Aspiring, Ranch, Wife

Welcome! After practically 99% of my friends started blogging - and some spurring from some of them - I've decided to let peer pressure win and start my own blog. I know - you're confused about my title. I actually put a lot of thought into what I wanted to call the suitcase into which I pack all of my random stories and happenings, and have settled on 'The Diary of an Aspiring Ranch Wife.' I like the title because on the surface, as a phrase, it's what I really want to be at the end of the day - an aspiring ranch wife. But I think that if you put commas between each word you come up with the 3 themes to my life and what will become my regular blogging topics. Here they are:

Aspiring - I'm 10 months into my PhD program in swine nutrition at Iowa State. My research project (which currently consumes my life) revolves around identifying the biological and physiological differences between fallback pigs and their heavier contemporaries. For the non-swine nutrition geeks who are reading this, I'm trying to learn WHY runt pigs are runt pigs (and hopefully improve their welfare and economic value by doing so). My major professor and I obviously think the project is much more involved than this, but that's how I explain it to my mom. Besides that, I'm on a university advisory committee, part of a graduate student organization, running for a position on a national board, etc. etc etc.

That's me. I can't not be involved. I don't know why, but I've always been Aspiring for something. Winning the 4th grade spelling bee, playing a role in the high school play, serving as an officer in a college club - I just can't help myself. One of my greatest strengths and weaknesses is that I always throw myself 100% into what I am doing at the moment and want to be the best at it. Not everybody likes this, but I've learned that it's a part of me I need to accept and run with. Right now I'm Aspiring to one day (think 2012 - 2015) be a professor in applied swine nutrition at a university. Until then I'll just keep finding more (shorter-term) goals that I will be Aspiring to achieve.

Ranch - My husband (S) and I own a few Angus cows and manage a few more (apx. 25 total). We bought the cows last May and we're in the middle of our first calving season. It's interesting - I grew up as a sheep girl and work with pigs. I've honestly always been scared to death of cattle, which makes for an even more interesting calving season (think momma cows that don't always understand why I am moving their new baby out of the mud and into a warm, dry place). We're learning though. It's good for the spirit to have a hand in the cycle of life. We'd like to expand the herd rapidly in the next 5 years so that it is the full-time job for S.

Wife - I (selfishly) used to think that women who would compromise their goals so their husbands could achieve their own were weak. I have since learned that I had it backward. Love/marriage is a strange thing. There was a time when I had my list of dreams and a resume of what I wanted in a long-term mate... then I met S. He is definitely not the past state FFA officer, future CEO-type that I thought I wanted - and I love him for it. He balances me out and helps me understand what marriage and life should be. I'm crazy-lucky to have him in my life, and try to repay him by being a good wife. I LOVE LOVE LOVE having friends/family out to the 'ranch' (i.e. 12 rented acres of IA mud) and cook recipes from A Pioneer Woman's Cookbook and take all the credit for the incredible food (sorry Pioneer Woman). I love to help him on the ranch, watch The Office with him on Tuesdays, and satisfy his sweet tooth with homemade desserts. I know that there will come a time when I will compromise my goals so that he can achieve his dream of running a ranch full-time, and I'm coming to terms with that. I love him and am damn lucky that he loves me.

So that's me - an Aspiring, Ranch, Wife. Unfortunately, I compartmentalize my friends, so a lot of people only see one or two of those themes. Hopefully throughout (shorter) posts in the future you'll find some entertainment in my trials and tribulations as I try to blend these three pieces together into a fulfilling life.

Until then, thanks for reading.

C