What I Think of 2010...

An end of another year, and for some reason this one has affected me more than any of the previous.  Our lives have been filled with a great deal of adventure this year and many could say that it included it's share of trials and unsurety of the future.  We were in an area 800 miles away from our previous home and about 550 from our closest family wondering what in the world the Lord had in mind when he led us to the prairie of all places.  As I think about the friendships and events that developed as the year progressed, it is so easy for me to see the divine workmanship of a Father in Heaven who clearly knows my family's needs in a way that I could not begin to comprehend at the beginning.

~I first of all think of a bishop who worked so diligently to magnify his calling, and by doing so had an evident, sincere concern and love for each of his ward members.  His counsel to us in our time of decision-making was clearly of divine inspiration.  What an incredible man and what a wonderful wife and family he has.     

 ~I think of  a couple who we became friends with quickly after moving to the prairie as we had a few opportunities to go and help them with their small herd of Dexter cows.  I say we had "a few" opportunities to go and help, as I wish it was so much more.  Sam & Drew clearly were people who anticipated needs of others around them and were one of the first to always lend a hand when they saw those needs occur.  I think of many days at their home talking, laughing, and wanting to become better people just by being around them. One of my favorite memories of Sam will probably always be hearing his hilarious stories of some of the pickles he would get himself into on that little farm of his.  Definitely a guy who appreciated the quality humor his little experiences would bring to his friends!

~I think of a job opportunity that came along after the one that originally led us there was clearly not the picture that had been painted, and was evidently not a good thing for our family.  This next opportunity was one that Greg never would have thought to accept under different circumstances, but the experience and knowledge he was able to draw from this position was pivotal in his developed philosophies on herd health.  He and his doctoring team became the best in the nation with the lowest mortality rate, lowest sickness percentage, and lowest doctoring costs.  Even though we knew this was not Greg's passion and that we could not endure the working most Sundays for the long-term, he was able to take a pool of knowledge and experience- which would do nothing but make Greg more profitable in his ranching.

~I think of my calling in the Young Women program and how overwhelmed and inadequate I felt when I received it.  I think of each of the young women in that ward, their love & patience for me, and their wonderful influence in my life.  And how can I not remember my counselors and secretary in the presidency.  Their knack for creativity, their help with organization, and most of all, their love for the girls were all examples of Christ-like service.  One of the highlights I will never forget is our week spent at Young Women's Camp.  I became so much closer to these women through a great deal of silly laughter, great moments of bearing testimony, and renewing our desires and commitment to drawing closer to our Savior.  I am definitely a better woman for having had this calling!!!  It was a time of great growth for me and a time of developing wonderful friendships that will always be cherished.

Me, Laurie, and Nikki at the Halloween Party! (missing Natalie)

.... and I will never forget the PARTY BUS!!!

~I think of the couple standing in the top left of the above photo.  LD and Laurie are some of the best member missionaries I know.  Many converts in the ward would attribute their beginning interest in the church to the examples of these incredible people.  They truly give of everything they have to the cause of doing the Lord's work here on earth.  Laurie was such an incredible help and example to me in our service with the Young Women.  I love these two very much.

~I think of a beautiful little place set on Rd. 105.  It was tucked away in a little prairie draw surrounded by hills, cattle, a historic red barn, and a couple thousand acres.  I remember a fire pit where many nights were spent in the company of dear friends.  These dear friendships were also developed and nurtured as calves were branded, horses were ridden, and a garden was planted.

   
~I think of a family we reconnected with after the years since Greg's internship on the Rex Ranch.  This family was brought into our ward by the new boundary change and I am so proud to call them friends.  Mitch, Elaine, and their kids are some of the most genuine, caring, and hilarious people I have ever met.  Even though Greg's association was only for a few months, and mine only for a few days back in the internship days, it felt as though we had lost no time and had been good friends all along.  That is the thing I will remember most about them... their ability to immediately love and find a connection to people around them and make every person feel as though they are a part of the family.  I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for this reconnection and growth of a friendship!

Mitch & Greg

Elaine overseeing vaccinations at the branding

~I think of a request given by our bishop to hold a ward fast for the purpose of creating more unity within our ward.  Everyone took it seriously and participated willingly.  A few weeks later, Greg and I thought it would be fun to invite a bunch of people in the ward over to help us brand our landlord's herd of calves.  To our astonishment, about 50 people showed up (only about 5 of which who had any solid branding experience, thanks to our recent boundary change which included the church ranch).  Mitch and Elaine's girls were thankfully there to help me wrestle the calves.  It was hilarious to watch these teeny, petite little things make it look so easy with their perfect technique.... and then to see several grown men just absolutely struggle to get those calves to the ground and just get pummeled.  That alone was enough to create a great amount of abdominal pain from the laughter.  Who would have known that so many people working together- with many getting kicked at, pooped on, nearly trampled, and just plain worked nearly to death- would be such a unifying experience?  Of all of the brandings I've been a part of, this one was by far the most enjoyable, entertaining, and enriching of them all.  I truly think every person there felt a greater bond to those around them.  It wasn't until after that day that I realized that the Lord had answered our prayers (at least those who were able to attend) by inspiring such an event.

~ I think of Willie & Becky.  I felt such a love and connection for them as they were some of the kindest people I'd ever met.  They were so wonderful with children and each week, my Dani would beg to sit on their laps in sacrament meeting.  It was so wonderful to see Becky, a fairly new member of the church, be called to be the new Primary President and just rise to the occasion.  And Willie.  He had just been baptized not long before we moved to Sidney, and to see his progression in the Gospel was a dear thing to witness.  The day finally came that they chose to go through the temple and I cannot describe the happiness the ward and I felt to see it all unfold.  What wonderful friends they became to us!   

~  I think of a family who came to the rescue when Willie & Becky, were going to the temple to be sealed and many feared they could not attend because of not having babysitting arrangements.  Justin & Jenni graciously offered to watch (I believe) 8 children besides their 2 young ones so that the rest of us could attend this monumental and very sacred event, even though they wished to be there with us as well.  Now, the temple is 3-1/2 hours away, which meant that this would be an ALL DAY occurrence for this brave couple.  I think of the sacrifice they made for me, and I to this day am so touched by their willingness to serve.  Seeing Willie & Becky receive their endowments and be sealed for time and all eternity was such an honor and I was so touched to be invited.... and even more touched that Justin & Jenni saw how much it meant to me to be able to attend.  This couple has done so much for our family, and Jenni has such a gift with her photography... a gift that she has used for my benefit on several occasions.  I cherish many of the photos she took of memorable events in our lives there in Sidney and especially my little family.  She and Justin have done a great deal for us and they are such dear friends. 

Willie & Becky's big day... and surrounded by good friends

Jenni and her baby, Phillip

  ~I think of a friend who was always willing to come to my rescue, whether it was to offer kid assistance, help with the animals, help me clean while moving, or to just sit and enjoy each other's company.  She was also the secretary in the Young Women's presidency with me... so we had a great deal of time serving together.  Our kids spent many hours playing together and Dani still misses Zoe very much.  You are wonderful, Natalie!

 ~I think of another family we shared a great deal of laughs with.  Greg and Keith actually are from the same town, went to the same high school, but never knew each other very well until we moved to Sidney.  You wouldn't think at first they had a lot in common, but to hear their exchanges of hilarious Cache Valley stories and friendly banter with one another as they grew to know each other better was just a riot.  I remember one night sitting at Keith & Madison's house laughing for hours until we nearly cried.  I am so grateful to have their friendship.

~I think of another wonderful family that was always so willing to serve those around them.  Shane's eccentric view on life and appreciation for the things many of us would never think of had a way of bringing a great deal of joy to Greg and me.  From his projects of creating the perfect trebouche' (sp?) to hunting & eating the most peculiar game, he never ceased to amaze us!  What a hilarious guy and what a sweet & caring wife he had in Jeremee.  She was our ward's Relief Society President and was the first to be there if needs of anyone ever arose.  They are the salt of the earth and I love this family dearly.

They were one of the Ma & Pa couples for our YM & YW trek this year

 
~ I think of the Silers.  Again, this was another family that when they around, the laughs just did not stop.  I have great memories of many fun jokes and spiritual conversations with Trissh.  What an incredible example she always was for me and how much I admire her.  And Dave... What a guy of spiritual strength.  There was much speculation (shhhh) as we knew that there was soon to be a bishopric change in our ward.  Greg would always jokingly say to Dave how some of the things he would say were great "bishopy" comments.  The two words "Dave" and "bishopy" always seemed to be in close proximity when Greg spoke.  It was funny... especially as we see the events that continued to transpire.  It's almost as if the Lord had been preparing him, because it soon became known to all of us that he was to be our new bishop, with "bishopy" duties. ;)  When they called for him to be sustained, I felt the Spirit so strongly confirm to me that he was the perfect man for the job.  What a wonderful family the Silers are and how blessed I feel to have had them as a part of my life.

Trissh vaccinating at the branding

Dave, with the branding iron

~I think of a yellow horse named Dani Boy.  This yellow horse brought something into my life that I will forever cherish.  For several reasons, Greg decided that he wanted to arrange to give this horse to a friend, Alison Haley.  I know that he had several ulterior motives in doing this: most of them having to do with me.  Ali has always loved horses and even competed in high school, but after selling her rodeo horse to pay for college, she just hadn't gotten back into it much since.  Greg gave her this horse with the intention of ME helping her break him, first of all because he thought I needed a teaching opportunity in order to increase my own breaking skills, and second, to develop a better friendship through the commonality of my favorite past-time.  I HATE IT WHEN I HAVE TO ADMIT WHEN HE IS RIGHT!!! ;)  Ali and I spent literally hours and hours with that horse over the summer there at our barn... hours which led to one of my most cherished friendships.  Ali is a woman who continually makes me want to be a better person, and the fact that we have so much fun together doesn't hurt either. :)   I cannot express the joy I felt when I saw her climb on that horse's back for the first time and have a successful ride, due to all of our previous hard work!  We had several rides up in the pasture on the horses and many dear conversations.  She and Matt spent a great deal of time at our house over the summer, and when we found out that it would soon come to an end, we made the most of every day that was left.  I love this family with all my heart and am so grateful for a husband who was insightful enough to see a need in my life for someone like Ali and provide the forum for that friendship to grow and be nurtured.

    

~I think of the events of the year that led to a job interview in northern Oregon.  The ranch manager position seemed to be perfect... incredible pay & befits, beautiful housing, and an incredible location.  After months of discussions and finally a visit to the ranch in Troy, we surprisingly came away from it feeling as though it were not the right thing.  We knew that our time in Sidney was limited as it did not have the resources necessary for Greg to progress in his chosen line of work, so we were surprised to come away feeling so wrong about this new opportunity.  Several job opportunities came along over the next couple months, and still, they did not feel right.  The next couple months then led to discussions with another Oregon ranch... one that Greg had read several articles about and was run by a man who shared Greg's holistic philosophies.  We again made the long trip across the west to visit the ranch and meet this man to determine if this might be the next step for our family.  After a couple wonderful days of driving around the ranch and visiting, we were extended an offer to accept a position there.  Greg and I took a good amount of time pondering the decision, and after a few weeks felt confirmation that this was the next place for us.  We set a moving date in the fall and started to make preparations.

~ I think of 3 horses who had been such a dear part of our family for several years.  Sugar had been with us for 10 years and we had several hundreds of miles on her back as she carried us to do whatever job was laid out that day.  A horse with a great deal of spirit and heart, she could long trot faster than any horse I've ever met.  She was big, which never made you hesitate to have to throw a loop around something of a decent size.  All in all, she was the horse that had been there, done that, and had seen everything a person could ever throw at her.

Reverse had been my "nemesis" for quite some time.  I somewhat feared her in her younger days because she was extremely intelligent & athletic.... both skills which can cause some trouble if not channeled in the correct manner.  I'd been bucked off of her while pregnant with Matthew, so I feared getting back on her for a while.  Greg took her under his wing for a couple years and then did the constructive channeling that she needed.  Man, what a girl she turned out to be!  Level-headed, athletic, and cowy as can be!  I went to work with Greg for a couple weeks over the summer and knew that it was finally time to re-try the friendship.  How grateful I am that I pushed through my fear, because I found her to be extremely open to me.  She gave me all of her heart as she worked and even after climbing off, remained completely hooked.  I grew to love her dearly.

Amberjack was a horse we had also had from the time she was born.  Built with grace and athleticism, she would catch the eye of all who would see her work.  Extremely fleet of foot and quick as can be!  I always loved watching her bite & pin her ears at the cattle she would be working.  I honestly had never ridden her  until the day she was sold.  Greg was talking to another man as the woman that was looking at Amber asked me if I would ride her and show her what she could do.  So for the first time (unbeknown to the buyer), I climbed on her back and kicked her out.  I nearly came to tears as I felt the results of Greg's hard work beneath me.  She was so soft and supple in her body and sensitive to each cue as if she already knew what I wanted her to do.  Then I turned her into a spin and felt her dynamic power as she moved.  I could not believe that I had let time go without putting more miles on her myself.  The lady obviously was in love and she soon became her new owner.
 

These three horses became the answer to our prayers as we searched for the means necessary for our upcoming move.  All three of them were so well trained that we literally had people calling and e-mailing off the hook.  The results of years of hard work were finally coming to fruition.  It was such a difficult thing to say goodbye to each of these girls, but I will forever be grateful to them and to Greg for providing a way for the Lord to bless us with the means that were needed.

~I think of a ward that was so dear to our hearts, and by several of the examples above, I still have not even come close to describing it's magnificence.  I think of people being led to that area not having any idea why they were led there.... it quickly became the ward joke, "Welcome to the club!"  So many people who I still have not mentioned due to lack of time & space, and for that I am regretful.  It will be so interesting to see what the Lord has in store for that part of his vineyard... because it is evidently something special.

~I think of a man, who through his trials of the past year, has endured them well and risen to be strengthened by his experience.  Because of his strength and determination to seek the Lord's will in all things, our family was able to have experiences and meet people that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.  Also, we became closer in our marriage than ever before and closer to our children.  His fortitude is what has led us here to Oregon, where I look forward to so many continued adventures and friendships.  Greg is a man I am so proud to call my own.

~I think of this new area we've moved to and it's beautiful surroundings and wonderful people.  Greg is so at home here and loves his job a great deal.  We are so excited to see what this next year brings for us here on the Roaring Springs Ranch!

~Most of all, I think of a Father in Heaven who loves each and every one of us and knows of our needs better than we could ever imagine.  I would not trade any experience of this last year, as it all was filled with divine threads of events that have started to take shape into a beautiful tapestry in our life.  I am so grateful to him for my many blessings of this past year.  Here is to a wonderful New Year and many more adventures to come! 

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