn't as nice. He sprayed the back corner of our house and let's just say it was not pleasant!! There's been no skunk sightings or smellings for awhile!! So hopefully there's no skunk hunts in the near future!! :-)

I'm pretty sure it was a memorable Father's Day for all!! ;-)

Got Snow?

2011-07-12T23:30:00.003-06:00

"Our" Big Horn Mountains have had record amounts of snow this Winter and Spring and that meant a trip up "the hill" to see for ourselves. These pictures were taken the 3rd weekend of June and it was an incredible sight!! Check out the snow in the above picture, it's at the top of the fence!! I know, crazy, for the 3rd weekend of June!!

This particular afternoon, it was looking a little wintry. The clouds were setting in and it was raining down below, as in home. It truly was a beautiful drive...

The closer one gets to the "Sheridan side" of the Mountain there is much less snow, as in hardly any!! It's just like someone pulled a curtain at the county line and our side of the Mountain got dumped on!!

We were able to see some moose on our little outing. There so ugly, they're cute!! ;-)...

Of course we took time to eat dinner at Burgess Junction and then headed back off the Mountain for home...

Because of all the snow and melting, the runoff water is AMAZING!! Of course we had to get some pictures of that too!!...

This little drive was a great reminder that Mother Nature is in control...SCARY!!!

The Sounds Of Summer

2011-07-11T21:47:00.000-06:00

There are certain sounds that just say Summer to me. I LOVE to here them and never grow tired of the feeling their sounds bring to my heart and mind. Three sounds in particular make me smile: The sound of a lawn mower and I don't care how early I hear it, the sound of sprinklers and the sound of the crop plane spraying crops early in the morning. Seriously, these sounds just make my heart smile! :-)

About a month ago, I told you I was behind, the "Fly Boy" was out and about and Matt grabbed the camera and got some amazing photos!! I'm going to include a lot of them because quite frankly I find the "Fly Boy" amazing. I mean really, what makes this man tick? Can you imagine how much his insurance is??!! ;-) Seriously, you couldn't pay me enough to even ride in the plane with him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This first picture is for all the Lovell Home Town readers. Check it out, make sure to notice Sheep Mountain in the background with the "L"!!!...

The "artistic" views...

Up close and personal...

"To infinity and beyond"!! ;-)...

"In the leafy treetops"...

I told you the "Fly Boy" was amazing!! I don't know, maybe CRAZY is a better descriptive word!! ;-) Whatever the word, we're glad the "Fly Boy" does his job because it helps us out immensely. AND...it just wouldn't be Summer without hearing the buzz of his plane!! :-)

In My Spare Time

2011-07-10T22:53:00.001-06:00

In between work at the store, company, yard work, family and life, I've been working on grungin' up this bedroom/playroom. This was once Katie's bedroom. When she was in the 4th grade, I let her choose what she wanted in her new bedroom. It's changed some since then, but the picket fence border and tree have been in this room from the beginning. I've always loved this tree and I haven't really wanted to get rid of it. I know it's not the latest style, but that really doesn't matter. However, I did want this room to blend in a little more with the rest of the house. I'm starting to lean more and more towards the primitive country style and I wanted to "Prim Up" this room!! I'm making it into the playroom for the grand kids, so the tree is staying!! :-)

So what did I do to "Prim it Up"? I washed a very watered down brown colored painted over the entire room including: the walls, border, tree and ceiling. I've added some antiques, grunged the quilts (dyed them) and simply added some extra touches. It's almost finished, but I'll let you take a look!!

The picture at the beginning of this post is the before and the following is the after...

Can you see the difference?? It's simply warmed up!! :-)

Take a look at more of the room. I love when the sun comes streaming through the window!! :-) The chest of drawers was mine as a child growing up. We had two of them, one for the girls and one for my brothers. I LOVE it!! Also, the HUGE teddy bear was Katie's. That's all she wanted one year for Christmas!! :-) You will also notice that I have wedding pictures of our girls in this room!! Someday when their kids are playing in here it will be fun for them to look at them!! GREAT memories!!!...

Now, take a look at some of the finishing touches...

This is one of my new antique finds. I think it was an old tool shelf/holder in an old barn/shop. It's heavy duty and has the best charm and character on it. I LOVE it!!...

The book about birds was my Moms and holds sweet memories for my girls...

Another antique find is this old tool box. I LOVE old tool boxes. The decorating ideas with these are endless!!...

The grunged quilts...

I have to say that I'm really liking this room now. I'm learning with age, it doesn't matter what the trend is in decor, it matters what makes you happy and what makes you tick. I'm sure it will be a room that will be enjoyed for years to come by the grandchildren!! :-)

July VT

2011-07-08T09:44:00.000-06:00

Yes, I'm still alive!! It's July and I really can't believe that the Summer is half over. That's just plain crazy. It's been a whirlwind around our home and I'm really looking forward to some down time to catch up on my blog. No promises, but I'm hoping to do so next week.

Some things never change and that would mean even though life is crazy, there's always time for Visiting Teaching. As always, there was an excellent lesson to share with my sweet ladies and of course a treat is always an added extra bonus.

The treat included a pitcher from Wal-mart with some lemonade mix inside the pitcher just waiting for some TLC!! ;-)...

I found the perfect handout already made at Emma's Place!! It was totally what I wanted: red, white and blue with the most important part, the message that I was wanting to share. Like I've said before, why fix it if's it's not broke??!! I just love the internet for making it possible for kind people to share their talents and ideas!! :-)...

I then made this tag and added it for the finishing touches...

What a great blessing visiting teaching is in my life. I'm grateful that it makes me slow down and do what really matters!! It's always a pleasure to visit "my ladies"!! I always go away a better person because of "my ladies" sweet spirits and the life lessons they share with me.

Last but not least, I'm grateful to know of the blessings the Temple has to offer me and my family!! It really is something to celebrate!! AND...just maybe a glass of lemonade is a simple way to start the celebration!! :-)

Oh Happy Day!!

2011-06-17T10:11:00.000-06:00

Addie's moving home, as in back to Lovell!! Of course her parents are coming with her!! ;-) Bob, Danielle and Addie will me moving back to Lovell within the next couple of months. Bob got a teaching job in our school district. He will be the Spanish teacher and will be working in all three schools including: the high school, middle school and elementary school!! This has happened all so fast, within a couple of weeks. I do believe it's been a dream of Bob's to get back to Lovell and be able to teach and coach in his home town!! Our district will be enriched with Mr. Weber's presence!! Indeed it's a happy day!! :-) Now, they just need to sell their house in Lingle and find a place to live in Lovell. It will all work out with a little faith added in!!

So busy times ahead!!

Summer has arrived along with all the craziness included. When I'm not working at The Hen House or in my yard, it seems as though I'm sleeping. I wish my energy level was what it used to be!! However, I'm beginning to believe that's a thing of the past. I have much to share and hopefully will find time to do so when I'm not living the good life!!

Here's to hoping your days are happy ones too!! :-)

June VT

2011-06-06T22:17:00.001-06:00

June has arrived and that means it's time to go visiting teaching again...LOVE it!! Seriously!! :-)

What an excellent message this month...

Strengthening Families through Temporal Self-Reliance

I learned a lot from this lesson and am grateful for the reminders it brought to my mind. I really believe it's a timely lesson and it correlates perfectly with the rest of the coverage in the Ensign celebrating the 75th anniversary of the welfare program. Make sure you read over that information, as it is so helpful with the visiting teaching lesson for this month. It's full of insightful information!!

Also, make sure you check out this information on the Church site!!

So, for the fun part of visiting teaching...the treats for my sweet sisters. I really do have so much fun doing this for my ladies, it brings me great joy!! It's a celebration of Summer, including some patriotic touches...

The tag that ties it all together...

Don't you think that Self-Reliance is the American Dream??!! It used to be at one time and I think it probably still is for most people!!

The handout I used for the lesson came from this site. Why fix it, if it's not broke!! ;-) In other words, why make my own, with this cute one already in existence!! Seriously, is this not the cutest idea??!! LOVE it!! :-) However, I think I took a picture of my practice one. I never have been very good at cutting and folding!! I mean I failed miserably at it in kindergarten!! It still haunts me today!! ;-)...

See, I told you it was cute!! I put snack size packets of M&M's in the seed packets. They fit perfectly!! :-)

One last look at this fun Summer time basket of patriotic goodies!!...

Today was a good day!! We were blessed with insightful discussions with our sweet sisters and the Spirit was most definitely felt!! It truly makes me want to strive to better myself in all areas of self-reliance!!

Visiting Teaching...it's a "Good Thing"!! :-)

Unseen Blessings!

2011-06-05T18:07:00.002-06:00

My understanding of unseen blessings has been heightened this past month!! As some of you know, I have a precancerous blood condition which has been monitored for the last couple of years. Last Summer I had a bone marrow biopsy because some of my "numbers" were concerning. At the time I never asked what those numbers were and was just content to know that I did not have cancer. Again, in December I had another check up and was content to just know that I did not have cancer.

In May, I again had anther check-up. The other day I received a letter in the mail with my results, which included my numbers. I compared them to the results and numbers from two years ago and it kind of scared me!! I now understand the concern and reason for the bone marrow biopsy last year. A couple of the main numbers that are being watched have gone up a considerable amount in a two year period and this is not good!! We want them to go down, not up!!! The good news...they are stable and haven't gone up in the last four months. I now understand that my numbers are far from normal and that I am a lucky woman, who has a Father in heaven who knows me and has been watching over me and many blessings on my part have been answered. I now understand why I need to have my checkups and not take modern medicine and technology for granted. I have been most frustrated with spending my money on what seemed to me, needless tests and appointments!!

I'm thankful to have been humbled by seeing in "black and white" my own numbers and what they mean. Why is it that sometimes we have to be "hit over the head" to have our eyes opened??!! Yes, unseen blessings are real and I'm grateful to be reminded of that!!

When my next checkups come around in a few months, I'll be grateful to spend the money on them and grateful for the knowledge that will be gained from them.

I'm indeed grateful for the many prayers on my behalf, to have had my eyes opened this past month to who is really in control and to be humbled!!

Enough said!!

The Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks Go To?...

2011-06-01T22:20:00.001-06:00

Well, I think I've made everybody wait long enough!! ;-)

The winner of this cookbook...

is...

Jill said...Love recipes and love winning things - thanks for the opportunity!

and

The winner of this cookbook...

is...

Designs By Jo-Anne said...I wouldn't blame little Addie for being so excited about those cookies..Man oh man if I could reach through my computer screen I would be eating those..LOL.. By the way?? Addie looks just as sweet as those cookies :D

Congrats, ladies!! :-)
Please email me your addresses!! I will get your cookbooks in the mail as soon as I receive your information!!

Thanks everyone for your comments!! Just so you all know, the winners are picked randomly by the luck of the draw!!

Happy Cooking to all!!!! :-)

Remember!

2011-05-30T11:18:00.000-06:00

On this Memorial Day, let us stop and remember why we have an America that we love. Let us ponder for a moment the men, women and families that have served our country and us. Let us be grateful for their service!! Let us remember those we have loved and lost. Let us show our patriotism!!

Yesterday in one of our meetings at Church, our Bishop had me read this poem...

Even though, I'm not a reader of poetry, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have read this poem and been able to ponder on it's meaning throughout the remainder of the day. It's always good to reflect!!

My Dad served in the Navy, so he was a veteran!! As a child, I remember hearing stories about his experience, but not a lot of them. However, we do have pictures from his time served in the navy and I have his uniform.

My Dad's the third from the left...

Of course on Memorial Day we like to remember our loved ones that are no longer with us. I'm getting better about the cemetery, but it's not a place that brings me comfort. I did however, get a pot of flowers, put a couple of flags in it and set it at my parents grave site. I didn't get any pictures though, it's been raining nonstop. SO...a picture from a previous year will have to do...

To show my patriotism, throughout the Summer I decorate a couple of key spots in our home with an Americana theme. Take a look...

So, whatever your plans are for the day, take a moment to reflect and remember why we have an America that we love!!

Another Freebie! :-)

2011-05-27T12:37:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's another early bird review of another exciting Gooseberry Patch cookbook. And yes, just like the last review, my girls chose the recipes and did the cooking. I was just the happy recipient of the end result!!

Check out this book...

I know it's a little early to be thinking about Christmas as you all probably have Memorial Day plans on your minds; but come on, the book is great and it's free. To be the lucky person to get this book all you have to do is leave me a comment. That's it...SIMPLE!!

The table on contents includes:
* Breakfast & Brunch
* Snack & Appetizers
* Soups, Sides & Salads
* Mains
* Desserts
* Slow Cooker

You can order your own copy HERE!!

Okay, so following are the recipes my girls chose to try out!!!...

Orange-Glazed Pork Chops

1 T. oil
4 pork chops, 3/4 -inch thick
1/2 c. orange juice
2 T. brown sugar, packed
2 T. orange marmalade
1 T. vinegar

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; brown pork chops on both sides. Drain and transfer to a lightly greased 11"x 17" baking pan. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees fro 35 to 40 minutes, until pork chops are tender. Serves 4.

We all agreed we would eat and make them again. They weren't my most favorite, but it really comes down to personal taste. They are definitely worth a try.

Next up...
Peanut Butter Popcorn

2 3-1/2 oz. pkgs. microwave popcorn, popped
1/2 c. margarine
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
20 regular size marshmallows
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

Place popcorn into a large bowl; set aside. In a separate microwave-safe bowl, combine margarine, brown sugar and marshmallows. Microwave on high at one-minute intervals, stirring between each interval, until mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Pour margarine mixture over popcorn; stir quickly to coat before it cools. Serves 8.

If you like, when you're done mixing, bake the popcorn on an ungreased baking sheet at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.

We baked the popcorn in the oven and we also used two batches of the "sauce" on the 2 popped bags of popcorn. Really, can you ever have too much gooey goodness on your popcorn??!! ;-) This was a HUGE hit and would make a great neighbor Christmas gift!! Quick and Easy!!! That's the name of the game!! :-)

This cook book is also full of simple decorating ideas and gifts. Plain and simple, it's just a another great read from Gooseberry Patch!!

Make sure to leave a comment to be entered in the drawing which will take place on June 1, 2011!! Don't miss out on this freebie either!! It's another Gooseberry Patch cook book and you really will like it!!! :-)

Early Bird Review

2011-05-24T11:33:00.001-06:00

It's that time again!! Time for an early bird review of another new and exciting cook book from Gooseberry Patch!!

Check it out!!...

Gooseberry Patch has done it again with 101 Easy Everyday Recipes!! This cookbook is set to be released in June. You can check out all the fun and exciting information HERE and also pre-order your very own copy.

My girls loved this cook book and all are wanting their own copy. I told them to leave a comment and enter for a chance to win. However, since it was Katie's birthday yesterday, she got my copy!! :-) My girls got a sneak peak at this cook book when they were all home last week. On Thursday last week (5.19.11), Katie, Lindi and I headed to Casper, WY to pick up Danielle and Addie. Bob, Danielle's husband was coaching high school track at the state track meet, so Dani and Addie came for a visit. After essentially 10 hours in the car we arrived home and wondered what was for dinner. I mentioned to the girls that I had two new cook books from Gooseberry Patch waiting for a review. They proceeded to look them over and pick several recipes to try out. I'm tellin' ya, it's a great blessing to have girls that can cook and help out when needed. I've been having a lot of problems with my back, so after 10 hours in a car I wasn't any help. My girls did all the cooking and choosing. I just sat back and enjoyed the view!! :-)

101 Easy Everyday Recipes is a beautiful book with amazing full color photos of all the recipes. It's easy to read and is easy on the eyes!! This book includes the following categories:

* Easy-Breezy Breakfasts

* Toss-Together Suppers

* Dinner's in the Oven

* Sides in a Snap

* No-Fuss Desserts

Following are the recipes that my girls chose to make:

This first recipe is from the Toss-Together Suppers category.

Spicy Salsa Twists

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

8-oz. pkg. rotini pasta, cooked

10-3/4 oz. can tomato soup

1 c. salsa

1/2 cup milk

1 c. Cheddar cheese, divided

Optional: sour cream, tortilla chips

Combine browned beef, rotini, soup, salsa, milk and 1/2 cup cheese in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until heated through and cheese in melted; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips, if desired. Serves 5.

Keep in mind that we had just arrived home after being in the car for 10 hours, we didn't have rotini pasta on hand so the girls used macaroni instead, it worked fine. Also, there were no tortilla chips in the pantry, so they made tortilla chips from tortillas. They cut tortillas into triangles, dipped them in olive oil, salted them and broiled them in the oven. They added the perfect finishing touch!

Next on the agenda was this recipe:

This recipe comes from the Sides in a Snap section.

Hawaiian Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch diagonal slices

2 T. olive oil

1/4 c. beef broth

4 to 5 slices bacon, crisply cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

pepper to taste

2 T. sesame seed, lightly toasted

In a skillet over medium heat, cook asparagus in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef broth; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until asparagus is cooked to desired tenderness. Stir in bacon, pepper and sesame seed. Serves 4.

The final recipe on trial came from the No-Fuss Desserts section. Addie was pretty excited to taste this one for herself!! :-)

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

16-1/2 oz. tube refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough

12 mini peanut butter cups

1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 t. shortening

Divide cookie dough into 12 pieces. With floured fingers, wrap one piece of dough around each peanut butter cup. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool on baking sheets one minute; remove to wire rack to cool completely. In a saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies. Let stand until set. Makes one dozen.

All of the above recipes were a hit!! All agreed that they would make them again. You can have a chance to win this cookbook too. Just like I told my girls, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment. I will draw a winner on June 1, 2011!! You don't want to miss out on this fantastic cook book. It might just make you excited to cook too!! :-)

Katie, you're now the proud owner of 101 Easy Everyday Recipes from Gooseberry Patch!! I told her she couldn't have her cook book until I blogged about it. Now it's hers!! Happy Birthday again and happy cooking!!

21?!!

2011-05-23T12:59:00.000-06:00

Seriously, our baby is 21 years old today!! I'm not really sure how this can be, but it's the truth!! CRAZY!! I mean really, where does the time go??!!

Saturday (5.21.11) we celebrated Katie's birthday at our house with a dinner of her choice including: grilled hamburgers with all the fixins', homemade french fries, baked beans, homemade ice-cream and brownies. Katie is not a lover of cake, but does however LOVE ice-cream and especially homemade ice-cream! Katie got her wish for dinner, including the privilege of having her entire family home to celebrate her birthday!! Lucky girl!

So why the question mark for the birthday candle?? It's all I had in the house and let me tell you it's an old one!! As you can imagine, the question mark candle set the perfect stage for a night of ribbing and jokes!! They'll make for good memories!! ;-)

There's just something FUN about making homemade ice-cream!!

Birthday gifts...

That's a look of..."Ha! Ha! sisters, I got the cookbook!! " There will be more to come on that story. Stay tuned for future posts about cook books!! :-)

Katie and Addie...

What a privilege it is to be Katie's parents. She's truly one of a kind!! She's quiet, gentle and kind, but can laugh with the best of them!! She's a terrific helper, sister, aunt, student, wife, friend and daughter. To check out other birthday posts about Katie click HERE and HERE.

????? Seriously ????? Our baby is 21 today ?????!!!!!
Happy Birthday Bobcat!!

Well Deserved!

2011-05-16T09:19:00.001-06:00

Matt was presented with this award back in February and I am now just getting around to blogging about it. Partly because I was waiting for it to be published in our local paper first, which never happened and in the mean time the pictures I took from the event accidentally got deleted!! :-( I emailed and asked the person in charge for a picture and their pictures didn't turn out either, consequently the reason it didn't get published in the local paper. Therefore!!!...you get to see a picture of the coat he was presented!! ;-)

Following are a couple of pictures from some of the projects on the farm that Matt has worked on and accomplished in the last couple of years...

This is some of what they read at the dinner the night this award was presented...

Each year the Shoshone Conservation District selects a person from within
the district to be recognized as the outstanding cooperator.

Matt Bassett was selected for this honor because of his past and present
accomplishments with conservation work. Matt farms and ranches east of
Lovell, and has grazing allotments in the dryhead country.

Over the years Matt has installed many improvements on the irrigated
portion of his operation. These include structures for water control, gated
pipe, underground pipelines and concrete ditches. Several years back Matt
installed a series of 6 concrete ditches without benefit of financial
assistance, relying only on technical assistance from the Natural
Recourses Conservation Service, better known as the NRCS, for survey
and design. This past year Matt used assistance from the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to install another Concrete Ditch totaling
over 2,400 feet in length and teamed with a neighbor and the EQIP
program to install an underground pipeline totaling 1,762 feet.

In addition to the structural practices Matt has installed, Matt also
subscribes to and uses management practices to help him maintain an
edge in the agricultural world. Irrigation water management, nutrient and
pest management, grazing management, and proper crop rotation
management are examples of some of the management tools Matt uses.

It is with pleasure that the Board of Supervisors of the Shoshone
Conservation District recognize Matt Bassett as 2011 Outstanding
Cooperator.

We are proud of Matt and his many accomplishments in life. He is an extremely hard worker and takes great pride in how the farm and ranch looks and operates. We are grateful to him for his example and ability to provide a living for our family.

GOOD JOB Matt!!! :-)

The Mark's Been Made!

2011-05-11T05:35:00.001-06:00

Finally, after several cancellations due to bad weather, the branding is finished!! Happy Day!! It's always such a HUGE relief when the branding is done. It's a big undertaking, requires a lot of extra help and a lot of food!! This year, because of our crazy weather, we branded three different nights, which meant three big meals!! We usually brand all of the calves on one Saturday and call it a done deal!! Whatever works, we're just elated that the job is finally done!!!

This year it was a family affair, well it usually is, but I even got pictures of the Fam thanks to Nancy picking up my camera and taking over!! I guess the entire family wasn't here, as we were missing Bob & Dani and know that Bob would have loved to have been here to help. Seriously, I'm pretty sure he likes to brand!! :-) However, he's a high school track coach and teacher so no branding for Bob!! I guess it's pretty important these days to keep a job, so real life wins out over branding!!

This year, Katie was Matt's right hand man. She kept the branding irons hot and was he's runner. She did a great job keeping track and keeping up!!...

Nick and Lindi even made it down for a branding...

Since we were short handed, I even got in on the action...

Of course, I had to take some time out of cookin' to take some pictures!! The camera has become part of the "crew"!! ;-)

The first thing that needs to be done when branding is gathering the cows and then separating the calves from their Moms!! Following are some pictures from gathering...

When they were separating the calves from their Moms, one of the calves got out, so they had to go run him down and rope him. Matt got the job done!! :-)...

When we brand, we still rope the calves and drag them to the "fire"...meaning to the hot branding irons. Following are pictures of that...

Good calf wrestlers are key to the safety of all involved when branding. If you notice in some of the pictures, the guys holding the calves are called wrestlers. I really don't like to vaccinate if the calf wrestlers don't know what they are doing, really it's night and day when they know what they are doing. A good wrestler is priceless!!...

A good crew in action...

There's always a little fun involved with the work...

Matt & I are always grateful for the extra help from friends and family to get this HUGE job done!! It's a good feeling to know that the calves are all branded and are in fact headed into the ranch this week, the first bunch that is.

The mark had indeed been made...)S(!! Quarter circle, S, quarter circle is how it reads...

May VT

2011-05-10T07:59:00.002-06:00

The Merry Month of May has arrived. I do believe that May is busier than December for most people and I think that goes for me too!! Crazy how that happens...I don't even have kids in school anymore!!

So along with the many items on my agenda for May, Visiting Teaching is right at the top of the list. I do have to confess, I was struggling with deciding what to do for this month. I usually do plants/flowers for May along with the lesson, but I didn't feel like that really fit the personalities of my sweet sisters. SO...when all else fails what comes to mind??!! Chocolate!! :-) So for an added bonus to celebrate Mother's Day, I made a giant size candy bar wrapper to fit a giant size Symphony candy bar. The 6.8 oz giant size candy bar is what the wrapper was made for. It almost fits a 9x11 size piece of paper...

The finished product...

Now, for the lesson. The choices are always so difficult when you consider all of the excellent conference addresses we have to choose from. However, Saturday I finally decided on Elder Quentin L. Cook's conference address: LDS Women Are Incredible. This is indeed an incredible talk and I thought it was perfect for the month of May. After I finally decided on this talk for my lesson everything else just fell into place. I found this handout that was just perfect and decided to use it!! Why not use all the help I can get, right??!! Go HERE to get your own copy!!...

I had remembered the story about "the purse" and I remembered that we had these really cute, already made paper purses at The Hen House (the store I work at) and then I remembered that I had read about this idea HERE. Of course, I'm not as ambitious as this cute sister was, so I improvised and came up with the following...

* I printed out the already made handout. It was perfect and included a very thought provoking poem!!
* I went to town and purchased the already made purses at The Hen House and then ran to The Red Apple and purchased the following items to put into the purses:
gum - "To speak sweetly"
stickers - "To cheer, to encourage, to uplift"
notepads - "To write down your favorite scriptures and thoughts"
lotion - "To keep your hands soft to lift a helping hand. After all, you're His hands on earth."
band aides - "To comfort"
* I also included a For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet because I think we all can benefit from it's wisdom!!
* I then made sure all the items would fit into the purse and then proceeded to make these "sayings" for the items...

As we did our visiting teaching and gave the lesson, I of course told the story of "the purse". I then took out the paper purse and the items inside and explained their purpose and how they could help us to be the kind of "incredible LDS women that we should be". Of course I tied it all together with the rest of Elder Cooks excellent talk. Like I said, it just all fell together, even though I'm not explaining it very well.

Just make sure you read the talk, then read all the links I've included in this post and it should make more sense.

So...remember women, in this merry month of May that can be so hectic, that YOU are Incredible and have the ability to touch many lives. It's up to you and me if we want to be the kind of quiet example that we should be!!

It's Just A.D.D.I.E.!!

2011-04-28T20:47:00.000-06:00

Finally!!!...a post!! We had an exceptional Easter!! As a family, we were all together...a Mother's dream holiday!! :-) Last Friday, Good Friday, Matt and I, Katie and Richard and Lindi and Nick all headed down to Lingle to spend the Easter holiday with Bob, Dani and Addie!! We all traveled in our Yukon and it was a blast!! As Matt & I were sitting in the front, our hearts were smiling as we listened to our children interact with each other and have a great time!! I suggested someone get the camera out and take pictures, but it didn't happen. As you will soon see, the only pictures taken were of Addie!!

After a stop in Casper for some last minute Easter shopping, we made it to Lingle by 9:00 pm. We had called ahead to Bob and Dani's and begged for them to let Addie stay up until we got there. Mind you, Addie is on a very strict schedule!! ;-) We found Addie awake upon our arrival and it didn't take long for her to warm up to us! Within minutes, she was performing for us all!! :-)

Saturday, Dani prepared an amazing breakfast for us all!! The men ran to the Church to clean at 8:00 am and when they arrived back home we ate. In the mean time, the "Aunties" were dotting on Addie...fixing her hair, reading and playing until their hearts were content. AND...YES!! I mean until Katie and Lindi's hearts were content!! They love being Aunties to Addie!!

Check out Addie!!! The Aunties did a pretty good job!! ;-)...

The Aunties playing with bubbles in the house with Addie, UNTIL...the MOMMY said no more bubbles inside the house...Aunt Katie!!;-)...

Saturday afternoon, Dani wanted to take Addie to an Easter egg hunt in Torrington. So off we went. Of course Addie had to get all dressed up in an Easter outfit!! I was saddened to see that not many kids were dressed in Easter clothes. All we saw were a couple of little girls in Easter dresses. This Easter outfit I got at a second hand children's store!! Grandma also got Addie a brand new Easter dress for Easter Sunday!! I couldn't resist!! ;-) ANYWAY!!...the Easter egg hunt. It was weird!! AND...Addie didn't like it much!! ...

She was just happy to run and walk in the grass!! Seriously, she LOVED it!! :-)...

After the Easter egg hunt in Torrington, Grandpa and Addie had their own Easter egg hunt in Addie's back yard!! ...

Okay, here are some pictures to prove that we actually have children and not just a grandchild!! ;-)...

I have to share this picture of Addie and Grandpa reading...

Saturday night, brought more good food thanks to Dani and of course lots of laughs!!

Sunday morning we were all up early, dressed and out the door by 8:30 am for church. What a privilege, as parents, to get to hear Dani teach the adult Sunday School class. She's gifted and we're lucky!! The guys also got to hear Bob teach a class. Grandma got to "walk" with Addie for awhile, as she didn't last all the way through nursery. Addie loves to walk and watch her shoes!! It's funny. It was great to get to watch Addie in her environment. She knows everyone at church and talks to all, old and young alike and they talk back. The kids love her and she loves them!! It does a Grandma's heart good to get to witness such "things"!!

Addie in her new Easter dress...dress #2!! ;-)...

I had Addie stand up on the hearth for a picture and she didn't like it. Of course, it's something she's told not to do. In the following picture she's putting her arms out for Aunt Katie to save her!!...

After church we hurried home and I didn't even take the time to get a family picture!! I'm beyond frustrated with myself. It's been several years since we've been together as a family on Easter and I was in too big of a hurry to even get a picture!! SHAME on me!! :-(

I was in a hurry to help get dinner on so everyone could eat...
* so we could get on the road to head home
* so we could all get to work on Monday
* so we could get to Billings for Dr.'s appointments, so we could be weighed like a thousand times in one day to really see how much weight I've gained!!! :-(
* so we could go to work again
* so we could cook for a branding crew
* so we could brand
* so we could...etc...

Do you see my point. Seriously!!!! I'm a slow learner about finding "joy in the journey"!! REALLY!!!...I had my entire family with me on Easter, a Mother's dream and I didn't even take the time to get a picture!!

As for the title of this post...it's really not just Addie. That's a new family joke that we will smile about often. It was good to see the "mother bear" in our daughter Dani as she told a complete stranger that Addie's name was just A.D.D.I.E.!! That's it!! Not Addison!! Just Addie!! Too funny!!

Yes, right now it's just Addie as far as grandchildren go, but Matt and I are blessed with an amazing family. Our children are a bright light in our lives and we were lucky to have had the opportunity last weekend to witness that again first hand for ourselves!!

Hopefully, this Grandma can learn a lesson from "just A.D.D.I.E." and take time to enjoy life!!!...

And The Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Goes To...

2011-04-19T11:10:00.001-06:00

...Linda Dubbelman

OF THIS COOKBOOK!!!...

Linda Dubbelman said...

I'd love to win this new Gooseberry Patch cookbook that's coming out. Their cookbooks are the best. I wish I had them all. ;) Thanks for sharing those recipes. :)

Linda, email me your address so I can get this in the mail to you!!

It was great to read all of your comments!! I'm so sorry there isn't a book for all of you!! :-(
Remember, you can pre-order your very own copy. Check it out...
http://www.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/products.nsf/v.weball/M212

Happy Cooking!! :-)

Growing Like A Weed!

2011-04-15T07:55:00.000-06:00

Little Miss Addie is now 18 months old. She is just the sweetest thing and it's a pleasure to be called Grandma by our little Addie!! :-) Notice, I didn't say she was a sweet, "little innocent thing"!! After all, she is a toddler...with red hair!! ;-) However, she's a keeper in our eyes!!

Make sure you enter to win the Gooseberry Patch cookbook!! Check it out HERE!!

Quick & Easy Autumn Early Bird Review!

2011-04-12T14:23:00.000-06:00

This is exciting stuff!! It's time for another Early Bird Review and that means, great recipes and a chance to win this yummy cookbook from Gooseberry Patch!! See, I told you...EXCITING STUFF!!!! :-)

This is the new and upcoming book to be released in May!!..

As always, you can pre-order it on Amazon. Check it out HERE!!

In my neck of the woods, it feels like an Autumn day, so why not talk about this great new cookbook??!! In Quick & Easy Autumn you'll find more than 220 tried and true yummy Fall recipes!! In fact, I noticed that I already had a couple of these recipes in my arsenal, so they must be yummy!! ;-) However, there are many that are brand, spankin' new to me and I'm sure will be new to you also!! Who can't use a change in pace with some new, quick, easy and oh so yummy recipes?!! Further more, Fall is the perfect time of year to try out new recipes as it seems we all like to cook and make our homes comfy for the Fall season. Speaking of making our homes comfy, this yummy cookbook is full of sweet stories, delightful decorating ideas and just plain goodness that will warm your heart. I'm tellin' ya, I just love it when a new Gooseberry Patch cookbook arrives in my mailbox!! I curl up in my favorite chair in front of my cozy fire and read it like my favorite book. AND...when it's warm outside, I curl up on my front porch in my favorite chair and read my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks with a cool, glass of lemonade!! When Gooseberry Patch cookbooks arrive in your mailbox, it always makes for a good afternoon of reading!!!

So check out Quick & Easy Autumn close up!!!

Just today for lunch, I made this recipe. I never know when Matt's comin' in the door for a meal, so it's great to have some quick and easy recipes on hand.

This recipe was quick and tasty and hit the spot on a damp, cool day!...

Next on the tasting list, was this recipe...

The great thing about these recipes, you don't need to be a chef to make them!! Quick and easy is my motto for cooking!! Seriously, can you go wrong with bacon and melted cheese??!! This was comfort food at it's best!!...

Are you up for another taste?!!

This was next on my list of tries...

I've never made popovers until last week. They were fun and they actually popped in the oven while baking!! They reminded me of the German pancakes I make, minus the sweetness from the sugar. You need to realize this recipe doesn't have sugar, so they may seem a little bland, but they were still very good and fun for a change.

The inside of the popovers...

This last recipe was my favorite of the ones I've tried so far!! It was a huge hit with the FAM!!...

I used chicken. This went together quick and easy and the leftovers even got eaten!!

I'm tellin' ya, this is COMFORT food!!!...

If you would like a chance to have this exciting cook book arrive in your mailbox from me, please just leave me a comment telling me why!! That's it!! I'll post the winner next Tuesday, April 19th!!

If you'd like to have this Quick & Easy Autumn cookbook arrive in your mailbox and you're afraid you won't be the winner, make sure to check out this site and pre-order your very own cookbook!!

Remember it looks like this!!!...

Here's to happy reading in your favorite chair with a Gooseberry Patch cookbook!! Get ahead start on your Fall plans and ideas with Quick & Easy Autumn!! You won't be sorry!! :-)

Touches Of Spring

2011-04-09T13:37:00.000-06:00

Even though our weather outside isn't too promising of Spring, I've added some primitive Spring touches to the inside of our home. I'm leaning more and more to the primitive style of decorating and you will see that in my Spring accents. Granted, primitive style decor isn't for everyone, but I LOVE it and that's all that matters. Really, you should decorate your home how you like, not how you think others think you should! :-)

Still more eye candy!! ;-)...

Can you see that I like the look of the carrots?!! ;-)
Wait, a picture without carrots!!

I LOVE my primitive touches of Spring in our home. They say welcome and truly add to making our house a home! :-)

April VT

2011-04-07T17:23:00.000-06:00

I always take an Easter or Spring basket to the ladies I visit teach. I LOVE Easter and Spring and I LOVE to share my joy with those I teach!! Even though our weather still doesn't look much like Spring, it doesn't mean we can't have it in our hearts and home!! :-)

As always, another great lesson. Here's the handout I made to go with the Easter baskets...

Notice, if you happen to print this off, the ribbon is extended past both sides of the card. I had to do this because it wasn't designed to be straight and I wanted it straight. Sooo, when you're cutting it out, just cut if off so it's straight and square...notice mine in the photo above! :-)

Remember to think about checking out all the dollar spots if you're putting an Easter basket together: Michael's dollar section, The Dollar Tree, Target's dollar section, etc. Sometimes you can get good stuff! I got my baskets at the Dollar Tree and I added some personalized note cards and cute emery boards that I purchased at Michael's dollar section. Of course I bought the candy on sale!! :-)...

Enjoy the Spirit of Visiting Teaching, the Season and Your Sisters! I do!! :-)

When The Cows Come Home

2011-04-06T06:32:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the last day of gathering the mama cows and babies!! They're finally all back home. We'll keep 'em around on some pasture and fields and feed them hay until it's time to head into the Ranch. Of course those cute little babies will have to be branded first!!

Bringin' in some cows...

Corralled and waitin' for a ride home!...

Those cute little babies are patiently waitin'...

Their rides are patiently waiting for a load headin' home...

Gettin' ready to load the cows...

The cowboys are goin' ta head those cows up this alley way and into the trailers to be taken to greener pastures!! ...

Pushin' them up the alley way and into the trailers...

The "Boss Man" is actually working!! ;-) In all reality, he always works...HARD!! I can't believe he didn't have his cowboy hat on!! The only day he doesn't have it on and I'm taking pictures!! He must have had to run somewhere else and taken his hat off!! He's funny that way! :-)...

It's nice to have that job done!! Now on to the next one. I've said it before and I'll say it again...Just another day in the life of a rancher!

The Hired Help!

2011-04-05T09:49:00.000-06:00

Good hired help is hard to come by!! That's because we work them hard, in all kinds of weather and long hours. We can't afford to pay them much and of course benefits aren't even heard of! When we have a lot of work upon us, we hire extra day help. For the last week we've been working on gathering the cows and calves and bringing them home from the winter pasture. This always requires extra help. Matt's busy managing the place and taking care of all the daily "things" that come his way, so good hired help is a godsend!!

One day last week, I rode along with Matt to haul some of the cows and calves home and of course I brought the camera along and took some pictures. This particular day it was gray and rainy and in some of the pictures you can actually see the rain.

The hired help!!...

Celebrate You!

2011-04-01T11:28:00.000-06:00

Tuesday evening was our Relief Society Birthday Celebration!! I'm pretty sure it was a success(?) and that would be because of the enormous help from the many sisters that were involved!! As you can see from the above invitation, the focus of the evening was :
Celebrating our uniqueness as individuals
Celebrating our unity in sisterhood
&
Celebrating the Relief Society Organization that helps us "Become"

I asked individual sisters to be responsible for setting and decorating the tables. The only requirement was that it somehow represented what the Relief Society organization meant to them. My goal was to emphasize the unique differences we have as individuals. That's a good thing, because Heavenly Father created us to be unique and different!! :-) The sisters did not disappoint!! What creative and unique sisters we have in our ward!! The tables were amazing!!! However...I didn't get any really good pictures of them!! I'm so mad at myself because you just can't go back and recapture those moments of the evening!! My battery needed to be recharged and I didn't realize it until I turned on my camera. Therefore, my camera wouldn't stay on long enough to get focused pictures!! Seriously, it's truly maddening!!! :-(

So, check out the not so good pictures!!!...

If I would have been there just to take pictures, I would have run home and got my battery charger and then I could have spent some quality time capturing the details. Truly, these sisters went all out and I so appreciate their efforts!! I wish you could have been there to see the tables with your own eyes. They set the perfect atmosphere for the evening!!

The evening opened with:
* A Welcome
* Special Musical Number by four of the sisters. They did an outstanding job and truly invited the Spirit! A HUGE thanks goes to Cynthia, Leeann, Carola and Claudia!!
* An opening prayer
* A delightful meal!! Once again this happened thanks to so many wonderful helpers!! Lloyd was "The Man" once again and didn't disappoint us!! He has mad cooking skills!! We LOVE Lloyd! :-) Also, the rest of the dinner was divine thanks to Jan, Pam, Carola, Claudia, Eva and Annella!! Of course Costco helped out with the cakes!! YUM-O is all I have to say!! :-)
* After the meal, Matt & I talked to the sisters, trying to cover the focus of the evening:
Celebrating our uniqueness as individuals
Celebrating our unity in sisterhood
&
Celebrating the Relief Society organization that helps us "Become"
* The evening culminated with a touching video, made my Leeann! The video highlighted the sisters in our ward, including their individuality and sisterhood!!
* Closing prayer

We truly are blessed to belong to such an inspired women's organization as the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It truly can help us to "Become" all that we need to be to return to live with our Heavenly Father and be the kind of women that we should and want to be!!

Thanks again to all the sisters in our ward for a wonderful evening and for Celebrating YOU!!

Living!

2011-03-31T16:01:00.000-06:00

You know you're busy living life when your daughter mentions that you haven't blogged for a LONG time!! You also know you're really busy when the same daughter mentions, that I didn't get the towels washed or the floor swept and the rug vacuumed in the bathroom she uses while staying with us for work!! Seriously, I must be busy for that to happen...not getting the towels washed!! I didn't even realize it until she mentioned it to me last night!! CRAZY!!

The above picture was taken one morning last week after it had snowed and then the sun came out!! I loved the clouds and the sun. I wish the sun was shining today!! It's gray and rainy today and my body matches the weather!! :-(

So more pictures of the sun from last week!! :-)...

Some highlights from our "busy life"!!...
* Matt and I went to the bull sale Friday!! I forgot my camera and was really mad at myself!! I just about froze in the sale barn, but it was good and we got our bulls bought for another year!!
* After the bull sale we went to the Temple. It was good!
* We ate dinner and spent the night in Billings!! It was a nice break!! We never go on vacation or anywhere else for that matter, so it was good!
* Saturday morning we slept in!! :-)
* We shopped the antique stores in Billings and the surrounding area. It was FUN!
* We checked out a Ranch! It was interesting!!
* Sunday was Church of course and not even a nap because of our busy life, I guess! ;-)
* Monday, back to Billings to get "stuff" for the RS Birthday Celebration! It was a rushed trip up and back! Back in time to set up tables and chairs and be home by 5:00!! CRAZY!!
* Tuesday I spent most of the day at the Church getting ready for the RS Birthday Celebration!
* Today, I went with Matt for awhile to take pictures of bringing the cows and calves home from winter pasture!
* The days not mentioned, of course were work days!

Stay tuned for more pictures and updates about our life!! That is of course if living that life doesn't get in the way!! ;-)