Have you heard of Sanuk?

My aunt has a pair of flip flops that I absolutely love. They are by a company called Sanuk, and  they are made from yoga mats. While at the beach last week my brother purchased some for my mom but unfortunately they did not have my size in either color I wanted. So I came home, logged on to amazon.com and ordered them pronto!

I can not even begin to tell you how much I love these flip flops. They are beyond awesome, in my opinion. They are the most comfortable, supportive flip flops I've ever worn.  I am ordering a few different colors I love them so much!!!  You should really check them out, and order some too!  These would be great for vacations, especially if you plan on doing a lot of walking!

Dear Apple, you were w.r.o.n.g!

I love my iMac. I really, really do. However, I do not love the fact that I have purchased a new editing program and it's not working correctly. It keeps telling me to repair my iPhoto permissions. I've repaired them at least 10 times, and still nothing. I'm over it. So this morning, I threw in the towel and called Apple. Only for the customer service agent to tell me, "I don't believe it's a problem with your computer I believe your memory card should be reformatted and you'll lose all your pictures will be lost from that card if you don't have any other way to get them off."  Okay, I'm no genius Mr. Apple agent but that's not an answer you give someone that has 470 pictures on a card.

As a good customer though, I took Mr. Apple's suggestion and I attempted to load the pictures from my camera to Travis' PC. Whala! It worked, they are loading as I type. So my point is this, APPLE WAS WRONG!  So now when the pictures finish loading I'll be back on the phone with Apple trying to fix the problem.

I've said all of this to tell you, my dear followers, this.  I am here, I have lots to blog about but the pictures that go along with it are stuck on my camera until this little Apple problem I'm having is corrected. So, please... don't leave me. Keep checking in on me and eventually, prayerfully sooner then later I'll have updates with lots of adorable pictures for you all to see.  We've been to the beach, we've got Tucker goodness, newborn goodness, and lots of other just pure sweetness to share with you from Cow Bird Lane!  Hope to be back up and running soon!

Just Tucker

It's hard to believe that he's 15 months old today. He is such a fun little guy. He's saying all sorts of things now. We hear, Mooooooooo cow, hi kitty, Bubba, dog, num num (yum yum...telling us he's hungry), and when you ask him if he's ready to go night night, he shakes his head really hard and smiles, and says no! It's the cutest thing ever. He loves to jam out to some music, dances, taps his foot, and sways back and forth.

I think he will one day climb Mt. Everest. The child climbs anything that he can throw that pudgy little leg over and pull with all his might. He pushes the kitchen chairs all over the place, he likes to go out the front and back doors so we have to keep them locked at all times. His a lover of water and doesn't care where it's from. The toilet, the tub, the sink, the dogs water bowl, he really doesn't care. He loves to stand on the step stool and wash his hands. He's a mean of good hygiene as he loves to brush his teeth several times a day.

His giggle is adorable, his smile is contagious, his morning hugs melt me, his dancing makes me laugh, and his little head sleeping on my shoulder makes me wish he were still just a little baby. Each month that passes, just another month of blessings. We are so blessed to have this little boy in our family with all the smiles, laughter, and sweetness he brings to our lives.

Sweet Tucker bear, I love you! I look forward to your hugs each morning, your giggles throughout the day, and the way your feet pitter patter down the hallway. I hope that my memory holds on to the sound of that giggle and the pitter patter of those little fat feet forever. You are my sunshine, and I love you!! love, momma.

Can you see the love?

They love each other so much, can you tell?  Look at the mischievous grin that grows on Carter's face as the disgust grows on Tucker's. This is what I get when I try to get a picture of them together.  Fun, fun!!! :)

Life is a Chance

We have a new little calf to take care of. Unfortunately it's momma did not make it and now we have the pleasure of bottle feeding this little one. This is a first for me, as is a lot of this farm stuff. Of course when Travis came through the pasture with our new baby I had to run for my camera (are you seeing a pattern here, maybe I should keep it around my neck).


It was nervous, scared, and certain it wasn't where it was supposed to be. Travis put it in the cow trailer until he could get a place for it in the corral. I'm glad to introduce you all to Chance. Sorry I keep calling the little thing "it", but I'm not sure if it's a boy or girl just yet. I'll figure that out and let you know!!

For now, meet Chance. Isn't it the cutest thing you've see today?!

Oh the places he will hide

Sunday I decided that I was going to move Carter's furniture around in his room. When Travis helped me move the dresser this is what we found.

 I asked Carter why on earth I would find these things under here instead of in the garbage where they belong. His answer, "Ugh, MOM... because that's where I like to keep them." How could I argue with that?? I just shook my head, picked it up and moved on. I'm sure it could be worse, right?!

Just Carter

Oh little Carter. The things he says, the things he does, it usually makes me smile. He's so full of spunk, and energy. These are just a few of the pictures I snapped of him this week.

The one below shows his nice scratch under his eye. He had a run in with a stick at the cow sale on Memorial Day. I must say, I'm glad I wasn't there for that one! Although Travis says he didn't even cry. My big boy!!!!

Farm Life, is it really for me?!

I just talked to Travis last Wednesday night about wanting to help more with the cows, and learn more about what goes on around here. He was a bit shocked that I really wanted something to do with it all, but it's true... I do. Sometimes with farm living though, this happens........

A lot of that happened last week, in our yard!!! I didn't think he'd throw me in head first, but he did. On Thursday evening, last week, I hear him open the door and then I hear, "BABE! There's a cow in the yard!" Yeah, really? Okay.  Then I hear an even more panicked call from him, "BABE! The entire herd is in our yard!" Then I heard a really loud slamming of the door. As I came through the kitchen to see what was going on, to my surprise there was the entire herd grazing in our yard. Some of the gals had already ventured out the gate into the drive way.

All I could think was are you kidding me?! I asked what he wanted me to do and he told me to just hold on. My next question was if I had time to go back inside and get my camera. He told me no. All I could think was are you kidding me?! I have to have my camera, this is good stuff. I totally have to blog about this. But, he was serious. I had to stay put for a minute or so to really help! So here I was standing at the front corner of our house surrounded by the herd of cows. Carter was on the porch and he thought it was the neatest thing since sliced bread.

Travis was headed to our main gate when he yelled back for me to get the four wheeler. I had to run back inside to get my pound cake out of the oven, check on Tucker who was sleeping, and GET MY CAMERA!  I opted to grab a pair of flip flops while I was in the house. I ran out to the four wheeler only to find the trailer attached to it. I tried my best to yank the trailer off the ball but it would not budge. So then I went into panic mode thinking how on earth will I back this thing up. You know backing up a trailer is a flip flopped process. You turn right to go left, and vice versa. Luckily, I got it on the first try! I, secretly, was so impressed!!!!

I take the four wheeler out to him, with the trailer, and he has to unhook it. At this point we had cows going every which way. Some still in the yard, some in the old pasture that is now nothing but dirt, some going down to the other pasture that is now home to our fish pond, it was a mess. I stood their helpless, like a blind person unsure of where to go. I kept asking what he wanted me to do. I'm sure I wasn't as helpful as I could have been but seriously.... I didn't sign up to be no cow wrangler!

After a good thirty minutes or so of throwing my arms in the air (looking completely stupid) and yelling "hey cow!" they started to move. Travis was nudging them towards the gate on the four wheeler, and I was doing the bird flap yelling hey cow. Oh if someone had secretly been watching us and videoing the event, we would be millionaires.

There were about 6-8 stubborn old gals that just refused to go towards the gate. The rest of the herd was already headed back but they wanted to buck the system a bit. I wasn't paying attention to the girls in the fence since I had already sent Carter to safer ground... the back of Travis' truck. It was about that time when I looked up at Travis and he says, "there goes our garden!" I turned to look back at our house and the herd was plowing through the garden like a bunch of locusts. At that moment my heart sank. Here was my poor husband with this new, completely useless farm hand (me), and a herd of cows plowing down the garden that he had so faithfully tended to for the past several weeks.  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Finally the stubborn gals made there way towards the fence!  We had conquered them, well kind of. I had to shut the gate which ended up shocking me since there is an electric wire that runs below it. I didn't pay attention that the wire and gate were going to touch, but I found out very quickly!  After securing the gate I headed towards the garden. I had to laugh because it was completely comical. Here was this man that's been living farm life for as long as I've known him, then there was me, not a farming bone in my body and then there was poor Carter in the back of the truck thinking he was at the local rodeo.

It was all fun until Carter realized the cows were in his corn. All of a sudden you hear this broken little heart yell, "DADDY!!!!  The cows are eating our corn, the cows are eating our corn!" He came over the back of that truck like a mad man. He ran around the front of the house, tears streaming down his face and I did my best to assure him that it would be fine and grow back. Only for Travis to say, "well son, there went our corn!" Thanks Trav, thanks a lot!

Travis shooed the girls to the gate they should have never came through and the rodeo was over for the day. This farm girl, cow girl, rodeo clown, call me what you will but I've had my fare share for a while! ;)  I think I'll just wait for the boys to grow up and join in the fun of cow wrangling.

I shall not lie. It was nice to be out there helping Travis, even though I was clueless. I hope that as the years pass and I learn more that we will work this farm as a family. As for our corn, as Travis assessed the damage, I couldn't help but laugh. I told him we were a three ring circus. He just looked at me. Poor guy, I hope the boys are more help to him then I am!!!  I'm sure he wanted to take my camera and beat me over the head!  Although he did get a good laugh when we loaded the pictures. The corn however, not so funny. If it makes, it will be by the grace of the good Lord!!

Take what I can get

Sometimes you just have to take what you can get, you know?! The garbage was about to spill over into the floor as Travis walked in so I snagged it out so that he could take it out when he went. Tucker jumped to my aid, and he was going to take it out for me. How sweet is that?! I'm telling you, I'll take whatever help I can get with chores around the house!!!







He's also a shoe fanatic. Seriously. He brings me my shoes all the time and wants me to put them on. If I put them on he looks at me and smiles and then he's fine. If I refuse to put them on he gets rather upset. I'm wondering if he's going to have a set of boots in every style, color, and then some. Silly boy, bless his little heart. He'll try to wear anyone's shoes too, so if you stop by to visit and you're missing a shoe when you get ready to leave, chances are... Tucker has it. Good luck finding it! I've found shoes in opposite sides of the house, and even found Carter's croc in the cat food bag. Good times!!!

Double or triple trouble?

I am so outnumbered here. I will never conquer all the dirt, mud, cow poo, and the natural stench of boys in general. You moms of boys know exactly what I'm talking about. They just smell like outside, all the time! Oh, and the mud, and in our case the cow poo, it's impossible for my cleaning ways to keep up.
 
Just recently my eldest, Carter, had the idea to make a mud bog from the one area of dirt left in our yard. He grabbed the hose, filled the spot with water, and the bogging began. Of course Tucker wasn't going to just be a by stander, he wanted in on the action!! It wasn't long and here came Travis. I'm sorry but someone remind me, do I have two sons, or three?  Regardless I'm outnumbered!!!


I had so much fun watching Carter spin mud all over his back. It was going everywhere, and the higher it went the louder his giggle went. Tucker was just in amazement all together. I've said it before, I'll say it again, they are going to come up with some very mischievous stunts in the next ten to fifteen years. I just pray that God let's me keep a calm spirit, and a young heart!

 Thank you Lord for the messes I'm able to clean, the laughter I get to enjoy, and the memories they make for me each and every day. I am so blessed!!

Family

When Jody & Alisa asked me to photograph their sweet family I was very excited. I love that my family looks to me for the photos. Jake and Josh are the cutest little guys. Watching them grow up along side my boys is like a look into the past. Jody was always with me and my brother growing up and we shared so many childhood memories together.

Now that we are older and have families of our own, it's funny to think we are old enough to have little ones. The boys were so much fun the afternoon we did the pictures. Jake was his typical shy self, and Josh well that little stinker gave me a run for my money. He's probably the hardest toddler I've ever photographed. He would not look at me to save his life, but when he did I was able to get just a few shots!!!

Jody and Alisa, thank you for allowing me to capture you and your sweet boys. I hope you enjoy the pictures!!!!

Mr. FixIt

I love to watch Carter get into his own little world. When he spends time with Travis working cows, or fixing fence, or whatever else it is they do outside he just becomes such a little man. I walked out the other day only to find him wrapping a string around the barn posts and beating nails in to the posts. When I asked him what he was doing he said, "Momma, these cows keep getting out of this corral and I have to get it fixed!"


With every word he utters, I can see on his face and hear it in his voice he's as serious as a heart attack. As our conversation goes on I just look at him with a huge smile on my face because he is a true little boy now. He's all about fixing this or that, or helping with the big stuff. He prefers to be with Travis most of the time, but that's okay. Watching from afar isn't so bad, it's rather heart warming!!!