Game time

Tanner got to go to a Springfield Cardinal game last night with Grandma and Grandpa Phipps. He called me in the third inning and was excited because he got to see a homerun, ate a hot dog and got to see the horses before the game. I think he had a really good time. They got home really late so last night I didn't get to see all the goodies he came home with. This morning he was so excited showing me everything he brought home. Uncle Brock fixed him right up. Tanner got some autographs while he was at the game too. Tanner was explaining to me that he really enjoyed watching the centerfielder. He said that he was really good. He really enjoyed himself.
Bert and I took Carlee to go and watch the Lamar High School Volleyball games. Carlee's 7th grade coach thought it would be good for the younger girls to watch the older girls. I think Carlee liked watching the girls and hopefully she learned a little by watching. It is amazing to me that she is in the 7th grade and she is old enough to be playing school sports. It is so cute for me to watch her set by all her friends and just have a good time hanging out. I wish the Lamar High School girls could have won their games, but I think the younger kids had fun watching them anyway. I think that Carlee is getting excited for her first game, even though she doesn't play until 9/10/07.
My kids are excited because this weekend they are getting to go to Aunt Tara's and my mom's family is all coming in for a BBQ. The kids are excited to see all of their extended family. They always have such a good time when we get together, it just seems that we don't get to do it enough!!!

Here are some pictures of the kids

I finally got to find time to get the pictures put on here. I just couldn't seem to get it done. The kids had such a great time at the fair. Tanner has really been spending a lot of time the past two days outside with Bert working out in the fields and with the cattle. Carlee has been working on homework most of the time. Bert is already getting the fever to go and look for more steers. I guess there are sales everywhere in Iowa and he would love to drive up there to look. I personally think he is crazy, but he is really wanting to go. I just laugh because Carlee thinks it would be a lot of fun. Tanner told Bert the only way it would be fun is if we found a hotel with a really nice pool. I thought to myself the only way I would think it was fun is if we found a really nice mall to shop at. HA!!

Hope you enjoy the pics!










Carlee and Tanner showing their small heifers Goofy and Tulip

Tanner showing "Sugars" for Carlee in the Champion Angus Drive

Carlee receiving her trophy for Reserve Grand Champion Heifer overall

You can't see Tanner, but he is showing Butters here.

Carlee standing waiting to go in to the sale ring with Moses

Do you ever wonder?

Do you ever wonder what goes on in a child's head? We have been dealing with issues with Tanner and football. I guess you really don't realize what is going on in their heads until it has all built up to much. Bert and I finally decided that Tanner needed to quit the football team. We hated for him to quit, but we could tell it wasn't pleasant for Tanner. Last night after I asked Tanner how he felt about quitting the team he looked at me with some really big issues concerning his safety. I just wonder how long his little mind thinks about different issues. What can you say to fix them? The only way to fix them is to pray about them and God will take care of it.

On Friday of the fair Tara had brought Koen and Payton down to the fair to watch Carlee and Tanner show. Payton loved looking at the animals. It was so curious to me though when Payton took me to a pile of cow manure. She kept looking at it and saying "yuck poop". I thought it was so cute. We left the area, and then Payton took me back to it. She looked at a little boy standing beside it, and said "yuck poop - clean it up". I just wondered what was going on in her mind because no one cleaned it up we just left it. I wondered if she thought we were all really gross because we were leaving manure laying around.

I sometimes would just love to be in the mind of a child to see how far they ponder on issues. I would love to fix there problems and not let them worry about different things. If only we could fix all of the kids problems it would be wonderful!

Sad but true

Well the fair is over, and the kids are done showing until March. Carlee is sad to see the season come to an end. Carlee and Tanner did very well showing this week. I was very proud of them. Carlee showed two heifers and then one steer. Carlee got 1st in her class with both heifers, and won Grand Champion Angus Heifer with her big heifer named Sugar. She received Reserve Grand Champion Heifer overall the heifer there with Sugar. Carlee was very excited about that!!! Carlee showed Moses her steer and got 2nd in her class, and then was placed 5th overall in the steer show. She seemed pleased with that. When she took him out to sale him she had him all dolled up with glitter and they shined together in the show ring. Tanner got to show 1 heifer, 1 steer, and a bucket calf. Tanner got 2nd in his class with his heifer (which was behind Carlee) . Carlee let him show Sugar in the Champion Angus drive, so he thought he was pretty big stuff. It was pretty funny. Tanner's steer was 3rd in his class and recieved 6th overall in the steer show. He was very happy, actually Bert and I decided he didn't care where he placed as long as he got some money. Eventually he will figure it out and want the placing instead of the money. It seemed that the fair was a success for the kids and they seemed to have fun riding the rides as well. I love to set and watch the kids at the fair in the livestock barn. There is such a bond there between all the kids. The boys would play football any chance they had while there wasn't anything going on in the show ring. Of course rolling around in the saw dust chips is so much fun to the boys. It is really fun for the mom that gets to wash it all out too. The girls just get to set around and visit. There is so much hard work with the livestock it is just so impressive getting to watch these children grow up, and know that they are going to be very hard workers. I am working on getting pictures downloaded, so you will soon get to be bored with looking at pictures with the kids showing their animals.

Have you ever really noticed?

As I have told you before Bert and I have been getting up around 5:15 to do chores. I usually go out as soon as I get up to get the feed ready while Bert gets his lunch put together. When I go out I am a chicken when it is dark, but I go out anyway. I had all of the feed ready and Bert came out and we started carrying out pans of feed to the animals. The breeze was wonderful and it was still so dark. I went out from the grain barn to the barn where we have a little heifer that we are feeding since we lost her mother. Well on my trip over there, still being dark with just a hint of light, I saw something scurry right in front of my foot and hide under the hay that was left from last night. I am assuming it was a mouse, they really freak me out. I didn't scream being to proud in front of Bert I guess. I just got to thinking of all the animals that God had created, how neat it was. We were out with Cows, Dog, Cats, Mouse, Birds, and all the insects that feed off of everthing. I just though how amazing it is that God created so many different creatures. Then around 6:10 the sun starts coming up. It is just so amazing after starting the chores and being pitch black and then turning to natural light. It just reminds you how lucky we are to have such an awesome God.
Carlee and Tanner had good first days of school. Carlee loves her volleyball coach, and said that they had a really good time. She was excited because she said she got most of her serves over. It is so nice to see her excited about something new. I am hoping Carlee will have a good year. I hope that she has a better experience with 7th grade than what I did. Bert took Tanner to pick up his Football gear up at Nevada last night and we get to start football practice tonight. I am not sure if he is as excited as Carlee is about volleyball though. He really wants to play, but he wasn't to sure about all the gear you have to wear.
Bert and I took the calves down to Bill and Barbara's last night to weigh the kids steers. Well Carlee's is weighing in at 1275 lbs. She is very excited because he has gained what he needed to for the fair. Tanner's weighed in at 1425 lbs. Tanner's steer will have to go on a little diet because they can't weigh over 1400 lbs. Tanner is a little worried, but Bert and I told him that he drank a bunch of water before we took them to weigh in and that makes a really big difference. I just think of my children not weighing over 115 pounds walking around with these animals and thinking oh my goodness are we crazy? The kids love it and that is all that matters though. The countdown is on we take the animals tomorrow up to the fair, and I think the kids are really getting excited.

Back to the grind

Carlee and Tanner had their last fun weekend before school started. Friday night the kids got to have some friends come over and they watched High School Musical 2. What an exciting time. I think the Carlee and her friends watched the movie twice Friday night. Tanner and his little buddies would go outside when the movie would get a little boring. We started the evening with a BBQ, and the kids got to witness how well Bert could fry zuchini. Oh my goodness. Bert decided to fry the zuchini outside, well before I could get the batter on the zuchini the fryer was in flames. Poor Bert was trying so hard to keep the smell outside. We had quite the fire, and that was the talk of the kids for a while. We have a nice burn spot in the grass from it. That will leave us some memories for a while. HA!! Saturday we were full of working with the show animals all day. Of course in between being outside we had to watch High School Musical 2 some more. Cracks me up!!! Sunday we worked with the cattle some more and then we went in to town to set up cattle panels for the County Fair that the kids will participate in on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Sunday evening Bert's parents took us out to eat for my birthday. My birthday always falls during the fair, so we got to go out to eat with them and then Bert's sisters family. We had a good time. Tanner and Conner love to set with each other and they entertained us with their paper horns and sang songs through them. I am sure that the resturant was very entertained with them also. Of course Carlee and Ciara are getting to old now to make a scene, but to listen to their conversations on boys and school is so fun. It makes you realize how much older they are getting. They are both turning in to quite the young ladies.
This morning Bert and I got up around 5:15 to get the six show animals fed before we had to start getting the kids ready for school. Carlee got up to help me get the animals put up in the barn and make sure they had a drink of water before they were tied up. Carlee ended up taking 4 bags with her to school. She said she felt like she was moving or going on a trip. She looked so cute this morning. Tanner was excited to start a new school. He was ready to go, and had his Springfield Cardinal Lunchbox ready for lunch. He is more excited that he gets to go to Aunt Sara's after school until Volleyball season is over more than anything else that involves school. I am so anxious to see how their days go.

Countdown.............

Well the countdowns have started in the our household. We have 6 days until we have to take our six animals to the county fair, 4 days until school starts, and less than 12 hours before High School Musical II comes on. I tell you we have our countdowns in line. Carlee and Tanner have been working early mornings and late nights on the steers and heifers getting ready for the fair. I think that they might be relieved to get a break from all of the work for a while. They will only get a short break though to start looking for show animals next year. School will get started on Monday, and will start volleyball practice right after school on Monday too. I think that the kids are ready to get back to school to see their friends. (I think that is the one and only reason Tanner is ready.) I don't know about anyone else, but my kids love High School Musical. We are having a little party with some of the kids friends tonight to watch the movie. Carlee even picked up some High School Musical plates and napkins. I am sure it will be worth the wait. We have recorded and watched every apperance that the High School Musical cast has been on to promote the movie. I think the kids are really excited. I think the one child that I have the most fun watching while watching the High School Musical movie is Laney, my niece. Even though Laney is only 23 months she will sing with every song. She will just turn around and grin from ear to ear while she is singing with the movie. It is so adorable, and it just brings a huge smile to your face.

Just getting started

I have decided to start writing as much as possible to keep family in touch with my children.

Carlee Phipps is 12 years old and is going to start 7th grade in Lamar Middle School. She is going to start playing volleyball this year, and she seems to be very excited about getting started. Carlee is also very active in 4-H with her cattle. Carlee goes to quite a few shows during the spring and summer. She enjoys showing steers and then she also shows Angus Cattle. This year she has a steer named Moses and then she has two heifers, they are named Sugars and Goofy. Carlee also enjoys photography and scrapbooking, she is active in 4-H with these activities. I am very proud of Carlee with all of her accomplishments and she is such a hard worker. Carlee loves to be around her family and loves to spend time with her cousins. She loves to babysit with her nieces and nephews. She did some babysitting this summer, and really had a good time. As you can tell she is an apple to my eye!!!

Tanner Phipps is 8 years old and is going to start 3rd grade at Lamar West Elementary. Tanner is starting his first year of tackle football this year. He will start practice on Tuesday, August 21st. He seems to be very excited about playing, I on the other hand may not be to excited after seeing that first tackle on him. I might have to be confined on the side lines. HA!! Tanner also enjoys playing baseball. He kept us very busy this summer traveling with his baseball team. He played a total of 45 games this summer. He had the time of his life, and loves it every minute. He could play baseball 24/7 if we would let him. Tanner is also involved in showing cattle. He is not as active as Carlee, and he doesn't enjoy the chores as much as Carlee. (You can ask Carlee about that) HA! Tanner has a steer named Butters that he has shown this summer. He has done a very good job of taking care of him, and Butters is a big teddy bear. Tanner has two Angus heifers also. They are named Daisy and Tink. As you can tell Tanner is the baby of the family, and he loves to socialize. We are in trouble with him!!

We are very excited to share our family with you and let you hear some of the fun things that our kids do. Of course sometimes we are very boring because it seems to be all we do is farm chores sometimes. We have a good time though doing them as a family. Tanner learned a long life lesson last night. The family was in a hurry and Bert had the kids out running water for the animals before we left last night to go to Snoop Night at the schools and then Tanner's baseball teams picnic. We had to leave right at 5:00 when I got home, so it was a little crazy I guess getting everything together. We got home around 8:30 after all of the functions, and Bert and the kids went outside first to start choring. I noticed when I walked out that it was a little wet by the water tank, but didn't think to much about it. I watching the cattle and Tanner said well I guess the water bill will be high this time. I looked at him funny I guess. He said that he had left the water on from 5:00 until we got home. I was very proud of Bert when I asked him while Tanner was standing there if this was true. Bert just looked at me and shook his head yes. Bert said Tanner it is just part of it, it just happens sometimes. Carlee also reassured Tanner that it was ok because it was a slow water hose and the water doesn't come out very fast on that one. I guess I thought it was so neat that Tanner was thinking of the water bill. I don't think I would have ever thought about the water bill at his age. When we went out this morning there were still water puddles from the water being left on for 3 1/2 hours, but the cattle will at least enjoy laying in them on the hot days.