Happppeeeey thangsgeeeving!!!

Here's our table for Thnksgiving. It seemed so small with only three places set. We had a nice dinner and played cards afterwards for hours. Then we watched the Italian, a russian movie about an orphan looking for his mom. It was incredibly slow moving ala most foreign films, but the ending was happy. I am a total happy ending kind of girl. Life is tough enough. I hear and deal with so many horrible things going on with people and children that when I watch a movie I don't want it to be like real life. I want it to be like imagination. I know this is shallow and if you look at movies as an artform, terribly narrowminded. But I tend to look at movies like asperin or a ferris wheel trip. Take me somewhere besides here, tell me a good story, a leave me with a pleasant feeling. I guess movies are my cheap therapy. How do you like your movies?

And in other news, here are my chinks:

I'm not sure why the pics loaded like that but you get the idea, The tops and little doohickeys on the sides under the cochos are hand tooled. I think I am going to try and sell them at the artisans' show here in Meeteetse in Dec. I really like them, especially the tooling design, but I want mine to be made of softer, thinner leather.

Getting sick of the video....

So I understand all five of you who read my blog are probably getting sick of the caleb video by now. Ron and I got back from Vegas last week and things just haven't seemed to stop.



Las Vegas was well, Las Vegas. Part of me wants to really pump up this trip with all the amazing things God did, but to me personally it wasn't that kind of outreach. Last year I was six months pregnant, which was interesting, but I was still my own person so to speak. I could go go go. This year I took Caleb and left later than Ron so we were only there five days. I felt really out of the loop and this year there seemed to be less cohesiveness within our ministry team than past years. Add on to that the fact that the only time Ron and I are really involved with the PBR is during the finals with the outreach.

So it was a bit awkward, a bit discouraging. At least for me. The gals from the Outreach put on a hospitality afternoon for the riders' wives and I really enjoyed that. Just talking and relating on a real level with some of these women. Ron is persevering with the stock contractors, they're a tough bunch to nail down in one spot! The church service went really well, which was encouraging for everyone. They held it at 8 o'clock in the morning because the perf started at 11:00. I didn't really think anyone in Vegas would be interested in an 8:oo church service but nearly 1200 people showed up, which was great!

When we got back the latest DTS was returning and we were hosting their graduation at the church. I helped out with their debrief week, which gave me an opportunity to do a bit of teaching. I really enjoyed that. I talked about how to share a 2 month outreach in 5, 10, and 30 minute segments. Also a bit on how to reenter life after being gone and being a part of such amazing things. This last school had been in Pakistan- they had great experiences and great stories to tell.

I've started Christmas prep since I will be making a lot of gifts this year. I finished my chinks and will post a pic soon, but this is a LOOOONG post so I'll let you go with that.

Caleb, 8 months

I guess it was time

So for the last two months Barney had really been going downhill. Several times I was thinking we would have to put him down but he always seemed to bounce back. Not two nights ago. He lost the use of his back legs, which had ahppened before. We would give him some Deromaxx, which is an inflamation reducer, and teh next day he would be up and going again. But this time he had been off his feed for a couple days and I couldn't get him to eat the pill. His gums, tounge and inner eyelids were white instead of pink which usually means heart failure, but when Bill, our vet, looked at him he said it was probably kidneys or liver because he wasn't panting heavily adn didn't have wateron his lungs. So we thought we'd leave him one more day and see how he looked in teh morning. I had decided if he wasn't a lot better I'd have Bill put him down.

Well, that night he started howling. I had just been up with Caleb and so I asked Ron to check on him. Ron got up, carried him outside to pee, carried him back inside and laid him on his bed and he died a few breaths later.

I knew something was wrong so I got up and Ron told me. I had thought I would be a wreck losing Barnabey, but I think all the ups and downs in his health had prepared me a bit. So now it just hits me every once in a while.

Barney had been with me through a lot of major events in my life, he's been with me longer than Ron! Just running my hands through his soft, thick coat was so comforting to me. We ended up burying him in the back yard. I'm going to miss that old dog.

What to do ....

Ron left in a frezied rush this morning. His friend, who is working up by Wapiti (about 45 mins from here) spotted a big herd of elk. I guess there are some massive bulls in there, so they're going to try and get a shot at them. Ron isn't exactly the traditional type hunter. Guys out here get horses and pack them miles and miles into the mountains and spend weeks hunting down elk. Elk are really spooky and tough to hunt. Ron is more of a jump on an opportunity, take a day and try to shoot an elk. If it's a bull great, but the meats all the same.
I took my hunter's safety course online, but missed the field day so I will have to take it again next year. I wanted to try for a deer.

So here I have the whole day before me. I have one grooming appointment this afternoon, and I really should be cleaning my house, but there's only so much cleaning I am motivated to do.

I've started a pair of chinks, so I will probably work on those. I've really enjoyed making them. I am going to tool the tops, so they will be kind of personalised too.

This one's for Nonni

Caleb at 7 months.

The weather outside is frightful

This morning I woke up to 2 inches of snow on the ground!! 2 Inches!!
Actually, it was pretty. The snow blocks so much noise that everything feels hushed and quiet. Ron isn't feeling well, so we started out the morning with hot tea on the couch enjoying the peace and beauty. I started getting these urges to decorate with lights and greenery, which puts me on the same schedual as WalMart.
I was planning to go to a horse auction today, but both Ron and I felt like the Lord is saying now is not the time. Which is an act of faith for me because horse prices are really low right now and with the snow will probably be even lower. And looking at the sale catalogue, there are some nice horses in this sale!
But I will wait. If anything, I've learned that waiting for the Lord's timing, while excruciating at times for this impatient girl, is for the best. My natural mode is to think of something to build/make/create/or buy and RIGHT NOW I want to make it happen. I like instant gratification!
Thinking of my mom and dad in Mexico, enjoying the sun and that certain feeling of being on a mission, of high and lofty goals, of helping people and seeing the results, the adventure, the sacrifice. Normally I would be really wanting to go, but not in this season of life. I'm happy being more settled. I so much love the uncertainty and adventure of travel, but I'm OK not being the one to go. At least for now.