Saying Goodbye is a tough thing to do

There is nothing more that can break a momma's heart than to see her child loose a companion.

 As ranchers we understand the process of where our food comes from.  My kids understand that even though we buy our food from HEB,  it is the ranchers and farmers that actually provide our food.   However it does not make it any easier to say goodbye.  As a showman in the market steer shows our kids are able to display the "cream of the crop" of what the beef industry is looking for in their products.   They care for their animals for over 200 days, twice a day by feeding them, bathing them, providing them with water, and a clean place to rest.  They walk and exercise them everyday and build a bond with them that when its time to say goodby a piece of their heart goes with them.  

But there will be other shows and other steers.  And the boys will continue to contribute to the food industry doing what they love. 

A Mom of Many Hats

Today we began our journey to

the infamous Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Houston, Texas.    As a momma who wears many, many hats there is one I wear and keep close to me, the "Showbarn Momma" hat.  Now you might be thinking a Showbarn momma hat? Well as the wife of a rancher,  I am responsible for raising and teaching the next generation of ranchers as well. And to do this the kids learn how to care for livestock through showing cattle.  The HLSR is the second largest steer show behind that of the Ft. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.  The boys brought their cattle to Houston to show off all their hard work over the past 250 days.   Now yes, making the sale at a major show where over 1,600 head of cattle are being shown will be equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack but sometimes a little luck can go a long way.  I look forward to a great week spending it with the boys.  This week however will be no small vacation as it will be early mornings and late nights spent working, but the rewards in the end will surpass all tiredness we have.  

Sick or Health..Life Goes On..

So it goes without saying that eventually a mom will get sick right????  Well, I truly think that God makes us moms immune to most of the sick bugs our kids bring home from school,   99.9% of the time we are nurturing everyone else from all the nasty bugs they decided to host in their little bitty bodies that we just don't have the time to be laid up in bed, or the couch sick.   So what about the other 0.1% of the time, yup I just fell in to that statistic.  The boys were both out sick a couple days back with the stomach bug that has been going around our community.   Each had a different version of it, and I will spare you all of the details, but lets just say that it did not spare any mercy on me or my husband.  That nasty little bug decided we both needed a taste of its wrath.  Let me tell you it is a sure fire way to loose a couple pounds.  However, life does go on because despite the death I was feeling the boys had to get to Houston for their 4-H meat judging contest.  Now there were a few unexpected stops along the way because "Ralph had to be called;"  however, the boys made it to the competition with much time to spare.    Now mind you I said both me and Josh had this nasty little booger.  He stayed home with the twins and I think pretty much did the same as me tried to sleep the day away in hopes that when we woke up the bug would have mysteriously escaped our bodies.   It does go without saying that even though the aches and pains we were feeling did not disappear with the waking of each nap, the illness took its course and for me at least I feel almost 100% better, So, as the saying goes, life goes on and in a house of four kids with two sick adults yes life does truly move on.

How I Cope

Being a mother of four kids, a wife to a rancher, and also a full time school teacher 180 days out of the calendar year, I have always been asked the question how do you do it.   Hahahaha, I must hide my crazy well because I ask myself the same question multiple times. I have found that being able to fully exert my body mentally and physically through hard core workouts is my coping mechanism.  I mean if I can get on a platform and squat out reps, or do burpees till breathing is impossible it makes handeling my life so much easier.   I have an amazing friend that has guided me into this new style of physical fitness and it has done nothing by transform me inside and outside.  Being able to stay physically fit enables me first off to keep us with the kids energy level and second to keep me mentally strong as well.   Most of the time it's nothing but a days work. 

Rays of sun shine down on me

After what has seem to be endless days of gloomy weather, the rays of sunshine have finally found their way to penetrate through all that gloom and shine down.   It's amazing how even the weather can effect your attitude! 

I'm no Ree Drummond, BUT.......

Well I am not Ree Dummond, but her and I have so much in common.  We both take care of a household where cattle, cowboys, crops and kids is the way of life.  The major difference, well she is a household name and well I am just me.   But hey to be able to totally relate to her is kinda cool.  I came from a family that was country but not country like I am living now.  Talk about a total life style adjustment where cows and crops come first.  As the saying goes "you gotta make hay when the sun is shinning."  That for one was the number one lesson to learn.  Is it still a hard lesson, well of course but over the years it has be come easier.  There are not too many families out there that understand the idea that no matter if it is rain, sleet, snow, hurricane, or the perfect 70 degree weather, there is an animal out there just waiting for you to feed them.   My husband has taught me if mother nature is to take care of you, you have to take care of her.  The cows, crops and land is all hers and as a result, we are at her mercy year round.  So, when we are battling snow on wheat in the middle of April, or the lack of rain in late May as the corn starts to tassel it becomes hard to like Mother Nature.  However, we take the licks when it happens and pray to the good Lord above that in His grace and mercy He will provide for us all we need.   

Back to the land of technology

Wow, so it has been almost 4 years since my last post and man has my life and the life of my family changed.  I am still teaching in Rural America, however; my kids are four years older and well heck I may have aged 10 years more.  Life still has not slowed down as a matter of fact I really think I have just added more to a plate that was already full.  And what I mean is,  over the past four years we played a little more baseball, added softball, and the biggest of all added a showing career for the kids.

I hope to be better at this blogging thing as it seems to be a sense of therapy for me.