The Earney's: 9 Months, Harvest,and Hunting

Farmer Blake :)

Blake is now 9 months and is walking all over the place!! He does not like to crawl any more at all. He took his first steps on August 10th but officially started walking on September 8th. He would take many steps each day in that month but on the 8th is when he started walking around the house without falling....too much anyway :) We still have falls but he is doing really good. He sometimes will run but that usually ends up with a crash. He has been able to stand up on his own for several months but just started doing it all the time about a week ago. He is growing up fast :) He still just has his 2 bottom teeth but the top ones are working on coming through. Blake is a turning into a hunting and farming boy just like his daddy! He loves to be in the tractor riding with daddy. He likes to help drive the tractor any chance he can get. For the past week on the days I don't work we will ride 5 to 6 hours a day. He will take one nap while we are riding but he doesn't want to miss any of the action. He has rode in the combine a couple times and also rode in the auger wagon tractor some. Since he has been riding in the tractor he likes his tractors at home now even more than he did before. We have also noticed he likes "big bucks" a lot too. We have showed him the deer that Tyler mounted quite a bit since it has been on our wall and each time we show him it we say "big buck." Two nights ago we were watching a hunting movie and Blake was all eyes! He wouldn't even turn his head away from the screen to eat ice cream! And he usually likes ice cream a lot. Every time he saw a deer on the screen he would make a "buu" sound and look at us. If we would ask him where the "big buck" was he would look back at the screen. If we would ask where daddy's "big buck" was he would look at it hanging on the wall. So it looks like he will be just like his daddy! :)

I am now working at Homestead Buttery and Bakery. I worked there before Tyler and I got married so it was nice to go back. I enjoy it a lot! I work in the deli and will sometimes help in the kitchen. I also help package all the bulk foods. I work on Tuesday from 8 to 5 and Thursday from 8:30 to 5. So on the days I work Blake goes to a babysitter, on Tuesday he goes to his Aunt Jenn's house and on Thursday he switches every other week from Great Grandma Furrer's to Great Grandma Ponto's. He is getting used to this schedule pretty good. I miss spending every day with him but it is also nice having a break. I also do the hog records for dad. So on Friday's I head over to his house and do those. I will also be doing some soil testing for dad this fall.

Tyler still enjoys working on the farm. He told me he thinks he finally found his career! He said it doesn't really feel like work so he is enjoying it a lot! He enjoys hauling grain during harvest, he said during lunch today that he misses it when he isn't doing it. They are picking corn in a field several miles south of the
farm so they are using semi's to haul the corn so he is doing other jobs until that is done. Yesterday he ground feed and did a few other jobs and today he has worked at the shop and is fixing the honey wagon this afternoon. Then he said hopefully he can get back in the tractor and haul some beans later today.

Deer season is just 12 days away!! We hung a few stands the other night at one of the woods. Tyler will be working on opening day but I hope to go out and try to get a deer with my bow :) We have done some squirrel hunting this year already. Tyler has gone out a couple times by himself, he took Trent once, and then he took Blake and I once. He has gotten at least 4 squirrels so far. Blake is usually pretty quick to get a hand on one when he can :)

Here are some 9 month pictures I took: