Archive: June 2010

Job Security

It’s nice, as a staff member at Rodeo Bible Camp, to know that there is plenty of job security in the world of Rodeoing, Bible-ing, and camping. I like to think of this series of pictures as proof of the job security we, as staff members, have for many years to come.

Here’s little Mackenzie hanging out with her daddy in the Crow’s Nest. Watch out, Tyler… she’s gonna be runnin’ barrels (or dare I say, queening?!) before you know it…

And here’s a future bull rider….

With as much convincing as it took to get her on this mechanical bull, she could be a tough one to coach through getting on an actual bull. Hope those bull riding coaches are prepared for a toughie of a roughie!

Here’s our little crew of future National Anthem singers….

Announcer, D.R, was holding the microphone for the little trio of “Jesus Loves Me” singers and Margaux was holding all the girls in (and UP on a stool). In my ignorance, I asked Margaux to back up so I could get a good picture of the little rock stars. Well, when she backed up, things got a little too tight on the stool….

… and it was a disaster in the worst way. “Jesus Loves Me” ended in crying over the loudspeaker rather than “for the Bible tells me so”. Good thing we have plenty of time to work out the photographical logistics before they start singing the National Anthem.

And finally this tired little man…

…maybe he’ll grow up to be a mutli-tasking champ like his dad. Look at Clay– left-handed-texting and holding his little boy all in one fell swoop. Impressive!

All of this to say, the future, my friends, is bright! We’ve got a full line up of campers for at least the next twenty years!

–Chelsea

Breakfast at Emily’s: Dutch Baby Pancakes

Straight from Emily’s kitchen to yours…

This week I tried the soaked version of the Popover or the Dutch Baby Pancake. This recipe is taken from Nourishing Traditions.

It is very, very yummy but I’m a little disappointed. Part of the reason I love popovers so much is that they do just that; they pop over. This one, not so much. This one stays slightly flat. That doesn’t change the yummi-ness factor, I’m just throwing it out there.

If I think of this as a completely different recipe then I’m okay and there are a few little differences in the ingredients list even though the basic idea is the same.

So I hope you give this one a try and let me know what you think.

Dutch Baby Pancakes

1 cup freshly ground whole wheat flour

1 cup buttermilk

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 cup filtered water

4 tablespoons butter

pinch of nutmeg

Grind flour.

Side note; I love this grinder:

It’s not super expensive, but it does a great job at turning this:

Into this:

Soak flour (if you don’t grind your own, any flour you have on hand will work) in buttermilk in a warm place for 12-24 hours:

12-24 hours later when you’re good and ready to eat (well, maybe an hour or so before you’re ready to eat… ) - place eggs in food processor and process several minutes.

Add flour mixture, vanilla, water and salt and process another minute.

Place two tablespoons butter in each of two skillets or pie plates (I did one of each.) and cook in a 400 degree oven until it melts and sizzles.

Pour half of the batter (about 1 1/2 cups) in one pan and the other half in the other.

Bake at 350 degrees until pancakes are puffed and golden. This is what the recipe says; it doesn’t give you a specific time. Mine took about 35-40 minutes.

Dust with nutmeg.

Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

We topped ours with fresh strawberries and the scrapings from the jam bowl as I was also mixing up some freezer jam today.

Mmmm…strawberries. I love this time of year!

Next week we’re going to try one more version of the pop-over; the muffin version.

Then I promise we’re moving on.

Enjoy!

–Emily

Charlotte’s Faith: End of Self

Note from Chelsea: In case you missed the rest of the “Charlotte’s Faith” series, about the journey Charlotte has been on with her daughter, Faith, you can find it all in this order:

Charlotte’s Faith: The Fellowship of Suffering
Charlotte’s Faith: The Fallacy of Self-Sufficiency
Charlotte’s Faith: Peace
Charlotte’s Faith: Brick Wall Days
Charlotte’s Faith: Grace

Charlotte’s Faith: Dry Bones

The End of Self

2 Timothy 2:11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;

My life settled into a quiet rhythm of medicine schedules, breathing treatments,

and doctor appointments with Faith. Her health started improving. Due to a kinked oxygen line, we were able to take Faith off oxygen in September. It was just in time because she began ripping her oxygen cord off.

(Note the bruises under her eyes from where she pulled off the tape.)

As her health improved, I began putting more and more pressure on myself to get her to eat on her own. I went to an occupational therapist twice a month – it was a 45 minute drive or I would have gone weekly. I was grateful Faith was getting better, but I wanted her to eat.

(The G-tube is the white roundish thing on her belly. See how beautiful the scar from her surgeries looks. You can barely see it.)

I tried everything the therapist recommended. I tried anything people would suggest – even different therapists. I tried fasting in hopes that maybe God would give me a revelation on what to try next. I prayed continually, which was pretty easy because I had to work with her every three hours. I called a friend who I knew had gone through a similar situation. Her wonderful advice to me was to take a break and just enjoy my little girl. I took a break for a while, but I was worried that Faith might not ever eat. All the while I was getting constant pressure from her health care providers that early intervention was key to her future success. It seemed to this overwhelmed mom that Faith’s future depended solely on me. Perception can be deceiving.

One weekend my husband was out of town and I attended church with my three little ones. I don’t remember what the sermon was about, but as Pastor J continued, tears started to escape. First one, then another; pretty soon it was a steady stream. By the time Pastor J was wrapping up, it was all I could do to keep sobs from escaping. Pastor J always ended his sermons by offering to introduce anyone to Jesus. Part of me wanted to be introduced to Jesus – even though I knew that I knew Him already. As Pastor J was closing in prayer, I was having a complete emotional meltdown. I suspect that Pastor J saw me clear in the back trying to hide my tears, because he offered prayer for anyone else who needed prayer before he dismissed us and he didn’t usually do this. I practically sprinted to the front of the church to hide my raccoon eyes ( I do wear makeup sometimes :)). I was met there by Mrs. C (Pastor J’s wife) and several (more than three) other women from the church. By this time, I had tears streaming down my face and snot running in my mouth. In short, I was a mess. I knew that I had finally come to the end of myself. I could not go a single step more. I was finished – coput – and every other word for done. I had no choice, but to let the sobs come. They were being ripped out of me. The end of self is a terribly, wonderful place to be. No one wants to be there, but it is the only way to recieve the Power of The Resurrection. Until you are dead – you don’t need to be made alive! I don’t remember any of the prayers, but I remember the love. When the ladies stopped praying, there were not very many dry eyes among us and I knew I would never be the same again. I don’t even remember the date (not even a general idea of what month), but that day is an altar to the LORD God Almighty in my life. It is the day I stopped trying to live the Christian life with my own strength – it was the final death blow to self.

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

–Charlotte

It’s OFFICIALLY Official

I’ve been waiting to tell you this until it was officially official. It’s been officially unofficial so many times over the past four months that I didn’t feel safe telling you until the last paper was signed, the ink dried, and the keys were in our hands.

I can now tell you that it’s officially official- we’re moving! We bought our own little place about five minutes away from our current location. Basically, we’ve been living on the ranch that Buck works for in the winter months– the one his Uncle Todd runs, for the past four years. It’s been a really great place to live and I’ll be sentimental real soon and tell you all the reasons I’ll be sad to leave here. BUT for today I just want to tell you how stinkin’ excited we are and give you a little preview of our new stomping grounds! We have a lot of work to do in the next few weeks years and of course, I’ll be chronicling much of it here because that, is what I like to do.

It’s a place where buttercups grow…

A place where shade trees (that need to be trimmed!) surround a cute little ol’ house….

A place with pasture and dirt of our own….

A place with cool clear water….

A place with a stretchy pants, cowgirl boot wearing toddler and a bridge….

A place with a cute cowboy (whose not afraid to wear a purple shirt) and a sweet baby….

A place with walls and trim that need painted….

A place with a view…

A place with Lupine…

A place with a lot of work and a lot of fun to look forward to!

–Chelsea

Verse(s) Of The Week

I started reading James this morning and I kinda wanna type the whole book out. I won’t. BUT I do have to write more than one verse. I can’t help myself. I’m completely out of control this morning.

James 1:19-27
“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it– he will be blessed in what he does.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Two Important Updates

I’d like to fill you in on a couple of things. Last week at camp, I had a chance to connect with a couple of gals you’ve heard about here at Cowgirl Clippings . I want to take this opportunity to talk about them.

First, there’s Tonya. Awhile back Tonya told you her story about the horse accident she was involved in last fall. Tonya was at camp last week….

instructing barrel racers like this…

no less.

A little boost from a friend with a camera and she even managed to hop on bareback….

She’s healing right up- still has pain and kinks that need worked out, but she’s back to her ol’ goofy self. I told Tonya I liked seeing her upright on her horse much more than I liked seeing her in a hospital bed. She belongs in boots and wranglers, not in a hospital gown. Her nose should be filled with rodeo boogers*, not a nasal cannula. She should be working on speeding up her barrel time, rather than struggle with breathing. Tonya, we’re so glad you’re back! Camp and life just wouldn’t be the same without you!!

The other update involves Wendy. A few months ago, I shared with you some marriage advice she gave me. I referred to her as the “ranch wife of all ranch wives”. Wendy. Talented. Capable. Hilarious. She can rope. She can ride. She can calve out heifers. She can drive the school bus. She can deliver thousands of lambs in the wee hours of the night. She can cook. She can clean. She can time a rodeo. AND, here’s the kicker, my friends, she looks cute the entire time she does any and all of it. Who does that?!

Wendy.

The ranch wife of all ranch wives. That’s who.

Wendy’s son was a camper this year. He’s all big now and a quite the buckaroo…

When he came through the registration line, I told him to get out of line and stop trying to impersonate the little boy I was expecting to see. When his sheepish grin revealed his true identity, I knew he done grew up. In fact, he’s so grown up that he managed to go right ahead and win the team roping buckle, handy little cowboy that he is….

He’s on the right- the heeler. He double-hocked this steer like it was nobody’s busines. He is, after all, Wendy’s son. Should we expect anything less?!

Between women like Tonya and Wendy, there’s just so much to live up to in this world of western women. I think I’ll just hide behind this computer and pretend nothing but spreadsheets will ever be required of me.

–Chelsea

*rodeo boogers- the brown-dirt-clumped-boogers that come out of your nose after a day of playing in a dusty arena. I think Kari St. Onge coined the term. Kari? Do you have a copyright on that?

Rainy Scenes

So… “they” (as in weather.com) tell me that it’s going to be sunny for the rest of the week. Now…. I promise I’m not going to make a habit out of talking about the weather here at Cowgirl Clippings. In fact, if I start talking about the weather on any kind of regular basis, please do something. I don’t know what that something should be– just intervene, please.

While I’m not going to make a habit out of talking about the weather, today I have to. We have had the rainy-est June I can remember. It’s been cold and rainy and nasty. Quite frankly, I don’t ‘preciate it too darn much. Besides the ground getting all wet and saturated, which farmers in these parts say is a good thing, I think picture-taking is the only benefit in regards to all of this inclement weather. The sun coming out after a storm is a delightful opportunity to take pictures. De-light-ful.

Clouds like this, which just minutes before, were dark and grey, start glowing in the sunlight…

The grass is weighted down with drops of water…

The sunsets are spectacular…

and the horses are wet and frisky. In fact, I think it’s a plum good time for you to meet (from left to right) Rose, Albert, and Tony…

Albert (on the left) is Uncle Todd’s right-hand-man, and Rose is Buck’s right-hand-man-girl.

They’re the faithful ones… the ones who climb mountains and canyons. The ones who drag calves, and cows, when they have to. They’re big and strong and competitive. We like ‘em.

The rain has made us appreciate the not-rain that much more. When it’s not raining the girls and I try to get outside and play a little bit. It makes us all happy…

Lucy likes looking at, and not touching, the worms in the lane…

They both think it’s fun to run ahead…

And puddles are awfully appealing….

Unfortunately puddles are appealing even without rain boots….

Come on sunshine! Come! Dry up the puddles!

–Chelsea

Spur’N

I spent the majority of last week at one of my favorite places on the planet- Rodeo Bible Camp. It’s funny to me that such a simple setting- the fairgrounds in Cambridge, Idaho, can bring such joy to my life. This humble sale barn…

filled with singing cowboys and cowgirls…

is, for me, a little taste of heaven.

I was the rodeo secretary this year, so I spent both days of the rodeo up in the “Crow’s Nest,” right above the bucking chutes. The Crow’s Nest gives a “bird’s eye view” of the arena and enables timers and annoucers and secretary-types to see exactly what’s going on in the arena at all times.

Since I was in the Crow’s Nest and my location was right above the bucking chutes, it gave me ample opportunity to photograph the “roughies”….

…the rough stock riders.

Rough stock riding isn’t something I’m particularly “in the know” about. I’m not an adreneline-seeking junky and riding a very large bucking animal isn’t something I’ve ever chosen to do intentionally. Riding a large buckin’ bull that looks like this…

… isn’t something I’ll ever willingly choose to do. No way. No how.

But if I were, for imagination’s sake, going to get on a very large bucking bovine, I would indeed wear gear that looked like this….

Helmet, check; with face guard, check; mouthguard, check; protective vest, check; get off!! check. what was I thinking?! check. check. check.

I’d like to add, right here and now, something very funny weird about boys. One of the bull riding coaches was standing inside of the arena, coaching the boys as they got ready to ride. When one of the boys was all set to go and ready to nod his head for the gate to be opened, coach would say to the rider, without any sarcasm involved, “Hey Jimmy. You have fun out there!” Fun? Ummm… not so much. This….

is not my idea of a great time. Boys are weird.

Amidst my bull riding observations, I did see one thing that I would agree with. If I were to ride a buckin’ bull and the only thing I could hang on to was this little piece of rope…

I think, I would, like this boy…

choose to spur with Jesus.

–Chelsea

Our Father Who Art in Heaven

note from Chelsea: This was written by my friend, Donna. It’s all scripture and it’s all about our God the Father; it’s a beautiful tribute to Him for Father’s Day.

Our Father Who Art in Heaven

Abba! Father! All things are possible for You! In the beginning You created the heavens and the earth. And You created man in Your own image, in the image of Yourself You created him; male and female You created them. Yet, Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You are the Potter; we are the work of Your hands. You said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” For You so loved the world that You gave Your One and Only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You are not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

You, Lord, are our Father; from ancient times, Your name is our Redeemer. I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to infants.You are our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Happy are the people whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As a father has compassion on his children, so You have compassion on those who fear You. For this reason, I bow my knees before You, Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. This is the day that You have made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. And You!

–Donna

Rhubarb Pie

There are a few things in life I feel qualified to tell you about…. diapers, for instance. I can tell you a lot about diapers- what kind I buy, what kind I don’t buy, what kind works best for my babe, etc. I can also tell you about childbirth. Been there. Done that. Twice. Don’t particularly want to do it again. Probably will anyway.

What’s my point, you ask, sweetly? Well, my point is that while I can tell you about those couple of things, I don’t feel qualified to teach you about pie making. I don’t feel like I have “arrived” in this area of life. I can make a pie. I can roll out a pie crust and fill it with yummy goodness.

I can even stamp a “Lazy J” brand on top. This pie happened to be made yesterday on Father’s Day. The father in this household likes things branded, so I branded his pie with our brand. Thankfully there was no burning hair involved.

Anyway, I’m a firm believer that pie making is a milestone you arrive at– not something just anyone can give lessons on doing. Folks, I’m ”just anyone” when it comes to pies. I know some wonderful pie makers, award winning pie makers, pie makers like Grandma Janie. She should give you a pie making lesson. Maybe I’ll arrange that.

Today, while I’m not going to teach you about pie making, I am going to show you my favorite pie trick. I picked this up from a friend of mine, one named Emily C-Ham, as she often refers to herself while commenting here at Cowgirl Clippings. When Buck and I were newly married and living far from civilization, Emily, my “neighbor” who lived a mere 17 miles away, came to my rescue on several occasions. She rescued me and my feeble pie making attempts when she taught me this trick. I am eternally grateful.

After you roll out your pie dough, and you need to get the thin layer of dough onto your pie plate…

stick your rolling pin on one edge of the dough, as seen above. Roll the dough around the pin, as seen below……

When the dough is all the way around the pin, pick up the pin, with the dough rolled around it, and unroll the dough on your pie plate…..

It works every time. Thank you, Emily C-Ham.

I have one more piece of advice. If you’re going to make a pie, go buy some vanilla ice cream. Go ahead and scoop some onto the top of your warm pie and you will, in turn, make everyone happy…