Back in the Saddle

So this is a horrible photo but it is all I have.   Taking pictures in the indoor barn is a difficult thing that some day I will master.  For now I am just glad I mastered getting back on a horse.  It isn't that I wasn't ever getting back on I just was in no hurry to get back on.  Usually the first thing you make someone do when they fall off or get bucked off a horse is to get back on.  I understand why we do that now.   Do to my injuries that was not an option.  So 11 weeks later I felt like myself again.  Saturday morning I got up and thought I can either avoid the arena or I can get up get ready and go ride a horse.  With all of the rain and cold a person can feel down and depressed, this is how I was feeling.  In the past when I have felt like this a good horse ride soothed the soul.    Though, short and sweet the ride did the trick,  I feel like a million bucks.  It is amazing how good it feels to ride a horse again.  I am a lot more cautious than a few weeks ago and definitely picky about who I ride.  In fact, I informed Dan he either needed to buy him a new horse or find me a new one because 4 of us could not ride the same horse. So here is to being  back in the saddle again.

44th President of the United States of America

This morning I went to Heritage Hills to give the Relief Society lesson.  The Lady's were very concerned about the Inauguration.   So after getting Jake to school I downloaded the Inauguration and watched it with Kaci.   I was surprised by her reaction.  She said, "mom he's not talking very nice."   I said, "what do you mean."  She said, "he is mean I don't like him."   I'm not sure how I should feel about my 3 year olds impression of our new President but it didn't make my concerns any less.  I always thought he was a very impressive speaker.  One thing I have learned is that people who can interview and carry themselves well don't always have the work ethics to do what they say they can.   I hope he does what he says he will do and that he can help put America back on track.  I also believe that one man can't do it alone it takes all of us to make miracles happen.     I do know this if we are prepared and listen to our Prophet President Monson and do  what he asked we will be able to make it through theses rough times.   So that is the hope and peace I will live on.  I know that President Monson is a man of God and that I will be o.k. in following him.   Then I will pray for our President of the United States and Congress that they will keep our best interest in mind when changing things in America.    So Kaci I hope that your impression of President Obama is not true but will not be surprised if it is.    None the less history has began a new chapter today and its story is just beginning.  Hopefully in writing the story the authors will remember the foundation our country and its freedom were based on.  I hope in 4 years I will still be Proud to be an American, like I am today!

Draper Temple Open House

Our usual Saturday activity is the boys go roping for most of the day and Kaci and I stay home.   I'm not sure what we do but we are usually at home.   I asked the boys if they would spend the day with me and Kaci instead of roping I didn't get to much resistance in fact they enjoyed the day.  The lines were a little long but the kids did really well.    Zeak asked a lot of questions some Dan and I could answer and some we didn't know how to answer.   Jake said it was awesome.  Kaci was a good sport considering the lines  I think she was to young to really understand.

After we watched a video at the church house they loaded everyone on a bus and took us up to the temple.  The kids were really excited to  ride the bus. They thought that was really fun.

All of the kids like this picture.  They said it looks like Christ is putting his arms around us.  I'm glad that we took the day and did something fun as a family.   It was a good teaching moment and learning experience.   A good change of pace from the arena.   Not to worry they got their riding in this week.  I think that it is sometimes hard to juggle and balance between all the good things in life.  Rodeo is something we love and are passionate about.   We also love the gospel and know living it is what brings are family great joy and peace.   We are grateful we live in a country where we are free to worship and free to choose our extra curricular activities.  I firmly believe that if I live a righteous life and do my best that I will have the things I love in Heaven,  Family, Rodeo, scrapbooking (family history), ect.   That is what I tell Zeak if he does what is right here he might not ever make it to the NFR but he will make it to the Heavenly NFR which will be bigger and better than any earthly rodeo.   It may sound crazy but I truly believe this.  We don't have and learn all of these things on earth to have them taken away in the next life, it is just making it to the next life.   So I will just keep trying to teach my kids and do my best to live righteously.  Being human gets in the way but that is why we go to church and the temple.  I am glad that we don't have to be perfect just constantly  striving to be good.


This is a really neat video that says it better than I can.   My family highly recommends this experience to everyone.  You don't have to be a member to go everyone is welcome.   

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6616644

I'm so glad when Grandma & pa Come.

My Grandma and Grandpa Miller came down for a visit.  My grandma owned a fabric store for 30 years and when she closed it two years ago she kept a lot of fabric so in October she decided to make all of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids quilts.    We added it up and  she made 25 quilts since October.   She has been a busy lady.   So this week when they were off  from the temple they delivered all of the quilts.   Dan loves ours and has taken it over.   When I got home thursday night my grandpa had left already and Jake said to me mom, " you know how I was afraid of your grandpa and would run away from him?"  "well I learned to really like him today.  He is a lot of fun to be with."    I am so glad that my grandparents are still around and my kids get to know them.  They are truly amazing people and great examples to me.  I love them very much.  

My mom and Grandma got to go to a Time Out for Women webinar taping.   It was really awesome.  I was nervous about taking my Grandma.  She is a homebody and doesn't like to get out very much.  To my surprise she is a big Sheri Dew fan so she was really excited.  She loved the whole experience, in fact she loved it so much that she wants to go this weekend to Ogden and take my Aunts and cousins.   They asked her to do a taping for them and bear her testimony.   It was a really sweet experience.   I am so glad I took them and that we got to have such a great day together.  Those are the memories we will cherish. 
My mom got it from Grandma the first thing they do is come and start washing our dishes.   You think us girls would learn to have them done before they get here.

Kaci reading Fancy Nancy to Grandpa.

Tough or Not?

Mckenzie is the Toughest.  Over a month ago Jake came to Dan and I about his teeth.  His permanent teeth were coming in way far behind his baby teeth.  We told him he needed to wiggle his teeth and get them out so his permanent teeth would come in where they should.  He came to me a few days ago and asked me to pull his tooth out he had got it loose.  Sure enough he had but not loose enough for me to get it out in one push and that is all I got.  It started to bleed and he cried like a baby.   
When my family was all here for New Years we held him down  (it took almost the whole family) and we still couldn't get them out.  Finally we convinced him that Mckenzie worked for a Dentist and she was going to school to be one and she could pull them out.  It still took a lot of convincing but after a good hour maybe 2 she was finally able to pull both teeth.  THANKS KENZIE.   Then the tooth fairy forgot to come and that cause him much stress he woke up earlier for the tooth fairy than he did for Santa.   She or He made it up to him he did get a dollar it was just Ariel that found it instead of Jake.   

Starting the New Year Off Right

So I don't have any pictures which makes me really sad because I love pictures.   But I needed ot take a mom's bragging moment.  New Years Day much to my dismay Dan and Zeak went to Logandale, Nevada to a Little Britches rodeo.   Zeak team ropes with Shane Hancock.  They are trying to qualify for Nationals and Have 1 more rodeo to place in and they will be on their way.  This has been their goal for about a year now.  Zeak actually qualified last year to go but do to finances, partners, and other reasons we elected to stay home and save up for this year.   When they pulled into the rodeo Dan was very intimidated.  We have a nice truck and trailer but he said we were the cheapest rig on the place.    The competition was very tough but, Zeak held his own.  Friday in the breakaway he had a little tough luck.  He dropped his coils over his saddle horn and he couldn't get the rope to break even though he had caught his calf.  In team roping him and Shane did awesome they won 2nd place.   Sat Zeak had no trouble with his coils and caught in 4 sec.   that is a really fast time and to let you know how tough competition was he only placed 4th with that time.   He ended up ribbon roping with a kid that needed a partner and they won the ribbon roping.  (His regular partner is Hadley Vickers from Nephi) Team roping was a little rough Zeak had to take his sec loop and Shane missed the heals.   But they had an awesome weekend and learned a lot.   It was fun for him to rodeo outside of Utah.   I am excited for him and know that we will probably be spending the last week in July and first weekend of August in Colorado.   Can't wait!

Happy 2009

2008 ended with a bang and 2009 hasn't started much different.  Dan and I  are living by the saying Come What May and Love It.   I am healing great.   I am almost back to normal :)   Christmas was good.  We were able to see and visit lots of friends and family.  So everything was good.

  

After Christmas life has been crazy.   My parents had a house fire.   It did structural damage but no interior damage none of their personal belongings were damaged so we are feeling very blessed that we still have a mom and dad and the damage can be repaired.  

Then we spent a day with Jeff and Kathryn.  He took a bad turn and ended up spending the night in ICU.  When we left him he was out of ICU and things are steady.   We are continually praying for their little family and hope that he is better soon and able to return to sunny St. George although we will miss the kids terribly.  We have enjoyed having them around.

  The latest little stumbling block is we lost our dear Great Grandma Bailey.   Iona Sperry Bailey adopted us and we feel so blessed to be part of her life.  She was a sweetheart that will leave a huge void in our life.  Kaci is really sad and misses her Grandma Bailey.   I keep telling her if we do what is right and believe, we will see her again.  That is why we go to church so that we have a constant weekly reminder of the things we need to do so we are happy and can live with our friends and family forever.   Thank You Craig, MaryLou and Tina (family) for sharing Grandma with us.  We love her and will miss her greatly. 

 Through all of this I have learned that life just happens.   The beauty of this life is  that if you surround yourself with good family and friends you can make it through whatever comes your way.   I am so grateful for my family and friends I can not say thank you enough for all of the service and help that has been rendered to us.  I just hope that I can return the favor and that if I don't for some reason it is not because I didn't want to.   I just pray  I will know and be able to help any and all of you in need.   Here is to a wonderful 2009.

In Loving Memory Grandma Bailey ( Till We Meet Again)