The Daily Chores to The Rodeo to Worship...

Wednesday, November 13th, was a good day. We started with a biscuit run. I came home and started laundry and finished it. I received all my Muskegon area Christmas gifts. I got all but one of them wrapped and updated my grid. 

Andie, our daughter in LaGrange, called and we plotted Thanksgiving. Hayden, their son, is off to Poland for a film festival with his classmates from DePaul University. We had to be sure of his return timing to see what will happen for Thanksgiving this year. He will get back the 27th but had lined himself a job near school. He will start that when he returns. Claude reminded me that this might mean he won't be here for our New Year's Eve tradition of Lord of the Rings marathon. We knew this day would come. All kids do grow up and leave the nest. Andie, Michael and Bailey will come for Thanksgiving. 

I gathered all my Christmas cards on hand and realized I won't need to buy any cards this year. Yeah!!

Thursday, November 14th, would be a full day for me. I started it with getting an oil change for my Buick. With our 5,300 mile trip, it was time for another oil change. This time I had a sensor out on my driver's side rear wheel. It was not registering air pressure in that tire. However, when we checked the air pressure with the gauge, it had as much air as the other tires. Turned out the sensor just wore out. That wan another $150 to replace. 

I was able to clean out the little chest of drawers we have in our bathroom linen closet. I found expired meds and threw them out. I found a special shampoo for my gray hair. Yeah!! Now all is neat and the drawers close properly again. 

I was able to get the Relief Society birthday cards for December labeled and ready to mail. 

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In the evening we went to Frankfort and had dinner at Staxx's BBQ. Then off to Louisville to Freedom Hall to watch the first night of the North American Championship Rodeo. This is a qualifier for the big final rodeo in Las Vegas in December. This is always fun for Claude as Box Elder County Fair & Rodeo was a big deal in Tremonton every year as he grew up. 

Seated on the row in front of us were three mothers with their little ones, most of which were little boys. Several of these boys sported their enormous cowboy hats. They wore these throughout the entire evening. Yep, they are truly cowboys in training. The watched every event. So very cute.

The National Anthem was played by the trumpeter for Churchill Downs. 

Then all the participants came out carrying flags. The one carrying the flag for Kentucky is in the lower left with a yellow shirt on and the blue Kentucky Commonwealth flag.

Events happen in this order: Bareback Riding

Steer Wrestling. This would be the event Claude would like to participate in. 

Team Roping. I am amazed that the two cowboys in each team might be from very different parts of the country. How do they practice?

Saddle Bronc. This one, Bareback Riding and Bull Riding are ALL going to lead to horrid health problems as these young men age. The announcer kept pointing out who was 40 years of age or older. This is ancient for a rodeo guy, particularly in any of these three events. 

Next comes an 'intermission' of sorts. The Rodeo Clown performed with the best horse in the world. This horse could be still while the clown worked around and on him. It really enjoyed watching this horse perform.

Back to the real rodeoing. Time for the girls to shine. Breakaway Roping is their event.

Tie Down Roping for the men.

Then back to the ladies for Barrel Racing.

The final event is Bull Riding. This particular time one of the riders came off the bull but his hand didn't release the rope. He was hanging by his hand. This is where the REAL Rodeo Clowns are worth their weight in gold. There are two of them. The quickly come up and distract that bull so the cowboy and get his hand undone. One of these clowns even took that bull by the horns and turned him away from the cowboy hanging at his side. Amazing. I will say, if that had gone bad, this would have been my last rodeo. Really!!

We waited in our Jeep for the parking lot to clear before heading home. The weirdest thing was a lady driving a white SUV. She decided to go across lanes to get out and ran the front driver's side bumper of her car into a big white pick-up truck. The driver of the pick-up truck had not come out yet. We are still not quite sure why she drove that way as there were other cars there. It was almost like she wanted to run into that truck. Silly Lady!!

We got back to Georgetown and curled up in bed. We were still to keyed up to sleep. So we sat and chatted for a bit. Love my date nights with Claude.

Friday, November 12th, I really did not sleep Thursday night into Friday morning. I was pleased I made it through office PT Friday morning. Claude made a nice pot of chili. I came home and iced my shoulder. Betty Dixon, our biking friend, called and we talked for a while. I caught up with Laura Carter via text. And, Claude and I extended an invitation to Bailey to stay after Thanksgiving and have a Harry Potter marathon with Claude and me. She was very happy to say YES! I stayed in that lounge chair and enjoyed two bowls of Claude's chili. 

Saturday, November 13th, was our turn to help clean the church. Claude and I were over at 8:45am. We started on the chapel. I took the trash from the chapel and picked up trash along one side of the buildings. Then I cleaned the kitchen. I went back to the chapel to find my hubby having a sneezing fit from the dust. Then I vacuumed while he tried to clean up some gum in the carpet. We did our part to help and then headed to Bojangles for breakfast about 10:30am. 

I labeled the Christmas cards. They are now ready to insert the Christmas letter when Claude creates it. 

At 4pm, we had a Leadership Training session at the Stake Center as part of our Stake Conference. There is an hour between this session and the 7pm Adult Session. Claude had a great idea. We would take a cooler, go to Jimmy John's on our way to our 4pm meeting, get our sandwiches and keep them in the cooler with our soda's. Then have our dinner in the Jeep between meetings. This turned out to be the best way we have ever done this. 

During the evening session, we sang Hymn #131, "More Holiness Give Me". The words in third verse have one line that really jumped out at me, "More longing for Home". This 'home' is our Heavenly Home. I loved that feel of knowing we have a Heavenly Home to return to when we have finished "this frail existence" (a line from Hymn #292, O My Father). The hymns teach such beautiful lessons in these little phrases. Understanding that death is a part of the Plan. Understanding that our Savior overcame death and was resurrected is part of the Plan. Understanding that, because of His Atonement, we will also be resurrected is a part of the Plan. I love these truths. "More longing for Home" means I will use my 'frail existence' to ready myself for that Home. 

Sunday, November 14th, we attended the closing session of Stake Conference. Every speaker was excellent. One of the speakers was Mark Pope. He is the new basketball coach for University of Kentucky. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and resides in our stake boundaries. He was invited by Marc Hill, the first counselor in our Stake Presidency, to speak. Marc is the Deputy Athletics Director for the University of Kentucky and Mark Pope's boss. How cool is that?!

Mark Pope spoke about sometimes feeling like was planted. You know, buried by all of life and all he has to keep up with. When he feels this discouragement, he has learned to realize he is feeling buried and to reminded himself he is not buried but planted. Planted in a place he can grow. What a wonderful way to look at things. We only grow when we go through difficulties. I need to remember at those times I am planted. I will know the reason and the things I learned, sometimes as I go along, but most often after the trial. I love this thought, "I am planted!"

After attending Stake Conference, we made our way to Schlotzsky's for a nice lunch. A quiet evening catching up on my Blog and being with my hubby are in store.