Stand In

Ever have friends so wonderful you feel like they'd do anything for you? The older we get, the more so we're finding that to be true. We are surrounded by some of the most giving, most thoughtful people out there! We thank God for putting you all in our lives.

Last year I told how the wonderful duo of Tim and Barb (along with Keith and Dena for a great portion of the time!) opened the Christmas Corral so we could have some quality time at our family cattle ranch. Would you believe they did it again?! They graciously offered to not only work the stand giving up vacation time in the process, but also offered to keep Hank, our lovable golden retriever, at their house for four nights. I mean, who does that?!

Tim manned the stand most of Friday by himself selling 35 trees! That's quite a lot of sawing and carrying for one person. Tim did it with a smile. He carried that smile over through Saturday where he had help from Keith, Dena, their boys, and Barb. We made it in the afternoon to find the Christmas Corral ship smoothly sailing. Sunday morning Tim showed up again to help and then worked until closing, the whole time letting us know how happy he was to be there. What a friend! Tim, thank you! Barb, thank you! A. family, you're awesome. I know you all could have come up with a more exciting and most definitely warmer way to spend your weekend. We appreciate you all so much!!

I bet Tim goes to bed dreaming of saws and trunks. I loved it when this little boy came up to watch Tim in action. From the kiddie corral he carried a plastic saw and just stood there dreaming of the day he is old enough to participate. Tim kindly let him get in on the action.

Because of the hard work by our weekend crew, we sold a lot of trees. Max did the math last night. He realized we will be close to running out of Christmas trees by THIS weekend! Ahhh, what a problem to have! Somehow we need to get a shipment of trees to the stand and pronto. (Our supplier cannot deliver until next Monday.)

I guess that's it for tonight. It's my first night back blogging after a longish break--I don't want to exert myself. Have yourself a great one.

I am thankful for my blog readers.

I am thankful my blog readers don't care I am going to neglect my blog this week in order to eliminate a little craziness. Don't worry--I'll be back with non-stop tree talk. I bet you can hardly wait.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!

Bryce Man

Wow, didn't notice the date. Happy (a day late) Birthday to my nephew Bryce! Hope you had a great birthday. We love you!

See you later today!

Love That Smell

Really, she was excited.
The trees have arrived and are all unloaded! Here was the very first tree of the 2009 season. (Why do silly things like that excite me so?)
Thanks to some mighty sweet people, we (I did a few) unloaded over 400 trees this morning. We'll be getting another load in a couple weeks. Thanks so much to all these kind people (plus the few who had to leave before the shot was taken) who took time out of their Monday morning to lug around big ol' fir trees.
I really cannot express just how grateful we were for the help!! My shoulders and aching back can not say thanks enough either! I am adding you all to my list of things for which I'm thankful.

I have more to tell you from today but my eyelids have a mind of their own. In your head imagine many more pictures of people working and while you're at it, come up with something clever to say about it. Thanks so much.

Sprinting to bed. Night.

Farewell, Friends

So we meet this really neat family through Galloping Grace. They have three super wonderful children that are a pleasure to have at the ranch. We get to know them better. There children play well with our children. The parents prove to be a lot of fun. We bond further. We grow attached. They help us all the time. The parents become super volunteers at ranch and at pumpkin stand and Christmas Corral. We bond more. We play games. They are great people and great friends we're so happy to know.

They tell us they're moving away.

I'm sad. I'm happy for them. We'll all miss them!
Jason, Cindy, Grant, Logan, and Kelsey--we love you guys. Best of luck on your move to South Carolina. It won't be the same around here without you.

Jason--who else is going to punch Max in the chest (not too long after surgery) and cut out scarecrow people? What about whipping up gourmet dinners for me? Working away at the stand? I hope your career move is a good one. If not, immediately move back. Immediately.

Cindy--my friend, my mentor. I still had so much to learn from you. Thank you for all you did for GG! Thanks, also, for being there for me and for being so fun to talk to. I will miss you very much. Sob sob. Hug hug.

Grant--Big Grant, you were an amazing friend to Garrett. Thank you for that. Good lizard hunting buddies can be hard to come by. Thanks, also, for being so polite and helpful. You're a great kid.

Logan--You are such a sweet child. You are respectful, thoughtful, and fun to have around. I will miss listening to you talk--you are a little Keanu Reeves through and through. Thanks for all that poop you scooped at GG. Have fun at the beach.

Kelsey--my cutie muffin! Your precious smile will be greatly missed. People are always commenting on how adorable you are. I couldn't agree more. Thank you for being my friend.

Just great--now I'm crying hard. I'm going to be all puffy in the morning for tree unloading.

Just for that, I hope you Ellis people get all sweaty from that humidity and miss all of us miserably.

There, I feel better now.

Adios.

Thanks to the little elf who spent the majority of her day painting items for the Christmas Corral. Boy, do we owe you! Can't wait to see your creations.

I'm off to bed.

The Window

I was talking to our GG neighbor Steph this morning and she told me something I thought was really neat. I sure hope it translates well to all of you.

A little background first. Steph is forever watching the comings and goings at Galloping Grace. A car drives up to the gate and she knows about it. If there is a horse feeling ill, Steph knows that too. From her house she can see our gate and the horse pen fairly well. Sometimes she gets out her binoculars to get a better view. Whatever her tactics, we are so grateful to her caring about us, the ranch, and the horses. She and Mike, her husband, are incredible people with such giving hearts.

This morning I was talking to Steph on my way out to feed. My mom, who was joining me, beat me out there. Steph announced, "Your mom just pulled up." I laughed at her spy skills. Steph went on to say that she used to really dislike her front window. She cannot see in her own front yard, her horses, or her driveway. She used to be utterly disgusted in its small size and lack of function. She said, "I just laugh now. It is perfect for keeping an eye on your place." She said her son told her one day, "See Mom, God knew what he was doing when he gave you that window years ago. It was so you can watch GG now."

I suppose Mikey was right--God knew.

Thanks, God.

Thanks, Steph.

Thanks, window.

I'm So Sad, I'm So Glad

There are some things that happen in my life where I immediately think, "I cannot wait to put that on the blog." Other times things happen and I scratch my head wondering if it would be inappropriate to tell all of you about it. I bet you're now scratching your heads thinking, "Wow, there are things more inappropriate than some of the images she posts?!"

This morning I heard some heartbreaking news and immediately had my internal dialogue. Would the family be OK with me asking all of you to say some prayers for them? Knowing them, I'd say they would be.

Last week Jeff and Stacy, some very dear friends to us, lost Jeff's dad in a tragic farm accident. Such devastating news. Please lift their family up in prayer. Jeff's dad was loved by so many. There were over 800 people at his funeral! That speaks volumes. Jeff, Stacy, and children--we love you so much! We will be praying for your broken hearts. Today is Jeff's birthday. Jeff, I know your birthday cannot be overly happy. For this I am so sorry. Many hugs.

Much happier news--Carla's dad, who I mentioned had a heart attack two nights ago, is improving nicely. Carla sent an email today saying he already got released from the hospital! Thanks to all who prayed for their family.

I think I had better cheer this post up quite a bit. I reached into the archive of happy October images to do just that.

I cannot believe I forgot this little cowboy's name--I knew it during pumpkin stand time. I got this picture of him giving a donation to Max to "feed your horses." Melted my heart seeing them both in their cowboy hats, one cowboy looking out for another.
These two also lifted my spirits. That's my niece and nephew being rotten and sweet at the same time. What great kids! They cheerfully worked many a day at the stand. Jess and Matt, I love you!!! Thanks to you and your parents growing all those gourds you donated to the stand, helping us work, and just being the wonderful people that you are.
Talk about your precious butterflies! Phoebe takes the cake in the cute department. She stopped by to show us her costume on the way to a trunk or treat event.
I liked this squinty-eyed picture of this Cub Scout troop. It made me remember the Sunday afternoon they showed up for a "field trip" to the stand. They didn't seem to mind that the place was full of other customers also riding the horses and playing away. I think a good time was had by all.
And this last little darling steals my heart for the night. My memory might be failing me, but I believe her name was Megan.
I got chills all over when her parents and grandparents told us they just came from the airport before coming to the stand. Megan was just adopted into their family. We couldn't believe they stopped by to see us and the pumpkin stand on their way home!! I gave her a lollipop and a rubber ducky--the only things I could think might interest a little cutie muffin who probably thought we all spoke crazy.
Megan (please be your name!), welcome to America and most importantly, welcome to your new family! We sure hope you come back next year for a visit.

Folks, find some happy in your day.

Piecing It Together

We are hard at it getting the Christmas Corral up and running. Today Max finished assembling the gingerbread house. Cute stuff, I tell ya!

We were wondering if anyone has a play kitchen your child no longer wants. Last year we had a kitchen and a work bench in the house, but the kitchen was not very sturdy and fell apart. If you have one you were going to get rid of, please let us know. We'd really appreciate it.

Prayers for my sister-in-law, Carla, and her family. Her father had a heart attack last night. She said Carl is doing well, but I'm sure they could use more prayers. Thank you.

Next On The Agenda

Although I don't think I'm completely tapped out on the pumpkin topic, you should probably prepare yourself for what's coming next!
Trees scheduled to arrive Monday morning.
Let us know if your life's greatest ambition is to unload a semi full of firs.

Please Excuse. . .

Dear Mr. L.,

Please excuse my daughter, Brooke Wade, for November 6. We took her and her siblings out of school for a working weekend at our family cattle ranch.
Granted the ranch is all of our children's favorite place on Earth, but some real work goes on there. Friday morning Brooke filled syringes for vitamins and vaccines and then gently encouraged (with an electric prodder) the cows down the alley for preg checking. From there, she operated the gate for each cow to enter to have her teeth checked and receive shots. She did this for hours and hours. Although she was doing no math, reading, or writing, I assure you she was working very hard the majority of the day. Please know her father and I understand the importance of daily attendance, but we also feel that there is so much for her to learn working cows. . . and getting a little poop on her hands.

Thank you for your dedication to her education. Brooke loves having you for a teacher.

Sincerely,

Michelle Wade

PS How do you feel about children missing class to go deer hunting with their fathers?

Just wondering.

Say Cheese

At the pumpkin or tree stand, it is very common to have people sadly announce, "I forgot my camera!" Last year I was emailing people pictures all the time. Email addresses were often pouring out of my pockets. This year I decided to make it easier on myself and have one place where I upload all the pictures and then people can go and download whatever shots they want.

I am on the home stretch! I have just a few more days to go through and upload before I am finished with the pumpkin stand.

If you want to see any of the fun, you can go to the photo site.

That's all for tonight. Have yourselves a fantastic week.

Makes Good Cents

When doing the post about preg checking of the cows, I probably should have mentioned how profitable a career it can be just in case any of you were teetering back on forth whether or not you were interested. If I heard correctly, Mike charges $2.50 per rear end. He did well over a thousand cows the last two weekends. I know he also checks for several other ranchers in New Mexico.

No wonder he has such a great smile on his face. He's laughing all the way to the bank.

Mamas, let your babies grow up to be preg checkers. (Sang Willie style of course!)

Parenting 101

Mastering Tools

Seen here is four year old Grant, mid October, taking a stab at carving one of our not-so-desirable pumpkins. Folks, it's never too early to get them accustomed to wielding knives. Such an activity improves hand/eye coordination and overall confidence.

Information provided as a courtesy to our faithful readers. You are most welcome--no formal thanks required.

Elbow Grease

This is not about Galloping Grace. Instead, a look inside the workings of our family cattle ranch.

Last night I introduced you to Mike. Tonight I'd like to show you just what it is he does when he visits a ranch. As I said before, he really gets into his work. Sometimes he's up to his elbow with stuff he's working on. Mike is there to determine whether or not a cow is bred. He does this by heading right up the rectum. From there he can feel the calf hanging out in it's mama. Max and I gloved up and tried our hands at preg testing a few years back. We both had no clue what we were feeling, but it sure was fun trying. Don't you just love his coveralls with the missing sleeve? Notice the small amount of extra inventory hanging out near the bar. More times than not, Mike would pull his arm out and announce, "Open." For a while there, we thought open was the only word he knew. Such bad news to hear--too many cows not pregnant. The theory most believed to be the cause is the lack of rain the ranch received this year. This causes the cows to not cycle correctly, which causes the bulls to not get the job done.

Many of the cows deemed open have since moved on to much darker pastures. Ranch life is tough business.
I think I would be failing you all in my journalistic coverage if I did not show you how Mike stays properly lubed and hydrated. Yep, a little Palmolive and his arm glides right on up. Easy cheesy. Needs a drink? It's right there next to the dish liquid. Efficient system contained in that little "lunch box" of his. This man truly takes his work home with him! I can only imagine how much his wife loves doing his laundry.
Mike--if you ever read this, know how much we all enjoyed your hilarious sense of humor and appreciated your patience and hard work. We'll all try and forgive you for not having better news to share this year.
Hey, you have any snacks in there for the rest of us?

My Gift

Hope all you veterans had a super day yesterday (today for me.) Thank you so much for your service to our country!!! Your sacrifices are most appreciated! As a thank you, I will temporarily spare you the remaining pictures that should accompany this post.
For tonight, you just get Mr. Mike and his big, looong glove!
Maybe tomorrow I will show you how he really gets into his work.

No Wonder The Horses Are Exhausted!

As Max headed to the pumpkin/tree stand yesterday to do a little clean up and tear down, I asked if he'd pretty please take a picture for me. A miracle occurred--picture taken! Wife pleased. The above image shows a waiver for each child that rode a horse at the pumpkin stand during the month of October! According to Trish's counting, there were 1, 598 forms completed. That equals quite a lot of happy children! And to be completely fair, there were a few families that did not fill out a new waiver for their children because of how often they visit the ranch and/or because they forgot the new one at home.

I love it--while we were operating a fund raiser so that we can operate a youth ranch where children get to come out and ride for free, over 1600 kids rode for free! I cannot tell you how many parents said, "This is his/her first time to ever ride a horse."Thank you to Quanz and our volunteers for making that all possible!

Who knew selling pumpkins could be so rewarding?!

The Birthday Gift

A very kind letter the ranch received back in September. Trish brought it tonight to our board meeting. (Trish, Misha, Barb and Tim--thanks so much for coming tonight and for all you do!)

September 11, 2009

Dear Max and Michelle Wade,

The Human Resources Department at Applied Research Associates, Inc. would like to make a donation to the Galloping Grace Youth Ranch on behalf of our colleague Jenifer Romero.

Every year as each of us celebrates a birthday, we come together as a group to honor the birthday recipient with a gift. A couple of years ago, Jenifer had brought up a suggestion to start donating to charity rather than purchase a gift for each other-we all loved the idea. Jenifer is celebrating her birthday on September 15, 2009 and was so touched by your charity. She is very impressed that you took a risk and dedicated your lives to helping children with special needs and additionally impressed by you both as individuals, your enormous hearts and what you do for your children's pre-school.

We, as a group, are equally impressed and humbled by your organization and how you are truly making a mark on this planet. Thank you for what you have given up, although, we see how much you have gained.

With Gratitude,

The Human Resources Department

Applied Research Associates, Inc.

Sweet, generous souls at Applied Research--THANK YOU! Your gift is very much appreciated and your letter could not have been nicer! What a beautiful gift you all give others! Jenifer, thanks for thinking of us and Happy Late Birthday!

And speaking of birthdays--my nephew James turned four today!

Happy Birthday, James! Hope we get to see you sometime soon. We love and miss you!!

Easy For You To See

Working weekend at the Wade Ranch. Eye tell you what, it was a rough one! Eye cannot begin to explain how sick we all were hearing the word "open." Do you know what eye mean? And eye mean really, this poor cow!
Eye think her days of 20/20 vision are over, well--at least on her left side.
Cancer of the eye--
A guaranteed ticket on the first train out of Dodge--no bull!

And just in case you're wondering, this most definitely would make the "Why I Would Hate to be a Cow" book!!