Well "Merry Merry", "Ho-Ho-Ho" and Soon to be Happy New Year from the TX
Guesses!!!
Believe it or not life has been relatively "Normal" since our last update
- but why are we SO tired???!!!
Very few schedules could top ours the first half of the year so we're not
even going to try - thankfully!
So here we are....time marching on...and on...and on...and on.
Seriously, we have thankfully enjoyed our home, our family, our animals
and our hobbies this last half of the year and are grateful for the boredome (?!)
With mom and dad Sloane in Idaho it's been a lot less eventful (Though the
long distance bill has been ever so much higher) but like the rest of you probably feel, there still aren't enough hours in
the day!
Garrett grows bigger and more adult like each day - being a whole 16 months
old now. What a difference a year makes!
He is now walking, oops I mean running....and enjoys all the farm animals,
his trucks and school.
That's right.
Garrett now goes to "School" two mornings a week and is enjoying all the socializing
and "Projects" he gets to do there.
He is still quite large in stature being over 30 lbs and the size of your
average 3 year old.
Parenthood has been incrementally easier now that he can move and communicate
on his own.
He's working very hard at talking and we just know he's going to have an awful lot to say.
He shows great
interest and intent in the areas of drawing, music and driving.
Our farm herd has increased yet again with the addition of three sheep -
two females and one handsome ram (Napoleon, Ginger and Spice) which will eventually reproduce, and a Nubian dairy goat named
"Dinner" who thinks he's a dog.....or a sheep. Can't decide which.
He takes great delight in rubbing the poison ivy that he eats out in the
pasture off on us.
All the doggies are well.
Our Longhorn Spike was traded off for a new longhorn "Bopp" who had a darling
little heifer calf the first week in October named "Bye-Bye" (We couldn't find her for a few hours after her birth!) We'll
be keeping her as part of our breeding program. We are expecting our second cow Bluebonnet to calve any second and delight
in anticipation of the coming surprise in our pasture.
We took a quick surprise trip to Breckenridge, Colorado the week Bye-Bye
was born to pick up a free hot tub that Walter's uncle generously offered to us as long as we would come get it.
Hence
Shari had Christmas early and the hot tub now lives at our cabin in the woods out under the stars and is enjoyed regularly.
How
did we ever live without one?!
It's especially good to have this week as I, (Shari) am on day 5 of the
flu! YUK!
We both got new cars this fall....Walter his dream car (A Mercedes-Benz
300SDL) and Shari who finally gave in to the call of the SUV.
We were in charge of a large fall festival for our church in November and
we actually got our really good friend and songwriter from Nashville, Austin Cunningham, to drive a 1200 mile roundtrip
to play for us.
We figure we had well over 200 people in attendance and all had great fun listening to Austin as well as
dunking the Bishopric (Our clergy) in the dunk tank (Thanks Bill!!!), going on hay rides and tossing ping-pong balls to win
live goldfish!
No one can say we don't know how to party!
Speaking of party.....we are
getting ready to have everyone over for our annual Fondue Party New Years Day after we celebrate our fifth anniversary New
Years Eve.
We are grateful to still be madly in love and fortunate enough to be living
"Happily ever after".
We owe it all to the "Big Guy Upstairs" and realize that everything can
change in an instant.
Walter has been laid off his job at Verizon.net as of December 31st but
we're not worried. He's had several great interviews and he is looking forward to some new opportunities.
In the meantime it's good we've saved for a rainy day!
Can't think of anything else to add so I guess we'll close for this quarter.
We love hearing from each and every one of you and hope that all of you
will take the time to let us know what's new in your lives.
Happy Holidays and Happy 2004 Y'all!!!
PS Don't forget to check out Garrett's Page for some new Pics!
