Life is Busy! 16 weeks!

Hello! It has been a few weeks since I've been able to update. Sorry about the lapse in time. We've been so busy and tired. As most of you know I've gone back at work. Thank goodness Daraby sleeps through the night! We put her down at 7:30 PM and she awakes at 5 AM and we leave the house by 5:45 so we can start work at 7 AM. Everyday we commute an hour to work and then we commute an hour after work. Many days I eat breakfast and put on my make-up in the pick-up. No need to get up any sooner! By starting earlier in the morning we are able to work more bison. On a good day we can work 275-300 bison. All in all we will run 5,000 head. We are hoping to be done by spring. :) Many weeks we only work bison 4 days a week and then play catch up on that extra day. When I say we "work bison" I mean we gather them with four-wheelers, put them in pens, bring them into the chute, give them vaccines and sort them.

It has been wonderful to get out of the house but tough to leave Daraby. Tracey and Johanna really enjoy having Daraby. They love her like their own and probably take better care of her than I do. She is pampered and loved. During the day Daraby gets to be outside with them doing chores: collecting eggs, milking goats, feeding hay etc... Every morning Daraby greets Tracey, Jeff and Johanna with a huge smiles and at the end of everyday she greets us with those same smiles. Daraby has grown so much. Currently she is 27 inches long but only 12 pounds. She is a long slender reed so her clothes don't fit very well- they are wide and short. She is continually moving arms, legs, and her head. Jeff-the husband of our sitter- has started to call her "wiggles." It is very appropriate. I have to make sure I hold on to her tight and she will throw herself around. When she lays on the floor it looks like she is riding a bike and waving her arms. The other day while she was laying and chilling out she let out a belly laugh. It was great! She chuckles all the time. Her best times are in the morning. Isn't she her father's child? Many times she will lie awake in her crib in the morning just cooing away for at least 15 minutes or more. She believes she is talking to us. She is very vocal. Isn't she her mother's child?

This last weekend we had a couple of our neighbors over to hang out. Brandon our co-worker came over with his girlfriend- Corrinda and her baby. It is great to get to know her better and put a name with a face. Then on Sunday we had our retired neighbors Jack and Barb over for buffalo steaks and bbq pork ribs. Yum. Jack and Barb just moved here last year so they are getting settled in like us. It has been a life long dream of Jack to live in the sandhills. Jack, like my neighbor Alice, loves to work with leather so he made cute little leather buckles for the stirrups he gave her. We love all the homemade gifts!

Well I suppose, I better get ready for bed. Andrew has been pestering me about bottles, laundry and left overs. I tell you, if it isn't the child crying it is the husband asking questions. By the time I get to bed to ask him questions he is dead asleep. Our work is pretty demanding on the body. The transition for me was a bit tough but by now I'm doing well. My body cried in pain for a couple days-rough four-wheeler, cold bitter wet weather, running in mud and muck, wearing 20 pounds of warm clothes, climbing up and down the catwalk, opening solid gates in strong winds, and standing on iron beams all day. Mind you, the boys never knew I was in pain and let's keep it that way. :)

I hope you all are doing well! Keep warm!