*scenes from a rodeo

Howdy Ya'll.  Henry and I took in our first rodeo this past weekend, and loved it.  I knew from the beginning, which opened in one of the most free and heart felt prayers I have ever witnessed in a public recreational outing, that the evening was pretty much going to be a winner.  When the MC is telling the Lord that it is "our" desire to give all the Glory to God for the outcome of each event, well, enough said.

Cowboy hats, cowgirl hats, boots, plaid shirts, big belt buckles - these were all in abundance at the Pro-Rodeo there in Baker.  There were cute couples in cute plaid shirts with the sleeves cut off, with their hats and boots; some were young and in love and some were a bit older and then there were babies!

Of course, there were stands outside the arena that were stocked with hats, t-shirts, boots and all things cowboy.   Not to mention the food concessions - really... funnel cakes? Why is it that funnel cakes always look like a plate full of divinity? All the while you are eating it, you are enjoying it like nobody's business. Then out of nowhere you feel sick from eating this delicacy.  Finally you swear you will never eat another one, but that never holds does it?  (Just for the record.. I did not eat a funnel cake at this event)

This image and the next are of two different cowgirls racing back out of the arena after barrel racing. Since they are timed for the competition speed and safety of their beloved horses are of utmost importance. 

A cowboy. WOW. Perhaps I have been away from my beloved too long, just sayin.  I am a God-fearing  woman, so don't get me wrong here. Seeing them all dressed in their attire, as well as the cowgirls, made me feel young again.  Is that weird?  (giddy laughter).  I think I want to be a cowboy.  OK. So enough of that. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect at this rodeo and the show was nicely done, the MC was a gentleman and before you know it, it was time to rush to our truck and be a part of the crazy crowd leaving the arena.

Can't wait 'til the next rodeo, this time with my cowboy by side!

*dreams do come true

No matter your age, surely you have dreamed of certain things happening in such a way that is favorable to you no matter the surrounding circumstances.  When you are a child you dream in childish ways right?  Sometimes when you grow up you still dream in childish ways, but surely you have more mature goals set that you wish to attain as well - right?

Kierstyn laying in one of the vegetable gardens while momma and I worked at pulling weeds in the afternoon one day.

 
Kierstyn, our niece came to stay with us during her spring break.  Kierstyn is a very girly girl kind of  gal! She is a curiously smart young girl who will keep you on your toes.  One day while Kierstyn was here, I was reading Pioneer Woman's blog, Kierstyn noticed this:

This is Pioneer Woman's cookbook that published a year or so ago.  Notice the line that says, "Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl".  This is what caught Kierstyn's attention. She pondered this and then asked me if she was a country girl.   Sometimes not knowing how to answer a question, I am careful not to just spit out the first thing that comes to my mind. Instead of simply saying, "Oh no, honey you are a city girl!  You know,  high heels, jewels, make up, fancy dresses etc..", I asked her if she wanted to be a country girl.  Her answer was a bit surprising to me.  She answered with a resounding YES!  Feeling safe to answer at this point, I said, "Well of course you are a country girl!"  She seemed quite happy with this answer.  She lived out her country girl dreams while she was her at Erilyn, helping feed the chickens, cats, rabbits and dog every morning and evening.

Kierstyn enjoying her chew on a hot afternoon. She said it quenched her thirst!

A few post ago I wrote about childhood memories of chewing on this weed with my sisters and how I was going to "teach" Kierstyn to chew on them too.   I introduced this strange phenomenon to her one day early in her visit. She was fine with it and a day or so before she left to go back home she found some growing out in the field and ran to bring me some while we were working in the garden.  

It seems that Kierstyn had been dreaming about Subway sandwiches since the last one she had while on vacation in Tennessee.  After much talk of how she LOVES Subway, Momma, Kierstyn and I had Subway for dinner one night and decided to eat in the car on the way home. I wish I had a video of this moment.  She was literally moaning as she ate the sandwich. I am not sure if the sandwich was that tasty or if she was reminiscing about her vacation adventure where she last had this Chicken Teriyaki Sub.  No matter, momma and I were thoroughly entertained. (disclaimer: all of these pics were taken with my phone, so the quality is pretty poor- sorry)

*wordless Wednesday

*rain bops

Beehive Rain Bops were calling to me today while we were in this little shop getting Henry's hair cut.  Aren't these adorable?  The shop had them priced at $20 per pair, much cheaper that where I found them here.  I am not sure I want rain boots with heels, but I thought these were adorable. 

*martha stewart?

Martha Stewart works at our local Tractor Supply Store. Not really, but she sure favors the tycoon.  I, of course, had to ask her if people comment on how much she looks like Martha.  I was not the first to notice the uncanny resemblance.  She laughed and said how awesome it would be to have the money that Martha Stewart has, she certainly would not be working at Tractor Supply Store. 

She and I are practically best friends, I see her all the time (at the store) because it seems I am there frequently enough to develop a friendship! 

*peaceful Erilyn in a picture diary

Today as I woke, it was me with all of today's responsibilities at my feet and mine alone. My mother left for her Georgia home yesterday morning. Although I am looking forward to having our place just to ourselves when Eric get's here for good in just a few short weeks, I miss my momma.  She has become my companion in my darling husbands absence.  This past month or so has been a time of adjustment for me and momma.  By the end of her stay in her RV here at Erilyn, we started to move in almost perfect harmony with each other.  I will miss her while she is away, but I know this time is also needed for our family to meld together and get back into our normal routines as we, together make this our home. 

The weather here has been simply lovely. I know the days will come when I desire to turn the heat down a little bit, but for now the warm 80 degree weather warms my back as I work in the gardens. 

Our property is covered with Jasmine and we can hardly wait for it to break forth in bloom.  Ohh the smell will surely be intoxicating.   We have had to trim, cut away and drastically prune much of the Jasmine here at Erilyn.

The garden was planted weeks ago and everything is growing wildly.  We have only had a few days of rain here, so the sprinkler runs off of our well to water the gardens. 

There is no way I could make a post about the property without including the barn. When my dearest friend Franziska visits we are going to make a quilt square to hang on the front of the barn. Can't wait!  To learn more about quilt barns simply google it. 

These girls are doing awesome!  They will be ready to provide us with delicious eggs by the end of May, just in time for Eric to get the chicken coop built. 

Every morning, afternoon and evening you can count on the melodic sounds that reverberate throughout the property. In addition to many birds we also are a home to many squirrels and hoping to invite bats too.

These girls, born on February 19th are growing in leaps and bounds.  I never knew chickens could be so much fun.  This is the other chicken tractor built by Henry and Summit while Summit was here on spring break.  Both are fairly easy to move and are serving their purpose quite nicely.

Amaryllis abound at one end of our home.  I love Amaryllis because of their beauty, their ability to be cut and brought indoors without weeping or wilting.  I have two vases indoors right now, one of which I cut and brought in several days ago which are still going STRONG.

Three of our six cats, enjoying their domain!

I love this capture, I took this last night as the sun was going down.

We had added one bee hive to our property too, more to come on the hive in a future post.