I was walking down the hallway of my son’s school this morning, when a teacher (and friend) stopped me. She said, “You look, umm...tired?” No, I assured her, it wasn’t fatigue she was seeing in my face. It’s the shell-shocked look of someone who has endured the past two weeks trapped in the confines of her own home caring for four sick children. For the past two weeks we have been in survival mode around here. Each day we were tending to the kids that were not feeling well, distributing medications, forcing them to drink liquids, reading many stories and holding each of them as often as possible. Today everyone is somewhere on the road to recovery. Thank Goodness.

Thank you for bearing with me over the past couple of weeks. Now let’s get back to our regularly scheduled programming and posts that are hopefully worth the time you take to read them. (Five O’Clock Charlie, indeed!)

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My husband I recently spent a couple of days involved in cattle industry meetings. We attended meetings about various parts of our industry. It was an awesome feeling to be in a large room with many, many other people who are involved in various segments of the cattle industry. At home we spend so much time focused on our community, that it is easy to forget we are part of a much larger whole. It’s exciting to be reminded that there are families all over the United States who devote their lives to cattle ranching.

I came away from these meetings with a deeper understanding of the commitment these families have to caring for their animals and their land. I came home feeling energized about the future of the cattle industry. Most importantly, I came home with some fun ideas to share with you over the next few weeks!

Coming up tomorrow: a delicious steak dinner for your Valentine!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway! There’s still time to enter. Winner will be announced tomorrow.