Crazy Busy Beginning to the New Year

Thought I ought to at least check in with ya'll and let you know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth. Seems the more I try to slow the world down, the faster it spins and thus, January has been a complete blur, but I haven't been flung off just yet.

All is well, I've just been on the go far too much. Today was a cold, rainy, slow, relaxing day - just what the doctor ordered. I didn't cook for a single soul - well, I did warm up breakfast burrito fixings for DH and Grandpa at 6, but that was the extent of it. It was so wet that we sent Grandpa back home because there wasn't any use tearing up all the roads or getting stuck. DD was in town for her college classes(she mudded her way to the pavement) and DH and I had a rare day at home together, alone. DH couldn't go anywhere because the roads were a mucky mess, so with the exception of 2 trips to the barn to chore, we holed up inside. He rarely spends much time indoors, but today he had a chance to catch up on his paperwork and work on inventory. Later we curled up and watched a movie with mugs of hot tea and a quilt while the good Lord blessed us with an entire day of gentle rain. I love it that God knows what we need, when we need it!

After the chaos of the holidays, I was looking forward to a quiet January, but it started it out with some company (which I enjoyed), friends over for supper, an 8 day trip to help my Mom with taxes and business paperwork, 1 day home, repacked and headed to Albuquerque for a 3 day Senior Leadership Retreat with 250 teenagers (a fun, but exhausting trip), back home to buy groceries and cook for a crew of 12 for 3 days, another batch of company, and then finally take a breath for a day. Yesterday we shipped out 200 steers and tested the Corrientes and I was in the kitchen again. It's been nuts and January has come and gone in a whirlwind of activity.

While I was in Albuquerque, a dear friend whom I hadn't seen in about 3 years (far too long!) drove in and I snuck away for about 4 hours to catch up with her. It wasn't nearly long enough, but it was a huge blessing!

Blessing #2 - We're having a wonderful, wet winter. 5 snows at last count intermingled with occassional rains. Makes me long for spring...minus the winds, which never fail to make their mark on an otherwise glorious season. I'm thinkin we'll actually have a green spring and I'm looking forward to getting my hands in the dirt!

The other day I jumped in with DH and we went to feed bulls. I was in need of a big dose of fresh dirt road air after spending so much time in urban areas. As soon as we hit the paved road, we met a snowplow. They actually closed the road sometime the previous evening, but the sun was out and I thought it would make quicker work of the snow than the snowplow. We only had about 2 or 3 inches the day before, hardly worth the time and effort and money and much of it had already melted.

Bulls don't move very quickly, but you might get them to lumber a bit faster when they see the hay headed their way.

Every other day we drop a big bale for them to dine on and with a call of the siren, they eventually make their way to the breakfast table.

Where they devour a ton of hay at $170 in no time.

They never seem very appreciative about it either. Seems as if this fella woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Oh well, I suppose we all have our days.

Oh my, look at that scowl! Hope he makes time for a nap today.

I wanted to snap some pictures of DH doling out the hay, but someone had to drive and DH frowns upon me snapping pictures while I'm supposed to be driving across the pasture and avoiding the mesquite. Go figure.
Not everyone's disagreeable today. This ol' boy kept grunting his thanks.

A nap actually sounds pretty good, but when I take one, I wake up grouchier than before and I love my family too much to do that to them, so I think I'll just turn in early tonight and hope that February isn't quite as packed as January was. Grin! Looking at the calender, it's safe to say that I might have to wait until March...of next year!