Remember when....

i was i was this little

so tiny.

Now look at me. I am big.

I am a goof ball.

I like to "talk", eat real food, growl, drool, grab everything, then put it in my mouth. I have two teeth. I sit up all on my own. I squel when I get to go outside and then love to stay out there and look at everything. I claw at the floor to try and move and push up with my arms as far as I can to try and get up, but don't move my legs. I am starting on sippy cups. I am happy. I have "monkey feet". I had to get a bigger car seat. I shake my head and kick my legs, at the same time.
(Mom is eating a thing of oreo's as she post this. She is emotional about me growing up. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when I turn 1, go to school, middle school, high school, graduate, college, mission, marriage, kids, ect. She just stuff a few more oreos in her mouth.)

Hunting-Gage's First Trip

The hunting season has begun! We went up to fish lake where the first night Dave and Travis spent the night on the mountain and then helped back out a huge elk for a guy Dave knew. It was great when we got there and then turned cold and rainy the next day and me and Gage had to stay in the trailer most of the day.

Who is this scruffy guy in camo that stinks like elk pee and sweat? Oh its daddy! (not kidding on smelling like elk pee, just incase you were wondering if I was)

The next day was so cold. You go from 90 to 60 and it is a big hit to your system. I kept gage wrapped up most of the day and watched movies. Thank goodness for portable DVD players!

Shalyce's Birthday!!! Woot Woot!

Awesome birthday present! Liz and Blake are expecting!

Where's the fire extinguisher!

Claim dip and potato chips yummy!

Dinner. I thought it was good

Fair

I think this was the longest four days of my life. I think I am ok with never seeing a farm animal again in my life, but that won't happen so I am making sure I stay away from the farm for a while. So to explain a little of how the fair goes, is Sydney is judge on her performance and then the animals are judge on how good of an animal they are. The animals are put into "classes" usually by weight when the animal is judged. If the animals win first or second then they come back and are judged with all the other kids animals. It is called star round. It doesn't matter what age. Then Sydney is put into an age group when she is judged so she isn't up againts the older kids who are more experienced (juniors, intermediate, seniors). If they win Grand or Reserve Champion then they come back and do what is called Round Robin where they have to work with a Cow, Pig, Goat, Sheep. Even if they don't show one of those animals they are still judged and are asked questions on them.

Syd's winnings:

*Junior Livestock Champion-this is were she has to judge the animal and then they compare it to a professional judge

*Top Showman Beef-we were shocked that she won this one.

*Both pigs won first in their class and then 7th and 10th overall when they went in for the star round

*Reserve Champion Swine Showmanship-this is when she was judged and won.

*Reserve champion Beef Market-this is when pumpkin won

*Grand Champion Beef Showmanship-Syd won this one

*Grand Champion Top Exhibitor Junior

Syd's four belt buckles
She won Overall Top Exhibitor in the junior class!


She won a t-shirt, ribbons, money, bags, belt buckles, plaques. Dave said that with both Brad and him combined in all the years that they did 4H it doesn't even come close to all the stuff she got in this one year.

Getting one of her belt buckles

After the round robin we went and got snow cones. We had a free one and you could get any size. Dave got a jumbo.

Aunt Liz came one night!

This hung outside Pumpkins stall

Since syd did so well Dave let her do this balloon thing. It was so funny to watch her.

Bradlee told Syd if the Cow won Grand or Reserve she could put glitter on him. We went and bought glitter and it had a stencil in it and so we did stars on pumpkin

Gage loved the rabbits

Round Robin: Showing a Sheep

Showing a Goat. They were really cute. We want to get one next year and then keep it down on the farm.

With the Steer judge after winning Grand champion

After pumpkin winning reserve champion.

Giving pumpkin a hug after wining. It was so funny. Dave yelled so loud when they won, that he scared the cow that was in front of us. After that he kept quite.

Dr. Brennen

With the judge after Sydney winning Reserve champion

Dwight

Fish Lake

I love Fish Lake. I fell in love with it the first time Dave took me there. In the fall it is even more beautiful with all the trees turning different colors. Dave has an elk tag down in this area and so that is one of the reasons we went down.

A Doe

Wild Roses. My favorite wild flower. There were flowers every where. In every color shape and size.

A buck (deer)

Elk

Gates Lake. This is an amazing fishing hole

Hanging out while we fish. It actually was cold up there. It felt so good.

I forgot his hat and so Dave put his on his head. I was so worried about him getting sun burnt. His cheeks did get a little sun.

Lavendar fields. Every year we watch these fields of purple bloom as we drive down to go get syd.

They have amazing shakes and huge scones

For an hour on Sunday me and dave went on a drive on his four wheeler. Yea for a 12 year old that can babysit!

Dave would get up at 5 in the morning to go find elk

Syd trying to finish the last book of the Harry Potter Series

Yes that is snow. Her and Dave took a garbage bag and went sledding down it. Sledding in JULY!

They went Pot Gut hunting. Yes Sarah I know what you are thinking. I choose to look at how pretty it is.

Gage loves being outside. I had to take the picture of him on the side mirror of the truck.

Syd and one of her kills. Dave took the picture not me. She is now excited for deer hunting. Seriously what has my life become where I have dead pot guts as pictures.

Gage's first four wheeler ride. He loved it.