Happy Holidays From The Reindeer Wranglers!

 

Greetings Family and Friends of Reindeer Wranglers Inc.

Congrats! If you are reading this, either you are already addicted to having a computer and internet or you are borrowing a friend's computer/internet to see what the heck that little slip of paper in your late Christmas card says!

The crew and I are going “High-Tech” this year. We’d like to say it's because we are so advanced here at HQ but that would not be the truth! Actually the the dark-haired elf, hired as the HR director, flew out of here on a jet bound for Maui muttering under her breath that she’d had enough of this snow and cold weather. (Boy those elves can swear when they get mad!) North Pole Job Temps are getting more and more scarce every year. We really didn’t think we’d have any trouble hiring this year as this location is so balmy and warm compared to the Great North. Guess we were wrong!

Another reason we decided to go “green” this year is because we’ve been so busy chasing, branding, tagging, wrestling and training reindeer for Santa’s sleigh team that we barely know what day it is around here. And when that HR elf stormed out, it was up to me to figure out a way to get the yearly update sent to our loyal readers! It seems in the last year I’ve been working in the world of devices and deadlines so I should be a bit more efficient but alas, I am not. The only thing I really know how to do is push buttons here and there (pun is absolutely intended, this happens to be one thing I am really good at!) I do apologize for the lateness of the RW update; at least this letter will be here for you by the time you finally get the picture!

The year has been another busy one. In the off season, the boys felt they needed to keep their skills honed by attending their first junior rodeo. The night before we had a little more rain than what mom thought. We slid down the hill and into the bottom of the canyon. Let me just say a sleigh is a lot easier to drive than a Dodge flatbed with a trailer full of ponies. The kids learned some colorful new words and I showed my NASCAR skills by maneuvering our rig out of the “sucking mud”. We made it in time. The boys are sure that more junior rodeos will keep them in shape and primed for training renegade reindeer for Santa!

All the wranglers have changed since the last issue of our newsletter. The littlest one joined elf-school this year and seems to be blossoming in the social realm. Pryce enjoys seeing other short people with pointy ears and high-pitched voices. There is no end to her impish energies, vocabulary and questions. There just isn’t a reindeer that is going to escape her eagle eyes. She may end up heading this deal after I retire, she already thinks she’s the boss. We do work hard on manners though she is very cunning in the art of adorable manipulation (we pretty much melt when she tells us she loves us!) This does not make up for trimming her stuffed pony’s main, hiding various kitchen tools and using purple marker to decorate her carpet.


Parker went toothless for quite a while this year. Several renegade reindeer tried to get the best of him. His prowess proved more than what they could handle; he's now sporting a new set of BIG pearly whites to sing Christmas songs with. His favorite is Feliz Navidad, which he sings at the top of his lungs in the shower (and yes, he knows all the words!) He keeps us laughing with his wide array of accents. As an 8 year old, he can channel just about any voice he’s heard plus… he has dimples and he knows how to use them! We’re thinking that if the Reindeer Wrangling business doesn’t work out, we’ll encourage him to become an actor……

Pake works hard every day to meet his quota of food; eating is still his favorite pastime, though we are certain he’s not even hit his stride. He announced that he is now officially 5 foot tall. He wants to be measured about every two weeks and has aspirations of being as tall as his cousin Austin, currently 6’5”. Height comes in handy when roping reindeer, shooting hoops, and trying to tackle anything that walks by. Last night it was me………I had to share with my 11 year old that mom is no longer a target. He could flatten me out one of these days! My muck boots, coat and gloves are getting double use as he’s found that its better to get my stuff dirty than his!

Chad remains the CEO of the operation (at least Pryce and I let him believe this!) He keeps the place up and running here despite continual issues with water, fences, and cattle that can‘t read signs! We celebrated his 40th birthday with a surprise party in Maywood. It was a fun, fun night with lots of great friends and great laughs. His co-workers honored the day by dressing in black to mourn the passing of his youth. They filled his office with black balloons, paper shreddings, and many “elderly gifts”! My favorite was the little vulture on top of his computer! (which is now perched on top of mine!)

We nearly finished the second level of office space, then rodeo season hit and the builder went AWOL! I’ve threatened to fire up the saw and lay that tile myself but I am not known for my measuring abilities, precision or neatness so finishing the 8 year long home improvement project is once again extended…………

As for me, I keep pretty busy. It is a full time job to keep this crew in-line, though they are a lot of fun! I’ve opened an office space here at home where I offer counseling and coaching services. I co-author the North American Journey Practitioners Association Newsletter and act as the Educational Director for the group. I’ve also taken up violin, mainly as a way to scare off stray animals. In an effort to keep warm and stylish, I am learning to knit! Everyone will be so thrilled to have knitted underwear under the tree, don’t you think?

I’ve also started writing the Crea8tive Cowgirl blog, which captures the goings-on around here, random thoughts, musings and some of the interesting ideas that floating around in my head! If you’d like, pour yourself a cup of coffee and have a look! There’s a place on the right side where you can sign up to follow blog or you can “friend request” me on Facebook where the blog is also posted! This feels like a great way to share my writing with more people. I’ve received great support and positive responses thus far, so I’ll keep posting! Who knows, maybe after the Reindeer Wranglers all graduate from college, I’ll sit down and write that book……from sunny Hawaii!

Well, there you have it the 2009 Reindeer Wrangler Update. Seems like I got just a little bit windier since I am using virtual space (guess some things don’t change!) Here’s wishing you and your Reindeer Team a joyful, peace-filled, blissful Holiday Season. If you are ever down in these parts, please know there is a comfy bed waiting for you, warm cider, hot salsa, loud kids, lots of dogs and plenty of entertainment! We love to have guests and hope to see ya’ll in the coming year. Thank you for being part of our lives and our hearts. We’d love to hear from you so send us a message anytime and let us know how you are doing. cre8tivecowgirl@gmail.com will get it there. Merry Christmas~ Chad, Robyn Pake, Parker Ray and Pryce