Aunt Clara's present to Ralphie........Roy

A real "Christmas Story"



Aunt Cindy, Roy's sister, has been giving Roy presents from the "Christmas Story" for the past several years, she thought up this idea last year and has been working hardever since. She sewed the costume herself and it fits perfect! Roy looks so good. Have a good Laugh and a Merry X-mas. Roy we love you much, good sport!

Technology and getting it right is cool! Take a look.

Family Hunting Fun

Well, we finally got a deer all together! The kids had Thanksgiving break, Roy was off taking care of the boys and I ditched work early to all go out to "Farmer Allen's and Ms. Sue's" farm. What fun we had. The first picture is of Roy and the boys walking to the our spot, Roy was hurrying the boys along, hoping we would get there in time before dark. They trotted along good. We set Roy and Rudy up in the gully and Rory and I went to bird-dog the deer out of the willows along Canyon Ferry shore. What fun, Rory and I were discussing life and such and ran smack into a white tail buck. He turned and took off. We stopped and waited to not scare him off in the wrong direction. As we took off again, I was piggybacking Rory when I rolled my ankle and down we went, as I was trying to not let the F---- word come out, the little buck ran right up the gully as we hoped! Roy went to shoot and click, he forgot to load the bullet, so he loaded and aimed again. This time he was successful and all Rudy could say was, "What a dream come true!" All we could do was laugh. So the picture is below of the first family buck. We are happy we now have dinner in the freezer for the winter.

Could not resist this picture tonight, two of my favorites, sharing a chair!

Roy and Stella (now much bigger and about the only spoiled dog we have ever had, how could we not, look at that face!)

Rory and I eat breakfast at school everyday, we enjoy it very much and I can get to know the kids at school. I think it is important for me to know who the boy's friends are and what is going on. Breakfast is a good way of learning all this. However, on one Friday we showed up to school and in the cafeteria parents were lined up. I was confused and come to find out it was Student of the Month celebration and parents are invited to eat breakfast with the principal and attend the celebration assembly. Well, obviously Rory was not Student of the month, but with me eating breakfast with him every morning, we looked as if he was. Hey, but after this month we are covered, phew! Rudy made it for October and Rory made it in November! Thank goodness, we are covered for the year now, Mom does not have to worry when each month comes up wondering if the boys were good, for all I care they can act up now. Here are the pictures of them with their certificates and happy they are.

Around Halloween

OK, I am back, somehow, don't ask me how, I got so busy with Halloween and Rory's birthday and remodeling our kitchen, I forgot to blog. So finally I downloaded my pictures................



Rory's 6th Birthday


Halloween Pumpkin


The Clone Troopers, Watch out!

My 40th Birthday Surprise

R2 at her finest


Pinata hitting


Rudy hitting the Pinata


Rory, our candy hound and his loot!

Roy is such a great husband! He, along with my friend planned and executed a great 40th surprise party for me. I was very surprised by the party, however, caught on a couple weeks ahead, because my such nice husband kept saying I couldn't do anything for my birthday weekend when I kept coming up with ideas. I thought, why do we have to stay home....... the surprise was good, I wasn't quite sure what he had planned, I thought maybe a day on the horses hunting, the party was just as good. Lots of friends from my old work, new work and neighbors. Take a look at me in my birthday garb, they thought they were all funny and made me wear this stuff. Sue, my friend, bought a soccer ball Pinata and so all the kids had fun, we were almost outnumbered by kids, 15 adults to 11 kids!!!

Fall Sports!

Sports are under way. Roy is coaching flag football for 12 2nd graders, with the help on one loud, fun football crazy dad. They are all having so much fun, Rudy was put in at quarterback once and gave the position up to be a defender to grab the flag off the kids, he says that is way more fun. He can't wait till he can tackle! Rory has started soccer and loves the goalie, he saved 3 balls from getting in his goal and when he came out of the goalie so someone else could play he scored a goal. We are so proud. The last two Saturdays have been cold and rainy, so I included a picture of Granny Barkley enjoying the game, I think?

Stella Growing Bigger

My little star reindeer lichen is growing bigger, it is like the boys, I hold them all as much as possible or they all will be too big too soon! Stella is such a sweet girl, just like my Callie, who we all miss so much. Stella is a starting to fill the paws nicely!

Hunting with Dad

Rudy is getting older so Daddy is ready to take out hunting some this season. Rory did not seem to mind, thank goodness, we told him he has to get a little older. Rudy was so excited, he helped Daddy get things ready and even got his own pair of binoculars! When they got to their hunting spot, someone was already there, so they drove the Forest service roads and spooked up about 20 head of cow elk, awesome sight so Rudy was happy, they also saw deer, but no luck,they returned home empty handed and tired. Mommy is hoping for meat, the freezer supply is getting low. Maybe next time........

First Day of School 08

OK, the first day of school is always so fun and exciting! Rory started Kindergarten and we are off to a new phase, no more daycare. Rory and Rudy were both so happy to start school. Usually, when I ask Rory how his day is, he will say "Not so good". So after his first day of school I thought when I asked the question I would get the usual answer. Wow, to my surprise I got a "it was good"! So life is good. Here are some pictures of Roy walking with the boys at school and one of them on the front step, Rudy is in the stage of not smiling so this is a perfect picture of them on for the first day of school. Enjoy.

Summer 08 Vacation

Well, our annual wedding anniversary and Roys Birthday trip included the Boys this time, we have been going to Glacier each year for a hike with my Dad and Roy, this year we decided that both boys are big enough for a Glacier National Park hike and took them. We went to our favorite campground at Duck Lake Lodge, which is on the reservation and hidden so not much crowds at all and lots of wide open space! Nana and Papa were going to come, because Papa loves hiking as much as me, however, being such a good Papa, when they were taking care of the boys while I was in Canada,he went go carting with both boys and did not heed to the go-cart sign that said do not ride if you have a bad back. He did and now does and will probably need back surgery due to too much fun go carting! Sorry Papa. So the r4's were on our own and we made the boys hike 5 miles. Along the way we ate thimbleberries and huckleberries, that kept the boys hiking without too much complaining. We went up to Many Glacier and planned on hiking all around swiftcurrent and Josephine lakes, but due to a bear sighting we hiked up the side of swiftcurrent lake to the top of Josephine lake and back down the same trail again.

My Little Fire Fighters

Yesterday, a fire broke out on the Helena Forest, Townsend District and Roy has been out fire fighting the last two days. The boys have not seen him, so, today I stayed home and we went school shopping and got all the necessities, Rory will be in Kindergarten this year and he is so excited. We got him a backpack and matching lunchbox! When we got home tonight they found all their camping gear and decided to be fire fighters and build a fire camp. Here is the picture of them lined up ready to fight the fire! Be careful my little ones.

Weekend at Granny's

Well, Roy's Birthday is coming up this week, so we celebrated his birthday as well as having his niece come home to Montana for a visit from Reno. The pretty one in the picture is his niece, Tracy. When we visit Deerlodge we like to visit the creek down the road, the boys ride their bikes and I walk with the dogs. This year, we got a tug-a-bug for the back of Roy's bike so they biked down to the creek with me in tow, walking, somehow I not sure how that works??? We played most of the afternoon in the creek building a dam, we are not as good as beavers, but just as busy and with the help of all the dogs of course.




Tug-a-bug with Rory and Roy

Walk in the Creek with Mom

I think the dogs are helping?

Roys Summer Fun

Here are just a few pictures of Roy’s summer with the horses and work, I have not seen a lot of pictures of Roy and his crews, however this year one of his crew members left some pics of their summer after the end of the summer party at our house. The horses in the pictures are our baby horse brothers (now 11 and 12 years old), Shorty with the white socks and Louie who Roy is riding. They packed in some gear for Roy’s crew.

Olympic Swimmers?

I might have Olympic swimmers! We have been going to the Broadwater waterslide each week to swim, I promised the boys we would go once a week when I got back from Canada. We love it there because it is a hot springs so no matter how cloudy or windy it is, you only have to stick your head out of the water and the rest of you is warm. Rory really loves it that way, otherwise he is like my sister Carla, and his lips will turn blue.

Blogging

OK, I tried blogging on another site, but it did not work, so here I am on the one my friends use. I will get my camera in the car and give it a go. .....................................

Here are just a few new pictures from this summer, the R4 boys and the new puppy however she got a name with an S. Stella. I worked up in Canada when Roy got her and was working so hard on vegetation that I thought a veg scientific name would fit her. Cladina Stellaris, for the star Reindeer Lichen:

The picture is small but when the forest floor is covered in this lichen it is real pretty. And here is Stella: (Robbie is in the background)

Gotta love the Pointer ears!