Joy

Growing up on a farm- small as it may have been in comparison to those around us- there was never a shortage of animals to love on, cuddle with , chase or otherwise annoy. Often times, our dog Sheba had a litter of puppies that we could spoil with attention for 8 weeks before they went off to their new homes. I am always grateful for the time, memories and lessons learned there.  As an animal lover, raising puppies brought some of my favorite memories. Imagine my surprise when mom agreed that raising puppies again would be a fun venture.  We always had Australian shepherds growing up. They are excellent farm helpers and so smart. It went with out saying that Aussies would be our breed again. They are quite popular in our area of Colorado since they are such capable farm dogs as well as great family dogs.

Tough thing was actually FINDING a puppy. My mom and dad have Buddy, a full breed Australian shepherd so we just needed a female. It was  a few months before a friend of a friends mom posted on Facebook that she had a litter of pure bred Aussies ready for homes. Kristi texted me right away to let me know of her find. That very day we made plans to go see them and the next day we were on our way to Fort Morgan to pick one out.

Meet Joy- the sweet tri-colored female Aussie . Not only is she already so smart but she's a great playmate for the kids ( and vice versa) . In about a year, Joy will be ready to be a mommy and I am excited that my kids will have the same experience I did with puppies.

Mackenzie showing Joy around the farm.

12 years

 Mike and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary .  On our wedding day, I remember thinking " They are actually gonna let us get married? Are we old enough to do this?" And to that question, I'm sure many would have said no. The odds would have been in the favor of the naysayers. Two kids , their feet barely wet in the pool of life, who met on the internet and had only seen each other face to face four times?  And now, I sit wondering how we're old enough to have been married for 12 years. As I smile at the handsome way Mike's beard is greying and watch him with our kids in a life we've built together , I am so happy to have him next to me every day.

My mom watched the kids for the entire day of our anniversary! We hardly knew what to do with all those hours. We ate a breakfast so filling that it lasted us until dinner  and browsed stores at our own, unhurried pace. We chatted and finished stories- start to finish with no interruptions. We ended our evening in Boulder having sushi, feeling pleasantly full- literally and figuratively .

Howdy!

 I can almost hear him say it when I read the world. My grandpa's greeting, whether in person or on the phone, has always been " Howdy!"  It's one of several trademarks of his that bring a smile to my face when I think of him. 

We celebrated Grandpa's 88th birthday a few weeks ago.  It's always great to see the family and watch in amazement as the second cousins play together in the same way my cousins and I did as kids. Grandpa recently had an article written about him in the local paper. " Too old to dance? HECK NO! " was the title and the article outlined Grandpa's amazing energy, particularly when it comes to polka dancing!

 Another of Grandpa's trademarks- a red handkerchief tucked in the back pack of his Wranglers.

 Those who could make it had a fun time. Of course, with 6 siblings in my dad's family ( 2 living out of state), I don't think I'd have a lens that could capture every last one of us.

My dad and his sisters and brother and Grandpa

Fantastic Farm

 Yes! More farm pictures. I just can't help it. The lighting, the big sky, it all makes for so many wonderful pictures.

 

A new baby arrived on the farm!

Signs of change

 Though the temps don't show it, it is fall. Our thermometer today reads nearly 90 but the leaves are changing and falling and collecting in piles below.  In attempts to urge my clients to book their fall photo sessions early, I set out to gather evidence that fall was in a hurry .

Next up- Grammy!

 Grammy was coming! And no one could wait. The days trickled by but finally, it was time to head to the airport to get her. Mack got to skip school- a surprise to Grammy and to her- so we loaded up the two kids and the ants in their pants and headed out. 

 It took no time at all before Grammy was whisked away , bouncing back and forth between kids room, patting this dog, scratching that one. Countless stories were read and I'm sure Grammy forgot what it was like to make a quick trip bathroom with out serious inquires about her planned duration coming from the other side of the door.

Mackenzie just couldn't imagine not taking Grammy to Hover park for some crawdad fishing.  After waiting out a torrential rain, she could finally show Grammy how it's done.

Crawdad fishing didn't hold Mason's attention long but the puddles left over after the rain storm, did.

Rainbow after the storm

Picture day landed on a day that Grammy was here. I decided to forgo school photos for some to my own liking. Mackenzie is wearing the dress Grammy brought her and the necklace Cass made for her.

Mr. Man wouldn't miss a chance for an early morning swing while I snap pics of Sister Girl

No one is ever lonely in our house.

Mason was excited to take Grammy to Petsmart. There were kittens there this day!

Tea party for three!

The kiddos and Grammy on her last night here. They're both wearing the vests she made for them. Hopefully we can meet Grammy in Michigan next summer!

Sister, sister

Life gets busy and sometimes you don't even have time to think about how much you miss someone. Then one day, you just find them in everything you do. That's how it was for me in Early August. I was really missing my sister, Nicole. I'd find a funny saying that I know she'd laugh at or a cute outfit or a song from our childhood would run across the forefront of my brain . Maybe it was because her birthday was coming or we'd had a few family events and noticed her absence-everywhere I went, there was a thought of Nikki, Pikki. Lucky for me, it was then that Ben surprised her with a visit to Colorado for her birthday. The weekend she was here was full and busy but I was so happy to have a " Nikki Fix" .  We attempted a photo shoot, the three of us, however it was quickly proven to a certain member of the family that composing a good photo isn't just clicking a button. Needless to say, the photos aren't public worth but they do provide a few laughs to those privy to seeing them.