They are everywhere!!
Love the boldness of the males!!
Can you see the camouflaged females in the barren bush?!?!
The females are much more muted in color, but still pretty!!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Do you Love Birds?!
Over the last few weeks we have had an over abundance of birds at our house!! Every time I look out of my kitchen window I am baffled at how many birds are out there!! Cardinals is what I have and they are SO gorgeous!! We keep filling the bird feeder now and they will have it gone within 2 days!! It amazes me the vast difference between the males and females!! With the blah winter color around here the females literally blend into the scenery!! I actually have to look carefully to see them all, I would guess at any given time I have had as many as 25 male and females out there!!
They are everywhere!!
Love the boldness of the males!!
Can you see the camouflaged females in the barren bush?!?!
The females are much more muted in color, but still pretty!!
They are everywhere!!
Love the boldness of the males!!
Can you see the camouflaged females in the barren bush?!?!
The females are much more muted in color, but still pretty!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
My Prize Painting!!!
So a few weeks ago one of my very FAVORITE bloggers had a contest!! Becky over at Farmgirl Paints is absolutely one of the sweetest people on earth!! I have yet to meet her in person but I hope someday I get the chance!! SO anyhoo she had this contest "Custom Tree Giveaway", and I entered and WON!! I was so excited!!! When Becky announced the Winner, little ol ME I was just ecstatic!! So my job was to decide what the theme of my tree would be and I chose "Life" and the things that make up my life are my family!! So Becky hand painted my very own "life tree" and boy was I excited when I got it in the mail last week!!! So I wanted to share it with you all!!
I was SO excited to open this pretty package!!!
My Beautiful Life Tree!!
Thanks SO much Becky!!! I absolutely love it! And I have it in my most used room in my house, my Kitchen!!
I was SO excited to open this pretty package!!!
My Beautiful Life Tree!!
Thanks SO much Becky!!! I absolutely love it! And I have it in my most used room in my house, my Kitchen!!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Looking into the Lives of Other's
So I have thought a lot about writing this post and have finally decided that the truth is the truth and it should be heard, right?! I have always been the type of person that is very "in-touch" with the facts of life and I spend a lot of time looking at adversity's that others are facing as a baseline for how I live my life. Why am I writing about this, and why is this hard for me?...Well let me tell you what I have been watching...
4 months ago one of my life long Best Friend's husband was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer that has also invaded his liver and spleen. At that time he was basically told that he had little chance of survival. He chose to go to a University hospital and do treatments that could or could not help him. After enduring this for a short while he was rescanned and found that the tumors had not responded to the treatments at all. So he was given only one other option by the doctors - and that is surgery. The invasive surgery would involve the removal of his pancreas, spleen, and almost half of his liver. The survival rate for this extensive surgical procedure alone is barely 50%, providing that the surgery is a success, he would eventually need a liver transplant somewhere in the near future with chances of survival no better than the 50%. After hearing this news he did not feel like God was directing him towards that, rather he was directing him in a whole different way. The surgeon that he was seeing told him about a place called Eden Valley Institute in Colorado. This place is a facility that will concentrate on a proven nutritional plan along with supplementation and proven non-invasive therapies. They have researched this place extensively and have found that the survival rate is very high and so this is the route he is choosing to take. So now is the place where I should mention that my friend has been separated from this man for going on 2 years now. It has been very difficult for them both as they have a diabetic son together who requires a lot of special care...
Then another family we are friends with the dad was just diagnosed with Large B-Cell Lymphoma. I asked for prayers in this post here. The diagnosis that he got was not the worst news in the world but yet it is devastating to him I'm sure. Basically he will receive treatments for 18 weeks with an 80% survival rate and a chance of recurrence being the strongest in the first 2-3 years after treatment with a then survival rate of 50%...His family remains in good spirits and I believe God will pull them through all of this.
The last story I want to share with you is difficult to say the least...A family with a 13 year old boy that runs in the same rodeo association as DD had a tragic accident a week ago Saturday. The 13 year old boy took a friend to show him a hunting rifle that he had gotten and there was an accident with another gun that I believe they thought was unloaded and the 13 year old young boy was tragically killed. The moment that I found out it was him, I thought to myself I wished I hadn't ever heard "who" it was...We did not know this family really well but we have watched him rope many a times and I see his face in my head every day, and I think about how devastating this is for his family...
So now why am I telling you all of this sadness? Because I want share with you how I see life. I get SO upset with people who take their lives for granted or their children's lives for granted...Not to say that I myself don't need to be reminded at times because I do. I see my family as the greatest gift on earth!! I cannot imagine my life without them, and I honestly don't get people who cannot put their kids or families first!
For me, I admire anyone who has half the strength as these people and I hope and pray for them everyday...
So do we chose to give into the storms....
Or see the light shining through the clouds?!
4 months ago one of my life long Best Friend's husband was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer that has also invaded his liver and spleen. At that time he was basically told that he had little chance of survival. He chose to go to a University hospital and do treatments that could or could not help him. After enduring this for a short while he was rescanned and found that the tumors had not responded to the treatments at all. So he was given only one other option by the doctors - and that is surgery. The invasive surgery would involve the removal of his pancreas, spleen, and almost half of his liver. The survival rate for this extensive surgical procedure alone is barely 50%, providing that the surgery is a success, he would eventually need a liver transplant somewhere in the near future with chances of survival no better than the 50%. After hearing this news he did not feel like God was directing him towards that, rather he was directing him in a whole different way. The surgeon that he was seeing told him about a place called Eden Valley Institute in Colorado. This place is a facility that will concentrate on a proven nutritional plan along with supplementation and proven non-invasive therapies. They have researched this place extensively and have found that the survival rate is very high and so this is the route he is choosing to take. So now is the place where I should mention that my friend has been separated from this man for going on 2 years now. It has been very difficult for them both as they have a diabetic son together who requires a lot of special care...
Then another family we are friends with the dad was just diagnosed with Large B-Cell Lymphoma. I asked for prayers in this post here. The diagnosis that he got was not the worst news in the world but yet it is devastating to him I'm sure. Basically he will receive treatments for 18 weeks with an 80% survival rate and a chance of recurrence being the strongest in the first 2-3 years after treatment with a then survival rate of 50%...His family remains in good spirits and I believe God will pull them through all of this.
The last story I want to share with you is difficult to say the least...A family with a 13 year old boy that runs in the same rodeo association as DD had a tragic accident a week ago Saturday. The 13 year old boy took a friend to show him a hunting rifle that he had gotten and there was an accident with another gun that I believe they thought was unloaded and the 13 year old young boy was tragically killed. The moment that I found out it was him, I thought to myself I wished I hadn't ever heard "who" it was...We did not know this family really well but we have watched him rope many a times and I see his face in my head every day, and I think about how devastating this is for his family...
So now why am I telling you all of this sadness? Because I want share with you how I see life. I get SO upset with people who take their lives for granted or their children's lives for granted...Not to say that I myself don't need to be reminded at times because I do. I see my family as the greatest gift on earth!! I cannot imagine my life without them, and I honestly don't get people who cannot put their kids or families first!
For me, I admire anyone who has half the strength as these people and I hope and pray for them everyday...
So do we chose to give into the storms....
Or see the light shining through the clouds?!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
I'm being attacked BY......Armadillo's?!?!
So last week I was left to take care of everything here at the ranch as the Hubby had to go out of town for work...No that's not an unusual part of his job but it is a very frustrating part!! With the work that needs to be done here on a daily basis and the kids' schedules it gets to be a bit much when I am handling everything alone! The Hubby does his very best to always try and schedule around the kids' sports etc... which is great because the kids HATE when he's not there!!
So one day last week while I was watching out my kitchen window, looking at all of the pretty birds flying around (we have had an over abundance of Red Robins lately), I see it....An Armadillo!!! Just back there digging away in the ground! UGHH!! I call the Hubby and tell him there are critters invading, and he said I had to shoot them or they will keep coming back. Now Armadillo's are not my favorite things to shoot at, I do not like the fact that they jump straight up in the air when you hit them and run around in circles!! So I take the 22 out and shoot the nasty critter but he had armor of gold! It was only chipping his shell! I hit him 4 times and nothing!! So I had to go reload and when I came back....Yeah....he was gone...
So that night we were gone somewhere late into the evening and when we got home the kids were out letting the dogs out they find another Armadillo in the front yard. So J comes in and asks what gun I'm shooting them with and I told him the 22, so he says well will you open the gun safe so I can go shoot him. I go over and open the safe, get the gun, walk outside, and shoot the Armadillo, it jumps straight into the air then runs off into the dark!! So J was a little mad at me because I didn't let him shoot it well we were in a bit of a bicker at the moment so I choose to do it myself as a "small punishment" :)
So then Friday afternoon I was on the phone with my girlfriend and I am looking out that kitchen window again and lo and behold there's ANOTHER freakin Armadillo LOL!! So we weren't exactly done talking and I didn't want the Armadillo to get out of my view so I decide well I will take my cell with me while I go out to shoot it!! My friend could not believe that I hit it while I was talking to her on the phone LOL!! She asked if I felt bad about killing the nasty thing and I said to her NO way!! These things tear up my yard and they are just vicious looking!! Now I won't just shoot anything but opossums and armadillos are fair game! So then she proceeds to ask me if it is therapeutic to shoot the gun when I am frustrated and I said "sure it is"! So now she's ready to come down and get some shooting lessons LOL!!!!
Friday's kill...Look at those claws!!!
Thing was trying to dig along the concrete of my house!!
Does anybody else have nasty critters that try to make your home their home?! And if so what do you do about it?!
So one day last week while I was watching out my kitchen window, looking at all of the pretty birds flying around (we have had an over abundance of Red Robins lately), I see it....An Armadillo!!! Just back there digging away in the ground! UGHH!! I call the Hubby and tell him there are critters invading, and he said I had to shoot them or they will keep coming back. Now Armadillo's are not my favorite things to shoot at, I do not like the fact that they jump straight up in the air when you hit them and run around in circles!! So I take the 22 out and shoot the nasty critter but he had armor of gold! It was only chipping his shell! I hit him 4 times and nothing!! So I had to go reload and when I came back....Yeah....he was gone...
So that night we were gone somewhere late into the evening and when we got home the kids were out letting the dogs out they find another Armadillo in the front yard. So J comes in and asks what gun I'm shooting them with and I told him the 22, so he says well will you open the gun safe so I can go shoot him. I go over and open the safe, get the gun, walk outside, and shoot the Armadillo, it jumps straight into the air then runs off into the dark!! So J was a little mad at me because I didn't let him shoot it well we were in a bit of a bicker at the moment so I choose to do it myself as a "small punishment" :)
So then Friday afternoon I was on the phone with my girlfriend and I am looking out that kitchen window again and lo and behold there's ANOTHER freakin Armadillo LOL!! So we weren't exactly done talking and I didn't want the Armadillo to get out of my view so I decide well I will take my cell with me while I go out to shoot it!! My friend could not believe that I hit it while I was talking to her on the phone LOL!! She asked if I felt bad about killing the nasty thing and I said to her NO way!! These things tear up my yard and they are just vicious looking!! Now I won't just shoot anything but opossums and armadillos are fair game! So then she proceeds to ask me if it is therapeutic to shoot the gun when I am frustrated and I said "sure it is"! So now she's ready to come down and get some shooting lessons LOL!!!!
Friday's kill...Look at those claws!!!
Thing was trying to dig along the concrete of my house!!
Does anybody else have nasty critters that try to make your home their home?! And if so what do you do about it?!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
ME?!?! I'm the winner?! Little Ol Me!!
What a great start to my week! Why do you ask?! Last week I entered a "Blogiversary Giveaway over at Farmgirl Paints", with the prize being a customized painting by Becky herself!! The painting is a tree, that I am calling the "Life Tree" because on the tree you customize the "theme" that fit's your life and my life is all about family!! So I am proud to say that I will have hanging in my home a wonderful creation by a FABULOUS woman whom I am so blessed to have met here in "blogosphere", and hopefully someday I can say she is one of my blog girls that I have met face to face...
This is Becky's "Be Tree"! Mine will come custom made!! Of course I will share pictures after it arrives!
If you haven't been over to Farmgirl Paints blog yet your missing out!! So get on over there and tell her hi!! Also if you haven't been there yet Becky has just opened her very own Etsy shop so scurry on and check that out as well!!
This is Becky's "Be Tree"! Mine will come custom made!! Of course I will share pictures after it arrives!
If you haven't been over to Farmgirl Paints blog yet your missing out!! So get on over there and tell her hi!! Also if you haven't been there yet Becky has just opened her very own Etsy shop so scurry on and check that out as well!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Prayer Warriors I Need You!!!
Okay Friends and Family, I once again come to you with a prayer request for a dear family friend...I will do my very best to explain the need without identifying the family as they are seeking for privacy right now...
This family is great!! They have wonderful children and mom and dad are wonderful people as well. At a recent routine checkup appt for dad he requested a CT scan to have a clear mind from a previous illness, basically he wanted to be sure it was all gone and he would continue to be OK...Well in that scan that got some discouraging news that there is a mass in his chest so after a couple attempts they were finally able to get a specimen to send off for pathology... They have been waiting and waiting for these results, of course mom is having more anxiety waiting as we women tend to worry and dad is seemingly doing well..Today they received a preliminary report and they believe it to be Large Cell Lymphoma...They do not know what type as of yet but the specimen has been sent to Mayo for full testing and hopefully they will get news next week. So please everyone I beg of you to pray for this family, my friends... I know I am not giving you very much to go off of but God knows and lets surround this family with so many prayers that they will feel the love!!!
Thank you all!!
This family is great!! They have wonderful children and mom and dad are wonderful people as well. At a recent routine checkup appt for dad he requested a CT scan to have a clear mind from a previous illness, basically he wanted to be sure it was all gone and he would continue to be OK...Well in that scan that got some discouraging news that there is a mass in his chest so after a couple attempts they were finally able to get a specimen to send off for pathology... They have been waiting and waiting for these results, of course mom is having more anxiety waiting as we women tend to worry and dad is seemingly doing well..Today they received a preliminary report and they believe it to be Large Cell Lymphoma...They do not know what type as of yet but the specimen has been sent to Mayo for full testing and hopefully they will get news next week. So please everyone I beg of you to pray for this family, my friends... I know I am not giving you very much to go off of but God knows and lets surround this family with so many prayers that they will feel the love!!!
Thank you all!!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
She is Finally Home and Ready to be Trained!!!
Many months ago I sent one of my 3 yr old filly's to be broke by a friend...I have told you guys before I am sure but I'll give a refresher! The filly's name is Mya she is a beautiful paint. During the winter months she looks pure white...well except for the times when she rolls in nasty LOL!!! When her Winter coat sheds you can she her markings, they are black skin not hair so therefore she is a white and gray/black paint! I have owned her since she was about 3 months old and she's really a sweetie! She left us those months ago a baby and came back a baby that will let you ride her now LOL!! She has a very timid personality, she is not a leader in the herd and there are times when she will hide away from the others and simply wait till there is no one at the bail to eat! Silly girl! I know soon enough she will work her way back into the pecking order but she will forever be a timid horse..
So my friend Cowboy S ended up having her much, much longer than he anticipated but he has a family and works constantly and his kids also rodeo so his time was limited! He was having some issues with her wanting to buck every time he saddled her. Finally he sat and thought about it and had a realization that this had happened with another horse and what he finally figured out was the neoprene cinch was causing issue's. So he decided to switch on her and instantaneously she was better, no more bucking! Amazing how sensitive they can be! So he continued riding her to check cattle on a daily basis. She did great out there, she found some quail a few times and some deer. She was more afraid of the quail than the deer but we think that might have something to do with the fact that they flew under her and right at her feet LOL!! She did not come unglued though so I was thrilled to hear that!!! She is a speed horse that's for sure! The very first thing she does when you get on and set is try to take off at a run, she just loves it!! And she's pretty stinking fast! So she is currently learning that is a NO NO!!! Cowboy S says this might be my speed horse...So we shall see how she does after I start training her....If it would warm back up a bit that might help me LOL!!
Mya before she left last summer....She is such a beauty!!
Chowing down!
She was still at Cowboy S's house but I so needed to see her so I snapped some pics! This was about 2 months ago..
Looks snow white!!
So my friend Cowboy S ended up having her much, much longer than he anticipated but he has a family and works constantly and his kids also rodeo so his time was limited! He was having some issues with her wanting to buck every time he saddled her. Finally he sat and thought about it and had a realization that this had happened with another horse and what he finally figured out was the neoprene cinch was causing issue's. So he decided to switch on her and instantaneously she was better, no more bucking! Amazing how sensitive they can be! So he continued riding her to check cattle on a daily basis. She did great out there, she found some quail a few times and some deer. She was more afraid of the quail than the deer but we think that might have something to do with the fact that they flew under her and right at her feet LOL!! She did not come unglued though so I was thrilled to hear that!!! She is a speed horse that's for sure! The very first thing she does when you get on and set is try to take off at a run, she just loves it!! And she's pretty stinking fast! So she is currently learning that is a NO NO!!! Cowboy S says this might be my speed horse...So we shall see how she does after I start training her....If it would warm back up a bit that might help me LOL!!
Mya before she left last summer....She is such a beauty!!
Chowing down!
She was still at Cowboy S's house but I so needed to see her so I snapped some pics! This was about 2 months ago..
Looks snow white!!
Monday, January 4, 2010
I'm Back and in Action!!!
Really I don't know what I'm in action to LOL!! But I am back after an unexpected hiatus on everyone!! I first off want to say I hope you all had very Merry Christmas and A Happy and Safe New Years!!
Christmas Morning!!
Me with my Beauty!!
My Handsome guy and I!!
Two Lights of my Life!!
My Hubby...Oh how I Love him!!
My Fabulous Family!!!
I have just been SO busy!! From spending most of December getting the Christmas and Birthday shopping done. Then the Hubby's Sister and family came to town to visit for a few days which was so great to see them!! For New Years Eve we went with some friends to a hotel in the city where they had all kinds of games for the kids and tables for the grownups to have food, play cards, visit, whatever we wanted and then the best part for those who were drinking their trips were very safe back to their rooms to crash!! Ingenious idea I tell you!!
This past Weekend we spent at DD's Junior Rodeo and boy was it COLD!! AND I DO MEAN FREEZING COLD!! Poor DD was in tears after her pole run because her hands were SO frozen!! And the sad part is that she was only out warming her horse up for a couple of minutes before their turn so maybe a couple of minutes tops!! But she did good the rest of the weekend! I can honestly say we have never rodeo'd in the snow before so it was different!
DD had great runs all weekend, little blunder on poles Sunday but that happens. Her barrels for Sunday went great! She beat her personal best with a time of 16.666! I've been doing some thinking and I might start looking for a better rodeo horse for her...Pete is good but he wasn't ever used straight rodeo so while he has fun doing it he doesn't always show that power that he needs to compete on these higher levels! So we shall see...
Christmas Morning!!
Me with my Beauty!!
My Handsome guy and I!!
Two Lights of my Life!!
My Hubby...Oh how I Love him!!
My Fabulous Family!!!
I have just been SO busy!! From spending most of December getting the Christmas and Birthday shopping done. Then the Hubby's Sister and family came to town to visit for a few days which was so great to see them!! For New Years Eve we went with some friends to a hotel in the city where they had all kinds of games for the kids and tables for the grownups to have food, play cards, visit, whatever we wanted and then the best part for those who were drinking their trips were very safe back to their rooms to crash!! Ingenious idea I tell you!!
This past Weekend we spent at DD's Junior Rodeo and boy was it COLD!! AND I DO MEAN FREEZING COLD!! Poor DD was in tears after her pole run because her hands were SO frozen!! And the sad part is that she was only out warming her horse up for a couple of minutes before their turn so maybe a couple of minutes tops!! But she did good the rest of the weekend! I can honestly say we have never rodeo'd in the snow before so it was different!
DD had great runs all weekend, little blunder on poles Sunday but that happens. Her barrels for Sunday went great! She beat her personal best with a time of 16.666! I've been doing some thinking and I might start looking for a better rodeo horse for her...Pete is good but he wasn't ever used straight rodeo so while he has fun doing it he doesn't always show that power that he needs to compete on these higher levels! So we shall see...
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