Sporty Spice

This past week was softball camp for Autumn.  She loved it!  She came home everyday excited to go back the next day….  

     

She loved the coach and the big kids that taught her.  This was a no commitment camp that only introduced and taught her the basics of the game.  We will see if she will ever play but at least she has the chance to try it out!  She still is very into her animals and still works with them everyday.

 

Notice Aubrey’s outfit.  Boots and a swimsuit.

A Goat is a Good Enough Reason for Me

Because I love and care about all 12 of you I will say this.  This is long and boring and because I can not tell a story without every single detail, this is more than anyone would ever what or need to know about goats!

 

This past weekend we packed up and headed West.  Actually I don’t really know the direction we went but I really like saying that.  We needed show goats and there is only a few places Joshua likes to shop for goats.  “Good Goats” that is!

We had so much fun the 6 of us.  We loaded the girls and Cupid in the car early so they were still in their jammies.  Aubrey and Annsley just are not morning people.

Cupid spent most of her ride here

Not even all the way of town good this happened

 

A giant rock ‘almost is slow motion’ straight at us.  Surprised it did not break more!

 

Most of our trip look looked like this

 

But some of it looked like this

 

Mountains as my girls would say

Some of the pictures just don’t give justice to the size of these ‘hills’ as they are called.  There are also goat farms as far as the eye can see.  In this part of the country your land, farm or ranch is not measured in acres but in miles.  Many many miles of land between all the gated entrances.

 

After a long drive full of stops (4 stops for food of some kind before lunch) we finally arrived!

We were going for 2 goat auctions.  Show Goat auctions.  The kind where people pay more for their goat than their trucks or more for their goat trailer than their houses.  Just guessen on that last one but it’s a pretty educated guess!

So before you go to the auctions you have to go to the pre-auction event to see what they have to bid on.  And that is what we did!

Then, the first auction!  CRAZY!  Highest selling goat went for 10k!  Holy Geezee!

At these auctions they feed you and have plenty of beer.  I guess beer was involved for the 10 thousand dollar goat…  I hope!

 

(Just so I don’t look like a horrible parent, Annsley and I ate before we went so she did not have a plate.  That is by her choice and she was offered food several times.  Her and I just aren’t beef or sausage people.)

This is the auction.

The pics are blurry because I like to watch to much to focus.  Sorry.  I wanted to be the guy in blue.  He watches the crowd and gets them rawled up to bid.  He also makes a loud noise when he sees a bid.  It was so much fun.  (I should say this may be normal however it’s new to me!)

This is the guy we ended up with although there is a big controversy weather or not this is the one we bid on. 

Apparently the numbers got switched on a few goats.  Joshua assumed he made the mistake until we ran into one other person that got a goat a little different than the one they wanted and bid on.  (Several other people agree they thought some of the goats had been switched!)  This put a huge damper on the weekend but after I made Joshua re-look, he agreed it was not a bad goat just not what he wanted.  He was ready to leave town at this point but I convinced him to stay another day and go to that other auction.  Glad we did!

So the next morning we let the girls swim for a bit while we regrouped and made an auction/bid plan. 

 

After swimming we headed to the auction where there was more BBQ and of course the auction.  Autumn was so helpful picking out her goat and she is so funny how she has an eye like her Dads! She’s great at this…

Corny:  Before Joshua, I had no idea goats could be so ‘precious’ or so expensive.  I could also not tell a goat goat from a bad goat.  Now,  I am proud to say I still don’t know much but I did know enough to see our future goat in a crowd of others.  Joshua has shown me over the years what to look for and what is bad.  I found it odd but so much fun to be able to talk about the different goats with him and pick out the ones we liked.  I love that he asks me what I think!  He’s good to me!

 

Annsley was super into the auction.  She likes hearing the ‘Man talk fast’.

Then we got him!  The goat Joshua had been hopping to get.  The ‘good’ goat!  He’s super skittish.  We spent 10K on him…

Just kidden.. Just trying to liven up this long drawn out post!

 

Now HOME.  This time was late afternoon so the girls were ready for a nap instead of just have woken up like the trip there.  So we filled them up, got them comfy and headed home.  The did quite a bit of sleeping…

We stopped at Cracker Barrel for Dinner and it was amazing.  I have only eaten there one other time so I was excited to have a chance to go back.  We all LOVED it and ate sooo much!  Go if you haven't been lately!

 

Joshua vetoed my idea to do my kitchen ceiling like theirs.  Oh Well.

On the road again and then finally home.  Love going and then love coming back!  Goats are doing well and hopefully adjusting to their new home.  Autumn and Joshua are in love!