RaRa Robin

Wrex bought an old, bred milk cow that Wryder really took a liking to.  He named her RaRa Robin (after his grandma).  She’s the sweetest ole thing…and she really loved him, too.

Wryder and RaRa
Wryder and RaRa

We all waited so patiently for her to have her baby and prayed and prayed that the kids would be able to watch see that baby born.

In the days before she calved, Wryder took such great care of her.  He’d walk to the corn stalks south of our house and grab a couple of partial ears of corn, bring them home and shell them for her.

Shellin' corn
Shellin’ corn

We’d been watching her and checking on her every few hours every day.  Wrex was even getting up in the night to check her.  One Monday morning, they went out to check her and then Sawyer came runnin’ back to the house telling me that RaRa’s water bag was hanging out!

I threw some shoes out and sure enough, a baby was about to be born!  Wryder brought a lick tub over outside the fence and within 10 minutes, the kids got to see LIFE!

Good momma!
Good momma!

RaRa had a sweet little heifer calf that Wryder has named – are you ready for this?  Betty Harbor Baby Whanny Kroeker Phipps.  Ahem.

Wryder and Betty
Wryder and Betty

Despite that big ole bag RaRa has, there’s not much milk to be had so we all made the decision to sell her so that Wryder could buy a cow to really get his herd started, just like Sawyer did at four.

My big boy was so brave!  He loved sweet RaRa but understood that it was the responsible thing to do.  He didn’t cry at all…and I bawled all day!

One last goodbye
One last goodbye
Love this sweet boy
Love this sweet boy

He took her to the sale barn with dad on Monday and got her sold.

Watchin' her sell
Watchin’ her sell

This boy is just one of the sweetest, funnest, brightest balls of energy I’ve ever met!  Saying goodbye to a good friend – even when that friend is an animal – is never easy and he did it with such grace.  So proud of my brave boy.  Here’s to finding the next great one!

Worth 1,000 Words – Dance Dance Dance

For Sawyer’s 6th birthday, we signed her for dance lessons.  She’s taken jazz and tap lessons for the past year and has really enjoyed herself!

She finished up her 4th recital for the year and did so well (and looked as cute as a button)!

Beautiful dancer!
Beautiful dancer!
Quick photo with mom before she hit the stage
Quick photo with mom before she hit the stage
Blue suede shoes
Blue suede shoes
Space jam...with her tongue out!
Space jam…with her tongue out!
Cute little toot!
Cute little toot!

Brother was awfully proud of her and picked out a hot pink rose for her!

Melt. My. Heart.
Melt. My. Heart.
So sweet
So sweet
Seriously?!  Swoon.
Seriously?! Swoon.

We’re gonna take the summer of and see what this next fall will bring!

Save

Save

Mother’s Day 2017

I’ve had some really good Mother’s Day celebrations…like last year, celebrating a less than week old Sayble.

I’ve had some not-so-great Mother’s Day celebrations…like the year Wryder was born and I was sicker than a dog.  I mean, SICK.

This year?  This year was one for the record books – it was just a really, really good day.

The kids had me stay in bed until they said I could come out.  Well, if you insist!

Wrex had breakfast cooked and they had some really fun gifts and cards and pictures for me – melt my heart!

Happy Mother's Day, mom!
Happy Mother’s Day, mom!
A Lego Mother's Day wish!
A Lego Mother’s Day wish!
My card from Wryder.  Just WOW.
My card from Wryder. Just WOW.

We spent some time outside and then I got to spend the majority of the day with the girl who made me a momma as she performed in her last dance recital of the season.

When she was all done, we came home and hung out with the rest of the family outside because it was beautiful!  We took a little golf cart tour into the neighboring pastures and Wryder got to show me the dead cow he’d seen – a real treat!  Ha!

I remember going through a season where being called “mom” (by a friend, out of sarcasm and a nod to my mature, responsible nature) felt like an insult.  I was young!  I was fun!  I wasn’t a mom!  I don’t quite know what was going on in my heart…but just let me say oh, how the tides have turned.  There’s not much sweeter to my ears than hearing, “Mom/Momma.”  (I mean, the 580th time on a Friday, I might not enjoy it as much as the first time I hear it on a random Tuesday, but still…)

Being “momma” is a badge I wear with pride! So thankful for these sweet little cubs – some of my favorite people/best friends/the most wonderful little humans on the planet!  They are the product of our love, our reward, our heritage.

My babies
My babies

It’s an amazing thing to have the opportunity to shape the future by what you spend your time on and pour into today.  Nothing is wasted in the Kingdom of heaven and nothing is wasted in motherhood – no hug is addled, no words will return void, no teaching or training or correcting will turn up empty.  It ALL matters.  I am thankful I get to be the full time shoe tier, hands washer, book reader, swing pusher, hair brusher, nap time tucker in-er, school teacher, morning pray-er, owie kisser…

I’m thankful for their daddy, too – for lots of reasons – but especially for the fact that he works so diligently so that I can be at home during the week to actually BE momma.

Good gosh, I love this man
Good gosh, I love this man

Some days in mommyland are just plain hard.  Some days are just plain cake.  But all of them?  All of them are worth it.

Cheers, mommas!