Royal Ranch Royalty

Good Morning!  I had started a post for yesterday, when my daughter caught me.  "Mom, you're not allowed to work on your birthday, put your computer away!"  So, who could resist an offer like that, Isabella and I headed off to watch TV laying in my bed, what a luxury it was!  I've got to tell  you, I had one of the nicest birthdays I've had in a long time!  Not that I've had any bad birthdays, but this one seemed even a little better, and I think it started off with my birthday gift from my husband...which leads me to today's Royal Ranch Royalty...Mr. Tom Jeute, come on down!
I talk about Tom every now and then, but I'm not sure I have been able to demonstrate how much this man means to me.  Tom and I met when I was 18 years old, and were married by the time I was 20.  I fell in love with him because of his sense of humor (I tell him it was his cool Harley, so this will be news to him-ha!) and his strong "American freedom" attitude.  He is like me, and looks at "normalcy" in a whole different way, and doesn't get caught up in how things are "supposed" to be done.  We get it done, any way we know how, and we do it together. 
I know that many people thought I was too young to be getting married, especially to someone seven years my senior, but our love is stronger than anything I can imagine, so it made perfect sense to us.  Thankfully my parents could see how much we meant to one another and were very happy to host our wedding at their home, the home I grew up in.  Even back then I was very connected with the earthy side of myself, and had always wanted to get married in the spectacular mountains that I love so much.  A big thank you to all of you who were a part of our special day, and so supportive of our great marriage.
I have to tell you a quick story about my wedding day.  My parents live on North Turkey Creek Road, which is a very curvy canyon.  Tom and all of his groomsmen, plus about twenty other bikers, arrived at our wedding in roaring style.  They had all met at our house a few miles away and had ridden their beautiful and loud Harleys up that canyon that I had learned how to drive in.  We could hear them coming for miles before they were there.  To see all of those big bad bikers ride up in their white tuxes on their noisy bikes, made my heart swell with pride.  Those are the sort of friends you have for your entire life, and I felt blessed to be marrying the "leader of the pack"!
My beloved husband has also given me the life that I couldn't have even dreamed of.  Due to our strong sense of old fashioned parenting, he has made it so that I have been able to stay home with our children all of these years.  Although I have a very difficult job, sometimes I think Tom's is even harder (shhh, don't tell him I said that!), to have to be the sole provider for a family of five is not an easy thing to accomplish.  He is still very involved with parenting as well, which I am so very proud of!  My kids really look forward to their adventures with their Dad.
Speaking of adventures, Tom has been more than supportive when it comes to the crazy business ideas I have come up with, and supports me with everything he has.  But, his adventurous side is a little more daring than mine.  One of his favorite things is being naked (as a matter of fact, Tom is actually Naked Johnny, our logo for Naked~Nure!), yes you read that right.  Not that he is a nudist, just a rebellious guy who likes to shock people every now and then.  Like the time I bought him a helmet for his bike.  Tom really enjoys the freedom his harley brings him, so the helmet was just a concession on his part so I would not worry about him quite so much.  To continue that feeling of freedom, the first time Tom rode his bike with that helmet on he had it and a pair of boots on, that's it!   I'll never forget the look on the neighbors faces as my tall, skinny, and very white husband did a couple rounds around the neighborhood, naked as a jaybird, laughing all the while.  Now that is confidence in who you are!
The picture is of my birthday gift from him.  He made it with love, I know, because he normally does not like to work with wood.  But, knowing that I am such a "green girl" and love everything about the forest, he couldn't have gotten me a better present!  He says my poems are rubbing off on him, so this is what my card had to say:

Just a little something on your special day,

Not expensive or lavish,

There's just no way.

Times are tough and money is tight,

But this gift says;

We'll be alright!

Yes, that's a man that really gets his wife!

Make a miracle today!