Where to Start?

Since I haven't updated this for so long, I will post with what has happened recently, then go back and do  a little catch up. I didn't really intend to not post anything from May until the end of November. :) Thanks, Tomi and Anna, for a nudge. :) 

Sadie turned 8 recently!! We typically have an evening birthday party, but tried Melody's family's tradition for Sadie this year. We had a breakfast birthday party! Mostly because we had cattle to work all day and weren't sure what time we'd get back. Hated to make her wait ALL day for the festivities!! :)

Tech support. A good guy to have around when anything needs assembled. :) Ivey was the decorator. She made me get her up at 5:00 when I was up, so she could put balloons in Sadie's bedroom, put a streamer up, and put the picture she had colored on the wall. She said "I want this to be a day Sadie remembers for a long time." 

Daddy and Sadie had an agreement that Daddy would decorate her cake. We actually had cancelled the dinner the night of her birthday because we got home to late, so the birthday dinner was the next evening. Daddy came straight in from checking cattle, into the kitchen where his assistant had a frosted cake and bags of icing ready and he did his magic before the party. :)

For Sadie, who is obsessed with Indians at this point, this cake did the trick. She is still talking about it. :) Daddy had another idea. That we surprise Sadie by all putting Indian paint on our faces for her party. We had Leslie and Davina out and  they were game. Ivey painted all of our faces while Morgan asked Sadie if the two of them should paint their faces for dinner. She did his and her own and when they came to eat, we were all painted. She just smiled with approval. :)

A blue line across the face, according to Sadie, meant single girl. I forget what the circles on the cheeks meant. I'm sure she could tell you. I'm not sure why she doesn't have the blue line...she had been the one telling us about that for a good while. :)

Cute little tribe, huh? My only regret is not getting a picture of the adults with our paint on. :) 

A few snapshots from the day...girls trying to stay warm first thing in the morning by huddling in a tractor tire while cattle are sorted.

Hours of fun on rows of haybales

Good animal time - perfect birthday for our resident animal lover.

This horse is meant for roping practice, but is a great play toy. Morgan built it our of scraps...very cool.

Helping Daddy square his horses.

 It has been 8 wonderful years with Sadie....Dadler....Sadie Bug.....I could go on and on about her. She is high energy, high capacity to love and empathize, is a little crazy, and loves animals. That is a tiny summary....we are glad she is ours. :)