Refinishing a Special Piece of Furniture

When I was in college, my sweet dad made this really nifty cedar hutch for me.  In its younger days it had a cool door with chicken wire and a knob with a mallard emblem (hey, my dad is an avid duck hunter, it worked), but has since been removed and replaced by a little curtain made by muah.  

Really wanting to add some color to our living room/ kitchen area led me on a search for some chalk paint.  I heard chalk paint is the way to go.  Guess what I actually found in our little, not even a Super Center Wal-Mart?  Couldn't believe it, but they had exactly what I was looking for.  I ended up with the Disney paint color of Cool Marine, it's kind of a cross between a blue/green turquoise color.

It was a fun project and no matter what color this piece of furniture exhibits, it will always be special to me.  Thanks Dad!

Is Prudent a Bad Word?

I thought prudent was a bad word.  I had to google the meaning just to make sure.  Here's what I learned:

Prudent: acting with or showing care and thought for the future; cautious, discreet, careful

Simpleton:  a foolish or gullible person 

To be honest with you, I have been a simpleton in the past.  I wanted to believe that everyone had good intentions and wanted the best for those around them, but this is simply not realistic.  The Bible is very clear on this topic. 

Proverbs 14:15 

 Only simpletons believe everything they are told! The prudent carefully consider their steps. 

Proverbs 14:18  

Simpletons are clothed with foolishness, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.  

Maybe you have never struggled with this concept, but if you have or are right now you can rest assured that it is okay to be prudent.  It's not a bad word. 

Ever Asked: What's Up With Me God?

 

Do you have that uneasy feeling in your heart?  

 Have you ever? 

You can't quiet put your finger on what "it" is that's bothering you and all you want is to feel peace.

 

As I was reading scriptures in my Life Application Study Bible (NLT), I felt the following scripture shed light on what I believe, as Christians, we all face from time to time.  You know, it's when you want to get away from everyone.  Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about here.  We've all been there.

 

 ~ Proverbs 14:4 ~ 

Without an oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest. 

Footnotes: When a farmer has no oxen, the stable will be clean but he will be unable to make a living.  The only way to keep your life free of people problems is to keep it free of people.  But if your life is empty of people, it is useless; and if you live only for yourself, your life loses its meaning.  Instead of avoiding people, we should serve others, share our faith, and work for justice.  Is your life clean but empty? Or does it give evidence of your serving God wholeheartedly? 

Proverbs is packed with tons of goodies like this!  

 

Sometimes all we need to fill that craving is a sweet verse from the Word.

(I should have posted a picture of something chocolate, instead of flowers ;-)

Wisdom

~ Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. 

 Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.

So don't bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you.

But correct the wise, and they will love you. ~

Proverbs 9: 7-8

The Prognosis

I got home with a contraption that looks like a torture device from the Medieval times, I kid you not.  This device is actually used for spinal traction (aka stretching the spine).  So after all this time, praise the Lord we know what is causing the pain.  It is a herniated disc.  To be precise it is located between disc c5 and c6. 


"How bad's the pain?" asked Dr. Allison.  I knew what he was getting at.  You see, he told me earlier in the doctor visit that he usually doesn't see patients at the stage I am at.  I am at a point where it could get better or it could get worse and rupture.  He usually sees patients that already have a ruptured disc.  "Well I am in constant pain, but if you think that traction could help then let's try that first."  I am confident that it will work.  Even considering how scary the picture that looks like a woman hanging from a door jam, with a contraption around her neck may look...I am believing it will alleviate the pain.


Oh and how could I forget the MRI.  Turns out I must of had an open air MRI for the shoulder, because I almost had a panic attack as they wheeled me under that machine today.  I had a brace around my neck, which didn't help either.  I just started praying, almost crying, pictured the sky above me, and never opened my eyes.  My hand went to sleep in there too, which was annoying.  I however, did make it through.  Ha ha! I think they would have to sedate my mother if she ever has to have an MRI.  Dr. Allison recommended that particular place for the MRI, because that machine takes better film of the spine.  The herniated disc could only be seen from one side view, so an x-ray would not have shown the damage.  I think that may be one reason why the Lord orchestrated everything the way he did.  Who knows.  He does.


Okay so let me wrap this up.  All the kiddos are home and man does that feel great!  I am so proud of each of them.  They all have their way of helping out around here.  I pray that I can be the example and parent to them that the Lord wants me to be, because they sure deserve the best.


What day is this anyways?  School is out and I am losing track of time!  That was so random.






 

My Plan and His Plan

Where am I going with this?  This happens to be the question I ask myself many times about my blog.  I feel like it is important to capture our lives and tell our story.  I want to be able to look back someday and remember all the details about our lives that my mind probably will not be able to recall on its own.  So, that's what I want to do. 

I want to recap this week and also what the Lord has laid on my heart.

To start off the week, we made a trip to Russellville.  I had an appointment with a orthopedic surgeon to look at my MRI results on my shoulder and see what is causes the pain in my neck, back, and shoulder.  This has been about an eight month process by the way and I am so ready to find out what is going on.  Anyways, Dr. Allison doesn't think it is my shoulder at all, therefore he is sending me for an MRI of my cervical spine on Monday.  I will meet with him directly after the MRI to go over the results.  I am praying for answers and trusting the Lord will guide the doctor in making his prognosis. So, that was Monday's happenings.

O had three t-ball games this week.  We missed Monday's game because of my doctor's appointment, but we made it to the other two.  Owen's doing really well on third base!  They have a really good little team and should be first in their league.

Randal and I worked cattle this week.  I will have to say the day we worked cattle in the pen, was a little challenging.  It was a blast, but frustrating to me at the same time.  First of all it was one of those days where I just could not get woke up.  I could not stop yawning for some reason.  I seriously didn't feel awake until around ten-thirty.  Back to the point, we brought all the cows and calves into the pen by our barn.  We did this on horseback.  Once in the pen, Randal separated them into different pens.  We had some that were going to be turned back out, some needing weaned, some needing to be moved, etc.  So we get them in the proper pens and then need to do some more separating.  My job was to bring the calves, that needed to be turned back out, through the gate and in with the cows that were going to be let back out.  At this point I was wishing I knew a little cutting, because it sure would have been handy!  Most of them were pretty easy, but there was this one steer.  Always has to be one right? He would not go to the gate and his momma was in there waiting for him and everything.  I mean seriously, go to your momma! Ha! He was stubborn and I was determined.  Randal keeps talking me through what to do and FINALLY he goes in! Whew!  Randal and I talked about it later.  I told him I was frustrated.  Randal reminded me not to get frustrated, but to stay focused, calm, and patient.  Not to force anything.  Love that man!  Every time I work cattle I learn something new.  I can not express how much I enjoy the cattle and using the horses, as well as the dogs, to work them. 

This week I also spent more alone time with the Lord.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed, as we all do at times.  I was reading Rural Women Rock's last post about God having a plan for our lives and I just felt like I needed to pour my heart out to the Lord.  I did and I felt a weight lifted.  It is so easy to get distracted by life, but it is so important to stay focused on the one that makes life worth living.  He does have a plan.  I don't have to worry or fret about it, I just need to let Him guide me. 

I hope you guys had a wonderful week!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!  Love you Dad!!!!!

We're Back

Hello world! 

Have you been wondering where we have been?  Well let me tell you a few words...end of school festivities, hay season, birthdays, and t-ball.  That's right, you know how it is, life happened.  

 

This weekend we celebrated two of the kiddos' birthdays.  You will probably be able to see the passion and character these two exhibit on a day to day basic from the following pictures.  Yup they keep us on our toes and in stitches, but not literally in stitches, you know what I mean! That would be bad.

This here is a picture of the herd, I mean crew.  As you can tell, there is one more than usual.  KT fits right in and blends well with the kids.  She did tell her mom she has two moms and dads now.  Ha! Jennifer was like "what?"  She said yeah Candy and Randal.  We laughed and said people will have fun trying to figure that one out.

 

I made their shirts using a bleach pen and paper stencil.  Only the two birthday kids got horses, because let's just say they were far more difficult to trace than the boots.  

The young'ns  had no idea what we were going to do for their birthday party.  So we got out the big guns...

Got in some batting practice...

 Awe yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about! Candy! No not me, the sweet kind.  I know, it was cheesy.  

I bet these two will want to show this to their future wives, or their siblings will one.

A little pinata action, a little water gun shootin', now how bout the good stuff...

Cookie cake!

Also on the menu ~ sarsaparilla burgers, recipe courtesy my friend Rachel in Texas, and blueberry cobbler. 

I really can't remember the exact order, but we had all kinds of fun going on at the party.  At some point Jaci and Evan opened presents.  They each racked up sixty bucks, in which they spent at Atwoods this afternoon.  

• Evan: cowboy hat, cap gun, and Wranglers.   
• Jaci: Breyer horse, barn accessories, and Wranglers.  

That's how our kids roll. 

The birthday party ended like you know it would, with roping and bull-riding.  No not a real bull! Are you crazy!? What's wrong with you?  Just kidding.

They love their Happy.  Yes they do!  They love Happy, how bout you?

This partner wasn't peeing on the flowers I assure you.  He was striking a pose for Nanny (thanks to Nanny and Jennifer for the pictures from their iphones...what we do without you!?)

New rope for their birthday and roping glove you ask? I think so. 

Look-y there.  This girl can rope y'all! No kidding, she's good.   She's had a good teacher (her daddy).

Oh man they had a good time on/in this thing!  Randal made it for them a few weeks ago.

 

  Being able to look back at the pictures and see their happy little faces makes me teary eyed.  All the hard work and planning is worth every bit! 

Love these munchkins!

A Parent's Job?

We love the Pioneer Woman don't we?  There are also many of us that realize we really aren't much like her, for one reason or another...and that's okay.  We all contribute to our families in our own special ways.  That is somewhat the topic of discussion on her "Homeschooling" blog today.  The author did a fantastic job and I am sure opened the eyes to many readers on the importance of training our children to be productive members of the family and society.

Raising five kids can be demanding.  There's lots of laundry, dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning,  laundry, dishes, laundry, dishes, okay you get the point! I work full-time right now and my husband works a couple full-time jobs on the ranch.  Not long after we were married, we realized that the kids were going to have to pitch in and help out in order for our household to run smoothly.  We just had too much on our own plates to try and juggle every single household chore ourselves.

Our kids' ages range from four to thirteen.  We decided that each child is capable of folding their own laundry and putting it away.  We had to give some directions and a little encouragement the first few times, but now it's old hat.  Each child must also clean their room, make their own bed, and pick up after themselves.  Picking up after themselves includes putting away any toys, blankets, or any other "thing" they got out themselves. Cooking, dishes, cleaning up after supper, dusting, cleaning counter tops, and taking care of the animals are also chores they take part in as well. 

I read an article in Country People Magazine several months ago that I think of often.  The article showcased the gorgeous Country star, Sara Evans.  Just imagine having seven kids in one household! After marrying her husband, it became 4 people + 5 people = 9 people under one roof!  I think they also realized quickly that rules and chores were going to be beneficial to everyone's sanity.

I believe often times parents feel pressured into doing everything, especially stay-at-home parents.  They feel guilty if they don't contribute to running the household and holding it all together.  I also believe this feeling can lead to super duper burnout (such classy terms I know) and feelings of resentment.  If we look at giving our kids chores as a way of preparing them for their future, would it make us look at delegating responsibilities in a different way?  I think so.

 I have taught in a high school setting or been a part of that line of work for ten years now.  I also worked in the Mathematics lab in college, assisting students on sharpening their math skills.  I would use the term tutoring here, but I hate saying or using the "t" word, just ask my students.  By the way, another word I hate is duty.  My point is I have had the opportunity to see an array of young people in our society.   I know I have had students through the years that require a lot of coaxing to clean up after themselves (it's like pulling teeth just to get them to push in a chair) and I often wonder what their room must look like at home.  Is it messy or is it perfectly put together because momma, daddy, grandma, whoever did a great job? 

Could we be doing our children a disservice by not allowing them to learn responsibility at a young age?  Well let's think for a minute.  Can you picture someone you know (you can keep the name to yourself...especially if you are married to them) that probably wasn't taught how to cook , clean, do laundry, take responsibility for themselves, probably drives the person they are married to crazy because of it? That should be motivation enough to want to encourage and teach our children how to contribute to the well being of the family household. 

I know this was a very long post, but I thought it was a very important topic to discuss.  As a parent I feel it is my responsibility to prepare those kids for the real world.  The real world isn't easy.  It requires hard work and discipline.  We want to put young people in society that appreciate the value of hard work and discipline.  Now picture: You get married at twenty-something.  You do not know how to cook a meal, do the laundry, or manage your money.  Guess what? You are going to have a difficult time adjusting.  Of course it is possible to make the leap into being a responsible young adult, but it will not be painless.  So next time you look at your to-do list, move some of those to-do's to the kiddo(s) and feel good about it, because you are making the world a better place for everyone.

picture copyright Kristen Chase

 I also want to point out that children like boundaries, they like to know their role in the family.  Our children love to help clean the house and each kid has a specialty area that they are better at than others.   It is a confidence builder when they are able to contribute to the household.  Why should we withhold that from them?  It requires consistency on the parent's end, but it's worth the effort. 

I am definitely no expert and I sure don't have all the answers. We are all a work in progress.   I just hope to give you something to think about, something to chew on. 

Friendship Friday

Different spin on Friendship Friday. 

Today I want to feature our eleven year old angel...Kalli. 

I can say she is eleven, because yesterday she had a birthday.

I can see her growing up before my eyes.

copyright Tina Stell Photography

Here's a little info about Kalli : 

Kalli stole my heart the first night I met her.

She loves Jesus. 

She has a giving heart and always puts others before herself.

She can already cook and clean better than some adults. 

She is amazingly smart, and I mean amazingly smart! 

Her face radiates Jesus' love.

She has a way of making me smile when no one else can.

She LOVES horses and especially her Cowboy (her horse). 

She's assured us she's never getting married and will live with use forever~

we are holding her to that!

 (She also added that she will be taking care of us when we are old, so we better treat our kids right!  HA!)   

She is definitely sweet with a little sass, a good measure...not too little and not too much.

I love this girl with all my heart.  I know I am blessed to have two precious girls in my life. 

Kalli honey I'm so proud of you.  Thank you for being one of my best friends and an encouragement to me every day.  You use your gifts that the Lord has blessed you with and choose to be a positive example in this world.  You are wise beyond your years.

Your dad, brothers, and I all Love and appreciate you very much! 

Thankful (for the garden) Thursday

I love food! 

I really appreciate home cooked food and especially fresh veggies from the garden.  Lately watching Diners Drive-Ins and Dives really motivates me to want to whip up some magical  creation in the kitchen.  Thankfully I have an amazing father-in-law that plants a magnificent garden each year for the family. Not only does it save money, but it's amazingly delicious! 

I asked Jack (my father-in-law) how long he had been doing a garden.  He said he really couldn't remember when he started, he just always remembered either working in one with his family or making his own.  The number sixty-eight did come up during that conversation.  That's a long time and a lot of experience!  

Jack takes Evan, the youngest kiddo, to work in the garden during the week while I'm at work.  It is so precious knowing Evan is either working in the garden, riding in the tractor, or using a screw driver to remove dirt from the tractor wheels (that's what Randal said Evan did yesterday hee hee hee).  

 The tender tomato plants are being protected by the cylindrical thingy-majiggs right here.  I think I noticed this morning that he's removed them now. 

Randal grew up on a dairy farm.  Jack and Darlene had a dairy as well as chicken houses while Randal and his sister were growing up.  Randal had many responsibilities even as a kid helping on the dairy.  As a ten year old he had to get up at three in the morning on Saturdays to bring the cows in for milking.  He was about thirteen when he started actually milking.   I wonder how many ten year old kids these days could say the same thing? The whole point of all that information was to point out that the barn in the background was used for the dairy.

Right now we've got tomato plants, new potatoes, lettuce, green onions, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and corn growing.  Oh MY MY MY... we love this stuff!

 

This is the bag of goodies Jack and I picked out of the garden.

From the garden to the sink, got to wash those babies up now.  

They look so pretty and clean.   Those are two new potatoes we picked to see if they were ready to pick in the near future or not.  Looks like they're ready!

I decided to make my husband a happy man and fix one of his favorite garden recipes...wilted lettuce.  Never made wilted lettuce before, but thanks to my mother-in-law I was able to pull it off.

Recipe: 

• Lettuce cut into pieces
• Fresh garlic
• Fresh green onion (bulb and stems)
• bacon
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash veggies and let dry completely 

Cut up garlic and onion and lettuce ~place in a large bowl

Cook about 6 slices of bacon and crumble up ~add to bowl of veggies

In a skillet heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil 

Drizzle desired amount of balsamic vinegar over the veggies

Heat the oil until it is almost smokin' hot

Pour the hot oil over the veggies and make sure to toss and cover all the lettuce

(Randal tossed while I poured )

 Finally, salt and pepper

Make sure to have everything else you are preparing for your meal ready, because you will want to eat the wilted lettuce promptly. 

I prepared mashed potatoes and grilled chicken to pair with our wilted lettuce.  What made it even more yummy was the sun dried tomato cheese sauce to pour over them! 

 I had some heavy whipping cream left over from making home-made Alfredo a few days before that I needed to use.  Cream sauces are not good for you I know, but man they sure taste good!

 

In a sauce pan I added a few tablespoons of butter, some olive oil, and the extra garlic and onion I didn't use for the wilted lettuce.  

I brought the mixture to a boil and let simmer for a  few minutes.  

Next I added about  a cup and a half of heavy whipping cream.

I whisked the ingredients together until smooth. 

I added about a fourth of a cup of Parmesan cheese and continued to whisk.

Once the mixture simmered for about 8 minutes, I added about two tablespoons of 

sun dried tomato spread.

 

Not the best picture and a little messy, but I assure you I gained a few pounds after eating this, because I couldn't stop!

Okay, so we didn't get a picture of the plated meal.  We may or may not have been a little too excited about eating to take the time...okay we were! 

But you can picture: a side of prepared wilted lettuce.  A chicken breast and a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes, drenched in the creamy sudried tomato cheese sauce.

Oh we were happy campers after that!

Randal really appreciated the meal after he spent all day in the tractor baling hay with his dad.

 Jack's rakin' and Randal's balin'.

Here's what a bale of hay looks like in case you didn't know...just kiddin'!

Just being random here, but my dad made me this little pantry when I was in college.  The door use to be a cedar door frame with chicken wire.  The door kind of fell of recently and I got tired of seeing canned goods all falling over from being rummaged through, so I improvised. I made this little curtain without sewing a stitch! 

And the flowers below I just picked up at Sam's because Gerber Daises are my favorite, and they make me smile.

  

Hope everyone is enjoying sunshine where you're at! 

So, what are you cooking from the garden lately? I'm always up to try a new recipe!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Friendship Friday

It's all about keepin' it real here on The Sassy Classy Cowgirl and today is no exception!  This here gal fits that profile to a T.  Y'all give a big warm welcome to my fellow cowgirl friend!  

Howdy, y'all!!

Name's Rachel.

Lets see here, how 'bout I start off with how this here lady and I became friends.

I went something like- I was blog hoppin'. Something I try to do ever so often, and low and behold I hopped on over to The Sassy Classy Cowgirl's blog.

She seemed interesting. And she's a cowgirl! A ranch cowgirl. So, that topped it off!

I commented, and allowed her to follow my blog, and from there we e-mailed a few times, and that set it off!!

Another wonderful thing about her is she is a Christian, I'm sure many of you have noticed that! So, we can talk about that stuff, too, and it fits right in! She's a sweet, funny gal, and I know that the Lord led us to meeting for some reason. It's actually quite apparent, cause we have things in common and she loves the Lord!!

I did found out though, that she is shorter than I. 

Yeah.

I know what you are thinking, I was shocked, too! 

I was also slightly bummed! I have always, and I mean always, wanted a friend that was as tall as me, or maybe taller. Well, she informed me that she is oh, 5' 2". Well, I'm 5' 9" and a little. I never have had a tall friend. 

I was hoping that, by looking at pictures, that her hubby was a giant! Haha!

Nope. I guess he's not.

But, I suppose I shall get over it! ;) How 'bout it?! :P

I also wish she lived, oh, about 864 miles closer. Cause I think we'd have a blast! Though, I kinda wish that about a few other fellow bloggers. Such is life. 

I really am glad that she and I have gotten to know each other more, and I look forward to the many years of being a friend!! 

Though, I tend to want to have my friends all to myself.... so back off!!! 

Oh, just kidding! I guess you can be her friend too. ;)

Well, I reckon I'm 'sposed to talk about me.... So, let see.....

 I'm a cowgirl, through and through, and my Hubby and I are cattle ranchers in Texas. We have three precious little BOYS! And, they are so much fun! The hubby and I have known each other about 10 years now, and been married for 5 years, this October will be 6!! Whoot, whoot!

I am a ranchin' mama, I do it all, from changing diapers and feeding cow kids, to draggin' calves to the fire for markin', and I wouldn't want it any other way!

We love this way of life, though it's a busy one! But, here we are, the Lord has blessed us, and we will follow Him through it all!!! His grace is plentiful, and something that everyone should think of daily. I have to remind myself of it, too. Our God is good!

I blog, but it's private, I just don't like creepers much, so I like it like the way it is! But, if you aren't a creeper I'd love to have more readers! I tend to blog about our day to day happenings, and some of my random thoughts, and just life out here being a ranchin' mama! 

A shout out to Mrs. Candy- Thanks for having me up, sweet lady! I feel vera, vera special!! ;)

Y'all, this gal is great, she has a big 'o heart, and you should hear her southern accent.... wowzers. She is a southern gal. And she thinks it's truly funny how us Texans say calves.... keeves. ;)

Rachel I am so glad the Lord sent me a straight talkin', cattle wranglin', ranchin' momma, Jesus lovin' friend...He knew I needed you. 

Has the Lord put a friend in your life at just the right time?  
    Share it with us by commenting below.  
We would all love to hear all about it!

Wordless Wednesday

Friendship Friday

If you've read our love story, then you know there is this friend that I owe a whole lot to.  This friend was used to bring about the existence of "Crandal" (the name my fifth hour students from last year created...you know like the Hollywood names for couples ~Brangelina for example).  Anyways, Kim is the gal I'm talking about here and I wanted to showcase her on this Friendship Friday.  

Author: Kim Wilhite ~my buddy 

My Big Boy! 

 Main frame 8 point.  Scored 154 1/8 day of kill.  Twenty and one-forth spread. 

 Blessing from God.

When I sat down that morning,

 I thanked God for the time to hunt and enjoy the nature with my sweet husband.  

As I finished my prayer I sensed God say "He's yours for the taking". 

 God knew this was the desire of my heart.  Psalm 37:4

So happy and thankful for you Kim!

... and I would like to say thank YOU for my Big Boy! 

Wordless Wednesday

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

Even youths will become weak and tired, 

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint. 

~Isaiah 40:29-31~

Catch ya later partner

Gathering Cattle

Here is a small slice of this Easter weekend.

Saturday our friends at Coyote Ridge Ranch needed to move several head of cattle.  Randal and I loaded up the horses and dogs and headed out.  Pictures are always amazing, but I really only have one picture to give you.  The Canon stayed in the truck, because I wasn't too sure what the terrain would be like (i.e. I did not want to destroy my camera in the creek or possibly watch it shatter to the ground).   

We parked up on the ridge, unloaded the horses and released the dogs.  We entered the woods on the clay road winding down to the valley.  The smell of pine trees, sweaty horses, and leather...OH MY GOODNESS, I can not tell you how much I L-O-V-E that combination!  I have told Randal before that I want to bottle and sell that smell.  

The dogs started running in and around the wooded areas beside the road, sniffing.  We crossed a beautiful creek and rode up to a cleared opening.  If you've never seen cattle worked with horses and dogs  (I know some dogs give this occupation a bad name), then you are missing a beautiful sight.  

Jennifer said that Randal has the patience of Job, and he does.  Patience is always important when working with animals (or people for that matter).  This particular group of cattle were bought by our friends and kept on the land they were accustomed to. The cattle were not quite use to being worked and were a little wild (I am putting this mildly).  Let's just say that Flash and I hung back and watched a lot on this group.  

The mixture of the following made for a gorgeous experience:

• rolling hills
• lush green grass
• my husband  riding Blue Reed Hancock
• the dogs circling the cattle
• the movement, in unison, of my husband and Blue Reed Hancock, the dogs, and the cattle  towards the corral
• beautiful blue sky
• the rolling creek we crossed before reaching the corral
• the scent of nature

I tried my best to paint a good picture of  Saturday.  The only picture I was able to take while moving and gathering the cattle was this one:

Flash and I had stopped to listen for Randal and the dogs.

Randal and I both discussed how sweet the presence of the Lord was that day and how close we feel to him anytime we are out in his pastures. 

Be sure to go to Bond-ing Time to see family Easter pics!