Lester Family & The Little Buckaroo Rodeo

Amelia & Emma in the stick horse "race"

Clay, Wyatt, Sam & McKayl anxiously waiting their turn.

Wyatt is very serious about this sheep riding business.

Craig & Chris and all their posterity

Like Nate says, we're like a bunch of rabbits.

We all met in Pocatello this past weekend for Kael's blessing. It was fun for all of us to be together. The cousins always have a great time.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the rodeo. I'll post more pictures when I get them, but I did include some of my favorites.

4-H Horse at the County Fair

Brooklyn, McKayl, Amelia, Emma, Kayson, Clay

Two weeks ago, Thursday the 26th, I got up ready to get ready for the 4-H horse show at the fair. We were going to wash the horse and get the truck and trailer positioned so I didn't have to back it anywhere. Then Lara called at about 10:00am and asked if we were coming. I was horrified. I quickly hung up the phone and ran into the bathroom, with the kids hot on my tail, and sat down and just bawled. I could not believe that I had been so irresponsible, disorganized, and out of touch with this whole thing. I had written on my calendar that it was on Friday and Saturday. I felt out of it enough as it was, knowing nothing about horses, patterns, leads, or reining. The least I could have done was to have Sam there at the right time! I was horrified, angry, and terribly sad. So, twenty minutes later I got over it, determined not to let anything else get in the way of Sam performing that day. I tossed Sam his clothes and explained that he had better hurry if he wanted to get there for his events that day. I think we were all ready in record time, the horse semi-groomed, saddled and in the trailer. I just had to back the trailer down our mammoth driveway and around the corner down our "little" section of street and we would be good to go. (The good thing about this all is that I didn't have to hook the trailer up.) I must say that I was quite happy that my anger had worked its way into determination at that point. So, when I got to the fair grounds Nate called my cell phone and asked if I needed him to come home and back the trailer down the driveway :-)

Sam did a nice job for his first year. He broke all the patterns that he had that day, although he insisted that he knew them all perfectly. Sometimes I wonder about the whole left and right thing??? His best event was the trail where you have to open a gate, go over some sticks, back through cones, etc. He did great on the whole thing, except for when he had to turn a circle, he went the wrong way, disqualifying him. He would have placed in that one for sure.

Sam's first event, western something.

Day two were the speed events, and we were among the first people there. Sam did great and we all had a great time watching him ride Thunder. Craig and Chris came over before Craig had to hit the hay field and Darren and Adrienne came up (Darren to help with hay, and Adrienne to hang out with us) Nate even was able to break away from work when Sam was ready to ride. It was a fun day for all.

Goat Tying.
That hat was just in the way, he was on the wrong side of the goat, and not him nor anyone else seemed to be able to tie the goat in less than 30 seconds.

Running Barrels in 29.7 seconds

PS Sam just got a check in the mail today for $16.00. It looks like he placed second and third (red and white ribbons) in just about everything!

Toothless

Clay lost his first tooth on Friday, July 27. It came loose when Sam jerked a blanket out of his mouth about two days previous. Clay told everyone that would look his way that he had a loose tooth. He whined about eating, and obsessed about it constantly until Nate took him aside, told him he was tired of his complaining, and pulled the tooth out. Good thing he has plenty of practice doing that kind of thing. Clay was pretty proud, and the next day, he told everyone that would look his way, and some who didn't, that he had lost his first tooth.

Jackson

After 10 years, Nate and I decided it was time to celebrate our anniversary with more than a dinner night out. We took the weekend and went to Jackson. It was great! We started Friday at the temple. We then drove to a couple tractor parts stores for returns and purchases. (Haying Season!!!) That took us almost to Logan, so we stopped at a mall there for Nate to get me my gift...a new ring. He told me how much I sould spend, and I found one that matched the price just right, but it was a ring that I had imagined wearing when I was fifty or so. It felt a little extravagent for a mom with four small children. So, I found the PERFECT ring for me right now. LOVE IT!! picture to come. And there was plenty left over for Nate to get his horse.(when he finds the right one) The guy at the jewelry shop told us about a charming little Italian restaurant that we decided to try. Le Nonni (sp?) just north of the tabernacle, a quiet place with very authentic food. We had bruschetta with mozarella, which was a (delicious) meal in itself. I tried the salmon bowtie pasta with a cream sauce. It was probably the best Italian I have ever had. Highly recommend the place.

On the way to Jackson, there was an accident that had closed the highway, so we took a detour and Nate showed me the Sawtooth Range near Bondurant where he went hunting twice last year with Dave. It was a beautiful drive, and fun for him to show me the back country he'd explored.

While we were in Jackson we got to see two shows. We went to the Jackson Playhouse and saw Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was a hoot. Great Production.

We also went to see the Bar J Wranglers. They put on a good show too.

In Jackson, we actually stayed at Teton Village at the Snake River Lodge. The pool was so fun and we took advantage of the spa there too. Talk about relaxing. I almost didn't know what to do, not watching for, running after, scolding, or corraling children the whole time!!

Here we are rafting through Grand Teton National Park. It was beautiful, serene, relaxing... Next time we'll do the white water variety.

It was a great get-away!

10 Years

10 years ago today I married my best friend.

4 kids, 12 dwellings, and 8 years of school later,

I can't imagine me without him.

Together, we've learned, loved, laughed, and cried,

and it has all made me a better person.

I Am A Mother

This book by Jane Clayson Johnson is my new favorite book. I got it for myself for Mother's Day, but then just barely picked it up a couple of nights ago when Emma, for the umpteenth night in a row, screamed relentlessly when I put her down to bed. We've tried it all: the bedtime routine, the driving in the car to sleep, the cry it out. I'm not sure what else to try. She does not like to go to bed. In fact, she's screaming her guts out as I write this at 9:45pm. I need a set of earplugs. Aren't they supposed to eventually go down nicely? Within days? We are pushing several months here.

Back to the book. It is honest, insightful, and inspiring. Every woman (mother or not) of every faith could benefit from the perspective and understanding that she illuminates through her research and real life experiences. Here are two quotes that particularly spoke to me:

"The more skillful the caregiver, the more invisible her efforts become. Ideally, the recipients themselves don't even notice that they are being cared for, other than to accept caring as part of the natural order of things...Like the work of a fine seamstress, the tiny stitches that build character and confidence are invisible to the eye."(Ann Crittenden, The Price of Motherhood, 72)(quoted on p. 60)

I often feel like my stitches are way too uneven and far too long. I would love for my children to feel caring and security so naturally. I pray constantly to be a better "seamstress." My friend Alisa is the best seamstress I know. She emmanates love, patience and understanding to eveyone she meets. I want to be like her when I grow up, or now would be good for my children's sake.

"If you can control your behavior when everything around you is out of control, you can model for your children a valuable lesson in patience and understanding...and snatch an opportunity to shape character."p.81

Great Book. I walked away from that book with more confidence and a feeling that there is someone else out there who understands the struggle.

Now I sit with my beautiful Emma girl in my arms, barely holding her eyes open, and telling me knock knock jokes. Isn't life wonderful?

I Am A Child Of God

"I am a child of God,

and He has sent me here.

Has given me an earthly home,

with parents kind and dear."

It is my feeling that every child born deserves this privilege. The reality is, however, that not every child is given the blessing of "parents kind and dear," or parents responsible, or parents industrious, or parents. It absolutely breaks my heart and pulls at wells of emotion inside of me when this reality hits close to home. It makes me want to scream at the injustice of a woman, given the gift of 5 beautiful children, who can not bathe, clothe, or care for the basic human needs of these children; when friends so dear and close to my heart struggle with infertility.

Today I took a little friend to the Pediatric Dentist, an hours drive, after his mother had failed to make these arrangements for the last 6 months. During that time, this boy has lost his four front teeth, and has three other teeth that need reconstruction. The Dentist did not imagine that he could eat or drink without feeling pain. He was such a sweetheart the whole day. I wished he did not have to go home.