A Tale of Two Rings

For Christmas this year my husband and children gave me a coupon for a ring made by our friend at S/ Custom Cowboy Hardware.  The coupon also stated that I was to be CHILDLESS when I got to order and pickup the ring, which, let's be honest... was a good portion of my excitement level.

Ordering the ring and waiting the few weeks for it was a breeze.  I went to pick it up this week and the entire drive home I could not get my mind off how special this ring was as I compared it to the joy and elation I felt when I received my engagement ring and wedding band from my husband over a decade ago.  

The wedding ring was, and still is, perfect, shiny and unblemished.  Much like you expect your marriage to be in the beginning.  Sure, other folks get divorced, but they must not have been trying hard enough - right?!  Sure, other folks have trials and tribulations, but they must have forgotten to smile - right?!  Sure, other folks are short with their spouse, but they must have just woken up on the wrong side of the bed for once - right?!  A wedding ring is shiny and perfect and great for those blissfully ignorant enough to think those trials and tribulations only happen to others.  I absolutely love my wedding ring and all it symbolizes about what I thought it would bring in my future.  

...And then there is this ring.  I feel it better represents where we are in our marriage after several years, several miles, several kids, several cattle.  

It has character, no doubt.  There may be a slight imperfection if you study quite closely.  If you just glance at surface level you'll never see it, but it probably still exists.  It may rub a little on my adjoining finger.  Not enough to make me divorce it or take it off forever, but just enough to slightly irritate me at times.  In another day or two I won't even remember what it was that ever bothered me.  

This ring will be able to get dirty during the realness of everyday life and then shine up just fine in time for church Sunday mornings.  This ring will fit perfectly into my chore gloves and tag along just fine while I haul buckets of water to calves each morning.  This ring will be covered in dirt when I dive my hands into the cool spring soil to plant tomatoes my family will devour.  This ring will get covered in sticky dough each time I make cheesy biscuits for supper or sausage balls for breakfast. 

I love my two rings, but for two entirely different reasons and they two very different stories they tell.  

Luckiest Boy in the Whole World

We try fairly hard to keep our kiddos grounded, with varying degrees of success at times.  But lately I've been super impressed with kid #2, John.  

He had a special afternoon with his dad this week and was lucky enough to sit in the salebarn for hours on end with no toys, save for the pen and salebarn card that his dad gave him.  John came home that evening, proudly showed his wares to us all and proclaimed time and time again "I'm the luckiest boy in the world!". 

He found an old horseshoe at the barn yesterday.  He beamed from ear to ear as he carried it back to the house, all the while proclaiming "I'm the luckiest boy in the whole world!".

This morning I unpacked my lab supplies from two large cardboard boxes.  John's eyes sparkled when I agreed to let him have them.  He instantly turned to his sister, "Can you believe it, Kathryn?  I'm the luckiest boy in the world!".  They've now been playing together contently outside in 45 degree weather for the past hour and I have no idea how I'll ever tear them away from their box fort in the yard to make them eat lunch.  

We definitely have terrible, trying days in this family, but at this very moment I feel like the luckiest mom in the world.  

Wordless Wednesday

 Alternate title: WHY I CANNOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING IN A TIMELY MANNER

Little Hands

It seems as if there is always something amiss around here.  Currently we have a bucket calf that keeps bloating up.  He was sick approximately 10 days ago and my husband doctored him.  The medicines he administered also did a number on the microbes in this calf's rumen.  When the microbes aren't working on digesting food properly, bloat can occur.  

But that's neither here nor there.  Long story short, we have a calf that we have to 'air out' often.  And yes, I made that term up.  Getting a three year old to properly say 'debloat' is difficult, so we just say what we want.  It's how we roll around here.  

When we told the kids to run the calf into the chute they knew just what to do.  They set gates just right, helped make a wing, blocked holes where there was no fence so the calf couldn't run off.  I was proud of them for being such good little hands.  Make no mistake, it makes for a crazy, intense, chaotic, near sh!t show of a time, but each time they get the job done.  

I don't want to brag on them too much, as there are still tons of things they do (or DON'T do) every day that make me pull my hair out.  But I do love that these kiddos have a passion for their animals and mimic how they see the guys around here act.  

One night when the kids and I were done with the calf I looked up to see this sunset.  We were all muddy messes, I did not have supper ready, the baby needed fed and had been sitting rather patiently in her carseat for 30 minutes.... I could go on and on about the crazy things that were making me frazzled that evening, but this sunset helped calm all of that.  I think the world needs to just take a time out and look at a few more sunsets like this, right?