Stuffed Jack-O-Lanterns!!!

This isn't the type of thing I normally blog, but these stuffed peppers were so cute, yummy, and super easy!!!

First, I found orange bell peppers at my grocery store (living in a very rural area doesn't always make this possible.)

You cut the tops off and clean out the inside as needed. Do not crush them!

Then, with a very sharp knife, carefully carve out eyes, noise, and mouth on one side. Have fun and make them each a bit different!

 Then, I add about a tablespoon of water to the bottom of a jumbo muffin tin and place the peppers in the tin.

Then stuff with your favorite stuffed pepper filling. This time I used whole grain wild rice mix (cooked per package instructions) and added some diced up smoked sausages. Fill peppers.

 Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 until peppers are tender (about 30 minutes, but I could definitely angel then when they were done!) Now, in my house, a meal is not complete without cheese. So, I remove the foil, top them with cheese, and bake uncovered another 2-5 minutes until the cheese is all melted and bubbly. Enjoy!!

Another round of "You Might Be a Cowboy's Wife If......!!!"

If your husband wakes you up from a dead sleep to take a picture of what he caught, you might be a cowboy's wife.....especially if he caught a baby skunk

You might be a cowboy's wife if you are cleaning out your freezer and find a zip lock bag labeled badger hide...

If you ever get into your husbands truck and wonder what on earth that smell is, you might be a cowboy's wife!

If your dating life consists of going to the feed store and then climbing in and out of the truck all day to open gates for him...you might be a cowboy's wife.

You might be a cowboy's wife if on any given sunday there are at least 3 horse trailers and 2 dogs at your church...

If your mom uses delivering you a load of hay from 1200 miles away as an excuse to visit, you might be a cowboy's wife.

If your 2yr old daughter has ever spent the day with her daddy and then all if a sudden she starts peeing in your yard...you might be a cowboy's wife!!

If you think driving 65mi one way to go to school is considered "just down the road"...you might be a cowboy's wife!

If you have a car...and a carport...but have never parked your car in the carport because the carport is too full of hay...you might be a cowboy's wife.

If there has ever been enough dirt and horse feed behind the seat of pick-up truck to actually grow oats, you might be a cowboy's wife.

100 years too late

3 years, 4 months, and 26 days.
That's how long I've been married to a cowboy. 

In my experience, cowboys are a dying breed. Some call them throwbacks, some old fashioned, I just call them late. Nearly everyday, I look at my husband and his buddies and marvel at their kind's ability to survive for centuries.

They barter and trade for anything they can. They camp under the stars and drink coffee made over a fire. They prefer horse shoes to horse power. You can stand by their name and their handshake. Hard work has a completely different definition to cowboys than it does for most people of todays society. They balance the best sermons are lived, rather that preached.

They are kind, old souls that cannot ever be replaced.

100 years...1,200 days... or 28,800 hours... or 1,728,000 minutes.
That's how much too late most cowboys are born.

A Cowboy's Lady

A cowboy's lady is a breed apart cause it takes some kind if woman to earn a place in the heart of a man who thinks spending the day breaking horses, branding cows, and a day under the open skies is as close to touching heaven as you get in this world.

~I don't remember where I saw this, but I was very drawn to it and felt y'all might enjoy it as well.~

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You might be a cowboy's wife if....

1. If you have ever witnessed your husband leading a horse while he was driving YOUR dodge status, you might be a cowboy's wife.

2. If you come home from the ranch thinking you got a nice tan while working calves, only to realize after your shower it was just a layer of dirt, you might be a cowboy's wife.

3. If you have ever gotten cramps in your arm while doing laundry because of the ridiculous amount of spray-n-wash required, you might be a cowboy's wife.

4. If you have 132 recipes saved for whenever your husband decides to do away with the wild hog he caught and is feeding up in your spare horse trailer, you might be a cowboy's wife.

5. If your child's favorite snack is cake, COW cake that is, you might be a cowboy's wife.

6. If your dog and a horse have ever had to share your fenced in yard, you might be a cowboy's wife.

7. If you are ever shocked by the fact that your husband does NOT have spurs on, you might be a cowboy's wife.

8. If you were ever told you would probably be "calving" at the same time as the heifers on the south pasture, you might be a cowboy's wife.

9. If you have a second job just to "feed" your husband horse habit, you might be a cowboy's wife.

10. If you feel the need to warn the sweet high school boy helping you to your car at the grocery store about the guns in your truck, you might be a cowboy's wife.

11. If your husband has ever timed a diaper change, and then threw his arms up at the end, you might be a cowboy's wife.

12. If you have ever spent more money on a pair of boots than your monthly rent, you might be a cowboy's wife.



I love being a cowboy's wife. I am never short on reasons to laugh. And I'm sure I will have more of these to come!! <3

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It may sound cliche, but....

Where I come from, rain is a good thing...

If you live under a rock, or outside the state of Texas, west Texas has been on fire for weeks.

A month ago today, the largest fire in the states history started in an abandoned structure and went in to burn 314,444 acres. The 'Rock House Fire' is now listed at 95% contained...thank you firefighters from around the country.

Yesterday was my second Mother's day as a mommy. We didn't have any real big plans, just maybe a bbq with some friends for dinner. On our way home from church, we could see the telltale sign of another fire...smoke rose high into the sky. One of my best friends were told to pack up and be ready to evacuate...before the sheriff reached his car, he turned around to tell them that the fire had jumped the highway and they needed to get out asap! Ashes were falling all around us...it looked like it was snowing. We could see that the fire was heading near the arena that we keep our horses and it was much too close for comfort, so I packed a bag for us and gather the important papers (ss cards, birth certificates, marriage license, etc.) loaded up the Booger and met Stuart at the arena. He had the horse trailer hooked up and ready to go as soon as necessary.

From where we were, we watched planes and helicopters dropping water and fire retardant on flames. Eventually, the flames were lessened and the winds were cooperative and we were able to go home for the night. This fire has already destroyed approx 4,000acres.

As most of you know, Stuart is a cowboy. Everyday he is riding fences, checking waters, branding calves etc etc. Today, however, ANOTHER fire broke out and now his job description also includes firefighter. I can't speak for him, but I was not aware that this skill was required!!!! Luckily, it is branding season so the ranch has more people there than a usual day. Currently, Stuart and the other guys are using a bull dozer, road grader, and a sprayer truck to build a fire lane (an area void of grass and brush) in an effort to keep fuel from the fire. No fuel, no fire...

The Farmer's Almanac says it will be at least another month before we get rain. After 10 months without rain, I'm not sure I'd even recognize it anymore...but until then, I pray for the winds to die down, the men to stay safe, the women to keep everything together, and the rains fall.

Here are some more pictures of the guys doing their best to protect the land and homes of our neighboring ranchers:


This is a picture my Cowboy took while driving a bull dozer to the area of the fire so he could build a fire lane to help keep the fire from spreading.



They used helicopters and planes to keep track of the fires movements and drop fire retardants. Sometimes the winds were so high they couldn't fly (60-80mph!!!)



on the water truck (it's really a cattle sprayer that is normally used to spray the cows with wormer and tick medicine)



Our good freind Clay doin' work!



Clay and Jake



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Microwave Dinners

I love to cook and my cowboy loves to eat, so it works out pretty well. However, being married to a real cowboy means the Booger and I often eat dinner alone. Tonight she had a hotdog and I had a burger...(she fed the cat her rice.) After living on the ranch for the last few years, my cowboy being m.i.a. during dinner is pretty normal! He always works pretty long hours and it never fails that the nights I go all out and fix him a nice fancy meal, a cow will prolaps, a bull will tear through a fence, a heifer will need help during labor, or heaven forbid a West Texas wildfire will need to be fought....but, the one, very rare, lazy night when the booger and I decide on leftovers or cold cereal...he will grace my doorway a full 10min early...but, most days my handsome cowboy enjoys a lovely home cooked meal...even if it's reheated in the microwave <3

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