BUSY...

Wow, it's crazy that I haven't blogged since September 10th...I thought I was actually doing fairly well with keeping up but it has been quite hectic around this place! The month of September started out by Alan and I along with our good friends Sandon and Sheila taking a quick trip to Green Bay for a Packer's game (Packers vs. Bears). Sheila's sister and brother live in Green Bay and we were able to stay with them and had a great time! They showed us around the town! Lambeau Field is really cool and quite a place to see! WOW!! If you are wondering if Alan actually wore Packer attire to the game...um, not really...we each purchased a Lambeau Field T-shirt and wore them but he couldn't bring his purple blood to wear a GB Packer shirt! GO VIKINGS!!

The following weekend found us at the final rodeo of the Mandan Youth Rodeo Series. Jade was trailing in the season year end All-Around by 5 points coming into the weekend and pulled off the Reserve All-Around Champion for the day and managed to put together 17 points. When all the dust settled and the points were tallied she won the Year End All-Around by 1 point!

Jory also had a good day and rode his first Steer ever! He did very well and is looking forward to riding many more...ugh!! (I may be headed to the Jamestown Hospital Psych ward before he gets over this phase) Alan told Jory, "You know Jory, riding steers and broncs is for guys that can't rope them!"
Standing next to him is my cousin Brandon. He helped him in the chute! On the other side of him is his friend Colton Carlson...he also rode a steer but he doesn't think he is going to make it a career!!

This past weekend found us at the ND Roughrider Rodeo Finals in Devils Lake. Jory competed in the goat tying as well as the kid's dummy roping. In the dummy roping he had to rope in the older kids age division (7-12) and came away with 2nd place winning a new ropin' dummy and a Bull Riding baseball cap (right up his alley) and a grin from ear to ear! He was proud as punch that not only did he once again beat his sister but his cousin Bridger as well!!!

Jade ended her Roughrider Rodeo season with winning the year end in the Novice Barrels! We are proud of her as well as her 23 year old horse, Classy! He has been such a great horse for her and he has taught her SO much! We are thinking this may be a nice way to end his career and retirement is in his future! We shall see how the winter treats him! We have owned him for about 16 months now and he has carried Jade to about 8 buckles and many, many prizes as well becoming a much better rider!!

Alan and Sandan won the average at the finals and had a good weekend! Not only is it fun for us to compete and watch our kids grow and mature in their rodeo skills during this Finals weekend but a great time to get together with our friends that we may only see in passing from one rodeo to the next during the summer. The kids had a great time swimming, eating pizza and having fun with their rodeo friends! We feel so lucky to have such a great rodeo family!


Now, off to Bismarck this weekend for one final youth rodeo for Jade and Jory and then we can unpack the trailer until next spring! Unfortunately, Dad is staying home and auctioneering an Estate Sale. Wish this pregnant Mom good luck...I don't think Dad thinks we can do this without him...heehee!!

Quilt Auction

We went out to the Red Willow Bible Camp tonight to check out all of the quilt's that have been donated to the Quilt Auction to be held on Saturday. There are some very nice ones! Unfortnately, Alan and I will be gone but the kids will be there helping G&G and Uncle Louis with the auction. I took a couple pictures of Jade and Jory by their donated quilts. This year my Grandmother, my Mom and I each made a quilt (impressed aren't you...don't be...may be the one and only that I ever make) as well as Jade (snowmen) and Jory (high school musical) both made quilts and donated them to this worthwhile event! All the proceeds of the quilt auction are donated to the Red Willow Bible Camp and Halvorson Boote Auction donates the auctioneering! Check out the quilts...

Horse Races!!

On Saturday we took a family trip to the Horse Races in Fargo. It is a new park and opened a few years ago we had never been there before. My folks joined us. It was very nice and we may have to try and make it back there next year...we all had fun! The kids thought that it was really cool as they had only seen Horse Racing on TV. When we were getting in the pickup to leave after the races, Jade asked Alan, "Dad, do you think we could buy a race horse?" His reply, "Ah, No, I don't think so!" LOL!! She is a true cowgirl! Below are some pictures...the pictures of the gray horse (both above and below...BTW he did win his race) Jade thinks would make an EXCELLENT barrel horse...keep dreaming!!

Alan's Buddy...Mason Iverson

This afternoon we had the pleasure of having our friends Justin and Theresa Iverson's son, Mason, stay with us for a couple hours. He is 3 years old and is Alan's buddy! We all get such a kick out of him and he has the vocabulary of a 18 year old. He doesn't call Alan just "Alan" he calls him "Alan Boote". So when he arrived Alan was stacking some bales and he asked, "Where's Alan Boote?", I told him in the barn stacking some hay should we go find him, "Yes!" he replied. So off to the barn we went. Mason's dad, grandpa and uncle farm and so he is ALL about farm equipment and farming so ask him something about farming and he knows, ESPECIALLY the difference between green and red equipment!!!! Anyways, being here with animals he was quite inquisitive! So here are a few pictures of him with the goat and Jade's horse Classy! What a card and we enjoyed every minute of him being here!!

Not so sure about touching a goat...then after a little reassurance...

Another Boote Cowboy...

We had another ultrasound today and found out that we are having another BOY!! We will have two boys to carry on the Boote name. I would not have been surprised if they would have told us that we were having another girl as my sister and brother both have two girls and a boy and the Boote family has 11 girls and 4 boys (only two with the Boote name, Dallas and Jory) SOOOO...the odds were against a boy BUT it is indeed a boy!! Jory and Jade are both elated...especially Jory...Jade has kept saying it didn't matter to her...Jory on the other hand was adamate that it HAD TO BE A BOY!! Boy or Girl Alan and I just wanted to hear healthy and indeed thus far things look excellent and for that we feel blessed!

I can't tell you how many times people have asked me, "Was this pregnancy a surprise?"...my answer Absolutely Not! Alan and I had decided that we had one of each, they were both healthy and life was great, however, we had always "planned" to have 3...things seemed "easy" with two but in the back of our minds we knew that one day we may regret this. So, I actually "confirmed" this pregnancy the day of one of my very good friends, Bobbi Fortier-Talmadge's funeral. Bobbi was 38 years young, had 3 great kids and passed away from cancer after a courageous battle. At the funeral the priest talked about how Bobbi lived EACH DAY with NO REGRETS and that she had lived a full life in her short 38 years. She had traveled many places, did things at the spur of a moment, had MANY friends and was a friend to MANY, cheered her kids on in their sports activities and just plain LOVED LIFE! He reminded us that we all need to remember to live each day with no regrets! WOW, I thought as the tears streamed down my face...I think he is talking directly to me! So, Bob, this is one regret I won't have in my life!! I miss you lots!!!

Harvest 09

Our wheat was harvested this afternoon...(I am not exactly sure how it ran...but I don't think I am going to get to remodel my kitchen ;)) but here are a few pictures of Jory and Callie Ronningen (my cousin Stacey's daughter...she is more like a niece to me) standing in the field as the combine was coming. Callie's dad, Jeff, farms the little bit of tillable land we have. They are two months apart in age, both in the 2nd grade and are more like brother and sister than cousins.



being goofy...













the guys...(Alan, Jeff and Jeff's dad, Don)