My Letter to my First Grandson

Caden Thomas

Caden Thomas was born Friday, December 26, 2008 at 9:28 pm. 7 pounds, 9 ounces, 19 3/4” long. Chin dimple like his daddy. Eyes like his mommy. Perfect fingers and toes. And some hair. I think you look like your daddy. I can’t wait to get your baby pictures out and compare you to your Daddy’s baby book pictures.

Grandma and “Pop”, as your Grandpa wants to be called, got “the call” at about 10 am Friday morning. We had spent Christmas in Colorado with your Aunt Sara, Uncle Jake, and 2 week old cousin, Makenzie. Your Uncle Micah was also out with us. Your mommy had to have a planned C-section since you were butt down! We left Aunt Sara’s about 8 am that morning. I kept checking my watch until your Daddy called us with the news! He said all was well, your mommy was doing good, and that your daddy even cut the cord! We knew you were going to be a boy. Your name was going to be a surprise for the day you were born. Your mommy has always liked the name, Caden, since she started working at Preschools the year she graduated from high school. Your middle name, Thomas, is your Daddy‘s middle name. Your daddy was named after his daddy, your grandpa Tom, “Pop“. You are also named after your Mommy, as that is her maiden name, Amber Thomas. That is unique!
We drove north 30 minutes to I-80, then the highway all the way home from Pine Bluff, WY to Lincoln, NE. About 11am, we stopped at Cabelas at Sidney, NE. Pop likes to look at what guns are there and if there are any specials. I always like to see what winter clothing sales they have. I didn’t find much, but Pop bought 2 scopes.

From Sidney, it is 5 hours to Lincoln. We arrived about 4:30 at the hospital. The maternity ward was on the 6th floor. Your room was right next to the nurse’s station. When we walked in, you were resting comfortably in your Mommy’s arms. Your mommy and daddy were resting, as they had had visitors earlier in the day. We held you and you slept soundly. Your daddy changed your diapers that day, as your mommy couldn’t get out of bed yet.

You were only 7 hours old when I saw you for the first time, nestled in your mommy’s arms. Oh, you were so little. You had a perfectly round face, pretty eyes, a chin dimple, and a little hair! And your little fingers. Nice and long. Piano fingers. When I held you, your finger held my finger. You weren’t awake too much that evening while we were there, as you had a big day! We didn’t stay long as it was already evening and your mommy was tired.

The next day, Pop and I visited. Pop went with your Daddy to exchange the battery for the SUV. While they were gone, you slept the whole time! While you slept for about 2 hours, I held you close. You slept so deeply and quietly that afternoon. So content. Your mommy and I visited quietly, waiting for Pop and Daddy to come back. Even though that was when we should have laid you down, I loved holding you then. I held you close and watched your face. What a pretty baby! I want to share my love for horses with my first grandson, and with all my grandchildren. Pop didn’t get to hold you much that day. When he and your Daddy got back to the room, you woke up and started to fuss. You wanted your mommy!

Pop and I visited with your Mommy and Daddy a little each day that you were in the hospital. Friday late afternoon, Saturday early afternoon, and Sunday evening. I loved holding and cuddling with you. Pop didn’t get to hold you too much those first 3 times we visited, but I made sure that we got pictures of you and him. You are Pop’s first grandson!

Today is Monday, only 3 days since you were born. Your mommy and Daddy are bringing you home from the hospital. We will have our Christmas with you and your mommy and Daddy on Thursday, New Years Day. Pop had a surprise for all of you. Your Pop had bought you, and your little cousin, a little red Santa outfit! Pop also bought you some stocking stuffers and hung a horsey stocking, just for you! Pop also wrote you a letter, and gave you 3 small gifts. A small toy horse, a small John Deere tractor, and a small pony. A small horse because I will teach you how to ride. A small tractor since your Pop will teach you how to drive. And a small pony because we want to buy you and your little cousin a pony!

I’ll need to shop at the baby consignment store. I’ll need to find some cowboy outfits! The best outfits are made of blue jean material . I’ll know I’ll be able to buy blue jean and bib overalls! I’ll have to find some baby clothes with horses on them!

When you have a doctor appointment, I’ll pray all is well and that you are growing fine. We pray that you will be a healthy baby, sleep well, and be content.

I will be able to see you as you grow from a newborn to a toddler. I will be able to hold you and cuddle with you. I won’t be able to do that with your cousin all the time, and that makes me sad. I’ll have to cuddle you twice as much to make up for that! I decided to write this letter to you. I feel better now, knowing that I will get to see you often.
I will call your mommy every now and then and check on you. I hope I can visit you often, see you at ball games, and have you come for picnics and float in our pool. Pop and I can show you the horses, dogs, cats, and any kittens and puppies that we may have.

I love you so much, Grandma

Winter Chores

I got in about 6 from doing chores. Without the wind tonight, I actually was too warm, dressed in a hoody, insulated coveralls, thermal gloves, and insulated boots. I put that "big hat" thing on that goes down over your face, forgot the name. I had to pull the hood away from my face. I changed my gloves for cotton ones.

But...I was dragging hoses, blanketed an older horse that I am boarding, threw hay to the steer and to my stud, Duke, and I carried a bale of alfalfa to the 3 weanlings and my older horse, Red. I figured they deserved extra nutrition! I grained the big lot with 2 big buckets of grain. I was huffing. There isn't much snow, but a crunchy layer to walk through! Then I drained the 2 water hoses and carried them back up to the top barn. Who needs a gym when you have this type of workout? I didn’t mind chores tonight, except that with dark coming so fast in the evenings, I finished chores in the dark. Only 1 more day until the official start of winter, then daylight will start to go the other way! Even though we have the winter months of January and February to go through, the days will get longer! More daylight means more time for chores, and, just maybe, horsey time!

I never blanket my outside horses. They develop thick coats. If they get a layer of snow on them, the snow actually acts like a blanket and insulates them, keeping their body heat between them and the layer of snow. I rarely see any of my horses shaking. About the only time I see them shake is if it is a cold rain. My horses are on round bales, though, and always seem to be eating! Eating hay is what keeps them warm.

The next few days and nights are going to be downright fright! Forecast is very cold! Tonight, Saturday, is to be -6, with 15-20 mph winds out of the northwest, even reaching up to around 30 mph. That makes our wind chill tonight at a - 22 to -32 below zero. Brrr.

Sunday is even colder than today! Hard to believe! High of 2°, with 15 to 25 mph wind, wind chill about the same as during the night, but at least there may be sun! Sunday night is forecasted at -10°. Wind is to almost stop during the night! Monday’s high is slightly higher at 13°! Sun coming out in the morning. Monday night is quite a bit warmer at 9! Then a reprieve on Tuesday at 26! Heat wave!

I'm glad I had meatballs in spaghetti sauce in a crock pot, because a meatball sub was great after I came in! I was hungry! Now, I’m going to take a hot shower, and make myself cozy on the couch. I’m going to snuggle under a fleecy blanket, drinking another mug of Irish Crème instant cappuccino, and read a book! Wrapping Christmas gifts can wait until tomorrow!

Thinking ahead of what topics to discuss...

I've been thinking tonight about what topics to talk about after the holidays. Winter is just starting, and harsh cold air will be here for awhile. With ice, sleet, and snow coming tonight, spring seems a long time away. But spring will be here before we know it and I want to plan for spring time.

I want to set goals. I want to share my training methods. I want to condition my CTR horse. I have 2 young horses to continue with, a coming 5 and a coming 6 year old. One is green broke, one is only halter broke. Both are quiet geldings, tie well, been haltered and handled for years. Now, it is time to be serious about getting them trained. They are well bred horses with good conformation. Even though the market is down, I was not going to give up on these two. They deserve my time and attention. They deserve to be trained with good solid basics.

As I work with the horses, I will blog about my training techniques. I will share how I work with each horse each day. I will blog the ups and downs, achievements and disappointments. I will share how I am doing things and what I will need to do different. Each horse is different each day, and each horse is different from day to day. I will discuss what is working and what is not. I will discuss how the horse responds and grows in the training program.

What other topics would you like me to discuss? Since I’m going back to the beginning of basics, I’ll start there. For me, the first day a horse comes in for training, he adjusts to my place. Some arena turnout to see the place on his time frame. He is in his stall to get used to the horses around him. He has hay in front of him at all time. He may stand tied for an hour to begin his patience training.

Day 2 is lunging. Free lunging. I work with the horse to bond with me. Some bond within minutes, some don’t bond fully, even after an hour of me establishing that I am leader. Lunging teaches manners, teaches a horse to change directions. Lunging shows me how the horse moves, how easy he turns, and most importantly, his attitude! That will be a day discussion in itself!

Any specific topic that you want to know about?

Come along on the ride with me!

Decorating for Christmas

What is it with all of us this year? I haven't done any decorating either, and I'm blah... Why don't we want to decorate? Here it is, a week before Christmas! I should have lights up, wreaths and garland up and around the windows. I usually don’t do the tree until the weekend before Christmas, but this year, it will only be up 5 days before Christmas. We are leaving late on the 22nd to see our daughter, Sara, and son-in-law, Jake, and new granddaughter, Makenzie in Colorado! So now I’ll only get to see the tree for 3 days before Christmas!

And baking? I would have cookie ingredients bought by now! I don’t even have the urge to bake! Why bake pies when you can buy 3 for $10 from the freezer section of the grocery store? And they do taste good! If I baked, everyone is usually too full for dessert, than I get to look at it for days! And I usually eat 2 pieces of pie a day until it’s gone! I know, I could freeze leftovers, but I have to blame the added pounds on something!

It's too cold and too dark to do much with horses except to feed them! Maybe that is it! We aren't out and moving around, which is exercising, especially when you feed and groom, so our energy level is blah! That's my story anyways!I know if the tree goes up and I would play Christmas music, I would get in the mood. I do have 2 small trees at the store though. I have no excuse not to do the Christmas houses...they are in the bottom shelves of the entertainment center. I just need to set them out! I think if we did some decorating we would all feel better. I know I'll feel better next Wed when I get to see my granddaughter!

I have bought gifts. I delivered some when we saw our daughter last week, just in case we don’t get out there if the weather turns nasty! But it will have to be a blizzard before I don’t go to see my new granddaughter for her first Christmas! I bought gifts for those that needed to be sent. I have most things for my husband, 2 sons, 1 daughter-in-law, and friends. I still need the “BIG” gifts for my husband and sons! Sara and Amber are getting baby swings for the babies. Actually, the babies are getting them, but that is what the moms wanted! Geez, have you seen what baby things cost today? Ok, on to big items. Ideas for sons are taken care of and hubby is “suppose” to be getting those presents this week. He better have it done by the weekend! Now, ALL I have to do is think of something for hubby. What do you get someone that doesn’t need, want, wear out anything! I am sooo easy to buy for, and my husband isn’t! He has it made, shopping for me, but every year he has to ask me what I want and he says he can’t find anything! Men. Get me something horsey, some nice jewelry, or go to Christopher Banks. I just love that store!

I have wrapped some gifts. I sent some today from the post office. It didn’t matter that I just carried the gifts in and asked for boxes that they would fit into. I did address the boxes right there. But I didn’t stand there and fill boxes and write out addresses when there was a line of people behind me waiting! I did step aside and let people behind me mail their packages. Ok, 2 packages sent, 1 to go. That box is heavy. I need to go to UPS.

I think I’ll do Christmas houses tonight, and get out the Christmas music CD’s. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll make Pecan Tarts this weekend. And Peanut Butter cookies with both chocolate kisses and with peanut butter cups. Love those! Ok, time to start humming Christmas songs.

Winter is Here!

Zero Tonight!

Yesterday was a sunny, warm, 50 degree day. Sweatshirt weather! Today, the winter overalls came out. The morning started in the high teens. The temp dropped throughout the day. The day became more overcast. Since it started getting dusk at 3:30, I decided to do chores early. Today is Sunday, and I can take advantage of doing chores earlier and getting back into the warmth before dark.

I just came in from chores. The temp is now 6 degrees at 5 pm! With overalls, insulated boots, headband, and insulated gloves, I thought I would be warm enough. And for the most part, I was. But there was enough north wind to chill the face. IT won’t be long before I’ll be wearing a scarf and covering my face and mouth during chore time.

I knew tomorrow was to be even colder. Zero tonight, 10 for the high tomorrow. I filled water tanks for all the horses. I made sure that all the water tank heaters were plugged in. Fresh round bales were put into the feeders yesterday. I grained and checked gates, making sure that all gates were secure. I didn’t want any horses getting out in this weather! I fed the older horse, Duke, and the steer their hay, giving them extra so they will stay warm.

I shut the large doors on the arena barn. This will keep the cold wind out of the arena and stall area. I check the heaters in the bathroom and lounge, and turned the heaters up to handle the colder nights.

The dogs and cats are in the mare barn. I made sure that the large door was latched on both sides. Since there is a gap at the bottom of that door, I block the bottom with folded up grain bags to keep as much of the breeze out as I can. The dogs had plenty of straw to bury down into a deep bed. The cats keep warm by finding an opening in the stack of hay and curling up.

I’m curled up on the couch, watching a Christmas movie. I just had a hot supper of beef, potatoes and carrot stew. I love the taste of carrots cooked in beef broth. More vegetables were added to the leftover broth and meat. Beans, peas, carrots, corn, and potatoes. There will be a crock pot full of vegetable soup waiting for Tom and I for supper tomorrow night after chores!