Fall

I love fall!  It is my second favorite season to spring.  Working at a tree farm as brought new fascinations to this season.  Being in the trees eight hours a day, you literally see them changing before your eyes.  Today, just driving through the farm I stumbled upon one of my most favorite fall scenes.  A big group of Autumn Blaze Maples in their prime.  I was on the four wheeler and didn't have a camera with me, but I tried to get some good shots with my phone.  This sight was literally breath taking. The edges of the row were a deep dark coral, but as you got into the middle of the row the color turned into a light pink orangeish.  Thoughts that ran through my mind:

• I wish everyone I knew were here to enjoy this with me right now. 
• I should eat more orange sherbert during the summer.
• Thank God summer is over!
• Candied orange slices that my mother used to eat.
• I miss my mother.
• I love life and am thankful that I do.
• I wish I could stop and play in these leaves for the rest of the day.
• I actually probably could and no one would notice, but I like my job and want to keep it. 
• Running down this row and playing in these leaves would make anyones day. 
• No one will believe me when I try to explain how gorgeous this is. 
• I'm emailing our photographer immediately and telling her to get out here before the OK wind takes all the leaves.
• I can't believe I work at a tree farm that has a full time photographer.

My million dollar horseback ride

My Dad gave us two horses about a year ago and directly after he gave them to us they have been a HUGE pain in the behind. Oh, I know...I'm supposed to sooo love horses and never say anything negative about them because they're just so beautiful and adorable. Well, sorry not the case here. Our horses have cost us more money over the past year than anything. Seriously, I'm glad I have a full time job so all my earning go towards their luxurious life. Josh and I are suckers when it comes to animals and we can't see them suffer, die, hurt, etc...I won't even go into all the issues/problems/sleepless nights/vet visits we've had over this 15 year old sorrel quarter horse named Colonel. But, I will say that after owning him for a year and sacrificing jobs, money, sleep, sanity for him...I finally got to ride him last Sunday. Did I enjoy it? No, not one bit because I was so paranoid the entire time that I was pushing him too hard, etc. BUT, I could tell that he loved it and was glad to be back in the game. Half way through the ride Josh mentioned that this was probably the most expensive horse ride next to the Kentucky Derby.

Touchy subject

This is a touchy subject to me, so I'm hoping that blogging about it will calm me down, not make my heart race and chill me out a bit. They are putting a HUGGGGE park directly across the old historic route 66, which happens to be directly to the North of our home. Our home that we chose to buy because it wasn't next to a park, because it didn't have lights shining down all over the place, because the traffic isn't bad, because it is remotely in the country away from all the organized sports. ERRR. Okay, so the blogging about it doesn't help. Josh is on full force and trying to get our neighbors to join in on having a say in this nice little lovely development. We do know that it IS happening and we're pretty sure that we can't stop it, but we will have a say in how it goes down. EVERGREENS!! BIG EVERGREENS!! Lighting will be an issue, the layout, etc. So, please send positive thoughts to us as we try to face this reality in a humane way. Here is the "master plan." Ugh. Well, nevermind I tried to upload the image of the plan and my computer won't do it because it says it is corrupt. Great sign!

I picked the wrong season!

People if you're out there, please don't give up on reading my blog; I swear I just picked the wrong time of year to start a blog. Summer around here is filled with lots, and I sat in front of a computer all day at my job, so by the time I got home and had a decent internet connection after ripping our house apart and putting it back together, blogging was far from happening. But, I have a great feeling about blogging this fall and winter. I'm feeling more organized, so I feel like I always know where my camera is, so pictures will be coming!!! Here are a some updates around the Rasp place.

1. I got a new job!!! And...I FREAKING LOVE IT!!! I work at a tree farm and am outside 80% of the time. It is so weird to actually like my job, I feel like a new person. I'm actually so paranoid that something bad is going to happen, etc. massive layoffs, or they drag me into a dark room and make me drink goats blood or something...I just feels too good to be true. I love the people, I love the trees. It's close to home, so I leave the house at 7:55 am and I'm home by 5:05 pm. I have so much more time and energy!!! At first the adjustment rocked me just because of the walking and information overload, but now I've adjusted and my body and mind are happy.
2. Josh just got back from elk and antelope camp and had a great time. Not one single vet visit for equine, k 9, or bovine which was a small miracle.
3. I have two sister in laws having babies very soon. One is a girl and one is a boy. This will be number 9 and 10 niece and nephew for Josh and I. Very excited!!!
4. I am super ready for cooler weather. (Ask me how I feel about this when I'm tagging trees in the sleet and ice this winter.)
5. I want to move to the country and live in the middle of no where.
6. I spent 2 hours on the phone tonight with "Larry" trying to connect my wireless internet to a new router.
7. I have a 3 minute commute to work everyday and I get to come home for lunch.
8. There is rumor that there is going to be a softball field built very close to our house. This makes me sick to even think about. Lights, noise, traffic! Don't even get me started. We moved to the country!!! Keep your organized games in your organized town. ERRRR!!!
9. I can't believe Josh has been in business for 6 years and that we've lived in OK that long. Time is passing us by. Kind of depressing.
10. My dogs are adorable. Cash is actually starting to slow down a bit, meaning he runs only 10 miles a day, not 20. Sammy girl is getting more grouchy in her old lady days.
11. I don't ever get to talk to my sister's as much as I'd like.
12. Oh, I got to go to Europe in August and I swear I'm still jet lagged.
13. This list is getting really random.
14. I go to "town" once a week and it's only because we have to eat groceries.
15. We are processing some cows soon. Although I'm very excited for the meat, I'm a little sad because they are so cute. We'll see...it'll be interesting.
16. I got to ride my horse for the first time in a year this past weekend. So fun. I love that guy. He's the prettiest and sweetest horse ever. Josh almost got bucked off Buttermilk. It was funny and seemed like it was in slow motion.

More posts are coming!!!!!!!!

First Halfie

Finishing the Oklahoma City Memorial Half was quite an experience. I trained for it last year and didn't get to run because of my knee. I was so intimidated by running 13 miles that I totally freaked out and over trained, so this year I took a new approach.....not training much at all. I did it, but it wasn't pretty. I ran it in 2 hours 20 minutes and my goal was under 2 and a half hours. So, now that it's over....I am missing two toenails, I will have more free time, I can't eat cake after every meal of the day, and I'm already planning the next!!

Looking so lovely at 5:00 am. Very nervous and sooooo ignorant to what I was about to go through.

This pic below was taken somewhere in between mile 8 and 10. Right after this pic, I think I hit my "wall" and seriously thought about jumping in front of oncoming traffic.

Done. Finally. Thank you God for giving me the strength to lift my legs during those last few miles.

My incredible, fun and patient cheerleader! Thank you Josh for the many ice packs for my knee and those encouraging talks on the days when running another mile felt impossible.

Waiting for Julie to cross the finish line. She ran the full 26 miles. She is CRAZY!!!

This here is one kick ass attorney people. If you need someone to file your bankruptcy or represent you in any other legal matter, I highly recommend her. She is a fireball in the courtroom and on the pavement. (corny)

Favorite signs of the day: "Run this bitch!" and "Toenails are for pansies." Favorite water stop: I have no freaking clue, I wasn't paying attention to any of that stuff. All I could think about was finishing. Favorite moment: The 168 seconds of silence for all the victims of the bombing. Pretty moving when there are 34,000 participants. And of course, crossing the finish line. What will I do differently next year? Wear a darker shirt, so you can't see all the sweat seeping all over my body.

Very Big News!!!

These two folks (my sister in law Jaymie, and her husband, Jason) are going to have a baby!!! The baby will be joining us for camping, boating, and fun with the Rasp family on November 8, 2010. We are all very excited!!!

Ski Trip

I am so far behind. I haven't had internet at home for about a month since we've been remodeling and getting a new roof. Here are some pics from our ski trip with the Biggsies. I'll post more of us actually skiing later. Enjoy these cute people!!!

Our chef with his beautiful wife.

Cash is always entertainment for the kids

Amy - Trying to look all southwestern

Colonel is baaaack! (kind of)

Colonel is making some serious progress!!! Josh took him to go check on the cattle with Buttermilk the other night. HUGE for a horse that has survived what he has. Our vet calls him the miracle horse. With lots of care and another small miracle he may be rideable by the end of the summer. It's my birthday wish, that I can ride him for my birthday (August 15th). We'll see. Honestly, I'm just glad that he is still alive and walking. I have grown very attached to this horse. I hate being so close to so many animals. It's hard for a lot of reasons.

Sammy Sammy girl girl. My ten year old.

I'm simply making the announcement that my precious sweet labby that we've had since she was 7 weeks old, turned 10 on March 13th. I'm not making a big deal about this for obvious reasons (other dogs owners, I know you get it). Anyways.....we shared a glass of wine together and later she got a big bowl of frosted mini wheats.

She is the coolest dog ever!!! Love you so much Sammy!!! You have been there through thick and thin. Road trips, moves, dating, marriage, remodels, etc. She is such a trooper and just rolls with us through everything. She has crazy endurance, is a Daddy's girl, loves to swim, can fetch for hours, can tolerate super cold and super hot weather, is kind of bitchy about meeting other girl dogs, can sleep through a tornado, loves her Grandad's, is very demanding about getting breakfast and dinner on time everyday, can sneeze on command (I'm serious and have proof on video), knows all the typical dog commands (sit, roll over, turn around, stay, fetch, lay), she typically does these on her own time though, she has waaay too cool to do them no that she has gotten older. I can't even go into a serious posting about this dog or I will literally be a ball bag for days. She is my best friend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!!!! Thanks for making life so fun for us for the past 10 years. Wow!!!

The Typical Pre-Ski Trip Activity

I grew up on a ranch, so I should be used to all this calfing action and not get too excited about it. Not the case!! Since we have our own little operation, I have taken a new interest. Before we took our niece and nephew skiing in Taos we stopped in Panhandle, Texas to stay with my Dad and Patty. We loaded up and took an ag tour of all the new baby calves. Nothing is cuter than a registered Hereford calf. Just look how precious they are!!!

Of course it's much more exciting to check on the cattle with an elementary student driving the vehicle.

All the calves hang out together just like little kids. They run and play, and chase each other around. The Mom's all gather for coffee and chit chat while they let the kids play. I think here all the new Mom's are planning what they'll be serving for snacks at the next baby shower. Okay, that was dumb.




This calf was JUST born. They can stand up within an hour of being born. This Momma was not happy about us driving up on her new baby!!


So, after welcoming some new calves into the world and surviving Tristan almost flipping the Tahoe while driving....we head west for our skip trip. Pics to come soon!!

This is how I see her.

This is my best friend (the beauty in the middle). I saw this picture on some strangers blog through blog stalking and was stunned. I absolutely love this picture, because this is Brooke to me. Listening, laughing, laid back, drawing attention, and beaming. It sounds so cliche', but life would not be complete without her. Would I have found her in another form? Another Brooke to fill her spot? No. She is one of a kind. She has literally help mold me into who I am today. I am so thankful she is in my life. I hope all of you have a Brooke like I do. She knows me better than anyone, and still loves me. That is a difficult task. I love you Brooke. Thank you for making my life fuller.

Wooooow!!!

I have been such a slacker at blogging that I have spent the ENTIRE evening relearning my log in, password, how to upload pictures, etc. I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON THIS!! Here is a little snap of what's happening around here. We're not completely finished with the inside of our house, so we did what makes sense to us and start a minor project OUTSIDE!!

Yes, the roof over our laundry room and bedroom is gone. We are having it reframed and then the entire house will have a new roof, new siding, facia, soffits, gutters, shutters, and new paint. If you look at this picture closely you will see the hammock that my husband has been sleeping in almost every night. No, the hammock is not his dog house, he's just weird like that and was born 100 years later than he was supposed to.
We have no tv, since there is no roof to connet it to and I was really suprised to have internet. We are actually hiring someone to do this project, so it will probably (crossed fingers) get done in a timely manner, Unlike when I "hire" Josh to do things.

List of random things

Some random things:

Just got home from Taos - will post pics later
I've been getting out of control nose bleeds for the past week.
I need new work clothes.
We're getting a new roof next week.
I'm obsessed with Josh's long hair and wake up in the middle of the night panicking that he got it cut.
I have a new favorite mug at work and if it's in the cabinet when I get to work, then I know it's going to be a good day.
Josh is going to build us a new well house this spring and it's going to have a grass roof.
Our remodel is still not complete, but everynight before I go to bed I pray that a little remodel fairy will come and finish it while I'm at work. Hasn't happened, but I still think it could.
I'm on a gum kick and have 6 different flavors in my purse.
Getting excited for the garden this year!!
I'm totally ready for spring. Love winter, but ready for spring.
I'm already having anxiety attacks thinking about taking care of green grass, weeds, etc. Oh well. I love our lawn mower, hate the weed eater.
Brooke went on vacation the same time I did and we didn't talk for a week straight. We set a new record, and I don't like it.
I had a butterfinger blizzard from Dairy Queen yesterday. So good!
I listened to a crazy show about a dominitrix on NPR. Strange.
I'm ready for my hair to be long again. This short business is too high maintenace for me.
I spent way too much money on i tunes last month.
I need to get better at taking pictures.
It feels weird because I basically lived with Colonel in his pen during the month of September, now he probably doesn't even know who I am.
I am going to see how long I can put off going to the grocery store.
It's Tuesday, ready for the weekend.

Friends

I have some amazing girls in my life, and I have a dream for all of us to get together one day. A vacation, a weekend, or even just a happy hour would do. Most of them don't know each other, but I know they would all love one another. It would be one heck of a time and there would be some very interesting conversations. I don't get to see any of them as much as I'd like. They are all so different with amazing character, I admire every single one of them for who they are and can't imagine life without them. Thank you for making life fun. Thank you for being silly and serious, for listening, for talking, dancing, and laughing. Friends, thank you for being my friend.

*freaky how I can get some of your pics off facebook huh? If I had to then it's been waaay too long since I've seen you.

My Valentine

No better date ...than with this guy right here.

He has got whatever it is.