The happy couple September 16, 2011.

Let’s just be real here for a second.

This marriage thing ain’t for sissy’s.

We’ve already made it through family losses, more thoughtless disagreements than I thought humanly possible between two people and the loss of my girl.

On the flip side, we’ve made memories that make me giggle and shake my head. Here’s a quick run down of our first year of marriage. Hang on, it’s a heck of a ride.

We adopted.

Yep. You heard right-might not be what you’re thinking though. We adopted in the four legged variety. Blogosphere, meet Stella. We adopted this wiggly and licking package of love from mabbr.org. I can’t tell you how happy she makes us! And I really mean us. Some of our biggest controversy within the Oleen household is which side of the bed Stella will sleep on, Brandon’s side or mine.

I’m a cattle watering machine.

As you all know, I’m not exactly the cowboy that Brandon wants me to be- but I’m getting closer! This year the drought and the Kansas heat created a lot of thirsty cows and horses. It didn’t take too long and Brandon had me hooking up the skid loader and water like an Oleen watering machine. #YesIJustSaidThat.

We had a baby!
Again, not exactly what the average person would think, but it is a baby! Brandon bred his favorite mare in 2011. She had the cutest little filly! Meet Jackies Playin With a Gun- Jackie for short!

Weddings, weddings and more weddings!

There have been so many of our friends {even my Dad} tie the knot! It’s made for great travel and lots of nights on the town. Thank you all for making us a part of your journey together!

Things change.

We’ve had great friends move away and other friends move closer. We miss you Garrett, Tara, Finnel, Lenhart, Nick and many others!  Aaanndddd without further ado, welcome to the mid west Kelly, Fwed and Rrrrory Rrrooo Rrrivard!

Whew! Just writing all that made me a little tired and I didn’t even include trips home to see family, road trips for work and all the horses that made their way to our place for a few more miles.

It’s been a year of learning to say the least. Learning to let go, learning to live together, learning to live as a team and most important learning to respect and love each other no matter what. Here’s to year number two!

It wasn’t the tools, the toys or the techie gadgets either.

It was you. The people, the relationships, the phone conversations and the visits IRL that really changed it.

Thank you.

In the near future I’ll be applying to a conference where I hope to meet some new folks who share my passion for social media, people, farming and food.

It’s a conference you might be interested in too, so I thought I’d share.

AgChat Foundation is hosting the third-annual Agvocacy 2.0 training in late August of this year. I went last year and I had a blast.

It’s one of those “perfect sized” conferences. You know what I’m talking about. It’s big enough to have great speakers and fun people, yet just small enough to really learn hands on information you can put to use that day.

Yes. I’m a fan.

To join the conference apply here. Send me a message on Facebook if your application is accepted. I’m always up for meeting new people and I’ll even buy you a beer if you make the contact.

How’s that for a little encouragement?

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This post is really going to be a downer. Forgive me now. I need to write this.

I need to ask this question.

I need your input.

You see, I am in the process of loosing a precious friend. One that I have had in my life for more than 16 years.

She is the apitomy of kindness, patience, loyalty and love. She is my pup, Lexus.

Meet Lexus.

Well, she’s not really a pup now. And that’s the problem.

About a year and a half ago Lex started having seizures. I had planned to put her down but some how, she made a huge tournaround and we have been able to keep her with us for a little longer.

Until lately.

Lately the walks have been shorter, the standing wobblier, the tailwagging less frequent and she’s started eating less- lots less.

It’s starting to be that time. I can feel it.

So this is where I need your help.

About a month ago I was talking to one of my best friends on the phone and we were talking about Lexus. I mentioned I look forward seeing her in Heaven.

There was an akward pause.

And then, with the utmost kindness she talked with me about what she thought Heaven would be like.

She didn’t think there would be dogs in Heaven. Or horses. Or cows.

Really?

I just couldn’t believe it. What?! I mean, what kind of Heaven wouldn’t have dogs, horses or cows? That’s about ALL my version of Heaven would include.

And you think I’m being facetious.

So to back track a bit, I should tell you about my friend on the phone. She is not just any friend. I love her. She is a best friend- so don’t be trashing her in the comments!

That said, she does know a lot about the Bible and spends much more time studying God’s word than I do. Lots more.

So what do I need your help with?

In the next week I think we’ll be letting Lexus move on to what I picture to be a big back yard in the sky. I’m crying my eyes out typing that. I’m just not good at saying goodbye, but I think it’s time.

Do you think I will be able to see my Lexus again?

I’m not sure if it’s my nature, or if it’s the never-ending longing for my close friends and family in Florida to visit the gorgeous Kansas Flint Hills.

I just love it.

Kansas Flint Hills at their finest.

So when Kelly messaged me and told me she was up for a trip to Manhattan, I jumped on the opportunity.

You see, Kelly is not only a really cool gal, she is also a friend I met via social media. We had spent very little time hanging out outside the confines of business meetings until a couple weeks ago. I really wanted to get to know her better and get in a little #agnerd talk.

For those of you not familiar with #agnerd talk, don’t sweat it. It just means we talk about things like Facebook statistics, search engine optimization, YouTube videos, etc. 

Her visit was so much fun. I had a blast.

In true Oleen style, we put Kelly to work upon her arrival. She was up to the task and she couldn’t have been more of a trooper.

She helped catch a calf, rode around in the truck during chores, helped with feed chores, watched as Brandon and I argued about opening and closing gates….um. Oops, I got carried away.

But she sure did hang in there like a champ!

We also squeezed in a little fun at The Little Apple Brewery with Brandi and Sheridan.

Image borrowed from kellyrivard.com.

Side note: Why don’t I spend more time with these super-fabulous gals?

Anyway, I think the trip was a success from our end. Brandon and I couldn’t have had more fun and we can’t wait for Kelly’s next trip to see us.

On that note, the next time you are in the Flint Hills and want to bottle feed a calf, spend a good 4 hours in winds up to 30 mph, listen as newlyweds have minor disagreements about things that don’t matter, or talk about Facebook statistics- send me a note on Facebook. We’re always up for a visitor

I had to stop what I’m doing. I just had to. I have to tell you something.

I’m reading The Pioneer Woman’s book Black Heals to Tractor Wheels.

It’s amazing.

As weird as it might sound, I’ve laughed {out loud} on the plane home from Vegas about 20 times. I’m only on page 70.

Warning: If you have not read the book, do not read this blog post. Quickly go back to Facebook, Pinterest or tune into your favorite TV show. I’m telling you now. I don’t want to ruin the best book ever for you.

So what did I have to tell you?

A story.

A piece of Brandon’s story.

I couldn’t help but think of Brandon while reading Ree’s book. As I read about the comfort she felt in Marboro Man’s company, I began to wonder.

Could it really be? I wonder if it is?

Yep.

It must be a cowboy thing.

Not just any cowboy thing. I’m not talking bronco busting, bull riding, and extreme sports type of cowboy. And I’m definitely not talking about beer drinking, bar going people who wear their jeans too tight and belt buckles too big.

I’m talking generations deep of everyday care and stewardship, patience, calmness, confidence and persistence all wrapped up in one man- a cowboy.

Pioneer Woman and Marlboro Man...yeah well...I got one of those too.

Believe it or not, they still make those kinds of guys.

I mean, it makes since. Day in and day out these men work to care for things. Yes, I just said things. Stick with me here.

Here’s what I got on Brandon:

• He’s rarely worked a day under 11 hours since I have met him.
• He’s the first to worry when cattle are sick and the first to make an extra trip to check sick pens.
• He’s up at 3 a.m. so young cattle don’t have to go through the chute during the heat of the day in the summer and he’s the one checking water tanks and scooping snow in the dead of winter.
• He burns pastures until 3 or 4 in the morning to renew pasture growth, care for the grasslands and continue the legacy his ancestors began 4 generations ago, so he can feed cattle on schedule during the day.
• He’ll be the first to take an extra minute or two to stop and watch new heifers or calves in the pen, just to make sure they’re looking okay.
• He’s always the first to point out, and check on, a newborn baby calf in the pasture.
• It doesn’t matter to him if it’s 2 minutes or 2 hours, if that horse, cow, heifer, bull {or I} need a few more minutes to calm down, he’ll find the time.
• He’s never is in a hurry, and always has a few thousand things going on.

All I can come up with is it must be bred in them, those cowboys I speak of.

Have you ever heard of the cowboy gene? Maybe we need to invest in some good old fashioned research to identify what could be a cowboy genetic marker?

We need to let others know, these men really do exist.

A man strong enough to wrestle the elements, tractors, and bales of hay- not to mention wildly temperamental, brunette women miles away from family and close friends. Yet gentle enough to deal with a newly born calf needing a warm bed of straw.

On that note, Brandon fed the dogs bacon for dinner last night. He just loves spoiling our little pups when I’m gone. Nacho, our red heeler, messed on the carpet sometime last night. He probably got an upset stomach from the bacon. When I get home from Vegas there’ll be a discolored spot on the carpet and I’ll need to get the stain out. Isn’t that a good jolt back to reality?

So what type of monkey-business have I been up to you ask?

Well, the norm.

Brandon and I have come to a household truce. I have continued the use of strategic note placement to encourage good housekeeping. Brandon has continued to make fun of me.

Certain things have come along in the last month that I have found to be very amusing. Like everything else, you can find most of them on Pinterest.

In an effort simplify your life; I decided to make a list here.

Chickasaw Country- A sassy new travel site designed by my friend, Brooke. Don’t forget to check out her super cool blog too.

Dirt Road Daughters Magazine- A new fashion and lifestyle publication for today’s daring generation of country girls. It’s got some great cowgirl attire and sassy home decorating tips.

The Food Effect-  An interactive site designed by my friends at the North Carolina Pork Producers Council to encourage people to give their voice, money or time to help feed a kid in need. Isn’t that cool?

Whew, that got a little deep. Back to the fun stuff.

A new addition to our little family are a few heifers we’re keeping north of town. I continue to learn more about these 4 legged bovine creatures. They make me giggle. Caring for them also makes me do two times the laundry every week because I’m covered with dirt and dust after chores. Not fun, but we must take the good with the bad.

Below is a video from the pens earlier this week.

So what do you think about my amateur video work? How about that cute little cowboy? And who thinks we should enter that one heifer into the Kentucky Derby?

Yes, this is my kind of Sunday morning.

Most of the time I check online news, catch up with old friends on Facebook and do a little searching on topics that peaked my interest during the week.

Today I explored some work done by a professor at Kansas State University named Michael Wesch. If you click that link, you’ll find Wesch has been called “the explainer” by Wired magazine, and is a cultural anthropologist exploring the effects of new media on society and culture.

Yes, this kind of thing interests me.

Yes, I know I’m weird.

Anyway, where am I going with this?

Oh yeah, hang tight. I’m almost there.

While visiting Wesch’s YouTube channel I found a video titled “a few ideas” (Visions of Students Today). The video stems from an assignment where Wesch asks his students to carry video cameras and create YouTube videos. Wesch’s goal is to see the world as his students see it.

One of the topics mentioned in the middle of the video really hit home with me.

Standardized testing.

They’ve been a huge hurdle for me for as long as I can remember.

In high school, I dreaded getting results from SAT’s. Mostly because I knew my scores would be lower than everyone else, even though I carried a 4.0.

College only made things worse. Not only did standardized testing make me feel like crud, they affected my pocketbook. I’ll never forget the day I was told the full scholarship – promised to me by graduate school – had been taken away and given to another student, because of my low scores on the ACT.

For the record, I carried between a 3.8 and 4.0 and worked a part-time job, throughout my master’s degree. I was the only person in my class to carry a part-time job.

Looking back, it didn’t really kill me or anything. I know I’m blessed. I know I’m one of the very few in this world that has never had to worry about a roof over my head or where my next meal might come from.

Again, I’m blessed. Get over it, right?

On the other hand, I wonder if I wouldn’t have pursued other things, like my childhood dream to be a small animal vet, if standardized testing wasn’t such a hurdle for me.

Just curious, what is your opinion on standardized testing?

For the Moms reading, how do you get your children through standardized tests at school? Do you think they are a good measuring stick for your child?

*note: I’m not too familiar with Wesch’s projects. I just thought his work sounded interesting and found a few things online. If I misrepresented this or any other project, I hope you take my mention for what it really is- a compliment on the work done by Wesch and his students.

I went to Pinterest and was pretty happy with the ideas I found.

I knew you guys wouldn’t lead me astray.

I made three different gifts. They were all simple to assemble and the ingredients were found at my local grocery store. Honestly, I was surprised which one I liked the most.

Note: I did make a few extra of each of these, just in case the “unexpected gift giver” popped up. I won’t be caught without a gift and nobody feels left out. Win-win, right?

I thought these cookies in a jar at Make It Do were too cute not to make. I love the idea of fresh baked cookies for Santa. Back in the day, I think Dad would have liked fresh baked cookies too. The recipe was borrowed from Bakerella’s Cowboy Cookie recipe.

Thanks for letting me borrow this picture Make it Do.

The next was The Crafty Nest’s bath salts. I did a little twist on her lavender and substitued peppermint. It made the kitchen smell amazing. Peppermint has such a revitalizing and invigorating aroma. I thought it would be perfect for a winter or spring bath for my Florida family.

Picture from The Crafty Nest.

Of the three, Under the Table and Dreaming’s lemon sugar hand scrub totally won me over. I love it because my hands are a wreck right now and I’m not one to spend oodles of money on hand scrub.

Picture courtesy of Stephanie Lynn.

It’s the perfect mixture of exfoliant and softening for my hands. The smell is a bit too “olive oily” for my liking but I added a little bit of a perfume. Just for the sake of experimenting, I might even make my next batch with almond oil.

DIY gifts are hot right now and I’ve got a lot of jars to use. Do you have a favorite “_____ in a jar” gift? If so, would you mind sharing it with me? A link would be great.

Merry Christmas!

They’re so fabulous, I though I’d share. Starting with these bad boys.

Photo courtesy of http://www.yournextshoes.com/

Meet my Pepper’s. They’re the cutest, most comfy boots I could find in my little Midwest Kansas town. I don’t know how I lived without them. They make fall better.

My second fabulous fall addition is big, bulky and likes to hurt people for a living. Meet Jim, my new personal trainer.

He looks really tough here. He's more funny than tough in real life.

I started working with Jim about a three weeks ago. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My abs and glutes might not agree. Not only have I felt better but I’m really learning how to use some neat equipment.  Which leads us to our third and final fabulous fall addition.

Meet my little friend- the bosu ball. It teams up with Jim to make me do things like this.

Picture from http://www.bosu.com

For the record, I couldn’t drop it like it’s hot pre-bosu. Now, I’d give Snoop a run for his money.

On that note, I’ll leave you with this tribute to my bosu ball- my third and most fabulous fall addition.