Ellies Birthday, and Judging Books ..

 Remember Beenie's dog Smellie?

 It's her birthday!!

 

Happy birthday Ellie May!!!

What a dog.

Speaking of flowers..

 

...are you finished with yours???

Just wondering, because InCaseYouDidn'tKnow we are 7 DAYS AWAY!!!

Can I get an Amen?

Thank goodness, she will stop talking about it soon!
Yes, I will.

ACTually I will rightnow.

Would you like to know an up-side to being a bovine representative?

(That's my technical name.)

(Not really.)

(Don't believe me.)

One of the up-sides, because there are SO many, is how you look after work.

You know, feed and other things in your hair, manure/blood/mud stains on your jeans, holes in your jeans holes in your shirts from getting caught on barbed wire fences, the "tired" face, and let's not forget the SMELL.

Eu de Bovine.

(Still beats the zoo smell, yuck.)

If you are a bovine representative like me, or perhaps an equine rep, then you also know that after work the last thing you want to do is go home, shower and get gussied up before running errands.

Pffftttt!

When this gal goes to the house, she doesn't want to leave...remember that.

Therefore, places that I frequent have come to know me and what I do...

Oh, there's Rachael...she's a farmer or something...

That girl comes in here every week and looks like she sleeps in a barn...

Some of the grocery store cashiers think I work at the Co-op, even though I have told them a hundred times that I do not.

Whatever.

Sure, I get looks when I go grocery shopping after an entire day of business meetings, but I have come to ignore them.

Perusing the meat selection with manure on your jeans makes some kind of statement...trust me.

Believe me when I tell you that the looks I received the past 2 times I have gone by the mall after work, take the cake.

You know, I am sort of waist deep in this planning stuff and there are still things I need to get..like neckties.

So...I stopped by the mall yesterday to grab a tie.

Instead I grabbed a lot of attention.

Evidently one needs to dress up when they go to the local mall, where the only thing keeping the entire place in business is the Chick-fil-A.

Yes, they do have a brand new movie theater but I wonder if there are as many parking spaces as there are seats?

Normally I catch a look out of the corner of my eye and I keep on moving.

Yesterday it was hard to move past the blatant stares.

 What?

Before I left I stopped to try on a pair of shoes.

Reaaallly cute shoes.

I like shoes.

I do occasionally go places where I could wear cute shoes.

So I asked the sales lady for my size in a pair of heels.

I have heels.

This isn't like Elly May Clampett moves to the big city.

So she brings me my shoes, and asks if I need help putting them on.

No, thanks though.

Then she hovers over me and asks what I do.

So I tell her...while trying to ignore the fact that she is staring straight at me.

She asks me if I like them.

Yes, very much!

Then.She.said...

"You know, shoes like that are hard to walk in.  They are expensive too.  You probably shouldn't get them unless you have something really special to wear them to.  I mean, since you wouldn't wear them often with your job and all..."

I smiled, took of the shoe, gave it a last look and put it in the box.

With a smile fixed on my face, I approached her, extended the shoe box and said...

"You're right.  I don't know what I was thinking.  Maybe if my job required me to dress nice, and do a tenth of the work I do now, I could justify buying these shoes.  But I don't want your job."

As soon as I saw her comprehend what I said, I let go of the box and, still smiling, left the store.

There's a thought.

Love,

YourLocalBovineRepresentative

Bruce Springsteen Jeans

Over the weekend I got a little crazytown about the upcoming events.
I couldn't help it, it just happened.

I called Chuck at 8:30 am on Saturday, knowing he would not be awake, and proceeded to berate him with questions about the suits his groomsmen will be wearing....BecauseWeAreDownToTheWIRE!!!!

He told me about what he had gotten when he went to get Caden sized, and did it in a very understanding way...like "I understand my fiance is crazy and is scares me" sort of way.
Then he hung up and I felt bad.
So I walked out in the field and checked on my new baby....

 

She's a cutie, huh?

I am really not stressing about the wedding, at least not as much as people think.
I am, however, stressing about;
1. Leaving Teddie in charge for a week
2.  Buying a house...it's not like a pack of gum, people.
3.  Leaving Teddie in charge, without BossMan and the Heat there
4.  Moving as soon as we get back
5.  And...leaving Teddie in charge

As far as the wedding goes, I just need to not forget to take the important things the way I forgot to wear makeup out to dinner the other night.
Ooops.

Honestly, my mind is in a thousand different places so doing anything not routine is a stretch.
That includes wearing makeup.

I don't wear it unless I am going out to eat or somewhere people would mind cow smell.
But every day?  Heck no.
"Makeup" for me is mascara, maybe some powder, maybe some blush, and maybe some eyeshadow.
Depends on how I feel.

Saturday night Chuck, Caden and I were headed to meet Saigon for dinner and I suddenly realized I didn't put on makeup.
Ugh.
No, I don't think I have to have it, I just think it helps make me look less tired.

When I don't have it on, people tend to give me the "oh, you look tired", "is everything OK?" all while giving me the "sad eyes".
So, I wear makeup.

Chuck responded with, "but you're wearing lip gloss"...
OK, Chapstick does NOT qualify as lip gloss, ThankYouVeryMuch.

Then I looked at what he was wearing and said, "Hey, I haven't seen those jeans before".
Chuck told me he didn't wear them because he doesn't like them and I fully understood.
This man has literally decades of clothing in his closet.

Going to a throwback party?  The man has got you covered.

We went to an "ugly Christmas sweater" party 2 years ago and he won, because he just happened to have a green turtleneck, you know the kind you fold down, and some GREEN pleated front pants...and a woven belt.

Sometimes I get a glimpse of "Slater" from Saved By The Bell when I look in his closet.
 ..he swears it will all "come back in style".

I so love this man.

So there we were at dinner.
Bruce Springsteen and his hard-livin' lady.

Then yesterday at Church I realized the importance of what happened Saturday night.

Our Pastor Brad was talking about marriage and how important it is to not put on heirs about yourself, especially in the beginning of the relationship.
I mean, let's face it, you aren't always going to be dressed to impress, and looks definitely change.
So BE YOURSELF!

The first "outing" Chuck and I EVER went on happened after we had been talking for a few days.
I met him, after BREEDING 23 HEIFERS, at Dairy Queen for some much needed ice cream.

It was late, I smelled of bovine, and it didn't matter.

We stood outside around the flatbed and talked until after they closed.

The heart doesn't need eyes to love.
(Or a nose for that matter;).

Love,
CowLady

P.s. I fully intend on taking some throwback pics while we pack.
P.p.s. He still has a tri-color Tommy Hilfiger sweater...NeedISayMore?

Goodness Gracious

Goodness gracious do we have a lot to do!

 

Don't act like you've never met me before..pull your big kid britches up and let's go!

We have exactly one week until we leave for some weddin' down in Flo-rida, and all you wanna do is bake!
OK, you're right. 
You're absolutely right, all I wanna do is bake..

It calms me.
But I'll stop...until we return.

I made 40 of these little pink pretties for a baby shower thrown by my friend Paige...

 

They are chocolate, with toasted marshmallow buttercream on the inside and pink vanilla buttercream on top!
...and sanding sugar...and sprinkles..

 

I love love love making things.
But I'm going to stop...I heard ya already!

Let's talk about something else..how about that tornado yesterday?!
We got a lot of wind and rain, but no damage...we are very lucky.

I have spent the morning pulling feed-crispies out of my eyes, as a result from loading feed in the "wind-tunnel" that was yesterday.
You should have seen the cloud of hominy, mineral, distillers, etc come out of my hair when I took it down last night!
-Could have fed a zoo.

By the way, for anyone who was concerned about my milk drop..I have recovered all but 500 lbs of it.
Which is good.
That means my cows are getting what they need out of their feed, resulting in my sanity returning more milk production.
This is a good thing, now I can think about other things that I need to do.

...Like get ready to leave town for a week.

OH! NotToMention, we are now officially under contract on a house!!!
Hooray!

So, if I seem a bit "off" or "someplace else" then it's because I am overwhelmed with things right now.

-I have to get my cows straightened out before I leave..
-Have to stock up on supplies, medicine, etc...
-Need to go to Hobby Lobby so I can wander around aimlessly for an hour before I remember that I did not go there for yard ornaments...
-Put name tags on the flowers for the seating at the reception...
-Get ties for the groomsmen...
-Nail down the menu for the reception...
-PACK!

OH...and thinkAboutMovingWhenWeReturn.

Baking a cake would be so much easier...

Love,
OverwhelmedCowLady

INTJ

That's me.
...According to Dr. Keirsey.

WhoeverThatIs.

56% Introverted....duh.
12% Intuitive...shocker.
38% Thinking...I'll leave that alone.
78% Judging...what? Don't give me that look...do you even know my dad?

We did the personality test at our management meeting, and received the results yesterday.
Beenie got hers too and let's just say where my personality was said to be "dominant" hers was "steady"....
...as in people like her more.
...as in she is pleasant to be around.
...as in she isn't scary like some people...

Then we ate lasagna because I made it and brought it...and evidently my personality profile plainly states that I like to be in control.
So they ate what I told them to.
Take that.

Just kidding, but I really did bring lasagna and Beenie brought cookies.

Aren't personality tests neat-o?
Well, in that IDidn'tReallyWantToKnow kind of way...

Or in my case, I didn't necessarily need for it to be spelled out in front of the firing squad.

Throughout this Management Academy I have learned quite a bit about my own management style and how it is perceived.
I also learned that if you don't want to be labeled a "chicken lady" then bring lasagna.
Oh, and that I should feel sorry for Chuck.
Life lessons people.

After the meeting I came back to work and got aggressive and yelled at Teddie!
Not really, but that's what my profile said.
The best I could conjure up was a growl...but I had intense eyes.

After work I was feeling froggy and thought it would be the perfect day to attack the stairs for the first time this year!
I think sometimes "froggy" gets confused with "crazy".

AtAnyRate...Behold The Stairs...

 You can only see half of them, because they are that steep.
There's somewhere in the neighborhood of 128-136 steps.
I can't for the life of me count as I run.

The stairs are located behind the hospital here in Blount county, and are typically used as a place for hospital employees to sit and smoke...
Whaat?  It's true...you know it is...

I have seen others using them as for exercise and one of my friends runs them often as well.
They.Are.Killer.

Seriously intense.

Normally my routine is to run up them 10x and do 10 push-ups each time I come down.
Great workout.

Yesterday I ran up 10x...but only got 50 push-ups in.
Imma tellin' ya...I was spent.

I could run 5 miles, 3 times a week and it wouldn't touch how demanding these stairs are.
I usually have more gas left in the tank after I am finished, but yesterday all I had were fumes.
I now have a goal, something to clear work and wedding stuff out of my head.

It might take a couple of weeks but I'll get it back.
According to Dr. Keirsey I am "result-oriented" and "self-confident" so I got this.

...Then again Dr. Keirsey also says I  have the same personality profile as Hillary Clinton and Hannibal Lecter.

Super.

Love,
CrazyCowLady

Grace

What is it?

How do you define "grace"?

BossMan always used to call us "miss grace" when we would trip, or goof up when we were small.
But I don't think that's it.

I took ballet for 8 years, yet I don't think it required the same type of grace...
...which was good, because I struggled with that kind of grace anyway....

I think in this past year I have felt grace, and seen it with my own eyes.
That's not so say it wasn't there before, however it seems like until you are ready you will miss it.

Early morning is when I feel grace deep down inside my heart.
It's dark out, the stars blanket the sky and all I can hear are my own footsteps and the noises the cows make.
Grace.

The air is cold, but more of a crisp-cold, and refreshing.
It's not manufactured or temperature-controlled, it's real and feels so good on my face.
Grace.

I am overwhelmed with my to-do list.
My work goals, wedding preparation, looking for a home for the 3 of us.
Then I look through the window and the sky is beginning to lighten, outlining the mountains.
Grace.

I read Facebook updates from friends ad acquaintances.
The first hundred are selfish, then there's that one from someone whose days are numbered.
Grace.

Work is so overwhelming.
It seems like I can never get ahead in this business.
There's no room for error, each mistake has a consequence and tomorrow in unknown.
But then you remember how you got there and you trust.
Grace.

Big eyes, and big dreams.

Grace.

Have a blessed day!

Love,
GreatfulCowLady

This, That and The Other

Did you have a good week?
It is the weekend, for some people, so I thought I should ask.

I can't even remember my week, to be perfectly honest.
The only word I can use to describe it would be 'full'.
...wait maybe 'busy'...
...or perhaps 'stressful'....that comes to mind as well.

Lots of things took place and since they all don't garner one post to themselves, I thought I would just list them.
That way you and I can keep them straight.
Because you and I care that much...

AtAnyRate...

1.  Caden and Gayle(Chuck's mom) scared the crackers out of me.

2.  I made 24 chocolate, peanut butter buttercream-filled, cupcakes.

3.  I sent our realtor 64 emails...
...and 2 text messages...
..and left a voicemail...
..and left a message with her receptionist...
yesterday.

4. I came up with a list of reasons why no one wants to be my realtor...stay tuned!

5.  Chuck left town for his bachelor party..and left me flowers.
..OfCourseHeDid.
..HeAintStoopid.

6.  I made possibly the BEST apple-glazed pork chops, of my life.

7.  I became scary-good at active ignorance towards WhateverINeedToDo pertaining to the wedding.

8.  I ran 5 miles in the 70 degree weather on Thursday!
..and got soaked to the bone feeding yesterday morning.
..and froze my butt off this morning.

9.  I lost 2,000 lbs of milk in 4 days..and have only recovered 900 lbs so far...
...WelcomeToMyWorld.

10.  I picked up my wedding dress:).
..and promptly left it at The Heats, so I wouldn't be tempted to fry bacon while wearing it..
..or eat popcorn.

What do you think?
I LOVE it!
It's all hand stitched, including the veil.

Colleen Moore at White Orchid Bridal had a beautiful vision:).


Now that that's out of the way, please excuse me while I search the depths of the world wide web for a home.
..Until the sun comes up, then it's game-on!

Love,
FrazzledCowLady

P.s. It's OK if Chuck sees that picture of the dress, he has seen it before:).
P.p.s It will look different on me.
P.p.p.s ...right?

Malinda

This is one of the more difficult posts for me to write because feelings are hard to describe.

My older sister, Malinda, is so much a part of me that without her I would be lost.

She is so many things, and today I would like to share just a few of them with you:).

Malinda is my best friend and always will be.
Being just 2 years apart and growing up on a farm, we were pretty much it for each other.

I called her "sister" until she made me stop in the first grade, because when she would walk me to class it embarrassed her.

She always walked me to class because I was scared.
She could walk into a new place and not care a thing about who was looking at her, or what was going on...she had that confidence about her.


Our rooms were next to each other, and I spent many a night sleeping in her bed.
I was a bit of a scaredy cat, and she was my safe place.
We would lie in bed and play the alphabet game or I would annoy her until she would stop reading and talk to me.

Malinda was/is/always will be quicker on the draw.
I always/was the little "thick" sister who got stuck at the barn in the dark, because she 'called' everything first.

I used to bite her on the arm when she would make me mad....

She had me convinced she had magical powers, but would actually cheat at hide and seek.
...I pulled the ribbon out of her cassette tapes for that.

She looovvveeeed Jospeh from the New Kids On The Block, and I was enamored with Jordan.

We rode together to high school, and she would make me stop singing in the car.
I like to think it was because my voice was so angelic, it brought her to tears.
She thought it was because I couldn't carry a tune if it was surgically attached.
Sisters are honest like that.

Malinda is always the last one to tell you about her accomplishments.

 

There are many that I am sure I don't even know.
She is the most selfless person I know.

When she was in labor with Jackson, I realized how deeply we were bonded.
The whole time all I could think about was her, and what she was going through.
I was worried, yes, but it was more a feeling of heartache.

She is the driving force behind me being convinced that I can be a great mother.
She IS the most fantastic mother I have ever known.

She makes everything look so doable.
Juggling being on-call, residency, flying home, being a wonderful wife, and taking time for herself...all the while raising a baby boy is more than most could handle.
She makes it look easy.

Malinda is my rock.
My constant in a world full of variables.
She was my first best friend and will be my last.
Sisters like her are gifts from God.

Happy Birthday Malinda!
Love,
Bebe