Gettin' Cultured - Part 2

I was so inspired by my dad's "Tractor Square Dancing" that I felt it was time to take my boys back to where it all began.
My dad was raised on a ranch near the Beaver Dam State Park in NV. It's been years since I've been to the ranch, and my boys have no memory of it. So this past week we convinced grandpa to take us to the ranch for a few days. No cell phone service, no internet, no traffic....just nature. It was an "ah-hah" for me. So many of us discuss the growing, yearning desire to live more simply, more healthily, more happily - yet we continue to live day to day in an ever increasing state of chaos and "busy-ness." I believe this desire is part of the collective unconscious - a trend occuring throughout society, yet many are unaware of what they're feeling and worse yet, unaware of what they can do about it.
So what can we do about it? Just get in the car and GO! (Okay, it may help if you HAVE a ranch to go to...:) It was SO freeing. The peace and stillness of the ranch was conducive to a peace and stillness within me. It opened the channels of inpsiration and put my children into focus as the priority, over other time demanding/consuming "necesseties" of my typical home life.
We stopped by the Hafen ranch on our way to the Mathews ranch. Let me just say, I was overwhelmed. I have known these people all my life - in fact, our families are currently in their 5th generation of sociality - one with another. However, on this trip, I was impressed by the thought, "This is what's meant by 'salt of the earth.' These people are truly that!"

Here are my boys at the Hafen ranch in front of the old school house where their great-grandpa Mathews attended school.



Here are some photos of a great-grandpa Hafen entertaining my kids as if they were his own. Love you people!!!


Then at the Mathews' Ranch we leared all about our grandpa's upbringing. My boys had a great time - Thanks Grandpa!

Gettin' Cultured

My dad was raised on a ranch. He wears wranglers and western cut shirts, everyday. He wears "nice" boots to church. He watches RFD TV (never heard of it? Consider yourself LUCKY!) He recently retired and with lots more time on his hands he has been becoming more and more savvy with his internet skills - as a result of some tutorials from my brother. My dad's favorite site is Youtube. I find my children sitting with my dad watching the most interesting (sarcasm there) things. When I ask him what he's exposing my children to, he replies, "They're gettin' cultured."
Here is one clip I just couldn't resist sharing with you. This is the type of "culture" we get in my house.

Amazing

Just a quick plug - www.sanaejamesphoto.com

This friend of mine, a mom, a photographer, has gone from having a photo hobby to putting out images that look like a high end fashion magazine photographer!!!
Sanae - your work is AMAZING! Where were you when I needed a family photo shoot???
I want to hear comments from what you all think - I really can't believe that she is an "amateur."

Just for fun

Here are some photos. While getting pictures done, my husband whispered to me regarding the photographer, "She's no Natalie Norton." We miss you NAT!