Finally a Ranch Mama

So...something major happened on April 7th and 8th. 

Huxton John Miller
April 8th, 2018, 2:01am
8 lbs, 13 oz, 22 inches

Things have been a little crazy around the ranch since then. 

After all the heartache and infertility struggles and prayers...

After all the growing pains and faith building and wondering...

Jon and I welcomed our son, Huxton John, into the world in the wee hours of Sunday, April 8th. 

That's right! 

My boy arrived in a flurry of activity (it's quite a birth story, and I'll tell it sometime), healthy and happy. His dad and I couldn't be happier--we are thrilled with our new life as a family of three and so thankful that the Lord blessed us with such a sweet little boy. 

The past six weeks have been full of love and snuggles and dirty diapers and working out how to be parents. It's exhausting and exhilarating and wonderful and scary all at the same time. And while the past six weeks have been something of a blur, it also feels like Hux has always been a part of our family. As Jon says, it's been the longest and shortest six weeks of our life. 

But now that Hux is *nearly* sleeping through the night, our company has gone, and we are really setting to the task of how to do this thing called parenthood, we are settling into a new normal. 

Jon's catching up on sleep and working on ranch chores (our alfalfa field looks amazing), and I am getting back to writing and hoping to be cleared to start riding my horse again soon (keep your fingers crossed for me, because I can't wait to ride again!). I'm trying to get the hang of this mama thing, and getting the feel for life as a stay-at-home-mom. 

I KNOW! 

In February, Hubs and I decided that I wouldn't be returning to my full time job in the fall as a teacher-librarian. So that's a pretty major change for us, not only financially but logistically as well. I'll still be working in the fall, though: I'm still an adjunct at our local community college, and I'll be doing some administrative work for our church as well. And you never know what other odd jobs might come up. PLUS: I have some serious plans for getting some writing and blogging done, which I am pretty stoked about. 

So here's some of what's to come this summer from The Ranch Librarian: 

• some favorite recipes from the ranch
• another snippet to read from My Summer with Gatsby
• a teaser from My Summer with Gatsby's sequel, Boats Against the Current
• an array of ranch-related projects 
• book reviews for some of my favorites I've been reading (Kindle on my phone is my friend during 2am feedings)

I can't wait to get back to posting and writing! 

Talk to you soon <3