Life IS Good

I need to give my blog a whole new makeover. I'll get on that. I want to redo the picture, load more pictures onto my little slideshows, redo my Playlist.... yes. I'll do that. Maybe today, we'll see if I can find a good pic...

Anywhosie. I am in the most optimistic, amazing mood ever. I'm just... joyful. That's it! Joyful! I got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart! Down in my heart!

-bounces around singing at top of lungs-

I've just... Sort of renewed my relationship with the Lord. And He has been so gracious as to instill a joy deep down in me. I've turned on Air1 (local Christian alternative radio station) for the first time in ages and just ahhhh. Me so happy. LOL.

Hummmm dee dummm.

So. I'm hoping that we can go to the movies tomorrow or Sunday. Because Tyler and I want to see Mall Cop. And J., a friend, wants to as well but can only go on Sunday, not Saturday. N. and A. may go too but I am not sure, we have not discussed it, since N. doesn't have a phone right now. Making plans are exhausting! Which is exactly why I don't do it very often. :D

I may ride ol Wyatt this evening... Dingbat horse. Rode him yesterday, we gathered and moved some beef yearlin heifers, and then rode through a pasture and got a count on our Corriente bulls. He was being such a goober! I mean at one point he just boogered and humped his back and when to spinnin in a circle when I pulled his head around... And for no apparant reason! I mean really. -sigh-

Ooooh I'm sure you all know that song played on the Peanuts? Yeah, the Peanuts Theme Song, although it's officially called "Linus & Lucy". Well anyway, my piano teacher, Mrs. M., got the ORIGINAL version for me. Not watered down or anything, and it's like 2 levels above me, but I'm learnin to play it! I just got down the first part, and I'm playing it over and over and over. LOL. My poor family is gonna be so sick of that tune, but it's so cute and fun! I can't play it very fast just yet otherwise I get my counts mixed up but I'm working on it!

Okay so my oh-so-happy post is done now. Oh wait.... Hold on... -screams- Ha sorry. Gotta get my joy out somehow. So I've been dancing and singing all morning! WOOT! Hehehe. Okay I will leave you with a Bible verse and say adieu and hopefully get to work on my blog makeover soon...

"O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water."

-Psalms 63:1

Hum dee dum...

Okay so... Yes. I am ashamed of myself. I sorry. I abandoned my blog completely. But I'm here now so... Maybe I'll gain interest in posting regularly again. =]

Um so... Not a whole lot to talk about really. Had a good Christmas and all! =] My three little cousins were here for two days with my uncle (whom I lufffff), geeze do they just suck the energy out of you. I told my friend Adam it was like we had 3 little tornadoes ripping through the house. He said he knew how I felt because he had 4 little tornadoes in his house that never left. (4 little siblings.) I didn't feel too misfortunate after that.

Right now I have my MySpace playlist playing. I love music. Music is my drug of choice. There are no health hazards involved and there is a song for every day and every mood and every situation. Music is just ah-mazingggg. Mmm. Wonderful stuff, I'll tell you! It's better than coffee and chocolate combined. =]

I get addicted to songs. Like... seriously addicted. To the point where it's ridiculous. Right now I'm not... uber addicted to anything. But I have several songs I am listening to every chance I get haha. These are the songs:

Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie -- Michael Peterson (it's not like it sounds, I swear!)
Nobody's Girl -- Reckless Kelly
When You Say Nothing At All // Don't Close Your Eyes -- Keith Whitley

Keith Whitley is... Oh, man. Keith Whitley is just... Haha there are no words! I love his songs and I love his voice. He died way too young. =[

Anywhoooo. Yesh. Oh! There's a dance tonight! Wooot! -dances- Ha will be fun. :D Sara and I were gonna go to a movie before and she was gonna come home with me after but both those things are still a wee bit uncertain. But the dance will be pretty cooool. Ha I'm excited!

Okay well I'm running out of things to say. Seriously. I'll try and post tomorrow. Adios.

I Got Tagged!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? either/or


2. Real or fake tree? real all the way!


3. When do you put up a tree? we try to put it up two weeks before Christmas


4. When do you take it down? usually New Years Day


5. Do you like eggnog? ewwww nooooo!


6. Favorite gift received as a child? probably my dog =]


7. Hardest person (people) to buy for? my Daddy


8. Easiest person to buy for? Sara!


9. Do you have a nativity scene? yupp a mini set =]


10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail for sure!


11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? haven't really gotten a horrible one


12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I like most of them!! Smokey Mountain Christmas, Christmas With The Kranks, just all of em really.


13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? usually one to two months beforehand


14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? haha no


15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? cranberry poundcake!


16. Lights on the tree? of COURSE! white ones :D


17. Favourite Christmas song? "away in a manger"


18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? HOME!!!!


19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? i usually can but if i did here, that would give it away to the next person!


20. Angel on the tree top or a star? mmm star =]


21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning! but one on Christmas Eve


22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? ugh lots of stuff. the pressure! the rush!


23. Favourite Ornament theme or color? i like eclectic assortments. =]


24. Favourite for Christmas dinner? just about anything!


25. Favourite Decorations? lights and nativity scenes


26. What do you want for Christmas this year? got some spurs already! hahaha and moosik


I can't think of anybody to tag who hasn't already done this. Ummm... JOSHUA! You ol scrooge, you, do it!

I'm Alive! I'm Alive!

I did not fall off the face of the earth.

I have just been a bad blogger.

Oops.

Let's see what happened since I wrote... Ummm.... Well nothing much interesting.

And I actually have NO blog muse. At all right now. So... I just wanted to let ya'll know I am alive.

I will try to gather my muse this afternoon and return this evening. Yesh.

=]

Okay. Well off I got. And Sara is right... Kyle Park is awesome. But, sorry darlin, he is mine. I discovered him first. Bahahaha.

Bowling With Da Goofs....

Alright so Sara already blogged about this but it was a ton of fun so ya'll get to hear another version of it. Baha.

Basically Mama is going in to Bible Study on Monday nights, and Sara gets off work at 5:00, and Bible study starts at 6:30. Sara is close to town, we are IN town... Hang out time! I never get to hang out with her. The only thing I could think of that would be much fun was bowling, and I thought it would be more fun with more people. The more the merrier right? Well I could only think of two people in town who I was pretty good friends with... Adam & Nelson. (When I told Nelson that, he thought it was downright hilarious that my only friends were two guys. >.<)

Nelson called me that morning to say he and Adam would be at the bowling alley at 6:00. Alrighty! Sara and I planned to meet at the church at about 5:45 and we would go to McDonalds or something and get a bite before hitting the bowling alley. But Tyler had just a little fender bender coming out of town just minutes before Mama and I got into town. So she ended up coming to get me so Mama could stay with Tyler. We first stopped by the ATM. Ha that was funny.... For reasons that will remain unknown. -cough cough-

Then to McDonalds. We were waiting in the drive-through line thing and the car ahead of us was being so slow. Sara hits the steering wheel and goes, "Hurry up lady!" We then proceeded to laugh our butts off upon realizing that the 'lady' was a burly man with a mustache. I don't know why it was funny.... But at the time we found it downright hysterical.

Then to the bowling alley. We had agreed at 6, but it was like 6:20 when we were about to get there... And see Nelson's truck pass us going the OTHER way. (Ha they got tired of waitin on us gals and was gonna go get some food.) Well we are sitting at the intersection in The Booger, and here comes Nelson behind us... And he HONKS at us. LOUD. I start laughing, Sara like freaks out and turns on her windowshield wipers AND the right turn signal. Which made total sense, seeing that we were in the left turn lane. >.<

Then she almost ran over the curb because she was trying to turn off all her gadgets, in the meantime I had the giggles and the fries and burger spilled. It was quite the ordeal.

So we get out, give the guys some heck, Sara eats, and in we go. Immediately they point us to Lane 1: at the very far end of the building, like 4 lanes from everybody else. I don't think we looked that rowdy, but maybe they recognized Nelson & Adam from times before, LOL, I dunno.

It was hysterical. I haven't had that much fun in I don't know when. It was absolutely awesome, ha, I have never hung out with friends like that, but it's happening again.

I was in stitches the whole time. Sara did the little "Flintstone walk" with Nelson providing sound effects. Adam acted like some mental kid for one turn. And... it was just hysterical. Of course we all had our special little names.

Adam: Buckner; that's just his nickname all around
Sara: Smithereens. Because I love her to smithereens! But Adam can't spell so of course it was Smithirinzz
Me: Chipmunk. yeah, I dunno, ask Sara.
Nelson: Stud Muffin.

I really don't know how he got that. All I know is that we all found it pretty amusing. One of the high points was when Adam went to go order he and Nelson's food. About 7 minutes later over the loud speaker you hear, "Buckner, your order is ready, Buckner." We all laughed because it was funny that he used his bowling name. Well about 10 minutes after that, for all to hear over the loudspeaker came, "Stud Muffin, your order is ready, Stud Muffin".

Poor Nelson had to go get his food in from of all those people who now knew him only as Stud Muffin, the man with the fried mushrooms.

Then they got some bright idea to shoot ice chips from their drinks at me through straws.

O.o

Real mature, yeah I know, that's just what I thought. I had to steal their straws, all FIVE of them, goosshh....

We went to the front door, and the guys made a run at Sara's pickup and... That was interesting. You couldn't see poor short Booger, all we see is Adam duck behind something (the truck) and Nelson make a flying leap (into the back of the truck) and disappear. Ended up spilling soda in the bed of Sara's truck, and on the hood. =P Poor Sara. I'm sorry.

Needless to say, it was severely amusing. And we must do it again in a few weeks. =]

PALIN! WOOT!

Well I guess I better blog. Since somebody is calling me a slacker.
Which is not only totally untrue... But not appreciated, my friend; not. appreciated.

So we had a pretty hectic weekend. Saturday about 10:00 we headed out to Abilene for my cousin Bethany's wedding. We got there, checked into the hotel, said 'hi' to my Aunt Deanna and Uncle Bruce (my favorite relative BTW) and then we went to HEB in search of some jam Mama likes, but returned empty-handed. As Daddy would say... it was a 'dry run'. =P Then we changed into our wedding clothes. Mine consisted of a green sweater, a pair of black dress pants that were like 2 sizes too big and about to fall off my butt, and a pair of too-tight black slides. Haha. No worries... after the ceremony, I was allowed to change into jeans and Fat Babys. YEAH.

It was a beautiful ceremony. They had it underneath trees, right at sunset, it was green all around with cattle in pastures on both sides, oh it was perfect. They stood underneath an arch with candles, there was a guy about my age playing piano and singing, it was very cool.

Then I changed. YAY. And went to eat a supper of cole slaw, mashed potatoes, beans, brisket, sausage and bread. Tasty. I ate at a table with Mama, Daddy, Tyler, Uncle Bruce, and my three little cousins. Jake (10), Jade (8), and Jace (6). Then we all sat around for like... an hour. =P They were playing good music, but everybody was waiting for the newlyweds to dance first. It's just tradition I reckon.

They finally came out- oh and by the way Bethany had a gorgeous dress, and Patrick looked handsome himself. =] The colors were like cream and chocolate brown; the bridesmaid's were like silk, chocolate brown, with cream waist ribbons.

Their dance was to "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait and "Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy?" by Chris LeDoux and Garth Brooks. Good songs! Sara and I have agreed that we like "I Cross My Heart" and "Keeper Of The Stars" for wedding songs.

Anywhosie. They played the father-daughter dance for Bethany and Uncle Bert (who I hadn't seen since I was about 7!!!) and that was "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks. I LOVE that song. And then there was the mother-son dance which was "I'll Always Be Your Mother" by I have no idea who. I thought it was a terrible song. Lol. But anyway... And then there was the "Dollar Dance". HA... Like somebody would pay a buck or a few bucks to dance with Bethany, or Patrick. Then somebody else would come up, pay, and steal the bride or groom to dance with. It went on for like 3 songs! They had to see how much money they each made, and the money was gonna go to a good cause. Bethany made $48 and Patrick made $36.

Then they commenced with all the regular dances. I danced like 4 times with Jade, haha. And then like 3 times with Kiley, my 19 year old cousin (he's at Texas A&M) like 3 times... And then Tyler once, and Daddy twice. They played good music! Some Texas Country like "Wrangler Butts" (Aaron Watson), "Shutup And Dance" (Aaron Watson), and "Wear My Wring" (Bart Crow Band). And they played a really cool A&M song by Ranger Smith about "The 12th Man" and all. It was very cool too.

SO then we went home and went to bed. I couldn't go to sleep until about 1:00 TX time. We got up 6:00 TX time and were outta there by 7:00 TX time; 6:00 ours. We ended up stopping at McDonald's for breakfast. They have nasty regular meals, but I dare say their breakfast is dang good. Daddy got sausage McMuffin with coffee. Tyler got these 2 burritos with orange juice. Mama got this one big burrito, and I got an egg McMuffin (w/ hashbrown) with an iced coffee which was VERY delicious. Mmmm..

We got home about 11:00. We unloaded our stuff, ate a quick lunch, then Tyler loaded up in his truck to go to town and get Jed (a friend from NMMI) and go to the PALIN RALLY! Mama and I went in the Ford.

I guess I should explain. Yesterday afternoon Sarah Palin made an appearance at the air port and tickets were free. Auntie L. went, and Auntie M. and Sara and them, lotsa people I know. But there was SO many people I couldn't find em all. I could see John (Jennifer's hubby) and Randall across the fence- they're tall, lol. I finally caught Nathan's eye (sitting on poor Buck's shoulders) and was able to wave to Sara.

When we first got there (it was in a hanger, but we had to stand outside it by the fence they had put up) we saw Mr. Hett, Tyler's guitar teacher, and his wife. We basically stood there for like 40 minutes. I then saw Nelson (a friend of Tyler's) and Adam (another buddy) and Ty (a guy from 4H) standing not far off. So off I go! Haha so for 3 hours... I hung out with them. This girl named Rachel came up, and Camille for short periods, and Molly was there. We were quite the bunch. Ha. I got tired of standing and sat down leaning against Rachel's legs, and Nelson poured water on my head!!

MY HEAD!
How rude!!!

See I had straightened it before we left for the wedding because I was too lazy to wash and style it. I didn't have time to mess with it before the rally, so it was straight. "I'm gonna have POODLE HAIR now Nelson!" And then I hit him in the shoulder. LOL. And he's all "Yeah well, no offense, but you look better with curly hair anyway, so I did you a favor."

Whatever. -glare-
Later he told me he didn't recognize me at first. LOL he had never seen my hair straightened, and I was wearing sunglasses I never had around him before. He said "I thought you were some New York photographer or something who had mistaken me for a model!" LOL. Wow...

So yeah it was fun. The best part was, I didn't know Hank Williams JR. was putting on a concert!!!! YEAH it was awesome!! I got some pictures, but I wasn't very close to the podium, so they weren't great. And when Palin finally came my camera died. =[ She was only on for like 30 minutes, it was disappointing. But it was awesome to see her! Afterwards, Mama- well I'll let her tell you. =]

Anyway. I'll try and post pics later. For now... I'm gonna go... Do something... I dunno. I'm tired. I couldn't sleep well lastnight. I was getting ready for bed, got a phone call, so stayed up a little longer then had this massive headache (I blame the person I was talking to!!!) ha so anyway.

I'm going now. Adios!

Back Online!

I am blogging.



Thus, I am on a computer.



And it is 10:30 on a Friday morning.



So I'm not on a computer at the library.



Which means?



We have our new computer! YAY!



Ha we got it in yesterday, earlier than we expected. We set it up this morning; the only thing we have left to do is get the speakers working. I already create an account; I like having my own account. That way all of my pictures and everything can be organized the way I want them to. Anyway... The screen is stinkin huuuge! It's a 22 inch screen. The only thing is that it stretches like pictures. Which is horrible. I bet there is something we can do about it though. Hm.



The keyboard works so great lol our old one had so much junk between the keys, this one is pretty smooth. I'm having fun on it. =D On the desktop it has weather for Roswell and yeah it's all pretty cool. =]



So we have been working cattle. I am DREADING when the day hands leave. It's going to be awful. I mean... I love living out, and on a ranch. But when your Daddy is your boss, Mama your teacher, and Grandpa and brother your co-workers, and you never see other people... It can be quite miserable at times. I see skeet range people, none near my age, and lately haven't even seen them. Then I see my piano teacher, and then just sometimes people we know like at WalMart and such.



I have alot more fun riding colts and working cattle with other people around. They make it so fun, I can't believe tomorrow is our last day. ='[



Ya know what's funny? My name is Caitlin, and everybody calls me that but my Daddy and Grandpa. If anybody starts to, I ask them not to do it. Except like ranch folk. Like when Will was here, he called me Katie and I had no problem. Same with Clint. It makes me feel... special. Haha! And now Wade calls me that, and Jered some. I just feel like they are.... I don't know, my big brothers or something. I know that sounds weird, but seriously!



Lathe cracks me up. Every time he sees me almost, if I accidentally let a calf out, or if I'm not paying a whole lot of attention, he says "Caitlin! What are you doing?" And it's the way he says things that cracks me up. Oh goodness...



Lathe is really cool. He lives like in Portales and he is Christian. In fact they host a Cowboy Fellowship that he started every Monday night in their barn, and he sometimes preaches. We were sorting cattle in a trap the other day and there was absolutely nothing going on in the middle, where we were stationed, so he rides over and we talked for like 40 minutes. He was telling me how he got saved and everything, it was pretty cool. Ha I drove a rig over to them one day, and I'd had a country music station on. Charlie Pride's, "I've Never Been So Loved In All My Life" was on, but when we all piled in the truck it was Kid Rock's crappy new song "All Summer Long". Lathe asks, "You like Kid Rock?" I'm like "Heck NO. Charlie Pride was on." He asks if I like Charlie Pride, and I said yeah I love all that old stuff like Chris LeDoux and the Oakridge Boys and he turns around in the seat and looks at me and goes, "Really?! Aw you and I need to ride together!" LOL.

So yeah the crew is pretty cool. I'm gonna miss em when they leave but I guess they can't stay forever. I'm off today because if I would have gone they would have needed to take 3 trailers instead of 2 so I was off. Which is okay I guess. Hm.

It's been a pretty good week. We have lots of good help. Wade, Jered, Dewey, Lathe and like every other day another Jared and a guy named Seth.

At the start of the week we gathered North Adobe and South Adobe and threw them into Adobe Trap. Then we gathered Adobe Trap, and drove it through Silmon, up to North Camp, where we sorted, weaned, processed, etc. Well when coming out of Silmon on our way to the pens, the crew (not ME, mind you, I didn't spill a single darned thing) spilled a few head; they were being kinda pushy. Well there was this one black Brahma-looking type cow who got real hot and just has a nasty disposition, so we dropped her to get her later.

So the next day, we gathered Silmon, the pasture the cow got dropped in. I got to take the outside fence on Alfred, and I saw nothing until we hit the overheads where Silmon, Racetrack and the North Trap meet. She was hanging right there; she had buddied up with cattle across the fence. I go riding up on Alfred (who has gotten better all week) and those cattle move off. She turns to look at me and I knew right off she was still ticked. I was about 100 feet away and she takes a few steps and Alfred gets tight and raises his head. He has never had a cow come at him, never been around them a whole lot, and she just had that air about her. Well she comes to trotting and this poor sucker goes to running backwards; Daddy could see it from a hill he was on a ways off. I didn't want to let him turn because I didn't want him running off. So finally I turn him to the side and she makes a run at us, blows by, and off down the fence she trots.

Well. It was obvious I wasn't about to get Alfred very near her, and I doubt anybody even well-mounted could have gotten her alone without roping her.

So no black cow that day. But I guess today they are going back through that pasture and will try to pick her up the sorry critter.

I've had horses spooking all week with me. Alfred is pretty green so he spooked at that cow (I mean he was running backwards now), he has also spooked at an ant-hill (I am not kidding), a fence post laying on the ground, and a deer shed. Gosh. I mean not just booger a little, spook as in suck back and run to the side. Sheesh. And then yesterday I was trying to ride Wyatt up into the crowd tub, where he had never been, it was awful. I had some Jolly Ranchers and Lathe was whining about it (lol) and I couldn't get that horse up to the side to save my life, so I finally threw one at him. Then I hollered and Seth about the candy, and he comes and jumps right up on the walk on the side of that tub, spooked Wyatt, golly that horse can suck back when he wants to. I ended up throwing candy to everybody lol.

Okay this has been longer than I intended. I now must go and resume my temporary position as kitchen slave. Adios!

The Day The Computer Died

Our computer is old. And slow. And forgets things

Much like people when they age.

The Internet is so slow that when I go to the Library (where I am right now, as a matter of fact) I am sincerely shocked at the speed of the Internet. My grandparents' computer is so fast it's unGodly.

And today... Our computer... Died.

It was unevitable. -faint sniffle- He just... he was so old...

He had trouble moving. And processing new information. It was... his time.

-sob-

Luckily, we recently backed up all our information on an external drive. And today we are in town doing many random errands. I hate errands. So we are looking for a new computer as well, not that there is much choice.

But... If we fail in our desperate search for a new computer, I shall apologize in advance for my lack of blogging in the meantime.

Now my mother must go to the hair salon.

And I must leave this gloriously fast computer.

Adios.

Woes of Moi

Ya'll think if I chop off Alfred's head he will stop slinging it?

Yeah, me too.

Gosh darned that sorry, rotten, good-for-nothing, pitiful, pot-bellied pony. This morning I was liable to hop off, break off a mesquite branch, and every time he'd go to slinging his head just BOP! Right between the ears!

Naw. I wouldn't do that. In fact I'm not aggressive enough. I have a problem with making a horse do something; I tend to offer it to him and then just kind of bug him til he does it. Which is bad. Very bad. Don't ever do that.

See, Tyler is too aggressive. He's just a demanding rider. I've heard Daddy say if he mixed us together, he'd have a good horseman on his hands. Haha. If only, if only... But I am getting alot better! I think I've ridden like 25 days out of 30 in the past few weeks.

He doesn't know alot. But Alfred, being the lazy bum he is, tends to throw these tantrums to get out of doing stuff. It's like him saying, "Well I don't wanna, I'm not gonna, and you can't make me!" I just have to say, "Oh you will and I can!" I have a hard time being... A disciplinarian. If that's a word.

Enough of my horsemanship woes. Next week we will have a huge crew; as big as 14 on some days! Yippee! =D That will be fun. And it will be easier on everybody.

Oh goodness I'm tired. And worn out. I need to wash clothes. And... I'm too tired to write much more. I just decided I should write. Before I get out of my blogness. Since I'm kind of on a roll.

Oh, and I need comments on my new layout.

Adios!