 | Relationship BuilderCowboy Up or Go Sit in the TruckPosted Thursday, October 11th, 2007 and visited 966 times, 2 so far today by Mary |
What a great quote, right? How many of us withdraw when the going gets tough…or, even when the going gets…stinky?
A few days ago I was enjoying a quiet house one afternoon when hubby called from work.
“Got anything special going this afternoon?”
Hm. Just a couple hours of “time off” in the middle of a super hectic schedule. And three year old was napping.
“Um, no, not really.” I replied, mentally ‘cowboying up’.
Little did I know how on target that would be. Soon I was directing the older girls to don their jeans and boots, and bundling three year old into her carseat, half-asleep for the 45 minute jaunt to dh’s workplace–The Ranch.
A cattle pot with 130-some head of calves was running really late and the boss and other hand had out-of-town ball games to attend for kids and grandkids, so dh thought it would be a grand adventure for our whole family to help “work calves”. Believe it or not, it was.
I’ve helped before, but this time–can you hear the snap of my surgical glove?–I got to give shots! 130-something of them…
What fun we had. My oldest, armed with a hot shot, kept them coming into the holding pen and down the alley toward the chute. My 7 year old removed their ear tags with a handy little knife-like tool, gingerly at first, I might add. 3 year old bopped around “helping”7 year old, telling her when another calf with an eartag was on the way. Hubby branded, I put on the wormer and we both vaccinated from our respective sides. This went on for hours.
Past supper time. Past the point of fun. But nobody complained. It did something to me to see those three girls so happy to help their daddy in that dusty, branding-smoke filled environment. Even three year old kept a smile on.
When we kicked the last calf out of the working chute, oldest daughter and I got to “play cowboy”, moving the calves by horseback to their new home, almost a half-miles winding around pens and pasture. Dh follwed the herd on 4-wheeler with our two youngest girls.
By this time it was about 7:30 P.M. Sundown. Cool. Peaceful.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve gotten the call. Hubby and I have spent hours working hard together and have the great memories to treasure as a result. “Remember the time we dug out a half acre of musk thistle in such and such pasture?” Boy do I. My handsome hunk of a man sweating it out with me through the birth of each daughter. Etcetera.
Next time your friend or spouse calls you up and suggests something less than exciting, feign some enthusiasm. You never know what ’sitting in the truck’ might cost you!
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October 11th, 2007 at 9:23 am Subscribed to Comments
Great post! I’m glad to hear your family has the “cowboy it up” mentality!
October 11th, 2007 at 1:23 pm Subscribed to Comments
Aw, I LOVED this post
Life is an adventure, and I look up to the moms who view it as such. I hope to be just like that (or you 
) someday! Thanks for sharing this.
October 11th, 2007 at 6:34 pm Subscribed to Comments
Golly, I’m afraid I would almost always opt for sitting in the truck. I’m not very brave. And I’m lazy. But I admire plucky – and you guys are that!
October 11th, 2007 at 10:26 pm Subscribed to Comments
Thanks, ladies! It was a great time…
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
You’re right Mary– there are things to be learned and events to treasure in the most menial of activities!
Thanks for sharing and the encouragement!