Pumpkin Hunt

About 5yrs ago, my dad and sister, Rebecca, took some pumpkins out into the desert to shoot them just to see what would happen. They thought that it would be great to bring the video camera along and narrate the hunt. Well, the video was so funny and shooting the pumpkins with high powered rifles was so fun that we started making it a yearly thing and well, now its tradition.
The people at Walmart or Albertson thinks were crazy when we go to the check out with a a couple carts full of pumpkins, however, when the ask why and we tell them what we do with them, they're all for it and can't wait to go try it themselves.
This year was the first year that we didn't get the pumpkins painted prior to the hunt. We usually get them all painted-the art work that is done is always amazing and very creative; we,ve had pumpkin deer complete with antlers, pumpkin cats, bears, camouflage, the joker, and the list can go on.
This year we had 22 pumpkins to "hunt" and 9 hunters with a fairly wide range of rifles.

Shhh...be very quite. I'm hunting pumpkin.

The pumpkins didn't have a chance.

It was once again, a very successful year of pumpkin hunting. We all got our 'tags' filled-none of them got away; even the pumpkins that had managed to climb trees or 'hide' about 300yds away were not safe.

Reformation Party 09

Yes, these are a little past due since Oct is long gone and Nov. has only a day left but pictures are for memories and for keeping friends and family's up to date on some of what is going on.
This year, our church held a Reformation Party instead of a "Halloween party" at the Cox's house. As usual, there was lots of good food and company-its never boring. All of the kids had a great time playing in their costumes.


Here is Joleena(she's a bat) and Katie(BSU cheerleader)

Marisa at this moment is a princess but before that she was a fairy and before that a queen and.............I think she's cute!

Dive in! the food is ready!!

The Loverin's, I think, were the only family that everyone dresses up. Can you guess what the theme was?

Yep, Jonah and the whale, the worm, a tree, and a couple pirates.

All the kids enjoying some dinner and each other.

Prior to this, most of the kids had done the trick-or-treating in town to all of the businesses. My girls ended up with so much candy that I think it will last a couple years; they had a lot of fun though.

Fall Ride

A couple weeks ago, we went out north of town to go ride-needed to get out of the arena and the day was simply beautiful. I of course left my camera at the truck, again, but did get a couple pictures of Jessie right before we left. We did about a 6-7 mile loop at the base of the Sheepcreek Range. Riding with Jessie is such a joy-riding horses just makes her laugh-pure enjoyment, as it should be; not a care in the world-no worries. Its very therapeutic-LOL.

Jessie and Nina all ready to go.

Foster Parents

Have I mentioned that Whitney is also a Vet Tech? If not, she's a Vet Tech, and that of course means that she must love animals-hmmm, sounds familiar. Anyways, it also means that it is very hard for her to say no to fostering opportunities(also sounds very familiar). However, she has done something that I never got the opportunity to do............to raise
PUPPIES by hand, no mama! 7 of them too. I've bottled fed numerous kittens(to many to remember), birds(that was interesting-did you know that you have to 'burp' baby birds), goats, and rabbits( I had their mothers help even though it was against her will) but never puppies and after helping for a week with them, I'm glad that the couple times that I bred dogs they always took care of their own offspring. This mama wasn't able to; its a long story though.
It could of been that there were so many to care for-7 is a lot; a lot of hungry tummies that all get hungry at the same time, a lot of poop, a lot of pee and they can't do these things on their own very well at first so they need a little help, soooo.....that ends up being a lot of tissues, paper towels and laundry to take care of daily!!!! We ended up splitting the litter with another tech. and that seemed to help out a lot for everyone involved.

Nap time in a cooler-it stays nice and warm which makes them quite happy!

This one was Jessie's favorite. It stayed in Wyoming when we left so that I would still be married when I got home.

But oh they were so cute.

They were such little pigs too!

Oh so sweet, so cuddly, so tiny, so quiet(for a little while)...........

So content after some nice warm milk and a nice warm lap.

Contentment

And oh the puppy breath!!

Yes, the puppy breath.

And the look of satisfaction, or maybe that's a glare, a warning to stay away from the milk....hmmm.

Independence Rock

One of the most important things that you have to do when you go visit your best friend is, of course, go spend an entire day together with no kiddo's and go shopping and that is just what we did!! We drove up to Casper and dreamed and drooled over things we wanted and "needed". Whitney was stronger than I was to the temptations.
On our way up there, its about and 1 1/2 hr drive, we stopped at the Independence Rock Historical/rest area. The weather was perfect!-no snow yet!
Independence Rock is a place where numerous pioneers that were heading out west stopped and carved their names and dates into the rock. A lot of them have succumbed to erosion but some of them are still legible-it was so cool!

Best Friends!!

We are not the only ones that enjoy the big rock but we enjoyed it for other reasons; the snakes I'm sure like the heat. This was one of many sheddings that we found in one of the crevices-one big snake!

Yeah-it was about that long.

Very sunny-I was getting quite warm!

Click on the picture and it should get bigger so that you read it but its some historical info. about the place.

The rock from a distance.

And from an even farther distance.

Here are some of the names and dates that are still fairly legible-there were hundreds of them, especially on top.

Wilson 1930

Pathfinder is a name of a ranch that is still running today.

Obviosly, some people have continued to add their names and dates to the rock.

I think this one was one of the oldest ones on there. July 4, 1850

This appeared to be a whole family or something-the date was May 28,1895

Anyhow, it was quite cool and definitly a highlight to my week in Wyoming!

Does it make you wonder if any of these people are your relatives?

While in Wyoming

This trip to Wyoming had a variety of weather, kind of like what we get in Nevada during the fall, spring, summer and winter-Wyoming isn't much different-felt like home! Anyhow, Whitney took the girls and i out so see one of the reservoirs that they visit frequently despite the rainy/snowy weather( I was freezing but it was well worth it).

Here is a view of some of the hills not to far from Rawlins; the aspen trees were beautiful.

The reservoir

The wind was blowing just a bit.........

Yeah, a tad breezy!

Ta-Da!! I can see for 2 seconds!

Connor all bundled up

Jessie with that to-cold-to smile look.

The next day we woke up to snow!

And of course, the first snow of the year needs to be tested!

It passed the "snow angel" test.

Jessie

Jessie gettin' ready to show Keira how to lighten the load on the tree.

Woo-Hooo!

Its snowin' sort-of

After they had came in after a couple hours, it was time to play downstairs with all of the toys.

Whitney and Marisa

Keira and Marisa the "Go Fish" queens. They played so many games of "Go Fish". Brought back memories.

The visit came to an end all to quickly and we even stayed an extra day but we had a blast and are looking forward to future visits-this time maybe during the summer.

Super Friends are few and far between!!