Ridin' Like a Big Boy

Hoyt is one proud little boy these days because he is officially riding Annie by himself. (Ryon is pretty proud as well!!) He loves to go into the round pen and ride without "ANY HELP" and then talk about it nonstop when he comes home.

He loves to "stop" and "back-up" and I have to admit that Annie is very patient with him. Now all we need is a saddle that fits....the other day Annie shook and when Ryon turned around Hoyt was hanging off the side. Hoyt explained to me later that this wouldn't have happened if his feet were in the stirrups!!

Loving every minute of it!

Time to back up

One of my favorite shots!

Petting the baby goat (born that day) after his ride

Quick Weekend Trip

We just got back from a quick trip to California to pick up Annie. Hoyt loves to go to grandma and grandpa Hoyt's house, because all he does is play....play....play! He and cousin Isaiah play outside from sunup to sundown - riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, climbing fences, and let's not forget swimming! The last few times we have had to leave to come home he has cried for at least an hour.

Climbing...

Swimming with dad...

Jumping to dad...

And getting a ride on dad's shoulders!

Isaiah and Hoyt helping brush Annie

Some of the boys eating breakfast before the start of their busy day!

The TALE of Annie's TAIL

Last summer Annie had a tail that looked like this:

However, she spent the winter in California at my parent's house and met a few of these little guys:

Who knew that if they were in the same pasture for a few days the goats would eat the tail instead of the grass? Well....NOW we all know and hopefully if given some time with no goat contact Annie's tail will be back to picture perfect shape in no time!!

Helping

This little guy is one BIG helper these days. All I hear is, "Mom, can I help plant flowers....mom, can I help stir that...mom, can I help sweep...etc. One day I'm hoping it really turns into true "helping", but for now he's a helper in training!!

I'm not sure the flowers can handle any more "helping"!

To get his mind off helping with the flowers, I got his tools and asked him to help me by fixing his swing set. That kept him busy for at least 30 minutes!

Helping dad wash the truck. His job was tires and rims.

Daddy is....

HOME! I'm not sure who is more excited - the big guy or the little guy. OR MOM!!

CARNIVAL

Hoyt and I were able to attend a great birthday party on Saturday. Our friend Hudson Burnett turned "6" and had a carnival party. Hoyt had a fabulous time! I told Kelly that she was setting the bar pretty high for parties - my skills include a pinata and a nice cake!

Hoyt getting ready to have some fun!

First stop...the fishing booth. I wish you could have seen him "casting" - Isaac Artinger was manning the booth and had to duck!

The duck pond was by far his favorite. By the end of the party he was wet up to his elbows because he had fished the ducks out at least 20 times!

Hoyt and his favorite treat - suckers!

Hoyt in the "dress up" booth. Can you tell he thinks he is pretty SPECIAL??

The face painting was also a big hit with Hoyt. He was pretty serious about the dragon on his face!

Hula-hooping at the end of the party. Around the waist wasn't working so he went with around the neck...Creative!!

A Week in CA

Hoyt and I just got back from a busy week in California. There was a lot going on, but you better believe that Hoyt and Isaiah (along with some help from Uncle Caleb) got a lot of playing done!

One morning Caleb helped Hoyt and Isaiah go on a treasure hunt. They must have looked for treasure for 2 hours. Hoyt loved it - he looked for treasure the rest of the day as well. At one point I found him out back in one of the trees. When I asked him what he was doing he said, "Mom....I lookin' for treasure"!

You can't go on a treasure hunt without a map, swords, or your bazooka!

Here they are scouring the landscape!

Hoyt and Isaiah building a track under the trampoline. Every night we were there Hoyt needed a bath!

Another favorite at Grandma's house is the kitty. Hoyt spent 45 minutes with the kitty one night. The cat is usually not all that fond of people bothering him, but he seemed to like Hoyt. Hoyt made sure to tell me that, "when we move to Idaho I get a trampoline, a dog, and a CAT mom". OK!

A Week In CA continued....

While we were in California my sister Marissa got married and my brother Caleb received his Eagle. With those two events, I think it is fair to say that we were very busy!

The wedding was lovely, but as soon as the ceremony was over Hoyt was ready to change into some shorts and play with his cousins. His favorite part of the night was the dancing! He has started to do what he calls the "robot dance" (I think he saw it on the Disney Channel) and it is hilarious. Everyone thought he was pretty funny!


Marissa, Hoyt and Isaiah. Hoyt loved holding the flowers!




This has to be one of my favorite pictures! Spot couldn't resist getting in the picture too - Hoyt calls Spot his "best friend"!

The robot dance!

Here he is trying to teach Caleb his moves.

The day after the wedding was the Court of Honor for Caleb's Eagle. We were all very proud of him. Here he is with mom and dad.

Hoyt loves his Uncle Caleb (as you can see) but I think his favorite part of the evening was....



dessert!!

Roses?

Since Ryon was out of town for Mother's Day this year, he made sure to send me some roses. They were beautiful and I loved them.....HOWEVER, since Ryon was out of town for two LONG months I told him I deserved a little something more. (I think a new leather bag is definitely what this mom needs - I've earned it!)

FORT!

One rainy, Saturday morning Hoyt and I decided to build a fort. It was a hit!! All of his favorites had to be in the fort with him....blanket, pillows, fishy crackers, sippy cup, etc. Looks like he's having fun to me!

Oh...and let's not forget Curious George. He had to be in the fort too!