Saturday was really cold and drizzly in the 30's. Just this past Monday it had been 85 degrees in TX and they were experiencing a cold front just in time for my visit. It was cold enough Jayden had her oversized coveralls on which made me laugh. Bale brought home breakfast burritos for everyone and I met Grandma. She has been living at the house while she recovered from covid. She spent a month in the hospital and some time in the ICU. She is gaining her strength and getting better each day while on oxygen. I introduced myself and started up a conversation only to discover she doesn't speak any English. Grandma had her soap opera playing on the television all day in Spanish only. We fed the horses and Jayden gave me a tour of the lodge. I saw lots of animals running here and there. The buffalo are a little too curious and get way too close for my comfort. They like to follow Jayden in the Ranger when she is haying her horses. There was a mother and baby Eeland that were curious too. The little Chital was once a bottle baby pet, so he likes to watch you. Jayden took me into town where we went to a discount store and found some baby clothes that she is going to list and sell. We also went to Shaw's Marketplace. It is a super neat little store with lots of vendors. It is done up so well with classy booths and quality products. Jayden is hoping to establish a spot as a vendor in the future. She has to join a waiting list, but it would be a great place to start her store experience. In the evening, Noah's family made a big steak diner. After the meal, everyone got all smiley and started talking about Jayden and Noah's future. They really put me on the spot! I had intentions of having many deep talks with Jayden over the week. I wanted to ask her lots of questions out of a book called, "101 questions to ask before getting engaged", along with my questions I thought up. At the dinner table with his family around, I was not at all prepared for the group discussion that came about. I didnt quite no how to respond. They had expressed they as a family would all like to come to Iowa to be with Noah to ask for her hand. In front of his entire family, I told him that there are three things that Mark and I want to see before they consider getting marriage; 1 Make God priority in your life, 2. Both contribute to the relationship in effort and financially, and 3. Leave and cleave after marriage to your own home. Those were the three things that God put on my heart in that moment and I was able to share. Whew I was not ready for that conversation with the whole fam.
Sunday Morning we went to the church that Jayden has been attending and likes. They were having baby dedications for several families. The message was all about a parents influence on their children and teaching them about God. They gave an analogy with marble jars. Jars full of marbles at birth and the early years. As the child grows there are fewer and fewer marbles until the age of 18 when there is only one marble jar. The marbles represent the parents influence over the years. IT hit home and i know that my marbles of influence have aged out. I have limited years with the boys and have to make them count. Loving God and living for him is the most important thing a kid can learn from their parents. Back at the house I was handed a quesadilla from Ester for supper while sitting on the couch and sat while Grandma watched more of her shows. Each day got a little warmer and today the sun was out and 60 degrees. We saddled up the horses, Jayden on Weenie, and I on Ace and went for a nice little ride. The ground is so rock covered you have to constantly be watching for cactus and mesquite thorns. You literally have to weave through them everywhere. It was fun to see herds of animals running in the distance. Noah and Izzy were working in the shop tuning on trucks. Jayden also drove me around the ranch to some of her favorite spots. Each day I would go out to see the puppies, there are 4 of the 9 remaining. They are so rambunctious, and one that is Jayden and Noah's favorite that is super chill. Life on the ranch and the lifestyle they live is not for me. There is no schedule for waking up or for meals. They never really have a plan from one day to the next and will just take off to go somewhere at the drop of a hat. Jayden is always running errands for whoever needs her too and they often grab food while in town. They just go with the flow and take things as they go. Jayden was always worn out and tired, ready to go to bed long before me and I was up way before her in the mornings. I guess I wore her out, or maybe it's the lifestyle with no predictability.
On Monday we headed to Dallas, just the two of us. I was looking forward to some mother/daughter time. We went straight to the "World Trade Center" of Dallas for Market shopping. 90% of the stores were closed during the week, so we did a lot of window browsing. There were enough stores that we could browse and shop. The opportunities and product ideas are endless! Jayden has big ideas and I know she will just keep going with it and her success will be huge. I think it already is. Very few people realize how well she is doing. We stopped at Wrangler, and scored big. While talking with the Wrangler reps. they told us we could purchase any of the old inventory of the racks. We bought a tone of shirts for men, women, and kids. It was a steal, I think Jayden had around 40 shirts and we were so excited. She is not able to buy from Wrangler until she has her own physical store,. However, these items, she can list and sell. It was fun to see and hear Jayden interact with the different store reps and her knowledge and skills in marketing and sales. She really has a handle and I think most people she communicates with are quite impressed, I know I was! She is so well spoken and professional. We had such a fun time exploring the shops. Because it was a weekday there was very little activity. When the Market has an event, hundreds of people attend and Jayden said it gets busy and wild. Some stores have wine and some have bars with whiskey and live bands. She plans to attend more events in the future.
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