My cowboy and I on Twitpic

My cowboy and I on Twitpic

Stuff on twitter

Ok...I am obsessed with Twitter. I just found out about all the cool things you can do on there. I am on Thrifty and Chic Mom's blog and she is having an ergo baby carrier for vday. If you want to jump on board and try to win it, go for it! BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE!

We are going to a super bowl party tomorrow. I found out on Friday who was playing. :) You can tell that I watch football.

Pictures

Little Lucy

Our little Lucy was born on October 15, 2010. Three days before my 30th birthday so ..technically I had her when I was 29. Go me! She was born weighing 8 lbs 8 oz. 20 3/4 inches long. She was 10 days overdue so we had to induce and I was only in labor a short nine hours from the start to the end. We were told that we couldn't have children because the Cowboy had testicular cancer in 2004. He went through chemo and lost all of his hair. He about didn't make it. We just never thought children were in the picture. Even dating we were always saying, "This (the three of us) is our family." In February of 2010 I started to feel really tired. I had no energy. I kept going to the bathroom every five minutes. I went in and got blood work done. I thought...what is wrong with me. She said, lets do a pregnancy test just to be sure. Ok you crazy lady, I just told you that I could not get pregnant. But ok...we'll waist that money and do a pregnancy test so you guys can get paid more. I was rehearsing what I would say when she came back and said 'no you are not pregnant'....when she came back and said, "You are pregnant, that's why you are so tired and keep throwing up." So this is our little miracle baby. The one that the Cowboy thought he would never have. I told him that he deserved a little girl from all the rowdiness he did when he was younger.

Reese

I have a nine year old...almost ten who's name is Reese. He was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. We've had about nine surgeries in total. All of them sucked. I think that little children should never have to go through pain. Ever. My first husband was in the military and after we had my son, he had completely changed. A year and a half later I found him cheating and decided...I deserved better. So...I ditched Reese's dad, got sole custody, and returned to live home with my folks, get a degree, and move on with my life. (wow that's the shortest version I have ever told...must be getting over that pretty rapidly--helps that it's been 8 years since the divorce!)
Reese loves legos, building, mechanics, robots, boyscouts, and karate. He will probably pursue a passion in mechanical engineering. He told me last week he wanted to go to NASA and go to space camp. Now...that's an awesome kid. He is super smart when he's not bored with school. He got the top math award for his class last semester.
Before I was with the cowboy it was just him and I. We were partners. We would have date night every Friday night at Applebees (before we moved to the sticks). He was the best thing I could have had for dating because I would find out really quickly if a guy was interested and 'fit' our family.
My favorite all time date (sarcasm is hinted) was with this guy who after only two dates asked me if I was just looking for a daddy for my baby. I replied, "Um...I have a five year old, don't you think if I was looking for a quick hook up I would have a five year old, a three year old, and a two month old all from different daddies?" I asked for the check, made him pay for it and never called him back.
If I wouldn't have had Reese I would have had no direction. I wouldn't have had the motivation to finish my degree in Business Administration, concentration in management. I wouldn't have gotten on the Dean's List. I wouldn't have pursued my volleyball career in college. I wouldn't have landed an intern with a hospital which allowed me to get my first job with a Chamber of Commerce in Newton, Kansas. I still love that little town. It was the perfect fit for me with the big city of Wichita close by but small enough that I didn't get lost.
My son...I would like to credit for me keeping it together all these years. More to come on Reese later. :)

How we met and the famous bird house

So the wedding was set for my best friend (center) to be married to another high school buddy. Yes...these two were high school sweethearts...but they didn't know it in high school, only years later after the fact! They had a good old fashion cowboy wedding. Nate and I met and immediately sparks flew.
Of course I am hard to get. I believe every woman should be! A man has to make himself known if he wants to be with a classy lady.
So the bride and groom decided to have an auction of this ordinary birdhouse and the proceeds would benefit the new couple. Well hell I hadn't gotten a present for them yet because I knew something like this would crop up. I went ahead and bid 100, 200...and by that time the bridesmaids were telling me..."Autumn this is real money." I think I replied, "No shit?" and kept raising my hand. At first lots of people joined....until we hit about five hundred big ones. Then...it was me against this very annoying cowboy. Damn him, I want to give a gift but come on...just let me have it. Be a gentleman...stop bidding! 700, 800. The price kept going up and up and we ...were the only ones against each other. He was sitting across the table from me and I could hear all kinds of hoopin and a hollerin.
I could see him half leaning on the table with a drink in hand (something him and I have in common). He turns to the auctioneer and says, "I'll make it an even thousand." Well that just broke the camels back. The auctioneer turns to me and says, "What will it be Miss Autumn?" and I just reply, "He can have the birdhouse."
We danced a lot that night. She had her reception in the barn out back of her dad's house. We drank a lot. But I lived in Kansas and he lived in Colorado. It would never work out. We said our goodbyes.

......... 2 years later........

I was at my best friends house, from the wedding, sitting at the famous table she bought with the birdhouse money. We were catching up and making small talk. I had moved back to Colorado a year and a half ago. Dating scene was extremely frustrating in a small town with a bunch of silly boys with no direction. That is when I asked, "How is Nate doing?" I was surprised to hear the following reply, "He asked about you a year ago. I wanted you to bring it up and not me pushing it at you. Would you like me to contact him for you?" My face was flush and I was completely in shock. Shouldn't he have a girlfriend...or be married by now? What was his deal? No kids...he made a good living on cattle....he seemed really nice, what the heck? "No, yes, no, yes..." I couldn't make up my mind if I wanted my friend to contact him. Why did he just leave it stand still for so long? Why didn't he just come by where I work if he wanted to talk to me so bad? I left it at no. I didn't want to seem desperate. I didn't want to be that person.

......one week later.....

I just happen to drive to his house. What the heck was I doing? Stalking him? Perhaps. Perhaps I was seeing if I was going to catch another girl leaving the house with her underwear in her hands. I just had to find out. I walked up to the trailer and knocked. No answer. Stupid me...I need to get the hell out of here before he really shows up.

......one week later....

What am I doing driving down the same county road? I AM stalking him. OMG. Shoot me now. I walk up to the door and knock. No one. I peer in. Typical bachelor, everything is neat but....never been deep cleaned in years. I walk back to my car half disappointed. Perhaps I should leave a note this time. Who knows...

Nate,
Where is that birdhouse you bought a few years ago. I figured it would be bronzed and in your front yard for the whole world to see. I hope you are doing well and hopefully we can catch up soon.
-Autumn

I stare at the note. Number...should I leave it, should I not? I jot it down, fling it in his door knocker which is a horse on a horseshoe. Will the note fall out? I guess this is where fate lies. I take off.

.....two hours later......

My phone rings. It's the cowboy. We make a plan to meet that Friday for lunch....that was our first and ...so far our only real date we've been on. But we've been together ever sense non the less.

(Of course this is my version...Nates story involves me chasing after him like some love sick horn-dog. But then when no ones around he says, "After the reception I went home and thought, this is a good gal. I really like this one.")

The cowboy and I

Nate (the Cowboy) and I are from southwestern Colorado. Like every working ranch family we have our work cut out for us. We manage several ranches and own lots of cattle, lots of horses, and five working dogs. I have a nine year old son, Reese, from a previous marriage. Nate and I had our Little Lucy on October 15, 2010.

All the books you read about ...the real cowboy stories. That's us. We calve in the spring, brand in the summer, irrigate, check, recheck cattle, feed, do some loggin in the winter. We have a full time job! This is Nate last summer as we were moving cattle. He's riding Casey.