Peyton's 1st Day of Kindergarten

Today was Peyton's 1st Day of Kindergarten. She has been so excited to go to Kindergarten and to ride the bus. She has been on the count down of days since last week and since this morning was on the countdown of hours.

A couple stressing but now we can say funny things happened today. First of all, Peyton got to bed a little later than we had intended last night so I told her that she would need to sleep in this morning so that she was rested for school. Well Houston had other plans as far as sleeping in and was awake at 6:45 a.m. He woke Peyton up with his jabbering so she came and crawled in bed with me. The later it got this morning the noisier it got and she started to get frustrated saying "Hooston (as she prounces his name), be quiet. I am trying to get rested for school".

After we got all ready we proceeded to take the traditional "1st Day of School" pictures on the front porch. But we immediately became startled by a baby snake believed to be dead as it did not move after multiple attempts from us throwing sticks and rocks at it.


After we realized the snake was not going to eat us we continued on with the photo shoot.






After the front porch pictures, Houston and I walked Peyton to her bus stop. Where we waited and waited and waited until finally I decided when it was 3 minutes to when school was supposed to start that I better just run her to school myself.






While driving Peyton to school I noticed an Alpine School District bus pulling out of the subdivision across the highway. I stopped to find out if it was her bus. The bus contained an old man that indeed was her bus driver but not another soul. He was lost holding a map asking me for directions but did ensure me that he would do better tomorrow. Yeah, that made me feel better. He also told me that Peyton could hop on the bus and he would take her to school after he went to all the bus stops. I felt it was a better idea to take her myself. So she only ended up being 10 minutes late for her 1st day, but here she is in class finally.


After I dropped her off to school and was on my way home I noticed an Alpine School District bus driving slowly along the highway. I looked and it was her bus driver holding his map across the steering wheel reading it and there was still not another soul on the bus. Thank goodness somebody from the school told me she would have a different bus driver coming home. Phew!!! At least I thought. Houston and I walked down to the bus stop to meet Peyton and just as we got there a bus went by and turned to go out on the highway. I just assumed it wasn't her bus until it stopped for a couple minutes and then proceeded to do a U-turn, came back to the bus stop, and there was my little Peyton standing in the door.


Not sure if the bus driver didn't know to drop her off or if Peyton forgot to get off when the bus may have stopped there the 1st time before me and Houston got there which means the bus was early. She now tells me that she forgot to get off the bus. But anyways she is home and she had a fun 1st Day of Kindergarten. Let's hope for a smoother day tomorrow especially since my sitter's carpool will take her to school and I will just need to worry about her taking the bus home.

So there you have it. Our story of the 1st Day of Kindergarten. I have heard others scary "1st Day" stories especially with the buses and never really believed it until now.

Region Riding Club Show

This past weekend was our Region Riding Club Show in Logan. We got up there on Friday mid morning and came home yesterday. The show started at noon on Friday and didn't get over until late that night and then started back up bright and early at 8:00 am on Saturday and ran all day getting over late that night.

We was a little bummed when we got there because there were events we thought our club qualified 6th in and found out that they actually only took 5 places from District to Region. Oh well, we still had teams in every event except for Ladie's Pleasure, Single Barrels, and Trailer Race.

Our club did really well again. We placed in Cow Cutting, took 2nd in both Parade and Drill, placed in Team Barrels, placed in Hide Race, placed in the Flat and Relay Races, took 1st and 3rd in Wild Cow Milking, drew in for Calf Roping, took 3rd in Breakaway Roping, took 1st and 4th in Potato Race, took 2nd in Keyhole, took 1st and 3rd in Pony Express, and we are the 1st Alternate for Team Poles so hopefully we go to State in that too if another team drops out.

Bradyn and Ostertag did well. Their Relay Race team took 3rd, Potato Race team took 1st, Pony Express team took 1st, and Pole Team is 1st Alternate. So he will be going to State in everything if we move up in Poles.

Me and Jet did well too considering we had to stand and do Parade on the Race Track. That's something about former Race Horses, they never forget the track. We were on the Parade and Drill Team and took 2nd in both and we are on the same Pole Team as Bradyn and are 1st Alternate. Hopefully if we move up, I will be going to State in everything too.

We had a ton of fun just camping and hanging out with our club and mingling with other clubs from our District. We can't wait to go back up there for State in 2 weeks. Thanks Grandma Pat and Uncle Wade for helping us out with our kids. They had so much fun going to the cabin with you guys.

Bradyn was so good to take pictures of me during Parade and Drill again. I am such a slacker and didn't get any pictures of him. I promise I will be better at State.


Parade Team waiting on the track to go into the arena


Parade (Cindy C., Collette and Me)


Me in Drill

Cindy C. and Me in Drill


Tana and Me in Drill

End of Summer Backyard Fun!

We are soaking up every last minute of what is left of summer. We have had such a FuN and BuSy summer this year. It seems like every year it gets busier and busier and I am sure as the kids get older they will get even busier with all of their activities too.

This summer most of our time was spent on our horses with riding club once and sometimes twice a week, riding club shows, riding trips in the mountains, Bradyn competed in a few local rodeos, Bradyn also did a little roping with buddies, we took Peyton to a junior rodeo and a couple horse shows, and just goofing around on the horses in the backyard. We also went to some local horse races, took a trip to Farmington, NM to visit my mom, rafting down the river, went camping a few times, family reunions, swimming, birthday parties, weddings, and just hanging out with family and friends. And Peyton had the opportunity to go to New Mexico to spend time with my parents and brother for a little over a month which she really enjoyed.

Now that summer is winding down it's time for Peyton to start up school, dance and maybe tumbling and hopefully we will be able to just get back into a routine. And before we know it that holidays will be here :).

Thanks to everybody for making our summer great! We hope you all have had a great summer as well.


Peyton running the Poles on her 4-Wheeler




Houston and Lefty



Houston wasn't going to let his dad get away with not letting him ride the 4-Wheeler too!

District Riding Club Show

This year Bradyn and I joined the Bluffdale Bronx Riding Club. It's a brand new club that some our friends started up. We started riding on April 7th and have rode every Wednesday night since plus a few Sundays in between. We have loved it! We have so much fun riding with all our friends and it has been so good for our horses. I have loved to see the transformation of our horses from that first day of riding to where they are now since our horses are doing events that they had never really done prior to this year.

This last weekend was our District Show (1st show) and it was held in Herriman. I qualified in Team Poles and the Water Race and am on the Parade and Drill Team. In Poles me and Jet did great and so did my team and we ended up 5th overall and will move on to Region. In Water Race our team didn't do so well. And then our Parade and Drill Team took 2nd in both. Yeah!!! We did so good after all of our hard work and will be moving on to Region in both of those.

Bradyn qualified for quite a few teams. He is such a natural when it comes to this stuff and did riding club for years. He placed in the Trailer Race, Team Penning, Potato Race, Pony Express and was on the same Pole Team as me. The only thing he is not moving on to Region in is Team Barrels and Team Keyhole.

Our entire club did very well. We have at least 1 or both teams going to Region in Parade, Drill, Cow Cutting, Men's Pleasure, Pair's Pleasure, Reining Pattern, Team Barrels, Hide Race, Trailer Race, Team Penning, Wild Cow Milking, Ribbon Pull, Calf Roping, Team Roping, Breakaway, Water Race, Potato Race, Poles Singles, Team Poles, Team Keyhole, Pony Express, Relay Race, and Flat Track Races. The only events we don't have anybody going to Region in is Ladie's Pleasure, Barrels Singles and Keyhole Singles. Way to go Bluffdale Bronx!!!

My Grandma Carolyn was so nice to offer to help us out with our kids. I didn't even have to ask her. She drove all the way in from Hanna on Friday and stayed at our house with our kids so that we could go to the show and not have to worry about them getting run over by some crazy horse (believe me, there are some crazies at these shows). I don't worry so much about Peyton but Houston is fearless when it comes to horses. Plus it really made it a lot easier since between the 2 of us we were in so many events and had to help time and stewart on events that we weren't in. Thanks Grandma for helping us out! The kids really liked spending time with you.

Our Region show is this coming weekend in Logan. We are really excited and hope our club does well. Go Bronx!!! To make it easier for us my Grandma Pat didn't hesitate to offer to help us with the kids. So they are going to go with her to her cabin. I think they will have more fun up there anyways. I used to love spending weekends at the cabin with my Grandparents. Thanks Grandma! The kids are really excited for this weekend.


Tiffanie and I getting ready for Parade


Parade Team (from left to right: Cindy C., Collette, Me, Tiffanie, Codi, Amber, Lisa, Kellie, Tana and Valynn carrying the flag)


Cindy C., Collette and Me in Parade


Me and Jet in Drill


The Wave in Drill (from left to right: Amber, Lisa, Cindy C., Me, Tana, Valynn, Kellie and Tiffanie)

I couldn't believe it, but Bradyn grabbed my camera and took all of these pictures. I was so busy and didn't get any pictures of the other events. Amber took some really awesome pictures of everybody so when I get them from her I will post some more.

Girls Ride

Last Saturday me and some of my friends went on the annual Girls Ride on horses up the hills west of Herriman while the guys all stayed back at the house. This was the first year that I have gone and I had so much fun that I plan to make it a tradition.

I guess when they first started the Girls Ride a few years back, one of the husbands sent their wife on the Girls Ride and surprised her by having dinner made at the bottom of the canyon. Well they had dinner made when we got back but I know Bradyn didn't do a whole lot of cooking cause we were assigned cornbread and I had it made before we went.


Kallie, Me and Tana before the ride


Me, Tana and Kallie with our saddle bags loaded ready to head out


Tana and Kallie


Some of the other girls


Tana


Me


More of the other girls


Tana, Kallie and Me


Jake and Tana after the ride


Kendall and Kallie after the ride

Mine and Bradyn's picture from after the ride turned out terrible so I will not be posting it. I don't know what we were thinking.

After the ride we ate dinner at Buzz and Marsha's and all just hung out. And the next morning the guys all went out on a Guy's Ride. But I am sure they didn't have as much fun as the girls.

Headed to the County Fair

Last Friday night after we took the kids swimming we hurried home and got changed and then headed back up to South Jordan to take the kids to the Salt Lake County Fair.


Peyton feeding carrots to the animals in the petting zoo


Houston in the petting zoo


Since Houston about lost a finger to a sheep at the last fair, he is a leary now when it comes to sheep and goats


The kids loved the rides

Swimming Lessons

This last week Peyton took swimming lessons. Before she started she was a little nervous because she didn't want the teacher to put her head under the water. I don't know what she was talking about because starting the first day, everytime I looked she was swimming around like a seal diving underneath water with her head under constantly and she loved it. She did so good and is really turning into a good little swimmer. I was really bummed though that they didn't have a class for Houston. I guess he is still too young.



Peyton's class



Peyton loved jumping off of the diving board

Bradyn got off work early on Friday so he was able to go with us to Peyton's last lesson. After her lesson we all stayed and swam. It felt good to get in the cool water cause it was so hot. Houston loved finally being able to get in since he had to sit on the sidelines all week and just watch his big sister and the other kids enjoying the water.