My Baby's Owee...

It's cute cause it's so little but we wish she didn't have it. Yesterday I told someone she was a tough cookie. She looked at her hand, looked and me and said Tuff Coookie momma. Cookie Pease.

A Day in the Sunshine

Yesterday was beautiful and still. Yes I repeat still, so we all headed out for a beautiful trip Christmas tree hunting.

Fun with Grandma and Papa

A visit with Santa.

We are so rich!

Cole's happy all the time.

Things got a little crazy at times.

Painted Grandma's window.

We started with story time.



Hay ride, Christmas Stroll in Ennis ~Dan, Dusty, Ava, Katie, Cole and Papa Stan~ December '10.

We played, painted windows and snow, made angels, got cold, got warm, cooked, laughed and laughed and loved a whole bunch.

1,000 Paper Cranes for Peace

As many of you know Dan and I have had a fair bit of turmoil in our lives over the last two years. On October 23rd my uncle passed away, and this seemed to be my last straw. I haven't had many tears to cry which is my usual way of dealing with stress and pain. I cry it out and somehow am able to release the pain through my tears, well I just don't seem to have many left. I've found myself angry about many of the situation we've been in and especially that my uncle is gone and that my aunt has to face the pain of this new life.

I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about what I could give her for Christmas. I wanted something that wasn't practical and would bring a smile to her face and heart. I thought and thought and thought and then was struck with an idea. Our friends who live in Marquette, Michigan have some mobiles hanging in their house with driftwood and paper cranes. I always admired these and thought of the Japanese story of healing when I saw them. When we were last in Michigan I gathered some driftwood and rocks to make a mobile to hang in our house. They always brought me a sense of peace. Well I haven't ever gotten this accomplished. So I decided to make one for my aunt for her healing.

As the plan started to come together I slowly started feeling a fog lifting from my heart. I will make one thousand paper cranes; however, I have learned that this may be as much for my healing as it is for her healing.

3 cranes down 997 to go with a smile on my face and a lightness that hasn't been in my heart for quite a while.

The Joy of Being THANKFUL!

Today my baby said, "Hapy gibing, lub you." And so we send that to everyone as it was heart warming and well said. We haven't decorated or been in much Christmas spirit for the last three years so this year is our revitalization. We can't wait to decorate, celebrate and give thanks for Jesus' birth. I hope that I can pass on to my husband and little girl the merriment that was always in my heart around the holidays. I was fortunate enough to be given the joy of everlasting love. Here's to the future. Thank you all for being a part of our lives. We appreciate what each of you has provided us.

She has been our joy!

She has been our joy!

Ava makes us smile when we least expect it.

She follows her daddy around at length.

And lays on River endlessly.

The outdoors are her haven.

Baking with her mama is her passion.

When tears fall, she loves.

When she loves, tears fall.

She has started to say Thank you all the time.

She does something I've asked her to do and

she replies, "Thank you."

She is the medicine that heals all our wounds.

She is the joy the fills our fountain.

She is the peace that finds our heart at just the right moments.

She is the medicine that heals all our wounds.

What I Remember

I remember...
the yellow roses at their wedding
a hearty laugh
and chipper smile.

I remember
watching him shoe horses
and learning to drive.
he blared "Danger Zone"
from Top Gun as he
drove me to the fair in his semi.

I remember
him teaching me to drive Katie
going to Blackfoot Fair with him.
learning the comradery that exists
in the draft horse world.
he helped his competition.

I remember
a hug shared
a chin up given
which sometimes turn into him
kicking me in the butt and telling me to
get it together.

I remember
him touching so many lives
always razzing always joking.
staying with him and my aunt
after they got married.

I remember
helping with the horses at
Lone Mountain Ranch.

I remember loving my Uncle Rusty.
The Lord gained an awfully good Horseman
with an amazing laugh.

Goodbye to a Great Man

Rusty Hebel

Craig R. “Rusty” Hebel, a rancher at Glen, died Oct. 23, 2010.
He was born Sept. 26, 1960, to Beverly Martin and Rollie Hebel in Bozeman.
Rusty graduated from Ennis High School in 1978. He always said his only advanced degree was the one awarded by spending his lifetime on or behind a horse. He was a lifetime student of horses and learned from each one he encountered. In 1990, Rusty married Margaret Armitage in Big Sky.

Over the years, Rusty led a multi-faceted life. He rodeoed — both rough stock and timed events, cowboyed on ranches across the state of Montana, was a dude wrangler, over-the-road trucker and managed Rocky Mountain Supply stores in Townsend and Dillon. However, driving big horses was his true calling and passion.

Rusty and his father bred, raised, trained, and showed strawberry roan Belgians for 40 years. Together, they developed a training wheel to hook a beginning driving horse to the first three or four times to allow it to move or stop without injuring itself or others.
Rusty successfully started hundreds of horses under harness, not only young colts, but also older horses with bad “people” experiences. He farmed with horses in Montana and Iowa, two very different farming environments.

He had wagon train experience, both as a teen-age swamper on the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial Wagon Train (the Montana to Valley Forge leg) and as an adult driver in the 1985-1986 Texas Sesquicentennial Wagon Train where he drove eight head of Belgian mares 3,600 miles around the perimeter of Texas in six months. His two preschool sons accompanied him on this trip. Rusty took great pride in the fact that he was in charge of the health, shoeing, and training of 30 head of Belgian mares over the six months of the Texas wagon train with never a sore shoulder or lame foot. Through these two experiences, he gained invaluable knowledge about working horses daily on pavement, in the heat and in the company of crowds of other animals.
Rusty worked for McCrossan Boys’ Ranch in South Dakota training and showing Belgians across the Midwest, always with “troubled boys” as students and helpers.
After leaving McCrossan, Rusty worked for Dick Sparrow driving the Coors Belgian hitch parading, exhibiting and promoting not only Coors beer, but also the Belgian breed. He drove horses in every major parade in the U.S., including the Macy’s Day and Rose Parade. One of Rusty’s favorite accomplishments was driving Sparrow’s 40-horse hitch.
For the past 20 years, Rusty and his wife, Margaret, have promoted Belgians by breeding, training, and showing their own strawberry roans. During those years, they held clinics for individuals and driving clubs, taught ‘ladies only’ classes and co-wrote the Montana 4-H Driving Program.

His favorite work experience has been using his own finely tuned Belgian mares to teach college students at the University of Montana Western in Dillon to drive. In less than 10 years, he grew the program from a three-day workshop to four full-semester classes.
Rusty loved his family, laughter and good horses.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret; sons, Lee (Katie) of Circle and Lyle (BreAnn) of Bozeman; only grandson, Archie; parents; brothers, Zane and Wade (Susan) Miller, both of Ennis; sister, Shannon (Tim) Chicoine of St. Charles, Iowa; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Rusty’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, in
La Cense Arena, Dillon, with lunch and sharing afterward.

Memorials may be sent to Montana 4-H Foundation Horse Committee, Montana State University, 111 Taylor Hall, Bozeman, 59717 or the charity of your choice.

Where will the little road lead?

I started this blog to try to keep everyone update on our life in Montana and to share pictures of Ava. I guess I haven't done a very good job of that. And the last two weeks have felt like a whirlwind I don't know if I want to share.

Dan and I keep thinking that things will settle into place, we will once again be able to put one foot in front of the other without having to tell our feet to move. However we don't seem to be reaching that point.

We had an amazing week away the end of September. Spent time with fantastic friends and realized we are still so in love. We returned renewed and ready to find a fresh start. We started seriously consider the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I don't to badly want to be 1300 miles from my family; however, being closer Dan's would be great. We could show Ava the many facets of Dan's up bringing. Small things seem to be working towards this restart but somehow we still aren't able to put all the pieces together.

Dan found out last Thursday that the company he worked for would be shutting down his program as of Friday. So with one days notice he let the kids know that he would be able to work with them anymore.

I spent the weekend in Salt Lake at the Univeristy of Utah Hospital with my uncle who is very sick and in need of a liver transplant; however because of a blood clot can't receive one. My dad and I were able to take Ava and my neice to the zoo which was a fun distraction. We laughed and squealed. We then returned to the hospital and learned how fun it is to ride the escalator.

We have been blessed with an amazing family and a giggly, curious 20 month old. However we sit searching for jobs, knowing our life's plan is being fulfilled but wishing for just a glimpse ahead a couple of chapters.

Thanks to all of you for your support and love.

Potty Training

Ever since we visited my neice in Salt Lake Ava has been asking to go to the potty. It usually occurs right after she's already gone but she sits up proud and laughs. This morning, however, she actually went in the toilet. I couldn't believe it. So I guess this means we are potty training. For some reason this is a stage I've feared as much as the terrible twos which we seem to be visiting already.

Well the tough stages aside there isn't a day that goes but that Ava doesn't bring pure joy to Dan and me. We laugh, we snuggle, she snuggles and we smile knowing that we are so blessed.

"Thank you, Lord, for the little piece of joy you gave to us to help overshadow the many burdens that way us down. For the laughter and screams of delight, the independence and the constant activity we are so thankful. We've been given an extremely special package. Amen"

Back to School

It's back to school for Dan today. Though I love being home with Ava, it is a bit bitter sweet as I miss the kids already. I can hear their excited voices telling me how their summers went and what they did. And then their groans as we start to work, learn and unfold the mysteries we always seemed to solve. I'll miss the hugs kids shared and the lunches with Dan. The friendships formed and the smiles exchanged.

Thank you Dan for the sacrifices your making so that I can be with Ava right now. I know it isn't easy, but you are loved for it. Ava sends you a 'du, daddy.' (thank you, daddy)

Who wouldn't love this life?

Aren't her Dad

and I blessed. This is what our every day is filled with.

Where did July go?

Well, we continue on in time at our household. We have had an amazing summer just being home with Ava. What a blessing to have had this time with her. She is a little bundle that brings us an amazing amount of joy each day.

Dan is done working for a couple weeks and gathering firewood everyday. He and Dave enjoy being back up in the mountains and don't rush to get back to town. He will continue with his job in the counseling department here in Ennis this fall. The kids love him, and he is truly amazing at what he does.

I am still searching for a job. Have a few resumes still out there and checking each day for other opportunities. I have started playing the piano again and have actually been able to get a couple of books read in their entirety. Looking forward to a weekend trip to Salt Lake in a couple of weeks - farmer's market and family time.

Ava, Ava, Ava- a bundle of energy and words. This morning as we were leaving the house Dan said, "Love you." and I responded with the same. She got out, "doo" which is what she says for Thank you and then repeated it as luv do. Melted our hearts. She loves being outside. We have dirt piles around our house right now as we are working on building the ground up. These piles keep her quite amused. And yet she loved the princess get-up that her cousin Katie sent. She repeats pretty much any word that is spoken and is getting a few small sentences in. Her sentence for the week has been, " No, momma, no." Yesterday I went to visit a great friend from high school whose family has a ranch here in Ennis. Ava loves horses and spent a lot of time with the 'neigh, neighs.' We got to see the horses shoes and play with the dirt that gets stuck in them. She wanted to pet the cows pretty badly but they didn't share her sentiments. She is a constant reminder that life is great and our blessings our many.

We were able to take a long weekend trip to SD two weeks ago to see our good friend Jans get married. It was an amazing little ceremony in Custer State Park. Ava partied until 10:00 and then walked around telling people, " Bye, bye, night, night." We took that as our cue that it was time to leave. Dan enjoyed seeing the history in Deadwood and the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

And that is life in this Schrock household.

Happy Birthday Aunt Mandi

Here's hoping you get something this great for you birthday, Aunt Mandi.

We love you and can't wait to see you on Thursday!!

4 years

Dan and I celebrated our 4th anniversary on July 1st. Dan planned a surprise trip to the Wilderness Edge Retreat and rented a cabin for two nights. It is on the Montana/Idaho border. We were reminded of the simplicity that life should have - boating, fishing, trapsing through the creek, cooking out, waking to the birds. Needless to say we both completely relaxed for the first time a a few years. Ava was in heaven and came home with bumps and bruises as she didn't want to miss out on anything.

Thanks Dan for the wonderful surprise and the last 4 years. I'm blessed to have spent them with you.

A Beautiful Day

We've had a great day. Church was very active as Ava had a lot to share with everyone - praying, singing; she participated in all. She is becoming quite the Chatty Kathy.

Spaghetti from top to bottom for lunch. Quick nap and then on to the projects.

Outdoor fun at Grandma and Papa's, buying tomato plants to put in our yard - because she LOVES tomatoes, and working on a nightstand that will become a little play kitchen and then some more outdoor fun - had to help Grandpa weed his garden.

The sun is out; the birds are chirping, and we are celebrating our days together.

I'm Wondering

Oh to be able to stay home, create projects, sew, craft, play and spend time with my family ~ all while making enough money to at least pay our bills. This is the pondering for my day. When I find the final answer I'll pass it on to all of you.

The Beginner

Well, here we go. I'm entering the world of blogging in a hopeful attempt to keep everyone updated on our life as often as you would like to check in on us.

The summer is humming along in Ennis, MT although we have only had a handful of summery days. Ava perfers to be outside without any clothes most of the time; Dan is working two days a week at the school and enjoying the new motor he bought for his boat. He has spent a lot of peaceful hours on Cliff Lake, south of Ennis.

I am spending some time getting my feet back underneath me and rejuvinating my soul a bit. Cleaning out the house, rearranging and searching for a meaningful job. I'm working on refinishing some furniture for Ava's room which includes creating a play kitchen out of an old nightstand. If I could just find that old nightstand.

We continue to work on our house and play with our dogs.

Mostly we appreciate our days together and the beauty in which we call home.