Our Aweful Beautiful Life

 We got a great snow toward the end of January, enough to finally go out and play in. AND PLAY WE DID. It started with a stuck ranger, carried on with lots of screaming and giggles and excitement and ended with feeding the cows in the snow. Pics loaded in opposite order, but you get it. Aunt Jess, Mer, Madi & Uncle Jacob, Aunt Makayla, Clayton & Reagan - we had a great day! So much fun putting that lake innertube we won to good use on the snow covered fields of E Robinson Ct! 

 We put a bow on January by watching our oldest turn 13. Our first teenager. HOW WEIRD. What feels like three blinks ago he was a pudgy little dude walking around, pumping his fist saying "Bowler Up" or putting on his denim overalls to go ride in the buddy seat. Now he's driving those machines, playing the game of basketball and just making us blink our eyes in disbelief at every turn. We aren't sure where the years have gone, but it's been so fun watching this kid grow and develop his passions. Hands down, his passion are his show calves. Colton, you've been such a student to this trade. It's been fun as a parent watching you ask questions, soak it all in, and then practice what you've been taught. Each year you've done better and better with your project - and I've told you -nothing makes me more proud than watching you go into the show ring with dirty hands from fitting your own animals. You still love sports - football, basketball & bas...

 We kicked off show season with this set of calves in mid-January at the Central Indiana Winter Spectacular, a first time show down in Cloverdale, Indiana. I'm not sure what was more fun - being with our kids and friends at a cattle show, or listening to our kids meddle over the thought of staying in a Motel 6.  (Backstory on this one -- when I worked at Purdue/in the Conference division, I held a few conference at The Hyatt in downtown Indianapolis. When I had events there, I'd earn points. We then would use those points for free night stays....I think I had maybe 15 or so over the years. So, the only hotel my kids know, is a Hyatt, because unbeknownst to them, it was FREE.....which is the ONLY reason we stayed in such a nice place with young kids. So, imagine their dismay when the Motel 6 in Cloverdale didn't have an Eagles Nest rotating up top, or an indoor pool and hot tub/workout area. We have officially raised hotel snobs.....because when we finally took them to the k...

 Everyone now and again (at least once a month it feels like, in this house.....) - there's a 24 hour span where life is just flat WEIRD. You look back like, "did this really just happen? Is this my life"? Thankfully, this little flashback will be one we can laugh and shake our heads about...... Friday was just a day. Em had Addi here. It was a virtual school day. Keaton had show and tell with his classmates (Mrs. Brown you are a BRAVE lady....that's a lot of chaos). Colton was doing his thing. I was trying to work. Keaton, somewhere in the midst of showing off in front of Addi cut a chunk out of his hair....but thankfully, 10am came and we got them all onto their zooms. I had a short respite before the girls were asking for help with Math and lunch time was nearing. And seriously.....#math. Ugh.  Colton was un-impressed that he had to write three paragraphs about why PE should be required. "It just should. This is dumb"....was not a Mom approved response to...