The Joys of Track

Yes, I'm still behind. And life is still nuts. And getting crazier by the minute. So I just don't have it in me to apologize for not updating more frequently at that point. Sorry! :-)

That being said, the girl has taken on a new venture - track. Basically, she had been sandbagging her mile time in volleyball and then sprinting the last 200 to catch up with her group and that came back to bite her because she can apparently sprint. I found this quite amusing since she has REFUSED to play basketball for years because "that's too much running."

Given those conversations, I saw tremendous irony in "Hey, I joined the track team." She did not.

So now there's a new wrinkle in our schedule. But she's having fun - and running a LOT - and that's all that matters. Three days after practice began, Midway had a practice meet. I even took off early to head out there only to learn she was running the LAST event of the day. And a cold front had just come through. It. Was. Freezing.

And that was BEFORE the sprinklers came on.

Yes, you read that correctly.

And though I was pretty much frozen by the time we left - a mere 3.25 hours after I arrived - it was absolutely worth it to catch these priceless gems.

Absolutely. Love. These. Girls.

They even convinced Taylor to join in on the fun. I love this pic...even though she does look 25.

And, yes, she dominated her heat.

It. Was. Awesome.

Lately...

Oh my...life is busy. But I've heard from a number of people (mostly relatives) who are wondering what we're up to. Here's the 50 cent rundown:

Got this in the mail recently from a friend and it totally reiterated to me that it really is about the small things in life. Every. Time.

My husband is under the impression this is what "orthopedic" shoes look like. Clearly he has some things to learn about style. Or at least fashion that doesn't include boots and chaps.

Our time with this boy is winding down. And though he won't be with us anymore, he will have a family. And be someone's pet. NOT someone's dinner. I like to call that WINNING.

Chris Kyle's funeral procession passed through Waco last week. After seeing all the pics from up and down I-35, all I can really say is that this man deserved a lot more respect and recognition - nationally - than he received. Very grateful Texans took up the slack. :-)

When track, Bruiser and volleyball allow, we've been trying to hit some Baylor basketball games. Thus far neither team has lost when we were in attendance. Which may need we should block off the remainder of the men's schedule. Regardless of outcome, though, we'll always back our Bears. Make no mistake.

There may be one stock show left but all that's really going on at the farm right now is a lot of eating and playing. Bruiser and Drake butted heads so hard this day that it made every person there cringe. But they're goats...apparently that's what they do.

If you ever wonder why I'm never fully caught up on laundry, let me present Exhibit A - Rambo prefers to wear it.

And the most exciting that has happened lately was this little overnight delivery. To say he's one of the most precious things I've ever seen would be a HUGE understatement, friends. :-)

And there you have it...our last week in a nutshell...

Hearts Day

Tonto and I really aren't big into celebrating Valentine's Day. We definitely don't do it consistently. The last time he sent me flowers was three years ago. Our bank account was hacked that morning and, since I had to go through every transaction, the surprise was completely spoiled.

Which might explain why he took no chances this time and I literally ran into him while coming around the corner Tuesday night to find these...

...and they are beautiful. And he scored major points for having them dusted with glitter. And he even took me to lunch today. Another surprise.

But what I love the most is the way he loves my girl. That he makes an effort to be her Valentine.

Because what girl doesn't need to know she's loved by her dad? :-)

V is for Volleyball

Last Saturday was a day we had been anticipating for months - it was Taylor's first select volleyball tournament. And it was in San Antonio. Two days after the stock show. And did I mention Dave was stuck at work?

Luckily, Nana and Boppy came to the rescue (yet again) and offered to go with us. I was incredibly grateful. So we headed out Saturday morning, checked into the hotel, grabbed some Whataburger, had an unfortunate Diet Coke spillage situation, and finally settled into the gym for a l-o-n-g afternoon of volleyball.

But, y'all, it was soooo worth it. This girl has apparently found her game.

And she has the most precious teammates, some of whom she's played with before and some who are new friends.

Now I didn't realize that we were playing in an elite tournament (with a premiere team) at first but it was very apparent after we were handed a 'L' in quick fashion by the team who trains at the gym we were playing in. I kid you not when I say they looked like a college team. It. Was. Impressive. And frightening.

But the girls rallied and took their second game to three sets before, unfortunately, falling by a narrow margin. But, hey, it was PROGRESS.

They did rally for the final game of the evening and took both sets by a very wide margin.

All in all, it was a great experience. For some of the girls, it was their very first game. EVER. Not just this season. And they all played really well. I was impressed.

I was also super proud of them for doing so well in a tournament with elite teams. That was no easy task, friends, especially for your first outing.

During the games in which they were not playing, they were in charge of officiating and keeping score. Taylor is the only "certified" scorekeeper on the team so she was hard at work. And SUPER intense, friends.

Most of all, I was grateful the girl still has an opportunity to play the only sport she truly loves. Her game has improved, she's surrounded by amazing girls, fantastic parents, and supportive coaches. 

And we'll do it all again next weekend. And for the next three months.

I can't wait. And if you need me, I'll be looking for a rhinestoned "Volleyball Mom" t-shirt. :-)

McLennan County Jr. Livestock Show

As you may have heard from me a time or 20 in the past few days, county show was last week. It was a really long week compounded by the fact that Tonto was unable to attend due to a complete inability to get off work (boo!) but we made it through.

Barely. :-)

Tuesday morning we loaded up and, once we had all the animals in place, we basically sat around for hours waiting for weigh-in. But it was broken up with a trip to Cotton Patch and a visit from some Baylor athletes as you've already seen.

Wednesday was also a really, really long day. And one in which I found myself doing so many things I never thought possible. At least where livestock are concerned. But the girl and I managed to get the boy show ready.

Waiting to go in...

...and in the ring...

...where the goat in front of them acted a fool... :-)

...and she turns into a super serious kiddo...

...before returning to her normal self upon leaving the ring.

After all the classes had been judged, it was time for showmanship...

...where Bruiser behaved a bit better than he had earlier in the day...

...but still not quite perfect...

...though we still had the serious face...

...and a very tired girl...

...and goat as well for that matter.

At the end of the day, our goats weren't what the judge was looking for. And that's ok. It's pretty subjective and we love our little guy and think he's amazing. So that's all that really matters.

Plus, we've had an amazing time with this project and the girl has made what I think will be long-term friends.

And now we'll keep working with the little guy until the Midway show on March 2. Then he has an exciting new chapter to begin. One that does not include slaughter. Thank goodness! :-)

Ag Barn Ribbon Cutting

Last Sunday afternoon - before county show festivities began - we attended a ribbon cutting for the new ag barn where Bruiser lives. This is the first year for this facility and is a huge upgrade. We're soooo thankful we were able to use it during its inaugural run.

After a few words...

...from distinguished folks...

...the ribbon was officially strung...

...and cut.

Then it was time for all of the animals to experience more visitors than they had seen in their entire lives. At least he looked cute and posed properly, right?

The girl met a number of new people and answered a lot of questions she probably would have preferred not to...but she handled herself well and we were super proud.

Seriously - love that sweet face.

Bruiser even took the opportunity to enjoy a little spa treatment.

And I made her pose for a photo. Torture at its worst, I know.

Her sweet friends Hallie and Don along with Bruiser, Bubba and Billy.

And my sweet, silly man. He's really worked his tail off at the farm and with Bruiser. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to attend county show - which was incredibly unfortunate for a number of reasons - but we managed to get through. Barely. And with a lot of help.

But that's worthy of its own post.

Have a great weekend, y'all. :-)

County Show Is Over...

...which means the girl and I are both absolutely exhausted. We did have a great time, though, and there were even a few surprises along the way. Like really good surprises that included two Baylor football players and a volleyball player making a surprise to visit Taylor and Bruiser.

They stayed for an hour and a half, signed autographs, took pictures and interacted with kids from across the county. They were absolutely amazing and no one could believe Taylor actually knew them. She also got a good luck text from her very favorite player yesterday.

Oh, and there were one week old goats there as well. Never have I ever seen a sweeter baby animal. Absolutely precious!!!!

There's so much more but, honestly, I'm too tired to fill you in. Besides, all of the good pics are still on my camera and haven't been downloaded yet. Just know that Bruiser is still with us...and he has some excitement in his future. Excitement that does NOT include a slaughter. ;-)

Sunday Sick Day

The girl and I had big plans to go to church and then volleyball practice (for her anyway) on Sunday but that all changed when I woke up to a sick little girl. So all plans were scrapped in hopes of nursing her back to health. Quickly.

But, first, Bruiser had to be fed. He had apparently resorted to elevated eating on this particular day. He will always exert as little effort as possible. Cracks me up because he sort of takes after his owner in that area. Shhhhh - don't tell her I said that... :-)

 

After making sure little man was good to go for the day, I hit Walgreens to stock up for the day and the scene began to look like this...

...and I was really optimistic when the girl began moving around a bit and even wanted to go to the farm to see Bruiser. After a couple of trips walking him to the road and back, though, her cheeks were already flushed. Not exactly a good sign.

Back home on the ranch (I've always wanted to say that), I learned that apparently just watching someone work out is exhausting for Rambo. Bless his little heart.

Monday morning cam around quickly and the girl was insistent that she was feeling well enough for school. So we medicated her, dropped her off and crossed our fingers. Within three hours, though, Tonto was on his way to pick her up due to non-stop coughing and a raging headache.

Now the good thing about having him at home was that he whipped out his trusty stethoscope and learned that her lungs were clear. Score one for the good guys!

When I finally got home, though, my baby was running a low grade fever so I made plans to stay home and get her to the doc first thing Tuesday morning. Given all the sickness going around - and the fact that county show is next week and I have no plans to show a goat myself - it just seemed like we should get antibiotics in the kid sooner than later.

Thankfully, she was only diagnosed with bronchitis. I know that sounds bad but, honestly, I was afraid she had the flu (yes, she had the mist but the virus has already mutated) and they immediately tested her for strep so this was the least of the evils. And I was soooo happy it's not a dreaded virus and could be treated with antibiotics. Quickly.

And there you have our week in a nutshell - nursing a sick kid back to health while preparing for a livestock show we know little about. Good times. :-)