What's Up?

Okay, first I must ask...what's up with http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/? I know some of you have gotten your backgrounds from them, too, and mine has been acting all funky for a couple of days with the mustard color in the background instead of the brown and hearts. So, I just went to their website and it said it was unavailable. What the heck? It makes me wonder if they were illegal or something? Yikes. I just want my dang background back, please! The sidebar is almost impossible to read now. I'll have to work on it.

UPDATE: After I typed that last sentence, I decided I needed to do so right then, so I'm back from my investigation. The website is still not coming up, but my background is back. I went to their blog and they said they were having server issues as of yesterday. I'm just glad my background is here again! Hopefully to stay this time!

Where do I start? I haven't posted in about 5 days which is highly unusual for me. What's sad is it isn't necessarily because we've been exponentially busy. Not really. Life has just been going. Let's see if I can catch you all back up on this Cowgirl's life the last five days.

I have been playing with my new camera a bunch! Is love an appropriate affection to have for a piece of technology that cannot love me back? I don't care if you said "no" because I will still say it...I LOVE my new camera!

I will share some of my playing throughout the post.

So, the first thing I can remember right now about the last week is early, I think Tuesday morning, I let the pups out for their morning stretch and business. Since the fence has been "down" or "propped" as it is now, and since their last Houdiniesque escape, I have not trusted to leave them outside for any length of time alone. I have been getting up at 5:30 (ugh, during my summer break that is TOTALLY not fair...pass the cheese, please), to let the potty and have waited at the door with them, or just went back to the bed for a few minutes. This time I fell asleep. I think I was out for an hour or so, and when I woke up can you guess what I found? Well, I'll tell you what I didn't find...two schnauzers in our backyard. Yep, once again they had SOMEHOW escaped. What's that little quip..."fool me once, shame on you," etc... Long story short, after a while of driving around, looking like death warmed over mind you, someone called from the clinic across the street from us and had the girls. I told McHotterson that I gave them a stern talking to on the way home and they were not allowed to be outside for any extended period of time alone. We found the problem and McH fixed it, but I still don't trust them. So, until the new fence is in, too bad, so sad for the schotzies!

Maggie Louise...the older and much wiser baby schnauzer.

Marlee Jane...the younger and more adventurous one.

McH went to the dr. and is on meds for a sinus infection. I'm sure you were really excited to hear that. I started running. Oh, yes. Those of you who know me, are thinking...wait, laughing and thinking, "yeah, right." But it's true. I have started the Couch Potato to 5K program from http://www.coolrunning.com/. Some friends of mine have done it, and one has lost over 30 pounds in 3 months or so and is getting into really great shape. The other got pregnant, so I'd say she has a pretty good reason to stop but I'm sure will start again afterwards. So, I started this on Thursday and I ran Thursday and Friday. You are supposed to space your running out, so I am going to go to the gym MWF to run and T/Th just to lift weights. I do NOT want to workout on the weekends. I have been praying diligently for a direction as far as my motivation to work out goes. God has really answered that prayer (partly when my jeans don't fit me when I wake up in the morning, which is supposed to be your skinniest time of the day, right?). I would really appreciate your supplication for this part of my life. I need workout less for losing weight, and more for getting in shape, but mostly for my mental and emotional health. I've heard running can really minister to these needs, as well. I hope I can stick with it, at least for the 9 weeks of the program.

We have no pool in C-town because the country club pool was destroyed in the tornado and because the NEW country club will be opened to the public in September as far as the pool goes. So, the powers-that-be decided we didn't need the old pool this summer since the new one would be here soon. WHAT? There are some people in serious chlorine withdrawl mode. Some have even resorted to renting pools and inviting over friends. See, this is where having a kid would really come in handy. They are renting for birthday parties. Do you think I could get away with it if I brought a gift? Hmm...Steph?? Hee hee. So, it's hot as blue blazes and there is no place to splash around and get your tosies wet...well, unless you want to brave the city pool. Let's just say the sign for the rule, "There's no P in our OOL, let's keep it that way," either doesn't exist or, well, I'm not sure what. I just know I'm a chicken.

We've been out riding horses a bunch this week. We actually bought another mare this week, too. She's 18, and has basically been out to pasture for the last 11 years and just used for breeding. Nevertheless, she acts like she's been ridden every day and with some work on her ground skills, I think she's going to be great! She came with the name Shenandoah, but I didn't really like it so it will be changing. Any suggestions? I'm open to some help! I had a little scary incident on her the other day, but again it was really more me than her. I'm getting so much better but still have so far to go. Sometimes I get frustrated with my riding, but I know it's just one of those things you have to keep doing in order to get better. I'll get there. Just pray I don't break anything or have a nervous breakdown before then. So, now we have 3 horses of our own...Liesel, Buckwheat, and the yet-to-be-named mare.

My tomato plants finally started putting on fruit. They are DELICIOUS! Here are two of them. There are about 15 more that I've counted but haven't turned red yet. I've already eaten one a week or so ago.

I'm bonafide. Don't laugh. I really am. According to me, I'm bonafide. As you can tell from the name of this blog, since I was little I've always wanted to be a cowgirl. We had livestock growing up and I wore my boots and jeans all the time, but I wanted to ride horses and live on a cattle ranch. We're working our way to the entirety of the dream, but half is not bad. Why am I bonafide you ask? Well, I just acquired my first pair of GENUINE spurs and leathers! Yep, if you hear a jingle jangle coming up behind you, I'm not begging for change. Just check out the back of my boots! I seriously was so excited that I even felt embarrassed for myself. Does that ever happen to you? Probably not. But, no matter. I always thought spurs were a little showy, but they actually DO help you a lot when you're riding. I was having the worst time getting a couple of the horses I've been riding to get going because I'm still scared to kick the daylights out of 'em!

Leathers and spurs...

In detail...what would we do without Ebay?

Now, just a little nudge with my spurs and they're off. Richard just laughs (really rolls his eyes and chuckles) at me and tolerates me. He's so over all this new "stuff" that makes me happy andexcites me. He's so been there, done that. Ha. But can I tell you, he lives up to his name, McHotterson, when he's on a horse. Oh, I could just die. I love to watch him ride and to watch him work with the horses, especially his colt. He's so patient and knowledgeable. Plus, he's SO CUTE in his boots and jeans and hat, all sweaty but so happy. It makes me really proud and I get a little weepy thinking that I am literally watching his dreams come true before our eyes. This is all he's ever wanted and it's finally started to happen for him. How awesome is our God? Beyond my comprehension, friends.

Friday we went out to Francesca's and family's for a little mini 4th celebration complete with weiners, 'Smores, and fireworks. They are building a BEAUTIFUL new house out on the family farm, complete with a stocked tank so all the kiddos fished and rode the 4-wheeler. We had a great time with great friends.

Saturday was the city's fireworks show. So, we rode horses all day and then cleaned up to watch the show with McH's parents and grandmother. We even had homemade chocolate ice cream made by his mom. Yummy! What is it about homemade ice cream on the 4th of July? So Amercian, don't you think? Although it was a day late this year, the fireworks show is always so impressive to me because C-town is so small. It is one of those high dollar shows that they have to train someone to execute. This is actually why we had to have it a day late...the guy couldn't make it until the day after the 4th. Here's a little video (yes, shot with my new camera...hee hee). PLEASE ignore the annoying voice and laughing (mine) in the background. Who likes their own voice on video? I'm pretty sure no one! Ew.

We tried to take our traditional self-portrait but this is what we got FOUR times in a row! By the fourth take we were laughing so hard we just gave up and settled. I seriously could NOT keep from blinking at the flash. I tried. No avail. But I'm smiling thinking about it, so maybe that was the plan all along. ;)

This morning we didn't make it to church because McH got a phone call from a friend in crisis. We have a good friend, newly married, brand-new baby, lots of debt, and now he's getting divorced...not even married a year. It breaks our hearts and we feel so helpless. Please keep him in your daily prayers. He sure needs them.

So, after a couple of hours on the phone with him, McH decides he wants to FINALLY clean the garage! Alleluia! He's been saying he was going to do it for weeks, so I was ecstatic. We worked SO HARD in the heat, and we ended up cleaning both the garage and the storage building in the backyard. We had so much we wanted to move from one to the other, we ended up cleaning both. They look GREAT! McH still has some work to do on his workbench to complete the cleansing, but it feels SO good to have it all organized. We even put Christmas boxes up in the attic, something I've been wanting to do since we moved in! Sigh.

Here are a couple of pics, but it isn't quite finished yet and I don't have any after shots or progress. These are both before...



Then, about 5:30 we get a call from our great friends Nathan and Aaron Phillips. Nathan is training in Altus and Aaron, his twin brother, was coming up to visit him. We met them in Quanah at The Depot for dinner and some great conversation. The place closed at 8:00 and we were still there at 8:30. Oops. Sorry waiter and waitresses.

The boys...Rich, Aaron, and NathanNathan, Aaron, Cowgirl, McH

When we finally got home after dinner and then feeding horses, I remembered something I forgot. Don't you hate it when you do that? Only this was so dumb. I was feeding the dogs, and I all of a sudden realized and blurted out, "McH, I forgot Bible Study tonight." So, it's one thing to forget and not go, but when you are co-leading it and you are the one who usually brings the discussion questions with you, it is quite embarrassing! Oh sheesh. I feel so bad I let all those ladies down. And, what in the world was I thinking? I guess I was so focused on the garage clean-up, it just slipped my mind. I even talked about the study tonight when I was retelling the tornado story tonight at dinner and I STILL didn't realize that tonight was Sunday night, which means Bible study! McH says that's what we get for skipping church today. Another, sigh. He was kidding, of course.

Some of you have specifically asked for pictures of me riding. So, Corrie, Mom, Amy and anyone else interested, these are for YOU! This is me riding the new mare.

NEXT POST: Videos!