Twas A Night....

Twas a night in December, we were all sawing logs, not a critter was stirring not even my dogs.....the leftovers were stored in the icebox with care, in hopes that a branding crew would not soon be here. The cattle were nestled all snug in their pens, while memories of warmer days haunted their dreams. The kids were all home from their lives far away and Karli just wanted to piddle and play. When out in the yard there arose a commotion, a skunk was again outside taking a notion. Away to the window, I tripped over clutter, I closed all the windows and tried not to mutter. The moon looking down on the fresh fallen snow, gave my dogs the advantage to chase off their foe. The skunk had the last word, the dogs he did drench, what do you do with dogs covered in stench?? The night finally ended, I'm glad that it's done, Merry Christmas to all, now wasn't that fun? Till next time, adios.

That's My Story, and I'm sticking To It!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is partially true. Only the names have been changed....... I'm protecting no one...and there are no innocent!

The weekend started out innocently enough. Three desperate cousins, in need of some time away from the responsibilities of job and family, drove literally hundreds of miles to the serene tranquility of the woods. Armed with only their wits, a few survival skills and a 30-30 rifle, they would soon discover they were almost no match for the unseen dangers lurking in the dense forest. (Translation...... Three hormonally unbalanced women cooked this weekend up and with the generosity of Sweet Farmer(cottonpicker's brother), they drove up to Sweet Farmer's cabin in Cloudcroft with five pounds of chocolate and a 12 pack of Coors light in hopes of finding a cheap tattoo parlor and a bargain at the mall. They found neither.)



Anyhoo, She Who Has White Hair, had never been around firearms and wanted to experience the thrill of the hunt. With her trusty hound by her side, she bounded through the woods in search of something small, you know, to hone her skills before attempting larger game! As you can see, this small fox was no match for this blood-thirsty woman from the great state of Texas! Nice shoes!


This, however, was not enough to satisfy the great hunter within her. So off she went, gun in one hand, lip gloss in the other, to find some meat for her teepee. Apparently, she hadn't read newly revised section in the New Mexico State Game and Fish rulebook on legal hunting seasons when she bagged this trophy bull Elk. That would be me, posing with the felon. Hope they room us together in prison....what was she thinking? While we're on the subject, the one shooting these Kodak moments...... She Who's Sicka Men, was in on all this....yeah you know who you are! Being incognito will not save you!

Back to the story......It was only a matter of time before White Hair would encounter the greatest of all predators....yeah, the one , the only grizzley bear. Taking close aim and keeping her white shoes clean, she stood her ground. A lesser woman would have run for dear life.....but not our beloved White Hair. No, she did what any proud Texas woman would do...she fluffed her hair, then shot.

That's what I'm talking about! This is what legends are made of....A little truth mixed in with a whole bunch of half truths and a few little white lies. Till next time, adios.

Wordless Wednesday!!!!!

Pictures to Afghanistan

Ben was wanting some recent pictures sent and this is the fastest way to get them that far.
I'm sending some letters by traditional mail but here are some pictures randomly selected, in no particular order.....here we go.

Little Banjo....playing in my flowers.

No fence too tall for our little monkey!

Time out for a kiss!

Jake and his antelope.

Smelling the fall flowers!

Me and Karli out for a 4-wheeler ride!

Dad and his new horse. This was taken at the Capitan ranch rodeo.

Meet Banjo!!

The add is what caught my eye...."Little bitty, teeny weenie, hot little digitty dogs"...how could I resist?? It wouldn't hurt, just to call and inquire......afterall, Ross had just asked me that morning if I knew anybody that had weenie dogs for sale...and being the obedient, submissive wife that I tend never to be except just this once, I called. Wouldn't ya know it....they had only one male in the whole litter...poor little guy - hen pecked so early in his little life. Somebody needed to save him from a life of ......ya know....being drowned alive in a sea of hormones. Come to think of it....I should be that somebody! No....I'm just not over my Slack baby. How long is the proper mourning period for a beloved pet anyway? Maybe my bellydancer has had another litter and Ranchwife and I can sail on down to the panhandle of Texas for another adventure. Well, doggone....yes they've had a couple of litters but they won't be ready for another 5 weeks...and Ross just won't be able to hang on that long. He's already been in sackcloth and ashes since the whole tragic thing happened. Ross must be completely overcome with grief....he just handed me $200.00 and told me to go get him a weenie dog! This has NEVER happened. I must do as I am told. Ross is the head of this household...and if a little weenie dog is what he wants, then I must go.....off into the wilderness of Texas....without Ranchwife to guide me....or buy the donuts. Just me and little Karli, a diaper bag and $200.00. I hope Ross appreciates me for this act of kindness...afterall he's gone through though, it's the very least I can do for him. He named the puppy "Pistol Packing Pete" but I call him "Banjo" for short. And I am letting him sleep in my bed, you know.... so Ross won't have to fuss with a puppy all night. I even let Ross hold him once in a while....while I'm washing dishes, taking out the trash.....I'm just so glad Ross finally got himself a weenie dog!! Till next time, adios!

I'm gonna miss you!!

Lost my little wiener dog today.....there are no words. Till next time, adios.

Why do we love'em!

Picture this..... a 46 year old woman running through the pasture.... five miles from home...chasing a dumb little wiener dog.... yelling "don't make me chase you!!!!" Gasp.. wheeze... choke... get your butt back to the pickup!! I mean it.....gasp.....I'm not going to chase you!!! Are wiener dogs deaf? Do they not understand they would only be a small snack for a hungry coyote?? And just why do we care so much? I kinda doubt he would do anything remotely close to that for me...although he growled when the cows came up to the pickup....but was he REALLLY trying to protect me or just showing off within the safe confines of a big four wheel drive pickup? Face it..dogs are just dogs. I don't care if you pay a small fortune for one or pick one up off the highway...they are just dogs and it is our responsibility to love them, feed them, bath them and clean up after them....you know...kinda like a husband......well not really. Leaving you with an old photo of my dumb wiener dog just to remind myself why I love the little scamp..till next time, adios.

This would be Slack after he did his wiener dog duty chasing a skunk.....

It's Chaves County Fair Time Again!!

This is Karli's first county fair.....so this blog is going to be all about the awesome wonderful smells, sounds, and textures thereof......!

Sheep don't look quite so big from here!!

This is cousin Sterling's steer!!

What does the chicken say??

These are much a whole lot funner to hold than to read about!!

He likes mud almost as much as Karli...but not quite!!

The Spiritual significance of a computer virus.

Just got my computer back from the computer doctor. Apparently it contracted a nasty virus that was some kind of something to get rid of. The hard drive had to be taken out and put into another machine to scan that sucker out. Not unlike what has been happening in our family for the past few months....thus I've been out of the blogging circle. If I'd of scanned my computer daily like I was supposed to, updated my anti-virus, spy ware, kick butt worm annihilator software, this would have never happened. I would have protected my computer from all the nasty stuff being thrown at it on a daily basis. Just like our lives.....daily I need to scan, or reflect on the day and see if the enemy has infected any of my family members with any "viruses" and when I recognize them......wipe them out immediately!
There has been some praises amidst all the chaos. My soldier is heading to Utah for shoulder surgery . He was supposed to have deployed to Afghanistan three weeks ago but tore all kinds of stuff up in his shoulder. Then they shipped him to Fort Knox, Kentucky for surgery but decided he needed to go to Utah.....don't get me started.....government intelligence is an oxymoron. He is still engaged to be married September 25th 2010. I believe I have time to prepare for that event. While he is recuperating from surgery, he will take some online college courses and will be close to completing his BS degree in science. God does work in mysterious ways.
We've had some rain come our way....thankyou Lord!! Keep it coming!!
Please keep my family in prayer, especially my daughter Katie who is going thru some stuff, that the Lord will continue to have His hand on her. We need wisdom and discernment to keep ahead of the enemy who is always at work.
When the dust settles, I'll be back....keep your mud boots handy....it might get deep! Till next time, adios.

Ya'll did what??

Is eloping really eloping if you have a couple days notice?? Apparently the budding war romance has turned into a nuptial aggreement of sorts....Ain't that a cottonpicker.

Catchin' Up !!

Well now, where was I ? On the last episode, Slack was demonstrating the hectic schedule that we have just officially wound up. It has been quite a month and I can truly say, I'm not sad that we are about to open a new chapter in these days of our lives. Goddard High School has graduated the last rebellious, nonconformist child of this somewhat normal family and I'm sure they can't be as happy with that fact as we are. We have endured years and years of parent - teacher conferences, parties, awards assemblies, "come to Jesus meetings", and sporting events. The tears we have cried, both good and bad would water this ranch till Jesus comes back. Katie has a whole two weeks off before she starts beauty school. And believe me when I say this......she best study hard - because the older I get and the more of life I endure, the harder it's gonna be to make me beautiful! Plus....she just owes me bigtime and I plan on collecting!

We did celebrate in true Carpenter tradition for about a week off and on. Of course we had alot to celebrate. Karli turned the big 1 on Mother's Day, and Ben boarded a big military plane the next day with 180 other guys of the 920th Engineering Company heading to Wisconsin for another 4 weeks. They will officially leave for Afghanistan on June 9th and that will be that till next July. I was too tired for three parties so I just combined them all and had a birthday, deployment, graduation party. Entangled with all the festivities, we've had to haul several hundred loads of hay and oats...literally. The first cutting came off with a bang and with the slight promise of rain in the forecast, everybody was scrambling to get all the hay out of the field. We are now in a holding pattern for a short while. That dear friends will give me a chance to clean up my yard, and catch up on all my "woman's work". I am just throwing some random pictures of the past several weeks, at ya. Just try and sort through them.

Yellow Ribbon Ceremony at the civic center.

Ben and Claire. A budding war romance!

NCO's in the parade during the Yellow Ribbon Ceremony.

A tired little birthday girl not sure what she's supposed to do with that!



One last kiss goodbye.

Till next time, adios.

A Time For Every Season

Springtime is always a busy time for this family, but this year we will have a few more taters on our plate than usual. Slack as always, has graciously volunteered his valuable time to help tell the tale of what will be going on during the next several months. Each week, Slack helps process yearlings, chasing them out of the chute and into the pens. So, he gathered his trusty pony to save his latest canine pedicure.

Prom is next Saturday nite and Slack has chosen this pink ensemble with a tiara to wow his friends...just call him Slackerella.

Won't be long and it will be time for graduation. Slack would have graduated with honors if he hadn't failed Potty Training 101. :(

We are so into the gardening mood....what a cute sunflower!!!

Summer is almost upon us and we are donning the latest in beach bum fashion. He still has those last pesky 5 pounds to lose before he can show off his new bikini. Oh well.......

Till next time, adios!

The Necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green. Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny , "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite." "That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss. About a week later, after the story time, Jenny 's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny ? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you." With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny 's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny . He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

And on the 8th day, Mamaw rested!

What a weekend!! Loved every minute of it, but now that it's monday, the possibilities are endless! Had kids coming and going.... eating and drinking.....sleeping, working and playing...and now...it's quiet. Katie left Karli with me this weekend so she could check out a local college in a neighboring town. It's been quite a while since I slept with a baby in my bed...human that is and that made for an interesting night. Between her and two little "bedhog" dogs, the fifteen minutes sleep I got was wonderful. The second night went a little better. I had a "come to Jesus meeting" with Ladybug and Slack and they finally decided to cooperate - threatening to kick them out in the cold had nothing to do with their decision. Ben was able to spend a little time with the family before he headed out to Santa Fe this morning for combat training. He will be there for the next month. Jake came home for spring break and we always have drop ins throughout the weekend - so my stove stayed hot and my sink, full of dishes. Forgot how much food it takes to feed teenagers but I love having a full house!! Well, gotta go. Karli has this walking business down to a science. So glad I'm so fit and trim....huff, huff... and in top physical shape...wheeze, gasp...or I'd never keep up with her.... till next time, adios!

March 19th 1986

Twenty-three years ago today, at 8:02 am, my life changed forever. It's hard to believe that this young man was once a 6lb. 9oz. bundle of pure joy....and mischief. And just as it is with most mothers, Ben's arrival into this world was indeed love at first sight. Lots of water has passed under the bridge in those 23 years. Sometimes the water was muddy, other times clear. At times it has been turbulent and occasionally calm....but always bubbling. In a few short weeks, he will be heading to Afghanistan for a tour of duty that he has waited a lifetime for. I guess every child is born with a God given desire for something. Some kids dream of being farmers or ranchers....Ben has always loved guns and reconnaissance. This is Ben's ride for the next couple of weeks. He is the medic for his unit and he is taking some of the 150 "kids" to various doctor's appointments before they deploy.
He will leave the day after Mother's Day....but at least I have Mother's Day. Until now, I've prayed for other mother's sons, daughters and husbands....I now have an investment in this war and you better believe my prayer life will be different. I now understand what sacrifice really is and the high price many families have paid for our freedoms since this nation was born. Say a prayer for our soldiers and their families tonight. Somewhere, there is a mother wondering how her son or daughter is getting along...and a mother's heart never changes. Till next time, adios.

Here Comes Karli Kottontail...

Yep, Easter is indeed almost here....only five weeks away, but who's counting! The wind is blowing a steady fify miles an hour outside, so we are entertaining ourselves inside the confines of the bunny barn!

There's always a wienie dog trying to steal your thunder....and your ears!




















Okay Slack...

From now till Easter, we will be passing the bunny ears around.....stay posted!

Darrell Scott's Speech

Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript: 'Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. 'The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. 'In the days that followed the! Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question 'Why?' You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need! ' Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our 20 major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts. 'As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!' May God Bless You!

Life in the day of a slacker.....I mean Slack!

One day this week, while I was in the middle of yet another Carpenter crisis, I happened to notice our little wienie dog Slack, soaking up the sunshine and loving life in general. He always has a wag in his tail and a sparkle in his eye. So I decided to follow the little fellow around for a day and see what the source of his sweet disposition might be. Morning found him waking from dreams about chasing wild barn cats and such.......good morning Slack.First priority was of course his Bible Study. Looks like he's learning about the first Christmas.
Every dog knows a hearty breakfast grows hearty dogs. What are we having?? Animal crackers of course. Couldn't show you his source of protein....we banded bulls a month ago....hmmmmmm After an exhausting hour of Bible strudy and breakfast, we had to have our first nap.

All righty, after a blissful nap, Slack decided to check his my space. He had to see if Ginger was still single or if maybe her and Rambo had a thing goin on......whatever.
Next on the agenda, is feeding cows. Afterall, it's almost noon.....and he invited all his friends to come along....even the one famous for pulling his tail. Grandpa does have his hands full.
After working for all of ....oh say 10 minutes or so barking at all the mamma cows....it's time for our next nap, yes indeedy!!
Moving right along......to wrap up our day of stuff wienie dogs do, Slack decides on a relaxing bubble bath.....you know..... to ease all his tensions away.
Last but certainly not least, he has some "me time" before heading off to his sleep number bed...which by the way his number is 45. We have come full circle and it's time to say our prayers and try and catch the sandman. Goodnight Slack.
After all this, I'm not so sure it's just easier to just be grouchy...... Till next time. adios.

Want the honest truth?

I'm not sure you would get it. Truth is, not many people know what that is anymore. In light of some recent revelations in our world today, the truth would be a breath of fresh air. The Word has alot to say on the subject of truth. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life", we are commanded to "speak each man the truth", to "worship in spirit and truth" to "rejoice in the truth". On the flip side of the coin, satan is called the father of all liars. There is absolutely no telling how many marriages have fallen, family ties broken, hearts of children crushed because of a lie. My mom had a story about lies. Bear with me - she was a strong Christian but a farmwife that used terms that anyone would understand. There was a time in my younger days, when I was quite good at not telling the truth. One day, she was illustrating to me what even a "white lie" was. She pointed to a pile of chicken potty and said - " you see that little white spot on top of that pile? Even though it is very small and white, it's all chicken shit. " Enough said - Living in the days in which we do, I want to encourage you all to pray for discernment. As the days progress, I believe truth will be a rare and precious thing. Till next time, adios!

God's Valentine Gift

God’s Valentine Gift
God’s Valentine gift of love to us, was not a bunch of flowers; It wasn’t candy, or a book to while away the hours.
His gift was to become a man, so He could freely give, His sacrificial love for us, so you and I could live.
He gave us sweet salvation, and instruction, good and true--To love our friends and enemies and love our Savior, too.
So as we give our Valentines, let’s thank our Lord and King; The reason we have love to give is that He gave everything.
By Joanna Fuchs


Hope your day is special!! Till next time, adios!

Spring is coming.....honest!

There's no denying it.....spring is on it's way! Only 38 more days and it will be official! On warm, sunny days, Pumpkin and I enjoy the sun on our back, the wind in our hair and fresh dirt in our mouths.....Ooh! She wasn't supposed to do that!

This is a nightly scene - Grandpa, Karli and Ladybug sharing pork skins before bedtime...whatever.

There is a love-hate thing going on between these two. Looks like a truce has been signed.
She's 9 months old today!! Yep, that's reason to celebrate!!