Flag Football

Garrett once again got to play flag football this year on Steve's team, once again he had a great time.

Marching Band

Robert once again was involved in the Keystone Marching Band under the direction of a new director, Mr Long, the band had a great show with the Pirates of the Caribbean

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Horsetheif Days Tractor Pull

This was Garrett's real first pull- he actually had weight added so that he could move the sled!

Venango County Fair 2016

Yes this is incredibly late, but I am going to try to stay more up to date as soon as I get this updated. The boys showed at fair this year. Robert had a goat, a sheep, for the first time and is small engine project. He also pulled his tractor in the garden tractor pull and my Dad's antique Farmall m tractor in the antique pulls. Robert actually pulled further than Dad or nephew Andrew. Robert received Champion Bred & Owned Market Goat.

Garrett showed a goat, a pig for the first time, his woodworking and small engine project. Garrett also got to pull his garden tractor for the first time. The boys ended up placing well and winning awards. Garrett won Best of Show Doe, and Jr Science and Technology.

A rainbow to start the week

Garrett and Andrew in the ring with goats

Robert with his goat

Wyatt with an ice cream cone- one of several

Garrett with his pig

Robert in the sheep show

Garrett's 3rd place woodworking

Robert's 1st place small engine project

The new barns at the fairgrounds

Wyatt's view somedays

Garrett's 1st place small engine project

Wyatt was kind of just along for the ride this year!

Back to school idea

Ok I know I need to post a fair wrap up, and I will, but fair and back to school were very close together this year. But I wanted to share a new idea that started in my house this school year by accident.

Robert is attending the career center for automotive technology. The first 3 days of school, he walked in the door and somewhere in the first 15 minutes, he would be like "hey did you know....", " or guess what I learned today...." Well this was the first time in several years that I didn't have to ask "how was school" and get "fine". So on the forth day I looked at him and asked for my " knowledge nugget" for the day. He then told me something that he had learned in the auto shop. So I asked what was he learning  at our regular high school. He replied, "not really." At dinner that night I then challenged both of the boys, to daily bring home a "knowledge nugget" and I would keep track, at the end of the week there would be some type of reward. I did ask that Robert bring home a "nugget" from both schools. Much to my surprise and pleasure, both boys have brought me home a knowledge nugget each day this week, plus they bring it up. I am delighted to hear, "hey mom do you want to hear my knowledge nugget?" And I am ready! I've heard more about school this week than I think I did all of last year, without prodding!

So much has Happened....

It is really hard to summarize everything that has happened since February, but the boys have been busy!!! We had several other goats kid, Robert was in the School Musical "Joseph and his Techincolored Dream Coat." Garrett qualified for the PA Trivia contest at the end of the school year. Wyatt was fit with a helmet that would correct his flat spot on the back of his head and he has since been able to get that helmet off. Robert traveled with his class to Harrisburg, Hershey, Philadelphia and Gettysburg. Robert, Garrett & I traveled to Harrisburg to Rally for the State budget and for the 4-H and Extension Programs. Garrett had his first band concert and he participated in the Gym Show at the school on parallel bars and vault. Wyatt started therapy once a week. I made a quilt for a teacher that was retiring. Gary has started a project with the Cub Scouts to build a bridge for Heavenly Gaites. I also signed on with Discovery Toys as an educational consultant, so things have been crazy busy here.

Garrett decided that he was going to be in charge of our family garden this year and he has been working hard on that. We had a family vacation with Gary's family. 18 of us got together in Branson, Mo. We had several stops on our way. We got to visit with my sister, and St Louis. On the way back we stopped at Lincoln's Birthplace and Churchill Downs. I think everyone had a good time.

This week has been complete 4-H project book week. Many hours have been spent at my kitchen table with boys, helping them with records, writing activities up and creating portfolios. As much as I dislike this time of year and sitting here with them, I love it too. I love to see their brains work with things that they enjoy working with. Having them explain how engines work and why their animals are good, or not as good as other years is a joy. So I will try to keep up a little better but the past few months have just flown by. I do have some notes for children's sermons that I will write up and post soon.

DIY Pallet Hearts

Throughout this past Christmas season I saw all these adorable Christmas Trees popping up made from a simple pallet. Well I ran out of time and did not get ours made, but I have plenty of Christmas Decorations and so I'm not sure that I really needed the pallet tree. But with the beginning of February arriving I pulled out our Valentine's decorations and well there is NOTHING for outside. I really get sad or slightly depressed when we take down all the beautiful Christmas decorations and then there is nothing.  I know lots do not like or enjoy Valentine's Day but it is a day in which to share a little bit of God's love and remember some of the good that still exists in this world.

So I took a pallet, drew a large heart on it and grabbed the jig saw. In a matter of minutes I had my heart cut out and the silhouette too. I added some barn red paint to the heart and viola! A Simple heart for outside my house!

Goat Kids

Well we have finished kidding for January we are up 13 goats this month. Not bad for a small herd of critters that all started with a 4-H project. But I had been asked for some pictures of our little ones. So here you go!

Now we have a small break until March!

Goat Kidding for January 2016

We have been kidding in goats this month, actually we started at the very end of December, but we have added 11 kids to the herd in the last month or so. These 2 ended up with special treatment as they arrived on a very cold night and they ended up with a little bit of frostbite on their ears. It was so cold that night that we brought them into the kitchen to hang out for a day or so until it warmed up. The mom had some problems too and well she is still here but not nursing the kids- So we have 2 bottle babies!

Pinewood Derby 3

Pinewood derby part 2

If you watch carefully Garrett's car on the right pops a wheelie when it comes down off the slope!

 

Garrett's Pinewood Derby

Today was Pack 55's Pinewood Derby. This is the first year with the new aluminum 4 lane track. The cars were fast and there were 38 Scouts that worked on cars to enter.  Garrett had a light blue mustang which finished in 7th place. Congrats Garrett we are proud of you!

Cars entered today

Garrett's car is the light blue #24

Garrett with his 7th place car
 

This video, if you watch closely at the end you will see that Garrett's car wrecks and flip end for end.

 

Robert's 15th Birthday

We celebrated Robert's 15th birthday this week. Family got together in the evening and had dinner together and he didn't even know that they were coming. Then we went for a moonlit walk on Kahle Lake. It's hard to surprise a 15 year old, but we managed.