This post is different....
Here are some of my initial titles:
it's a SMALL world
WOWZA
you ain't NEVER gonna believe this!
cowgirl dinner party THE REAL DEAL
Or how about this one:
I'm goin to the RANCH baby!
That last title seemed a bit too obvious. Not leaving anything to your imagination.
So I decided to go with NO WORDS! As in there are no words to describe how....
SHOCKED
EXCITED
DELIRIOUS
NUMB
FREAKED
SPEECHLESS
THANKFUL,
COMPLETELY, INDESCRIBABLY THANKFUL
Did I say I could pee my pants I am so excited? BECAUSE I get to go to the Pioneer Woman's Ranch and have a girls weekend!
Hello, are you there...are ya still with me? Get up off the floor, back on the chair...there ya go. HI! Yes it's true. You want the whole truth and nothin but the truth? Ok, here goes....
Remember week before last when Ree gave me a shout on facebook, and my blog went absolutely bonkers?
MAYBE I should back up a few months.......to the Haiti disaster and if you followed The Pioneer Woman during that she really put her heart into helping, many different ways. One way Ree gave was not so publicized...she auctioned off a weekend stay at the ranch for 8, with all the proceeds going to Compassion International.
OK, back to my blog going bonkers...it just so happened the auction winner saw P-dubs shout out, came on over and realized...HEY this girl lives in my town, Oh my Land this girl goes to the same YMCA as me, GOODNESS gracious me-O-my this girl shops at the same butcher as me, AND we like the same restaurants!
When I met Karen (auction winner) for the first time, she told me, "after I read some of your "project" posts I knew God was telling me I needed to invite you to go with me".
As I type this I am tearing up... I still just cannot believe IT. I now know what it feels like to win the lottery. What if feels like to be on the receiving end of a completely unforeseen and surprising gift! One I did not see coming for a gazillion miles. THAT right there is better than any monetary lottery I could have ever won.
In my post announcing the winner of the Pioneer Woman's signed cookbook I said:
"I can't thank you all enough for following me through this adventure.
Hopefully I will have more adventures with P-dub in my future..."
WHO really would have thunk that I REALLY would be having a real adventure with P-dub! I was being completely delusional when I wrote that....
So back to my new friend Karen. I got this mysterious comment on my blog the day after Ree's shout out, that said email me and gave a name. So I emailed her and said "HI Karen, What's up? Sheila". I told Kenny about it, and didn't think about it at all, we were on vacation so I was busy. We took a snack break in Boston before our Duck Boat tour. I RARELY check my email on my phone but for some reason I did, and there was an email back from my mystery commenter....
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio471x0qJp66ezvArr7h_NdidVxEnrNtnZ_s7yRsFqkD84D0QNeDtCg8hi1OUUbQ1VsBZ6Vnh66iUj4q3mPDTXgnQ-OSYnfZrtpDZ6VI6WZ5An6-M3JTn7-NJP-svpDiVXyhhZn2UKFRk/s400/boston+2010+spring+break+vacation+111.jpg)
this is the scene that was ensuing as I was reading my email back from Karen, saying all that I told you above. Luckily I was not eating pizza or drinking pop because if I had been my oldest son would have been wearing it! I couldn't breath...I was numb...I think I actually levitated above the hard red greasy booth I was sitting in.
I have been dying to tell this story...I wanted to wait until Karen and I met and bonded and had coffee. I wanted to give her the opportunity to change her mind just in case my quirky self made her think twice about her generosity. Well and here's the kicker...she is letting me bring a friend! As if just bringing me wasn't enough,
I GET TO BRING A FRIEND!
GOOD golly miss Molly!
I am bringing my sweet seestor. I text-asked her while she was at work manning the front desk, and was unable to show any emotion. (Us big sisters just love to torture our little sis's every chance we get) this was her text back to me said "EEE____ AAAAA ^%*^(&)Jambalaya &***@#GET OUT!" I think she is excited too.
I know I said I was going to give you new lunchbox ideas, BUT I thought this trumped lunches....but I do have a recipes and big plans for the rest of the week.
Stick with me!
I once again have the chills! So, so, so happy for you! Lover of all things p-dub. You do so deserve this! Can't wait to here all about it and all the details to come!
ReplyDeleteHow about hear, not here! Too early for typing, still giddy for you!
ReplyDeleteWAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've written a little ditty about "Goin to the ranch" that I've been singing all weekend. Complete with bad 80's dance moves!! Love you seezztor! WOOT WOOT!!
ReplyDeleteIt is always amazing to see how God blesses us in ways we never could have imagined. Excited to read about your adventure at the ranch.
ReplyDeleteRobin's "cousin", Carrie
Carrie, God is amazing, and you are right this is a blessing I never in my wildest dreams imagined!
ReplyDeleteCongradulations! Wish I could go with you too. Can't wait to hear about it in your blog!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting!! I cant wait to hear all about your adventures. Enjoy yourselves.
ReplyDeleteSheila....I am so happy for you! How exciting! Wishing you a great time! Can't wait to read all about the adventure on your blog!
ReplyDeleteAs my grandma used to say.... Oh Heavenly Day!!! So happy and excited for you Sheila! I know you and your seestor will have a riot with Pdub on the ranch. This is definitely a most righteous gift for cooking your way through PW's cookbook! Can't wait to hear all about it! And a big thank you to Karen who is so kind and gracious to take you along!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are awesome and we will have a great adventure together!
ReplyDeleteKaren
who has no profile, so I'm just anonymous Karen
Yaaayyyy!!!!!!! So excited for you!!!!!!! I promise to eat any leftovers you bring back for me:)
ReplyDeleteOh, you so deserve to go! I am hoping that you make nice with Ree and she invites you and your entire possey to the ranch b/c she loves you so....and by possey it does not mean those darn kids and hubby of yours. I know you will document every detail and I look foward to the blog post on it.
ReplyDeleteAMAZING, SHELIA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'm so super jealous, but after cooking all of Ree's delicious recipes for the world to see? You deserve this for your effort! TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES! :)
ReplyDeleteLucky...lucky...lucky...you..of course I use the word lucky...but I know it is a God thing. Please take pictures so we can live vicariously through you! :) I agree with Tree that since you cooked all of her recipes...you deserve to go! What a blessing.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
Aaahh! So exciting! You will definitely have to blog all about this and post it for us to read! Can't wait to read about your adventures.
ReplyDeleteMomma always said: "Things happen for a reason"
ReplyDeleteEmbrace the moments on the ranch.. and I look forward to reading them on yours & P-Dub's blog...I really enjoy both!
~Sarah Beth
Houston, TX~
NO WAY, so are the luckiest woman alive. I hope you realize that. LOL
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read your adventures in Pdubland.
I am so jealous! You are going to have such an amazing time. When do you go??
ReplyDelete