I had to convince the four year old that we weren’t actually going down into a HOLE. I showed her maps, areal pictures of the place and what the town looked like. I think she believed me.
The changing of the fall leaves had already come and gone by the time we made it over there, but it was still beautiful fall-like weather.
We spent some time in Grand Teton Park.
We saw bison, ducks, swans and a moose hung out in our hotel parking lot.
We had some lovely meals in downtown Jackson, shopped a little and enjoyed the square.
But our favorite?
Jenny Lake.
It’s crystal clear.
We loved it. The girls loved it.
The Jackson Hole and Grand Teton area did not disappoint.
Twelve years with this guy. He’s an all-around good guy. A great man. He loves these girls without question.
He puts time into them, listens to them and shows them God’s love in so many different ways.
Me? He does all that for me as well. He’s special. He’s sweet. He’s fun. He’s my best everything.
Two years ago he woke me up on a snowy October morning, in a new state, with a 4 month old and 2.5 year old, and played me this song then went to work 600 cows through some chutes.
It was one of our best anniversaries ever.
He’s continually showing me that he would “Do it all over again“.
He does picnics at the edge of creeks. He teaches how to hold guns, slingshots, throw Frisbees, throw footballs, hit balls off of tees, how to cast with fishing rods, teaches how to ride bikes and will go on rabbit hunts.
He gives me jewelry. Pretty jewelry that he picks out by himself, puts serious thought into and always surprises me with.
He is always working on, planning on…something. Always. He’s always busy.
He’s busy planning great trips for us, working hard for our lifestyle and being an example to us and others.
Twelve years ago I went into this covenant knowing that it would NOT be an easy thing to do.
I knew it was going to take work, sacrifices, bonding, honesty, faith and trust in my helpmate but also a huge reliance on God.
“Now the days seem much shorter, the longer we love.”
“And the memories just keep adding up.”
We’ve been on some great adventures. Mission trips, softball games, youth group activities/trips, different churches, bible studies, hiking glaciers, dance halls, Georgia games, motorcycle trips, lake trips, ice cream dates, corn field picnics, swather dates, elk scouting, state fairs, bull sales, moving three times, have all helped build us closer to each other.
Alan Jackson said it best, “I’d love you all over again.”
Twelve years married to this guy. It has been good.
Twelve—If tomorrow I found one more chance to begin, I’d love you all over again.
I don’t claim to be all up to date on the latest country songs. In my humble-doesn’t-really-matter opinion, most current “country”, is just that. “Country”.
But I had a flash back to this 2011 hit for Trace Adkins.
She ain’t even thinking’ bout what’s really going on right now but I guarantee this memories a big one and she thinks we’re just fishin’ Yeah, she thinks we’re just fishin’ We ain’t only fishin’ This ain’t about Fishin’
I don’t even know why I know that song. But we Woosters have been spending sometime in the water, on the creek banks and near rivers.
While living in Wyoming, I want our girls to experience all it has to offer.
From state fairs, riding in tractors, hiking canyons, riding up the mountain, going to brandings, working cows through the chutes, working alongside their Papa, watching and listening to the elk to fishing in the creeks, lakes and rivers. I want them to make memories here and with us.
I think we are getting a good start.
(don’t be sad for Clara. She temporarily broke her rod. She likes playing with the rocks, sand and lures better anyway. Her time will come.)
Ruby’s been steadily working on her casting abilities since the middle of June. In the last few weeks, she practices nearly every day.
She works on control, hitting her targets, getting unstuck, reeling and back to casting.
She’s getting pretty good at placing her line where she wants it.
When Matt’s with us, she gets to have a hook/lure/bait.
When it’s just us girls fishing on the creek….she has to practice with a weight. I’m not so good at keeping track of her hook/lures, fishing my own line and keeping Clara alive. When I’m fishing, they usually just play around me and cheer when I catch something.
He’s braver with her and a hook anyway.
She hasn’t caught anything yet…except some memories and hearts.
She ain’t even thinking’ bout what’s really going on right now but I guarantee this memories a big one and she thinks we’re just fishin’ Yeah, she thinks we’re just fishin’ We ain’t only fishin’ This ain’t about Fishin’
I’m all for a good teaching/educational opportunity. Heck, we live on a place that’s full of teaching opportunities. From how harmful it is when you put gasoline in a diesel engine, how to fix that problem, how to corrugate a field to reach optimal watering, to rotational grazing on paddocks, to the migration patterns of elk, there’s tons to be learned in educational opportunities around here.
One neat aspect of the ranch is that we are only three miles away from a state park.
Our friends, the twin boys, live in the park.
Medicine Lodge State parks is situated on a former ranch. The main attraction of the park is the Native American petroglyphs on sandstone cliffs within the park. It is also the closest state park with access to the Big Horns. In the year of 2014, the park had over 35,000 visitors.
Paintrock Hunters Mentor Program
A couple of weekends ago, the campground hosted a kid’s outdoor program. It is led by the Game and Fish department of Wyoming and has donations by private sponsors. Our ranch is one big sponsor. We were invited over to watch a presentation on owls, see some insect exhibits, watch some archery lessons, watch older kids learn how to tie their own flies for fishing, make fires, learn how to reload shells, use turkey calls, put together a tent and other cool activities. Since Saturdays during our homeschool year is devoted to nature walks, exploring outside and your surroundings, this was a perfect opportunity for us.
Young man dissects an owl pellet to see what it had eaten.
Our girls and the twins were too young to participate this year. After listening to some talks, the twins, we Wooster girls and the moms set off in the park to find our own pellets and make observations.
Later on, the Game and Fish left us some sterilized pellets to dissect. We girls went back over and did a little owl study group with the boys. Ruby LOVED it. She was very good at picking out the bones and comparing them to a little chart. Sorry, no pictures of that. Clara sat with me for a little bit but was more interested in playing on the nearby playground.
Check out this to see past pictures and get more information of the PHMP.
We get to experience great, fascinating and sometimes weird things when living in another state.
Y’all…it’s a thing.
A big thing.
Over 7,000 people were there to witness it, including us three Wooster girls.
You can go to state and become state champions in your division.
PIG WRESTLING!
There’s betting against the teams. A WHOLE ‘LOTTA betting. One team got 780 dollars betted against them. Each team in each division is paraded out, and the betting/auctioning starts. All winning bets are placed into a division jackpot and the team with the fastest time splits the total pot with the winning bet-ers. One division jackpot was well over 1800 dollars.
After all winning bids are in, the ‘rasslin starts. Each four person team is given two minutes to ‘rassle their pig or piglet bottom side down into the barrel in the middle of the ring.
The only catch? That’s not just any ‘ole mud they are wrestling in. That’s Wyoming’s finest bentonite.
My definition: It’s nasty, super slippery, sticky and slick.
Matt uses it around the ranch at times. It’s THE hardest thing to clean off of jeans, boots, and clothes. I would much rather him roll in cow manure, dirt or mud than to mess with bentonite.
Back to the story…
In the smallest junior division, the piglets were around 40-50lbs, the pigs were clean and the barrels were small.
In the upper divisions, as the pigs get bigger, and get bentonite thrown on them as they come out of the trailer.
Y’all…we had a GREAT time watching and cheering on the teams.
There were no winners in the 5 to 8 year old class. In the 9-14 year old class (the girls in the blue), the winning time was 20 seconds. There are women divisions and a men’s division.
The key to catching a pig, in bentonite, and putting it in a barrel to have the winning time?
Run, without falling, grab it by its snout and put your fingers in its mouth; paralyzing them every time. Then carefully and quickly carry the big thing over, without falling and letting it go, into the barrel.
Guess who wants to “train” and enter with a team for next year?
