Welcome "DUDE"..or however you welcome a horse onto the farm.

These poor kids don't have a chance with two animal loving parents...they ask and sooner or later they shall receive!  Except for the baby black pig Haylen has been asking for the past couple of years.  Of course I vote YES because what can be cuter than a tiny oinking pig?!?!  Her Daddy on the other hand who deals with hundreds of large hogs on a weekly basis says NO!  Maybe one day she will get that tiny pig to her Daddy's surprise...

Jonathan and I both love animals and being outside, thankfully we have been blessed with two kids that do as well.  Haylen has asked for a horse for a while now.  I think they are beautiful, but I have a fear of horses.  Crazy I know!  I can be around any size livestock all day, but put me near a horse and my heart starts pounding.  Add in the tiny fact I have been told my entire life horses know if you fear them or not (which I believe is true with any animal) and I picture myself being kicked straight in the teeth!! (Sorry, I do not mean to offend any horse lovers just what I picture).  So Jonathan reassured me he would find the kids an older gentle horse.  And of course I trusted him on this adventure of bringing a horse to the farm. 

Thanks to the help of a farrier friend Jonathan was told of a woman near by that was looking for a new home for her ex-therapy horse.  Dude a registered paint horse has spent many years working with children.  I think it is so sweet to know over the years what joy he has brought to so many kids and parents with a simple walk or trot around.  Not only is Dude a gentle horse but his owner proudly showed Jonathan all of his trophies, ribbons, etc. he has won over the years competing in Western events. 

Dude is 16 years old so I do believe his Western competition days are behind him.  But what I do know his future holds is our family loving and adoring him everyday.  He has already taught me to forget my fear and just respect him like any other animal.  He has also taught me how in less than a week he can love my kids like an overgrown dog.  We can come walking up to the gate and he will just look up at us, but let him catch a glimpse of the kids and he will come running like a dog!! I act surprised, but honestly we have a Black Angus bull named Moonshine we bottle fed as a calf that will run the fence line chasing after us!  (Just a little FYI if your child goes to school talking about "Moonshine" at the barn make sure they explain he is a bull!  Thankfully we live in a small town and people know our family has a livestock barn.) 

Speaking of Moonshine the bull.  He has been the king of the hill at the barn for a while now and he is JEALOUS of Dude.  I find it very funny how Dude and the three bulls stand at the gates staring each other down.  Their pastures are right across from each other.  Moonshine moos in jealous anger while the two broncing bulls look confused.  They have these looks on their faces like "hey, I thought people rode us...what is going on here?"  And don't let me forget the shocking aroma Dude experienced for the first time getting off the trailer near the hog barn.  If you have not experienced it lets just say is smells nothing like sausage and bacon frying in the morning! 

Just look at those smiles!  Can you tell Dude will be loved?  I would not trade this farm life for anything in the world!  I pray we have many more years to come with Dude as well as many more years of the kids loving being at the barn and around livestock....well and around us!  HAHAHA!

Book Review - The Best Yes By:Lysa Terkeurst

The Best Yes Available Here

 

I can't tell you how many times I picked up this book or read about it over at Proverbs 31 Ministry, but every time I thought to myself "I am not a Yes woman."  I mean I am being 100% honest I never thought of myself as a yes woman, people pleaser, etc.  Don't get me wrong I like to help people and I am always game for any event or gathering.  But as my late Mother would say "If you want and opinion ask Allison, if you don't want you feelings hurt as Amanda (my sister)."  In my mind this book was going to be about how to tell people No, how not to let people run over you, or how to be an independent woman again.  Boy was I wrong!!!

 

My friend Danielle over at Butler Party of 3 sent me a message one evening highly recommending me to read The Best Yes.  She saw me post on FB on my son's 6th birthday finding myself wondering how my Mom who always worked full time when my sister and I were growing up, and my Dad who drove a truck full time and was gone M-F on the road... how in the world did she find the time to make homemade cupcakes for our birthday parties at school?  Needless to say Danielle could tell from my words in that simple post I was overwhelmed and exhausted.  Danielle is one of those ladies in my life I count as a great mentor.  If she recommends reading it I am going to grab it up!!

 

 

So of course I grabbed the book up ASAP since I was heading to the beach the following week.  And am I glad I did!!!  I am once again being 100% honest when I say this book has been life changing to me!  It made me realize I am a yes woman!!  I will never for uttering those words out loud while reading.  I have recommended this book to everyone I know and even given it as a gift.  I can't tell you how many times I have text or emailed the above picture of me at the beach telling friends to go get it!!!  Now let me tell you why you MUST READ The Best Yes!

 

 

Ok, read the above quote again!  How many times have you felt this way?  How many times have you said to yourself "How I wish I had the time for_____."  or "How I wish I just had a weekend of doing nothing and going nowhere."  Guess what...You Do!  This is exactly what the book The Best Yes will teach you!  This is where Lysa Terkeurst opened my eyes to me actually being a yes woman as much as I thought I wasn't. (This is also where I added her to my list of must meet women...SHE IS SUCH A BLESSING IN MY LIFE!) 

 

 

You know these ladies or you may be one.  I am guilty of sitting back and thinking to myself "How does ____ do it all?"  And where do I even start about how Pinterest has brought being a Wonder Woman/Mom to a total new level!  Yet, I have come to realize from trying to be a Wonder Woman/Mom it is exhausting!!  We may look like to the outside world we have it all together, but if we had a camera following us around or in our home you would quickly realize the people we should be taking care of and loving at 100% are the ones paying for us trying to wear that cape.  They are the ones that see us exhausted, see the tears, or hear our angry tone (or yelling if I am being honest).

 

 







"I will not let the awkward disappointment of others keep me from my Best Yes appointments with God" - Lysa Terkeurst The Best Yes

 

Above is just one of the meaningful points made in Lysa's book that I hold close to my heart when making daily decisions.  In chapter 3 Overwhelmed Schedule, Underwhelmed Soul in The Best Yes Lysa shares this great point. The decisions we make dictate the schedules we keep.  The schedules we keep determine the lives we live.  The lives we live determine how we spend our souls.  So, this isn't just about finding time.  This is about honoring God with the time we have.

This opened my eyes even more to the job which is a blessing that God has entrusted me to be...a Wife/Mother.  In the past I have said yes to so many things I should of said NO to.  And guess who has suffered...my husband and children.  Looking back was it worth it?  NO NO NO!  In my life it is the little yes that causes me anxiety.

For example saying yes to an early Saturday morning event on a day Jonathan is at the FD causes severe anxiety.  May sound silly to you, but after working 40 hours all week and knowing I have to be somewhere to be with the kids on a Saturday morning by myself by 8am or 9am sends my heart racing as I type this!  Thanks to Lysa Terkeurst opening my eyes to this I now assess my decisions before just saying YES.  Ex. If I say yes to being somewhere at 8am on a Saturday morning that I know Jonathan will be at the FD will it be worth the stress and anxiety it will bring me and the kids?  Who is the event pleasing?  Me and my family or the person that is asking me to attend?  Is this honoring God with the time I have?  Sometimes after asking myself these questions the answer is Yes and sometimes the answer is a simple No.  And I am ok with that!  And if the person asking me is a true friend or family member they are ok with my answer as well!

I won't give away any more of my favorite points from The Best Yes.  Why?  Because I want you to make your best yes and order the book!!!  I promise it will be life changing!!  This book along with Candace Cameron Bure's book Balancing It All helped me decide on my goals for 2015.  Reaching for a "less is more" lifestyle.  I promise a book review soon on Balancing It All as well as more on this "less is more" lifestyle!  Stay tuned!!  If you have read The Best Yes please let me know what you think or if you haven't let me know how eager you are to grab it up. 

Thank you for dropping by Prissy Dixie!





Introducing my little family! My entire world...my McEver Madness!

Here is my sweet little family this past Christmas.  Well some days more sassy than sweet but I promise I would not have it any other way!!!



My husband Jonathan (photo bombed by our youngest Haylen).  We have been married for 10.5 years with two wonderful children!  He is a very quiet dry sense of humor man with a great personality that makes me laugh daily.  As you can tell from the sweet Christmas pics I was trying to make...he just loves having pictures made!  He is a full time fireman and full time farmer working on the family farm the days he is not at the fire dept.  Jesus, family, and livestock are his passions and I would not have it any other way.  I promise to share my real farmer's wife confessions that are guaranteed to make you laugh and may have you counting your blessings you are not married to one!!!

Here is our oldest Hartwell but we call him Hart who is 6yrs old.  A true cowboy in every way and has been since he was old enough to understand going to the barn with Daddy meant hogs, cows, and loading and unloading big trucks.  At 4yrs old he could tell you about the difference between most of the tractor and trailers on the road as well as trucks and livestock trailers.  He builds and designs on a daily basis rodeos and barns with loading docks for the trucks.  He tried mutton bustin' for the first time back in November and has fallen in love (which I knew he would).  So has Mommy & Daddy! For those not sure what mutton bustin' is I will share in my terms.  Similar to bull riding where grown men get on a large bull and try to hang on for 8 seconds, young kids climb on a sheep and hang on as you can tell by the above picture having the time of their life! He is not interested in the normal sports and I can't complain.  I rather spend all day watching kids at a junior rodeo than sitting in the stands at a ball field any day. But that is just this Mommy's opinion.

 

Last but not least when it comes to personality is our sassy Haylen 3yrs old!  Where do I even start with her as you can tell by her last picture.  She loves all animals but is scared of bugs!  One minute is singing and dancing in dress up heels and a princess dress and the next ripping it all off to head to the barn to dig in the red clay dirt!  She loves anything artsy such as coloring, painting, cutting paper, etc.  Can't wait to see what excitement to brings us the years to come!!!

 

 

And that is my sweet little family.  I love everyday with them!  Some days I am stressed more than I should be, worrying more than just relaxing and enjoying the time with them.  Praying this year I slow down more and enjoy the days that seem to fly by the older they get!  Praying that we as parents can set the example that spending time and not money is more important on each other in this life!  Praying blessing and good health to you and your family for this year to come!!

 

Thank you for stopping by Prissy Dixie!

 

 

 

 

 

2015 Happy New Year! Starting the year off with Family, Friends, Firearms, and Fixins'!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  Can you believe it is actually 2015??

First and foremost THANK YOU SO MUCH for stopping by!  After being told by girlfriends the past couple of years I should start a blog I have decided to take a leap of faith with much encouragement and guidance from great friends and do it.  Here at Prissy Dixie I hope to share with you a little view into my world as a simple country girl living in a small town raising two young kids with my wonderful husband. (Introductions to come)  As much as I love livestock, cowboy boots, and being outside I equally love fabulous jewelry, great heels, getting dressed up for no reason at all...well Prissy Dixie fancy things in general.  (More about that to come as well)

More about my New Year celebrations and what I hope and pray 2015 will bring to me and my little family!  My wonderful sister and best friend Amanda and I decided back a few months ago we would hold a New Year's lunch for anyone who wanted to join us!

Me & Amanda

 

Here in the South family traditions tell us if we eat black eyed peas and collards it will bring us wealth in the New Year.  We also have been taught what we do on the New Year's we will do the rest of the year.  Now I am not going to hold my breath that eating my black eyed peas with cornbread and onions along with my collards is going to make my checking account swell up over night...but right after our New Year's lunch I do believe I was the wealthiest woman in Georgia!  Right after lunch my sister's driveway starting filling up with family and friends that may not of made it to lunch but was dropping by for a little skeet shooting, laughs, cheers (yes, skeet shooting does turn us ladies in cheerleaders which was cracking the guys up), coffee, and just simple good family time.  Now to me that is RICH!!!

 

 One of my goals for 2015 is to slow down and enjoy more simple family time.  We did this a little this past year, but for 2015 I honestly want to make it happen more often!!  Spending time with family and friends on purpose not just because it is a holiday or someone's birthday.  This is the type of "wealth" I prefer in the years to come!  Below are a few more of my goals for 2015.  I prefer to call them goals over resolutions, to me goals are something you work towards where resolutions have to start at midnight and you can't look back.

2015 Goals:

1. Spending more alone time focusing on my relationship with Jesus Christ and growing in His word!

2. Cleaning out clutter and living a life "less is more"!(Recently read a new friend's post on FB about this and it brought me to tears and wanting this type of lifestyle more.  Thank you again for the wonderful post you know who you are!)

3.  Making a family budget and sticking to it.(helping me reach the "less is more" lifestyle)

4.  Spending more quality with family and friends making great memories for years to come.

5.  More dates with my husband!!!(easier said than done with 2 kids)

6.  Getting back to working out on a regular schedule.(with the busy holidays I have fallen off this wagon)

What are your 2015 goals?

Thank you again for stopping by Prissy Dixie!