Before You Marry a Cowboy

I know, girl. You've been dating him for quite some time. You finally broke through those emotional walls and it turns out, he actually CAN be a little bit romantic. Maybe you always have to drive to see him and you spend most of your time there cooking and doing his laundry, but you don't mind. You've even grown used to the fact that you'll probably never go on a "normal" date. He's such a good guy, and you have dreams of life on this ranch with him. Before he puts a ring on it, though, there are a few things you should know!

Before you marry a cowboy, you should know that you will suddenly find yourself his personal secretary. You will be in charge of scheduling appointments, doing the taxes, keeping track of family birthdays, etc. Make sure you have a good planner or keep everything in your phone calendar.

Before you marry a cowboy, realize that running the household is totally on you. Keeping groceries stocked, cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, and eventually caring for the children.

Before you say "I do", make sure you know that along with these other responsibilities, you are now his right hand man. If he needs to doctor a sick cow, or needs someone to drive the truck to wherever he ended up on his horse, or needs help pulling a calf, or got stuck in the muddy pasture while feeding cows, you are who he will call. This means you should know how to rope, drive a standard transmission and pull a trailer, know that running in the heifer to pull her calf can get kinda hairy, and you might need the tractor to pull him out of the mud.

Before you marry that cowboy, know that when you get pregnant he will make jokes about you being a replacement heifer. He will also joke about the fact that he's pulled a lot of calves, so living 1.5 hours from the hospital isn't a worry when you go into labor. When the baby finally comes, he will be shell shocked. It will be MUCH different than he expected since he's only ever been around newborn calves. However, he will transform in front of your eyes and amaze you when he's better at swaddling the new little ranch crew member than you are.

When that baby starts getting a little older and daddy is his favorite person in the world, you won't be the least bit surprised, because he's your favorite person too.

Being married to a cowboy isn't for the faint of heart. You will find yourself alone with the kids most of the time, especially during the winter. However, you know none of you could dream of a better life. Those days you all spend together calving heifers, or riding the four wheeler to go check water, or those wonderful branding days in the spring make the rest worth it.

The best part? That man you married will be your rock through the inevitable hard and scary parts of life. He will stand strong and true through the storms and you will always have him to hold on to. He is strong and faithful, and is the hardest working person you know. As far as husband material, you can't find anyone better!

These are all important things to know before you marry a cowboy!