I hope everyone survived the Holidays and enjoyed the time with your families.  I wonder how many of you made and have kept your new years resolution?  I stopped making them when I finally realized that no matter what time of year it was there is no time like the present to try to make a change for the better!  Change is hard and it takes dedication and a want too, to make change happen, so with that said I’m going to start right now trying to lose a little weight!  The thought had crossed my mind a few weeks ago but it really seemed to hit home when I went to a truck roping this past weekend in Memphis and I noticed it was a little harder for me to get on my horse… not to mention getting in my jeans! 

I’m going to blame my weight gain on my wife.  It seems that every time she is pregnant, which is now the third time, I seem to

gain a little weight right along with her.  I guess I could resist that late night bowl of cereal or ice cream that she craves but she has a way of making it look sooooo good!  Take tonight for example, I had to run to the Dairy Queen and get her a hot fudge sunday with extra hot fudge and whip cream.  Instead of just getting her sunday I had to get myself a blizzard too.  So now, I am setting here in my uncomfortable jeans with the want too! 

I guess I just have to get a little bigger so I can sympathize with my very pregnant wife.  I know she is miserable.  I don’t see how she couldn’t be with that little boy doing a full workout on her innards.  It is amazing to me how much babies can move inside that little space.  I thought he was going to push on out of there the other night.  I don’t see how she does it but I guess that is why I am a man.  God knew what he was doing when he left the child bearing up to the women!

Maybe if I loose a little weight it will help me with my roping.  I didn’t rope bad this weekend but I just could not put two good runs together.  I would make a few good runs then leg one or miss!  The few times I did put some decent runs together it seemed my header was having the same problem I was having, only with the barrier!  Sometimes you just have ropings like that, I just hope not too many!  I have come to understand that this is team roping and the last thing you are trying to do is miss. 

The roping was excellent and a first for Jx2 productions to put on a truck roping in Memphis, TN.  It is really a unique roping because on Saturday they stop around 3:00 and have a Super 7 head.  They had over 150 teams enter the $250/man roping.  There were ropers from 9 states that came to rope in the 7 head.  Paying over $15,000 for first, it is safe to say, “There was some roping going on!” 

I enjoyed both ropings but as always I enjoyed the fellowship.  I have said it once and I will say it again, “ropers are some of the greatest people in the world.”  I had the pleasure of getting to know some of my neighbors a little better.  I followed Larry Haney and a friend of his from Montana, who just happened to be named Larry, to the roping.  Johnny Daniell volunteered to ride with me. I will have to say it was a pleasure getting to know him a little better.  Being around folks at ropings you get to know them pretty good but there is nothing like an 8 hour truck ride to acquaint you a little more.  I’m sure if he learned one thing about me it would be that I like to talk!  Pondering back on it I almost feel sorry for him but I’m glad he made the trip with me.  Especially on the way home because I got a little sleepy and he held the donut for a while to let me get some rest.  I sure am grateful! 

Speaking of getting sleepy it is getting to be early in the morning!  I hope that by next time I will have a picture of my newest son and a story to go along with it, so until next time God Bless!

JD