AT HOME ON THE RANGE

This is Pete and his arch nemesis...the tire.

Pretty much every day Pete lives is one day longer then he has been expected to.

The tire has won a time or two and Pete's mental ability is proof.

You will, however, never find a sweeter dog.

He is a great respecter of personal space and ever so gently woos you into petting him.

This is the cemetery on my parents farm.

Graves here go back to the 1800's.

My grandmother is buried here, as will my grandfather be.

Grandad takes great care of it and is proud of it.

The beasts.....

How the hay was supposed to work...

How it ended up....

I can get it mama!

I can do it!

Day 1 wipeout!

RANCH HANDS

We spent this past weekend at my parent's house cow sitting. Mom and Dad decided on a trip to Arkansas, and cows don't feed themselves. I was really hoping for a better result that last time. We went out Thursday night because the MC's were out of school Friday and it is a closer drive to work for HH. Which was a good thing since that is all he did. He hunted one time. ONE TIME. Grandpa put us straight to work on Thursday evening setting out hay for the herd. He envisioned a great plan of stacking 2 bales together inside the hay ring. It was a good plan. Until Friday morning, when 4 of the 5 rings were flipped over and hay was all over the ground. The MC's and I checked for trapped cattle, and then went off to feed the rest at various pastures. We also picked up the duty of replacing game camera cartridges. Needless to say there was much club car driving by MC 1, gate opening by MC 2, and Sit down! shouts by mama. By Friday afternoon they (the boys not the cows) were passed out asleep. Saturday was a repeat of the same thing. Sunday we joined my grandfather for church and lunch at the local DQ. FYI if you like pumpkin pie you must try the pumpkin pie blizzard they have. Fab -U- Lous! When we got home Sunday I saw buzzards in the pasture. Never a good thing. Sure enough, a calf had been killed by something. Looked like it came right out of a nature show when the lions take down the gazelle. The MC's and I removed it from the pasture. Bless its poor mama's heart she followed up the whole way talking to it. Sunday afternoon found the MC's and HH fishing. Then off to stock the deer feeders and reset all the game cameras. We rounded out the night by drving home with intense storms all around and some very serious lightening.
I am going to try to get some pics up today.
There is our weekend recap.
Hope you had a good one:)

TRADITION....

One of the things I learned early on in life was that my father could not tolerate loose teeth just hanging out in your mouth.

Ever.

Remotely loose....needs to come out.

It seemed to me his argument was purely financial.

He maintained that if we left them in there too long,

it would mess up our other teeth,

and then we would have to get braces, etc. etc. etc.

So out they came.

I learned quickly to pull my own if I could.

However, occasionally he would catch wind of one

and felt it was his mission to remove it.

We have done the whole string to the doorknob thing.

I would be lying if I said pliers perhaps were never involved.

Regardless, my teeth came out and no braces required.

When you are a kid and you learn this little tidbit about you father,

you only feel it is fair to pass it along to you siblings.

When S1 started loosing teeth, I would tell her not to let dad look.

By the time S2 started loosing teeth we double teamed dad.

It was all out war with S3.

Run sister! Run!

May have been yelled a time or two.

Now because my dad is a man of great integrity,

if he said,"I won't pull it",

he didn't.

The trick was in getting him to say that.

Usually he lured us in by saying,

"Come here and let me see how loose it is."

Which is exactly what he said to MC 2 last night.

MC 2 proudly walked up to Grandpa and said,

"Look I have a loose tooth."

Moth to a flame people... moth to a flame.

As soon as MC 2 did that I left the room.

I was transported back to being 7 and watching it all play out.

I had to restrain myself from yelling

Run baby! Run!

The extraction wasn't immediate, for Grandpa was previously engaged,but as soon as his hands were free

"Boy come here and let me see how loose that tooth is."

The tradition lives on.

(and I have no idea why this is formatting like it is and am in no mood to fight it so...uhm...there you go.)

I AM PRETTY SURE HE MEANS ME...

I recently started the bible study entitled One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer. As of today I am exactly three weeks into it. To be honest, I was not fired up about it. Not because of the author, for I do so love Priscilla Shirer. Just nothing in my flesh was fascinated by the topic. (That should have been clue number one). I actually won this book from LifeWay Women on Facebook. (Clue #2). I had been doing my own reading and was really enjoying the Old Testament. Jeremiah chapter 42 struck a nerve. The entire chapter is God telling the people not to go back to Egypt.

I know you are scared.

I know it looks bad.

I know.

Do not go back to Egypt.

How it spoke volumes to me.

I know, you peeps that have already done One in a Million are beginning to giggle because you see it coming.

Guess what the first 3 weeks of the study have been on?

Getting out of Egypt.

Staying out of Egypt.

Making the most of the wilderness time.

Coincidence - not from my deliberate God.

This is purposeful and strategic in His timetable.

I find myself in a wilderness of sorts.

I left the work force, with God's blessing.

What I thought would be a quick journey to something else hasn't been.

What I thought would be a suitable back-up plan has not happened.

So I am out here in the middle of uncharted territory.

In the middle of my wilderness.

Having started the bible study has given me perspective.

Maybe renewed my perspective, because deep down I already knew this.

My wilderness time is not punishment.

My wilderness time is for Him.

To show Himself faithful.

To get the glory.

To draw me in.

To get the Egypt out of me.

So that I will know He is Lord.

Whatever comes.

Be encouraged if you find yourself in a wilderness time.

It is for a reason.

It is appointed.

It has been chosen for this time.

Because you are chosen.

Choose Him back.

Lay it all at His feet.

Choose to trust Him.

Choose to believe Him.

Choose to glorify Him.

Choose.

I am pretty sure He means you, too.

HE PERPLEXES ME...

I had a completely different post in mind until HH came home yesterday.

I told him to his face he provides a great deal of blog material should anyone ever fear this well should run dry.

He showed up yesterday with this.

Admittedly, I thought it was for me at first, and was completely perplexed by the fashion selection.

Then I turned it around and for the briefest of moments was really confused, and a little scared for the general public.

Then I saw the paw.

He bought it for Zoey.

He feels bad for her in the mornings.

Zoey.

The one dog they have to muzzle, and at times sedate, to groom.

And we are going to get that over her head and on her legs.

And then I am to get it off again in the mornings.

Me's thinks not.

He also showed up with this.

Meet Cooper.

Or Bubba.

Or Kitty Kitty.

This is what happens when he goes to the pet store unattended.

I ask you,

Who is this HH?

PLANNED

This past week has been a flurry of stuff.

Some expected.

Some not.

I did not plan on going to the dentist Tuesday with MC 1 after MC 2 threw something and chipped MC1's front tooth Monday night.

I did not plan on not being able to move on Friday after being hired out as farm hand on Thursday by my mama.

I did plan on a conference with MC 2's teacher this week.

I did not mean to crush MC 1 when I missed the cake ceremony after he was honored for being on the honor roll (a first for him).

Moms In Touch - planned.

Birthday parties - on the calendar.

Duck Commander - totally planned.

Just a great deal of stuff.

Life stuff.

Good stuff.

I did plan on taking pictures.

As you can see I didn't.

Hope you had a great week full of good life stuff.

THE DEATHSTAR OF ARLINGTON

I got a call last Wednesday from a person wanting to know

if I had any interest in attending the A&M vs. Arkansas game

on Saturday at Cowboy Stadium.

Let me think.......

Do I have any interest in breathing?

Yes please.

So Friday I picked up 4 tickets to the quote "Death star of Arlington" according Jay.

Saturday we loaded up the MC's and headed to the big D.

Said person felt confident the tickets were on the Aggie side,

which would have been perfect.

Said person was wrong.

Said person is a graduate of the University of Arkansas.

Said person thinks he is funny.

MC 2 and I sat amidst a sea of red in our maroon

and were proud to do it.

Maybe not MC 2.

He kept crying

I don't want to sit with the pigs!

I want to sit with the Aggies.

The Hog fans surrounding us were gracious.

The two very sweet ladies who sat in front of me

kept asking about our Aggie traditions,

and I was happy to convert...I mean oblige.

We had a great time.

HH, who could care less about football,

really enjoyed the stadium.

So to said person, we say thanks.

And Gig 'em:)