Y'all, I don't even know where to begin with this Woman of the West... Some of y'all know her as Dani, I know her as the one and only Danielle Reinhart! Danielle is a one in a million kind of person. She is genuine, kind, the most organized person I know, she loves Jesus and reflects that love towards everyone she meets. Danielle has been the very best kind of friend I could have ever asked for; she has literally held my hand through some of my darkest, most painful moments. And on top of all of that, she is a great horsewoman and phenomenal baker. Trust me, you'll want to try her cookie recipe. I have zero self control when it comes to Danielle's cookies! Keep reading for more about Danielle...
What does homestead mean to you?
Homestead is where you build & grow your roots and grow who you are, with the people you love! To me, homestead truly means wherever the good Lord places you… to essentially grow where you are planted!
Where do you live and how long have you lived there? Where did you grow up?
I currently live in Granger, TX, with my husband Brandon, our corgi, and our two quarter horses Hollywood and Joker. We have lived in Granger for almost 5 years now and couldn’t be happier with our little abode in Texas. I grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, approx. 2,000 miles away and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to move to Texas through my husband’s job. When they said Texas, we said “Yes, no more snow!” and packed our bags to head South.
What are some of your favorite things about living a western lifestyle?
The community & diversity!
- Community -whether you need tips on the latest & greatest saddle pad, need help herding up the neighbor’s cows that got out or want an opinion on how to showcase your newest piece of turquoise, the endless support and encouragement from the western community is bar-none!
- Diversity – pieces of the western lifestyle have started to show up in more and more unique avenues over the past few years. From western style crossing over into main stream fashion, to seeing the western way of life showcased on the popular TV show Yellowstone, to social media shining an even bigger light on our farming & ranching communities. Small but influential parts of the western lifestyle are emerging through, showing how truly diverse the western lifestyle
can be. No matter who you are or what your connection to the western way of life might be, finding something to resonate with is more apparent & available than ever before and is truly one of my favorite things about watching the western lifestyle grow!
In what ways do you see God in your homestead?
Everywhere! God has truly revealed himself to me through both the blessings and trials my husband and I have experienced, especially in the past five years since moving to Texas. It was a huge faith step for us moving to another country. Being so far away from Family and knowing very few people took a lot of trust in God’s plan for us. God has truly shown me what I am capable of and how I can be a shining light in all that I do. Since putting our roots down in Texas, it has shown me the importance of faith and obedience to not only God’s plan, but His timing as well. I honestly couldn’t be more grateful for the experiences that have led me to where I am today. God is so good, and remaining faithful is the key above all.
What is the biggest difference between Canadian rodeos and horse shows and US
rodeos and horse shows?
The size & the rodeo/horse show schedule! My experiences only speak to showing horses in Oklahoma and rodeo in Texas as a comparison to Alberta, Canada. To give you some perspective…the general population between Texas & Oklahoma accounts for nearly the entire population of Canada. That difference alone creates a much wider and deeper pool of competitors and contestants versus the shows/rodeos back in Alberta! Secondly, Alberta has a much shorter rodeo/horse show schedule and I think it has everything to do with nobody wanting to compete in ridiculously cold/snowy conditions! The rodeo/show season in Alberta is from May-October, whereas in Texas & Oklahoma, you can rodeo/show year round!
What is your biggest accomplishment in life and what did that mean to you to achieve it?
Accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior along with getting baptized! My family has always had a huge heart for serving the Lord. I grew up in the church as my parents volunteered with Sunday school, bible study programs, and local church focused community events. I attended bible camp every summer, sang in multiple children’s’ choirs and participated in every Christmas “Special” known to man, and with that, I accepted Christ into my life at a very young age. However, I did wait many years before I got baptized as a declaration of my faith.
I had always wanted to get baptized but I had struggled with the Lord on timing. Each summer at bible camp I would have the same conversation with the Lord that went something like this…. “Hi God, I know I want to get baptized, and I should because I love you…but I’m just going to wait until next summer okay?” .. Looking back my hesitations stemmed from different reasons over the years…whether it was because the “cool kids” weren’t getting baptized that summer, or I just really didn’t want to take the uncomfortable walk up to the alter etc. but as you know, God’s timing is perfect and when I did accept the call to get baptized it was because He had my whole heart, attention and desire to pursue him greater than I had before. March 2015 was when God and I re-hashed out our prior “summer camp baptism conversation”, however this time my heart was truly ready to declare my love for him and I said YES! I got baptized in front of family and friends and have never felt the love of the Lord so strongly wash over me. I couldn’t believe I had waited so long to take this step in my faith, but God knew my heart needed to be right with Him and “all in." I truly feel taking that step to get baptized is one of my biggest accomplishments in my journey as a follower of Christ.
What is a life challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?
Moving to Texas was one of the most challenging decisions I have made in my lifetime. I had a good job, my family & friends were a few miles away, I had an awesome routine and life was comfortable! My husband and I were on track to start looking for a place of our own, taking out a mortgage and becoming “true” adults. So the decision to leave all of that for a LONG list of unknowns was terrifying for a type A, conservative, person like myself! There was a lot of ambiguity in where we would live, processing of work visa’s, what type of job I would find etc. that all weighed on myself as we prayed on the decision of whether or not to move. It was not easy, but leaning on God’s will for us over our own understanding and having faith in his plan led us to make our decision. Ultimately overcoming the uncertainty came through pursuing contentment & faith in God’s plan, his timing, and Him aligning our path to move here. God continued to show me that He had a bigger plan for myself & my husband, and that meant walking with him in Faith, one day at a time on this new adventure. Throughout this journey the good Lord has continued to show me his mercy and grace and I know my relationship with Him would not be where it is today without this entire experience.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned from horses or from living in a rural
place?
Biggest lesson I have learned from horses are “the value, time & care you put into them, is what you get back from them, x2.” I truly believe that spending time lovin’ on your horse, keeping them sound, shaking up their routine by trying new things etc. all contribute to the success you & your horse have in the long-term. Horses will give you a 110% everyday if they know you have put in the time to understand them, give them a chance to fail & succeed and learn from one another.
What is your favorite recipe?
Chocolate Chip Cookies! This weight watchers chocolate chip cookie recipe was a staple in my household growing up and I am sure my mother would be a millionaire if she had a dime for every time she made a batch of these for my sisters and I! Now you may think “ew, healthy cookies”, but I dare you to make them and see if you can taste the difference…they are THAT GOOD! ;) These cookies are my go-to dessert for events and gatherings with friends as they take no time at all to put together & bake in 6-7 minutes.
Dani’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 tbsp of butter
4 tbsp of veg. oil
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs whites
¼ tsp of salt
½ tsp of vanilla (optional)
1.5 cups of flour
½ tsp of baking soda
¾ cup of chocolate chips …but I always add more ;)
Bake at 375 for 6-7 minutes & enjoy!
PS- These cookies have half the sugar of regular chocolate chip cookies…so that means you can indulge in twice as many...(you are welcome!).
What is the name of your all-time favorite horse?
Famous Horse: Seabiscuit – the little horse that could! I love the story of Seabiscuit, his comeback, perseverance and amazing connection he brought to so many that were involved & shared his journey!
My Horse: Hollywood – my 16 year old, palomino quarter horse gelding. He has been there through my high school & college graduations, taken me to the NRHA World Finals twice, was by my side for my engagement & wedding day, moved with me to a new state & country, and most recently helped me clock my first time as a breakaway roper! He has been around for many huge milestones in my life, and will always have a special place in my heart.
Who is one woman who has inspired you?
My mother: My mom has always been an inspiration of mine as an incredible women of God, amazing wife and mother, but even more recently she has inspired me through her new career! My mom went back to school after being a stay-at-home mom for 25 years, got her floral design degree, and now manages one of the busiest floral shops in her city! Through that she has truly inspired me to try new things, pursue my passions and what brings me joy regardless of the limitations I might “think” should prevent me from doing so (like being too old, something will take too long etc.)
What is your favorite bible verse?
John 8:36 – "So if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free." This has been one of my favorite verses for many years! This verse revels the power of the Holy Spirit living in you and the freedom you have from the weight of your sins…to me this is a wonderful reminder of God’s true love and grace he provides to us each and every day – and what a wonderful reminder that is!
WOW! Thank you Danielle for sharing your heart and story! Be sure to follow Danielle on Instagram for more inspiration. I love that Danielle said God has revealed Himself to her through the trials and triumphs... So often we forget that God is in the midst of the bad, weeping with us. His strength is what pulls us through and His promise of eternity with Him is the Hope that can keep us going.
Thank you again sweet friend!
xo,
Sara