Tougher than the Rest...

Well new callings come and life changes.


Many of you know my husband personally, and many do not. The words I would use to describe him are tough, simple and pure. He truly is a cowboy - not the wrangler/hat/belt buckle cowboy, but the tough, rough and rugged cowboy, who really knows how to brand cattle and ride horses!
He loves to have fun, and is a dare devil at times. (Especially when he is around his brother and our brother in law) They are also his best friends.

He would rather live in this pack tent and live off the land than have the biggest house in the world. He is very simple in his wants and wishes in this life.

He loves loves loves loves loves hunting. (It is something I really don't understand, but try my best to support this obsession...)

And although I have yet to see him actually catch a fish, he loves to fly fish, and refuses to give up. (I should note that he has caught fish...I have just never seen it!)

He is very easy going, and "If" he likes you, be prepared to be endlessly teased. Most of the time you can find him at the ranch, trying consistently to make life better for everyone around him. He is honest, devoted and such a blessing to me, and our children.

Do not misunderstand me, I'm not the type of girl that pretends to live in a happy little dream world. We fight, we argue and many days I have to remind myself I love him because I have moments I don't necessarily like him. (Ask my sister, she is the one who gets the phone calls as I'm driving down the road to check into a hotel...but never really do).

I am also pretty selfish of his time, and like to keep him to myself. So needless to say when he got called into the Bishopric a few weeks ago I had very different emotions.

I have had many sacred moments in my life, but I will never forget watching him take his walk to the stand, and getting set apart as the new 2nd counselor. What a moment to Cherish.

I'm so eternally grateful to be a member of a Church that allows everyday men & women to serve God. To be a member of a Church that forgives us of our shortcomings and allows us to grow closer to Christ through service to others.

It's going to be hard to have him away and I could really list about 2,590 reasons to complain, but I'm trying to have a good attitude. (I will not mention what it was like to get the family to Church on my own the first week and I will have to repent of the bad thoughts I had the entire trip...but I am trying!

The nice part was having the support of family & friends in this new adventure. Wes's Dad & Uncle Ron came out for the ordination, and it was such a blessing to have family with us.

So, here's to change, and here's too my "tougher than the rest" cowboy who has a lot of work a head of him!

Not Yet!

Taylor came to me recently and said..."Mom my front tooth is loose." I could only think of one thing. I'm not ready for the toothless/ugly/big teeth/small face stage that all kids enter. I hate that stage!!! She's my baby and I love the baby teeth!

Needless to say I had to do some quick pictures before the inevitable.....

I'm not ready for this, not yet!

Roosters

Mothers day is always a little interesting...

6:54: Tate comes stumbling out of bed rubbing his eyes looking at the clock.

6:55: "Mom, why are you awake, it's Mothers Day?"

Little does he know I've already been up for an hour, did the dishes from the night before, found Taylor's church shoes, checked my email, copied handouts for young women's the list goes on...

6:55 1/2: Mom to Son. "Thanks for remembering it's Mothers Day, would you like me to open your present?" Tate brought a present home from school on Thursday and he's been dying for me to open it.

6:56 Son to Mom. "No, I want you to go back to bed so I can bring you breakfast."

6:561/2 Mom to Son. "That's so nice of you, buy Mom has already started breakfast." (We had company staying with us. Sourdough pancakes, were on the way, thanks to the Uncle Ron tradition).

6:57 Son to Mom. "Can we get a rooster?"

6:57 1/4 Mom to Son. "What?"

6:57 1/2 Son to Mom. "A rooster, maybe then, I can wake up early than you in the morning?"

6:58 Mom to Son. "I'll think about it." (We already have 7478 head of cattle, 3 horses, 2 lambs which is an entire story I have yet to post and 1 dog and 1 dog that wants to join our family).

Son runs off to play....

7:03 Son to Mom. "Have you thought about it?"

7:03 1/2 Mom to Son. "Thought about what?"

7:04 Son to Mom. "Duh....the Rooster...."

7:05 Mom to Son. "Oh, not yet, Do we really need one more thing that poops around here?"

7:06 Son to Mom. "Your so mean, you never let us have anything....."

7:06 1/2 The moment I realized I'm really not a huge fan of Mothers Day.

Tate did make me a little CD Cover

"Happy Meter's Day"

Inside, he drew a picture of me and a photo of him. At least he drew me skinny....

Questions...

I find myself asking the same questions.....over and over.

1. How come my kids can't flush toilets?

2. Why can't my husband hang up towels?

3. Is it impossible to put dirty socks in the clothes hamper?

4. Why is it a major mission just to keep the lid on the milk?

5. Is this seriously what my life is all about?

I am so intellectually stimulated, it kills me!

Tornado Warnings..

First of all, this is not about the condition of my house...even though there is evidence that a tornado strikes every other day!!

Growing up in Las Vegas did not prepare me for many things in my life. Do not get me wrong, I had a fabulous childhood, however marrying a cowboy and moving to Wisconsin was not likely on my "Things to do" list in life.

Let's take last night. It was about 7:15 and all of the sudden as we are watching American Idol, Storm Tracker comes on and states that they have issued a Tornado Warning for our county. We have a pretty big county and I wasn't worried. However about 20 minutes later I realized that the path of the tornado forcasted to hit Highway 96 - the highway 1 mile to the south of us! I tried not to panic, called my neighboors and told the kids to head to the basement. (Which of course they would not do....) We were told between 8:06 - 8:15 was the predicted time of the storm to pass through our township.

The kids at this point were crying...I mean crying crying, sobbing. I finally went to the stairs and said, "Guys, what is wrong, we are going to be fine." Tate said "Mom Heavenly Father is preparing the earth for Jesus and he is going to kill all the wicked people!" I had forgotten that early that morning we were reading in the scriptures about when Christ would visit the earth again and the thundering/earthquakes that would come to prepare the earth for his coming. My children seriously believed that today was the day.

I took them to the bathroom downstairs, pulled the cushions off the couch, got blankets, water and my purse and we waited for the storm to pass. I said to them. "What do we do when we are scared?" Tye said, "Pray, I've already said 20 and now I'm not going to have a Dad for the rest of my life." While I was obeying the National Weather Forecast and going to a safe place, my husband was outside video recording the whole thing. I don't understand men and especially my husband, but we survived. (At one point we could see the twister, and it was pretty memorizing....but seriously! I'm upping his life insurance!)

I learned some valuable lessons. First, that my children actually listen during scripture study in the morning so I better start upping my teaching tactics. Second, that I am soooo not ready for any type of national disaster and I better start getting ready physically, mentally and spiritually. My children clung to me in that bathroom, and relied on my faith, it was a feeling I've never felt before. I have so many areas of improvement in my life. Third, after the storm had passed I went upstairs relieved and started doing normal things again. Tye came in and said, "Mom, I know we are OK, but what about everyone else, should we say a prayer and see if we can go help?" It was a grave lesson as to my selfishness. I had not stopped to think of the others that might have been effected, I just started putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I'm thankful for a Son who is so caring. (Now, if I could get him to not tease his brother....it would be a serious miracle!)

The storm passed, luckily no one is the area was hurt or extremely effected. It was just a warning, but some very valuable lessons were learned and hopefully will never be forgotten!