I Love My Cowboy !

 Our youngest son Daniel loves horses. Thanks to neighbors Bill & Lea Heib who took him under their wing ( or saddle ) when he was young and taught him how to train horses and shoe them, he has been able to pursue his passion for horses and earn a living for his family. He is an inspiration to me in so many ways, and of course as a mom I cannot claim to be unbiased in this, but really, he is an amazing son. In this picture ( above) he has saddled up 2 horses and he and our daughter's oldest daughter are on their way to riding into the low hills and mountains in the distance. This is special to our granddaughter, she has no other outlet for her love of horses and riding except her Uncle Daniel.

For awhile our son was into rodeo and did some bull and bronc riding. I had a hard time watching and the last few times he rode bulls I told my husband to go and video it and if my son survived I'd watch the video. It was that hard for me to watch .

 Uncle Daniel took his niece turkey hunting too. The country around his home is teeming with wild turkeys , and he and our granddaughter were up early mornings to hunt. As you can see, she was successful , and boy howdy was she ever ! Thanks Uncle Daniel. ( The turkey and deer our family get after successful hunts really do go into our freezers and feed us throughout the winter .)

Daniel dearly loves his wife and her parents. I don't recall the reason , maybe there was no particular reason except Daniel knew his father-in-law would be happy, but one winter day Daniel saddled up his horse, his father-in-law's horse ( kept at Daniel's place ) and rode several miles into the small town near-by where his in-laws live. He knocked on their door, got his happily surprised father-in-law out to saddle up and the two of them rode into town, tied the horses up at a small café, and had breakfast together. Yes, I really do love my cowboy.

I simply cannot end this post without a small tribute to the man who inspired and taught our son so many skills regarding horses and life. Bill Heib made a difference in our son's life, and because of the world of horses ( Morgans ) ,Daniel met and married his wife Breezy. The two of them are still madly in love with each other after over 13 years of marriage and the positive impact they have on me and others in our family makes a real difference for the better. They are both very hard-working, kind, and generous. Bill died last year, his wife Lea is still our neighbor, and I thank God for them every time I think of how much of an impact horses and the people who love them have had on our family for the better.

Yes, I love my cowboy !

Country Girls' Playground

 Who needs a playground when Uncle Daniel's tractor sits in the field.?

 Who needs a playground after feeding the horses and climbing the hay bales stacked so high in the barn  ? Who needs a playground when you've spent the day walking in the woods, cuddling barn cats and farm dogs?

These country girls are 5 of my granddaughters. I am blessed !

I am joining the 31st Home Acre Blog Hop , just click here to enjoy bloggers who farm, garden, can, sew, and ....well, check this link out and see ! *

 

Don't forget to leave a comment to be included in the drawing to win a flock of 3 Wee Little Sheep !

Best Birthday Present Ever!

My birthday always falls on Labor Day weekend. Usually we go camping, but this year I requested a very big present. I asked my family to give up their time and energy to help my husband & I rebuild and repair our sheep fences. No presents but their presence. Some dear friends volunteered to come help too. (above from left to right, friends Paul Fryer, Mike Ritter, and our youngest son Daniel )

 My husband & youngest son. Guess some men are always boys at heart.

Paul & his brother-in-law, Mike. They added a LOT of muscle and worked hard all day. Thank-you Mike & Paul !Thank-you to Carol & Katie, their wives, for allowing them to spend a weekend day here.I truly appreciate this gift of your time.

 New fence posts for the new and improved fence-line,makes my heart sing.

Old fence on the left, repaired and restructured fence, the right.

Goth, prior to being confined while the men worked.He seems to glory in his pen of destruction. Maybe he loves to see what his power & horns can do, but now, gone are the ugly tarps he ripped, the bent and mangled fences he destroyed.

Our son's dogs Ruger 

and Mongo supervised the work,

while Goth, confined to a small area for the safety of all, played with his rubber balls,and napped.

I cannot express the gratitude I feel for the actions of my family & friends that show their love in a very tangible way. Their presence was present enough, and more.My husband & I could not have done this without them.In a soon coming  post I'll show more of the work in progress. But again I say to all who were here, " thank-you!"."Present:anything presented, a gift." Webster Dictionary

Bus Stop Fun...and Memories

Babies surely do love babies, don't they? Here our two youngest grandchildren are cuddling. #6 granddaughter is just goo goo over our youngest grandson and shows it too!

Daniel and Breezy's Jack Russell terrier will NOT be left out of any cuddling going on in the house and also takes this opportunity to clean off any bits of a tasty breakfast left on baby grandsons' hands. ( note grandsons' grip on his toy WITH HIS TEETH!)

Meanwhile.....The view from our sons' home in the morning is beautiful. We are up early, 3 little girls have to catch the school bus. We have breakfast, and there is plenty of time to talk and play before the school bus comes.

The six older grandchildren walk down the long driveway to wait together for the bus. Three of the grandchildren who live here will catch the bus soon. The other 3 , visiting , will be left behind to await their cousins' return , so they can again resume building forts and riding bikes, and having fun together.

The six oldest grandchildren pose for a picture just before the bus comes.

They then mill about and play together for awhile.....

Ah! Here is the school bus! Bye, have a good day, we'll see you when you get home!

I think they already miss their cousins, but they'll be home before you know it!