A Night at the Rodeo

Last week my husband received a call from an old employee from the ranch. He and his wife had two extra rodeo tickets and wanted to know if we would like to attend with them. Well, of course my husband said yes.

Becky (the wife of the employee) and I got on the phone with one another and finalized Saturday night. We were to meet them at their house, then off to dinner and the rodeo.

What a wonderful night! It has been a while since we've been out with another couple. Dinner was outstanding; Texas barbeque. The arena where the rodeo was held was like any other, cramped seats with no leg room. Not exactly the best seating arrangement with a toddler on your lap but Logan did pretty good.

When the lights went down and the loudspeaker blared, Logan jumped up and wrapped his arms around my neck...I think it made him nervous at first.

The bucking horses and bulls at the rodeo were amazing. Some of the best riders were on these animals and they were still getting bucked off. Cowboys were flying everywhere!

One of my favorite moments was after the last rider walked back into the chute, the lights turned off and the spotlight came up to another chute where they let out a beautiful mare named Cajun Moon. The announcer told the crowd how attending the fair is a family event, you look thorughout the crowds and see generations sitting there or walking throughout the fair grounds. He talked about how these rodeo animals are family too. That is when another spotlight came up and a little filly, Cajun Sunrise, came running out to meet her mom. The two of them ran around the arena while the announcer continued on with his story.

A concert followed the rodeo, some new country artist. I only recognized one of his songs. It was about halfway through the concert that Logan was getting tired of our cramped quarters. My husband took him out to run around outside while we stayed and finished the concert.

We did not get home until 11:30 last night, an extremley late night for us all. However, the lateness was well worth it.

Graduation

My little boy has graduated from a crib to a toddler bed. On Sunday we changed out his lifetime's crib to a toddler railing. He was so excited and even "helped" with the process! After the change was complete, Logan would hop in and out showing us how he can do it all on his own now. It seems with this new freedom he is sleeping better through the night (for the past month or so he would wake up screaming and I would hear him tossing and turning over the baby monitor.) Of course that could just be me. All I can think of is how he is growing up so fast.

Weekend Plans

It seems rare that we spend a weekend doing something other than grocery shop. However, with the holidays fast approaching more and more of our weekends are going to be spent doing other things such as this weekend. Today we are heading out to the New Mexico State Fair. Luckily the weather is holding up as it has rained for the past three days!

Past fair days (before a little one came along) was spent riding rides, eating food, looking at exhibits, and playing games. Now we are all content in looking at exhibits (especially the animals even though we see cattle and horses daily here, it's still nice to see what the 4-H kids have done) and filling up on heavy, greasy fair food. We have yet to bring Logan to the rodeo portion, maybe when he's a bit older.

Happy Fair Days!!

To Throw or Not to Throw

Back in college, my apartment was the place to be. That is where everyone hung out; younger starving college students would come over and I would feed them, talk to them about difficult classes, professors, their love life, relationship crisis and so forth. I would have a dinner party one night and a group quilting get together the next. In the Fall, a trip to the local pumpkin patch and then back to my place for a carving party. Before Christmas break my little kitchen would be covered in cookie ingredients; my living room decorated with a Christmas tree and other holiday paraphernalia. I was once told that my apartment always smelled like something was baking, and usually something was.

I have come to miss those days. I love "playing" hostess but have seen the lack of it since I have come to live and work here. And now I am craving to play the part again.

For the past week I have been debating with myself on whether to throw a Halloween party or not. Since the only people I really know here are my coworkers; them and their families will be on the invite list. My mind has been filled with ideas for decorating the yard and house, a buffet style lunch/dinner and treats, costumes, pumpkins, and activities for the kids (ranging from the ages of 10 years old to 19 months old.)

Then I think about the other side of things. All the time and work that goes into it. This never detoured me before but for some reason it has over the past three years. Have I just gotten lazy? Sure things have changed since those college days; I now have a son, but shouldn't that be more of a reason as to throw these type of things?

So my question out to the world (and a decision quick from me as Halloween is coming up fast) should I throw a Halloween party this year or not? (Any ideas/activities would also be appreciated!)

Nesting

A thought came to my mind when my father-in-law was visiting last. He was questioning me about why I haven't done this to my house or why I haven't done this to the yard. My response to him was that I think we are still in college/apartment mode. Though I have discovered now that this was just another excuse.

After three years here, we have not hung up so much as a picture. The yard is still the same from when we first moved in, a bunch of weeds. When we first moved here I had made up plans for the yard, but never put forth any of those plans into action. Ideas I had for decorating quickly dissipated. I always blamed the hours; ranching is a 24/7 job.

I was talking to my husband about this the other night because for some reason it kind of bothered me. He said that he simply doesn't care whether our house is full of pictures, furniture, etc.; but that I need to stop living like I am going to pick up and move on at any moment. I relflected upon this statement and realzied my whole life has been like this. Being in a military family you never know when you might be transferred to another base, city, or state. While growing up, we rented all of our houses and because of this my Dad did not allow us to hang things up on the wall (it would put holes in them) or re-decorate (it's not our house), and so forth.

But I have found myself in "nesting" mode ever since my father-in-law came to visit. Any spare time I have it has been spent pouring over decorating magazines for ideas, ideal flowers for this area, new lawn plans, paint colors, and so on. All of these new ideas I have had, I ran by my husband(though he says he doesn't care he does live here too.) He stated that he loved all of them, just as long as I don't expect him to do anything and I start with the bathroom.

So, a new tablet of graph paper, some colored pencils, swatches, and measurements; I have thrown my excuses out, come to terms with my faults, and I am finally putting forth my decorating schemes.

Friendships

It was truly amazing to be at my Grandmother's 80th Birthday party and see all of her old friends; some of whom were from junior high school. Other guests included friends of my Uncles since they were in elementary school.

As I sat there talking and listening to all of the wonderful stories from all of these people, I reflected upon all the friends who have come in and out of my life. The reasons behind why some of them and I drifted apart are unapparent now.

Everyone has heard that the amount of true friendships one will have in his or her lifetime can be counted on one hand. Though I no longer keep in touch with the ones I met in elementary or junior high, and rarely speak to friends from high school; I do have one that is constant in my life. We met in college and immediatley became inseperable. Even now, 1500 miles apart, we talk to one another at least once a week. And I know that someday we will be sitting there at our 80th Birthday parties telling wild and crazy stories to our grandchildren.

Friendships are one of those sacred treasures. I thank God that I have been blessed with mine everyday.