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Off to a Good Start!

Well...were home! It's not snowing. It's not cold. It's windy (okay it's downright turbulent outside) but we can handle that. Oh yeah, it's also 84 degrees. And the breeze... Isn't that everyone's definition of perfect weather?

As I was pulling clothes off the line this morning (yep...I am officially a 50's housewife with that final step of domestication), I was feeling defeated at being slapped in the face with clothes as the wind gusts pummeled them. Then, while channeling my optimism that sometimes gets lost, it occurred to me that we have kites just sitting around in the play room that could use a good wind storm!

So we played! And I learned a new word... it might just be my favorite new word... In Spanish, kite is papalote, pronounced papa-low-te. Google translate might tell you it's a cometa - but every country, even different parts of every country, use different words just to confuse you just when you think you have it all figured out. And besides, papalote is way more fun to say than cometa!!!

So, that was our morning! It lasted all of 20 minutes because the wind is more gusty than windy, thus the kites are up and down a lot. Mostly down with me helping both kids untangle strings and tails and walking to the end of the field to start over time and again. But it was fun and we might try again this afternoon.

Here are some pics...

Cookie Monsters

I had to share this one real quick - Aaron decided to get in on the Christmas cookie decorating action and it was nothing short of artistically amazing:):):) It was a real shame we had to eat them!

Yum...

Giddy Up!

Did I mention we are in Wyoming??? Which means...we are in the Cowboy State people, that's right, if you didn't know - Wyoming = Cowboys. So it's only fitting that Aaron and I spent our New Years Eve at the Buck n' Ball - "Buck" for the rodeo, "Ball" for the dance following the rodeo.

When we walked into the arena, we were met with the smell of livestock, cowboy sweat and lots and lots of poo. Aaron said he may barf, and I felt right at home!!

The rodeo was a blast, they only had "rough stock" which consists of the best parts of a rodeo - buckin' horses and bull riding (no roping, barrels, poles and all that jazz). The cowboys are from all over the country, most coming directly from the NFR in Vegas - were big time ya know!! They started the evening with introductions, a pitch black arena except for the spotlight on the beautiful beasts, and a feeling of nostalgia of my younger days watching all my friends chase those wrangler butts!! (Not me, no way!!!!)

For the next couple hours we watched the cowboys try for their eight seconds of being twisted, slammed and catapulted from the horses and bulls. Some succeeded easily, sliding smoothly from the bucking horse onto the pickup horse; some amazed us and, as the bronc bucked, they let go, got bucked up and landed on their feet; others got bucked off and scampered out of the way just in time not to get stepped on and crushed.

The rodeo was awesome and I can't wait to take the kids to the next one! After the rodeo was over we walked to another building (it was -4 outside) for the dance. My husband and I cut a rug for nearly four hours, dancing, spinning, dipping and sweating to the beat....NOT! We stood around in a circle and Aaron and our friend Kevin made up a random points game that went something like this: 3 points for a handle bar mustache, 1 point for a toothpick in a cowboy hat, 2 points for a feather in a cowboy hat, 10 points for a celebrity lookalike, 5 points for a mullet, there may, or may not have been, points for fake boobs (like 20, if it were true) but I don't want to embarrass anyone for being that crass! The winner got... well nothing really, nothing at all - that's how the best games end right?!?!

The rest of the evening was pretty anti-climatic - we ended up at a bar at midnight and home by 12:20. Party ANIMALS I tell ya! We had a blast though, everyone made it home safe and sound despite the terrible snowy roads, and we are all excited to make 2011 our best one yet!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I apologize in advance for the terrible photo quality - someday I will have a super fancy good camera but until then, please enjoy my blurry action photos!

The livestock arena and cowboys gearing up!

The National Anthem

Here we go!

THESE had to have a mention - Judy (my mother-in-law) sent me these new snazzy rain boots for Xmas - they are amazing and I just HAD to wear them to the rodeo - and I got about a million compliments - THANKS MIMA!!!!

The end!

A Winter Wonderland

Here we are in Wyoming (we've been state-side for 25 days now - time flies!) taking full advantage of the snow that has been falling. In reality, it hasn't snowed that much since we have been here...there was already some snow upon our arrival, it snowed a tiny bit the first week we were here, and for the past two days has been snowing sideways. Now the sun is shining, we are done shoveling and the boys just finished playing in the soft stuff and are warming their toes.

Last year we didn't get a chance to play in the snow so this year we are making up for it! Jax got a snowboard (just a basic one for small sledding hills, not the big buckle kind for going down mountains) and has nearly reached pro status. He spent the last hour snowboarding down the deck stairs!! Anyway, it's been awesome, here are some pics!!

Riley and his first EVER sledding experience!!

Weeeeee!! Fun for the young and young at heart:)

This is Kinley - she is so sweet and Riley loved playing with her!

Kinley pulling Riley up the hill!

Another day of sledding - my cousin Sarah and her two boys Tate and Grady
(and our whole crew) went to Sheridan in search of more snow!

Jaxon's turn!

Grady and Riley!!

Weeeee - I LOVE sledding!

Taiten and Grady - they rock the snowboards!

Jax making a snow angel!

The four amigos.

Jax had a run in with the ice.

Stay warm!

Branding Day

Branding day comes once a year, but for some reason this is the first time I was a spectator/helper (I did open the gate for their burned buns to run through to safety after all). I am not the biggest fan of the roping, pulling, take down, burning method of branding the cows - I would prefer to see them all lined up and calmly prance through the shoot, get poked with the hot iron and walk on their merry way, but that idea tends to get an eye roll from those know-it-all cowboys...apparently my movie screen version doesn't exactly work as I imagine.

The entire day was spent wrestling, pulling, prodding and tormenting the cows - and they saved the final (and smallest) cow for the end - for Jaxon. Here are some photos...enjoy!

Jax ready for the day!

The unsuspecting vacas.

Operation take down begins.

My spectator pal Riley.

Taking a break from the hard work for a little fun.

That's what ya get!

YEEOUCH!

If I look at you with these eyes can you get me out of this??

Jaxon's turn!

Checking out his cow...so loving.

This is, by far, my favorite photo of all time!!!

Riding off into the sunset - see the
biggest horse on the left? That's my boy!