Not to be Outdone!

I just couldn't let Terry be the only one to try his hand at leather work. I decided that I needed a pair of leather chinks (aka short chaps) for cow camp this year. The scrub oak is VERY tall over in Colorado and last year I tore a pair of jeans on it. Sooooo, I made my very own pair of chinks! It was harder than I thought but very fun and satisfying to get them J-U-S-T the way I wanted them. I saved myself many hundreds of dollars and get to claim bragging rights cuz they're made with my own two lil hands! Terry helped do some of the things that were really difficult but I did all the blinging stuff by myself. Even though my project was way smaller than building a WHOLE saddle, I think my sense of accomplishment was pretty near what Terry felt after 7 months of his project. I'm pleased as punch that they turned out so well. Terry thinks the cows will be scared off cuz of all the bling but I say--no bling is ever too much! What do you think? BTW, I threw a "Paisley" pose in for good measure. And don't worry, I'll actually wear cowboy boots with my new chinks and not bare feet! And I'll break the chinks in on the back of my horse! A HUGE Thank You goes to our friend, Tom--same guy that helped Terry build his saddle. Thanks for sharing your time, talents, and equipment, Tom! You're a handy guy to know!

Quite an Accomplishment!

So one of the things on Dad's "to do" list before he dies or gets too old to do is to learn to make a saddle. A good friend, Tom Brough, owns a boot and shoe repair shop and decided that he wanted to make Jared a saddle to show their family appreciation for Jared's service in the Marine Corp. Dad decided that he would like to make one also so him and Tom set out on this great big huge task of making saddles. I  always wondered why places charged so dang much for a saddle. We're talking several thousand dollars per saddle, people! I now understand that big price tag! TONS of work go into those babies! Anyway, Terry and Tom started back in March working 4 or 5 evenings each week. Some nights, an hour or two; some nights only 20 to 30 minutes depending on the task. Most Saturdays involved 2 to 4 hours working at the store or here at home. Tom has built numerous saddles in the past and finished his for Jared back in July sometime but Terry lagged behind due to work travel and responsibilities at home or date nights or church things, etc. BUT today was the day! He finished! It is such a great accomplishment to finish a project this big. There were times when he wanted to quit but he didn't! There were times when he forced himself to go and was glad in the end that he went each time. It is a beautiful saddle and he learned many skills while building it. Terry and Tom grew closer while they worked along side each other and swapped stories of growing up and experiences that each had in their lives. Terry also learned patience as he had to break this huge job down into small sizeable tasks. We learned better time management  as a family as we supported him being gone each night and still trying to feed and work the horses, mow the lawn, fix and eat dinner, home teach, do home repairs and maintenance, etc. The smile on Terry's face today when he FINALLY finished his saddle was worth EVERY and I mean E-V-E-R-Y minute and hour that he was gone working on it. As we left the store today, I felt a little sad that the saddle is done and we won't be spending as much time visiting with Tom. He is a great guy and we can never repay him for all his time and effort and encouragement on this project. I'm soooooo proud of you, Terry! It's BEAUTIFUL! Job well done! Thanks for sticking to it and finishing this project--you are ALWAYS such a good example in life to me. Check out his gorgeous saddle and talents. We're both proud as peacocks!!! And you can officially check saddle making off your "to do" list, hon!

Fall Foliage

This past weekend we took a trip up to Strawberry. The foliage was breathtaking! I LOVE this time of year. Love the crunch of the leaves underfoot, the colors, the smells, pumpkins, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, soup, hoodie sweatshirts, cornstalks, the decorations, LOVE IT ALL! It's been really warm here in Utah this year--nice to see some signs that fall is actually on it's way.