Meet Ellie Valentine

Meet Ellie Valentine! 

We let Emory use some of her earning from the Nacogdoches Steer Show to purchase her very own heifer. After many failed attempts of trying to buy one at auctions, we found this shorthorn heifer in her price range and Emory was in love. The family we bought her from was calling her Valentine, so Emory decided to keep it as her middle name. She is super excited to start showing her! 

 

Big Serve 2022

April 8th the kids all participated in their schools annual Big Serve event, where the entire school serves in some capacity around the community. Eli helped clean the buildings at Millard's Crossing. Cason worked at Sacred Heart Church in the food pantry and removing several fallen trees on the grounds from recent storms. Emory worked at Helping House sprucing up the flower beds and at Calvary Baptist cleaning out storage closets. After all the work everyone came back to the school for cotton candy, popsicles, and games. I went with Eli's class to Millard's crossing and we dusted, swept, and cleaned several of the old buildings including the caboose, which was a huge hit! 

Kindergarten 2022 Big Serve 

The window in the old caboose!

5th Grade 2022 Big Serve 

7th grade Big Serve 2022

Birthday Week

Last week was birthday week, as Cason turned 11th on Monday and Eli 6 on Thursday! 

We celebrated Monday with presents and Baskin Robins, however I did not take one picture. Thursday Eli opened presents between school and soccer practice and then Friday we took the kids bowling. 

Eli sporting his new headphones on his birthday! 

Eli opening his presents! 

I let the older two each invite 2 friends to come bowling, because Emory was sick with COVID on her birthday and did not get to do anything fun. 

Eli discovered that he loves to bowl! 

Cason and his friends, Weston and Drew. I did not get a picture of Emory and Natalie. After bowling we headed to Chipotle for dinner and home. I think everyone had a great time. 

Nacogdoches County Steer Show

Last Friday Emory and Cason participated in the Nacogdoches County Steer Show. Emory Showed Tater and Cason George. They both had a great show, with Emory winning Reserve Champion Junior Showman and Champion Charolais Steer. Cason won Reserve Champion English/English Cross Steer and had the Third County Bred Steer. Emory and Tater placed 3rd overall and Cason and George 6th. 

 

Nacogdoches 4-H Show Team

Eli's First Soccer Game

Yesterday was the first day of the Spring soccer season for Cason and Eli and Eli's very first soccer game! He was beyond excited! 

He posed like this all by himself ! You can tell he has two older siblings that play soccer. He played very good and even scored a goal in his teams 6 to 2 win! 

Eli and his buddy Ben discussing strategy! 

Cason also played yesterday, but I didn't get one picture of him playing. His team won too! 

HLSR Broiler Show

This year the kids showed chickens at the Houston Livestock Show. We did not go in with high hopes and actually did better than we expected. Emory was in the 3rd callback out of 7 with hens, with the 7th only having about ten pens of birds in it. She placed about mid pack out of 275 pens of birds. Cason showed roosters and one of his did not make it through the show, so he was only able to show 2 birds in the ring. It was a very long day, but we had fun and learned a lot. 

Cason was happy to get this free hat too! 

January & February Happening's

I realized this morning I had not recorded anything since the first of January, so here is a little of what we did in January and February. Emory turned 13th on the 15th, however 3 of the 5 of us had COVID including her, so there wasn't much celebrating. I didn't even take a picture of her, but I did put together this little collage of her. 

The first of February Emory finished up her 7th grade basketball season with a tournament in Tyler. She played great his year and improved a great deal on both her skills and understanding of the game. She had a lot of fun too! Go Eagles!! 

We also kept Miss Avery Kay for a week in February. 

She liked sitting in this chair and looking outside. 

She also liked Bradley's birthday cake. 

Birthday cake is good! 

You see her cup in that circle on her tray, I dare you to not put it in the circle! 

SHE WILL NOT HAVE IT. 

I went to Eli's Valentine party at school! He came home with all sorts of goodies in addition to the treats he had at the party.