Branding at the Ranch!

Spring means new baby calves!!! And you know what that means... branding time at the ranch.  so we headed to Moroni to Grandpa Doug's  for some serious cowboy work and  a lot of cowboy fun!...

The twins..( especially Reese) were in Grandpa Doug's back pocket the whole weekend.  Feeding and riding in the tractor.... there is a lot of work to be done on a ranch!!!!...

She is not a girlie girl at all...she gets right in with the boys!!!! She helped feed, and do the hard stuff, while Whit supervised!!

And then it came time to go gather the mamma's and the babies!! That was me and Taylor's job....I love riding out like that.....it makes me feel like Gus on Lonesome Dove!!!  There is something about being on o horse out in the open that I LOVE!!!!

Steph, and Mr. Whit....this little man was in HEAVEN!!!!

And then the work began....herding, sorting, pushing, branding, everyone has a job, and they did awesome!  Heath, Tate, and Carson kept the chute loaded for us!!!...

Whit had the babies under control...nothing was gettin past that boy!!!







 GG and Grandpa came too.... Grandpa was head gate man!!!!

These two darlings were the secretaries!!! Checking numbers, getting weights, and matching mamma's...nice work ladies!!!

Tate loves his cousins....he had boy heaven with Tanner and Carson.... riding wheelers, catching crawdads...and getting dirty.....that is just what boys do, I get told!!.......

My tough girl!.....

My whole hearted little CoWbOy!!!

My tough guy!!!!!!!

My Ranch Kids!!!

Life is GOOD!!!!!!!



TEAM SHELLY!!!!!!!

This is a very small glimpse of a sea of PINK!!  A sea of over 12,ooo people of pink..........

that are determined to make a difference..big or small......

We have been going to the "Race for the Cure", for the past 6 years...at our house it is called "Granny's Race"...........

But this year had a whole new meaning....we walked with a survivor......

and her family.............

her daughter

and her son.......it. was. awesome!

The dads walked, (Ryan, &Taylor)......

the kids wore special spirit.........

even GG, and Grandpa walked!!!!

Friends felt the moment.....

families felt the love.....

and thankfully, kids still have their innocence......

We had a group of 13....my family...Shelly's family....GG and Grandpa, and Jacquie and Robert......... it was definitely a day to celebrate.....

  

 and I cannot believe how lucky I am to know this beauty next to me........

Fight Like A Girl

You got this Shell !!!!!!

xoxoxoxxo

Catching Up!

In mid April We headed back down to St. George to finish our race series runs.  It was WET!!!!  So wet, it rained solid the whole entire day of the race, just gloomy and yucky!!!  I was ticked, when I head south I want SUNSHINE!!!!!!  But... we made do.  It was a fun race because they had a kids run before the big race, and the kids ran their little butts off!!! 

The fun part was that my parents and Lauri and Buck came down with us, and cheered the kids on! The smiles!!!

You should have seen the smiles!!! 

When we got there bright and early that morning, it was cold, it was wet, and we were all wondering what in the hell we were thinking????  Whit didn't even want to get out of the stroller!!! When I asked him " aren't you going to get out so you can run with the kids, he said....." no I just want my sister to push me!!!!!"  He did get out and run for about 200 yards then Taylor was following behind to put him in the stroller and call it a day!!!  Tate, Brykn, and Reese on the other hand, ran like they were running from the law!!!!!

The boys took off like lightening they did so good!!  I just love to see the smiles of pure pride!!  I was so proud of them, Tate did awesome!!! Reese..... that little girl is a ball of stubborn determination!!!  Sometimes in my favor....alot of times not!!!  The gun went off and she never weakened!!! She ran the entire way..I kept trying to get her to walk for a minute.....but not a chance!!!  She was the caboose of the whole kids race, but had no idea, and ran her little stubborn heart out!!

The Grandma and Grandpa cheering section was waiting with signs they had made for them, and I think they thought they had won the world for a second!!



This is when Whit wanted Reese to push him!!!! (Only problem...she can't see over the stroller!!}

Look their feet aren't even touching the ground!!!!

This is when you know you are loved!!! Our families waiting for Tif and I to finish.  Standing out in the rain!!  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Can you see Reese.... ahead of me in the pink pants taking off  with all she had!!

WDYRA Rodeo Banquet!

Finding this little rodeo assosiation for the kids has been so much fun.  Going and seeing the kids compete with the kids of the kids you competed with is just like going back in time!  Only now all of our parents are the cheerlearders in the grandparent section, we are the nervous parents, and the kids are just having a ball!! I love it, would not trade it for ANYTHING!!!! 

The banquet for the series was theis past week so we went to celebrate.  The awards for these little poeple are awesome.  A lot of time goes into making it just right you can tell!!  So the kids got their awards, and had smiles from ear to ear!!

Miss Skylee and Tate!!!



Good job Tate...It all paid off!!

 Reese, and her new stick horse!!! Sweeeet!!! She named her Sparkles!!

 Whit and his new spurs....he wasSOOOOOO excited about these babies!

Has had them on ever since!!

Good job kiddo's!!  Tate I am so proud of you.  I know that sometimes your little personality gets frustrated, but I am proud of how you are learning to take everything in stride, and how you have become a great friend and good sportsman to your friends!!!! Whit, and Reese, you two are the most strong willed kids I know.  I feel sorry for the first one to tell you that you can't so something!!!! ( Especially Reese)  You two are all in and I love it.  Good job gang!!!

Buttons!!!

Whit and Reese have died and gone to heaven!!!  Meet Buttons!!!  You CANNOT wipe the smile off Mr. Whit's face!!!  Reese is pretty pumped up too!!!  ( I think because she thinks she can have Grandpa's pony, Roannie all to herself now!!!!!)  Thank you Watterson family for sharing with us.  We will take good care of her!!!

Tate is excited too... Now he gets more of Scooby to himself!!

Taste Like???????

The Garden's at Thanksgiving Point opened this past weekend, and my mom had the kids so excited.  It is her favorite place on earth.  So we went out and walked the first walk of the year!!!  When we were done we went inside to pick up our pass they were making, the lines were long, so to buy some time with the kids we went and bought one of their delish old time suckers.

It was crazy busy in there, and while they were trying their best to help us, Mr. Whit was loving every little lick of his sucker!  He had gotten a rainbow colored one, so I asked him what flavor it tasted like.  With a lobby full of people and a big line behind us.....he takes another lick, looks at me for a minute, and says, not missing a beat..."mmmmm, tastes like chicken"!!!!!  The people around us were all laughing so hard!!!   Mr. Whit. There is NEVER a dull moment with this kid!!! You NEVER KNOW WHAT IS COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH!!!!!