Rain

This is what the monsoons do

We are officially in monsoon season and we have been so thankful with all the moisture that it has brought to us, and are praying we get even more! We love watching the storms roll right over our ranch, it is almost exciting to sit on the porch and see and smell it get closer.

Jordyn, Kelly , Cody and Sadie

This Mt. or hill right behind the red barn is called Stockton Hill and when it builds up behind there is when we get the best storm.

In this picture you can't even see Stockton anymore

The kids have so much fun playing in it, the girls are soaked from "showering" in the run off from the roof.

 

Now with the good of the storms comes the bad. It seems since the start of the storms we are getting more bugs then normal. This morning we started the day with the girls finding a rattlesnake under this bench. It was behind the grate Kelly and I pride it open and he hit it with his shovel but it slither/jumped back under the house so fast we could not kill it. Which lets us now that we probably have more under the house. (this is the same bench behind the kids in the picture above)

Then we found the biggest centipede I have ever seen in my life.

Last night JC killed another Vinegaroon, it is out of focus but look them up they are also called Whip Scorpions

and last but not least we have been seeing these all over the place. this was on the outside of the window.

I am not sure if the creepy crawly things we have out here could get any worse but I don't want to find out, lets just all say a prayer tonight that non of them get inside my house.

Anyone that would like to come visit be our guest just bring your bug spray!

Disneyland

The kids and I got to go to Disneyland with my parents and my Brother Jason and his family a few weeks ago. JC wasn't able to go with us this time, I think JC layed in bed and cried every night that we were in Disneyland without him, yeah right, but I do know he was wishing he was there when we went to the beach. Maybe next time.

This is going to be an overload of pictures so readers beware

Right when we walked in to Main St. we got to take a picture with Mickey. That was perfect for Cody, it set the mood for the rest of the trip.

James and Jordyn were best friends all through the parks. James would keep his arm around Jojo so that she wouldn't be scared on rides, so sweet.

Sadie and Paige also had tons of fun going on all the "big kids" rides together.

Paige, Abbie, Jason, Me and Cody all waiting to go on Pirates. This was one of 3 of Cody's very favorite rides, I think he rode it 4 or 5 times while we were there.

The second day we were there we went to Bolsa Chica beach. We all had so much fun this was mine and Sadie's favorite part of the entire trip.

Cody was not a big fan of the waves and water but he loved the sand.

Jojo just is always happy to be anywhere!

I am trying to talk Sadie in to boogie boarding, and Jason is trying to do the same with Paige...

but they were not havin' it they liked to just play in the waves.

 

So Jason and I were the only ones who did try and we had so much fun!

Well that is the first 2 days I will post the rest of the pictures later, I have tons more!

The Branding

Today we did some branding and Sadie was the best crew member we had. She tagged ears, sprayed after they were cut, helped dehorn, give shots, get hot irons and put cold ones back on the fire, and even got to help brand one. When she was done she even had her first Rocky Mt. Oyster! Jojo and Cody enjoyed from afar and after 120 calves we left the rest of the work to the men so that we could get started on making lunch. Here are the pictures.

Dwight and JC

Cody waiting to get sarted

Jojo, Sadie and Cody still waiting to start helping

Dwight and Doug

Trey and Tyler pounding the nordfork

Spence roping calves

Sadie and Doug working on calves

JC, Cody and Kelly- white shirt day at the ranch

Kelly Jojo, Cody

Sadie eating Rocky Mt. Oysters, yuck

Sadie and JC

Hot after a long day!

Ole Yeller

Snakes

After a long day of grocery shopping with the 2 little kids I picked Sadie up from school.

On the way home I got a phone call from JC. He asked when I was going to be home and told me he killed a snake.

He cut of his head and JC said it didn't rattle at all. Some guy from this area said they usually don't around here for some reason, that makes this snake situation even worse!

Yikes I am scared to death of these things so we had a long long talk with kids about being careful.