Whirlwind

How is tomorrow already the last day of February?  Gosh, I feel like we were just in the midst of the livestock show and knee deep in pig smell all over the house.  

Over the last 6 months (maybe longer as fast as life is going), it has been big on my heart to get away from Facebook and other things that end up sucking my time away from my precious necessities.  I have stopped looking at Pinterest or Instragram when on road trips and my computer (usually) is not turned on until at least nap time.  I used to try to work in between play time or here and there while the kids were playing together, but I stopped that.  No more doing 100 things at once and missing 99%.  Yes, my work is important and I have time lines to meet. Yes, it is important to keep up with friends and family.  Yes, it is important to take care of things throughout the day, but my most important job blessing are my husband and my kids.   I have always been less "technology obsessed" than many of others around me, but it still was a conviction that has been on my heart.  Anytime that I have extra needs to be spent loving on, making memories with, and … dare I say it … sitting still and possibly becoming bored, with my children.  I think I have been so afraid of idleness that I over work myself.  So if you have been missing my occasional "hey there" texts or comments on Facebook, I am super busy just living and loving life.  

 This doe got hit in front of our old house a few days ago .. she broke her leg and ended up hanging out in our pastures for awhile.  Now, for those of you that say, "Why didn't CR put her out of her misery and shoot her?"  he attempted to but Kirby would not let him, so those of you that say, "Awww, just let nature do it's thing" won there.

One afternoon I went in to get Patton up from his nap and the whole left side of his face was swollen.  I honestly thought for .2 seconds he had suffered a stroke … that is what it looked like, all pulled to one side.  Apparently it was a case of pink eye but mainly a "sinus" infection coming out his eye.  Poor guy ...

 Planting season is in full swing … well for a few days anyways, then we ran out of moisture.  Pray for rain.  Rain is a good thing.

 Patton doesn't like car washes much … neither did sister at this age.

 We played photographer for a whole 2 days last week … yes, she is wearing my shirt.

 Cutie in overalls ….

 Big enough to ride her bike, paw!

 Serenity now ….

 Bringing the cows in at night … right before the gate beat me in a battle.

 Working cows!

 Kirby loves to be "photographer mom" as she calls herself; followed by "I'm in charge."

Lord, teach me to slow down.  Teach me to love what I have right under my nose.  Cultivate in me a heart for teaching my children about you.  The rest will have a time and place in my day, if I only remember to put what matters most first.  ~ Your daughter

I highly recommend this book Hands Free Mama to anyone who has a hard time letting go of "socialness".  It has encouraged what I was already praying about.  There are things that she says that we all know, but speaking from my experience, sometimes pass over.  

The Beard … A Eulogy

"You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard."  Leviticus 19:27  

Most years you start off around October and we all say our goodbyes in January after duck season is over.  Last year, you hung around all year.  Well, today you are gone.  You were here just a few short hours ago, being stroked by your master's fingers while he sat in church and tried to focus.  Just a few hours ago you were being pulled left and right by his son, and getting the green eye from men of all ages.  Just Friday your master got "props" and "dukes" at a wedding because you were so magnificent.  People wanted to be you.  Women would uncomfortably laugh at you, while their husbands prayed one more time for a wife that would let them grow such a wild beast of a thing.  But now you are just a memory in our pictures and in our hearts.

You taught me a lot, being the wife of a man with the "most amazing beard in the world".  You taught me to listen to him more … I had to often close my eyes while he was talking, not because I did not want to see you but because you were a slight distraction, going to and fro as he moved his jaws to talk or eat.  I listened.  I heard.  
Here is your life in pictures, my friend.

This is what you looked like as just a goatee …

In November of 2012 you helped us celebrate our anniversary where it all began, back in Aggieland.

 You were here as we welcomed our son, Patton, on January 13, 2013.  

 You were envied by college friends that gathered to celebrate the marriage of Cole.

You made clean eating difficult, yet a challenge your master was ready to tackle.  

 You stood the hardest test of all; farming season …. you made it through!

When we were in San Antonio, we were stopped by a college basketball player to tell us how impressed he was with you … I mean, you got compliments every where we went.

 You drove thousands of miles to get pigs, haul cattle, and make memories.

And you will end up big on a canvas in our living room to commemorate the year of the beard.

And here you are ….

Patton did not know what to pull on when you were gone … he reached, and you were not there. 

 Kirby was the most uncertain … she asked her daddy to "shave your beard back on" before church tonight.

You were fun while you were here, but as an honest wife, I am slightly glad you are gone.   I did tear up a little - not sure if they were tears of joy, tears of excitement, tears of sadness at the fact that all his determination was now gone, or at the fact that I survived and submitted pure love to a man hidden by hair … I am not sure.  But I am sure I am ready to have my handsome back.  You hid so much of my love's face.  I get to see him now.   I can rub his face and feel skin now.  I can lay my head on his shoulder and not have to push you out of the way.  Tonight at church I nuzzled in to his neck while we prayed like I used too and it felt like home again.  I am sure you will be back this fall.  And I would welcome you if your master decided to keep you around again.  Because it is not about what is on my husband's face; it is all about what is in his heart.  His heart is pure gold and has mine captivated for a lifetime of love.  

With love,

Lauren

"Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful."  

Song of Solomon 1:16

Our herd

I think I need to clean my camera on my cell phone … or maybe this is the result of it falling into some water yesterday … sorry for the fuzzy but you can still see the cute.

 She was singing to her cows.  Hand microphone and all.

This is what Patton does while we run and play - soon enough he will be fully mobile.  

Here she was lassoing her cows … she even asked if I could come help her pull the calf.

"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate-- bringing forth food from the earth." Psalm 104:14

Feels like home

to me …

one of the best things about living in Far, Far Away is that my children get to experience real life stuff.  I mean real. life. stuff.  Today, Kirby and CR drove up on a momma cow having her calf.  They saw the calf actually being born.  Growing up, my dad's cows would always go far off into the woods (or forest as Kirby calls it) to have their calves and we would see them the next day.  Well here, when you don't live where there are forests in your pastures, the mommas have their babies where all the world can see.  And what an amazing thing to witness.  Kirby was besides herself - we had been waiting all week because we knew she was past due.  She ran in the house exclaiming, "Mommy. mommy!!!  Pattycake had her baby calf … its so cute and little."  About twenty minutes later CR took Patton and Kirby back out there to check on momma and baby ….

So here is the neat story behind the momma (Pattycake):  Pattycake is the daughter of Patricia, Patricia is the daughter of Suzy - Q and Suzy-Q was raised by one of the neatest young men I have ever known. His name was Patrick and he was the brother of one of my dearest high school friends.  Patrick passed away in a very tragic accident shortly after showing Suzy Q.  My dad had bought Suzy Q that year in the replacement heifer sale, so she was part of our heard.  When Suzy Q had her first baby I knew I wanted to raise it … I knew it wouldn't be that great of a calf because Daddy bred her to a small Hereford bull to produce a small first time calf.  I did not care how I did … I wanted to raise her in honor of Patrick.  So I named her Patricia.  Patricia didn't blow the judge out of the water at the show, but she showed well and we did our job.  And she was one of the best stinkin' momma cows daddy ever had.  So when she had Pattycake (gotta keep the name Pat in the line so we remember) CR and I decided to get her and take her to our home to raise college babies … whatever calves come from her and one of my other show calves blood line, goes to the kids college funds in some way or another.  This little squirt is a bull calf, so to fill you in on how cattle-ranching operates, he will probably end up going to the sale barn when he is old enough … either to go be a bull for someone else or …. let's go with he will be a bull for someone else.  

No matter how much I fight loving living here, I love it and know this is right where we are called to be.  Thank you Lord for giving me an obedient, submissive heart, even when my head wants to be as stubborn as a Brahman bull.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God."  James 4:7

The Tale of Two Tow-Heads

How Patton does HEB:

 How Kirby does HEB

Last night at Bible study I gave a very short testimony about how A Woman After God's Own Heart blessed me 100 times over while in college.  Then this verse was laid on my heart today as I reminisced  on God's grace in my life …

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD." 

 Psalm 113:9

Clicking my red heels

Montgomery, why are you so far away?  I always have a hard time leaving when it's time to go.  I am ever so ready to be home, but not away from Montgomery.  Can that be in the same desire?  Maybe if I click my red heels three times I can be there, then click three more times and be back home.

Thursday we loaded up and left Far, Far Away (or as my husband calls it "Cecil" - he is determined to name a town after himself) on our trek to Montgomery.  Along with the cattle trailer (empty), a 3 month old lab, a 3 1/2 year old Kirby and a 1 year old Patton.

Friday morning CR had his hopes set high to end duck season with a bang … ha, I am good.  CR and Dad got up bright and early on the icy morning to go to Bedias and meet his college room mate John and his friend Oklahoma Jerrod.  The hunt was a fail and around 9:00 I get a dreaded phone call …. they were stuck in the mud and did not have the tractor key.  No big deal, wife of the year to the rescue.  Get there a freezing cold hour later and then they get the tractor stuck.  2 trucks and a tractor sitting in a mud pit.  Ice and snow on the ground.  And to top that off, no ducks on their pond.  Thankfully my dad's friend Lee had his tractor and key in the barn just a short walk away … so out came the tractor to save the day.  Loaded up heifers that needed to come back home with us to Cecil and back home to Montgomery just 12 lonnnng hours after the boys had left that morning.  As "Uncle John" put it well …. "There's always a story, isn't there darlin'?"

If you look really closely you will see all the stuckness …

CR thought this was a cool picture of his tire.  

Saturday morning we got up early (we like being up with the roosters) to take family pictures.  I booked these about 8 months ago because I have been dying to get our own done by a professional.  Ya, I could do it with my clicker and tripod, but I wanted the full experience.  And, the photographer I chose does amazing with children.  We had a blast.  Can't wait to show you what we get!!

Saturday afternoon we had another little get together to celebrate Patton turning one.  We did two parties for Kirby turning one so we had to follow suit.  I am trying really hard to not be the mom that the second child gets "second best".  It is kind of hard when you are worn out to pieces, BUT it is worth every tiredness, every penny, every loss of sleep.

 Auntie Shannon and Uncle Ken got to join in on the fun!  I do LOVE that they only live about 30 minutes from my parents.  

 So this was a "kodak" moment.  My dad always turns on old cowboy music while we eat dinner.  On cue, when Don Williams started Patton put his hands over his ears.  As if to say, "No thank you, I'd rather not hear this."

 He was a little excited about the cake ...

Sunday was the longest of the days!  I had an early morning bridal shoot (can't share those till after March 22nd) that was so much fun.  God blessed us with a gorgeous day - gorgeous.  Especially after the nasty "old man winter" we had just had the two previous days.  After my shoot ended around noon, we met CR up at our friend's farm (Mrs. Rod is a doll!!) and loaded up the 10 heifers.  Seven hours after, we were home.  Bittersweet.  Loved being home and walking in to my warm and coziness, but I did already miss the part of my heart that stayed behind.

Where part of my heart stayed …such a blessing in my life.  Love Kyleigh to pieces.  Growing up too fast and such a good kid.  Such a kind heart and a gentle spirit.  A huge help and a great snuggler.

"Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy." Psalm 65:8

(And honestly, sometimes it feels like we live at the ends of the earth!)