My boys

Today was a great day. It started rather early, the alarm went off at 4AM! Cody, Sam and I were out the door by twenty till 5. We met Wayne in Columbia and the four of us drove to Wentzville, MO for the Regional Wrestling Finals. Centralia club sent 28 boys, which I thought was oustanding! We qualified 11 to go on to State Tournament, on the last weekend of this month. SAM INCLUDED!!!!
Sam's day started out like alot of them, he had a pretty easy first match in the second round, had a bye in the first round as he was seeded 1st in the bracket. The bye and two wins under his belt going into the semi final match, he had his first really well matched competition this year. This kid was about Sam's twin, physically and just as strong. But the advantage came in the fact that Sam's opponent has wrestled ALOT more than Sam has this year. I believe the Mom told me that they hadn't sat out a weekend all season. (either they are way more dedicated than us, or have alot more free time and disposable income......) Anyway, Sam lost in that round, he came off the mat, frustrated and I tended to agree, b/c we thought he had the kid pinned, and the ref didn't get down and see it fast enough.......oh well I guess. In Wrestle backs Sam picked up another win by pin (had three all together today!!) which set him up to wrestle for third place. Went into the third place match ready to go and did the job and we came away with third place, not a bad spot, considering the two above him, generally place high at National tournaments.
Cody didn't end up qualifying for State, but had a GREAT day as well. Lost in the second round, as his first round opponent was a scratch (not sure if he was sick or didn't make weight, we never heard) Then in Cody's first round of wrestle backs, to stay in it, he got in there and 'walked the dog' as our beloved Coach, Tim Gilbert would say! ;) Pinned that kid in the second period I think! Semi finals, he was just out muscled and then finished his day wrestling for 5th place. Came away with his last match of youth wrestling by winning, 13 to 9, in a great match. And he's already talking about weight lifting and next year.....
The second we got done wrestling, it was a flying trip back home as the Band Chili Supper and Pie Auction was going on tonight. They also crown the Band King and Queen, Prince and PRincess. This was part two, of our busy day. David, Jenna and Seth met us there. Cody played in the band performance. My pie was one of 40 some odd that were auctioned. My sweet husband was outbid at $70 by our friend, Gary Seider for my Triple Berry pie. AND.........Cody was the 8th Grade Band Prince Candidate. He didn't end up winning, but was very handsome escorting the his class Princess Candidate, Rachel Coen.
Long day, maybe when my camera revives from its dead battery coma and I revive from too many hours awake, I will get a few pics added. Until then,
From Tulip~
KH

March Madness has nothing to with Basketball at our house!

Sitting here at the computer this morning, I am feeling guilty that there are so many other things that I really OUGHT to be doing. But I have really missed getting to regularly add blogs to this site, so crossing my fingers and hoping to make this a higher priority. As I mentioned in the last post, yes I am enjoying Facebook, but I have had a goal in my 'facebook time' It's been a great tool in finding classmates and our goal of 'finding everyone' is much closer. Just a few to go! Our Class Reunion plans seem to be hard to get 'in ink' as we keep running into to conflicts with location, etc..... we are determined to have the reunion and want to stick with our current date of July 25th as the date seemed to suit most people the best. (Crossing my fingers and hoping my back yard isn't the only location available, but will take on for the team if necessary!)
Wrestling is starting it's wind up towards the FINALE at the end of the month. Districts are this weekend in Jefferson City. Sam is seeded 1st in his bracket, there are 6 others in the bracket, he's beaten at least 4 others more than once this year and the other two are first year wrestlers, so he's feeling pretty good about his prospects. And for Sam it's all about the shirt and I promised a 'district champ' t-shirt if he wins it all, so he's got a goal! ;) Cody is seeded 3rd. The districts' top 6 qualifiers go on to Regionals next weekend and that is at Wentzville, MO. From there the top 4 go to State at Hearnes Center the last weekend of March!
4-h is seems to get busier all the time, there are several county activities going on right now, preparations are being made towards this summer's fair, this month is a fundraiser. At our household, calves are being lead pretty well everyday mostly still by David and Bob, but the boys are spending some time in the barn with curry combs and doing a little leading. That will change as soon as wrestling is over, the boys will start spending ALOT more time with them, plus helping the men with field work, which of course we are hoping starts promptly the first of April! (cross your fingers!)
There is one final hog on our farm.......... everything else has been sold, so with all of their 'free time' the men have been working on some new projects. Beth and Jason took over the 'ABS' dealership (which means they now sell cattle semen) We will also being offering the service of AI-ing cows for customers. David and Beth got certified last weekend and Jason already is. Projects around here to help out with this little venture have been the tearing down of our farrowing huts that were along the south side of the little barn behind our house. The guys are building a corral and pen system to make it easier to get our cows in for that pasture and whenever someone would bring in a group of cows to get bred, this system would help in moving the groups around. It looks very nice, David has spent alot of time on the welder. I think he looks forward to the project getting done.
As always there's much more I could share, but that list of what all else, I SHOULD be doing is looming, so I should probably start tackling some of the jobs.
From Tulip~
KH

Remember us?

I have to admit that I have a new addiction, Facebook, which has seemed to 'eat up' alot of my internet time as of late. But besides being other places onthe web, we are just plain BUSY lately. The boys are in the middle of wrestling season and having great seasons!! I think Sam has only lost 2 or 3 times! Most of his wins are by pin! And Cody is winning some matches and accumulating some pins himself! Plus I have tried to take a more active role in the county 4H committees this year, so there have been several meetings to attend. Okay enough with the excuses.

What's all going on lately that good great and fun??? I have been sewing alot lately. Recently made the kids' Valentines' gifts. Jenna and Seth got coloring book totes with pockets for markers that you see in the picture. I also made the boys drawstring mesh bags for some of their wrestling stuff. (Wasn't as lucky to get them to pose for a picture)

Last week, David, Cody, Sam and Bob went with some friends to the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville KY. They saw all sorts of stuff and enjoyed tractor pulls both nights that they were there. While they were gone as a last minute sort of thing, I ended up taking several orders for Valentines goodies (30 dozen dipped strawberries) That was a nice shot in the arm of the ol' checkbook! :)

Cody's gifted class at school, Nexus, is getting ready to compete in their favorite acadmeic competition, Destination Imagination. (google it if you are interested, I don't remember the website) So they are putting in lots of hours during and after school getting ready. The local competition is in Jefferson City, this Saturday. If they place high enough they go to a regional competition in Joplin, MO........if they place there they can go to Knoxville TN like they did two years ago.

The boys are likely to have a busy summer, there is a barn full of show calves. Which they are already working with, and that makes me happy, I am glad that they are learning that an extra effort will pay off in the long run. (also since there are so many, I may have to lead one, so I am liking that they are getting them tamed down! ;)

We are looking forward to more than cattle shows this summer. In June the boys will go to 4H camp and my Dad's side of the family are all gathering at my Aunt's home in Arkansas, some of them I haven't seen since we got together in Oklahoma four years ago!!! I absolutely can't wait!!!! In July is my 20th HS class reunion, we are making great progress in finding classmates, only a few are giving us a good hunt! Hopefully we will find them all!!! And they will ALL get to attend! (well looks like the picture uploaded and I really need to go to bed!)

From Tulip~

KH

David's Birthday, catching up and misc.

Hello there
Seems like forever since I have taken time to write! That was a very long Christmas break, and I for one am glad to be back into the routine of school! Today is David's birthday! He's....... older than me, and that's all I better say. He's taking getting older and having a birthday with alot better attitude than normal, so I won't push it! :) We had 20 people for lunch yesterday to celebrate. I served Pork loin, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, slaw and macaroni and cheese. My mom brought crock pot corn, Grandma brought jello, and Gladys made one of David's favorite's, German Chocolate Cake. So we ATE WELL.
So much has happened since my last entry. The boys have been to two wrestling tournaments. At Boonville the weekend after Christmas, they took second and third, which they were pleased with. Then on the 3rd we went to Blair Oaks, I say we as we ALL went. The little kids did better than I expected them to. And the boys had spectacular days. They both got second place in their respective divisions. Sam pinned two guys and Cody pinned one! GREAT DAY! We went with our good friends, Bob and Margo and their kids to a great pizza place afterwards, Arri's across from the capital in Jeff City. For us that is almost as much a tradition during wrestling season for tourney's in JC as a stop to Central Dairy for ice cream.
Jenna who has been 'blessed' with bad teeth has had an expensive Christmas break, going twice to the dentist and we have one more appointment scheduled and will be racking up a HUGE bill, of course farmers don't have dental coverage!! We thought that she was going to be even MORE expensive as she's been having some ear problems, another one of those 'blessings' of heredity and we had considered putting tubes in her ears. With the BIG dental bills, we are going to hold off at least for now. Not to say next week we will have changed our minds. :)
I am very excited and looking forward to some Quilting classes that I have registered to take at 'Material Girl Quilt Shop' in town. Meredith has a great assortment of classes that she's offering through winter and early spring. There are several good classes with an assortment of totes and purses that you can make. There's even a luggage class, too cool! These are being taught by Lori Van Maanen. Some are on Saturdays, some through the week. Meredith is teaching several different quilt in a day type of classes also! I have signed up for one called 'Honeyberries' this is quilt made with strips of fabric and looks really cool with black and white, which I believe is what I will be making mine out of. There's teddy bear class that looks neat, taught by Meredith's mother in law, Judy Stidham. Also Lori V. is teaching a class where you'll make a cute trendy belt. almost every class is under $30 which is very affordable when you consider the time spent by the teachers. Several of the all day classes, maybe even all include LUNCH! So that's really cool too. I think that these classes would be great for those who love to sew or would like to learn how to, Meredith offers a wide variety for all skill levels. Go in and check the schedule! Think if you start now, what great gifts you could give this year for Christmas!! :)
Well the kids are home and I am trying to manage supper, homework and chores, so I better close this. Hoping that everyone had a blessed holiday and is comfortable settling into 2009!
From Tulip~
KH

Homemade Christmas Gifts

In an effort to save money this year and actually have something under the tree for the kids, I made them alot of things. One of those things was a 'closet' or 'wardrobe' for Jenna's doll clothes. I had looked at them all over and they ranged from $40 to $140 a piece. Now mine isn't made of wood, but with a box, some leftover fabric from Jenna's 'closet doors' (aka curtains) and some scraps of trim and a few (wo)man hours and a little help from Cody and David, Jenna has a really cute place to store her doll clothes. I used a box that I had. Cut my fabric to size and ironed on some 'wonder under' then literally ironed the fabric to the box, it worked just great. I covered the edges with some trim, used a little fabric glue/fray check along the edges. David cut a dowel rod (the only thing we had to buy for this project) to the right length and screwed it in place. The inside was lined with clip art and and things that Cody found and downloaded then printed off from the computer, they were lightly glued in place and then we covered the whole inside with clear contact paper that I had. (fyi-- we reinforced the interior of the box so it is all double layered cardboard, actaully VERY STURDY!) The knobs on the front and the handle on the top David found in the bottom of 'my' tool box, from some time when I had updated some cabinet doors, I think from back when we lived in the trailer.

The hangers were another invention, even the little doll clothes hangers were plenty high priced, I thought. So with a spool of floral wire that I had on hand I made several hangers. I was worried about the ends, so I covered the whole hanger in ribbon (that I also had on hand) They look very cute. Jenna just loves the closet, and we have her doll clothes hanging inside and she found a little 'mini' basket that fits in the bottom and its holding the doll shoes. I wonder where she gets her 'inventive-ness' hmmmm Anyway, wanted to share a picture, as I have told several about this project and I wanted to share a little about the finished project.

From Tulip~

KH

Christmas Celebrations, half way through

Although it's the day after Christmas, as far as the calendar is concerned it's still Christmas here. We have carolled with Church, we've went to Christmas Eve service, Santa's been here, and we've had Christmas with my parents. But we still have Christmas with David's family, the Barnes Christmas and lots of neighbor gifts to deliver, so Christmas is still in 'full swing' here. My kids have really surprised me this year. I worried that they might be disappointed with the gifts, as we made a point to stay within our budget this year and pretty well did it. The number of gifts was about he normal, but there were many more made gifts and smaller lesser expensive things. But you know the kids didn't seem to mind, there wasn't any 'hmm I didn't ask for this or where's the (fill in blank) that I asked for' They seemed to be truly grateful. For that I felt blessed.

Highlights of the days so far have been:

Cody is beside himself about the three sports history documentaries that he got: St Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, and Indianapolis Colts, that surprised me, I had no idea he'd be so excited. Bought all three on an Amazon sale for $5.99 each!

Sam has enjoyed the 'build it yourself, design your own' lego set that he got, it was half the price of the 'branded' Lego series that are out there.

Jenna is enjoying the bead set and making necklaces, etc. (Dollar General find for $3)

Seth, well God love him has colored up a storm with his crayons and color books from probably Dollar General as well, can't remember bought them back in the summer thinking it would entertain him on a trip drivng, then didn't end up going and they were in the 'gift' stash, so they go wrapped.....

I sewed up a storm for the last month or more and so far those gifts have been loved so that's cool too. Teachers loved journal covers, Mom did too. Brittany loved her knitting needle holder, Riddick and Trinity's stocking were well received. All four kids are currently wearing the Pajama pants that I made them (they are all asleep) I am looking forward to Grandma and Gladys getting their quilts, DH's sisters getting their runners and journal covers, plus the kids getting their blankets.

I am proud to say that I have 'used up' a large portion of my fabric supply this year and created some great gifts, that cost me no 'extra' money in this time that we are going through with everyone having to tighten belts. I was thrilled to still be able to give 'great stuff'

David and I didn't exchange gifts this year. We put the $$ towards some updates for our bathroom, which is sorely needed. WE are getting a new medicine cabinet, light and exhaust fan. Then we will use the paint that I bought awhile back and finish it off. We feel truly blessed that we don't really 'need' anything and can focus our energy on doing things for our home instead of stressing out about buying gifts.

Since my Christmas cards are mostly still laying here on the desk, unmailed, Merry Christmas to everyone, and hopefully you'll get it soon and can call it a New Years card...........

The boys are wrestling in their first tournament tomorrow and the rest of the house is asleep and that's where I should be as well, so From Tulip~

KH

PS--for anyone who doesn't know, those are the 'cousins' my kids and Wayne's two taken last night at Mom and Dad's (Trinity was very relaxed and spent most of her first Christmas as expected, ASLEEP! Although she and her Aunt K hung out for awhile, which was GREAT!)

Yes EVEN Cody sat on Santa's Lap

I thought maybe Cody would have decided that he was TOO OLD for this great tradition, but as traditions go, he had to take part in a long standing Tulip tradition, where if you want the 'treat' bag, I gotta talk to Santa and Tulip Kids have been going up to talk to Santa way up into their teens, I can even think of few 20somethings who've been up there. Hard telling what they discussed, but Cody took his turn.

Sam and Santa

I am sure, although I couldn't hear it, that most of Sam's gifts could be traced back to one or more of the following themes, Legos, Star Wars, or Playstation 2 games. And the ultimate, I have been informed SEVERAL times would be Lego Star Wars, The Video Game for Playstation 2. Do you think Santa could keep all of that straight? Time will tell, I suppose. ;)

Seth and Santa

Seth was very brave and marched right up there and told Santa alot of stuff, of course the few things I could hear were definitely last minute additions, so I hope Santa was listening closely and taking good notes. Of course at this age, ALL presents are exciting, thank goodness!!

Jenna and Santa

Last Sunday evening we had our church Christmas program and we were 'surprised' at the end of the program with a special guest. Santa popped in to say hello and visit with the kids to double check on any last minute requests. I think this might be the first year that Jenna would willingly go and sit on his lap since her first Christmas. She definitely had a long list for him.