Well, someone should really post on this blog, so I, Tearsa, decided that I should do it. I don't know if anyone has even looked at this blog recently since nothing new has been posted on it for months, but I would like to direct your attention to the new header that I personally think is marvelous. We were taking Christmas pictures and this was our "funny one." I wanted to use it for our card, but Mom wouldn't let me. (If you didn't get a Christmas card from us this year, don't feel bad. It wasn't too exciting [just a picture, no letter], and you get to see the funnier picture here on the blog anyway. And if your last name starts with one of the latter letters of the alphabet, your card could possibly still be in the postal system, since some of the cards didn't get sent until recently.) I personally like this picture because all of my brothers look ridiculous and I am taller than all of them!
Every thing is coming up is really how I should title this post! Right now I am getting ready to do a Bazaar (Knull Grange) that happens the weekend after Thanksgiving, those things need to be turned in Monday. We are also making plans to travel to Utah for Thanksgiving to be with Tearsa. So in a week or so look for a post about our travels, but hopefully I can get another done before that on Drey's eagle scout award. We have been busy here, but healthy. And the weather has been good.
Note: The beautiful roses came from a funeral that we attened last weekend. It was for Aaron's Aunt Gin, who is his Grandma Viola's sister. Genevieve Rose Wright, who was 99 1/2 years old.
The roses held up beautifully for days....and then I fed them to the chickens.
This week I have been working on making mixes of candy bar brownies. There are new cellophane bags at the local store....and I think they are beautiful! The above photo is of a few bags on the kitchen counter, and the sun steaming in.
I made a lot of mixes! I haven't decided if it is best to buy 'fun size' candy bars before Halloween on sale, or afterwards at half price. I decided I wanted a good selection without the shopping battles, so I bought them early. Taft came into the kitchen after I finished getting all the candy bars into the packages and said "You wasted all the candy???" The next morning I gave him a kit kat bar, since I did have a couple bars left, only to find the wrapper laying in the carport. I think I know why I wasted the candy bars! Anyhow I am making the mixes to sell and to have some in my pantry. Last night I wrapped them in ribbon (while watching Perry Mason) now I need to get labels made ( so I can watch more Perry Mason).
On Oct 7th Taft broke his nose. How you might be wondering how? With the metal bar of the trampoline coming down on the top bridge of his nose. It was later in the evening (dark) and the boys were out playing on the trampoline. Someone had the great idea of having the tramp on it's side then jumping on it. Well, Drey jumped (he is rather large) and Taft was holding the tramp on its side....which came down with great force on his face. I might have 4 boys but I really don't understand how they think.
Never the less it was a painful evening. When I got to Taft he was leaning over the brick sidewalk, with a puddle of blood down below him. I got him in the house, where it took a while for it to stop bleeding. Taft isn't one to be crying, and he deals with pain better than anyone I know, but he was having a difficult time. After a bit, I had him lay down on the sofa with some pillows propping him up, his nose just keep a slow trickle of blood draining. Then he started shaking, and we got more blankets on him. I couldn't believe how quickly and how much swelling his nose did those first few minutes!
Aaron wasn't home, but at a meeting. I knew I couldn't take him to the doctors, the office being closed left us with the emergency room for a choice. But I didn't think they could do anything that night. But I was having a hard time handling this one alone. I called Aaron and was able to get him out of his meeting and home. He was able to give Taft a priesthood blessing, which brought great comfort to me. We worked hours that night with ice, a bag of it was too heavy on his face, so two ice cubes in a wash cloth, that way we could position the ice on both sides of his nose. Even with Motrin (adult strength, "do I have to swallow these whole?") it took till midnight for him to fall sleep on the sofa.
Come morning I called the doctors office. I understand with a broken nose that it needs to be checked, in case there is a problem with the sinuses. The doctor (Trotter) looked at his nose, said it looked broken....but he wasn't going to bother with an x-ray. Why? Because he would treat it the same way rather it was broken or not. He said that Taft's nose was in alignment, which meant he wouldn't have any troubles with his sinuses. Also that there wasn't a blood clot, which is another concern. Taft was given a spray for his nose to use twice a day for two weeks to help reduce swelling and heal quicker. 
By the way, before we went to the doctors office I borrowed a camera from the neighbor. I wish I had it the first night, since that was when things were really huge. But I took a few days worth of photos so you can see his progress, but it is hard to get the true effect of size and color in these photos. After the first night he said that it really didn't hurt, unless he bumped it. The color around his eyes came and left quite quickly. Actually the whole thing has healed very well.
Sorry, no photo for this post....Aaron didn't think it was a good idea to have a photo anyway.
Taft shot himself a Deer! He put in for a draw this year and was able to get a deer tag....and shot his first deer. His cousin Jared was with him helping him. They dreamed up the idea of having Taft get up on the pivot to get a better shot at them....but he might have been better off staying with his cousin at the stack of straw. Jared helped skinned the animal and cut his thumb, getting 5 stitches put in it. This all happened when we had our California relatives down to visit; June & Ken and Sally & Ted. (who should have stayed longer!)
A couple of days later Drey was out with his dad and a few brothers hunting for his Antelope and shot one. I am ever so grateful that the boys have decided to fork over some money and have their wild meat made into jerky. They saved some of it, which Drey and Aaron have been cooking over the grill the last couple of days, which is really good.
By the way, we have LOTS of deer and antelope this year on our property. Nice, well I think so....but it is a different story when you start thinking how your crops are feeding them!
This last weekend Pheasant Season opened. Our friend Dave from Utah came up and spent the weekend with us. Drey with his eagle eye was able to get two birds.
A Huntin' we will go.....
The heifers (last years calves) arrived last week. They are unloading and coming into corral next to our house. Aaron isn't wild about having them come home, since it means feeding them morning and night. The bulls are in a field across the road from our house. The cows are in other fields on the farm. That snow the other weekend brought them down from the hills.
Here is the truck that brought one of the groups (there are a couple hundred heifers) of heifers. Aaron is in front with the hooded sweatshirt. Did you know that these cattle trucks have two layers of cattle space? The guy is up on the truck trying to get the upper group of cattle to move down the ramp. By the way, pig trucks have 3 layers for the animals.
I love chickens! My father was raised on a chicken farm (they sold eggs). I have been begging Aaron for years to get some chickens. Thankfully Drey loves chickens too. So last winter/spring he worked on making a chicken coop, out of an old building, wiring it etc. He bought chicks (yes, his own money) in the spring, and we have all been enjoying them since.
I bought a few odd chicks at the local store (Drey studied and ordered his chicks, I went on how cute they were) so we have a variety. The above photo is a gathering of them, when I bought down the old stuff from the garden. Notice the roaster in the top right? Yes, he is crowing, and they do that all day long....I like it but a minute doesn't go by without them making noise.
This photo has a couple of our odd birds. Drey could tell you the varieties, but I can't. The black one in front really has feathers on its head and looks odd. At first it looked like a stylish hat, now, it has grown to just a 'bad hair day' look. Little Peeps is in the back, he is full grown and half the size of everyone else.
Here is a couple of roasters, the one on the left is beautiful and a favorite variety. That is either Scobby or Elvis, (I can't tell them apart, but Drey can). I love those polka dotted birds, which next spring we are planning on buying some hens of that variety. They are so friendly and make a great pet....but as roasters they are a pain in the neck! The one on the left is much smaller than the average bird, with feathers on his legs.
Here is photo 2 of the two of them fighting. It is something to see them raise their feathers up like this. I am thinking soon we will have a lot less roasters, and have peace at the chicken coop.
We have started selling eggs, so that we can raise money for feed, and next years plans for chicks.
