Determination

determination.............

Little things we do day in and day out with out even thinking about it....

• picking up a cup
• brushing our teeth
• buttoning our pants
• opening a can of pop

Then there is the list of things that Cowboys do every day with a little thought....

• saddling a horse
• making a loop in your rope
• stopping to open a gate....
• HECK EVEN RIDING A HORSE...

Meet Tyler... If there was a human definition for DETERMINATION.... it would say proud, simple and in bold letters
 TYLER BOWMAN

Young man in years...... Adult in try, heart and hope!!

At the young age of almost 17, Tyler was in a electrical accident... being outside and working like a dog were Tyler's favorite things to do... well for that matter they still are!! Spraying weeds on the wide open prairie on a 4-wheeler enjoying a nice day will for ever be in his soul....

After months and months in the hospital, Tyler was sent home to live life as best as he could with no arms and short a toe or two..... Feeling sorry for him self and sitting around wondering why me... were not something he did.... Instead he figured out how to rig up everything on the place so that he could go on with what he would soon know as everyday life with both arms being prosthetic
... and when I say rig... I mean Cowboy Rig... Everything...

• leather strips on his zippers
• bridle reins now have a handy little gripper on them
• ropes shortened with no coils to get in the way
• cell phone rigged for a quick grab when the girls start texting... yes he even text messages..

High School, College Student, Excellent Shooter-Hunter and Crazy Ass ATV Driver are just a few of his life achievements..... but being a great COWBOY has got to be at the top of the list!!

I have had the pleasure of working with Tyler several times... riding with him, having him ride behind me in a big gathering or heck even in a wreck is a pleasure... He is there every time!!!

In the branding pen Tyler takes his turn roping just like all the cowboys..... Getting his gear all just right, which includes the reins in the mouth and loop in hand he gives us all a run for our money!!! With misses few and far between... rebuilding a loop is still a challenge... But not to this Cowboy.... It is an honor to run into the herd and rebuild for him... but you better be quick or he will have already beat ya to it by snaggin it on his boot toe or the saddle horn and sliding the slack through.

I'm thankful for the chance to work with such a great young man, kind hearted, and who is grateful for everything he has.... I'm so proud that my kids have the chance to work around such a great roll model..... I was one proud Momma when Colton ran into the branding pen to help Tyler with his rope and made it his job there on out....





As most of us get caught up in life and we all feel sorry for our selves every now and then.... Working with Tyler will have you feeling guilty in about 30 seconds.....

So THANK YOU Tyler for being such a example in Life and reminding me of the small things... even if it is wrapping up a burrito at Cow Camp.... Its my pleasure to make you as many burritos as your skinny ass can eat!!!...

So, enjoy the big things in life........... but never forget the small things!!

What Money Can't Buy....

Life Lessons

Best Friends
Feeling of Being Loved
Family
Memories....

Just to name a few things that money can't buy.

TIME.

That is something that can't be bought, but with TIME you can make all the other things I listed happen. With Time you will learn Life Lessons, with Time you make Best Friends, with Time your heart can feel the warmth of being Loved, with Time Family becomes closer, and Memories come from someone special in your life giving you just a little bit of their TIME.

We are very grateful to live a life where we can spend time together, to raise our kids, and take the time to teach them along the way. Its not because of luck or anything in that nature. It doesn't come cheap. It doesn't come with out sacrifices. There are things I dream about having..... a place of our own, nice fancy things, a bank account full of money..... But at the end of the day when I set back to give thanks for all the blessings in my life its hard to imagine the days with out......

Brushing Carlee's hair before school each morning

Being here when Chris stops by for a glass of tea

Watching the kids jump off the school bus and run to catch them a horse

Making goodies and helping at the school parties

Spending the extra time to teach Colt his school lessons

Seeing the smile on the little ranch kid faces when we show up to shoe their horse and to hear them say

"You want to come see my baby chicken eggs?"

The list of reasons why I love Chris so much is endless, but at the top of the list is his willingness to give his Time. When we first met I didn't have a clue about the ranching life, heck I was a rodeo hand. But after long hours in the feed truck.... 159,873,421 questions answered by a man that could go ALL day with out saying ONE word.... and lots of funny looks over the years I'm starting to learn some. Only because he gave me a minute... or two.... okay a lot of minutes.... even years!!



Colton draggin with the big boys.


It didn't stop with me. Now I get the chance to see him teach Colton and Carlee. He has been taking them with him since the day they were out of diapers. Six days out of seven you would see him with 2 horses in the trailer..... one packing a big saddle and the other packing a saddle in which the stirrups didn't make it past the saddle pad. It has always bugged him to hear other men talk about not having the time to take their kids or their kids being 10 and just now getting to tag a long.  Lots of time it will take him twice as long to do something just for the simple reason he has to explain himself 100 times or for the fact that he let them try it first before showing them the best way of doing it..... 

Fred's first time to drags calves...... Chris is in there making sure everything is just right with the rope, horse, calf, and all those pretty little fingers while she dallies



Colton riding Midget for the first time, no joke... Chris was nervous too.

 Talk about make a Momma's heart melt in a hurry..... Nothing beats the look on a Dad's face when his son is scared to death to get on a colt and he assures him that everything will be okay..... and with in 10 minutes they are moving around the round pen as if they had been partners for years. All it took was a little TIME..... time to teach the importance of a colt, time to teach how to ride and handle a young horse, and time to teach how to trust someone.

Along with our kids there are several others that have touched our lives as we have theirs.

Here is Jack...... Jack, along with her family hold a very special place in our hearts. Both young families with the desire to keep the ranching heritage in the family. But for Jack's family.... Her Daddy has his work cut out for him, Jack has two older sisters and NO brothers. So long live the Cowgirls. Jack and Chris go way back, for the last 3 years she has been trying to get Chris to shoe her horse. Just so happens that the horse Jack has been riding never gets shoes, BUT she has now upgraded to another horse and he gets shoes.... Talk about a PROUD moment for her..... She has stood beside, underneath, got shoes, counted nails, and held horses for Chris.... Now its her TIME!!! This is something neither of them will ever forget..... even over time.

There are several people in my life that made me who I am because of the money they didn't give me, for the things they didn't buy me.... Most importantly it was the Time they invested in me. That is something I couldn't ever replace or buy more of. So as you plan out your day, think about someone that has given to you or maybe even someone that you could give to... Never know, your TIME might just change their life forever.

This is one of my favorite pictures. Colton and Papa Doug.

Timeless you might say!

Tom.....

Many of us have a place we call  'Home'..... or a 'Home away for Home'.  We have a home, no matter how far away in the miles...we are never far away from in our hearts. Chris and I have only been married 10 years, but about 8 of the 10 years we have lived around the Pawhuska area.... got married on a ranch there, had kids around there, grew as a couple there, started our own cow herd there, and most importantly raised our children on some of the best ranches there. Although we are an hour away, it just seems right to still call it our 'home'.

This week we will take our children back home with us and expose them to a new memory in life.  A funeral. As parents we have decided in the past that they were not quite old enough to understand the reason or the meaning of a funeral, but we now feel in our hearts it is time to teach them how to show respect for someone that was very important in their childhood.



Tom and His wife Genni (Genni and Carlee were just best of buds)



Tom Drummond is someone that our family will never forget. His gravel voice mixed with his soft heart always had the kids second guessing whether they were in the wrong or in the right...

I always remembered people talking about Tom and how hard he was to get along with... With that in mind the first day I went to day work with Chris over there I was just alittle nervous. Without alot to say (ya, can you imagine that) I found myself a job counting cattle off the scale all day long, with Tom over seeing me from the scale house. Before I knew it he was asking about the kids and life in general..... That day Tom made a joke towards me and with out thinking I dished it right back to him, from there on out we had alot of fun. Chris often said people just didn't know how to take him.

Chris learned alot while working for Tom, most importantly he learned how to stand up for himself and his ideas all while respecting his boss. They didn't always see eye to eye, but not everybody does. Over time Tom gained a world of respect or Chris, as Chris did the same for him. Almost everyday Chris went to work he had one if not both of the kids (at this time I worked part time in town). For some reason or the other if the kids were not with us..... Tom was the first to ask where they were. There never was a question when it was work time or family time, Tom believed the little ones needed to be out there learning how to work. Our kids learned many lessons on his ranch and will have memories and stories to remember for the rest of their lives.

He wasn't just a boss.... not sure how to explain it, but he was there for Chris to grow. Not sure if it was on purpose or not but he was there to teach, help make mistakes, help on how to run an outfit............And I wont ever forget the day he sat us down to lend advise on our own first big cattle deal. That day he told us he was proud of us! That meant the world to two young scared kids that were fixing to drop their entire life savings into a load of cattle.... He checked on the deal all summer long, up until the day we sold the cattle.

Tom at the Finals with many of our friends and family

We rodeod really hard for 2 years under the name Sweetwater Cattle Company and Tom Drummond Ranches, we did this with pride at every rodeo... not just the big ones, but them all. Tom made the trip to Amarillo the year they guys won the WRCA World Championship, he set proud in the grand stands as our guys cleaned house and set arena records. He left Sunday afternoon before they announced the winners, but I promise you he was on the phone with in minutes to tell Chris how proud he was of them and Good Job. He hosted a Christmas/Congrats party shortly after we all got back. It was a great time with good friends and day workers of the ranch!



Chris and the crew at the party!

 We have now moved on in life, and so has Tom.... He is someone that will never be forgotten and we will always be thankful to him for letting us start the foundation of our lives and our children's lives on his ranch. Our kids will always remember that gruffy voice, all the hot diet coke, and donuts!

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......

Mary Mary

Life in the Real World: Yep, she's MY friend.

Oh, just one of my very best Friends in the world..... Mary!!

This will make more sense if you go read Mary's Blog Post......Life in the Real World: Yep, she's MY friend.

I will pay you later for saying all that good stuff about me.................. 
By paying you back it wont be in cash.....
maybe in a person to person visit....
you know the kind where we can see each other......
 the kind where kids aren't begging for me to get off the phone and help them saddle a horse.......
yes the kind you and me, me and you...
maybe over lunch or a cold beer...
Talking about life, not about what medicines to give what cattle and what kind of shape the grass and water are in our country....
you know about stuff that girls talk about ( I hope you know what that is because I don't)...

okay enough of that fancy life stuff, who are we trying to fool.....i may just have to pay ya back with a simple phone call with in the next 6 months.....you know that will work for us, that's just what kind of friends we are.......

                Mary, Thank You for saying I could do it, anything I wanted to do.....

You were the one who told me to chase the Cowboy, to be that young Mom, and to stay true to my self....and to remember to follow my own Dreams...... Well guess what my friend,

 Dreams Come True......Thanks for helping me with ME and for being YOU!!!

Seein' My Father in Me....

Yesterday as we were processing a couple loads of cattle I got to watching Colton work.......Someone once describe him as a young "Manager"....(that special someone was Papa).  Always looking for a way to make things run better, faster, and of course smoother.......His ideas always start with "It'd be better if you take them through that gate, down that ally"......" You can figure out the rest of the story....haha

Well yesterday we didn't have time for a new idea, it was already late evening and we had 175 to process before dark. Not to mention the chores, homework, baths, and supper that had to be done as well.  Everybody went to their position. I always run shots on off side, Fred cuts ear tags out, Chris runs the chute-brands, and Colt pushing cattle keeping the chute full at all times, no matter what he has to do Chris better not EVER say "More Cattle Boy"....Colt takes great pride in that job and of course making his Dad proud. We all do whatever needs to be done at the moment, whether its your job or not......

As I looked though the chute to double check the safety of my babies (just like any good ole Momma Cow would do) I couldn't help but to notice my little man. Running the chute, branding the cattle, keeping the tub full, when the steer was done I heard him say "outside" and on to the next one we went.......it hit me like a ton of bricks....HE IS GROWING UP....and in just a few years he will be off making his own adventures in Life. I wondered to my self...'What kind of man will he be? Husband? Father? or just an ole drifting Cowboy traveling the land'.   I have no doubt in my mind no matter what he does in life he will be good at it and will love it with all his heart. He was grown up watching his Dad do this to so many things and he doesn't know any other way. For a young mother this can cause great heartache when you combine sadness and pride all in the same beat.

 

Colton Branding



Chris Branding



    20 Years Difference.....



This summer Colt has really stepped up from a small boy to good hand....Driving trucks here and there, roping cattle on his own, and of course making Dad proud. After a morning of helping his Dad doctoring cattle I heard him taking off his boots on the front porch.."Mom, guess what I did?......I rope 2 head and tied them down all by my self"................Chris came in the house and just in time to say "True Story, Mom"....After hearing all about the sick cattle and how many they roped, long story short they had 5 to doctor. Colt took 2 down to the bottom, roped and tied them down while Chris stayed on top and doctored the other 3. Once again proud Dad..................and Mom.

Working together flanking calves at good friend David Chambers Ct Ranch

I hear this song every once in a while on the radio and it brings a warm feeling to my soul

Yeah, I'm seein' my father in me
I guess that's how it's meant to be
And I find I'm more and more like him each day
I notice I walk the way he walks
I notice I talk the way he talks
I'm startin' to see my father in me

To the two men in my life I am most proud of........