Our Thanksgiving

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was wonderful! Ours was!!  Laid back and comfortable, with family around. Doesn't get much better!

 Niece Hope was ready for FOOD!

This year we ordered a turkey from a local farmer, so it was fresh and raised in a way that our family strongly believes in.  And it was HEAVENLY! The very best turkey we have ever had!

We enjoyed our 4 day weekend. I  love those weekends where you think it's Sunday, and then realize it's still Saturday!

I did get all of the Christmas decorations out. I love this time of year. I sat back and laughed as my boys dug through the ornament box. I love those "OHHH!! I REMEMBER THIS!" or "oh YEA..I had forgotten about this one!"

I'm doing a lot of my shopping online this year, and I'm finding it a lot easier on my mental well-being! =) I think I'm actually able to think more about what that person would like, because I'm not overwhelmed or being run over by shopping carts.  I will be making a trip out of town, just because it IS Christmas after all, but hopefully it will just be to get the small things and cool baking goodies.

I love buying gifts, and have a couple this year I just can NOT WAIT to give!!

Thanksgiving Thankfulness

I've been working on this post for over a week now. Some of my THANKS are silly, but silly or not, I am so very very THANKFUL for my wonderful life and all that we have been given. 

I am SO VERY THANKFUL FOR:

1.My marriage to a wonderful man.  He's my best friend and a wonderful father.  I know how lucky I am, and am so thankful.  He puts up with my many "little" quirks and only makes fun of them occasionally. 

 2. My boys. I am so thankful God chose me to be their mom. They keep us busy, drive us crazy, make us buy new shoes every week it seems, but it's amazing. They are as alike as black and white. I find it amazing that the same two people can have two children that are as different as they are.

3. Our entire family.  Our parents, and our siblings, and the crazy people that married them.  For my families' farm that's been around for over 100 years now, and where I can go and instantly feel like a kid again. I love watching my boys run around out there.

4.  Nieces and Nephews.  Joesph, who just returned from Afghanistan (ANOTHER THANKFUL!),  Austen, Alex, Samantha and her sweet Baby Spencer, Victoria, Chloe, Caleb, Jason, Donnie, Baby Connor, and Baby Hope

5. I am thankful for the adoption of our nephew that was finalized on the November 12th.  It's been a really hard journey for his mommy and daddy.  It's been a wonderful experience to watch as it all came together.  God had a plan all along. We just needed to be patient.

6. My job. Who else can say they get hugs and kisses at work EVERYDAY? And marriage proposals! (That's only happened once, but I'll never ever forget!)  I'm thankful for the kids and their contagious smiles, and for the families they belong to.   For Katee, who comes in and doesn't run back out the door when the kids start screaming "TAAA---DEEE" and bombarding her with questions, all at the same time.Without Katee, I would have to miss out on a lot my kids' events. 

7. Facebook.  Ahh, yes. Facebook. "It MUST be true. I saw it on Facebook."  It does have it's disadvantages that I won't get into here, but I do love it. It's connected me with people I thought were gone forever from my life. It's help me connect with family I haven't seen much of over years, and I've learned that I have a cousin who I have much in common with. I can talk to these people when ever I want to! Amazing!

8. My friends.  The ones that always seem to know just what to say.  The friends who still associate with me after getting to know the REAL me...the me that just learned that Thanksgiving is ALWAYS on a Thursday EVERY year only a couple of years ago!! hehe  The old friends, who I loved even with the buck teeth and bad hair of our youth....oh wait..yeah..that was me, I guess! ;)

9. Our rabbit habit! For the long car rides, the hotel stays, meaningful conversations, awesome moments forever etched in my memory, the lessons learned, the friends we've made...all because of those fuzz butt buns we've come to love so much.

10. This blog.  I had reservations when I  started thinking about blogging. I mean, come on. Who really wants to read about my life?  But writing has become an amazing stress reliever for me. This blog is MINE and there isn't much in my world at the moment I can say is ALL mine and isn't shared in some way.  ;)

RIP, Frigidaire

My oven died.  No, let me rephrase. My oven BURNED UP.  Almost literally.  At Thanksgiving time. Who's oven dies at Thanksgiving time??  Mine.

Friday I got up early to make cinnamon rolls for a bake sale. Left it preheated so I could make more for my family a little while later.  Started smelling something. Daycare kids started smelling something.  Kids started PANICKING because "something was on fire".  I didn't smell fire, but I DID smell something very hot. Ran in to the kitchen and the cook top on oven was so hot I couldn't even touch the pan I left sitting on it.  The oven started beeping and flashing a code. Turned power off.....and it didn't turn off.  It's so freaky when something doesn't work like it's suppose to!  Anyway, I finally had to just unplug the thing to turn it off.  As I pulled it out, I found the instruction manual on the back of the stove.  Looked up the code it was flashing.

Out of control oven detected.

No kidding??

So, it was going to cost $200 bucks to replace the control unit, but "if temperature had gotten too hot and caused damage, a total new oven unit will be needed", according to the little manual.

Decided not to chance the $200 bucks that would be lost if we indeed had to replace it anyway and to just buy a new oven.

So, I've been shopping for ovens on line.  My  life saving husband is going to Wichita for me tomorrow to get one, so I can fix Thanksgiving dinner. 

I would be TOTALLY pumped had I been saving and planning on getting a new oven.  The timing and unexpectedness of it just stinks.  At this point I just want an oven that will heat to 350...not 850.

And turns off when I want it too.

It's the little things, you know?! =)

A Day At A Show

Harper, November 20th.

The day before the show J went though his rabbits, checking fur, teeth, nails, and for signs of illness. He got everyone's weight, and made the decision who he would be taking to the show the next morning. He also sat down and filled out his entry form, as well as his comment cards. The comment cards  you get back with the judges remarks about that rabbit. J decided to take 10 rabbits.  5 Havanas and 5 Californians. T will be taking one along too. This is a double show, because  there are 2 different rabbit clubs getting together at one location, and  the rabbits will each be shown twice, by different judges. It counts as 2 shows.

 We get on the road at 5:49.  D wanted us out by 5:30 so we have plenty of time to allow for the deer and the fog, but everyone at that hour kinda of just walks around in a fog, so we were running late.


We get there, check in, and get everyone settled. Socialize, eat breakfast, socialize some more...wait....
There is a lot of chaos at a bunny show. Lots of people yelling for classes, screaming because they won, and lots and lots of laughter.

Here is the view of the show from our little home base. You can see the 2 lines of coops, and there are 7 or 8 different judges working hard. This building is huge--there is a whole another side that didn't fit into the picture where supply vendors are set up, a raffle rabbit, and many more carriers of rabbits.

Finally they call for the first showing of the Havanas.  Here Jake is putting them in the holding coops. They have wire on both sides that opens. One side J puts his rabbit in and take them out, the other for the judge to take them out and judge them.

Here Judge Tonna Thomas is judging  blacks with J listening very closely to her remarks. (Notice his chicken butt hair in the back of his head? It was much too early for a boy to care what his hair looked like. In fact, he never really did care, but it sure bugged his mom all day!)  There were probably 15-20 Havanas at this show for youth. J's blacks didn't do well as they are all getting their adult coats in and not in the best fur condition.  However, he did win Best Of Breed with a little chocolate doe. (This little doe got some pretty rotten remarks about her fur at state convention. Just shows you what a couple of weeks can do for a rabbit..good and bad!) So, since she got Best of Breed, we have to stick around now for the Best In Show judging.

J also took at group of Californians, but didn't do great.  There was a  older youth exhibitor that came from around Tulsa, and her rabbits were BEAUTIFUL! We were all drooling over them. ;) The judge did tell Jake that his 2 Jr bucks showed a lot of promise and got some go remarks.

T also took Izzy, but she was DQ'ed for being overweight.  The max weight for her is 4lbs 6oz, yesterday she was 4lbs 10oz.  Izzy will be calling Jenny Craig later today.

Again, there's a lot of waiting around. Here the buns were all vegged out and relaxing. Some of them really enjoy it. (We have a couple that start running around in their cages and "begging" at their cage doors when we start getting carriers out.  There is also a few of J's Havana's that will stay posed all pretty until the judge moves them. Love that!)

So here are all the Best of Breed bunnies.The judge takes each one out, poses it, goes over it, and then moves on to the next one.  This is a part I can't even begin to describe.  Your heart starts beating faster, there is just this feeling of anticipation in the air that is like nothing else. It gets even more nerve wracking when the judge goes back for another look at your bunny. You try to read his body language and his reaction when he gets to your rabbit.
It's an amazing thing when they announce the winners. Lots of screams, handshakes, back slaps, and smiles. After it is announced, the winners go back with the judges for pictures.
Today's winners were a Castor Mini Rex, Mini Satin, (I think?) and a Florida White!!!  So we pack up after congratulating everyone, and head back home. The trips home are ALWAYS quiet as the boys are usually asleep before we hit the outskirts of town!

And that's a day in our hobby!

Preparing For Winter

We've been busy around here the past few weekends, getting ready for cold weather.  D has been talking about moving the bale ring out into the pasture, as well as bringing up bales closer. Hasn't DONE it yet, but....

We've also got the bunny barn cleaned out and organized.  D has plan on how to weather proof  it during nasty weather. They are totally out of the elements, but it IS open on one side.  I'm dreading winter.  It's just as bad as summer, but instead of having to take ice bottles out to cool  them off, we have to un-thaw each water bowl.  Maybe someday, we will have a air conditioned/heated barn.  Someday.

We have a bunny show in Harper on Saturday.  This makes me smile. We have OFFICIALLY been showing rabbits for a year. I remember how confused and lost we were at Harper last year. It's been a fun and exciting year to say the least!


The yard is dying off. Except for my lavender. Oh how I love that stuff.  Thinking I most defiantly will need to plant more of that around next year!

This time change threw us for a loop! I found myself wanting to cook lunch at 9:00. and by 9:45 I had kids screaming, thinking it was time for lunch. By real lunch time, they were falling asleep sitting up and crying and starving. Ugh. I think we are back into a groove again, but it took us a little bit.

 Basketball has started and Jake scored in the first "real" game of the season. My bleacher butt is back...it's painful sometimes to sit at those games for so long!


Enjoy the last of the beautiful fall colors!

Hibernation

=(


Things are dying off.  I'm so sad. It got cold enough one night  to make the Morning Glories shrivel up and scream.

 Is it spring yet??

Halloween 2010

Dummies?? Or not??

T went as a beat up football player.

I'm very sad to say that my children were more happy to stay home and attempt scare people with their friends than go Trick or Treating with the parents. =(  It felt strange sitting at home, not doing anything.  They did go out for about an hour with friends, but we old, very uncool, people stayed home.

The evening got even better with the arrival of a couple of friends to "spook" with.

On to NOVEMBER!!