Happy Birthday Kayla!

6 years old! Wow! Where do the days go?

If you didn't hear me say it before, I'm going to say it again; technology sucks! For some unknown reason, my camera decided to now tell me that some pictures I took are unable to view. So again, I am missing pictures; only one this time, but still... Not only that, my scanner/printer won't turn on. I had an awesome idea to create a slide-show of 'Kayla through the years,' but without the scanner I can't do much about it.

Yes, I checked the plugs and cords; everything is where it should be. I did find a spider's nest right around the plug going into the printer, so maybe the little buggers hatched and they are crawling around the circuitry creating mayhem inside the darn thing. If only I could turn it on, I'm sure it would fry those little demons. Talk about having a bug. Hahaha!

I didn't mean to get off the subject. It just so happens that I typed the first line and the idea struck me. So off I went on a photo search only to come back to my seat and discover my problem.

Oh, where is my patent-lawyer brother. Someone somewhere needs to invent a computer that would scan things into it by simply placing the object on the computer screen. That would be a lot simpler than having all these cords and plugs that intertwine and entangle themselves amongst the dog hair and dust bunnies. And, I would only have one power button. I guess then, one would need to also create a fingerprint resistant screen. Hmmm...I'd like one of those too.

Alright. I took a deep breath. Back to my younger daughter, my 2nd oldest daughter, my 6 year old Kayla.

This month's WSS was on Kayla's birthday. She loves her grandparents so much and misses them a great deal so it was a sweet way for her to be able to share her day with them and the rest of the family. She was so excited when I told her about it that Saturday night, as she was going to bed, she told us, "I will wake you up when I am ready." We asked her, "Ready for what?" She says, "For my birthday and WSS!" We both chuckled and Jason says, "Darlin, it's not Christmas."

As soon as we got to Grandma's, she says "Can we do presents now?!" I told her, "Let's get in the door first. Then we'll have waffles and then you can open your presents."


The Kellers gave her Moon Sand. She also got Moon Sand from Mom & Dad and her sisters.


Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Warren gave her some much needed snow pants and snow boots (the girl needs to quite growing).


Grandma Linda and Grandpa Allen gave her a goody-bag with puzzles, headbands, pens with interchangeable charms, a purse, a necklace, a princess cup, a color-her-own-princess-poster with markers, lip gloss, a flashlight, a 'hug-me' frog & dress-up shoes. Wow! She came home with a loot!

Abriana was the only one into playing dress-up. She kept modeling all the outfits.


Cheyenne disappeared and found a cozy spot to go to sleep.


When we got home Kayla told me, "Mom, that was such a great birthday!"

She says, "Thank you everybody for the cool presents!"

Technology sucks!

Sunday we decided to go look for sheds, but first stop by Redmond to see what it looks like. The lake is fed by a natural spring so we didn't know if there would be ice or what. There is very little ice.

As we were driving by just looking, we saw a guy hook up and start reeling. Jason says, "Oh, he's just got a 6 inch catfish or something small like that." But his pole was bending in the way it would with something big. So we spun around and watched him reel in; he had a Pike!

Once he unhooked his fish, he noticed us and Jason tells him, "NICE pike!" He replies, "It's been a nice day!" We asked if we could see his fish and he welcomed us all to come on down. So we trotted down the hill and found that he and his brother-in-law each had 3 Pike on a stringer. All of them around 2 feet.

We had a great time talking to these two 'good ole boys' that grew up in Salina. They have been friends since they were 'youngsters' and continue to cause trouble and just live it up. They are a hilarious pair. Did I ever say I love it down here? Well if I haven't, I do! Jason and I got such a kick out of hanging out with these guys. They were so friendly, funny and just Grandpa's at heart.

As we were talking, one of the poles got a bite, the one guy says to me, "Are you gonna get that or watch it?" So I grabbed the pole and got to reel in my first pike! However, the bugger flipped right when it got to shore and spit the hook. Oh, well, it was still neat.

Then another pole twitches and Milt says to the girls, "Who's going to get this one?" Abriana backed off playing at being shy, but Kayla ran right over, "I DO, I DO!!" I was surprised! Kayla is the shy one and one that gets bored with fishing so she doesn't even do it.

Now this is the part where technology sucks! I took pictures of Kayla reeling in a 27inch pike with the help of Dad and Milt. I took pictures of her holding her pike, with a huge grin and sun on her face. I took pictures of the next fish she was asked to reel in with the other pole. I took pictures of the gentlemen standing with Kayla holding the 36 inch pike she didn't have the strength to hold up. I took pictures of lil' Chey hauling boulders around; she was being a tough girl picking up the biggest rocks she could get her hands under. I took pictures of Abriana enjoying the sunshine and sliding down the hill. I even did playback to show everyone the shots I got. But when I got home, they were mysteriously gone. The only pictures on the camera were the ones of the rest of our day.

When it was time for the guys to head out, they gave us the pike Kayla reeled in and 2 more! It was a really cool afternoon at the lake!


I took this one of Kayla in the house before we filleted her fish.


Then Chey wanted to hold the fish!


After we left the lake, we went east to look for sheds. However, the snow was in the perfect condition to wheel and once we were done screwing around, it was a little too late to look. Besides, Cheyenne's legs are still a bit short to be walking around in the deeper snow where we needed to be looking.

So what did we do? We looked for deer - again! This picture was taken with Grandma Linda and Grandpa Russ in mind. How many deer are here?


I don't know how well it will work for you and how good it looks on your computer, but the answer is 7.

We were cruising down the road headed home and spotting deer way out there, when something appeared in the road. Turkeys!! There were four of them, but one took of the other way. The batteries on the camera decided they had had enough for the day so I couldn't zoom in. I was just snapping quick pic's to hopefully get a good shot before the turkeys were gone and the batteries completely died. I didn't do too bad.


Well, it was another fine weekend for all of us at the Thomas Tiny Ranch. Jason fried up the fish for dinner and we made plans to go catch our own pike!

Kids are funny.

Jason needed a little R&R from the brutal week of storms he drove through and got stuck in, so we stayed home this weekend. The kids, however, had cabin fever. So when we had a break between storms Saturday afternoon and the sun came out, we told the kids it was the perfect time to go build a snowman. They all bundled up and went out there with the best intentions, I'm sure. I took a picture of their attempt at a snowman, but the camera didn't like it and it didn't show up. There was just a pile of snow in the front yard! It was too cute.

They had given up pretty quick and were riding their bikes. So Jason and I went out there to help them. Well...Jason did the building, I took the pictures and the kids helped a bit. Cheyenne had more fun spinning the wheel she found.


We discovered the problem with the snowman Abriana and Kayla were trying to make: the snow in the front yard wasn't perfect for a snowman, so we went out back. Jason got the bottom of the snowman done and told the older girls to push it to the front yard.


They did get it moving, it just took them awhile, so Jason helped them the rest of the way.

Jason wanted a really big snowman since we actually had enough snow for one. Or so we thought. There just wasn't enough of the "good stuff" to roll up in a big ball. He got the middle portion as big as he could while Abriana packed as much as she could for the head.

It's a bit out of proportion but everyone had fun. Kayla and Chey had had enough of the cold though, and went in the house before 'man' (as Chey calls it) was completed.


Jason picked some dead flowers that grow in front of the house for arms and Abriana even found some rocks in the frozen ground to complete him. Let's just hope Ruger doesn't eat its nose like last time!


After we were all too cold for any more fun, we went inside. Abriana was telling me about an assignment she had where she had to unscramble words and how it was hard. I told her it wasn't that hard, so she read the questions off her paper to me to see how fast I could figure them out.

"Can you carry this r-t-y-a?" she asked.

I said "tray."

"Ok that was an easy one. This one's harder. 'Why are you l-a-y-w-a-s smiling'?"

"Always," I spit out.

She rolls her eyes but continues to ask me all 15 questions. I got them all in a snap and each time she'd sigh in frustration. She decided to make it harder for me; she would think of a word and scramble it up.

"Ok, Mom. Let's see if you can get these. r-s-s-a-g."

"Grass."

"Ok. o-t-t-a-y-l-l."

"Totally."

"Arrgh. s-e-g-s."

I said, so matter-of-factly, "Well if you add a 'u' then it spells guess."

She replies, "The answer is guess."

"Ok, the word guess has a 'u' in it."

"Oh. How 'bout a-t-l-f."

"Flat."

"NO! I got you, it's fault! HaHa! You got it wrong!"

I calmly said, "I don't think so. The word fault also has a 'u' in it. The letters you gave me spell flat, so I did not get it wrong."

"Well I tricked you anyway," she says thinking she's one up on me.

We did this quite a few more times until I was done playing this game. I told her she couldn't trick me or give me a word I couldn't figure out. So Kayla decided it was her turn to be funny. She asked, "Mom, what is your name?"

I laughed at the cuteness, "Mom."

She asks, "What color is the sky."

My first answer was purple, but then she told me to be 'sewious', so I answered blue. She then asks, "What is the opposite of down?"

"Up."

Abriana and Kayla just start rolling on the floor in hysterics, laughing, "Mom blew up! HA HA HA Mom blew up!"

I thought their reaction was funnier than the joke!

Deer pic's

Here's the pictures Mom took while they were down here.

Sophie sleeping on the wheeler making sure she won't miss out on the fun if someone takes off.


Deer, deer and more deer. There is is little 2 point buck in one of these photos. Just roll over the pictures with your mouse for a larger view.

I just love the wildlife we see and the scenery too.