Final Night of Rodeo

I rode in the grand entry again! Vanessa was going to but it didn't work out. I was kind of glad I got to do it again. Since it was the last night there were more riders participating. My friend and pastor's daughter Perri, her son, her nephew and brother were riding and I rode along with them.

Perri is in the green shirt. Her nephew, Jackson with the black hat, her son Levi in the red shirt and her brother Bryan in the far right of the photo. We're waiting for the grand entry to begin.

My saddle. I'm a little bored waiting for the grand entry to begin!

I gave my camera to Vanessa to take pictures. She did good and had fun. Here's Kennedy waiting to see me and all the riders!

Kennedy and her Uncle Josh, Vanessa's brother.

Nana (Vanessa's step-mom) with Kaston. She has a knack for getting him to sleep!

Here I come!

going around the pivots

on my way back out of the area.

Keannon must have taken this picture. Mommy and daughter

I absolutely love this photo. Vanessa captured Kennedy learning about showing honor to our country's flag.
I still am moved every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner.

Have a good one!

Hail Storm May 15, 2013

WOW! What a night! I had been watching the weather for most of the day and new we had the potential for severe weather. I spent the afternoon cutting weeds in the pasture where I keep Clyde. I had Kennedy with me. I took time to show her a little fuzzy caterpillar I found. She was fascinated by it.

She thought he was so fun and he tickled as he crawled across her hand.

She wanted to take him home and keep him but then...

he started invading her comfort zone!


It was church night so I quit in enough time to get me and Kennedy cleaned up. I had to be there by 6. I was so busy getting us ready that I didn't have time to check weather.

As we leave the house it's beginning to sprinkle. By the time we get in the truck and pull out of the driveway it is raining harder. Halfway to church pea to marble size hail begins to sporadically hit my truck. We get to church and get inside just as the bottom falls out! It's a downpour. As the worship team begins to practice we can here hail hitting the roof. We all stop and go to the windows and some go outdoors under the awnings to watch.

 The pastor's daughter, Perri is who walked in front of the window. This video doesn't show some of the biggest hail that fell. I didn't personally get any photos but I did see some that where taken of the hail that fell here.

This is Vanessa's brother, Jacob, holding this hail stone that fell at First Baptist Church about a mile west of Well of Life Church. Photo taken by Barbara Pophin.

This photo taken about a half mile South of the church where one of our members live. Photo taken by Jeff Gulley

Another extremely large hail stone that fell in Mineral Wells. Photo taken by Kayce Friedel.

Needless to say we started scrambling at church to grab every trash can and any contain to catch water as it began coming through the ceiling throughout the building!

When I got home it looked like a war zone. There were leaves all over the yard and street. One storm window in our bedroom was broken. It will be easier to check for further damage in the morning when its daylight.

I went to the backyard to check the rain gauge and noticed that over 3 hours since the storm I still had hail in my yard and it was still 70 degrees!

My neighbor told me that at one point during the storm the street was white with hail!

Wonder how big this one was 3 hours earlier?!

I know I'll be busy in the morning contacting our church's insurance and roofer.

Have a good one!

Second Night of Rodeo

The second night of Rodeo was Friday. I decided to ride Clyde in the grand entry. Vanessa usually rides him but she was not going to be there that night. It wasn't until after talking with a friend of mine on Thursday that I realized it had been 6 years! In thinking bac,k I hadn't participated in the rodeo trail ride, parade or grand entry since my horse Blue died in 2007. I decided it was time so I told Doyle that's what I wanted to do. It started raining right as we needed to get Clyde but it wasn't very heavy. It quit by the time we got to the rodeo grounds.

Kennedy wanted to ride around with me before the rodeo started. I was wondering how I was going to explain to Kennedy that she wouldn't be able to ride with me in the grand entry but as it turned out she didn't want to.

Clyde and I waiting for the grand entry to begin. There were more riders than what you see here but it was a small grand entry. Clyde really surprised me. He was all perky and prancing around like a young horse all through the grand entry! I didn't know he had it in him!

Since I am the picture taker I didn't think I would get any pics of me but my dear Pastor was so kind to get this with his phone then promptly posted on Facebook "Valerie Light rides again"! I just love him! How thoughtful!

After the grand entry, I take Clyde back to the trailer and unsaddle. When I get back to our box seats the Star Spangled Banner is being sung.

Kennedy decides to sit with daddy for a little while.

I also got to watch a beautiful sunset.

Kennedy did really well the first night of rodeo but by the second night she got antsy and was ready to do something other than sit and watch so we went and checked on Clyde, went to the bathroom, and then she talked me into letting her go play on the inflatable slide. She didn't have anyone to do it with her and she soon lost interest. Not all was lost though as the pony rides were right next to the slide. I talked to the lady to see if she could ride the pony instead and she agreed. Geez, I have a horse that's free! She even rode it! But do you think I told her "no?!"

He was just her size!

On another note I made a card to send to Remi along with a package. 

This is a Phyllis Harris design made by Unity. I used my Copic Markers to color it then cut it out and popped with foam tape.

Have a good one!

May Means Rodeo

It's Rodeo time in my town. It's a family tradition for the "Lights". It started when we bought horses in 1995. The last two years Doyle has gotten us "box seats". Nothing fancy except an area partitioned off with folding chairs right on the area instead of the bleachers. If you're close enough to the center you have a pretty good view of either end of the area. Most of the time the action is up close and personal!

Kennedy is at that stage where she makes terrible faces when you ask her to smile. Hope this doesn't last long! She is still too cute! I bought the shirt for her.

Vanessa invited her friend's little girl that is 2 years older than Kennedy. They get along just wonderfully together. They could hardly wait for the rodeo to start!

Neither of the girls were very cooperative about having pictures taken!

Thanks to my Aunt Lyndie, Kashton was dressed for rodeo too complete with "boot" socks.














Finally we are underway. Kennedy waves to many of the riders and slaps some of their hands.

We knew some of the riders. These are friends of ours from church. None of us rode in the 1st night of grand entry. Doyle was at work. I worked at the store so no time to gather a horse.

These awesome ladies displayed flag colors beautifully!

Enjoying every minute of it!

I finally got a good picture of Ari

Daddy & Kennedy hamming it up!

Keannon was so thoughtful to pick up my camera to take a picture. This was one tired kid either of taking pics of just tired. She seemed to have a really good time.

Have a good one!

NSD Retreat Weekend

I've been busy the last several days. NSD (National Scrapbook Day) Retreat was this weekend. I worked the store with Ray Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Marilyn and I take turns so we can both attend retreats. Cathy wanted me to teach a Make and Take and invited me to stay overnight on Saturday so I could join in on some of the fun. It's a good thing as it was pretty wild at the retreat. Elvis showed up and had all the ladies in a tizzy!

Elvis was warming up. My dear friend Teresa Montalvo took this picture. She is a wonderful photographer! I was trying to sing a long with him.

We took a group photo.

After all that fun we finally began the Make and Takes.

Here I am at my table. My class was a page layout.

This is what they made using papers from Authentique "Original" Collection.  The pockets were cut from a 12x12 paper. On the middle pocket I put brads for interest and popped with chipboard. The patchwork strip on the left of the page was also cut out and brads used. A glassine bag was used to hold the journal tag. I embossed it using an embossing folder and then inked with Stazon. I had originally used a Copic Marker to color the bag because that is all I had at home but then went over it again with the Stazon to give the embossed images more definition. The tag I cut out with a Tim Holtz die. The flower at the bottom of the bag is made up of three that were cut out and put together with a brad then popped with foam tape. The title was cut out with Ray's laser cutter at the store. Also the butterfly on the jean pocket was cut out and put together with twine and the wings popped.

I made a complimenting page that papers could be purchased to make. Here is that page.

Here's how I intended them to look together.

You can read more about the retreat here, here, here and here. Also it's WOW Wednesday over at Cat's Creations Blog. Leave me a comment then head over to Cat's Blog for more information about WOW Wednesday. There could be a prize in it for you!

I was only at the retreat for overnight but I still managed to get a few scenic photos!

I sneaked out just long enough to watch the sunset. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to have full view of the horizon!

This cow was curious about why I was kneeling at the fence. See the birds in the sky above the barb wire?
(Remember you can click on the picture to see it larger).

The next day on the way home I saw these beauties along the road. I just had to pull over and take their picture!

Here's another view.

These were just down the road from the park where the retreat was!

I get to the main hwy to head home. I don't get far before I see these!

I loved all the varieties of wildflowers in one place!

so beautiful!

Have a good one!