Meet The Dubois Family: Five Fast Favorites + Some Inspiring Family Insights

We are super excited to be taking four members of the Dubois family to Las Vegas with us for The Ultimate Rodeo Experience during the NFR -- Shel, Jeanne, Luke and Faith will be attending. They are an incredible family of eight from Church Point, Louisiana working, living and instilling the values that come with the western way of life in their six children. With that being said, we wanted to give you a bit more insight on who they are and what they are all about. Be sure to read all the way through for some inspiring thoughts, quotes and insights near the end -- they are sure to touch your heart just as they have ours.

To start things off, we did quick a round of five fast favorites for each family member… and we’re pretty convinced that we are really missing out on this “meat and rice and gravy” dish they (nearly) all seem to love. Anyone from the South want to come cook for us??? Jk… Kinda. ;)

Shel: Dad

• Meal: Pork chops and rice and gravy, string beans with potatoes
• Rodeo event to watch: Team Roping
• Rodeo event to compete in: Team Roping
• NFR qualifier: Trevor Brazile
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: Play football with the kids… OR cleaning stalls -- it's a tough choice. ;-P

Jeanne: Mom

• Meal: Roast and rice and gravy with brown sugar glazed carrots -- and pecan pie :)
• Rodeo event to watch: Calf Roping
• Rodeo event to compete in: Breakaway Roping or Cutting
• NFR qualifier: Her late brother Ken Bacque who taught her all she knows about horses, roping and rodeo!
• WPRA Athlete: Jackie Hobbs-Crawford
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: She loves to read and hopes to someday get back to it... But right now, most of her time is spent at rodeos, the practice pen, grocery shopping, keeping up with cooking and laundry, and enjoying some 1-on-1 time with each of her kids when she gets the chance. And taking every opportunity to sit down and rock the ones who will still let her... ;)

Luke: Age 15

• Meal: Crawfish Etouffee`
• Rodeo event to watch: Team Roping
• Rodeo event to compete in: Team Roping
• NFR qualifier: Bubba Buckaloo & Trevor Brazile
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: Go hunting

Grace: Age 13

• Meal: Red beans and rice
• Rodeo event to watch: Breakaway
• Rodeo event to compete in: Team Roping
• NFR qualifier: Junior Noguiera
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: Go swimming

Faith: Age 11

• Meal: Chicken and sausage gumbo
• Rodeo event to watch: Barrel Racing
• Rodeo event to compete in: Barrel Racing
• NFR qualifier: Lisa Lockhart
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: She loves to bake!

John David: Age 9

• Meal: Chicken and rice and gravy and corn
• Rodeo event to watch: Team Roping
• Rodeo event to compete in: Team Roping
• NFR qualifier: Junior Noguiera
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: Play football and watch “The Final Spin”

Gabe: Age 6

• Meal: Rice and gravy with meat and corn on the cobb
• Rodeo event to watch: Dummy roping on “The Final Spin”
• Rodeo event to compete in: Team Roping
• NFR qualifier: Trevor Brazile
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: Push up cattle and work the chute. From the ripe old of 3, Gabe’s nickname has been “Chute Boss” (see Chute Boss at 3 below). He did say he also likes to play football...

Clay Michael: Age 4 - Clay Michael and Gabe above

• Meal: Cornbread with milk and baked ham
• Rodeo event to watch: Bull riding
• Rodeo event to compete in: Goat roping
• NFR qualifier: Dale Brisby -- definitely a favorite of ours too ;-P
• Thing to do when not roping, riding or rodeoing: Drive the Ranger

And a few more just for fun... :)

• Early Riser: John David - he’s up with the chickens every single morning!
• Night Owl: Luke - always up late on the phone with his friends
• Family “Class Clown”: John David - in purple above ;) 
• Problem Solver: Mama, of course!
• Most laid back: Faith
• Most stubborn: Grace
• Most ornery: Clay Michael - in orange below. ;-P

With what little time and opportunity we’ve had to get to know the Dubois` family, they have truly become an inspiration through their daily life. Whether it’s a late night video from the practice pen, getting an update of Luke’s first bulldogging school or how he did at a recent roping, learning about Faith’s love for baking, or hearing how all the kids did at the weekend’s High School and Little Britches rodeos, we are grateful and inspired to follow along. Just last week Ryley sent a video to me that Luke had shared of John David practicing his bull riding on one of the roping steers with the words “This is how I want all of our kids to grow up.” And I couldn’t agree more… :)

But like so many, they too have had to overcome -- or in some cases re-frame -- obstacles that have come into their lives… and through it all have managed to choose gratitude and optimism. Gratitude for what God has blessed them with already and optimism for what He has in store. When I asked Jeanne to give me a favorite quote, scripture or motto that they live by, she didn’t hesitate in sending over Phillippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

“I always try to tell the kids to learn from each situation they are in and look on the bright side. Well, what we have learned from our journey so far is to definitely count our blessings! And to LIVE LIFE! We are given one life to live, so make it count. Be a good example to others, work hard, focus on your goals and accept God’s will. Luke and Grace have been blessed with an exceptional year in the rodeo arena, and I don’t know if they would have had this year if not for Luke’s diagnosis. His “heart” and determination and “giving it his all”... Don’t let anything hold you back from your dreams. When he was diagnosed, we said “what do you want to do, and we will help you.” He said, “I want to rope!” So Shel and I have been giving him every opportunity to rope that we can. It has also given him something else to focus on and not sit around and dwell on what he cannot control. One of Luke’s favorite quotes is “Rodeos are won in the practice pen, so I practice a lot.” ...and it will show up at the rodeos. So to all the cowboys and cowgirls out there, #justkeeproping #justkeepriding #justkeepliving #believe #anythingispossible” ~Jeanne Dubois

I know I can’t come up with better words to close on, so until next time… #justkeeproping #justkeepriding #justkeepliving #believe #anythingispossible. ;)

~Sammie