Ohhh...Those Cowboys.......

I realize it has been forever since I put anything on here, but what can I say, I am just a little flaky like that. I don’t intentionally mean to be, but it just sometimes happens. My family takes joy in comparing me to Pheobe, on Friends. If you don’t remember Friends then start watching reruns on TBS immediately. Promise, you’ll laugh.

Anyway, for the past two weeks we’ve been hosting family, traveling to see family, going to family weddings, doing holiday stuff with family. In a word “family’n”. It is just something we do, like watching reruns of Friends.

We’ve been to Houston and back, watching the wind blow all the way. We’ve hunted a few Easter eggs, cooked out, and watched Riggs walk like a pro. We even took Brandon’s family to Hobbs to do a little gambling, and guess what, we ran into my Pop. You remember the one that needed his oil check so bad so he could gamble? Yeah, that one.

So I spent an hour playing Black Jack and won $100 bucks. Pop ordered his food, went and played a slot machine while he was waiting for it to come out, and won $800. His turn around rate is a little better than mine.

Actually, I won a $100 and Brandon lost $100, so we just broke even. Funny how that happens.

This week we are back in good ole’ West Texas, where the wind blows and the sky’s brown. At least that seems to be the scene the past few weeks. Despite the yuckiness, a handsome cowboy bared with me yesterday while we shot his senior pictures. He was a great sport, polite, good look’n, sweet as can be, just one of those guys that you want your own kiddos to be like some day.

He even had a horse. And what takes better pictures than a handsome guy and pretty horse? Yeah, I can’t think of anything either.  

 

Party like Pirates.....

So Ryder docked the 3-year-old ship and set out for 4-year-old waters, in complete pirate style.

If there is anything Katie can do, it is throw a party. Whether it be my bachelorette party, which thanks to her and some amazing friends rocked, or a kid’s birthday party, she can make it over the top, fabulous.

We had shrimp, fish and chips, pirate cake, and a treasure chest full of mud pudding and doubloons. Lots of family and friends, some pirate flags and good presents, and we had ourselves a par-tay. Plus, it was LuLu's fourth birthday too (just add a 2 in front), so we got to double up on the celebrating! 

The good times got cut short for Rusty and Brandon, although they did stay out all night like rock stars. Unfortunately it was spent fighting the fire. Burned a couple of sections on Day Ranch, but was more than 15 miles long all-in-all. Not cool, literally and metaphorically.

Our guys got in a little before 4:00am Sunday morning and said all the cattle, barns and such were fine, but it still throws a kink in where stuff will be moved once the wheat is ate down, which is in less than a month. As Rusty says…..always someth’n.

 Coolest pirates ever.

Forget presents, we have bubble wrap!!

Riggs had to check out big brother's loot.

LuLu's side of the cake.

Ryder's side.

The grub.

The books became way cooler at bed time.

Bestest present ever.

Night With My Boys.....

Yesterday evening, for his birthday and in an attempt to be the cool aunt and uncle we strive to be, Brandon and I picked Ryder man up and took him for a night out on the town. I have to admit we were as excited as he was and had just as much fun.

We went to Main Event in Lubbock, somewhere he had never been, and I am pretty sure will need to go back to almost every time his momma heads out of town and passes the big blue building. We started out bowling, which he thought was cool just because he got to wear special shoes and use a green ball, his favorite color. That alone made it an amazing game. We bought 30 minutes worth, not sure how long the attention span would last, and surprisingly it last up to only 3 minutes left, with the help of them turning off the lights, on the black lights and lighting up spiders all over the floor. That was pretty cool.

The kid was pretty dang good, and improved. We went from his ball going down the alley at a whopping 2 mph to 4 mph. Be looking for him on ESPN, which is what his dad has always dreamed of, maybe just not for bowling. Anyway, besides the shoes and green ball, I think the ball machine was the coolest part of the game. The way that ball goes from knocking down pins to popping out of that machine, well it is simply a miracle.

We moved from bowling to laser tag, but had our bubble popped by the “higher than thee” employee who informed us that Ryder was not tall enough. To which Ryder put his hand on his head and said “But I am this tall.” I guess that little voice and face didn’t melt Mr. Laser Tag Official’s heart like it does mine because he informed us there are NO exceptions. Seriously, dude, we were the ONLY people in the entire place. Pretty sure Ryder was not in major danger with just the 3 of us in there. Good golly.

We settled with some games of skeet ball, motorcycle and race car driving, and pounding the snot out of some little somethings that popped up out of holes. Not laser tag, but it worked.

We went from there to Cracker Barrel, where the kid ate anything we could put butter on and two bites of his actual meal. But yes, we did still go to Marble Slab for ice cream. What the heck, it is his birthday and we are the cool aunt and uncle.

The highlight of the night. After bowling, games, ice cream, and everything in-between. The amazing, unbelievable $4 dagger Brandon bought him at Cracker Barrel while I waited for our ticket. The blade pushes into the handle when you pretend stab someone. Yes, it is magic.

He is in love with his dagger, which makes us in love with it too. He went on and on about it all the way home and had to show it to his momma and daddy like it was a golden egg. Cracks me up. It truly is the simple things. I wouldn’t give a million bucks for my night out with my boys. And it ended with some quality time, all of us visiting in Katie’s living room, some sweet sugars and smiles from Riggin, and laughing at Ryder, well, just being Ryder. Happy Birthday, Happy Day, Happy Life, all the way around.

I took these with my phone so they aren't great. Sorry. 

 This is how he watched his ball roll down. Everytime :)



Sunny Sunday Morn

So this photo shoot was comparable to an action movie adventure, to which if is ever made into a movie, I envision myself being played by Angelina Jolie. We went off roading, got chased by cops, and almost got shot at. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t quiet that dramatic or movie worthy, but at least it made for an out-of-the-ordinary Sunday morning.

It began by us doing as all classy people do, we met in the Wal-Mart parking lot. From there, we went to an old, shut down garage, the park, and some random field. It was while we were at the park that a cop car pulled up next to mine and began its stakeout. He eyeballed us as we took some pics by the trees and picnic table, and I guess finally decided we were not, in fact, a front for some drug smuggling deal and finally slowly drove off.

From there we went down a sandy county road on the out-skirts of town and took some awesome pics in this random field. I suppose we may have been trespassing by about ten feet, but I think it is hardly enough for legal concerns. Besides, it is CRP grass, are we really gonna hurt it? Really?

Anyways, some pick-up, to which I am sure was an oilfield guy lost and looking for his location, and to which Sam was sure was the landowner with a shotgun loaded and ready to fire our way, stopped on the side of the road not too far from where they were posing and I was snapping away. I still think my presumption was correct, as is the usual, because like the cop car, the pickup drove off before we were done. Or at least before I was done. I am pretty sure Sam was done somewhere around the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Just kidding. As guys go, he was a pretty good sport. He was kinda a baby about the sun being in his eyes and having to lay down in the grass. But that’s to be expected, and Jurahee and I made sure to not cut him any slack. He did whatever she wanted, as it should be, which won my approval for him marrying one of my bestest and oldest girlfriends.

As long as he has down that “Yes, baby, whatever you want,” he’s alright in my book J

I just thought this sign was funny :)

 Poor Sam, yes the sun is shining. It is daytime. Get over it.

I just love this one :)

Four....forever

Today Ryder turns four. I can’t hardly believe it. Less than five years ago Ryder and Riggin were not even in our lives, and I already cannot imagine our days without them. It must have been so boring.

In his four years of life Ryder has already been in a Ft. Worth Grand Champion picture, a Champion Hereford picture at Fort Worth, several other major show champion pictures, has made the cover of a magazine, and has developed a relationship with his horse (Blue Moon) that any cowboy will tell you is like finding your true love.

So that has happened in four years, and I can’t wait to see what happens in just a couple more. I’m sure he will get to be in other Champion pictures, moving from holding the banner to holding the steer. He may move from the cover of the magazine to the inside result pages. And no doubt, there will be some tears and lessons learned when he has to slip the halter off and say good bye.

He will have to learn to win with grace and lose with even more. And if he ever has to make that lap around the ring and out the gate, he’ll just have to take it for what it is and remember there is another show with another judge.  

But all that is in the years to come. Today he is four, and he’s going to ride his new bike, ride Blue Moon, be a good big brother to Riggs, and eat some cake. After all, that’s what makes being four so sweet. No worries about tomorrow and just joys of today. Think I’ll try being four as well J    

Pretty Faces & Happy Places

Remember those beautiful people I told you about earlier. The ones with gorgeous smiles and a gorgeous baby. Well I finally got a break from thinking, writing, and looking at cotton long enough to stare at these pretty faces for a while. It was a much needed break and made my heart happy. Not that cotton doesn’t make my heart happy, but still, sometimes it is just funner to look at smiling faces and cute babies like these.

 (Yes, this is an old feeder. But how cool is its color!)

 (See, the wind was blowing. No lie. Blowing HARD!)

 Promise I did NOT add that sparkle in, just a gorgeous ring and good angle :)

After looking at beautiful people, I get to top off the week by going and looking at MORE beautiful people doing something that also makes my heart happy. These two love birds, who Katie and I had the pleasure of shooting engagements for, are finally tying the knot! They are the sweetest people ever and I know they will have the best happily ever after story there is.

Brandon thinks the world of Chance (as we all do) and gets to escort pretty ladies down the aisle at their wedding tomorrow. We are headed up to Cotton Center today for rehearsal & dinner, staying with Katie, Rusty and the boys tonight, and then we are all head back up tomorrow for the big ceremony. After spending the night in Meadow Saturday, I get to photograph some engagements of another great and beautiful friend Sunday.

Time with my husband, Katie, Rusty and the boys. A fun wedding for some wonderful friends. Pics of more beautiful people. Sounds like a pretty amazing weekend to me! Bring it on!!