Random Rambles

A dear (and beautiful) friend checked in on me yesterday.  She had noticed my lack of blogging and wanted to make sure all was well in Phippsville.  Indeed, it is.  We’ve just been in a season of feeling like we were just keeping our heads above water with all we’ve had going on.  It’s been GOOD stuff, just lots of it!

Today’s blog is an attempt to catch you up on the past 6 weeks of our life…most likely in no particular order because oh, my brain….

****************

Sayble turned 7 months old and went in for her 6 month old check up. *ahem*  (Re-read the first paragraph…we’ve been a little busy).  She weighed in at 19 pounds and was 29 inches long!  She was terribly fussy yesterday – not usually her style – and lo and behold there was a sharp little nugget of a tooth pushing it’s way up!

Cute as a button...and bald as a cue ball!
Cute as a button…and bald as a cue ball!

She started eating baby food and LOVES it.  Kid is eating about 16 ounces a day and would eat more if I’d let her.  She’s still just as sweet and smiley and bald as ever.  It’s gonna grow.  Really it will.  Soon, sweetie…soon.

****************

We got new carpet! YAY!  That’s what happens when your adorable 6 month old starts the barrel-rolling/crawling phase and she’s wrapped around daddy’s finger and he thinks the old carpet that was here when we moved in needs to go.  Hey, whatever it takes!  😉 

It. Is. So. Soft.
It. Is. So. Soft.

****************

One of Wrex’s dreams came true and he got a pony…with a cart.  His name is Ernie and he’s about as wide as he is tall.  He’s 12 years old and is actually quite broke and talented.  The kids ADORE him and they can’t wait to ride him in a local parade.  Keep your eyes out for us!

Ernie and crew
Ernie and crew
Taking Wryder for a ride
Taking Wryder for a ride

****************

I had the honor of hosting a baby shower for one of the sweetest girls I know!  She is expecting a baby girl named Mesa Rae (isn’t that gorgeous?!) in January so we showered her with lots of love and gifts and (soup and cupcakes)!  It was a fun afternoon of celebrating mommy and baby to be.  There’s just something about a first-born girl…

Ali and Cliff
Ali and Cliff
Gifts!
Gifts!
The guest book
The guest book
Centerpieces
Centerpieces
Advice for momma
Advice for momma

****************

Sawyer has been DYING to have a Barbie Pop-Up Camper.  I mean, they are pretty cool.  I had the Barbie RV AND the Barbie Dream House when I was growing up so I get where she’s coming from.  😉

Wrex and I had pretty much finished her Christmas shopping and had gone back and forth on whether to take something we’d already gotten for her back to get this but that just didn’t set well with us.  She has a dollhouse that she plays with and we felt like the Pop-Up Camper would be similar and that she’d enjoy some of the other things we had already purchased a little better.

Pop-Up Camper was ALL we had heard about for quite a while and we just asked the Lord for wisdom on what to do.  She doesn’t have to have EVERYTHING she wants…this is the just the first thing she’s ever REALLY asked for by name.  People always ask her what she wants for Christmas or her birthday and she has no clue, so this was definitely different…we just didn’t know how to navigate it.  He answered.

She woke up last week and said she had an idea for us.  She wanted to know if she could cash in her piggy bank and then do chores to work and earn money to pay for the rest; we were definitely behind this plan!

The chore chart
The chore chart

Girl had $64 in her bank!  Thanks, sale barn buddies!  We created a chore chart and she’s been working outside and moving chickens and picking up trash and doing laundry and dishes to beat the band!  We saw it in Wal-Mart today and that added to the excitement.  I’m so proud of her for having a goal and working for it!  That will serve you well, sweet pea… 

Checkin' it out...
Checkin’ it out…

She did say she wasn’t going to buy it until AFTER Santa came because if he wanted to buy her one, she’d save her money for something else.  She’s a smart one, that one…

****************

Speaking of Santa, we went and saw him Monday evening in town.  He left a little to be desired in the santa looks department (no offense, sir!) and Sawyer was a little skeptical.  She told us afterwards, “He doesn’t talk like the santa we saw last year.  I’m pretty sure one of this is just some guy dressed up as santa…”  She’s a smart one, that one…

Skeptical about Santa
Skeptical about Santa
Ready to watch the parade
Ready to watch the parade
Sayble snuggling daddy
Sayble snuggling daddy
Shopping with Sayble.  I'm sure this is safe, don't worry...
Shopping with Sayble. I’m sure this is safe, don’t worry…

****************

We met up with the Phipps side of the family for Thanksgiving and the three youngest cousins got to meet each other for the first time!  These cuties were all born within about a month of each other.  We took somewhere between 50 and 100 pictures and I’m thinking this is one of the best ones we got!  Three babies plus a house full of people trying to get them all to smile equal chaos…

Saylor (8 months), Chase (7 months), Sayble (7 months)
Saylor (8 months), Chase (7 months), Sayble (7 months)

****************

Sawyer sold her first show heifer this past month with some help of daddy and her good friend John Tucker.  She got her check in the mail and opened her first checking/livestock account this past week.  My baby is growing up, it seems.

She picked out checks with horses on them and is so generous, she wanted Wryder’s name on them, too.

Signing her paperwork with our sweet friend, Katie
Signing her paperwork with our sweet friend, Katie
Sawyer and Corn Cob
Sawyer and Corn Cob

Even cooler than the checking account, she tithed off of her income to a ministry our church runs and supports called CARE Uganda. I helped host a fundraiser for them this fall and she’s as bought in as the rest of our family is.  So proud of my girl…

****************

In the midst of all of the busyness, we have had so much to be thankful for.  We have entered this Christmas season at a slower pace and a purposeful turning of our hearts towards Jesus.  We’ve spent our mornings with our hearts and noses in our advent readings and have worshiped through song before bed every night.  He is so worthy of it, friends…

Random Ramblings

My word, the weather was B-E-A-UTIFUL today!  71 degrees in January, are you kidding me??!  It was gorgeous!

We went to work with Wrexy today.  Wryder went grocery shopping with me, Sawyer stayed at the barn with daddy and then we all met up again.

Learning from the best...
Learning from the best…

We watched cows sell for a little while and then the kids and I took advantage of the weather and hit the park.  The kiddos had a ball and were covered in sand from head to toe.

Riding a squirrel?  Chipmunk?  What IS that thing??
Riding a squirrel? Chipmunk? What IS that thing??
Wryder loved this yellow horse...
Wryder loved this yellow horse…
Wheeeee!
Wheeeee!
Going down together!
Going down together!
Beauty
Beauty
CHEEEEESE!
CHEEEEESE!

****************

We got home, unloaded groceries and decided we STILL couldn’t drag ourselves indoors so we saddled up sweet Ozark and hit the road.

My evening view...
My evening view…

Old man looks really good these days.  We are so thankful for all of the days we’ve had with him and we’re praying for more…

After supper, they weren’t quite done riding horses so Sawyer volunteered.

Ride a little pony...
Ride a little pony…

It turned out to be more of a bucking bronc fest but it was good watching!

****************

I posted this picture of Sawyer on Facebook a day or so ago…

Fancy nancy
Fancy nancy

I love this girl’s style!  She loves accessories and shoes and fancy dresses; she is all girl and I love it!

She went upstairs to grab some jammies tonight and brought down some beads for me to put on her, too.

:)
🙂

Jewelry with pajamas?!  Of course!

****************

With all of the nesting/cleaning/rearranging going on, Wrex and I decided that our room would officially be downstairs and the kids would each have a room upstairs.  I always feel like our room gets neglected – does that happen to anyone else??  It’s the place we sleep and get dressed and other than that, we don’t spend much time there and I feel like it shows.

We used a little paint, bought a new bedspread, made some paper flowers, rearranged the room and voila – “new” bedroom!  I’m really happy with how it turned out…DSCF2704DSCF2705DSCF2706Hoping to get lots of rest in there tonight.  I feel whooped!

****************

It was just SUCH a good day.  A REAL good day.  And tomorrow…with 75 degrees as a high…I hope is even better.

Home on the Plains

It was an absolutely gorgeous day out on the plains of Colorado!  I mean, don’t get me wrong, there could still have been less wind, but considering…

Look at that sky!
Look at that sky!

We went into Grant this morning for Bible study and then we grabbed some Subway and headed to the park with friends!

Lunch with some cuties!
Lunch with some cuties!

The kids played and played and played some more…and Wryder may or may not have fallen out of the stroller because he wasn’t buckled properly.  Ahem.  We weren’t moving at the time and he’s fine, thankfully.  This has been one of those weeks where he’s gotten a little banged up.  He fell out of a little chair on Sunday and bonked his noggin, scraped his chin and cheek on the dollhouse, cut his nose with his fingernail and then the stroller fiasco.  Maybe I should put him in a padded room?!  Maybe he’s just a boy…

Post park, we loaded up and headed home to play outside some more.  Even the chickens enjoyed this beautiful day.  They were all out pecking around and took turns playing king of the mountain.

How cute are they?
How cute are they?

Daddy did some chores while Sawyer and I dug in the dirt, jumped on the trampoline and “baked some cakes” in the barn.  Then, it was pony time!

Be still my heart...
Be still my heart…

We rode out into the far pasture and I think the goat’s a little a out of shape.  She was panting like crazy as I stopped to snap a few pics…

Heavy breather...
Heavy breather…

Sawyer has really good balance and is really comfortable on Ozark and I’m still having to pry Wryder’s little hands off of the saddle horn when it’s time to call it quits.

I'm a cowboy, baby...
I’m a cowboy, baby…
Sweet pony...
Sweet pony…
A little choke-hold is good for brothers...
A little choke-hold is good for brothers…

Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for temps in the 80’s!   I’m thinkin’ we’ll be doing it all again tomorrow…

Horsin’ Around

Despite that nasty wind, today turned out to be decently nice out.  Wrex spent the morning digging up a busted pipe out by the well and we spent the afternoon with this handsome fella…

s15
Ozark the pony

Ozark is a sweet, sweet, sweet old man.  Wrex’s family bought him when Wrex was around 12 years old.  He stayed at their place for quite a while and then was sold to Wrex’s boss’ family in Denver.  Once we got settled out here on the plains, they generously gifted him back to us for our kiddos to ride; THAT was a superb, emotional day.

We’re not sure how old he is but our best guess is around 28-30.  He doesn’t have a tooth in his head and we spend a few dollars on feed each month…that then must be soaked in water so he can scarf it down…but he’s so very worth it!

He is such a good, solid guy; so calm and collected and trustworthy.  (Some of the same traits as my sweet hubby, I might add).  Sawyer loves the stuffin’ out of him (as do I) and I think our newest little cowboy does too.  Wryder got to go for his first ride today and I’m pretty sure that it was the highlight of his life thus far!  I had to literally pry his little chubby hands off of the saddle.

Look at that smile!
Look at that smile!

We don’t know how much longer he has on this ole earth but we are overjoyed and honored that he gets to live it out with us and we intend to soak it up as much as possible.  Horses are incredible creatures and we’d like our kids to learn to care for him and gain some horsemanship before it’s time to graduate up to the next level.

Gettin' all the dead winter hair outta there...
Gettin’ all the dead winter hair outta there…
How do ya like that outfit?
How do ya like that outfit?

We learned several years ago that Phipps means “lover of horses.”  I know that’s true for my hubby and I’m proud to say it’s true for our two cuties too…even though loving Ozark is pretty darn easy.

She's such a good big sister...
She’s such a good big sister…
Hold on tight!
Hold on tight!
Adorable, I know!
Adorable, I know!
My loves...
My loves…

Loving these guys is, too…