Yellow Isn't Just a Color....

I know it's been a while since I last wrote.  I was grieving the loss of my black beauty.  I have days when I think of him and miss him tremendously.  He will always hold a special place in my heart and mind. 
I started looking for a horse and found one, he's one I met before, about 2 years ago.  Beautiful now 9 year old registered Morgan gelding about 14.2 hh, palomino with dapples!! He also has a strip of brown on his face, like most horses have white he has brown.  There is a small white star on his forehead.  What a stunning horse.  He may be younger but that horse will go where you point him without balking.  Over, through, around anything! Sure footed! I took him places I never would have taken BJ.  BJ had a bum knee that prevented us from going down anything too steep. I was always afraid his knee would go out and we would go for a tumble.  I loved BJ and always will but it is time to go forward and ride with my daughters while I still can.  Fall riding is the best!  We have to squeeze as much in as possible, since hunting season and winter are right around the corner.  Hunters do not take to kindly to riders going through the woods when they are trying to put winter meat in the freezer or a trophy on their wall.
So without further ado, I'd like you to meet Yellow.

He is a looker and a lover.  He loves attention, in fact he almost demands it.  What an absolutely gorgeous boy! :) Hard for me to believe that we have horses!  We are fortunate to have them.  One of my favorite places to be is out in the pasture with them :)  Amazing creatures put on this earth.  Best therapy in the world for me is spending time with our animals.
Til, next time.....

Last Walk

I hope to get through this post without tears although it most likely won't happen.
Sunday the 15th  I took the last walk with my horse.  It's not a walk I want to remember but one I always will.
I have to remember the good walks and time we had together as a team.  Sure there were times that we butted heads, ok a lot of time, but we worked through them and became an awesome team.

This is the last walk I'd like to remember.  R.I.P. Black Jack, July 15th 2012.

I miss him everyday.  Our lives here involve horses on a daily basis. Some days there are more than just our horses, those are the days I miss him the most.  I will see a horse and it reminds me of him so much it hurts.  Horses touch your heart in a way nothing else comes close to.  Human love is different than the love of an equine.  He was a challenge and once we finally understood one another, he was the easiest and most smooth ride we have here.  Always the first at the gate to welcome you home, to get loved on, and oh the treats.  He's up in Heaven now with Grandpa watching over me along with his cow Betsy.   Missing my boy...

(Sorry for the  pictures being sideways.  I looked for a way to put them upright and couldn't find it.)

Our Love Story

I was a struggling divorced single mother trying to make ends meet without much success, working at a local Eagle's club as a bartender. Working one of my normal nights at the club when in walks a customer I'd not seen before.  Taller man(doesn't take much to be taller than me at 5' 3")with a leather hat on, denim shirt and pants, clean shaven other than his gotee.  I walked down to the end of the bar to ask him what I could get for him.  In his gravely voice he answered.  Oh that voice, drew me in right there!  I returned with his beverage, and looked up as he paid.  Those sparkling blue eyes and that smile, WOW!  The outside package was drawing me in,  slow down sister guard your head and your heart!!  We talked a little asked him where he was from, what he was doing here in our small town.  Small talk like I had done with all customers, but this one was different for some reason. Every word he spoke in that voice of his seemed to tear down the wall I'd built around myself.  You see, I'd learned a thing or two the past few years of my life, in serving customers, you don't let on too much of your personal life.  As a newly divorced person, you learn to read people even better!  You guard your heart and your head, keep it to yourself so that it doesn't receive anymore bruises or tears. Also, most men that I had encountered were only out for one thing, um not interested in a bootie call!!  It's hard enough taking care of your kids and working, who has time for love, sure not this lady.  I didn't have time for any funny business either, don't need to have anyone ruining my little family.
 As I walked away this strange feeling came over me.  My neck got hot, felt sort of tingly all over my body, almost electric.  I know you are probably thinking, this lady is crazy, but I'm not.  It's  a feeling I will never forget, an overwhelming feeling as if something was telling me he's the one.  I pushed that out of my head, I don't have time for this.  As this is happening to me  he said to me " I guess if I want to get to know you better, I need to find your brother at the same plant I'm working at.".  I turned around with a smile on my face and said "I guess so!".  Whoa! Is that all I could think of to say is I guess so?! That was a nice come back.  He smiled and told me thanks for the beverages gave me a tip and asked when I would be working again because he'd like to come in when I'm there. I'd went home that night thinking I'd never see him again, he wouldn't be back.  By the next night that I worked I'd pushed him out of my thoughts, making myself think he was like everyone else.  Tell you what you want to hear in hopes of getting lucky.  I didn't think he'd come in again.  Once again I was having  the normal night when later he came in.  Oh total excitement washed over me!   He was a gentlemen from the beginning, something I'd not encountered in my journey called life.
 As time passed while he was in town we grew closer, eventually I'd introduce him to my children.  That wall that I had built up around me was crumbling much faster than I thought possible.  As the month's had passed, it was soon time for him to move on to the next town and next job.  We talked to each other everyday and somehow managed to make this work.  He'd come back to see us or we would go see him wherever that might be.
 The following Spring he came back to the small town and stayed with us, we became a family of some sort.  Boy oh boy it was hard to have him leave after having him there for so many months. 
We had talked about marriage several times, neither of us ready for that big step!   Over 2 years had passed when he asked me if I was ready.  Sure, why not!  Oh there I go with those wonderful come backs.  He asked the girls if he could marry their Momma.  Overjoyed is not even enough to explain their excitement!  I thought they were going to knock him backwards on the chair!  Crazy girls jumped on him, told him yes and that they thought he would never ask.  We were married shortly after that with a small ceremony in our then home.
Now it's coming up on 6 years since we first met.  Things have changed a lot for us all but one thing remains the same, when he kisses me I get that same feeling that goes all the way through me.  Our love has grown stronger and I've learned that I am the luckiest woman alive to have a man like I do. 
The rest will be history.....

My Baby

My baby turns 11 this Monday!  I wonder where in the world the time went!  One day I'm in the hospital with a beautiful copper headed baby girl, and the next she's a beautiful 11 year old sassy little copper headed girl! Sure wish this world would slow down! 
We had a rockin' club party at our house!  Wow, girls can be loud but they all know how to have fun!
I had to sit back and take it all in.  All the hard work paid off when it came together and she was happy with the outcome. 
I made the cake.  Let me tell you this, my kids are no longer allowed to watch "Cake Boss" or "Cake Wars"!!  I know why they charge so much for those fancy smancy cakes.  It took me a long time to do what she asked of me but I did it.  When she said to me " I love it, Mom, it's perfect and just what I wanted!!!", all my moaning and groaning and standing on my feet for hours to make her vision come to life were worth it.
One more birthday this next weekend.  Thank goodness they only come once a year.

America The Beautiful

The girls have been practicing for drill team!  Yikes!  Fast paced and busy rodeo summers for us if they decide to keep going with it.  It's what we live and work so hard for everyday!  We are lucky to have the freedom to do the things we love to do and have the things we need in life or want.  I've been looking at theses pictures for about a week now, I keep thinking how special they are.  My girls riding their horses, holding our countries flag with pride.
Proud to be an American living our life the way we choose. 

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Have you heard that before?  

It seems as though this world keeps going faster and faster.

Can't keep up most days and then wonder why I am a day or so behind?!

I could settle for a slow down at any time.  It'd be nice to be able

to take notice of everything around me instead of just a glance and it's

gone.  It's already closing in on  the end of the second week in February.

Where in the world is the time going?!  Geesh!!! 

Our winter hasn't been much of a winter here. Not much snow for the kids to go outside to play.  We had a few nice days last weekend so the girls could ride their horses.  I even got to ride too.  The first day I rode our trusty little Mustang, Loci.  Next up was Reebok, Pixie's horse.  Both are such good animals.  Where was my Black Jack? Well he was left in the paddock one day and the other left tied to the trailer.  He's BUDDY SOUR!!!!!  In a bad way, almost in a dangerous way!  So I'm still working separating him from the rest of his buds.  Anyone out there reading this, have any idea's of what I can do to help ease things with him? He's a great horse to ride, it's getting him to that point that is the hard part.  The other 2, go out alone or together and are just fine.  Anyhow, Pixie made me wear her helmet while riding her horse.  Little stinker told me that if I wanted to ride her horse I had to wear a helmet or I wasn't getting on!  Can't argue with that, can I?  The girls had music going, and flags in hand as they rode.  They are practicing for the drill team!! Wow!  To think a year ago they wouldn't have even dreamed of going faster than a walk/trot.  Now it's speed events and drill team.  They make me so proud as they try new things and succeed.  The looks on their faces when they achieve what they set out to do, is priceless.  Keeps me busy but a happy busy if that makes sense.  At least I know where they are and what they are doing.  They aren't hanging out at the mall or playing video games, they are being kids and having fun!! Love it!!!

I hope that where ever you are, you are enjoying life!  It's a journey to say the least.

:)

Horses

Oh how I love my fluff ball horses in the winter!!!  I love them all the time but this time of year they have soft, long hair to run your fingers through.  I figure it's good therapy for all of us as I run my fingers through the hair.  They get a massage and I get to feel their soft hair on my skin.  If you've never done that you should try it sometime.  Those of you that have horses already know what I'm talking about.  Love it!
So today I am sharing some pictures I took the other day.  They are good therapy when things seem to go haywire just as they have been here since oh let's say Christmas!  Bear was home for the holiday and had to fly back out to work after only being home for a few days.  He went back to work for a couple days, while at work one of those 4 ton concrete barriers you see on the highway fell on his foot.  Bear's foot broke!  Lucky for him he had his good ole "Doc Martin" boots on.  Otherwise it would have been much worse. I think I will be writing to Doc Martin company to see if they would like to have him for a spokesperson to promote their boots.  What do you think?  4 weeks out and it's healing, no surgery and no hard cast?!  He's been dealing with more pain on top of the everyday pain he already had.  While we were downstate my truck broke down!  Ugh!  We came back home after it was repaired thinking it was all good.  Umm, NOT!  It is now running good thank goodness!  The past two weeks have been quite pricy with Bear's truck being in and out of the shop.  Big trucks give you big repair bills like the $3200 in repairs for the last couple weeks. WOW!  Thankful we had a little bit saved up to pay for the repairs. Time to tighten the belt again and hope for some smooth sailing for the next couple months?!  I can hope, right?  Soooooo, I have been spending more time down at the barn cleaning and hanging out with my big babies.  What do you do for therapy?  What do you do to unwind? 
Hope you enjoy the pictures of our big babies. :)

 Loci Sue racing up to the fence to see what I was up to.  Love that girl!  She looks so good!

 BlackJack with his tongue out. Look how fuzzy he is.

 Fluffy teddy bear Reebok.

 Loci making sure I get her good side :) 

 Mr. Handsome Reebok.

 

The boys. They can be in the same area with minimal kicking at each other.  Yes, there he is with his tongue out.  I am beginning to think he doesn't like my camera in his face.

 Then there is this boy.  Love him to pieces.  He loves hugs and kisses and of course treats. Look at those eyes, so dreamy and soft.

Planning and Lists

Did you ever notice while planning a trip or a project you have several lists?  I always start out with one and add about 5 more until I have to finally consolidate them into one big list!  We are planning a trip so that means I have lists for dogs, lists for horses, lists for us, etc.... And the list goes on...
We will be traveling through 4 states if you include ours just to go see Big D Bear.  He's only 9 hours away and we thought it would be good to go see him. He had his foot broke at work about 3 weeks ago and had to move from one job to another that would be better for his foot to heal.  Would have been better to just come home and heal but...  Hoping I don't forget anything or lose my lists! 
Today was an adventure.  You see we have our old faithful black truck, Big D calls it "The old girl", I call it the "Black Beast", that he doesn't like to have leave the property.  Ha!  Well he has a stubborn wife that needs to feed our big animals.  So every so often I venture out with the old truck to get hay.  As long as I stay close to home or only plow the driveway (when we ever get snow!) everything is fine.  It seems as if the "old girl" knows she is retired and not suppose to leave home!!!  Last time I took her to get hay with the trailer we didn't have real good brakes, ok more like none at all.  Today I ventured out once again to go get hay.  It started out smooth then hit a rough patch.  This morning was sort of cold not too bad yet but getting there.  On the way to get the bail of hay I noticed steam coming from the hood.  I thought, it's cold out but not cold enough for that to be happening, pulled over and sure enough antifreeze going all over from the overflow tank! Ugh!! Called hubby to ask him what to do. Take care of the mess, make it to the next town over, get some anti freeze.  In the mean time called the man with the hay and explained that I would be late.  I hate being late!  It took me an hour to get from here to there which is only about15 to 20 miles away!!  Anyway, it took me almost 3 hours to get one bail of hay that should have taken me 45 minutes!!!!  The "Old Girl" won't be leaving the property anytime soon!!!Thankful to have made it there and back safely, I think I will listen to my hubby the next time he says "Don't take her off the property anymore!".  He might just know what he's talking about eh?
Anyhow,
Stay warm and take care.

One of these days.....

One of these days I'm going to have a couch potato, do nothing all day kind of days.  For now I have a life filled with kids, pups and horses that don't allow me to have one of those days.  It's hard to imagine life without all the crazy things happening. Sick kids, trips to the vet, trucks breaking down, all the feeding and fun times sort of mesh together and from time to time I don't know what day it is.  Ok, so it's most days. ha ha ha ha.  I always tell my Mom and hubby that I can sleep when I'm dead, well I can, but there are some days when I'd like to lay in bed like my youngest seems to be able to do.  Oh well, I will push on with my day that includes, cleaning, laundry, cooking, barn stalls cleaned, new straw out for the pups kennel, more cooking, etc.  Oh also add finding the best way for my hubby to travel to that list.  Maybe I will be able to go to bed before 11? One can hope right?
It would be great to get some snow for the kids to go outside and play!  We don't even have enough to slide down a hill!! It's winter, right?  Or did I completely lose a season not just a day?!  So one of these days we might get some snow.
Until then I'm off to do something on my list.
Hope all is well...
 

January 11 2012

A different view of some of my favorite subjects

My favorite sister in law and favorite Auntie to the girls drew these and then painted with water colors her view of them riding in the winter!  Wish I had half of her talent!