SOMEWHAT CONTROLLED CHAOS: Our new project

Things have started to slow down a little bit around here. We actually sit down and have dinner together several nights a week now!! Basketball is over for Ashley & Brandi, and Ashley is obviously not doing any sports right now. Brandi & Kendra are not doing soccer this session. Kind of my fault...a bad mom moment when I forgot to sign them up on time and now there's no room left on the team. A blessing in disguise if you ask me:) Brandis knees have both really been bothering her, they pop every time she bends them and she goes to bed with ice packs on them. 11 is way too young to be having knee problems so I think a couple sports free months will be good for her. Kendra doesn't get home until 5 so adding in some soccer practices and games after that makes it much too busy for her. It is SOOOOO nice to just go home. I look around at 5:30 and everybody is home for the night! Last night at 6:30 I was sitting out on the swing with a glass of wine while the girls cleaned up dinner dishes. That is something I could get used to:)

But we don't learn very fast around here.....just because we're enjoying the peace doesn't mean we will stick with it. Ashley is part of FFA now and we caved in to her pleading for an animal to show at the fairs. For right now she is keeping her sheep at Justins house so he can show her how to take care of it, feed it etc.

It's not as simple as sticking them out in the pasture and letting them live thier lives! Turns out raising sheep for show is a very complicated process. They have to be fed exactly the right amount of the right type of grain at just the right times to ensure they fill out the way they should. I learned yesterday that the reason you put their feed up off the ground and have a block for them to step onto to reach it is so that they develop nice muscles in the back of thier legs! I'm wondering if I could put my kitchen table up on blocks....hmmm. Not sure if the rest of the family would appreciate my attempts to firm up the glutes!

So anyway, the sheep she has now she'll sell at the Toppenish fair in May. Then she'll need new sheep to raise for the Grandview fair this summer. A couple of other FFA girls would like to raise some sheep for the Grandview fair as well so they're going to keep them at out house. This weekend Bob started on building a shelter for them. We have a little pasture in the back but they'll need a place to get out of the sun. It was kind of a fun family project. We got a long ways but still have a long ways to go yet. The girls are excited about getting it all set up and painted....the interior design mode is still being negotiated. Bob is all for a simple red & white. The girls are thinking it would look kind of cute with a little more personality. Perhaps some flowers...peace signs....a little grafitti? We shall see who wins the battle:)