Sunday Night Highlights 1.24.16

Weekend Adventures:

• My grandparents left yesterday morning, and it was sad because we don't get to see them often, but I'm glad they got to spend a couple of days with us, especially to see Wacey!
• Bert and Wacey did stuff at the barn while I ran to town for a baby-free hour to get dog food since our canine army eats way more than I remember to get ever. I listened to the first few episodes of "The Longest Shortest Time" podcast and LOVED it, especially the third episode.
• When I got home, Wacey and I soaked up the warm weather (it was almost sixty degrees!!!) and played with the dog pack outside for an hour. It was great, the dogs got out SO MUCH energy, I got the rest of my steps in, and Wacey discovered leaves so it was a win-win for everyone.
• This morning, I whipped up a double batch of blueberry muffins because we need some in our lives, and Bert's parents are visiting this afternoon!

Agriculture: 

• When a cow has twins, if one is a bull and one is a heifer, the heifer is sterile more than 90% of the time. These heifers are call freemartins. 
• The average body temperature of a cow is 101.5 degrees,
• Beef calves stay with their mothers until they are weaned in the fall. They'll drink milk until they're ready to eat grass, and then they'll add grass into the mix little by little. By the time they're weaned in the fall, they are ready to live entirely on grass and hay. And cow cake. They loooooove cow cake.  

On the Ranch:

• So far, Bert's had about a hundred calves, and we've had a few calves born on the other camps, too. Helllloooo busy busy.
• When calving season arrives on the ranch, that's pretty much the extent of what goes one. Feed cows, calve cows, mess with baby cows, wash, rinse, repeat, and hope for good weather. 

On the Home Front:

• Last week we did a lot of working on calving in the book (me), working on calving at the barn (Bert), and chewing on model calves at home (Wacey). Nothing too exciting, but you know, some weeks, that's okay.
• My glory moment last week: taxes are filed! I don't mind doing them (hellooooo refund), but it's still a pain in the rear, so I made myself do them the day we got our W-2s in the mail. Done and done!
• My aunt and uncle came down to have dinner with us and my grandparents and momma Friday night, and it was so fun. We had some farm-raised pork chops and they were excellent. My aunt Sue is a profesh photographer, and she loaned me one of her lenses for my Nikon--a telephoto heyyyyyy! Can't wait to play with it and see how ah-mazing it is! (Edited to add: snapped some shots yesterday and I'm in love. See below.) 

Friday Favorites 1.22.16

Happy Friday! I hope your week was the best! And if it wasn't, adios to this week, hola to the next!

My grandparents are in town from Indiana, so we're spending the day visiting and driving around the ranch and, of course, playing with Wacey. This weekend, we're not doing much. I'm planning my monthly grocery store assault (I start the list a week-plus early because I always forget things), and also planning my assault on my goals for 2016. We've had a run-around, busy couple of weeks so I'm looking forward to a slow-down. I'm also trying my Pure Barre DVD for the first time, I'm crossing my fingers that I fall in love because I want to so badly!

And there's no SoulCycle in the boonies, so I have to try one of these new fitness trends that my newsfeed is full of!

Favorite Sparkle: Aquamarine Earrings. Oh my gosh you guys. I LOVE these earrings. I just showed them to Bert and was like "In case you ever need an idea about what to get me ever..." My engagement ring has an aquamarine in the center, and I've always wanted earrings to match, but I haven't found any that don't look like costume jewelry. These are unusual, and SO COOL, and studs #forthewin.

Favorite Paint: Distressed Navy Blue. I have painting plans this  year, and I love love love this idea for a yet-to-be-purchased dresser for the living room. Our upstairs paint is Revere Pewter, and the dining room table and other wood is dark, so I think this color would be a not-too-loud pop of semi-neutral color. 

Favorite Indulge: Twisted Cinnamon Brioche Rolls. These look pretty and delicious! Plus mini things are my fave.

Favorite Fitness: Arms Challenge. I can't seem to commit to working for a set amount of time every day, so these little challenges are perfect for me. By the time I'm bored with them, they're over, and I move on to another one, or take a week off and start again if I like them. I know, not the best workout practice, but if I mix and match I end up doing a good weights workout 4-5 times a week. I'm doing two a month this year! This is my current one, and I'm doing a legs challenge too. This plus treadmill and some Pure Barre DVDs are the foundation for my 2016 workouts!

Favorite Food: Crispy Potato Roast. Crispy potatoes with tender centers with herbs and pancetta? Sign me up! These are kind of like a marriage between scalloped potatoes and french fries, and I don't hate it. 

Favorite Print: It's a Good Day. I just like this. It's cute! And it's true. Every day, no matter what, is a good day to have a good day. I've been hunting printables and ideas for my gallery wall project this year, and I like this one a lot!

Favorite Funny: Lines from Gone With the Wind. Oh my heavens I laughed so hard at this! Especially Samuel L. Jackson. Oh man. I wish I could act.

Favorite Hair: Long Bob with Waves. Ah, hair envy. I cut my hair a tick too short the last time I got a cut, so I'm waiting to get it cut again until it grows out to a little longer than this length. I have dreams of re-creating this hair on myself every day--too bad the good lord gave me hair that falls somewhere on the spectrum between Rat's Nest and Brillo. I'm on the hunt for the perfect products, though, and I think I'm close!

Favorite Home Inspire: Horse Above the Mantle. I love paintings like these. My friend's mom has one of a Hereford cow and I covet it. I am trying to find the right one for our bedroom--Bert isn't the biggest fan, but I am holding out hope! If nothing else, I've thought of blowing up a picture of our best horse Asa (aka Bert's best friend) and painting over the photograph myself. 

Favorite Variations: Madeleines. I've had a slight obsession with Madeleines since high school French and my mom buying me a Madeleine pan for Christmas. Light, fluffy, classy, and delicious! I'm particularly intrigued by the black & white and spice variations.

Favorite Little Fashion: Mess Maker Tee. I'm not the biggest fan of graphic tees, but Wacey could use one like this because truth. Plus, tiny size t-shirts make my heart melt.

Favorite Trend On Whose Bandwagon I May Have to Jump: Fur Pom Beanie. I don't have any of these hats. This looks like a nice hat. Maybe I ought to purchase one--all the cool kids are doing it!

Favorite Hmmmmm: Replica Perfume. I love this idea! I'm all about scents reminding me of places, aka cinnamon ALL the time. AND oranges. And vanilla. Mmmmm and saddle leather. And lavender, and peppermint. 

Happy Friday! See y'all Sunday for this weekend's Sunday Night Highlights!

The One With Phone Photos [in January]

This alpaca always escapes, and his owners are constantly trying to keep him in. I kind of love watching it all go down every other day.

The barn is open for business!

No editing, folks! I think it's safe to say he's inherited his daddy's blue eyes. Praise the Lord :)

Sitting in the driver's seat and playing with the steering wheel is BIG fun for this little boy.

Rural traffic jam. This herd lives here, so it happens on the regular. They always wait until you're about to drive by, and then they're like "RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIFFFEEEEEE!"

YOU. GUYS. If you drive through a fence, let someone know. That way, I don't have to wake up and find a surprise hole in the fence and a broken brace the day cows are supposed to go in there. Also, maybe don't drive like a maniac on the ice ;) 

Reading and driving, sans pants. #babylife #lifegoals

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking #squadgoals, amiright?

"Oh, just, ah, checking out this light here. You know."

I won't lie, the novelty of a new car (WITH A SUNROOF!) hasn't worn off yet. 

This is the other right way to use a walker, in case you were wondering.

That's What She Said: Calving 2016

Calving is so here, we have fifty calves on the ground already and it's wonderful! I'm glad for Bert because in past years, the heifers have really drug out having their calves, but this year it seems like everyone's on schedule to be done in a reasonable amount of time.

When I worked outside with him, I used to imagine what it would be like if cows could talk, because looking at cows' backsides all day every day can make you a little loopy, and it's fun to imagine what they'd say.

I'm both sad and happy to report that the loopiness has not faded, despite the fact that I don't work with him every day any more. I guess Office Ladies can be nuts, too ;) What can I say, all those hormonal females sure bring out my silly side.

Welcome to the Calving 2016 edition of "That's What She Said."

 "Ummmmmm excuse me. A thing just came out of you. WHAT IS THAT THING? It's moving! It's moving!!!"

"Hello? It's me. I was wondering if after all this time you'd like to leave. Me alone. You see, I don't like you looking at my calf so you really ought to leave."

"Hello? Can you hear me? I'm about to run across this pen and eat your lunch for free. I'm bigger than you, I've not forgotten how to run real fast and knock you off your feet."

"There's such a difference between us, and a thousand pounds."

"Hello, get on the other side! Do I have to ask a thousand times? For you to get out of this here pen. But when I ask you, you never seem to go."

"Mom! I'm getting an earring like you have! Look at my earring! It's like what you have! Hey! Check me out! I look so good!"

"Please. Let me out. Beulah is having a baby. I don't like babies. Plus she's freaking out about it because she's a drama queen and I mean really, how bad can it be. But please. Let me out of here. I know in the morning I can just turn around and walk out the other gate into the pasture, but that's in the morning. Beulah's going to be freaking out ALL NIGHT. I don't want to have to listen to--oh wait, you said you'll remove her? Okay. Thanks. That'll work."

"That's not your calf!" "Yes, it is! It literally just came out of me! And it likes me better!" "No! IT'S MY CALF I SAW IT COME OUT OF YOU BUT I LICKED IT FIRST FINDERS KEEPERS!" "NO! It's not your calf and if you keep this up that lady over there with the camera is going to tattle on you and you'll be removed!" "NO I WON'T!" (She was.)

Sunday Night Highlights 1.17.16

Weekend Adventures:

• Since Bert's been at the barn almost nonstop, Wacey and I go visit him a lot. Wacey likes to watch the tractor put hay in the feeders and visit the horses. 
• It's been cold and/or windy, so not ideal weather for doing anything but being cooped up, so we're really looking forward to next week's warmer weather! Yesterday, Wacey and I had several dance parties, watched a movie, growled at each other, ran some errands, went to look at the cows, and looked at turquoise paint to order online. Okay, maybe not the last part. Maybe I just did that alone. 
• Baby boy has SIX teeth coming, and is cutting one incisor (#snaggletooth), so it's been crankytown around here. We've been doing a lot of playing, a lot of early napping, a lot of bottles, and a little Motrin. 

Agriculture: 

• Agriculture employs 17% of the workforce, or about 24 million people, but less than 2% of the American population actually lives on farms and ranches. 
• Today, farmers and ranchers produce 262% more food with 2% fewer inputs (such as seeds, labor, fertilizers) than they did in 1950.
• A group of pigs is called a sounder. 

On the Ranch:

• It's calving time! So far, we've had quite a few calves, and other than a few snafus, everyone is healthy and doing well. 
• Stock Show in Denver is over for our cattle (Red Angus show the first week), but there are some animals that are going to the Fort Worth Stock Show later this month. Stock show season and award season coincide, I guess :)
• The heifers were due to calve first, so right now Bert is the only one really calving, but we're fast approaching the due date for the youngest of the older cows (last year's heifers), so pretty soon we'll have calves all over. 

On the Home Front:

• We've had an exciting couple of weeks! We got a new car (a Subaru, be still my AWD-loving heart) and it's amazing--there's not much convenience in living out in the boonies, so I'll take any little bit I can get.  This car lets me talk on the phone through the car speakers. Plus, it's way easier to park than the pickup. 
• Still working on what to do with this here blog. I went through a little funky couple of days where I was 100% completely uninspired and not enthusiastic at all about anything, really. My best friend can attest that these black moods happen every now and again, but I'm glad to say the most recent one was short-lived and I'm feeling better. Except now I have a cold. Go figure. 
• We were gifted some cash money by relatives this year for Christmas, and used it to buy a longstanding item on our wishlist--a treadmill! Yes, we're that behind the times. With the weather being so cold, it's been hard to get out to go on walks with Wacey because it takes so much work to get out the door, and he needs like 47 bottles, and by the time we actually get going, we're both over it and so needless to say, my workouts were lacking. I got it for a great deal on craigslist, and have already used it several times, and I love it. Again, #convenience. And #Netflix. Also #Downton. 

2016 Goals

Every year, I write down my goals. This year, I'm proud to say that I put a lot of thought into what I want 2016 to be like and these are my intentional goals for this year!

Personal:

Fitness. I won't be making any resolutions about having a scheduled workout plan or losing xx pounds--those sorts of things stress me out and make me feel guilty if I fall off the workout wagon, and they have never worked in past years. Mostly, it boils down to eating healthier, but not dieting or jumping on weird nutritional bandwagons; moving around in whatever way makes me happy that day, be it a walk, a run, a weights workout or something different; and treating myself properly from my head to my toes.

Skin. I know, this is weird to have as a resolution. But my skin hasn't been good since I got pregnant almost two years ago, and it's driving me crazy. It's time to figure it out. It's hard to feel pretty when your face is blotchy all the time! I've tried several different regimens and none have worked, and I've gotten discouraged with how much skincare can cost. Enter the amazing Laura, and her skin care recommendations in this post. I ordered everything on her list, and it came out to less than ONE of the other products I was considering buying, and everything on her list has better reviews than the fancy products by Murad and such. They're on their way, and I'm so excited.

Time Management. I want to be much more deliberate in how I use my time. This means wasting less time online, and actually using my planners. Bert got me the one I asked for for Christmas, and I just ordered this larger one to keep at home and plan blog posts. I've also been utilizing the Do-It-Tomorrow app to help me remember my to-do list and have it with me all the time. I also ordered the 2016 calendar printable set from Naptime Diaries; I use these for meal planning, weeks at a glance, and having a work calendar when we get really busy. It helps me so much to have pretty planning materials so I'm actually excited to plan and look at my calendars!

The Blog. I'm doing this thing. So, it's time to plan, and commit, and do it justice. I'm excited!

Take Time for Myself. I need alone time to function. Not piles of it, and often Wacey's naptime is enough. But sometimes, a trip to the store or Starbucks sans bebe, or an afternoon at home to clean and organize without feeling like I need to be spending my time with the boys, or a walk without the stroller are glorious and delightfully recharging. Maybe I'll even get my nails done! I know, whoa, calm down Cass. This also means spending more time actively growing in my faith. Because I'm strapped for time, I ordered this devotional that's geared towards moms. I'll let you know how it works out! I love their stuff, though, so I'm sure it'll be amazing. 

Education. I miss school, and although I don't necessarily want to go back, I don't want to stop learning. So, I'm going to go to stuff. Seminars and whatnot. Colorado State University has a great one in April that I'm hoping to attend, for starters. This one has the added bonus of providing serious content for the blog and networking a little. I need inspiration, and I think this is one way to find it. 

Home & Family:

The Budget. While I'm not awful at budgeting, I would like to improve, and since I'm the main grocery-buyer and bill-payer of the house, it's prudent for me to try. I've started using a budgeting app to help track my expenses, and being more clear with Bert about our cash situation. We are working on paying off our student loans in full, and I would like to be through with them by the time I'm 30, which gives us a few more years. I'm also planning on going to the bank the next time I'm in town without Wacey to open up a few more savings accounts to Bert and I can each have "fun money" accounts without dipping into our main savings account. This also means allocating a good portion of our tax return (hey hey, deduction in the form of Wacey!) to paying off our pickup! We're so close! 

The House. I have several projects that have been on the backburner forever, and we got some money from relatives for Christmas to set aside for house things so I'm going to get them done or go insane. Mainly, I would like to find us a bed frame and finish up our bedroom, find a dresser for the TV upstairs (and chalk paint it!), paint the downstairs dresser that I bought, fix the upstairs curtain situation (lengthen curtains, paint rods and fixtures), and add more finishing touches to the downstairs. Oh and buy a new guest bathroom rug, aka horse blanket, but that's just something I need to remember to pick up at Big R while we're there. Honorable mentions: a gallery wall in the guest bath, shelving in Jay's room (aka Bert's leatherworking room), and reorganizing kitchen cabinets. 

Family. More fun stuff, that's pretty much it. Get outside more! Go to the pool! Swing at the park! A date night or six with just me and my main man. Teaching Wacey how to walk and eat big kid food. You know. And, I'm cooking at least one new recipe a month, and as soon as Wacey is eating adult food, we'll all be eating together at the table.

It might seem like a lot, but for me, these all sound enjoyable, so they'll all be do-able. I'm already on the way for several, and have plans for many more. No, I probably won't accomplish all of them, but I really do think I'll get a big chunk done. I know that you can't plan everything, and life will deal me a different hand than I'm expecting this year because that's how it works. But I enjoy starting with a roadmap of where I'd like this year to take us, even it way make several pit stops along the way.

Or get stuck in a cul-de-sac for a minute, because, you know, that happens. 2

2016, I'm coming for you!

Sunday Night Highlights 1.3.16

Weekend Adventures:

• For New Year's Eve (that's technically the weekend, right?) we continued our tradition of getting Chinese take-out and watching a movie (Trainwreck--I loved it!). Sort of lame, but when you live in the boonies, there aren't any bars close (the nearest one to us is a rather seedy establishment called the Pop-A-Top Saloon), and Chinese take-out is a major treat. 
• Yesterday, Wacey and I braved the grocery store and the dreaded Walmarts to go on our big monthly shopping trip. I get produce several times a month, but I do one big shopping trip at the beginning of every month. I make a big list and pull out the coupons and sort of love it and fear it all at the same time. Wacey growled for three hours straight. It was sort of funny, but also sort of loud. It's nice to have a fully stocked pantry and fridge, though!
• Last night, we started watching Making a Murderer, and we're pretty handily sucked in. I can't wait to see what's next.
• Tonight, we're going out to dinner in town with a gift card that we got for Christmas, sort of a last hurrah before calving season starts and Bert has to stick close to the ranch for a couple months.

Agriculture: 

• The average calf weighs between 65 and 95 pounds at birth.
• Most ranches calve in the spring, but some calve in the fall. It depends on the available forage and other things like labor and marketing. 
• Baby calves drink about a gallon of milk a day.

On the Ranch:

• We had our first calf yesterday! I always name the first calf, and this guy's name is Rooster. Lst year was Boomhauer, and the year before was Lola. I'll write a post about it later this week!
• The stock show crew will be leaving with all the cattle this week, and will start showing the cows next weekend, mostly in Red Angus shows. We'll also have a two pens of bulls.
• This side of Christmas, it's all about getting ready for calving season. Barns are getting cleaned out and bedded with fresh straw, vet rooms are stocked with vaccines and medicine, and I'll be printing and distributing calving books this week. 

On the Home Front:

• Christmas was AMAZING. Having a kid makes Christmas a thousand times better, even when they're too small to know what's going on. Wacey got spoiled rotten, for which I am eternally grateful because now he has a great selection of new toys to play with while I work, and new clothes to grow into like, next week.   
• I took a break from the blog because I want to be super deliberate about what I put in this space. I'll write a post about that sometime soon, because I think it's important to be transparent and truthful. 
• This side of New Year's, I have a couple resolutions that I'm really going to try to stick to. Again, post forthcoming! Can you tell I'm planning posts?
• While I'm missing the holidays a little this year, I think 2016 is going to be a good year, and I'm excited for some things coming up! 
• Last week, some family friends came out to visit and have a little tour of the ranch, and we were treated to the entire elk herd running around the pickup! It was like a safari, I couldn't have planned it better.