Bacon and eggs anyone?

When Doug and I first moved to Hurricane in 1995 we decided we wanted and acre of land that we can raise our family on and we hoped to be able to incorporate some of the things we grew up with in Idaho.  We both come from small farming communities in southern Idaho and a grateful for the work ethic we have ingrained in us.  We wanted to instill that into our children so when we "moved up" into a bigger house and a flat acre, we started creating an environment that fit our ideas and beliefs.  Not too many years later, my sister invited us to participate in the Dixie Jr. Livestock show, where hogs, sheep and steers are shown and sold.  We jumped at the chance and Austin was the first to give it a go.  As each child turns 8 and is in the 3rd grade they also get to participate.  They show under the 4-H until they are old enough to be members of the FFA and choose to do so.  This year we have four hogs showing.  (that is a lot of feed, let me tell you!)  Austin is showing under the FFA, and Mady, Cody and Dalyon are showing under 4-H.  The kids are responsible to feed, water and train/walk their hogs everyday until the show which is the last week of April.  I

The kids are walking the hogs up and down "Thrill Hill" on a street behind our house.
I don't think the pigs think the hill is such a thrill.  It is a funny sight if you
are driving by. 



This is Mady and her pig.  If you scratch its belly with the
curve of the cane, she will lay down and hold still while
you scratch her belly some more!! 




Dalyon and his hog.  She is still  a bit small, but will hopefully
make weight by the end of April.  (They have to weigh 220 lbs.)



Cody and his Hog.  Cody has been really
responsible about taking  care of his pig .

Austin and his hog.  His pig really is a hog. . . for food.  He
already weighs 245 lbs! 

A few years ago our neighbors across the street decided to move and didn't want their chicken coop, so Doug moved it over to our side of the street, chickens and all, and we started experimenting with raising chickens.  Every so often we have to purchase a few more to replace those that "flew the coop", so last Wednesday I purchased 10 little cuties, who will be in my garage until they are old enough to go out to the coop.  Chickens are a lot like people, they start out so cute and fuzzy, then they go through the ugly stage until they are beautiful adults.  It is so nice to have eggs as we need them, and recently with the warmer weather we have been receiving an abundance, around 7-8 a day! (for nine chickens that is pretty good!)  Last year we were able to sell them at a farmers market and make a little money for our trip to Disneyland this summer.  We joked around that it would only take 750 dozen eggs to finance our trip!   I think we sold about 50 dozen before the little ladies slowed down on their production because of the heat.  (They are so fickle!  lol) 



Boy, she doesn't look very happy that I'm taking
her picture. 






Our cut new babies, happy to be out of their little box.





Only a few weeks ago Cody approached me and wanted me to go and get some ducklings.  I told him I didn't think we had enough room for ducks and the pond that they need, as well as the chickens and pigs.  Just a few days later our neighbor called Cody and his friend Carson over to "get these blankety blank ducks out of my yard!"  Cody was so excited!  Without any consultation with Doug or I, he put the male and female ducks in with the chickens and made them a very small "pond" in the dirt and gave them feed from the chickens.  They seem to be thriving, and I must admit, they are fun to watch.  We have even gathered some of their eggs, and the kids say they taste no difference, except the yolk is much bigger.  So begins our little "farm", final count:  5 kids, 4 hogs, 9 chickens, 10 chicks, 2 ducks, and one cat.   

Their stories in pictures.

The past few months I have had the desire to scan into the computer the old photos that my Mom and Dad have from my childhood, and theirs, and anything else they have.  Doug started the "bug" when he purchased a little scanner and spent all of Thanksgiving last year scanning in his parents' old photos and copying them all for all of his siblings.  So, in a effort to do something cool for my brother and his wife for Christmas, I took on the task and made my family a disk with all of the pictures on it.  For several nights I sat with my Mom and Dad and had them identify who was in the picture as I scanned them in, then labeled them.  I learned a lot about my family, my parents' perspective of their lives and my own, and got to know my distant relative through pictures.  I love the old black and white pictures of a time when things seemed simpler, harder physically, but simpler mentally.  The ones that stand out to me right now are the ones of my Dads Mothers side, the Stone family.  I know a lot about the other families in my lineage, but not as much about them.  I'll share some of my favorites here.

Grandpa Joe Stone haying.  I love the horse drawn hay wagon
and pitching the hay up.  This was up in Mapleton, Idaho.

Grandpa Joe Stone.  He could play the harmonica like no other.

 I also loved seeing my parents in their courting years, hearing their story again and actually seeing it in pictures.  I have a great Mom and Dad.    Dad had a hot car and was dragging main in Preston when he came up on two hot chicks in another car.  My mom and her friend Carma (Doug's aunt, FYI) were 16 and in Grandpa Shepherds car.  As the story goes, the girls chased my dad down and flirted with him.  He ended up calling on my mom and our history began.  Dad worked for Grandpa Winn at the auction, and had hauled cattle for my Moms Dad many times, he just didn't know he had a daughter.  They were married August 19, before Moms Sr. year when she was 17 and lived with Grandma and Grandpa Winn until they could get a place of their own.  There is so much to write of their story, but pictures are worth more so here are a few. 

Dad and his hot car.  I'll have to find out what kind it was.  lol

West Side High School Jr. Prom 1966

This one is one of my favorites.
  Dad buying the engagement/wedding ring. 

Married August 19, 1966 

Here is our family about 1976.  Final score:  1 boy 2 girls

Today:  3 kids, 12 grand kids, 1 great grand kid. . . .to be continued.  . . . .

I hope to share more photos as I continue with this project.  This summer I would like to visit with my Aunt Irene  and scan some of her photos of the Stones and the Winn side with the ranch/farm/cows.  Those are also going to be priceless.

I've Got a Love-el-ly Bunch of Coconuts. . . . . . .

Now that I have activated my blog again, I have been going through my days thinking:  "I could blog about that", or "I can blog about that." Finding the time to put it all into the computer has been another story.  Tonight, however, I think I have both, an idea and the time. 

We try to have Family Home Evening every week, and because we own a trucking company and Doug is gone on Monday nights frequently, we have the lesson/scripture/family business part on Sunday, then follow up with the activity and treats on Monday.  Tonight we were able to do both and I had the presence of mind enough to capture some of it in pictures.  I told Doug that since I'm now a "blogger"  (up from Coos Bay, Oregon for those of you who have heard the Ray Stevens "Haircut" song.  lol (look it up on YouTube and you'll get it)) I need a good camera.   He said he would put that on my Christmas list.  lol  Tonight, after a very good lesson from Doug, we had a great activity compliments of Bountiful Baskets from yesterday.  We received 2 coconuts in our basket that excited everyone.  They were anticipating the creamy milk, the sweet meat, and planned to use that as our FHE treat. Doug got out the power tools, a hand drill and a saw, (because we had never opened a coconut before) and I looked on the Bountiful Basket facebook site and learned how to open them with a knife.  After our very stimulating lesson and thought (as you can see in the pictures below), Doug took one of the coconuts and proceeded to drill two holes in it at opposite ends to drain the "milk" into a cup, Austin and Cody used Cody's homemade machete' knife to knock a crack in the shell and pour the water from their coconut into a bowl.  Both were effective ways of accomplishing the same thing, , and we found out that it is not milk inside the coconut, but flavored water.  Everyone tasted a bit with great anticipations and it tasted bitter. The kids were disappointed, but willing to taste the "meat" and see if it tasted like the stuff you put on a German chocolate cake.  Sadly, it was also a bit bitter.  I think the fun of this activity was definitely in the journey (opening the coconuts) because the end result was a disappointment.  Luckily I was able to save the treat by melting chocolate chips and letting them dip pieces of the coconut into it, as well as the strawberries I got yesterday.  That seemed to soothe the disappointments.                                                    


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I know Austin in listening. . . . at least I think I know he is listening. 




Cody is trying out his machete' knife on the coconut, before Doug takes the drill to it.  (He made it himself. . .eek!)



Austin giving it a whack.  It took a couple of tries.



Cracked that baby!!  Water is clear though, not milky. . . hmmmm.

Cami pretending to be Kung Fu Panda imitating Master Shifu, Mady imitating Po with facial nerve paralysis.  lol



Dalyon just needs a hula skirt.  ALOOOOOOHA!!



There is nothing like experiencing something new together. 





A New Start

A few years ago I set up this blog thinking that I would document for our friends and family the things that our family is doing. I made it through one post and told myself I would "phone a friend" to help me figure it all out. Well, as life does, things got away from me and I haven't tried again until today. What has made me think about it again was my friend Raelene at work. Her daughter went to Taiwan to teach English and blogged her whole experience. After she was back, Raelene put her whole blog into a book and had it published. I thought that was a super way to journal and scrapbook and save your life history with pictures! So, here I am again, giving it a go. I still have the intention to call my friend and get some pointers, so I should get better and better at this as I learn and practice!







News of our family begins today with Camille's baptism last Saturday, February 5, 2011. I'm pretty sure it was one of our shining moments as a family. It was a private baptism for us, meaning that there weren't any other children getting baptised in our ward that day, so it was just us, our extended family and our ward family. The program ended up being just our family: Cody said the opening prayer, Mady gave the talk on baptism, Austin baptised Cami (which for me was very good. My oldest baptising my youngest. . cool!), I gave the Confirmation talk, and Doug confirmed her a member of the Church, then Dalyon gave the closing prayer. I am grateful to Maria and Jim Hall and their family for singing "Jesus Once Was Little Child", and we all sang other songs. The spirit of baptism is amazing, and add all the rest and you have an incredible day! I'm so proud of all of my children for being there and being worthy to participate in such an ordinance. It was truly one of my best days. It was also special for Cami because she was baptised the same day as one of her very best friends, Jessica Perry. Although our stake had us seperated into wards for the programs (Jess is in another ward), the girls were still able to get photo's together. Even the weather cooperated and the wind quit blowing for the day! Cami was excited too, because her cousins Sammy and Olivia came down from Tooele with their Dad and Grandpa Beutler. She says "It was the bestest day ever!!"









You know, I think I'm getting the hang of this blogging thing.