For all the crazy Gillespie's

I have to tell my family how much I really love them all right now. I mean I don't just love them right now, I always do, I just have to tell them now. I wish I could have been there with everyone to tell sweet little grandma goodbye. It was good to get to hear all of the stories from everyone. We are planning on driving down to Kanab on Thursday and then heading the rest of the way Friday. I don't know when the last time I was in Arizona even was. I think Dixon was pretty little so it's probably been around 5 years now. I really hope that's not right, but I can't remember.
Kilie my email is trispokebuty@yahoo.com. Now Shelly I know you don't update very often too so get your butt in gear so I can keep up on my family that I don't ever get to see.
Love you all
Steph

Fall Guiding

Now for some pictures from J.C.'s trip to Wyoming this fall. It's hard to pick wich pictures to put on here. In fact right now J.C. is telling me he needs to pick the pictures so I will have the good ones. At least this gets the point across that they had a good year. J.C. has also been back to hunt lions with his friends and they have killed one every time he's gone. (which is 3) I have a little bit of a hard time with all of this hunting stuff, anyone who knows me knows how much I love animals. I have to always tell myself there is a whole circle to life. Last week we had our pig done (I hope everyone knows what I mean by done) I let it out of the pen to say goodbye and brushed him for awhile. Then I had to leave. He was a good pig. Ok, enough for now, I started this by just wanting to add hunting pictures and now I'm going on and on.

Crazy Call Kids

Just some random shots. See what you started Shelly.

This is for Shelly

Since my cousin Shell Bell gave me a hard time today about updating my blog I decided to add something. Once again these are old pictures, I still don't have a new camera, so bear with me.

My cute (I mean handsome) boy Dixon cracked me up the day we tagged bucket calves for the fair. I still don't know what he was trying to accomplish, but he wanted to wear his chinks, cowboy hat, and he stuck something plastic in his mouth. (I really hope he wasn't pretending like it was a stokey or something. Please help me)

The other couple pictures are the day we got the calves. They were a day old and one didn't want to nurse from the bottle too well. It didn't make it after a couple of weeks. I tried all kinds of concoctions, even putting coke and pepto in the bottle. I didn't make that up, an old dairy farmer told me those tricks.

Last, but not least is the picture Dixon took of me cheesing it up at Josie's musical last year. I tried to take pictures of her, she even had a solo, but I was too far back and the only thing that wasn't black was the one of me. Great.

Ok Shelly are you happy now?

Redhead Ramblings

Ok this is a big one. You know what I really hate? When I am just doing my thing, which happened to be hauling hay this morning, and I get a phone call. It was from someone from Doctor Johns calling to confirm my husbands order. What, are you kidding me? They had my cell number, but his name and a California shipping address. Talk about red flags popping up all over. Well I told them it wasn't us and to not put the order through. She then advised me to call my credit card company to put a hold on the card. Oh yea, another thing is it was J.C.'s card and he happened to be lion hunting in Wyoming today so I couldn't even get a hold of him.

Fast forward a couple of hours and I get a call from Victorias Secret to confirm an order. Right away for the second time today I am on the phone with my bank trying to figure this all out.

So anyways I spend all day on the phone trying to get this mess worked out, which sucked because the cc company wouldn't even talk to me because I'm not on the card too. I had to call the Oakland California police department to file a police report. I know they won't even do anything about this. Why should they? They are so tied up with pretty major crimes that somebody having a little fun on our expense is not high up on their priority.

Ok so let me get to the good part. I'm really excited about this. I used to want to be a cop so I like to sleuth around a bit.

Let me introduce you to Michelle Gerrero. 107th Avenue Oakland California. 1-510-969-5988. Do you think she'll be a little surprised when she gets a call from me?

How I feel

Sometimes I just feel like burying my head into something and hiding or sticking my tongue out at everyone. Does anyone else feel this way?

The Bull Rider "once upon a time"

These are pictures of my hubby at CSI. This is where he went to college and he won the All Around Cowboy at the College National Finals way back when. This mural has been up for awhile, but J.C. hadn't had the chance to see it. He was stuck in Twin Falls between cattle loads so I drove up there to spend the night with him and we went for a tour. Unfortunately there was a car show going on at the time so we couldn't get close to everything, but it was still pretty cool.

The last picture is my ex bull rider of a husband putting his daughter on a rank brahma bull calf. This picture was taken with my phone about a millisecond after he got kicked in the thigh. Ha ha. He deserved it for putting her up there.

My Father in Law, Randy

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So I just downloaded these pictures from my cell phone and it brought back memories.

You see when my father in law gets in a tractor you'de better watch out. Last winter he was feeding the neighbors cows and horses and he had to come get me to help him. When I got there I saw the tractor in the pond. It seems instead of using a shovel to break the ice for the livestock to drink out of he decided to use the tractor. Well that didn't work out so good. The tractor was stuck. I tried to pull him out with his truck at first, but that didn't work. Next we went and got another tractor. He let me(notice how I say let me) get into the tractor that was in the frozen pond to drive out while he pulled. Well I didn't know the gears and I accidentally put it in a forward gear and drove it further into the pond. So we traded and I finally pulled him out. I later found out that there is a 30 ft drop right in front of where I was. That would have been cold.

The next picture was just this fall. Randy decided to move this shed we have. The tractor wasn't quite strong enough so he kept "rearing up" with the tractor. I tried to get a good picture with my phone, but it was really hard to get it at the right moment.

So moral of this whole post is when Randy is driving a tractor, watch out.

P.S. Randy if by chanced you ever read this, I know it's not always your fault. It would help if the tractors ever had any brakes or kindof important things like that.

REDHEAD RAMBLINGS

You know what I hate? Snow in October. Doesn't mother nature know not to do this until Thanksgiving? At least waite until November. I'de like to have a chat with her.

So I haven't posted for awhile again because my camera is not working. I think I have dust in my lense that won't let it open. Anyways I decided to go through old pictures and see what was on them. I found these ones of the kids. I had caught a snake this day and I took it into the house to show my kids. I thought they would freak out. Instead Mercedes and Dixon loved it. Josie kept her distance, but these two wanted to hold it. My neices were there too and they both held it also. I was way impressed.

J.C. is still guiding in Wyoming. He came home this weekend for a couple of days. He has been gone for 4 weeks and has 2 more weeks left. They have done really well this year. Almost every hunter has filled their tags and J.C. even had one hunter who might get in the record books with a bull elk he shot. He shot it with a bow from 10 yards and it is an 8 point nontypical bull. I will post pics as soon as I can download them from his camera.

I have still been going to barrel races every week. Right now I am in the lead to win a saddle. There are 2 races left so a lot can still happen. The funny thing is the girl I haul with is only one point behind me. We laugh about how close we are. I just hope if I don't win it that she does. We would both be really bummed if someone else snuck in there and beat both of us. I'll keep ya all posted about this as it goes along and I am going to scan a picture of me running someday.

Ok I better go ride, I've been on this computer for way too long this morning.

Redhead Ramblings

You know what just drives me crazy? When people put up holiday decorations way way before that holiday. Today I was driving my kids to school and a neighbor down the street has their house decorated for Halloween already. What? Last year a few other neighbors had their Christmas decorations up the day after Halloween. Are you kidding me? I love the holidays, but can we just enjoy one and get it over with before we move on to the next?

Ok. So that is my little rant for now, but be prepared for many more to come. As a redhead I have a reputation to upheld. And if any of you other redheads out there have anything else to add I'de love to hear from you too.

Yellowstone trip over Labor Day

So this past Labor Day we went to Yellowstone with my in laws. I have never been there before, so I was way excited. We camped out in their trailers North of West Yellowstone in a campground and drove into Yellowstone everyday. It was so nice just to be away from town for awhile. Sunday we just hung out in the campground and the kids cought frogs in the river. Also as you can see my 145 lb. of twisted steel and sex appeal husband decided to be brave and take a little swim. This is only after all the kids had already dove into the river. For those of you who know him at all know what kind of a wuss he is with cold water.

After we got home I had to hurry and fulfill part of my duty with the PTA. I am in charge of birthday table. This includes writing all of the kids names and their birthdays on a little thing, like a tree or a sun or a four leaf clover. It all depends on the month. Then I cut them out and I have a big board in the school I decorate and I put these on them. Next I make invitations for all these kids each month and I write their names on them and sort them out into each teachers box. Then I order cupcakes and on the Friday of birthday table I decorate the cafateria for them. I also ordered for their prizes this year a really cool cougar paw cup, and a zipper pull with a paw that says McKinley Cougars on it, and some paw erasers. Then all the kids come eat with their parents or whoever comes and they get their prizes and cupcakes. This month I had 101 kids to do this all for. We have just under 600 students in the school, which means I get to write a lot of names down. Thank goodness that is over, well until about two more weeks when I get to start October's birthdays.

Well I'm also a widower for the next month and a half. My hubby is off to Wyoming to guide again. He just loves this time of year, and looks forward to it all year long. He would love to buy one of the hunting camps there. I get a little queesy thinking about it. The camp he wants you have to pack everything up there and it is a four mile pack trip. Argh.

Anyways, did anyone notice the paragraphs? J.C. gave me such a hard time about my last post. So I will now put paragraphs in.

A Crazy Fair Week

I am sooo happy that last week is past us. It all started with Josie's region 4-H horse show in Ogden on Monday. We drove down Sunday and set the trailer up. Kaiye was freaking out. I rode him for awhile first then Josie did. We had to give him a bath and get him ready to show early Monday. Josie did really good at the show. There were just one little thing in each class that kept her from getting a blue ribbon, but overall the juniors from our county were second. Next we hurried home and loaded 2 more horses for the speed events that night at our fair. Mercedes ran poles and barrels. She did really good, it is so fun to see her and Ole Buck do stuff. Then I ran barrels on 39. He ran really good. We won the barrels that night. I also tried to run Kaiye, but I thought he got hurt turning the second barrel so I pulled up and then just finished the pattern loping. Tuesday was just spent preparing all the animals and weighing Josie's pig. Wednesday morning we came out and fed her pig a gallon of milk. Then loaded it in the trailer and headed to the fair. I ran and bought a huge watermelon to feed it in the trailer. We were really worried it wouldn't make weight. There were a lot of pigs that weren't and the sad thing is you can't take them home once you unload them. Well her pig was 230 lbs. so it made it by 5 lbs. It probably had at least 10 lbs. of water weight though. Next I had to hurry and make the signs to put over the pig and calf. Then we went home and brought Sadie's calf to the fair. I know this is getting really long, just imagine all the stuff we did this last week. Anyways I went back to Ogden to run barrels. My friend and I talked the lady in charge into putting us first so we could hurry back to Tremonton to run barrels at the Bulls, Broncs and Barrels that night too. I had a good run on 39 in Ogden considering he got the crap shocked out of him on the way down. I had a short in my trailer so every time I touched the brakes it was shocking him, and I just thought my brakes were adjusted to high. Anyways he was all cut up on his legs and pretty shook up, but he still ran good. What a good pony. Then we made it back to Tremonton just in time to watch my friends daughter run in the pee wee barrel class. She kicked butt too. It was pretty exciting, we actually could only see the top of her head though, because we were on the other side of the fence behind the bleachers, but we could tell she was going fast. She won it and won a really nice buckle. Next I got my horse saddled again and got changed and got over the the arena as they were doing the open barrels. I didn't know when I was up so I started to warm up. I loped a couple of circles in each direction then got off to tighten my cinch right when they called my name. I didn't even have time to get nervous. I jumped back on and trotted up to the arena and ran. We did ok considering everything that happened, (horse getting shocked and cut up, and not warming up) Also it was the first time 39 had run in front of that big of a crowd, and a long time for me. The next morning it was up and early to show Josies' pig, Oh yea, J.C. and Josie had washed it the night before. She was in the second class that came out. The judge kept looking at her pig and then going on to the next. It's kindof nerve racking because he sorts out all the red ribbon pigs firs. Well she made it into the blues and then about halfway through them he finally sorted her pig out. He was a really nice pig, but he was at least a month younger than every other pig, we had to push him really hard that last month. Anyways he was just smaller framed than the judge liked. Hence his name Pee Wee. Next up was Mercedes calf. We washed it and clipped it and sprayed it and ratted its tail. Just for her to get in there and have in waller all over her. She placed dead last in her class. It was sad and I was soo mad. J.C. just wanted me to go home for the night. I was really sleepy, but we needed to get out to the horses and get them washed for the show the next morning. So early Friday morning we load the horses up and head back to the arena for the horse show. Both girls were in the fitting and showmanship class. Josie ended up fourth and Mercedes, poor girl, ended up dead last again. Buck even reached over and bit her on her shoulder when they were out there. The little rascal. But to make it all ok Mercedes went in and won her next and last class the walk trot. She got a blue ribbon and $15. Then Josie was in the Western pleasure, reining, and trail. She and Kaiye did so good they won all of them. She took home $45 big ones. It cracks me up because this big time horse trainer that we know came up to J.C. to tell him how good Josie did, and then he goes man that is a fancy horse she is on too. If he only knew it's my 21 year old old barrel horse. Hee Hee. They all did look good though. Next we just hung out and the kids all went and rode rides the rest of the day at the carnival. Saturday was the big livestock auction. The pigs sold first this year and Josie's pig was 90. There were 220 pigs, 300 and something lambs, and 90 steers. Her pig sold for $550. A friend of ours bought it so Thanks Show Pony. That's what I call him. After that we could finally relax. I was so nervous her pig wouldn't sell good, that nobody would bid on it so I was happy. I stayed in the auction barn and ended up buying J.C.'s cousins lamb. We tried to buy a couple steers, but they both ended up selling for $2,600, way over our budget. That night J.C. and I snuck over to the rodeo. We took the kids to the trailer and started a movie, and we went to watch a little rodeo. We just stood on the track at the gate were the barrel racers go in. My friend ran barrels that night so I wanted to watch her and cheer her on. She did good and then we left before the bulls even started. We had to load the calf up to take it home. And sniff sniff say goodbye to Pee Wee. That's the only part I hate. You get so attached to these animals over the year and then they have to go. I thought a pig would be the easiest thing, Oh no. I didn't just cry a little, I sobbed. I bet I looked pretty silly to everyone around, but if you know me you know how I get. Anyways it was a long, but fun week. Now today my kids are in school for their first day. Dixon is even in first grade so he goes all day this year too. I won't know what to do with myself. Well J.C. has already lined me up to work tomorrow, so that's what. Anyways I know this is long, but so was the week. Bye

My Girls, My Queens. Well almost

Oh my, I know I am a nerd, I just had to show the picture of me that gets to be in our fair book this year. I help out with the queenies, well I don't feel like I do much, but Lola that is in charge thinks I do. Maybe she just says that. My girls decided to try out again this year. They were in the Little Miss group. That is the 7-9 year olds. They did so good. Josie won the horsemanship and Mercedes won the photogenic. Really everyone wins something, but I was so proud of them. Only a year ago they barely dared ride. Now, watch out. It is so fun to go ride and just watch them. It makes my heart swell.

I still have so many more pictures to post. I have been taking pictures forever thinking I would put them on here, so bare with me when none are organized or have any captions with them. I don't know how to do that yet.

Here we all are for Mercedes big day. Both girls wore the same dress to get baptized in, I thought that was pretty neat. I'm not much of a writer, or thinker for that matter, so I don't have anything more profound to say. See ya

These are pictures of Josie's baptism from last year. I just have one question? What am I doing wearing a sweater in June?