Adventure, Part 2

Well, I survived the plane rides.  We made it to Cabo and home in one piece.  The sun was amazing down there!!  We saw lots, drank lots and soaked up the sun lots.

I am a few months behind on posting these pictures, but still wanted to share.  Fun in the sun

Toes in the water....

What a blast we had on this ship.  Drinks, dinner cruise, live entertainment.  If you find yourself down in Cabo, I highly recommend an evening on The Caborey

It was prime whale watching season.  

Drinks in hand, again!

The third most photographed place in the world, Lovers Arch

I absolutely LOVE this picture of Lovers Arch

Lovers Beach

Being photo bombed my a spring breaker!

Beauty Swap

I seem to be suffering a little bit from the winter blues.  I blame Mother Nature and the fact she keeps throwing extremely extreme cold temps our way with out any forgiveness.  When I noticed that Crystal Cattle and Cowgirl Crush were teaming up for a beauty Swap I signed up thinking it would be fun and get my mind off of our freezing temps.

Some of my friends shook their head and were confused, me and a beauty swap??  Didn't seem like something for me.  I agree, I am not the biggest makeup user, but I like to learn and try new things.  Though I'm not huge makeup wearer, theres something about painted toenails (that no one sees but me) and mascara that can lift my spirits and turn an attitude around.  That being said, I am not going to admit how old I was before I was able to properly apply and wear mascara!

I was team up with Jenn, from New Mexico.  It was fun getting to know her through email and what we did and didn't have in common.  She sent me a fun box with products that I was interested in, products I hadn't heard of and things I never seem to buy for myself.

Through our correspondence, Jenn and I learned about products we like to try, need and want.  She sent me two different pore minimizers that I am excited to try.  Having kids really messed up my complexion and pores being one way.  She sent me 'The Pore fessional' and Maybeline's Baby Skin.  I have started using the Maybeline Baby Skin, and love the way it feels on my skin.  

Also included was some fun vibrant colored nail polish and lip gloss!  After doing my toes the other night, I hid the polish from my oldest daughter as she was on the prowl to steal it!  It's fun and I can't wait to use it for when I head to Mexico next month.

Some Garnier Fructis Glossing Spray was included in my goody box also.  I used it last night before we headed out to the basketball tournament.  Where has it been all my life?  Loved the results.

Rounding out my goody box was 3 different makeup brushes.  Score!! I received an eyeshadow brush, defining eye brush and a brow brush.  I was in need of new brushes.  I often wonder why it's so hard for me to buy new makeup brushes.  

I had so much fun with this Beauty Swap.  I enjoyed shopping for Jenn, researching different things and getting excited to send it her way.  Thanks Crystal Cattle and Cowgirl Crush for letting me participate and can't to wait for any future swaps.  

My Prize

Here a few posts ago I wrote that I had won a giveaway from The South Dakota Cowgirls blog. Well I received my prize in the mail the other day and its awesome. 

 I received the journal that she published that is full of her wonderful photography and lots of pages for me to write down my thoughts, dreams, prayers, and lists.

The South Dakota Cowgirl also has a 2013 calendar, collection of note cards and Christmas cards for that feature her photography from around the ranch.   I've been following her blog for a long time now, and enjoy her writing, her photography and her jewelry.

I apologize for the photos below and they are just taken with my phone and don't do the journal justice.  My internet is down, again.  The day I have reliable internet service I am going to dance like noone is watching!

 I am trying to play catch up here.  And of course brag a little bit.  It's my blog, I get to brag all I want!!!

Last September I loaded Tally and Baby TC up and good ol' Fred and headed down the highway about 50 miles to take T to a little kids rodeo.  Her first rodeo, besides the fun nights we have at home.  For several weeks I had been building up to her about riding a sheep.

*Ride a sheep, all the cool kids do it.

* Did you know your mom used to be a heck of a mutton buster.

*Honey, it runs in the family your auntie has a buckle or twos he won from riding a sheep.

And so my 4 year old agreed to try and ride a sheep.  But of course I knew nothing about riding a sheep, and she needed Handsome Larry (family friend) to take her to the bucking chutes and help her.  I was ok with that, because then this mommy got to take pictures and video of her little cowgirl riding a sheep.  

And ride a sheep she did!! My 4 year old cowgirl won the 8 and under sheep riding for the 2011 Go Getters Rodeo!!  I was so damn happy and proud I cried!  That's right, I cried and I am not ashamed to admit it!  But not only did she win the sheep riding that day, she also for the first time off her horse by herself  to do the goat tail tying, which was also a first for her.   She met some new people, as did I.  She did her events all by herself, some successfully and some not, but she did them.  And most importantly she had fun!!

A shot of the sheep riding.

Getting of her horse by herself for the first time!

Trying and trying to tie that ribbon on the goats tail.

And we are still trying, but she ran out of time.  

Walking up to accept our sheep riding winnings.

A great bunch of young cowgirls and cowboys! 

My cowgirl didn't want the day to end.  She rode ol' Fred over to the corral to give him his grain.

Tally and Fred posing.  She wanted me to take a picture of her and her horse and her rodoe winnings so her Papa knew that she had 'done really good and was taking care of her horse'.


Yep, that's my bragging post!  That horse is worth at least a million bucks in my mind!  He makes Tally smile, and she has so much fun with him and wants to take care of him!  Every kid should be so lucky.

Fall Work

These pictures/this post was scheduled to be published last October.  Somewhere there was a hiccup and it wasn't.  I find the pictures too cute not to post now.  So here ya go, better late than never.

It's October in Montana which means fall gathering, shipping calves, and working cows.  One of my favorite times of the year.  I missed out on a lot of gathering and fall work this year because I have a sweet 10 month old baby girl to take care of.  Such is life.  

Last weekend our good friend was gathering his herd and planning on running his cows through and working them.  The forecast called for an unseasonably warm day with no wind.  Let me tell ya, no wind in Montana is call for celebration!  Big T was at preschool with Grandma scheduled to pick her up.  So Baby T and I loaded up and headed out with Big D to go help Uncle Charley.  Baby T and I waited as the rest of them gathered the herd.  She actually caught a good nap, and I got caught up on some reading.  

Then came the sorting and the working and the visiting.  So what else was I supposed to do.  We backed the pickup up next to the chute, and threw the jumper/exersaucer on the back and  Baby T got to take in all the action!

Checking out the herd.

Smiling for mom.

Some may think it's wrong.  I think that there is no such thing as too young!  The weather was great, and she was happy!  And like it or not this is her life until she is 18 and gone!  :)  Besides, it's fun to watch all the cowboys (young and old) interact with a baby when the baby is on there turf!

Winter Fun without any Snow

Snow has been quite scarce in North East Montana this winter.  I would go as far as to call it nonexistent this winter.  And the temperatures have been incredibly warm.  What I am trying to say to is it is the end of January.  There is no snow.  It's been 40 degrees out.  AND did I mention it is January in North East Montana!!  

But since we aren't doing any sledding or snowmobiling....  Course even if there was snow I, myself, wouldn't be doing any snowmobiling; we're are still doing some fun winter stuff around here.

Fun stuff like riding Fred.  Course, the little Cowgirl is thinking it's fun, but Ol' Fred has given me the look a time or two that I read as "Really????  I thought I got to spend my winters with my head buried in the hay feeder."  But as tough as he may want to be, Fred sure does take good care of his little cowgirl.

And off they go.  Nothin' like saddling up and stickin' the spurs to him!

If you look hard enough you can see the big grin on my Cowgirl!

T and Fred.  Fred and T.

Yes.  You are seeing things right.  Fred has his ears pins back because he is not happy!

Her sled hasn't even left the corners of the garage this winter.  But, her saddle isn't sitting around getting dusty!