Shamrock Run

 

Jami and I did the Shamrock Run in Billings which is like the official kick off the racing season in Billings.  I got her some fun socks to wear too, and she is wearing them you just can't tell since she also felt like she had to wear pants.  The race felt GREAT although a little windy.  I was a little nervous for the run as the winter has been so long I feel like I haven't been able to run as much as I would have liked to. But I surprised myself and did even better than my time last year by 36 seconds so I was happy with that.  I won my age group and got 4th out of all the women overall. It was a 5k (3.1 miles) and my time was  22:15.  Jami did a great job also and ran the whole way.  YAY

 

The race was at 1 pm then I had to hurry home as I was having a party at 3! But it was fun and so was the party.

Happy New Year

 We had a quiet new years eve and stayed home.  We didn't even bother trying to stay up until midnight, but we though we ought to at least take a picture or two of all of us!

Preg testing cows

Cade and Polka Dot in the middle. Jami and Carter were also riding.

A little hay bribery for the cows to entice them in the right direction.

Cade before we left the house in the morning. He was very excited to go and ride with all the cowboys and cowgirls and chase cows.

A helpful looking bunch!

Not a good picture but this was us getting ready to leave the house at O Dark thirty so we could be there in time to sit on our horses and wait for it to get light enough to see the cows.

Ronan Days aka Pioneer Days

Waiting to watch the parade on Sunday morning. Somebody was handing out flags.

Cade and Avery's favorite part about the parade was of course getting the candy. There was a lot of candy thrown, but the kids spilled juice in their bag of candy and I ended up throwing most of the sticky mess away. I don't think they even missed it after all the candy they ate already.

Rance was going to drive the '37 Plymouth in the parade. We made it into Ronan, but then when we pulled over the sign up for the parade it wouldn't start again. :(

Rance driving the 37 Plymouth.

Avery in the backseat. Talk about cushy padded seats!


Cade enjoyed the ride as well.
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The kids all lined up for the stick horse race. Cade did great he ran down to the cones and turned around and came back, not sure who won but Cade had a great time.


Avery trying to decide where to go next during the stick horse race, the announcer ended up going down and helping her run back. She was really tired, it was naptime and she hadn't slept much the night before.

Cade and I went down to do a mom and kid race where the kids all put on white t shirts and black ball caps then ran down to get some candy. Then they told the kids to run from their moms. The moms got turned around and they mixed the kids up and turned us loose to find our kids.

Where is my kid? I couldn't find Cade anywhere! When I finally found him he was back at the other end and as soon as I got close he took off again. It seemed like over a hundred kids out there and they all looked the same!

When I got back in the stands Avery was sacked out on Rance.

Cousins!

Homesteader Days

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Cade was really getting into the ride.

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The carousal ride at homesteader days. We made it there half way through the parade, oops I was a little slow getting out of the house.


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Jami, Riley Jo, Chase and Carter on the train ride.

The kids and I riding on a little train ride, I think it was my favorite part, everyone was contained and entertained, and I could sit back and relax.

Avery's version of fishing at the fishpond was to grab the duck and put it on the hook, then present it for a prize.

Time for snowcones and a group photo, although on one was very interested in the group photo part.

Miscellaneous

A moth we found on the door one morning, it stayed all day and then was gone the next morning.

Cade trick riding

Avery in a crazy get up

Cade and Avery were "camping" in the dryer

Rance and I at Linda and Dick's anniversary party

"We went riding on the range" said Avery Gerdes

Avery and her Daddy!
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This was taken at the end of the ride. Cade was very serious and his thumbs were sore from gripping the saddle horn so tightly, not to mention his legs were getting sore from Polka's wide back. When he got off Polka Dot he was walking a little bowlegged!

Riding up in Broken Leg above my parents house. The views were great and Avery thought it was neat we were riding on the range. Cade kept talking about how we could see forever. Thank God for big beautiful wide open spaces!



Big grins from the little cowboy. And the little bowlegged walk at the end of the ride to go play in the waterslide and pool! Although he wouldn't get in until I come back with his swimming trunks!

Cade's first time gathering cows

Cade rode Polka Dot for his first big ride. Polka Dot is a most experienced kid horse and there isn't much that fazes him, so he is a great first horse for Cade thanks to my cousin Wynne. He was so excited to get to ride with a lot of other cowboys and cowgirls. I dropped Avery off at Mom's and she asked him if he was going riding to chase cows and he just shook with excitement.

He did really good. I led him the whole way and he was all smiles for quite a while. He didn't want to yell at the cows however he was just fine to follow behind them. He asked me how come Sterling wasn't afraid to gallop after cows. I explained to him that when he got more experience he wouldn't be either. I was so proud of my little boy!

Here is everyone that helped gather cows. Four generations riding so that was fun, in another couple of years there will be a lot of little cousins helping gather which i am sure will test my Dad's patience!

Girls Night

Janna, Kate, and I went to the Gary Allan concert and had a good time.

My first time snowshoeing

On Valentines day my sweetheart stayed home with our little darling and I got to go snowshoeing for the very first time with my boss Barb and friend and coworker Calley. We had a great time.

They even let me lead on the trail which maybe they later regretted because I like to walk fast, we are on a hike lets hike! It was cold out but as were pretty bundled up we were soon sweating and stayed plenty warm!

It was beautiful out and some fresh snow. The mountains of course were beautiful but yikes all those trees and make a person a little claustrophobic.

We even startled two moose and so had to turn around earlier than we wanted to as we felt we ought to give them the right of way.!