May 2018 Goat kids!!

Pearl gave birth to Biscuit sometime the day of Sunday, 6 May. The kids went down in the evening to check on the animals and came tearing back up the hill, "PEARL HAD A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!" 

We were all concerned--Pearl just wouldn't let Biscuit nurse. She was really agitated and jumpy, and since she was a first-time mom, and we were first-timers as well,...

...Elise...

...and Mason cozied up in the clean straw and bedded down for the night. My neighbor, who has milk cows, came over after his work shift and was able to help Biscuit latch on. So the human kids didn't end up spending the night at the barn--when my neighbor got there, Elise woke up and headed back to the house, with Mason following close behind her.

The next day we got Pearl on the milking stand, 

...and Biscuit was able to latch on. I don't think I've ever been so relieved in my life! Turns out, maybe the reason Pearl was so jittery the previous night was that she had another baby in there. Sadly, it didn't make it. We weren't there when it was born, and it was cold by the time Trevor noticed it on the ground under the straw. I nearly threw up, I was so mortified. This circle of life thing is understandable in theory, but heartbreaking in practice.

But Biscuit was thriving!

Trevor named him.

On Monday, 7 May, while we were down with Pearl and Biscuit, Lincoln noticed Ruby acting strange. Soon she gave birth to a little doeling.

And then another doeling!

And then a buckling! Triplets!!

She was such a good mama, cleaning them right up and nuzzling them.

She let them nurse within an hour after birth. 

We locked Pearl in the milking stand several times a day for the first week or so she and Biscuit could get used to each other. Grain helped with that training!

Elise named Ruby's babies Aster, Begonia, and Cosmos.

Out on pasture for the first time, 26 May.

We started milking them about 4 weeks after birth, more for us to learn how to do it than to actually get milk. The ladies didn't take too kindly to milking, hence the tied up back legs. We had to tie Pearl's legs for months and months, but Ruby got used to it quickly.

The triplets have always been a little scrawnier than Biscuit--he was twice the size of them in just a few months--no competition for him!

May 2018 Photo Dump

Ruthie was having a hard time going down for her nap, so one of the boys made her a bed. In the closet. On her dresser. Fortunately she didn't fall asleep!

Sammy leading stretching at the gym

Sammy got the "Most Improved Boy" award! Here with Jason Scott, the team captain and an all-around great guy!

Sammy's coach for the last 3 years was Rob Mitchell at the Wyoming School of Gymnastics Laramie. We're going to miss him! (He never smiles in pictures.)

Trevor loved going up on our hill to watch the sun set with me. I think it was a way for him to take in all the wonder of Wyoming and be okay saying goodbye.

At the top of the hill, just me and my boy.

Rips are a part of being a gymnast.

Sammy made Scout!

Mason and his best buddy Thomas made First Class!

To clean the windshield of the BFG one must stand on the bumper. It's still a bit of a stretch! I'm glad Elise learned to drive on a giant car. Now anything else is easy!

Corey Billington and Stephen at UWyo graduation.

From Trevor: "Dear Mom I wish I cude love you more!!!!"

Trevor got really anxious as the time to moved crept closer. Along with wanting to go up the hill nearly every night for the sunset, he got a bit clingy to me--and expressed it in many, many notes and drawings. This is our house and he and I on the swing in the backyard. 

Bubbles!!

Because we weren't busy enough, Stephen had a conference in Chicago. 

Big Jack in our yard.

Piano recital! Allie, Mason, Thomas, me, Hinckley, Pam holding Ezra, Annie, Sammy, Elise and Pam's student.

May campout!

The boys had an amazing Scout troop in Wyoming, led by the fearless Braeden Hyde.

Campouts every month, and possibly the ward's favorite Scouting event:

The Dutch Oven cookoff! Each Scout was paired up with an adult (Mason got my dear, dear friend, Teasha) and prepared a feast for everyone!

Oh yeah, kittens. All 3 mama cats had kittens. 13 in total.

Elise and her besties, Sheldon, Hazel, and Ethan

My brother, Scotty, and his wife, Marni, welcomed perfect twin girls the beginning of May. Megan is named after Marni's sister, Megan, who passed away over 10 years ago, and little Karin is named after my mom. 

Sammy, Ezra, and I went down for several days to help out--Sam did a lot of babysitting Ezra and Callahan. I did a bunch of helping out (I hope!) and feeding babies and changing babies and loving babies!

See the kittens? And how Elise doesn't have a bedroom? Some things never change, I guess!

Twinning Tuesday

Mason is wearing Stephen's polo from when he was in high school

May is possibly the best month in Laramie--not too much snow, and things are green!

We were downtown for some reason so I (finally) took the kids on the Laramie train yard bridge. I gotta admit, I was terrified they were going to fall through the railings and get run over by a train. 

Ruthie is helping by shoveling the water out of the puddles. In Trevor's boots. And her nightgown. 

Home.

At the end of the month, Stephen, Ezra, and I flew to Washington to look for houses. My dad came along, too, so fun! We found 0 houses, but one piece of property that was promising.

No joke, these were our fortunes at the hotel the night we figured out that we could afford to do one of the following:
1) purchase property
2) build a house
That was kind of a downer.