Hello 2017!

Well Happy New Year to you all! It has definitely come in with a frigid bang here in Alberta. We are blessed to have had a great corn crop this year, so the cattle are happily grazing corn all winter. We are feeding a few calves, but with no rodeo bulls, it seems like the feedlot is empty and the chores are definitely lighter. This being said, Kelly is in the house a lot twiddling his thumbs. I feel like one of us needs a job. School has started back up, as has the hockey schedule. There is never a dull moment here. Jessie has been busy halter breaking 4-H calves, playing hockey and trying to get some roping practice in when it's not too cold. Jake has just been busy. He's loving hockey and wants to be the goalie, much to his dad's dismay. He oversees all that happens on the farm. He is strictly upper management, while Jessie does all the work. I have decided to become a consultant for Rodan and Fields. I absolutely love their skincare products. If you haven't tried them, you should! You won't regret it. Turning 40 this year coupled with having lived in two pretty harsh environments, I decided I better start taking care of my skin. It's not getting any younger or any less sun with my lifestyle. I hope this New Year is good to you all! May God bless you in all ways! As always, if you are ever in our neck of the woods, stop in for a visit.

Where Has The Time Gone?

Hello All, It's been a long time. It seems like the last few years have been an absolute whirlwind. Apparently, I was lost in that whirlwind. It's been four years since I last wrote. So much has happened! Life is a little quieter around here. We sold out of the rodeo bull business, so the stories may not be as exciting. We came to the conclusion that we weren't getting any younger or faster! We are now running a commercial herd of Angus/Simmental cross cows. It's a nice pace of life. The kids are both busy with hockey. Jake plays in Big Valley and Jessie in Stettler, so we are on the road a lot. We are at the rink for practice 4 days of the week and then games on weekends. Jessie has a 4-H steer and heifer this year, which is always fun and will start high school rodeos again in the spring. There is never an idle moment here. I hope this finds everyone doing well. Drop us a line, give us a call, stop by for coffee or something stronger. We would love to see you all!

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October in Review

Well, it's only been a month or so since my last post, but hey, it's a busy world. Kelly was working away, so the kids and I were on chore duty. Mostly, I was on chore duty. At our last company meeting, which is a quick consult over dinner, I made the motion that if he was working away, we were getting a new squeeze chute. Of course, a young bull is limping around the pen when he was gone, so I had to get it out and doctor it. This was no easy task itself. Thank goodness for the three legged wanna be cowdog. He does save my ass from time to time. We got the bulls out of the feedlot pen and up the alley to the squeeze. No sorting was to be done. I knew that I was not even going to attempt that, so every animal had to go up the alley and out the squeeze. So, an hour later when I finally get the patient in the squeeze and his head caught I take on the task of 100cc of penicillin. Now, you might think this is easy, but thinking it wasn't that cold outside, I had fixed the syringe before I started. Not good. Penicillin tends to take on the consistency of maple syrup in this less than tropical climate. It took a while to squeeze it through the 16 gauge needle. I had hand cramps. To get to the point though, as I was doing this the bull was jumping and twitching and I was dodging the drop bars which were dropping down at random intervals. Not cool. I could have been cut, concussed or even killed. Kelly said, "oh yeah, you gotta watch those things, they'll do that, the old girl is gettin' kinda wore out." Really! Our nephew got married on the 27th. We had a great time at the wedding. Jake was the ring bearer. He actually went through with it and was well behaved. His sister did sit down at the front with a bag of candy to entice him and the flower girls. In true Jake style, he wasn't leaving behind his John Deere tractor or his backhoe, so we put one in each girls purse. And wouldn't you know it, he had a death grip on their hands all the way down the aisle.

Moving on. Halloween was great fun. Jake was a fireman and Jessie was a gypsy. Kelly and Jessie weighed the candy. They had 8 lbs. That is after I took out nine pop cans. Crazy. Jessie found her friends in town and quickly abandoned us. We took Jake to a few houses and then stopped at some friends and waited on Jessie to show back up. f

Jessie has been busy with hockey. She practices two nights a week and has games on the weekends. I feel like we live at the rink. She scored her first two goals of the year on Saturday. She was pumped. They have a great little team. This is her first year to play in Stettler. She informed us after the first practice that she had four coaches because this wasn't a rinky dink operation anymore. She is sure she is playing NHL hockey. That is all I know for now. Not much changes here on a day to day basis. As Kelly likes to put it, we are just chasing the dream and living the nightmare.

Catch up day!

What a great day to catch up! It is raining/snowing outside. Luckily it rained too much to get cows hauled to fall pasture, because I was not looking forward to saddling up in this. Poor Jessie has a cross country meet today. She left here with a bag of warm clothes, and I'm not sure it was enough at this point. Surely, it will get cancelled. Jake and I have spent the morning baking cookies. He's great help. This morning he attempted to crack an egg in the bowl when I walked away. I caught him in time to let him crack one into an empty bowl, not the one full of ingredients already. He stuck it between his hands and squeezed as hard as he could. The only thing that made it into the bowl was the shell. The rest hit the floor with a splat. He licked the beater, his favorite part. He said, "this very good, thanks!"

Jessie started hockey last week. It looks like it's going to be a fun year, long, but fun. She is playing on a different team this year, so she's making new friends, and so are we. We do all our business in Stettler where she is playing, and don't know but one couple on the team. She's very excited. She has three coaches this year. She told us, "this isn't a rinky dink operation anymore." Apparently it's the big times! So begins our life at the rink at least three days a week for the next six months. Well, I suppose I should catch up on some other stuff in the office. I've been putting off office work for several weeks now. Alberta is the perfect place in the fall, as long as you get one. The last two weeks have been in the 70's. We don't come inside unless we have to. It looks like that is coming to an end though and winter is sneaking in. Have a good one!

The Griswolds Go Camping

Well, it has happened. We bought a fifth wheel, so it was inevitable. I think.... We finally had a week off to do with as we wished, so the Armstrongs went camping. Just us and the trailer. There were no dogs, cats, horses or bulls involved. It took some getting used to, but we all settled in and finally relaxed. It was a total Griswold vacation. Kelly levelled (somewhat) the trailer, unhooked, and then looked at me and dared ask, "Now what do we do." I just looked at him and said, "You've got to be (insert expletive) kidding me." He grabbed a beer, sat down in his lawn chair and shut up. About an hour later he said, "I could get used to this."

We had planned the trip to Cypress Hills in southwestern Saskatchewan so we could go visit Kelly's grandmother and other family nearby. Well, as it turned out, his aunt and cousins and all the kids were camping there too. It was a great time. Jessie and Jake had a blast playing with their cousins. We drove into Eastend on Wednesday to visit Grammy A. She was happy to see the great grandkids that she rarely gets to see. It was a beautiful place to camp with lots of fun stuff to do, we all survived, so we are planning on trying this "camping" thing more often.

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Of course, on the way home, we decided we weren't in a great hurry. Believe me that was a fleeting thought. But it lasted long enough for Kelly to take a detour into some small town on the way because they still have the old wooden stockyards that have a loading chute to load on to train cars. While this holds no interest to the rest of the vehicle occupants, we let him have his way. He told us he remembers watching cattle get loaded on to train cars when he was little. Jessie reminded him how old he was and I reminded her that Canada is twenty years behind most civilized countries in many ways.

After the brief stop at this roadside not such an attraction, we made it to Kelly's sisters. We had a short visit there, because now we were in a hurry to get home. She gave the kids two baby pot bellied pigs. Now, we already have one obese swine that meanders through the yard at her own leisure. I asked the question why, I was answered by my husband, who I'm quite sure is going senile, why not?

So, that ends the tale of the Cypress Hills Camping trip of 2012. Stay tuned for the next episode of Armstrong Family happenings or mishappenings.

Summer Fun!

These last few weeks of summer have been so busy, I haven't had the time to sit down and update the blog. We spent two weeks in Texas, which was a blast. We took in Sea World in San Antonio, and then spent a few days at Port Aransas. We, then, headed back to Vernon to spend a few days. It was great to see all the sights and work on our tans, but it is great to be back here and complain about how hot 83 degrees is. cat

We've spent the last week at home catching up on the yard work and moving bulls home, where, hopefully, they will stay out of trouble. Jessie bought a bull whip and has been practicing with it. Today, she took it and cracked it off her horse. She is really doing well. Big Boy is completely unimpressed by her new toy. She is waiting for Boomer to get a shoe tacked back on so she can try it on him. I'm pretty sure he will suffer cardiac arrest. He's already in a fragile state due to the climate change, the Boone and Crockett mosquitoes, and the fact that he has been forced to get his feet wet in this new country.

Next week we are headed to Cypress Hills for a camping trip. We've never been ones to head out to a national park and camp, so it should be entertaining. I will take the camera to capture the Griswold moments. Kelly and Jessie are excited, Jake will be when we get there, and I think it sounds like a lot of work for me. My idea of a vacation is not cooking or cleaning. I just pray it doesn't rain in western Saskatchewan next week.

Off to Calgary Stampede

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede. How cool is that? Kelly's great grandad, George Armstrong rode in that very first stampede. A few years ago, a guy working at the rodeo office gave us a copy of the entry sheet with his signature on it. I wonder what he would say to the $100,000 check to the winner of each event.

He might have something to say about his rodeo brat great great grandson who hopped in the truck at 8am and offered Shane a Bud Light. Thankfully, the offer was declined. Then he overhears a conversation in the front about a horse, and he promptly repeated, "get that son of a bitch." he and Shane both got in trouble, and Shane explained to him it was an "error in judgement on his part." jake nodded his head and carried on bucking off his stuffed bear on the bed wearing his hat and a diaper.
I'm thankful to have one easy child. Weird but easy so far. She sings about whatever she is doing at the time. She didn't know I was watching the other day when she leaped by singing, "graceful gazelle going to the garbage can."

I've Had It!

I'm threatening to sell out! This week Kelly has been gone to B.C for the week. We are still calving. Therefore, I am tagging calves by myself. Since Kelly decided to feed and calve out 150 beef cows that he partnered with a guy on, we are at, what I would call, full capacity. Since Kelly left, there have been twins, two deaths and nearly the loss of a wife. I did beat the cow to the truck, but she was nice enough to close the door for me. Now the driver door of the farm truck has a dent and will not close. It makes checking cows in the mud quite interesting. When you have to use two hands on the wheel, the door flies open. It is, however, handy when you need to jump out fast and grab a calf, because before the cow hit it, you had to open the door from the outside to get out. It is all glitz and glam here!

Our Trip To Texas By Jessie

Our trip to Texas was really exciting, especially on the way down and on the way back. I had to babysit Jake all the way there and back. I was so happy to get to Texas and get out of the truck.
While we were in Texas I got to do all kinds of stuff. The first day we got there I helped my grandma at her store. We stayed in Vernon for three days then we went to Fort. Worth to see my auntie. While we were at her house we went to the Botanical Gardens in Fort. Worth to see the butterflies which was really cool, and on another day we got to go shopping which is so fun because there is a Target:) One night my auntie, my mom and I went to see Mary Poppins on stage at Bass Hall. Our trip to Texas was so much fun!!!

Up and Running

OK, so we've been pretty lax these last couple years with this blog, but we have a good excuse. So, Jessie and I thought we would try again. She has been blogging with her classroom and has agreed to help keep up with this one since so many of you have whined about the lack of the Armstrong blog. I know it is more fun to laugh at the misfortunes of others than deal with your own. So we will do our best to keep y'all entertained!
The kids and I just got back from Texas. It was a great trip even though we drove with cows, bulls, a horse and Jake. Since I now have in my possession a Class 3 license, this means I'm a somewhat certified double clutcher and gear jammer, we drove the Freightliner, or "big truck" as it is called around here, down. Jessie wants to tell the story of the trip to Texas, so I'll let her do that.

Summer Has Arrived

Summer has arrived in the wintry hinterlands! With it comes mosquitoes aplenty. However, I hate winter more than I hate mosquitoes. Some things, I will tolerate for sunshine and warm weather.

Jessie and I embarked on the overnight field trip. I still don't enjoy school bus rides. That has not changed in the 15 years I have been out of school. We went to Fort Edmonton on Thursday and then to West Edmonton Mall to the Waterpark on Friday. We had a lot of fun. However, I was exhausted. Hanging on to children and their tubes in the wave pool is hard on a person. Especially one who isn't a certified lifeguard in the first place.



Then on Saturday, our daughter left us. She decided an 8 year old deserves a holiday I guess. She headed to Texas with Bobby and Cita. It is quieter here. Too quiet. We are left with a chubby baby with a crooked smile who likes to chew on his own toes. He also likes to be held. All the time.



I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Jake and I are heading in to the saddle shop to practice with the girls. We have to sing at a funeral tomorrow. Not really the ideal job, but you can't say no to the family when they ask. Have a gooder!

Rain Rain.....

It is raining here again. I'm not sure it will ever stop. I'm thinking of starting my ark. If I can just figure out how to keep the mosquitoes out. Four wheel drive is required to get down our road and when you leave you cannot go south. That road is imapassable and the one to the north is nearly as bad.


Friday was Dee's birthday. We went to Dan and Leanne's and had supper and drove down to the river and released Happy Birthday balloons. It was a beautiful day and a sad occasion, but it was good we could all be together. The river banks are greener than they have been in years and the wind was not blowing at all. The balloons went straight up. Exactly where they were meant to.

The sale is quickly approaching. I believe I have all my stuff nearly done. I can't say that everyone else is prepared, but that is just my opinion. Having one arm seems to affect more than just the physical state. I am so ready to have it done for another year. Next year, I vow to be more organized and prepared for this. Yeah Right!

I would love to post pics of the fast pitch softball games that Jessie has been playing in. However, due to the weather there has only been one. Maybe next week.

I suppose I should hit the road. The one armed husband went to check cows in the rain. Jake is sleeping after a long shift in the jolly jumper, and Jessie will be home from school soon. This house needs to be cleaned and I am the only one to do it.

I'm Considering Moving!

Today, as you all know is May 30. It is still snowing! Can you believe it? I can't. I'm not all that happy about it either. Believe it or not, I am waiting for Husband to get home from checking cows so I can go out and shovel snow and wet silage out of the silage bunks so the grain I pour out doesn't just soak it all up and become mash. I hope his arm gets better soon! Please pray for early healing!

Merry Christmas! Wait a Damn Minute......!

I have to apologize for not keeping up very well. Our lives seem to spiral out of control most times, and well, I just haven't had time to sit down and chronicle the goings on of the Armstrongs. I have, however, completed our sale catalog.

We lost our niece, Dee Ann in a trick riding accident on May 20. She was only twelve years old. We will miss her so much. She was a great kid and a great friend to Jessie. It is an awful reminder that we are not in control of any one thing in our lives.





It is May 29. The leaves are finally turning green. School is quickly winding down. Softball games have begun. I woke up this morning to four inches of packed snow on the ground. Yes, snow! I don't like snow in December. I really don't like it in May.





Having a one armed husband right now just adds to the snowstorm. I've been feeding bulls every morning. It isn't that big of a chore, but in the blowing wet snow, seventeen pails of barley feels like seventeen tons of barley. I was soaking wet and madder than a captured Jap by the time Kelly decided to come out and assist me in filling the bale feeders. By assist, I mean drive around in the dry tractor with the heater and radio on. I cut twines, open gates and chase bulls away from the open gates. He drives around and gives me those hand signals that I so dearly adore. I know one hand signal. I use it quite often during times such as these.

I was in the bull pen cutting twines on a bale and heard a yelp. I looked over to see the weiner dog high centered in a snow filled tractor rut. Kelly, who was out of the tractor (GASP!) closing a gate, rescued the poor soul. He finished out chores in the tractor. Now the reason the weiner dog was even out in the snow storm in the bull pen is because he is in love with Scout, the catahoula, and she had followed me out there. Kelly was cussing the dog, telling me how stupid he is and is going on and on about that just goes to show you what a girl does to you. I told him I didn't feel much smarter than the weiner dog right now, because I could be living in a warmer climate right now. This conversation leads on to him asking what I thought about something. You should never ask me that in a situation such as this. However, I am learning. I simply stated, "If I told you what I thought right now, you will get really mad, so we'll just leave it at that." You know what he said? "You are probabbly right." If you know you are going to be mad at the answer, then why ask. I then proceeded to my gate opening duties and quickly back to the house for my coffee and a dry set of clothes.

Kelly left to go check cows. We have already turned them out on pasture. With Kelly having surgery and thinking that summer was here, that was the easiest thing to do to lighten the chore load around here. However, we are still calving. I think it is safe to say he will probably come home with a few calves. I'm sure they will decide to all calve today. Why wouldn't they? I just hope he stops to buy me some Bailey's for my coffee. I feel like this is the perfect day for it and I deserve it, especially if I have to reopen the baby bovine bed and breakfast in my kitchen.

Jessie and Raina were outside building a snow man. The snow is so heavy, they couldn't get their middle piece up on the bottom. They came in soaking wet and defeated.

Hello Again!

Hi there! I apologize for not keeping everyone updated on the happenings around here, however, we have not slowed down. Jake got to come home on the 12th of December. He is doing great. At his last appointment, he weighed 6lbs 11oz. He already has us all trained. Since there are not ten nurses at his beckon call, we are all having to do double duty to keep up with his expectations. Let me tell you, they are quite high for someone who is not really supposed to be born yet.

Jessie is a great big sister. She is helping out a lot. However, if he cries, she is quick to hand him off.

Christmas was great. We went to Church on Christmas Eve and then spent Christmas Day with friends. It was nice to have a place to go have a real Christmas Dinner. If it had been left to me to cook for the three of us, it probably wouldn't have been turkey and dressing. Jessie got her skateboard from Santa that is all she asked for in her letter. She also got a new pink hockey bag plus lots of other goodies. Jake got a swing, which was probably the smartest gift Santa has ever bought. It makes up for the skateboard which has been involved in several single vehicle accidents in the middle of the living room lately. I'm waiting for the broken arm, so I can say I told you so to the father figure in this house, who has been involved in a couple of those accidents. I did put an end to him skateboarding down the hall holding Jake.

Kelly is planning a birthday party for Jake on the 2nd since that was his original due date. I think he has invited everyone he knows for supper. He promised to help, but I know how that story ends.

That is all I really know for now. Jake is actually napping without someone holding him or in a sling around my neck, so I'm going to take this opportunity to get something done.

Happy New Year!

Jake Henry Armstrong

Sorry it's been awhile, but I've been rather preoccupied as Jake decided to arrive two months early. He was born November 8 weighing 4lb and 4oz. All is well, he is making great progress every day. He lost weight, as most babies do, and was down to 4lbs. Yesterday, he was 4lbs 7oz, so he is gaining now. He has gone from being intubated with IVs to assisted breathing and now he is breathing on his own and trying to suck from the bottle. Most of his feedings do come through a feeding tube in his nose. However, the sucking apparently isn't developed until 35 or 36 weeks, so we are hoping he will catch on in the next couple of weeks. He is now in a cot and out of the incubator and keeps everybody on their toes. He pulled out his oxygen tubes so since then, he has had socks taped on his hands. He has pulled out his feeding tube as well and puts up a good fight when they put it back in. We are hoping that with all the progress he will be home by Christmas, but the rule of thumb is not until their due date. Jessie cannot wait for her little brother to get home. She loves to hold him and really wants to help out.

Conversations with Jessie

Jessie: Mom, how long will it be before my baby brother's eyes will open?
Me: We aren't having a puppy Jessie, they will be open when he's born.
Jessie: Oh, okay.




Jessie: Mom will my baby brother be able to walk
Me: Well, not right off the bat, but in a year
Jessie: Hmmm...Just wondering.


Jessie: Dad, what all sports have I played
Kelly: Well, you've played baseball, hockey, and volleyball
Jessie: Yeah, I'm pretty good at all of them.


Kelly: Hey Jessie, would you want to be a singer when you grow up like these girls on Disney?
Jessie: Yeah, I guess
Kelly: Well you should start practicing your guitar with mom so you can learn
Jessie: Dad, those girls are like 14. I have plenty of time.
Kelly: Well if you become a famous singer can I drive your tour bus?
Jessie: Well I guess, but you're gonna have to work on your driving. You know like
your speed and your corners.


There is never a dull moment here.

Trick Riding Debut!

Well, we made it through the weekend! YAYYYY! Jessie trick rode at a rodeo in Patricia. She only walks, which is completely fine with me at this stage. She is riding the world's largest and slowest trick riding horse. Big Boy, however, did great even though she had him covered from head to toe in pink. You could see the disgust on his face. Jessie, had a blast, and I'm afraid she still wants to do it. She came home and has practiced now carrying the Canadian flag while doing the hippodrone stand.





Sunday was the Little Britches Rodeo. Jessie just ran barrels and poles and did great. She was mad that she made her fastest pole run ever and didn't place. She is a little competitive. Don't know where that comes from.


Silaging is in full swing now. Kelly and the neighbors are out in the field, and I'm supposed to be planning their next meal. I'm not so good at that. However, my chicken and dumplings last night were a hit. Even Kelly commented on the chicken, which he usually refuses to eat. However, when you call your wife at 2:00, who is an hour and a half away spending her day shopping to tell her that you are going to need supper in the field for six people by 6:30, you just can't be fussy as to what you eat. They weren't supposed to get started that early, so I had taken advantage of the day off. Ha! I should've known. It is impossible for me to spend a day without interruptions. Last time, I had to come home because there was a dire need for a pail of hydraulic oil from town.

Well, I suppose I should do something housewife like for the day and maybe get something planned for the hard working men in the field.

First Day of 3rd Grade!

Today was Jessie's first day of school. She was so excited. I hope it stays this way, but I'm sure it won't . I loved not having to fight with her to get out of bed this morning. Kelly is in British Columbia until Friday, so we are doing the first week of school by ourselves. I'm going to get a lot done this week!