Transplanted in Texas

Well. My first blog post will be up on The Baker's Help Meet on Wednesday. That means this post right here, the 118th, is the final one at Transplanted In Texas. We've covered a lot in the two-plus years I've been blogging here. From my wreck with Sneaky within the first month, to the pregnancy and birth of Yance, the journey to financial security (of which we are on step 3 of 7), the writing of a book, the loss of not one but TWO family members in less than two months' time last year...., and the blessing of a second pregnancy and anticipated birth. The journey continues over at The Baker's Help Meet , where I will try my best to show you how I am a happy, contented, joyful, madly-in-love wife and mother - and how you can be, too (y'know, if you're a woman who wants to be like that). It will be less personal, less scatter-brained, and more focused on keeping the family healthy, learning to handle money, training children, and stealing your husband...

My best friend is getting married very soon. So I have been thinking over my own romance, how things have changed since my beloved and I fell in love and married. And how our lives have developed since she and I met. She is nearly 4 years older than I (and four months older than my hubby!), but Kmarie was the one that I turned to when life was driving me crazy - before and even during my courtship with my sweetheart. By the time D proposed, I had switched over to confiding in him, as it should be, but still Kmarie and I have enjoyed conversing and swapping stories. She was my maid of honor, and there is still no one I would rather have taking that place. We met on an April day in 2009, and immediately I felt comfortable just walking up and introducing myself -- never have I felt that with anyone else. I'm a shy person, in case you didn't know. She was fourteen; I was eleven. We were both homeschooled, horse-crazy girls with temperamental mares. The friendship took o...

With the Triple Crown season in the U.S. now at an end, I thought I would make a post about the impact A.P. Indy has had on the Crown. A great-great-grandson won the Triple Crown this year, becoming only the 13th horse to win it in 100 years. A.P. Indy, a 1989-foaled son of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, was out of a winning daughter of the famous Triple Crown winner Secretariat. In turn, he was an early betting favorite for the Kentucky Derby of 1992, reflecting his superb racing record at two and three, but had to scratch due to injury shortly before the race. The injury had him miss the Preakness, but he rebounded to win the final leg, the Belmont Stakes. His half-brother, by Storm Bird (who also sired champion sire Storm Cat), won the 1991 Preakness Stakes. The striking bay stallion was retired after a victory in the 1992 Breeders' Cup Classic, and his first foals were born in 1994. He was retired from breeding in spring 2011 after failing to get any of the mares he bred...

Well, Dingus won't be ridden for another few months. He won't take the saddle (to be honest I don't blame him, but he's handled everything else with such ease that I was surprised), he's actually starting to thicken and grow wider, and his height seems to be improving. He reaches his second birthday on July 24, and with all of his bodily changes and this roadblock, I've decided to reduce work sessions to twice a week, with a turnout with the saddle in the round pen on weekends to let him become accustomed to it. We did do some work with him last week, turning him out in the round pen for a couple hours with the saddle hanging on a panel for him to investigate. One day he was really shy and spooky so we also worked him individually, my husband and I did, and once his mind was a bit better had him stand parallel with the saddle and investigate it. It's the noise the large piece of equipment makes that throws him off. Squeaking and clanking and banging is qui...

This week is an update on several parts of our lives. Debt: no tax return; had to pay because I screwed up on the paperwork and didn't realize we had taxable income (oops) partly because we didn't last year. Sold cows yesterday at auction and will get the check within the next few days. Praying that they sold for more than expected. Will definitely get the debt paid off by our goal date regardless. Baby: starting to roll around and make its presence known! Looks like it could be a spunky kid and give Yance a run for his money. We're almost at 15 weeks now (June 3), and we'll visit the midwife again on June 12. Marriage: never better. I love my sweetheart! Sneaky: still here. Argh. Nobody wants him. We're making plans for next year should he fail to sell. There is still an ad on EquineNow that will stay through August before it gets taken down permanently. Dingus: it's been too hot to work in the afternoon so I haven't touched him this week. Regardless, ...

Last weekend, Kmarie of Dreamer's Essence  was here to hang out, go over wedding stuff with me (I am a bridesmaid in her August wedding), and catch up. She hasn't been out here in a year. She showed up Friday night and left Saturday evening, so she could be back in time to get some sleep and play piano for the church choir back home. And, of course, be home for Mother's Day. So, we started Saturday off by eating waffles (Yance was delighted), and then rode Jack and played with Dingus (video here ). Yance even got his first real ride with me! After that, we went over some wedding stuff, then she made us salad for lunch. D was off helping family with firewood gathering and that sort of thing, and didn't get back until closer to 4pm. We made chicken parmesan for supper, and soon after that she was on her way home. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and can't wait to be back in her area to see my family and hers next month. Sunday was Mother's Day, and D got me a...

Springtime isn't cool and pretty with some showers down here. Nope. It is crazy, with days in the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s and nights in the 30s and 40s and maybe 50s. And then it suddenly decides it's summertime, with 85-95 degree temperatures ruling May. And lots of wind blowing the pollen around. Awesome. I'm glad we don't have crazy allergies. Whew. June means 100 degree weather starts getting here - or maybe it is just a continuation of May. Either way, June 1 means summer, even if it doesn't officially  get here until late that month. Springtime in Texas means pouring rain, crazy weather, green grass, blooming flowers, babies of all species, and unpredictability. Also it means Yance wants to spend all his time outside. We went to our first reenactment in a year last weekend, and Yance thoroughly enjoyed spending 36 hours or so outside in the sun and shade. We had fun, too, with D ending up on a 3 mile march with his group on Sunday. I cooked brunch on...

Finally. Nearly two years in, I get to my one hundredth post. In that time, I have covered love, loss, gain, goals, ups, downs, children, horses, cats, dogs, marriage, and life. And over the next one hundred posts, I will essentially be doing the same thing. For I have a horse to train, a child to raise, another one on the way, a husband to keep, and life to live. This week the cows thought our yard was better than their pasture - and then also decided to go break into the hay field off our yard. So. Now we have finally done repairs on the fence and that shouldn't be a problem. Can you believe it's already been a year and a half? The horses have been assigned the job of mowing our yard since the dogs decided our machine mower was a toy. Really they need 24/7 turnout, because they haven't gotten very far. And the dogs keep pestering them and driving me crazy. Duke in particular likes to annoy the heck out of Dingus. He's been kicked and chased and still kee...

There will be a video up this weekend of getting back to work with the new gelding. But I thought I would detail my thoughts in a post. The last time I worked with him before Tuesday was March 17, three days after he was gelded. He was okay, but still rather arrogant and not willing to do anything if he wasn't forced to. And I backed off him because I was tired and then nauseous for a few weeks, but I restarted the training on Tuesday. I had planned to start Monday, but Yance and I were both cranky and tired from the weekend, so I decided that was not a good idea. I plan to, instead, work with him tomorrow instead of giving him the entire weekend off. Anyway. On Tuesday, he would not follow Jack into the arena or into the round pen, and instead played tag with Duke, our enormous yellow/white Lab who still needs to grow up. He's a year and a half old. So. I tied Jack up and herded Dingus into the arena quite easily, then closed the gate and moved Jack to the round pe...

I drowned my phone on Monday. I was trying to get out of the tub and dropped it in there. At first, we thought it might recover, but it didn't. And so, I have been communicating to friends and family on my laptop, and through my husband's phone. I actually don't miss it all that much, so I guess it's not a priority to get a new one. I rather enjoy being phone-less. Father and son a couple weeks ago The weather has been wet and also sunny this week, and with Easter on Sunday it looks like we'll be dealing with soggy ground. Fun. We get anniversary pictures taken this weekend. That will be fun! The horses have spent a lot of time in the yard this week, mowing it down and enjoying the juicy grass. We're still recovering from the weekend trip. I'm pretty sure that Yance and I both appreciate healthier foods, as we've been dealing with rather upset stomachs - though I have greatly improved and he only dealt with it in the middle of the night. A...

Well, Monday marks two years of marriage for me and D. In that time, we've gotten a colt, gelded the colt, gotten a son, written a book, installed electricity and water in our home (yay!), installed a wood stove, installed a washing machine and dryer, repaired said dryer twice, had several work days, sold a horse, gone through three phones and one laptop between the two of us (and my third phone is suffering... oops), met Dustin Ellermann, gotten two dogs, gone through several cats (but managed to keep one), and gotten two more siblings between the two of us - via marriage and also birth. Our first niece or nephew is due early May. Through it all, we've stuck by each other and look forward to many more years together. We will be out of debt and have at least three months of expenses in an emergency fund by our third anniversary. So here's a selection of pictures from the last two years. This weekend, we're going away. Just for two days and one nig...

Sunday, we were lazy early and busy late, shopping and moving hay and working on leather. Monday, the power was out because a big truck had wiped out some power lines a quarter mile up the road. So, we had to take a long route to get to my mother-in-law's and enjoy some time there in electricity while she got to see her grandson. I also used the internet there to post the video of week one of Dingus - which took all day. YouTube is frustrating at times. So to recap - Monday I was avoiding semis on a one-and-three-quarter-lane road, navigating around dogs, and all in all not being 100% sound behind the wheel. I was really off for some reason. BUT! We got the signed transfer from Sneaky's breeder in the mail, so that's awesome! Tuesday, we took Dingus to the vet. We had loaded him up Monday night with water and hay, and then I took the hay and water out just before we took off. He won't step on concrete, we found out, but besides that he did pretty well when we dr...

... and so, here are 20 facts you might not have known about me. 1. I am scared of heights 2. I'm a terrible swimmer 3. My only official job was as a dishwasher at a local Tex-Mex restaurant (I had that job twice) 4. My father, oldest brother, and I were all born in the same room (obviously not at the same time) 5. I have five siblings 6. My blood type is A negative 7. I was reading at the age of 4 8. I have never attended a public or private school 9. I love flying 10. I have only been in two countries (Canada and USA) 11. I have been to the races a grand total of three times 12. I have never been to a track in Texas 13. I have been to Hot Springs, Arkansas, at least three times 14. I was apart of a youth group who helped at a SWAP Kentucky location for one week 15. I have no idea what my favorite food is 16. In partnership or on my own, I have owned six horses 17. I can ride English and Western 18. I have ridden in two 11 mile Endurance “Intro” Rides 19. Tw...

So. I am going to be starting a vlog. Every weekend, I'll be posting a fairly long video, on YouTube, about what's been going on in my life. However.... The channel needs a name (I didn't want to just use Transplanted In Texas). And therefore I am announcing a vlog-channel naming contest! The prize is TBD (sorry). This channel will be featuring things like.... Yance's milestones (he turned 11 months old and was weaned two Thursdays ago!) Major events along our financial journey to getting debt free (we aim to be out of debt by July 4) Horse training and riding (Dingus!) And other things that happen with a young family on a cattle ranch The contest ends February 24. My husband is also going to start a vlog about his shooting and guns and holsters and that kind of thing, and I will keep you updated on that. The camcorders arrive today! And on March 1, if everything goes as planned, I will begin training Dingus. Yance turns one year old on March...

Well, my biography (of sorts) of the champion stallion A.P. Indy, a Thoroughbred horse who is officially 29 this year, has been edited, the cover redone, and it is on Kindle. And it is also available on MatchBook. MatchBook? Well... according to Amazon.... " Buy the new print book first and then buy the Kindle book for $2.99 or less. (Textbooks available for $9.99 or less.) " https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/ep-landing-page/ref=k_mtchbk_eb_f On Kindle, the book is $7.52.  https://www.amazon.com/P-Indy-Rebecca-Baker-ebook/dp/B079CRB32N/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1512062137&sr=8-1 In paperback, it is $13.86.  https://www.amazon.com/P-Indy-Rebecca-Baker/dp/197610405X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1512062137&sr=8-1&keywords=a.p.+indy And buying the two together with MatchBook, it would cost you $16.85, instead of $21.38. Great deal, wouldn't you say? Here is the new cover for the book! Amazon has not completely updated their st...

Well, the cold snap that occurred over the New Year weekend is finally letting up. Blegh. We were completely out of water for a day, because a pipe broke at a trailer house that is unused but still had water turned on to it. I finally got out to take pictures, because it was warm enough! Also, I had a cold that got worse New Year's Day and is finally clearing up now. Yance has been congested but not bad. His third tooth is much more prominent now, and he's a happy little guy. We spent last weekend with my parents, and it snowed! Not much, and was it was way too cold out to let Yance experience it, but it did. It was real snow. While we were there, my parents basically took over Yance's training, giving us a bit of a break and helping us figure out where we were good and where we needed to improve. It's been rough, this past year, and being first time parents we didn't (and still don't) know what we were doing. But I am grateful to my family for ...