I've neglected my blog so thoroughly that at this point I actually feel guilt about it! I did seek comfort from other teachers though and realized that they too are in the same position as I. It's funny how all of our blogs have stopped at the end of August. I love my job, what's not to love, but it does take it's toll on my time. So needless to say, it's Christmas Break and I'm finding that I have a bit more time to indulge in my own interests.
My "monster" is standing now, babbling like mad, and being an all around big boy! He's 8 months now! Oh, and he's in 12 month sometimes 18 month clothing! He's so big that when you look at him you immediately think he's 1. He has this smile that can knock your socks off and is always happy. If I'm not spoiling him, Allison takes over to get the job done. She is the best big sis ever! Always dropping whatever she's doing to shower Reid with love and play. And the nicknames this cutie has is unreal! Here's the list: Bud-ro, Speedo, Reido, and Bubbalicious. Alli gets a bit upset if anyone but her calls him Bubbalicious because that's her brother.
Allison is beginning to read. She's always loved books and it's great to finally hear her reading some of the words on the pages. Her teacher is constantly telling me how good she is at school. (Have you ever wondered why they aren't the same at home...?!) She's also the best little helper. Daddy decided to be more independent (maybe with a little push from me) and instead of always asking me where things are or how to do something, he's figuring it out all by himself. Or, so I thought! Reality, he traded me for Allison! She gets the job done just as well but unlike me, she doesn't lecture him about having to do it! Maybe I need to give her lessons on raising independent Daddies!!!
I have a feeling break is going to fly by especially since I have a 100 things I want to do with my kiddos. The first being, painting Christmas Trees! I've decided that Reid's feet will be the trunk, his and Alli's hands the tree, and Jason and I will use our fingerprints as decorations. I'll post pics later!

Humongous Whale

Alli loves school. She loves the singing, learning, playing, her teachers, and all the kids. Everyday when she gets home, she's so excited to tell us everything she did; including what she had for lunch. Her most favorite thing at school though is music. This song, "Humongous Whale" is so funny and adorable. My favorite part is at the end when she burps and says in a deep voice, "Pardon me!" Watch out American Idol, Alli's comin' your way!

The Wonderful World of Food!

I took Reid to his 4-month check up on Friday. He weighed 18.4lbs and was 27 inches long! My baby is growing like a wild sunflower in July heat! He received two shots in his legs and didn't even cry. He's my brave big boy! Oh, his facial expressions! They are to die for! Every thought he has can be read right there on his face. I just love him! He's definitely a mama's boy. It doesn't matter who's holding him, he's looking for me. I can honestly say that I love that about him. :) But really, that's just fair since Allison is such a daddy's girl! Those two together are so beautiful to watch. Just today while I was folding laundry, Reid became upset and started to cry. Allison goes over and kisses him then she starts to sing to him. He calmed right down and was good to go. Watching my children interact like that makes my heart so full!
For about a month now, we've been giving Reid rice and oatmeal cereals. A couple of weeks ago we started on vegetables. So far, he has loved everything he's tried except peas. Now green peas are my favorite vegetable. I rarely serve them at meals though because both Jason and Allison dislike them. I was hoping Reid would be like me and devour them all up but....well, let's just say I'm going to keep working at him! Here's a cute little video of him "enjoying" peas.

Homesick for My Kitchen

     I really miss my kitchen. I miss the way it smells, looks, and makes me feel. My family has been so busy with harvest, working ground, and hay season that I haven't had much time for my favorite thing: cooking. This is probably why I have lost all my baby weight plus an additional 3lbs! Kudos for this accomplishment! But truth be told, if I had time to make homemade pumpkin pancakes slathered with real butter and maple syrup, I would gladly pack those 3lbs back on! Alas, due to heat and time homemade anything isn't happin' much around here. However, during my "dairy" sessions I get 15 full minutes all to myself and I spend them on the computer working on my cookbook. I ran across some recipes that I love. Love. Love. Love! One in particular is Cube Steak Parmesan. I mean look at this baby, isn't she beautiful?! Such a hardy meal too. You have your cube steak breaded with one of my favorite ingredients, Panko, lots of glorious cheese, homemade spaghetti sauce, and pasta.

Cube Steak Parmesan

Last time we had this meal, Alli made Mascarpone stuffed strawberries to go with it.  Anytime you can add Mascarpone cheese to fruit you have a winner, at least in my opinion. Allison is proudly showing off the strawberries that she stuffed herself. Isn't she too cute?!

Proud Chef

She's my chef in training. At 4 years old she can make her own sandwiches, cupcakes from a cake mix (I do the oven part), fruit salads, and is a big help doing numerous other jobs. She's so eager to learn that she's wearing out all of our butter knifes (and using all the cheese) practicing her cutting skills. I'm amazed how much math she's learning too. She can measure ingredients to the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 cup by herself! I think the Bernstein Bear cooking game she plays on PBS Kids helped with this too. I'm thrilled that she shares my love for the kitchen. I have a feeling that as she gets older, we'll make the perfect team. I love to cook but not so much bake, while Alli seems to prefer baking recipes to cooking. I look forward to the great memories we're going to create from our time together in our kitchen.

Balance

I feel like it's been forever since my last blog. Oh wait, I just spotted the last blog entry date and realized it has been forever. When I reflect back on what all I've done I realize that I need to learn the art of balance. I feel like my time is spent doing one of two things: taking care of family or working. Lately, I've been a tad edgy and overwhelmed. Who would have thought one extra person, especially a tiny little person, could create so much extra work? Reid's lucky that I'm in love with him, otherwise we might have had a problem. ;) But really, this has been an interesting year. I've learned so many things including how to change out the o-rings in the bathroom sink, take apart the freezer to clean out the condenser and fan, and  drill holes in wood planks in order to mount a new mailbox that was maimed by a local farmer. Most importantly I've learned how to enjoy my time with my kids at home or wherever we may be. This is a huge feat because I'm not the stay-at-home type. Since I accomplished all of these things, I'm going to challenge myself with the whole balance thing. I need this. It's July and I haven't spent any quality time with my friends since baby #2 came along. I have no idea where the time went but I'm taking what time I have left back so that I can enjoy some me time over the summer vacation. Now that I've actually put that thought into words I feel a bit anxious because this means having to leave Reid behind. I know that it's important for both of us to have some time apart but at the same time, he's my baby!! He's the last baby I'll ever have, hold, cuddle/sleep in the chair with, stare at for hours...see where I'm going with this? I've become that kid who needs to leave the nest and won't, only worse in real-life I'm the mom who won't leave her kid. Balance. If I can attain this I may actually have a chance at "getting a life" and maybe one day Reid or Alli won't have to tell me to get one!!

Hanging Out

Alli simply adores her brother Reid. She kisses him constantly, tells him he's her bestfriend, soothes him when he cries, and showers him in love. He adores her just as much. I can tell by how he looks for her when he hears her voice and how he smiles when she kisses on him. Here are some random pics of the two together.

Reid's Baptism

On Sunday, May 15, 2011 we had our little boy baptized at Newkirk United Methodist Church. Jason, Allison, and I along with Grandma Irwin, Aunt Sharon, Greg, Stacie, Brenda, and Dennis were all able to witness it happen. Greg and Stacie Fox stood up with us during the baptism as Reid's God-Parents. He did so well. He never cried and in fact he yawned when Rev. Jim Hollifield sprinkled the Holy water on his forehead! We were so excited and proud of him! Afterwards, most of our family was able to stick around and have brunch at Stage Coach Cafe in Newkirk. It was a very special day that we ended by reminiscing over Alli's baptism pictures. I can't help but feel so much adoration, love, and pride for my family. We've been truly blessed.

Rachel, Allison, Jason, and Reid with Godparents Stacie and Greg Fox

Allison, Rachel, Jason, Reid, & Grandma Irwin

Rachel, Reid, Aunt Sharon, Allison, & Jason at Stage Coach Cafe

Gone Fishing

     Sunday deemed a beautiful sunny day. We started the day with Reid's baptism, then had a celebratory breakfast at Stagecoach Bar-b-que, and ended it with fishing. I'll unfold the events of the baptism in another post and move right on to the fishing for this one! We decided to fish a pond on some family land that was full of catfish. Because it was so windy and slightly chilled, Reid stayed in the pickup. Don't feel sorry for him though because he was snug as a bug in his bundle me blanket and car seat. The little stinker slept the entire time to boot!
Jason and I just knew that no fish would be caught today because it was so windy and the water had mini waves on it. But we had promised Alli and a promise is a promise so away we went.
     First, we had to make a quick stop at Wal-Mart for some worms. When we got to the pond Alli dumped all the worms in her little sand bucket. Apparently she didn't know what to expect because when the slimy little creatures fell out she took off running and screaming! Needless to say, Jason baited her hook without any of her help! After casting her line, Alli quickly was reeling in her first catfish! It happened so fast that Jason hadn't finished baiting his own line. The fish was pretty good sized too, maybe 2lbs. There was a little wait time between catching the rest of the fish though. For most of the time Alli repeatedly asked, "Is mine under yet" (referring to her bobber). In which Jason would say no, not yet honey. This occurred roughly every minute and a half! My favorite question of the day was, "Daddy, what kind of worm is that?" Jason, "Well, if a fish would eat it, a dead worm." Alli, "Oh, yeah! A dead worm."
     There were times during the fishing that Jason and Alli were able to really reconnect. I loved seeing them laughing together and getting excited about a fish biting a line. Mostly I enjoyed just watching Jason hold Alli. They have such a special father/daughter bond and I am so thankful for that. Here are some visuals to compliment their little adventure. A total of 6 catfish were caught this day: each scoring 3 apiece!

   

Walking Away from Drama

This week has been a roller coaster week that has my husband and I clinging to each other. It’s been so crazy that we even had what we like to call “European thoughts.” This happens when you watch House Hunters International and see the Europeans moving to other countries just for something new! I could go for some Argentina, Quebec, or more USA locally Alaska right now. Instead though, I’m passing the time living vivaciously on facebook and blogging. Recently a friend of mine posted a great quote on her facebook wall that reads,

“An old man once said ...There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.”

After reading this I felt enlightened, happy, and relieved that my give a crap meter finally has run out! So today, I am walking away from the drama that a few people have tried to surround me with and am choosing to focus on the people who bring me happiness: my husband who loves me unconditionally and stands up for me no matter what, my daughter who has been a constant source of joy and laughter and my son who amazes me everyday and strongly binds my family in love. Also, my friends who are accepting people, refreshingly honest, and above all else give it to me straight up. I’m so fortunate to have such a vast network of friends to lean on so that in times like this I can look at my life and know that I have it good!

The Good Life

It's amazing how families adjust to new life. Jason and I were truly lucky with Allison because she slept all night long from day 1. Reid however does not and needless to say reality has kicked in! He eats every 3 hours on the dot: midnight, 3, and 6 are the times we get up at night. Jason is a Godsend and is so wonderful to change his diaper and feed him at these times while I pump. I have to pump so often, every 2-3 hours, in addition to breastfeeding that we've even dubbed the office my "milk parlor." Needless to say, I have become more empathetic to Holstein cows! The first time Alli saw me feed Reid naturally, she got these huge eyes and then started giggling like crazy. Finally she said, "Momma, Reid's like the baby calves, he gets milk all over when sucks on your udders." I tried to correct her but she informed me that if milk comes from them they have to be udders. Another mystifying wonder is my appetite. I can't get over how much I eat! This nursing appetite is all new to me, never was experienced with Alli. I'm eating constantly and drinking TONS of water. If I try not to eat every few hours, I get angry. It's almost comical because Jason has started handing me food every time I get an attitude and it's my little miracle cure. After eating I'm all better again! Wow. My life is taking amazing turns right now!
     At church last Sunday, several women commented to Jason how proud they were of him because during service he got up with the diaper bag and took Reid to go get a diaper change. This really got me to thinking just how lucky I am to have a spouse that is such an active father. I can't imagine feeling solely responsible for raising my children. Jason and I walk the path of child rearing step-for-step together. I love how life gently reminds us when we have it good. My family definitely makes life good!

Reid Anderson is HERE!!!!

     Tuesday April 19, 2011, I went to the hospital at 5:30 am for a planned induction. The day progressed nicely and by 1:59pm Reid Anderson Schneeberger had arrived! He weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 22 inches long! His head was full of black hair. The poor kid already had his daddy's receding hair line! On Wednesday April 20 at 3:30pm Jason, Reid and I were in the car headed for home! I was very thankful the doctor allowed us to go home early. From day 1 Reid has been a GREAT baby! We've had 1 sleepless night but the other 3 nights have been perfect. Allison is beside herself with pride for her little brother. She feeds him, holds him, and talks nonstop to him. Sometimes I catch her telling him, "Come on Reid, wake up so we can play! I just love you so much!" Then I have to go get a tissue because this always makes me tear up! :) Breastfeeding has been interesting with Alli around. I confided to her that it's a bit embarrassing having her watch me feed her brother because I'm still trying to "figure it out." She laughed at me and said, "You're feeding him like our cows feed their babies!" Then she ran off giggling! Oh well...what can you do?!

     My heart is so full of love when I look at my children. I can't believe that my husband and I have created these two very perfect beings together. God's abundance of love is so evident in my life and this gives me so much to be thankful for. I have a husband of 8 years who loves and respects me, 2 beautiful children that complete me, and I live a lifestyle that I wouldn't change for the world. Let the adventures begin....!

Ready or Not...

     I can't believe that in 24 hours I'll be meeting my son for the first time. I'm looking forward to holding him, rocking him, and introducing him to his sister. A part of me is a little nervous though too. I've been out of the baby loop for awhile now and to be quite honest, going back to diapers and nightly feedings isn't something I look forward to. But I do remember that those times didn't last very long with Alli and I was eager to rush her through the baby stage. With my son, I would really like to slow it down and just enjoy each day that God blesses us with. I don't want it rushed. I also want to get rid of that attitude, "when the kids get older." I'm finally at a point in my life that I really just want to live in the here and now.
     It's funny how I feel anxious for Alli. I want so badly to make sure she feels secure and loved during this time. I bought her a gift for when she comes to the hospital to meet her new brother. She loves the Little Critters series so I thought the book Me and the New Baby would be perfect. I also bought her some candy because she does have one heck of a sweet tooth!
     Tonight as I put her to bed, I realized that this is the last night that will be just me and her. Most nights that's how it is and I really love that time we share together. It's almost like a delicious secret that we share and look forward to. That's all going to change and I can't help but wonder....but at the same time there's so much to anticipate bringing home a baby. I wonder how he's going to change the dynamics of our set routines. I also wonder how much mother henning Alli will be doing. Life is so great. I can't wait to get this new chapter started!

Pride

     Tonight my family went to a friends 30th birthday party. It was your typical birthday party for our area: cookout, in a barn, couple of kegs, and karaoke. Now karaoke didn't start until a little bit later into the night and it was met with lots of laughter and a little resistance. The birthday boy was trying to encourage people to get up there and break out a tune but nobody would, that is until my 4 year old daughter did! I was at the table talking with friends and Jason was doing the same thing only with all the guys around the grill. All the sudden I hear a little girl start singing You Are My Sunshine. I was wondering who it was when I looked up to see my daughter standing at the front of the barn, microphone in hand, nervously singing. My world stopped. She was beautiful... and brave... and so innocent as she stood there and sang. The whole place got real quite as everyone stopped to watch and listen to her sing. She literally captivated the entire party with her simple song. When she finished, she ran right into my arms. I was fighting tears as I hugged her fiercely. My heart was swollen with pride for my beautiful daughter. It turned out, Alli sang because nobody else would and the birthday boy wanted people to sing. She thought if she did then other people would too.
     As I look at my daughter and reflect on the young lady she is learning to become, I can't help but feel tremendous pride in her. Both Jason and I expect a lot from her in terms of behavior and work ethic and she has always met our expectations or exceeded them. She has a caring heart, funny personality, and brains to boot! I have no idea how I got so lucky to have such a great daughter. But I do know, I wouldn't change one little hair on her head for the world. I love you Allison Noel Schneeberger!

Ring of Fire

     On Sunday my husband gets this bright idea to burn the pasture that surrounds our house. The wind was barely there and the conditions were good. The burn went well! I got to see a bobcat run from the pasture where his home was burning, to the middle of the dirt road, where he stopped dead in his tracks looking at all the people, before finally running across to the next pasture. Poor cat..but it sure was comical! I was the official photographer for the evening but missed these would be spectacular photos because I was laughing too hard! Speaking of people...holy moly we had people coming out of the wood works to watch our "little burn." I can't even tell you how many city folks called in an out of control fire to the three surrounding fire departments! Farmers and ranchers all over the USA burn off dead grass and field every spring, and every spring city folk act like this is something new. Let me tell you, nothing can scare the pants right off these people like a pasture fire! 

Aarrgggg..........Is it over yet?

     Pregnancy hormones are the worst thing that can ever happen to a woman. Sometimes I feel on top of the world then, without notice, I'm ready to tear someone's head off. It's ridiculous, confusing, and irritating. I cry, a lot. Oh man do I cry. It's flat out embarrassing. I cry over everything; commercials, random thoughts I have, when I'm mad, happy and sad. I even cry because I cry! Oh, and I've become needy. As if crying weren't bad enough, I had to turn into one of those women who constantly need to be told they're loved and to be held. AND I want to talk about my feelings! WHAT?!!! It. Is. Bad. Never, in my relationship have I ever wanted to "talk about it" just to feel better. I'm a problem solver. This is how Jason knows me. He also knows that if I'm crying, then it's best to keep your distance because I'm angry. Don't even think about coddling me. But for some reason, these insane hormones do not follow by the rules. At this point in the game, my uterus and my emotions are ready to give this baby the ol' heave ho. The welcome mat has been rolled up and the incubator needs to turn off. My arms are MORE than willing to cocoon my baby so...come to mama! Well, until he decides to come, I guess I'll just have to deal with all this craziness. Maybe one day, I'll look back and remember this time and smile. Maybe.

Maternity Pictures: What an experience!

     Recently I had maternity pictures done by my good friend Jules. I didn’t do this with Alli and now I regret that, just a little bit. So this was a huge step for me, one that I backed out of many times before actually committing and following through with. See, even though I have this insanely huge ego, I tend to be a very modest person. One of Jason’s favorite past times is teasing me about how “teacher like” I dress, whatever that means. But the process turned out to be kind of fun. It was the first time ever I could actually take a picture without having to worry about sucking in my belly! In fact, the more I let it all hang out, the better. What’s not to love about that? The most surprising thing about the day was the pictures that I ended up loving. I really wanted “candid” pictures with my husband and me lazily lying on our couch looking comfortable and cute. These looked great online. We took several and I hated them all! (Remember the movie Batman in which Danny Davito played the Penguin? Yeah, he and I had way too much in common in terms of girth. YIKES!) Then there were the dreaded “bare belly” pictures. I was seriously frightened to show my very pregnant and naked belly to the world however I did it. (I know what you’re thinking and yes, I AM WOMAN!!!) Surprisingly, these pictures happened to be my absolute favorite ones of the day. I didn’t feel like I was the focus in these picture but rather the life I am growing was. Here are some of the pictures that were snapped that day, including the bare belly! And in case you didn’t catch that, let me try again. WARNING! Viewer discretion is advised!

Preggo Cravings

I have learned that pregnancy cravings can be very intense. With my daughter, I didn’t really crave anything except watermelon. Oh my, did I crave watermelon. I would eat an entire melon in one day! Aside from my daily melon, I was good. With baby #2, I crave things on whims and in a manner so deep that it’s almost frightening. One of these cravings happened to be Frito Chili Pie. I swear that craving hit me so fast and furious I would have hurt anyone who got in my way of partaking in it.

Then there was the “I need something sweet pronto” craving. Not just anything would do either. I wanted something new and different. After reading through one of my favorite food blogs, I found a recipe for Cherry Cake Pudding.  It’s moist, sweet, and best served warm. Yum-O!

Unfortunately, these pesky cravings aren’t helping me to maintain a “healthy weight” gain. The doc says I should be gaining 1-1 ½ pounds a week at this point. I have a confession, last week I gained 3 lbs! Though I enjoyed every bit of how I gained those 3 measly little pounds, I have decided it’s time to employ some self-control. So why not revert back to watermelon? It’s healthy and sweet. Surely it would satisfy me this time around as much as it did with my first bambina. After eating a couple of pieces I got this brilliant idea to make watermelon ice. See, the watermelons just aren’t any good this time of year and they need some help. So I pureed 5 cups of cubed watermelon, 2 cups of chopped strawberries, 2 tbsp of Lemoncello, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, and ½ cup sugar together then froze it. Mmm….Now that was good watermelon! This seems to be working for now but who knows what these crazy hormones will dictate to me tomorrow!

Watermelon Ice

Cherry Cake Pudding

Frito Chili Pie

Spring: Time for Stawberry Shortcake

It’s 81 degrees out…AMAZING! Don’t you just love the transition from winter to spring? I’m becoming antsy to get a garden planted, my flowerbeds worked, and to spend countless hours after work outside playing with my daughter. As I watch my daughter chase our dog Trapper around the yard on her battery powered John Deere tractor, I can’t help but feel the karma of summer slowly drifting my way. But before I become fully infused with summer, I want to enjoy spring in all of its beautiful glory. Now spring doesn’t officially start until Sunday but I’m the type of person who favors immediate gratification, so I’m starting early! With that being said I have decided it’s time to have our cake and eat it too! And that cake would be Strawberry Shortcake. (I might consider making a meal however my preggo hormones are telling me, “Why bother? Just grab a fork and savor the cake!”)
Now I don’t mean to brag, but I have a kick ass shortcake recipe that I’m completely in love with. Okay, so maybe I am bragging but hey, I’ve never been known for my modesty. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up and 20 minutes to bake. Here’s the lovely recipe in all its glory!
Strawberry Shortcake

2 eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup milk
3 tbsp butter
1 pint heavy cream
2-3 tbsp sugar
1 quart strawberries
2 tsp vanilla
Additional sugar
Directions:
Wash and hull your strawberries then cut them into halves, larger ones can be cut into quarters. Strawberries aren’t in season now so they can be tart. To fix this, add ¼ cup up to ½ cup powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir to combine and let this marry in the cool of the fridge.
In a bowl, beat eggs and 1 cup sugar together. Add 1 tsp vanilla and continue beating. Combine flour and baking powder; add to the egg and sugar mixture. Heat milk and butter; then add to mixture. Grease and flour a 9X8 pan, pour in mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool cake on wire rack. Meanwhile, whip heavy cream with 2-3tbsp sugar. Spread cake with whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Nostalgia

     Today I'm just in the mood to reflect on my daughter. Truly, she is one of the funniest people you will ever meet. She aspires to be Mulan and a dentist, her favorite food is Chinese, she loves to ride her horse, Peter Pan, believes that one day she will marry her Daddy because he's the "best boy ever," and wants to be just like her Mama when she grows up. She's a natural born leader and can be quite stubborn but she makes up for it by being a really good hand. Now I could go on and on, believe me that would be so easy to do, but I think a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll just stop my ramblings and show you the good stuff about my lil' girl!

In the Beginning

     Remember when you were a kid and you couldn't wait to grow up? You would make your own rules and do whatever you wanted. Growing up, I never wanted to be married nor *gasp* have children! That just seemed like a lot of work. Besides, I had this awesome career, or rather I would when I figured out just what that awesome career was, to pursue. Then guess what? Yep! You guessed it! I did the unthinkable and met my husband.
     It started out so innocent or at least as innocent as a college girl could get! It was the day after an all-night partying bash full of beer, dancing, and contests; in which I had won $500! (That's another story though....;) My friends and I were on our way to OSU for more partying when we decided to make a pit stop at a Taco Bell. They have the best hangover food ever! Anyways...my bestie decided to call one of her rodeo buddies that lived in the area to join us. One look, one measly little look was all it took and I quickly realized I was in trouble. First off, I was speechless. Me. Speechless. I'm better known for constant word vomit then being silent. Second, he was a cowboy. (Have you ever seen one in chinks? Better yet...have you ever seen one put on chinks? Oh my...*heated cheeks, fanning self* focus...) Third, I didn't date. Period. Dating could lead to a relationship and that could lead to marriage. I'd rather just avoid the whole complicated thing. As luck would have it, we all ate like we were starving and I was able to high-tail it outta there in no time!

Cowboy Eye Candy!

     I was feeling kinda lucky because I had just managed to save myself, or so I thought. Then came the rodeo. Somehow, and to this day I still don't know how, this cowboy nabbed me. I was just there to watch a little rodeo, drink lots of beer, and enjoy some dancing. Keep in mind I was in college, so drinking was a big part of what we did. However, if you are concerned, you need not be because I didn't drink that night. Not only did I not drink, I didn't dance, and I didn't even watch the rodeo! Instead, I spent the evening talking to the cowboy from the Taco Bell lunch. That was in August 2002. By October 2002 we were engaged and by May 2003 we were married. It was all so fast and so foreign to my friends that I received phone calls form them asking if the wedding invites were some kind of April Fool's joke! Heck, even for me looking back, the whole thing still stymies me! Couldn't be more grateful though! In October 2006 we had our first child. A beautiful little girl named Allison Noel! And now, 5 years later, we're looking forward to our second child due anytime!