Happenings on the Ranch

It’s been a wild ride so far and it’s not close to over! Our little town is just south of Kansas City and while most of the northern areas got hit with bad freezing rain last night, it warmed up just enough here to make it really wet. Cold enough to be very slick, but not so cold during the rain fall to put heavy ice on the trees and power lines.  Dodged a bullet there, but there’s another storm system coming through today and we may not be as lucky.  Keeping our fingers crossed and keeping a close eye on the animals.  Rosie, our youngest horse, has been struggling to keep weight on through her growth spurts so we’ve put a winter blanket on her and let her into the front of the property to eat without being harrassed by the other horses.  Here’s a picture of her wandering with some of the iced trees in the background. What a beautiful sight.

Kids were out of school today and they probably will be tomorrow, too.  We took the opporunity to do some baking and hanging out together. Megan made a cake and cupcakes and then helped me with two different batches of gingerbread while Devon made a graham cracker house.  Anthony and Arcenio are waiting for the gingerbread to start the fun.  I guess we’ll be spending the evening making cookies and houses!

On a side note, I received this prayer in my American Cowman newsletter email and thought I’d share it.  I know it was intended for Thanksgiving, but it seems appropriate all year.  Enjoy!

A Cowboy’s Thanksgiving Prayer

By Steve Lucas

Dear Lord,I confess, my prayer life hasn’t been as consistent as it should
And I reckon my life would be easier if it was, and I would
Make prayer a priority ‘cept it’s a habit to forget
Until I find my self in trouble, like that day I was soakin’ wet, And lookin’ for that heifer that had calved down by the creek.
Been watchin’ her show calvin’ signs for almost a whole week.
I prayed “Lord, help me find her,” and you showed me where to ride.
Found her in some cedars with a new calf by her side.And when it got dry this summer, we prayed real hard for rain,
Got some hard winds with it, but I thank you just the same.
‘Cause it sure gave us some fire wood, enough to last a while.
I prayed when I got myself in a problem and you helped me out in style.And now ‘round this Thanksgiving table, without a difficulty or fear,
We take a moment to thank you Lord, like we do every year.
We thank you for the blessings and the bounty you bestow
Good health, good friends and the good things that from your goodness flow.And we pray for folks we do not know who have sickness, hunger, pain.
Show us ways to share your love with them, and again,
We pray for our troops who are far away from home and families.
Let them know we love them, and Lord if you would please, Instill in our hearts a desire to pray and be thankful every day.
Not just when trouble comes or things don’t go our way.
‘Cause you endow us daily, with more than we deserve,
And we sure are poor examples of the Savior that we serve.I thank you Lord for everything, my daughter and my wife,
My friends, and for most of all, that I can live this cowboy life.
The turkey’s on the table boys, so I won’t be discreet
Thank you Lord for all this food. Come on boys, lets eat!