Flash Back on 2011

2011 brought many great memories that I will keep in our hearts forever....... There are WAY too many to list, so here are just a few of my favorites.....

The move and 8 months of living in a 1 bedroom rock house.......The new place.... Drummond Land and Cattle, Warrren Ranch... Chris and I have help build everything from the ground up... and when I say everything.... lol.... I mean everything.... And of course we are still working on it!

Meet Miss Hailey....My Brother Brian and His wife Tammy welcomed a baby girl into the world in early December 2010.. Yes I'm that far behind on this blog, but she is close enough to 2012... I figured I would make a special spot for her...And of course she is 13 months old now,  running around and talking like a BIG kid and all......    

Miss Fred, the Bronc Rider......... 

Bronc Rider Fred, Miss Fred has kinda started liking the Bucking Horse thing.... She and her Dad have alot in common.... As for me and Colt we will just ride the broke horses...... These Pictures are from Cedervale Ks.... She was riding the horse they called "Snake Eyes"... she did really good until she tried to fan him with her hat... Uncle Brian and Chris were the pick up man... and Uncle Brain's horse stepped on her on their way by.... One tuff little Cookie

  

Daddy Daughter Dance....

Chris and Carlee had a big time date planned for the Daddy Daughter Dance here in town, just so happened that Cousin Emma came to see us and decided she want to go too.  After a fast trip to town for a dress, some shoes, and flowers for both girls..... they were ready to hit the town...... Only making the dance (or Princess Party as Emma called it)for 30 minutes... Carlee got very sick and they had to call it a night..... Everyone ended up getting sick over the deal, even Emma who took it back home to her little sister Ellie.....

Rodeos Rodeos Rodeos........... Besides shipping and processing cattle, shoeing horses, and building on the new place you will find us chasing the white lines on the highway heading to a Rodeo... Or eating sunflower seeds at 3:00 in the morning trying to stay awake on the trip home!!

   

Chris and good friend Tyler Bode, Roping at Latham Ks Ranch Rodeo..... the Guys tied in the Average for 3rd and 4th....... They had a foot/horse run off for a tie breaker......... Brother Brian ran for our team...

 Just so happened that the other team's runner was a good friend we all rodeoed with in High School.... "On your mark get set GO"...... Stride for Stride.... they both made it to their horse's at the same time.... At the End Brian got out ran.... but it was a photo finish and a good time for everybody!!

Chris and Carlee got asked to ride Broncs at the Wild West Show in Dewey, Ok...... Our friend Shannon took this picture. It is such a neat place... everything is old time there..... from the fence, to the speakers, and to the grass arena..... makes for a great picture!!

Log book of a Rodeo Hand........

Talking about chasing white lines and getting a big nasty lip from eating too many sunflower seeds..... Boy this picture here brings back all the memories........ Mid July... the Women's Ranch Rodeo Assoc always has a rodeo in Hillsboro Ks.... Well there were several of us girls that decided to jump in together to save fuel...... matters of fact there were 6 cowgirls, 6 horses and members to 4 different teams!!! It was a good time and just so happened that Chris had a rodeo in the other part of the state that night... not to mention we had to ship cattle for Bass Brothers the next morning............ With a good map and a little luck we happen to meet at the gravel road that runs right to the pens we where shipping at the next morning, at the SAME time..... which was 2:30 am.... yep we made it with an hour to spare..... that was one of many short rodeo nights over the summer!! 

Boys and their Toys.....Trent came to stay with us most of the summer.... He is such a hard worker and loves the cowboy way of life..... He had been wanting his own saddle for a long time..... after putting all the money he had been saving together with a little help from Chris, he was able to order one.... You should have seen the look on his face when the UPS man pulled up.... Ya, he screamed like a little girl... "My saddle is here guys, My sadddle"...... Him and Colt worked on it for hours into the evening!!!

  

Here I am........... Enjoying the new head wraps that I feel in LOVE with over the summer..... Not sure if I love these or a ball cap more ??...... uummm that is a tough one!! I also got a new car this summer which I love so much.... Man I sure do use the word LOVE alot..... That must mean one thing and one thing only........ I LOVE my LIFE 

OCA Range Round Up................ Chris went with the ranch to the WRCA Ranch Rodeo in Oklahoma City..... Drummond Land and Cattle were the 2011 Champs!! Amarillo here we come!!! This was a fun filled weekend for everyone... We all showed our horses in the Ranch Horse Show, the kids and I won our classes and got a set of nice prizes!

OCA Top Hand...... From the Drummond Land and Cattle.... Mr. Chris Potter....... Once again I LOVE this moment in time, I will forever have it stored away in my heart..... I had him picked out among the other 60 cowboys... but what wife wouldn't..... okay not every wife would... but I did...                                        Carlee won the Donkey Riding Contest too............ 2nd year in a row! But the most important thing is, she beat all the BOYS!!

  

Cowboys on Main Street...... Here is Colton and Lakyn riding Walnut down town Cedervale America..... I  just Love, ya once again.. LOVE small towns. Look real close you can she that Miss Lakyn doesn't have any shoes on... then look again real close, they are in Colton's saddle bags.... He was tired of jacking with them!!! Poor baby, it doesn't look like it bothered her much!

Rockin' P Girls............Here we are at the Finals in Amarillo Texas, we sure are a good looking crew if you ask me... well the other 3 are anyways... yes I must add here that I LOVE these ladies!! lori was a new member to the team at finals, but did one hell of a job... in return we have MADE her apart of the Rockin' P team (hope she is okay with that)... 2011 was a great year for us ladies, we had a great finals, won many prizes and lots of money... but the best part of it all was walking away with the 2011 WRRA Finals Champion Title with my best friends...... Now the is LOVE!!!

 

And while Im in the subject of champions..... look at this group of happy outlaws... Chris and the guys (Rick White, Ray Blasi, and Brother Brian) traveled all over Oklahoma and Kansas for a Saddle Series deal... It was a great time and of course came down to the last event of the Finals....

They WON!!! That makes saddle #2 for my great, wonderful and handsome Hubby for the year!!

Next is WRCA World Championship Ranch Rodeo............
This is one of my most favorite times of the year....we get to see lots and lots of rodeo friends, do a little shopping, kids get to show their horses and of course RODEO...

This is a picture taken by a lady who was so very kind to send it to me on facebook along with several of the kids showing their horses.... It was so very nice of her!!

I must say I LOVE... haha Ya, I LOVE this picture!

As Chris' Aunt Linda would say "Eat your hearts out ladies, this Cowboy Chris is Mine"..... hahaha!!!

And there is ALWAYS time for alittle FUN!!! Colton and Carlee played at the pool with the ranch kids everyday we were out there.... They all had so much fun and are growing so close as friends... when you work and play together that is kinda just what happens!!

 Cant Forget about Family Picture Time........

Well I hope you had just as much fun as I did in 2011....................There are many more memories then this... these are just the few that I had a picture of and or were some of my yearly favorites! I hold all memories close to my heart, as one is not any more special then the other one........... I hope that you LOVE your life as much as I LOVE mine!!!

Blessings in 2012...



Custom Costumes





Halloween 2009





Halloween is always a fun time at our house. Long time ago, well I say long time ago, for most 8 years isn't a long time, but for me it is.....Anyways, long time ago I made a promise to myself to always take the time and put the effort into making Halloween Special for the kids. And with that we always make our costumes homemade, no store bought getup's here! We have been anything from rodeo clowns, Indians, Mexican Cowboys, Witch, to many other crazy things!

The Mexican Cowboy Idea came from the nice Spanish couple that do the trick roping at the WRCA Finals......Colton found a Sombrero one summer and that is all he needed for the idea. I found a fitted jacket from the second hand store (girls fitted jacket, but he didn't need to know that). I hot glued gold trim all over it, and did the same to a pair of old jeans.....I so wish I had a Picture of this Outfit....

The Rodeo Clown, all little cowboy kids have been a rodeo clown....well Miss Fred found a picture in the Western Horseman Magazine of a Girl Rodeo Clown, lime green pig tails and hearts painted on her checks.....It was Love at first site......We pulled that outfit off last year. And once again I took that picture with my phone and have gotten a new phone since then....

That is just one reason for doing this blog...Saving the Memories!

Couple years ago Colton tried to pull the " I just want to be a Cowboy Mom" card on me.....that doesn't fly at our house. So after thinking about it and watching him pop his bullwhip one day the idea came to me....."The One Arm Bandit"....yes the famous rodeo act from right here in the Osage..... He had almost everything he needed but the hair do....I found a wig and it all came together... Yes he did kinda win the battle of " I just want to be a Cowboy Mom".....  




John Payne"The One Arm Bandit"



Colton's Look Alike

The same year Miss Fred wanted to be a Witch with a Big Nose.....well I think we got that covered too.

Along with the custom costumes we also have a Halloween Routine. Its kinda funny but we always go back to visit our old bosses or neighbors from all our travels and moves that life has taken us.....

Since the kids were little and started Trick-or-Treating we have always gone to the Jacques Ranch (our first ranch job, the place we got married and started our family.) We go to both Jim and Peggy's (Chris is waiting for his treat from Peggy every year...she makes him a bag of cookies so he wont eat all of the kid's candy)and Art-Joann's (Colton has known where her candy closet has been since he could walk)...Then it is up the hill to Papa Don and Mema Alice (not grandparents but all the kids call them Papa Don and Mema). Then its to Burbank.....JoAnn and Ruben Rowes house is a must...she makes the Very Best popcorn balls and of course to Grandma Minnie's (once again no Grandma to us, but it is old neighbor Harleigh Moore's Grandma) she always gives a full cans of pop!! And the last stop is to Janet and Gayle Fowler's....this always makes the night worth while for Chris when he can visit with Gayle about the latest horses he has straddled, and of course talk a few old stories..( Chris got his best horse Brownie from Gayle, which he raised).

Along with the few favorite door bells to ring, we always try and make it to Foraker's Hayride. Foraker is a tiny little town of about 8 houses....Everyone meets at the Church, load up on a couple flat bed trailers lined with hay and ride a mile down to the Reed Ranch....All the kiddos get goodies there then we load back up and head back into town. We make the other 7 stops before unloading back at the church for Chili and more candy!! This is always fun, parents get to relax and make fun of the high school kids who were brave enough to come up from shidler to get free candy.... and are hoping they will still be 'cool' in school tomorrow .....mind you none of them have on a costume and carry wal-mart sacks for their candy.....This just goes to prove that kids need to be kids and not to grow up too fast!!

So here we are.......Little Old Man and Little Old Lady....Arnt they CUTE!!

Well.... so here we are months later with just a picture of Fred... I took pictures of them both with Chelsea's camera... I cant ever remember to get them from her... So Im just going to post this for now and edit it later......