Breaking Out

Moving. I moved six times before marrying Ray, and even though we've spent our entire 30 years of married life on the ranch he just retired from, we moved four times there--not including moving back and forth to cowcamp for five summers when the kids were little.

I should have it down pat. But I don't. I hate it just as much now as I ever did. But, there's finally light at the end of the tunnel. We're at the "putting away" stage, and things are starting to find their place. Ray built steps off the front covered deck, and is trying to figure out how he's going to build fence. The corner he started in is a bit... gravelly. Hopefully the irrigated acreage is a little easier digging!

We took a much needed break tonight and went team-roping in our new neighborhood. It took us all of 10 minutes to get there. Love it! Sure beats one hour and 10 minutes, and the rough, tire-eating, 10 miles of gravel we used to drag the trailer over coming and going.

But the best part is, I got up my courage and entered my first team-roping in about 18 years. I didn't plan on it. My spurs and gloves aren't unpacked yet. Flash only had 3 total runs on her during practice at Leadore, and I just took her along because she needed rode. But we entered the Rookie roping. We even got a time, and Flash took her first "hit" that wasn't from branding. I'm tickled. We're breaking out!

There were 122 teams in the main roping, and Ray ended up fourth, heeling on Skipper. He's tickled too! I just love how God give us "handfuls of purpose" just to give us a lift when things threaten to bog us down. He's done that a lot lately.