Baby Ike

Before……                                                                                      After!

            I’ve been called crazy more than once. These past few weeks I’ve heard it more times than usual too. I guess it does take a certain level of insanity to spend your entire spring break sitting in a cold barn waiting for your mare to give birth to her first foal. I’m still questioning why I traded in sunshine, the beach, my bikini, and a trip to Aruba for snow, dirt, my Carhartt, and the stables. And who would sacrifice a queen sized bed for a week after living in a college dorm to sleep on hay bales?

Okay, I did that. But it was all worth it in the end.

Unfortunately my stubborn mare and her equally stubborn colt decided they didn’t want me present for the birth so he was born a week late while I was already back at school. I went home this past weekend to finally meet this much-anticipated colt that I’ve waited over 11 months for. And I decided that after seeing the little bundle of joy of a foal that my mare gave birth to, I would make the same decisions again given the opportunity.

There is nothing more spectacular than the gift of creation and I was blessed to be apart of such a wonderful miracle. To see my mare big as a house and overdue in her pregnancy when I left and with a little one by her side when I got back warmed my heart.

The millions of pictures and videos I’ve posted of him on all my social networking sites just don’t do him justice. At a week and a half he’s already a charming, flirty little thing who thinks he’s already the king of the barn.

            The waiting for this little bugger has also changed the attitude at the barn. Horseback riding always comes with drama no matter at what level you compete. We were all able to put our petty bullshit aside for this birth though and unite in the miracle we were apart of. Everyone wants to be part of something as spectacular as birth and fortunately we’ve all been there for each other during this special time at the barn.

            Each new life brought into the world is a miracle in and of itself whether or not we actually believe it is. This foal has already stolen my heart and being away from him is difficult.  It’s also incredible to see that such a little thing can bring such big smiles to people’s faces. He knows he’s adorable and uses it to his advantage which will probably end up backfiring on us at some point. Nonetheless, I can’t wait to spend all summer with my little man.

Partners In Crime Forever

I never knew what it was like to grow up with a sister. Someone you could share clothes with and talk about boys all the time. Another girl under the same roof going through the same things you were and one who could understand your troubles. I never got to experience any of this because God gave me two little brothers who I love to death, but it just isn’t the same. Instead, I was blessed with something that much better, an unbiological sister, my best friend Juli.

            I may have moved far away and we’ve always gone to different schools and occasionally we lose touch for a small chunk of time, but as soon as we’re together again, we’re as weird and dysfunctional as ever before.

            When we have plans I count down the hours until we get to hang out. And when anything goes wrong or I’m having a bad day, she is the first person I want to call or text.

            All of my best memories involve Jul being right beside me and we have enough inside jokes that I can hardly keep track. Half of our conversations start with “remember that one time….?” Followed by something so stupid it takes us forever to actually say it because we’re laughing so hard as we’re talking.

            I’m so grateful to have my “boo thang” in my life. One of the scariest thoughts is trying to picture what life would’ve been like if I never would’ve met her.

            My parents and brothers consider her part of the family and I know I’m her mom’s third daughter which is why it’s not uncommon for Wendy to text me more than she texts Juli.

           

Jul, I just want to say thank you for always having faith in me, especially when I don’t have faith in myself. You’ve helped me face my fears and you’ve always supported my dreams, no matter how crazy.

Thank you for the laughs, the smiles, the memories, the gifts, even the tears in both good ways and bad.

            Wherever you go just know I’ll have your back, regardless of if I really want to or not because that’s what best friends are for. I’m here for you every step of the way and through everything you face in life. You deserve the world so never settle for anything less than the best.

            I don’t think my parents pay you enough for being my therapist and always there to listen to me bitch and cry.

            You’re an incredible person and I know I couldn’t live without you. We’re too good of friends to ever stay mad at each other for long.

            I can’t really find words to express just how much you mean to me. We’ve gone through so much together and there is so much yet to come. I wouldn’t trade a single moment we’ve shared for anything in the world.

            You’ll always be the fruit to my loop, ice to my cream, peanut to my butter, star to my burst, pop to my tart, and dippin to my dots. But more than any of that you’re the best to my friend. I love you to the moon and back.

From a Hicktown Princess Herself

I was walking around campus yesterday and felt like I was being judged. Lucky for me, I’m not the type of girl to really care. I wondered what could possibly be drawing stares and I finally figured it must be my outfit. A Browning hoodie and Carhartt aren’t exactly considered “fashionable” here in Syracuse, New York.

I’ve learned that I’m not your typical girl since coming to school in a city. I’m not afraid to break a nail. Actually no, scratch that. I’m not afraid to get down and dirty in general. Walking across the quad in my Merrell’s and Carhartt, I see every other girl in a Northface jacket and Uggs. I get distracted and my jaw sometimes drops when a nice truck drives by (the bigger and louder the better), while other girls are longing after sleek, shiny sports cars. I wore my cowboy boots to prom and will be wearing them to my wedding too. I don’t see the allure of buying a $5000 purse. Yes, $5000 for a bag that’s probably going to sit on the ground when you go out to dinner and going to get in the way of foot room anyway. I’d rather put a nice down payment on a new Harris saddle.

I love the way I am and am so proud of my roots. I wouldn’t change growing up in a small town for anything, and I hope to raise my kids in the same town I grew up in or one very similar someday. I truly am from that stereotypical small town that everyone claims to hate but no one seems to want to leave.

What I love about being from a small town is that it’s a simple lifestyle. It’s a place you don’t have to worry about locking your doors because you know everyone anyway. Things aren’t sugarcoated and people are modest. You can leave the keys in the ignition and the worst that’s going to happen is your friends move your car from one end of the parking lot to the other. You know everyone by name and who they’re related to and their occupation, perhaps even their address. The worst traffic is being held up by an Amish buggy trying to go to the next town down the road. It’s quiet, and when you look up at the sky at night you can see the stars.

There is no better therapy than a dirt road and some music. People from the country know how to have a good time and make something out of nothing. They aren’t demanding and always looking for more like city people. We’re perfectly content sitting around a fire, chilling with friends and enjoying ourselves instead of going out to fancy places all the time.

            It’s not all rainbows and butterflies though. There is still gossip; but that’s an inescapable part of life. And sometimes you seem to be smothered by it that much more because people run out of things to talk about.

Another major thing that bothers me is that just because I’m from a small town and have small town morals, people expect me to be stupid. It’s like those who aren’t from cities with high-class schools are considered less intelligent. I think that’s so far from the truth. People can be intelligent in different ways. Just because I don’t know what the latest trend is doesn’t mean I’m not going to survive in life. I’m more proud of the fact that I know how to change a tire and don’t have to be a damsel in distress if I ever get a flat.

            So to all of you city slickers, sit back, breathe, and enjoy life. Realize how beautiful simplicity can be.

            Now on to my next issue. Talking with a friend the other day she was being criticized for falling in love with archery. She is one of the most down to earth girls I know and she didn’t start archery hunting for a boy, she did it for her. So many girls where I’m from think they need to pretend to be something they’re not just to get a boy to like them. This “fake” country girl attitude is something that will pass eventually, give it time and girls will get sick of it and ditch their redneck attitude to jump on the next bandwagon.

            Girls who don’t even know how to bait a hook will grow out of their “someone take me fishing” stage and if you want to tell yourself Florida Georgia Line and your Hollister plaid shirt make you a redneck, so be it. I’ll watch you make a fool of yourself while I listen to George Strait with my Justin Morgan boots on.

            Being country isn’t a style; it’s truly a way of life. It’s something you’re born with and that’s in your blood. It’s not about where you’re from or how much camo you wear; it’s what’s in the heart. It’s about community, kindness, respect, and being polite to others.

            As Brantley Gilbert says, “Country must be country wide; amen.”