Something's happening in Kerbyville.  I have gotten used to having a teenager in the house.  I've accepted the fact that I am sharing Stridex pads with my son and shave creme with my daughter.  Really, I'm okay with that.  I haven't really got used to the idea that one of my children might actually be able to look me in the eye though.  I'm not talking about standing on a chair or sitting on dad's shoulders, I'm talking about stock'in footed on the ground look you in the eye.  It hasn't quite happened but it's close, to close.  This mama heart can barely handle it........

Tonight we have the first annual Christmas Party for the Blazin' Saddles 4H club.  Family are invited to attend with the kids.  I asked my little man if he wanted to go with us.  His response...I guess, it's better than sitting home alone and making my own dinner.  I'm trying to imagine my almost 14 year old son in a room full of girls exchanges gifts and talking horses.  Maybe he has a hidden motive.  What 14 year old boy doesn't want to be in a room full of girls dreaming of becoming rodeo queens?  Should be interesting.....

A Dream Come True....

 

 

If you know anything about my gigi then you know that somehow she is a cowgirl at heart.  Trust me I have had a hundred people tell me she will out grow it or that it's just a phase or that somehow I must have lead her to believe that living in a barn and walking around with poop on your shoes was a good thing.  It ain't a phase people, she's not gonna out grow it, and she actually gets a great big smile and takes a nice long whiff if the smell of horse poop is in the air.  She is a horse lover and she always will be....that my friends is a fact.  It started at a young age, like 12 months when she visited the barn at her Papa's house and took her first ride on a tiny little pony named Pistol.  By the time she was 4 she was pretty convinced Pistol was for babies and needed to ride a full sized horse named Shasta.  Her big brother could ride little ol' Pistol.  Since she was able to say bedtime prayers she has prayed for a horse.  It has been number one on her Christmas and Birthday lists since I can remember.  1. real live horse, not stuffed.  Yep, she caught on pretty quick and would not take a fur real or any imitation.  She would beg to go to the Farm Store, started roping her stuffed animals, and convinced us to let her take riding lessons.  6 months into riding lessons she was jumping over 12" cross bars.  No fear, just pure love.  If you know my gigi, you know another thing about her, she is determined and if she sets her mind to something she is dang well gonna do it.  She would peruse craiglist on a regular basis and give us an update on all horses avaliable in the area.  Her dad's answer...nope.  It usually ended in tears and begging.  This summer we were at the ranch and she took ol' Shy out for a ride.  When she is at her Papa's ranch she rides everyday and makes multiple trips to the barn.  She would live in the barn if we let her.  Her daddy was watching out the window as she cantered past on the horse and something changed.  I don't know if you have ever had the chance to watch your child do something that they are so passionate about the it goes to the very core of their soul but this was one of those moments.  Watching her glide across that field and seeing the sheer joy on her face brought tears to my eyes.  How could we deny her this love?  She didn't just want a horse, she needed a horse.  I didn't say anything to her dad but when we got home he began to talk about how to make this happen.  I asked what changed and he said watching her ride.  She loves it.  So we began horse shopping....in top secret!  After searching we found a horse that sounded like a good match and we ended up bringing her home (that's a whole other post).  This picture above is of gigi and Jinx.  Her new best friend.  She has just finished a lesson with her trainer and we told her she could keep her forever.  We've learned a lot through this process.  Buying a horse is a little like adopting a child.  There are days when Gigi says she still can't believe that Jinx is hers.  They have done homework together in the pasture, Jinx has listened to a few violin lessons, there have been long walks, and a few rodeo rides but she still loves her.  Gigi has learned that prayers do get answered and dreams do come true.  She is still a cowgirl at heart and always will be!   

 



Mom of a teenager

It finally happened, I looked away for a moment and my little boy became a teenager. It seems impossible. I remember holding him and thinking about what life would be like when he became a teenager. It seemed so far away. I must have heard a hundred times how I needed to cherish every moment and not take a second for granted. Yeah right. How do you do that when you are up to your eyeballs in diapers, sippy cups, runny noses, and sleepless nights? I thought it would never end. Somewhere along the way the fog lifted and I began to enjoy being a mom. Now here I am on the downhill side of motherhood. Instead of counting down the years until he starts school I am counting the years until he graduates. Instead of wishing that he would just be old enough to.... I am wishing he wasn't old enough to.... Instead of begging time to just move a little quicker to nap or bedtime I want to stop that clock. I want it to stop erasing that little boy from his face and replacing it with a man. Just for a moment I want to smell those sweet curls and rub that chubby baby cheek against mine. Sometimes he asks why I look at him a certain way. He doesn't understand that just for a moment I catch a glimpse of that little boy that I miss. He is independent, confident, and ready to soar. He is entering one of the most exciting times of life. I will sit and listen and try not to hover to much. I will cheer him on even though my heart is breaking just a tiny bit. I know he will be great. Happy 13th sweet boy!

Winter

Well, it's technically been winter in Kerbyville for a while now, it just hasn't felt that way. We did not have a drop of precipitation in December and it was hanging around 50 degrees. Sounds nice but it's not when you live in the high desert. You need water in the winter because the hot summer days dry you out in no time. Winter decided to show up this past week. It has been raining or snowing non-stop for the past 5 days. The mountains went from nothing to about 4 feet of snow in 5 days. My skis are hanging in the garage quietly calling out my name. Time to break those puppies out, but when? Soon I hope. Sometime soon I hope to be gracefully swooshing down a hill feeling the wind in my face and leaving all my cares behind. Sounds fun! See you soon snow!

What is it about watching your 12 year old sons shove cookie dough into his mouth that feels so satisfying. I know that sounds a little weird but as I made cookies with gig tonight, my (not so) little man came into the kitchen from his daily hike. His nose perked up and he immediately grabbed a spoon and shoved a big ol scoop of cookie dough right into his mouth. You could see the sheer pleasure on his face, my heart was full. I thought about it and realized it was more than just cookies. He is growing so fast and is only 2 weeks away from being an official teenager. We are up to it in eye rolls, ughhh moms, I know, I knows, and mood swings. We are monitoring Internet use, texting, cell calls, and female stalkers. All things little boy have disappeared from our house but in that moment when his face lit up from the cookie dough, I caught just a glimps of the little boy that is fading so quickly. My heart was happy. All that teenage bravado and independence melted away and he was my little boy eating cookie dough. Slow down clock, I want to keep him little for just a few more moments........