Resolutions

Res-o-lu-tion [rez-uh-loo-shuh-n]
noun

1. A formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. 

2. A resolve of determination.

 

It’s that time of year again where we promise ourselves that we’re getting back on track…we’re going to lose weight, save money, get organized, try new things, meet new people, and everything else in between.

 

I am just as guilty as the next person for making my list of resolutions, but today I can’t help but ponder the question of why it is so easy to state our resolutions now, but so hard to follow them come July?

 

Just like any new project, we’re anxious to get started and we make the time to get on the treadmill, make new files folders, pinch pennies, etc. Unfortunately, after awhile the new wears off, we’re exhausted from our normal schedule, the treadmill becomes an extra clothes rack, and we slide right back into the routine we once had and feel guilty about what we didn’t accomplish.

 

Did we take on too lofty of a New Year’s resolution – did we think that all of a sudden we would gain some extra time to do all of these things? Who knows these answers even? Well, I will be the first to admit that I sure don’t – but what I do know is that the number one definition of resolution states that a resolution is a “formal expression of opinion or intention made.” 

 

Did you catch that word? Intention. I’m not a huge fan of the word myself because I think a person can have all the intentions in the world, but until they set their mind to it and perform the actions, nothing gets accomplished. So instead of making a list of intentions, why don’t we make a list of goals? The definition for goal is “the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.”

 

If we make goals and have our efforts, whether they be in January or July, be directed towards our goals, then we are accomplishing our New Year’s Resolutions. If you fall off the wagon, don’t let the guilt set in…just get back in the game when you can and keep working towards your goal!

 

2012 has been a great year for me, but here’s to 2013 and all of the organizing and working out that is in store for this girl!

 

PS – Can you imagine me on a treadmill…now that would be a disaster!

(Oh, and the definitions, courtesy of Mr. Webster, himself)

Inner Beauty

This post is a few weeks overdue, but hey…better late than never! One day back at the beginning of December, I was trying to think of ideas for some a few MWKS appearances and I just couldn’t really find anything that my heart told me that I absolutely needed to do at the time. That was until I remembered a day back in Mrs. Wilson’s junior high health class when she brought in a beauty consultant to teach us girls how to properly care for our skin and the right techniques of applying make-up.

I have numerous friends who are Mary Kay beauty consultants and I thought this could be the perfect match! I could speak to the groups of girls about being responsible for defining themselves and that it is okay to be unique and then they could do a makeup demonstration.

After contacting the principals at Bucklin Junior High and asking Robyn to help with the makeup demonstration, it was set – December 11 we would do our presentation!

I had the chance to speak to the girls first telling my story and talking about my platform for Ms. Wheelchair Kansas, but left them with the message that although makeup is fun and a way to express oneself, we are not defined by our makeup and what we look like on the outside, but what is on the inside…what is in our hearts, thoughts, and actions.

Robyn then took the stage! She picked a volunteer from the audience and began in on the proper techniques of taking care of one’s skin. Then it was on to the makeup, and heck, I even learned some tips!

The girls of Bucklin Junior High were great and extremely receptive to both Robyn and my presentations – I think they really enjoyed it…especially the free samples of lip-gloss Robyn handed out at the end!

I am reaching out to some other local area schools in hopes to take this show on the road, but until then, my audiences are stuck with me only! 

Wrapped with Love

I always loved wrapping presents during Christmas time – in fact when I would see the make-shift store in the mall that would wrap your presents for you, I always wanted to work there. I got great satisfaction by having perfectly fitted, folded corners and a beautiful bow on top, but I learned last night I do not share this same satisfaction with my father.

While Mom finished up her holiday grocery shopping yesterday evening, Dad decided it was perfect time for him to wrap her gift. Note, I have NEVER seen my dad wrap a present in my life so I thought I might be in for some good entertainment...and I was right.

After acquiring what supplies he thought he needed – one of his two gifts, the wrapping paper, a knife, and black duck tape – I told him that he needed to go get the other gift, scissors, and some clear tape. He proceeded to get the other gift, but nothing else, saying the black tape would add “character” and asked why would he need scissors when he had a knife.

My entertainment began as he was trying to measure how much wrapping paper he needed. The first piece he cut was somewhat shorter than he thought, so he decided he would just piece 2 or so pieces together. His corners were not perfectly folder whatsoever, but he did a better job than I thought he would.

After getting his present wrapped, he needed a bow.  As I began to tell him where the bag of bows were, he walked to the Christmas tree and reached down to take one off another present. I stopped him just in time so he reverted to Plan B. Plan B consisted of stealing one off of the Christmas tree and taping it on the present. “She’ll never know where it came from,” is what he told me…little does he know that she makes new bows to put on the tree every year.

The icing on the cake came when he wrote out a sweet message on the gift tag, wishing her a Merry Christmas and telling her that he loved her. As he was beginning to tape it down, I jokingly asked him if he had spelled Elaine correctly…turns out I was right, he missed the “i” and had to redo it.

Finally after thirty minutes of comic relief, he placed his newly wrapped present under the tree. Here’s the new picture of “wrapped with love!”

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Consequences

As my mom and I were driving to Dodge this afternoon we were discussing some policies that are in the school handbook. During this conversation she made the statement, “You just can’t make a kid do something if they don’t want to.” I was immediately appalled and quickly thought back to my childhood.

Like most children, when I grew up, my parents taught me right from wrong and that with certain actions come certain consequences. If I disobeyed the rules or didn’t do what I was told, I faced punishment of some kind and to go along with that punishment, came the fear of God. That fear gave me much more respect – respect for my parents, my elders, my teachers and coaches, respect for authorities…So when my mom made this statement this afternoon, I thought to myself have the kids lost that respect and do they not face punishment anymore? Have things really changed that much in a few years? (Okay, maybe more than a few years…I am pushing closer to 30 than 20 now-a-days.)

As I continue to read and try to process the tragedy that took place last week in Newtown – I can’t help but think about repercussions. Adam Lanza committed a horrific and selfish act last week and he will never be able to face the consequences of what he did. He will never see the devastation he caused and how he ruined the lives of so many families…including his own.

I don’t understand how one person could do that. However what I do know is that we need to reinforce that “fear of God” and we need to demand respect for authority. We must teach our youth to take responsibility for their thoughts, words, and actions.

All generations in life probably look to the one after them at some point and say, “it’s just not the same as when we were young.” I can now say that I officially think like this...does this make me old?

Santa Came to Town

Today was a special day for all of the young children of Bucklin…Santa came to town! Somehow he managed to escape from the North Pole so close to Christmas and come spend the afternoon at BTI-Bucklin with two of his favorite elves!

After two hours of listening to the wishes of the kids of Bucklin, I was lucky to have had the chance to sit down and talk with him! I didn’t have much of a list of things I wanted, but I made sure to tell him that Karlee wants Barbies and a music player, Jake wants tractors and trucks, and Eli, well, he wants a healthy baby brother near the end of January!

It was an amazing afternoon, but I hope Santa and his elves made it back to the North Pole tonight…they sure did look tired at 5 o’clock!

Lemon Lights

I don’t know about you, but Christmas is one of my favorite holidays! It is a time for traditions, spending time with loved ones, celebrating the birth of Jesus, and gift giving...not particularly in that order. I love everything about Christmas…actually no, I must take that back – I love everything about Christmas, except Christmas music! (especially when they begin playing it before Thanksgiving)

Nonetheless, I’m here to talk about traditions – it is tradition for the Evans family to go to Christmas Eve service at the Presbyterian Church in Kingsdown; it is tradition for the Vogels to celebrate the holiday in January; and it is tradition for Jessica and I to go to Pratt to see the Lemon Park Lights.

  

Looking at Christmas lights is one of my favorite activities during the Christmas season and Lemon Park in Pratt is the place to go in Southwest Kansas to see lights. Numerous volunteers in the city of Pratt set up over 150 light displays throughout Lemon Park each year – they range from a dragon looking over a small pond, gingerbread houses, lots of reindeer, lighted arches, and so much more.

I have known Jessica my entire life and she is one of my best friends in the whole wide world. We share so much in common and that includes our love of Christmas lights, so each year we jump in the car and travel the 50 miles to Pratt to check out the lights! We first make a beeline to Sonic to grab some supper and then head over to the park. We always make at least two trips through the park to make sure we see everything and to try to find the new light display, as they add a new one every year!

We end our trip by cruising around Pratt and Bucklin looking at the lights and checking out all of the decorations. It is one night I look forward to every year and this year was no different – Jess and I had a blast!

Although our annual tradition of light looking has taken place for this year; it doesn’t mean that you can’t start your own and remember, look no further than the “Lemon Lights” in Pratt, KS (as Karlee calls it). 

Inner Geek

My Christmas present has arrived early…I got me some new spectacles! I absolutely love them, but it has honestly taken me one whole day to be able to look in the mirror and not laugh at myself. They are not my normal frames that I go for, but perhaps a bit retro. It totally brings out my inner geek which leads me to this blog post.

Me and My New Specs

My “geeky” side of me absolutely loves to read and so I thought, why not give you seven of my most favorite books of all time! 
(I had ten listed at first, but it was going to be the longest post ever, so seven it is!)

Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II’s Greatest Rescue Mission 

by Hampton Sides

 After hearing my talks of a Vietnam era novel, my neighbor Larry brought me over this book and suggested I read it. He told me it is a monumental book that tells the story of the Bataan Death March. Eager to read it, I began and couldn’t put it down.  Hampton Sides does a phenomenal job recreating the atmosphere and intimate details of the prisoners and how they survived in a Japanese POW camp when every odd was against them – starvation, tropical diseases, and torture. This book fueled my ever-growing interest WWII and our country’s history.

Unbroken 

by Laura Hildebrand

This is another page turning, can’t put it down type of books…and yes it’s anther survival story from WWII. Louie Zamperini's dream of running in his second Summer Olympics was derailed the moment he B-24 went down and crashed into the Pacific. After a torturous, yet remarkable and record-breaking 47 days at sea, he was rescued by the Japanese. For the next two years until the island where he stayed was liberated, he was beat and tortured, but managed to somehow stay alive. This book details his entire journey from his childhood, to war, and life after. It is an amazing read filled with so much courage and resilience. I would recommend this one to everyone!

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

I first read this book in high school, but have come back to it numerous times in the past couple of years. It is a classic and although written in the 1960s, it is still relatable in today’s times. The advice Atticus gives to Scout and Jem is both heartwarming and enlightening and the whole book makes a person think about what is truly important in life. If you haven’t read it, read it now because you’re definitely missing out!

Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir 

by Frank McCourt

Angela’s Ashes tells the harrowing story of Frank McCourt’s adolescence – one of which is full of heartbreak. Growing up in poverty, losing his three siblings, and dealing with his alcoholic father, McCourt experienced it all, but somehow overcame it.  The book is so eloquently written and should be a must on everyone’s list!

The Sun Also Rises 
by Ernest Hemingway

Another classic! I read this book a couple of summers ago and was hooked by the ease of Hemingway’s words and a storyline of undetermined love and loyalty between Jake and Lady Brett, but you can’t forget how much drunkenness, debauchery, and travel is emitted throughout the story. What was wrote in the mid 1920’s could easily be pulled from real life 2012 – that’s what makes this a classic, it stands the test of time!

Eyewitness Auschwitz: Three Years in the Gas Chamber

by Filip Muller

I just finished this book in October and I must admit, it took me awhile to read it, which is so uncharacteristic of me regarding a book that I love. Filip Muller was a Jew who ended up working in the gas chambers of Auschwitz and graciously lived to tell his story and the horrors of the concentration camp and disposing the bodies of his own people. It is one of the most eye-opening books I have ever read and truly paints a picture of what happened during the Holocaust.

My Horizontal Life

by Chelsea Handler

I absolutely love Chelsea Handler. She is amazingly funny and I rarely miss an episode of Chelsea Lately! So, as I was browsing Amazon one day a few years ago and saw this gem, I couldn’t resist. I do not recommend it for all because well, it is a bit raunchy, and tells numerous tales of Chelsea’s nightly escapades, but if you’re 18 and older and looking for a quick, easy, and hilarious read, this is your book! 

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You might see a trend through these titles…most are true stories...most are stories of resilience and overcoming something major…most of these books makes me truly grateful for my life…and most of these show that no matter how hard you think you have it, someone has it or has had it much worse.

Flyin' Solo

Throughout the past six years since my accident there has been many “firsts". I remember the first time I pushed my glasses up on my nose by myself…the first time I pushed my own chair…the first time I typed an email…went to work…and so much more. Today I added something else to that list; today, I drove to and from work by myself!

As many of you know, I purchased my pickup back in January and have been teaching myself how to drive ever since then. I know what you’re thinking…it’s been ten months and she’s just now soloing? To answer that question, I must ask - have you ever tried to operate your gas/brake with one hand and steer with the other, all while having little hand function? Let me tell you it’s a bit difficult!

Me checking things out the day I bought it 

However, after a few more modifications and plenty of cruising the back roads, I finally felt completely comfortable to venture out by myself...wait, I’ll take that back, my PARENTS finally felt completely comfortable! I, myself, was ready a while ago! =)

Anyways, here is to another first…may there be many more in my future!

Girls' Weekend

Want to know what I love more than a three-day weekend? A three-day weekend in which I get to spend a lot of quality time with my niece, Karlee! We had the past two afternoons to ourselves and boy, did we have a good time!

Yesterday, we spent the day watching Disney, coloring Hello Kitty pictures, listening to music, and playing with dolls. When she came over this afternoon, I suspected we’d do something similar, but she had one thing in mind…dress up!

I’m not too big on the actual dressing up portion of the process, but I told her that we could definitely do hair and makeup.  She made a beeline for my bathroom, came back with all I had, and climbed up on my lap. I think her plan was to keep my hair understated while having my makeup be the wow factor…and boy was it a wow factor!

Up next was Karlee’s makeup and I tried to keep it simple, yet classy – like every 4-year old girl should have. After just a little dose of color on her eyelids and she looked in the mirror – Karlee decided she needed some on cheeks and more to her eyes and she wanted to put it on herself.

After we had our hair and makeup done, we did what all girls would do…cranked up the stereo and sang a few songs. From yesterday’s jam session, I learned that Karlee knows every single word to “Pontoon” by Little Big Town, and so that was first on our playlist! 

I can't wait to see what the next girls' weekend will bring, but I'm ready no doubt!

A New Lion in Town

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at my local Lions Club. This is not my first time to speak with the group, but let me tell you that this is one place where I always feel comfortable, I’m not nervous, and I have a good time no matter what.

After a fabulous lunch made by Mr. Hokanson and a quick meeting, I took center stage. Donned in my crown and sash, I spoke about the Ms. Wheelchair Kansas organization and the opportunities and engagements I have been allowed to partake in during my reign. I also spoke briefly on my platform, telling the members of my mission to empower youth to define themselves.

The Lions Club is an organization dedicated to community – our local chapter is extremely active in such events as the Veteran’s Day parade, food drives, collecting glasses to fight blindness, and so much more.

I have always looked up to their efforts and have been thankful for all they do and so when they asked if I would want to join, I was ecstatic. I am extremely excited to be a part of such a great organization and give back to the community that has supported me for my entire life!

Trick or Treat!

Ghosts and goblins…pumpkins and princesses…angels and all sorts of animals – I’ve seen them all tonight while handing out candy to all the trick-or-treaters of Bucklin!

I have so many Halloween memories growing up. As a young child, my mother dressed me in all sorts of costumes which ranged from anywhere from a duck to clown to an old lady and a bunch of my friends would load up in the car and go around town. 

No matter how many houses we had to visit, there was a guaranteed two stops every year – Frank and Evangeline Fletcher’s, where Frank would take a picture of each and every trick-or-treater that visited, and Barb Hanson’s, who gave out the best popcorn balls one could imagine!

As I got a bit older my trick-or treating days slowed and my memories are filled with having water fights with the cops and perhaps moving a car or two. There may have been a few windows soaped and some toilet paper tossed around as well, but one must not disclose everything…

Now-a-days, my Halloween nights are quite different from what they used to be. I help hand out candy and wait for my three little trick-or-treaters to make their way over here! 

Eli - the Cutest Pumpkin there is!

Karlee and Jake - the Best Doctor and Patient ever! 

To Every Season

As one season was beginning on Friday morning, another one was coming to a close…flurries were in the air as the girls boarded the bus and headed Northeast to Hays, on their quest for a state title.

After two hours, we had arrived on Vine and headed to our “usual” pre-state restaurant, Napoli’s, where the girls filled up on pasta and Italian eats. The mood was light as the girls joked around, but yet you could see a fire in their eyes…they were ready to get to the Coliseum and play some ball.

Once we got to the Coliseum on Fort Hays State’s campus, the girls got changed just in time for the Opening Ceremonies. After the teams were announced and the Star Spangled Banned played, it was game time!

Hoxie was up first and I think the girls may have had a few jitters in their system because we lost the first set 16-25. We fought back to win the second set 25-22 and battled in the third set, but came up just a little bit short, losing 18-25.

After a couple of hours off, we took the floor to face Centralia. I’m not certain if any of you have ever seen Centralia play, but they are good and have a laundry list of accomplishments and have been to state numerous times. Like Hoxie we started out a bit shaky and ended up losing the first set 16-25, but came back to win the second set 27-25. We began the third set strong and the girls were playing well, but we just couldn’t finish like we needed to and lost 17-25.

Waverly was up next and the girls were playing for pride. With our defeat from the other two teams, we knew at that point we weren’t going to make it out of pool play, but the girls dug down deep to battle Waverly and come out with a win. Things didn’t click the first set and we lost 13-25, but they quickly regrouped and came back to win the next two sets, 25-21.

Our suitcases came back a little lighter than we hoped, but I cannot tell you how proud I am of these girls. I am truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful team and want to thank each and every one of them for their heart and their hard work throughout this season, and that includes Coach Wyrick and Coach Kreutzer as well.

As the volleyball nets are lowered and the girls begin to prepare for basketball, my whistle will hang in my closet until next year…only 290 days or so, but hey who’s counting?

Learn at Lunch

These past few days have been fairly hectic…now I can’t say that I have an extraordinarily large amount of things to do, but I just have a lot on my mind. While at work, I find myself thinking of volleyball…at volleyball, I find myself thinking about work…in the evenings it’s all of the above plus my Ms. Wheelchair Kansas duties, all while trying to watch my few favorite shows!

Today was different. I woke up with one thing in my head – United Way’s Learn at Lunch. This appearance had been in the works for a little bit and finally, today was the day.

Right after I arrived the seats started filling up and before I knew it, the meeting had started, we were eating, and my presentation was soon to follow.

After a few bites of some delicious brisket, I headed up to the front of the room and began. I talked of my accident and what I had learned from it, then of Ms. Wheelchair Kansas and all of my travels and appearances. The majority of my presentation focused on telling the group about my platform, Empowering Youth to Define Themselves.

Although today’s group consisted of just adults, I still think that a good portion of what I speak about is still relatable.  Most adults have a good sense of who they are and what they stand for, but we are still changing little aspects of our lives and who we are. We are still influenced by others, and sometimes still do things that really don’t fit who we are and what we believe. No matter what age a person is, they are still responsible for who themselves!

I had an amazing time today and the group was great! It was also great to be able to look out in the audience to see some of my favorite people in the crowd…so I must say thank you for coming and a huge thank you to the Dodge City United Way for allowing me to come and speak! It was such a great opportunity!

Hays Bound...Lady Ace Style

In just three short days, I will be packing my bags and heading Northeast with only one destination in mind…a state championship!

As most of you know, I am one of the assistant coaches of the Bucklin High School volleyball team, and last Saturday we laid it all on the line in the Sub-State championship game to win a close match against Spearville.

As I mentioned in For the Love of the Game, when Coach Wyrick asked me last year to help him, I was hesitant to say yes – I wanted to take the position badly, but did not know how the girls would perceive me. My hesitation went out of the window the first day of practice last year and it is nowhere to be seen nowadays.

These girls have worked their butts off, putting in countless hours and playing through pain and sickness to get to where they are today and I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I am of them. I love walking into the gym every day to seeing their smiling faces and sharing my knowledge of the game I care so much about.

I hope that I have been able to help them these past two years as much as they have helped me. These girls helped reignite the spark and the love of the game of volleyball that I have, but never thought I would be apart of again…that is before last year. They have helped me grow and be more confident in who I am and I cannot thank these girls enough for that.

We head into the State Tournament ranked #7 and will face Hoxie, Centralia and Waverly in pool play. I am not going to lie when I say it will be tough, but I have complete trust and faith in my girls. They will play their hardest, once again leaving it all on the line…not leaving Hays without a state title in our suitcase!

Back to School

I’ve had my share of school…two years of pre-school, one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary school, two years of junior high, four years of high school, one year of junior college, and three years of college. (Most likely everyone reading this has put in this many years as well…maybe less, maybe more, but typing all of it out sure does make it look I’ve been in school forever!) Nonetheless, earlier this month, I had the chance to go back to college and I couldn’t wait!

While at the KS Truck Mobility Rodeo last month, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Stucky, the Director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at Newman University in Wichita, and we got to talking about my injury/accident and the importance of physical and occupational therapy. At the end of conversation, he took my card and said he might be in touch.

Much to my surprise, I received an email from him the very next day asking if I would be willing to come and speak to his OTA Clinical Conditions class as they were getting reading to cover spinal cord injuries. I jumped at this opportunity – it was going to be a change from my “normal” MWKS presentation and I would be able to talk about my experiences and how vital physical and occupational therapy is for spinal cord patients.

On Thursday, October 4^th, I took off from work a bit early and we headed east. Upon my arrival, the 21 students of the OTA class greeted me with a huge welcome that they had to have rehearsed a few times! After a student presentation, I was up and unlike some of my speaking engagements, I wasn’t super nervous about this one.

After telling them a little bit about myself, I dove into my accident, my therapies, and what it is like to live with a spinal cord injury. I spared no detail, as I knew this was the audience who wanted to details…they wanted the nitty gritty. After my presentation, I opened the floor for questions and boy, did I get some good ones. They ranged from questions of pregnancy to relationships with friends and family to how I do certain things and what type of adaptive devices I use.

I feel extremely grateful that I had this opportunity because by being able to speak to this OTA class, it made me feel as if I was perhaps giving a little back to those physical and occupational therapists who gave everything they had to help me get to where I am today.

Girl Talk

After a Friday full of rodeoing, we made our way north to Topeka where I was blessed with the opportunity to speak at the Back to School Girls Leadership Summit at the Boys and Girls Club of Topeka.

Let me rewind back to April just for a second when I received an email from Carrie, which asked me if I would be interested in being the keynote speaker for the event. I was shocked and amazed – the keynote speaker…that’s a huge thing! I agreed to it immediately after I read that they are hoping to promote positive leadership in young girls.

Fast forward back to the end of September, I walked into the BGCT building to find a group of girls playing a game of telephone at the table. It instantly took me back to my junior high days and at that point I became a little nervous and I hoped that they would like my presentation!

This is my ideal age group of girls I like to speak with as this was who I had in mind when I thought up my platform for Ms. Wheelchair Kansas. This is the age where judgment often gets skewed and we lose who we are to who someone else thinks we need to be, or we do things that are not true to ourselves.

The girls were great and listened intently to what I had to say and to the presentation. They had some awesome questions and when I got to the part in my presentation where I talk about unique qualities often being insecurities – I had a feeling that these girls knew who they were and they had it figured out…they didn’t seem to be afraid to step out from the crowd, they weren’t trying to be in that cookie cutter mold. This truly made me smile.

I had an amazing time speaking with the girls and I must thank them for giving me such an opportunity. I hope they were able to learn as much as I did! 

Let's Rodeo!

I must apologize as I have fallen a bit behind on my blogging, but I am bound and determined to catch you up on what all has been happening!

Last week, I saddled up bright and early and headed down to Wichita for the Kansas Truck Mobility Rodeo. Now, I know when I mention you’re thinking of bull riding, steer roping, and barrel races, but this was not the case last Friday!

The Mobility Rodeo is a daylong event aimed to raise awareness about the vehicles, equipment, and services available to enhance mobility. There were over 20 booths and numerous other vendors set up. I was able to spend my day near my Ms. Wheelchair Kansas booth meeting and talking with the 350-400 people who attended the event.

I had an amazing time hearing all of the different stories and sharing with them the purpose and mission of the Ms. Wheelchair Kansas organization. It is unbelievable how many people I ran into who share the same interests or know the same people as me. The state of Kansas may be 82,277 square miles, but it truly is a small, small world!

It may have not been the traditional rodeo I had in mind when I first heard of the event, but I had a great time nonetheless and I hope to return next year!