Hat Topper * Handmade Branded Ball Ornaments * Cowboy Ornaments * Western Tree Skirt

Got a Christmas Tree Post or Photo? Link directly to it below! I’d love to see!

I was 16 and pregnant in that photo……

The Early Years

When I married a cowboy, I had no idea what I was getting myself  into.  Technically I was a city girl, well, as citified as you can get coming from Sweetwater, TX but I dang sure wasn’t no country gal so you can imagine how it might have been to make that adjustment when I married.

It’s hard to enough to adjust to married life in a regular situation but when you’re 16 and pregnant, well that’s even harder.  We were young, *I* was young and I can think of three things that made cowboy life so hard…….1) the moving 2) the lack of money 3) the drinking with all the cowboys, but it’s all three of those things that make me appreciate our life even more today.

It’s only natural that a young man would want to go out drinking with his brothers and friends but it was the ‘leaving the wife at home’ that chapped my hide.  So much so that we fought for a long time over it.  It was perfectly normally for the cowboys to leave their wives at home, head to the ranch bunkhouse to drink and trade but it was new to me.  And unlike some of those other wives….I just wasn’t gonna sit by and not say anything.  He still went out drinking with his brothers but not as much as he would have liked to. While he may not admit to this day, it’s the truth. I gave him hell, enough to make him think twice about it.  I know now that he truly wanted to drink with his brothers while sitting at some barn, trading for cowboy goods much like he does today, not doing anything wrong mind just having a good time with his friends, but I was young and selfish then.  I just didn’t understand but I do now.

Moving. Oh lord the moving–The moving me out in the middle of nowhere.  And  Cowboys can quit a job in a heartbeat.  I still remember when he worked at the feedlot.  I remember the day he came home and said he quit because cowboys don’t paint fences. “They may mend them but they don’t paint them”, he said.  “Real cowboys just don’t do that” was something I had to learn the meaning of real quick.  I didn’t understand it then but I do now.  He wasn’t too good to paint, he was just following he dreams–sticking to his guns of being a real cowboy.   We moved more times than I care to count, each place providing a new ranch living experience and chasing dreams of the cowboy way of life from ranch to ranch. I always knew we’d be okay no matter where we moved ’cause we had each other but it was hard. Hard for me to make friends, hard for the kids to adjust but we got through it and he got it out of his system so that now we’re living comfortable in one place where we’re happy, a place where the kids are happy.  Sometimes he misses the big ranches, dreams about how he wished he had gone to Arizona to work and if ever wanted to do any of that, I’d be right there with him, no questions asked ’cause that’s what real cowboys do..drift and dream.  Pack everything up, throw it in a trailer and see what’s in store on the next horizon….

The poor times.  I’ve said it a million times and it’s pretty well known that cowboys don’t make much money.  Not ranch cowboys anyways and that’s what he was, a tried and true cowboy all the way.  We’ve made less than $750 with two kids, a truck to pay for, and bills to pay but we got through, always.  We might have had to send the two very young kiddos off once due to the lack of groceries or I might have even had to write a hot check to buy those groceries until the next paycheck came but we managed.  We didn’t need much else and while I’d like to have had nice things, they weren’t necessary.  We had food, family, friends, and each other.

Cowboys are rough, a little rowdy and drifters but they’re good guys.  And if you ever fall for one, just remember….Cowboys Ain’t Easy to Love.  (If you have quicktime, you can listen to it here. Otherwise, check it out on Amazon. It’s an oldie but a good’un.)

If you want to know how we met, you can read the beginning–the story of us.  More to come…..

P.S. If you’re reading through email or reader, come check out my new look. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my blog makeover.

1) Up first is some western beauty, for you and your body! Meet Dolce Mia and their fine designs with a little cowgirl/cowboy flavor. I ain’t gonna lie, I totally didn’t want to use this because they are so dang cute! I wanted them to just sit there lookin’ purty in my bathroom BUT, I did use them and LOVED them! Omg, the smells were fabulous and made me feel so good!  Oh, and the have shea butter, ooo la la..so soft:)

2) For an eco-friendly alternative (because I know there are a ton of you out there), try these beautiful hand-carved soaps with lovely horse designs on them from Carved Solutions. You can actually get them personalized to whatever you want! HOW COOL IS THAT!  They also have candles so be sure to check them out!

3) How about a cool Tatt for your teen or fella or even for the ladies. It could be of a horse, your logo, MY logo, or whatever!  UberTatts are made of quality. They apply quickly and remove easily.  The horse on this ride, gives horsepower a whole new meaning!

4) Western whimsical gift idea from CCC Gifts up next.  I LOVE the boots on this hand painted cowboy canvas.  It’s fun, creative, and would make for a beautiful addition to any western home wall.  I adore anything handcrafted.

5) Add a little charm to your arm!  Can’t go this season without these beautiful sterling silver western charms.  I have a charm bracelet with all sorts of western charms and it’s something that I think every cowgirl at heart should have.  They have a gazillion other charms there too. Check it out!

6) Boot Scootin’ in these babies will make the other cowgirls jealous!  Aren’t they purty? Black with white details..oh yeah! Kinda Harleyish that are sure to have them cowboys crushing on you.:)  And how ’bout the boots for the fellas?  ROWR! Cherry hot fo sho.  Durango’s got some hot styles I’d say, including the fabulous Flirt boots!  I own a pair and LOVE them and they have a style for every gal.

7) We love to have books on our tables, books that my husband and brother-in-law are in and history books like this ‘Historic Photos of Texas Lawmen‘.  LOVE seeing real photos of the folks way back when don’t you?  It makes for a great conversation piece and a fun bit of education for the younger generation.  A big ol’ thumbs for this book!

8) Ride ‘em Cowboy! I LOVE this line from Olive Kids. My little cowpoke has a few items from them and the next one of the list is the floor pillow.  I love that you can personalize their items.  Kids love that stuff!  Truett loves his plate and placemat which I also highly recommend.

9) Any of the tees, iphone covers, and koozies would be a great gift from Southern Brand.  I really like their style and couldn’t just choose one thing.  Great stuff there!

10) Ariat, who doesn’t love them. When I worked at Dandy’s, I sold more Ariat than any other boot.  I also enjoyed seeing more and more of their other products like their belts and shirts.  The make high quality stuff and are a name you can trust.  My son wears the horsehair belt, my cowpoke wears those cute red Kid’s Legend boots and I’m dying to have that women’s Rosie shirt…in that color.  I truly enjoy all they have. Great brand.

Anyways, Sony wants to hear words that move you. Literary words that make you think, feel, and question.  You can register and add your own literary moments from books that you’ve read.  You can see a few words that move me in the box below.  One of my favorites is from the book, 8 Second with Lane Frost, a bullrider who gets killed by a bull during a ride.  His very good friend Tuff (also a championship bullrider), said the words, “We’re a tradition, last of the dying breed.”  I relate that with the cowboy life.  There’s tradition in the cowboy way of life. I hope it never ends…..

You can interact with my widget. You can comment, add to your favorites, “heart it”, and even click on one of the adjectives to see related literary moments.   And of course, I’d love to hear YOUR literary moments.   I know that many of you guys are readers/writers and thanks to Sony, I have a surprise for you!

One winner will receive a SONY Reader Pocket Edition valued at $199.  What a great way to spend your time on those long flights or during lunch breaks, or maybe spend a few minutes reading before bedtime.  I’ll be using mine on the plane. I rarely get the time to read and who wants to carry a ton of books around…not me! This Sony Reader will inspire me to have many more memorable literary moments now and I hope it does the same for you. If you don’t win, I hope that you consider it as a gift to someone or even to yourself.

HOW TO ENTER

Required entry: Leave a comment sharing your favorite book, either as a child or as an adult and why it’s your favorite. What made it memorable for you?

You may enter daily as long as it’s a different book and story you are sharing.  I will verify the winner;)

Additional entries, leaving each one in a separate comment please.

• Share the giveaway on a social networking site like facebook, twitter, or your favorite forum. Leave a comment letting me know where.
• Subscribe to my blog via reader or email.
• Tell me about one of my blog posts that made you feel something, whether the emotion be funny, sad, angry, or happy.

Giveaway ends on December 7th at about 10pm CST.  Read the giveaway rules for more clarification on how my giveaways work here.

Disclosure: Through this giveaway campaign with SONY , I have benefited by receiving a SONY Reader Pocket Edition valued at $199.99.  As always, this does not reflect my opinions in any way.

First let me say that I was overwhelmed with all the gift ideas I received this year which makes it extremely hard to narrow it down to just a few but I did get it done.  I chose items based on uniqueness, functionality, style, and practicality.  I think with the economy like it is, most people are looking for items they can use to get the most bang for their buck.

The 2009 Gift Guide is up but needs some tweaking so bare with me please.  I’ll be adding products to the gift guide every day so keep checking it out. There will still  be a few featured here over the next couple of weeks as well.

If you are looking for gift ideas for the foodie & kitchen lover, check out My Wooden Spoon’s 2009 Holiday Foodie Gift Guide (which also needs some design tweaking).  I’ll also be adding products their daily as well.

I did some shopping myself over the weekend for Black Friday, how ’bout y’all?  You can see my story via Whrrl! I participated in a fun shopping trip to find the best Black Friday Deals and had a blast doing it! I’d love to hear what you got if you went.

Also, if any local company would like to advertise here at A Cowboy’s Wife or at My Wooden Spoon, I’ve got special discount rates just for you!  You can email your query to advertising@acowboyswife.com

FOOTBALL

First off, I gotta say congratulations to the Highland Hornets on their win against Woodson. I’m proud of them as I know everyone else is.  They played a really good game!  Highland plays next week against Walnut Springs and I know that no matter the outcome, they’ll play hard and do their best and that’s all we can ask of them.  WHERE: Highland vs. Walnut Springs @ Early, Friday Dec. 4th @ 7:30.

And to you fans….it’s always great to see the Hornet pride so next week, when we do the wave, please stand up and wooooo when it’s your section’s time.  We 3 crazy Hornet gals can’t do it alone;)

GOOOOOOOO BLUUUUUUUUUUUUUE!

P.S. I also want to give a shout-out to our announcer for all our home games. He’s always very positive for both teams never acts like he’s biased even though I’m sure he wants his Hornets to win.  Thanks so much!

Also, if you want to stay in the loop like I do, check out the Six-Man Football forum.

TRADE DAYS

Remember where the Walls Outlet used to be? Well that’s the home  of the new Sweetwater Wild West Trade Days!  I love trade days, flea markets, and everything in between so I’m truly excited about this addition to our town.  The first trade days kicks off on the first weekend in December and then every first weekend of the month after that.  It’s said to have lots of vendors, good food, and great deals!  I can already foresee some people getting wonderful gifts for this holiday season.  Hope to see you there!

ARTS & CRAFTS

December 4-6 marks the annual Arts & Craft show here in Sweetwater, TX, to be held at the Nolan County Coliseum.  Another place to find great gifts I’m sure and I’m excited to go to this too!  I’ve never ever been so I’ll be there taking photos and shopping my heart out.  Hope to see you guys there too.

Finally, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and shopped your hearts out on those big sales!  Until next week folks……………..

“Mom, I need to crap”.  Ahhh, such an accomplishment to finally get a three year old to understand potty training but teaching #2 or the poop seems to be a daunting task.  So for now, ‘taking a crap’ will have to do.

And did I mention that throwing everything he can in the toilets is one of his favorite hobbies.  Lovely isn’t it?  Not to mention the constant dinosaur growling ALL.THE.TIME.

Despite his tiny terror ways, he melts my heart.  His frowning face, saying “You make me sad”, when I have to get on to him just turns me into fluff.  His 5 minute morning cuddles and the hands on hip poses make it all worth it.

And every time you tweet this:

Just tweeted 2 grant a childs wish! #LeapFish donates to #makeawish foundation for each tweet. http://bit.ly/3KgyQX Please retweet!

You are helping–helping a great cause and making one little boy’s dream come true.  Jacob’s dream.  Jacob, age 4, has a rare and life-threatening disease that has affected him since birth. He has one big wish in life –- to go to Disneyland with his family.

So if you’re on twitter, tweet it. If you’re not. Sign up and tweet it. It’s he’s worth the time.  To learn more and see the progress made, you can visit the dedicated page.

This is a sponsored post but please understand that I wanted to help get the word out and will be donating the money earned from it.  I cannot in good conscience keep it and would have written the post for free had I been asked.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LeapFish Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.

Okay, letting that last bit of negativity out is done and over.

Right here and now, I pledge to NOT talk down to myself anymore. Not make fun of my own weight anymore but instead, to see the positives and focus on making myself healthy in body and soul.

You all know how I talk about the Nintendo Wii right? How bad I want one and how I truly feel it will help me?  I actually love workouts but easily get bored with the same one over and over again. This is where the Wii comes in. You’ve seen the Wii Fit, now the Wii Fit Plus and how they offer variety, something I need to stay motivated every day.  And I’ve always heard it’s good to not have repetition so that your body doesn’t expect the same thing.  Is that accurate or am I just making stuff up??  Maybe one of you will know.

I’ve heard some amazing stories from women using the Wii to help them on their road to a healthier lifestyle.  It’s inspirational.  Did you know that 11 million females in the U.S.—one out of every four system owners—is  considered the “primary player” on those home systems?  And a full 80 percent of those female primary players own the Wii console. WOW! I had no idea so I was surprised when I found that. I knew it had to be a big number because it seems like everyone I know has one and is using it for weight loss and casual gaming.

MY UPDATE

I’ve gained weight even since that fatter picture of me. Over 10lbs to be exact.  I’m now at 198. Wow..I’m so ashamed to say that, especially since I know friends and family read my blog.  I’ve asked a few people to hold me accountable. To call me and make sure I’ve exercised. To support me.  I’ve asked you before and you probably think I’m a total loser by now but hopefully you’ll keep on supporting me.  Maybe I could use a prayer too….is it wrong to ask for prayers to help me lose weight? Something so selfish like that?

YOUR STORIES

I want to hear from you. I want to hear your weight loss stories of success  and your stories of,  what i like to call,  falling off the wagon. I want to hear if the Wii Fit has helped you, what goals did you set for yourself, how often did you use it….everything. Pour your heart out.