The Little Dude Ranch

01/11/2026

Okay, okay, lol.
Let’s talk about life! It’s been a hot minute since I’d shared anything here and my goal for 2026 is to be more diligent in sharing again…
Because grief is hard and it’s complex and it comes with all sorts of responsibilities and challenges, beyond the norm…
I’d been teaching in Liberty for a few years following the birth of our daughter Evelyn. In case anyone missed the little details, we can’t naturally conceive children any longer- Andy was supposed to be our last child. With the help of IVF, we were blessed to be able to welcome this beautiful daughter into our lives and we are so thankful for her!
But it doesn’t dampen the pain. It was never meant to…
And so we’ve battled a lot of emotion surrounding loss and grief and new life and all the joy that brings…
It’s always bittersweet… ❤️‍🩹
Last New Year’s Day, I resolved to come home, to retire completely and be the mom to Evie that I wasn’t for Andy. I struggle with feelings that I failed him- that I’d missed so much because of work responsibilities, and I didn’t want to feel that way with Evie.
So I left the classroom for the last time this past May.
In July, we started our plan- to build a new home, to have a fresh start, to do something new that would connect our old life to our new life in a way that would honor Andy’s life and that would benefit the surviving members of our family, ourselves and Evie included.
So I’m sharing some pictures to help catch up… and yes, there’s a fire. We started with a controlled burn of an old, existing home, with the help of local fire departments. We cleared some land. We broke ground. We’ve almost completed construction and we’re counting down the days…
And this isn’t just about building a home.
It’s about building a new life.
It’s about safety and security.
It’s about centering our lives on family.
It’s about being providers.
It’s about going backward in time… being healthy, living healthy, raising animals, gardening, working the land, and creating a life with our own two hands… well… altogether, ten hands here… lol.
Like with everything in life, we will struggle. We will fall. We will fail. And then, we’ll pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and continue by the grace of God.

“But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.”
- Psalm 3:3

01/02/2026

It’s been… a while. I’ve kept the page up, but I haven’t done a lot with it…
So much has happened and life has been busy beyond control. Beyond the confines of my sanity. 🤣
But that’s about to change.
We’ve changed.
I’ll share more in the coming days, something of an attempt to catch up, but I’m hoping to devote more time to sharing our grief journey, how we spend our time in the waiting, and how we’re doing everything we can, in all aspects of our lives, to honor Andy’s life as we move forward.
It’s a new year. 2026. The last new year we spent with all of our kids was in 2020, so it’s been far too long to be without our youngest son… but we continue to hold onto hope, to submit to God’s will for our lives, and find joy in the little moments that we’d previously taken for granted.

09/09/2025

We bought our first Tesla, a model Y, in May. We loved it so much that we decided to buy a Cybertruck in June.
We’ve always been internal-combustion engine kinda people, but on June 6, 2020, our youngest son (9 years old) died as a result of open-air carbon monoxide toxicity from riding in our boat. It wasn’t the boat’s fault- it was running according to manufacturer and government specs… it was just that “negligible” risk that’s always written in the fine print. Never did we ever think that it would happen to us.
We made the move to electric vehicles this year because it didn’t feel right to advocate CO safety and to still drive around in CO-producing vehicles.
We just got the truck back from being wrapped. Please be kind- this project has significant meaning. Its not any sort of political statement
Our son, Andy, loved Minecraft. On the day we lost him, he’d wanted to stay home and continue to build his online Minecraft world. This wrap is a nod to his love of Minecraft. We named the Cybertruck “Steve” and the Minecraft figure on the rear panels is an image recreation of the Minecraft figure that we had made to represent Andy on his urn. He also loved llamas and for his last birthday that we spent with him, his final gift was a herd of his very own llamas. We used a white llama, just like the real llama we got for him and the stuffed llama he carried around with him everywhere. The enderpearls on the front quarter panels have HB 2010 on them… HB 2010 is the law that was passed in Oklahoma in 2023, in honor of his life and loss, Andy’s Law. The license plate displays Andy’s life-long nickname- LILDUDE.
We chose the enderman background because the enderman is passive unless attacked, which is kind of a reflection of how we feel about ourselves, especially when it comes to advocating about CO risks. Water damages the enderman, and water (Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma) was where Andy left us. Enderman are also from the end dimension, which is something we connect to afterlife and Heaven and our son’s home. The black/grey pattern is also a reflection of our grief. The enderpearl is the color of water, the color of Andy’s eyes.
This truck is more than just a Cybertruck. It’s a reflection of our love for our son and the magnitude of the loss we’ve felt after his life was cut short. It’s our past, our present, and our future and we think that Andy would’ve loved this.

07/04/2025

It makes me so sad…
Because I know people are tired of my story. They think everyone knows…
But the truth is, too many still don’t know. And honestly, at this point, too many just scroll past my old posts because they think they know better now…
But it’s so easy to forget things, isn’t it?
Where you parked the car at the mall…
Where you left your keys when you got home…
Where you set down you phone at the grocery store… and yes, this is real- I’ve personally turned multiple phones into customer service that were left on shelves and I’ve left my own in the cart before…
We become complacent. And we don’t teach our kids these scary things because we’re afraid to tell them that people die…
I’m sad. I mean, I’m always sad now, but I’ve been extra sad recently… I’ve been sad for the past 3 months and I’m absolutely shattered by this news.
A friend, one who also lost a child to carbon monoxide on a boat, shared this with me the other day… I know I need to get fired up and I need to open my mouth and start shouting…
But I’m also feeling defeated. I screamed from the rooftops, hoping to never read another one of these stories.
Help me.
Share the posts.
Remember these kids have moms and dads and sisters and brothers… you don’t want to be a survivor… it’s the saddest place to be… instead, you want to be educated so that it doesn’t happen to you… you want your friends and family and even strangers to be educated so it doesn’t happen to them…
So share the stories.
And wear your life vest to save your life from drowning, all while keeping in mind that you can’t see, smell, hear, taste, or feel carbon monoxide and the life vest does nothing to protect from carbon monoxide. Be hyperaware and hyper-vigilant.
Send prayers to the family of Layton Smith.

Tragedy struck at Harrison Lake when 14-year-old Layton Smith lost his life in a boating accident. His family urges others to prioritize water safety and awareness.

06/30/2025

Our sweet boys… born 7 months apart and ran ahead 1 year apart…
I hate carbon monoxide. I hate everything that produces carbon monoxide. I hate being most places because of the risk of even trace amounts of carbon monoxide…
If you don’t already understand, you can’t see it or smell it. There are ZERO natural or sensory indicators to warn you, and by the time you could possibly realize it, it’s likely too late.
We need to change how we look at power/energy. Monitors and alarms are helpful, but aren’t 100% capable of preventing death.
I’ve been “stuck” for two years… lost… I share everywhere I go and it’s still not enough. I know I would’ve loved Afton- I love his mama, so how could I not? And I’m positive Andy loves him. The world should know his name and beautiful face…
Please share.

Remembering Afton today. 💙

The Taylor family urges boaters to be aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning - even while open-air boating. Traveling at slow speeds, can cause carbon monoxide to build up on your boat. Know the risk, and boat safely for Afton.

Learn more how the Taylor family is honoring Afton at www.lovelikeafton.com.

LovelikeAfton

06/06/2025

06/06/2025

In memory of Andy, be aware of the silent danger of carbon monoxide poisoning while boating. 💙

Stay informed. Stay safe.

Learn more about Andy’s Law at www.thelittledude.org

And share his story - it could save a life: www.wavesofhopeboating.org

03/21/2025

Andrew Brady 🧡

Going on vacation was intended to be a fun experience for the Free family in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, but towards the end of the day, something happened that would alter their lives forever.Recently t…

08/22/2024

Andrew Brady The Little Dude Ranch

Margaret-Ann Carter has the story.

06/18/2024

In June 2020, the Free family endured an unimaginable tragedy – the loss of their son, Andrew (Andy) Brady Free. his harrowing experience transformed Cassi's grief into an unwavering mission to raise awareness about the often-overlooked dangers of...

06/06/2024

We love you Andy 🩵

The “Life Jackets Worn...Nobody Mourns” campaign was created to help reduce water-related fatalities on our nation’s waterways. It was designed to provoke adults to wear life jackets because they are at the highest risk for drowning in open waters.

06/05/2024

This guy… he’s done so much for our family, for the general public… he cares about people and he’s passionate about filling in the needs. Thank you Dean Davis for House Dist 98 for being an amazing person and representative.

DeanDavisDelivers Championing Our Values, Achieving Real Change For Broken Arrow • Fought for Public Safety• Combated Radical Gender Ideologies• Secured Our Borders• Reduced Taxes for Families• Backed Law Enforcement• Stopped Chinese Drug Cartels