The Little Dude Ranch

06/17/2026

I’m so thankful for people who are willing to hear and share Andy’s story… with boating season fully upon us, now is the time to be proactive and protect your friends and family from the things we cannot see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. Andrew Brady, we love and miss you so, so very much. Another day closer though…

As families head to the lake this summer, one Oklahoma mother is sharing the story of her 9-year-old son after he died from carbon monoxide poisoning on a boat.

06/07/2026

To honor Andy, please wear a life jacket when boating to increase your chances of surviving carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Boaters should use a marine CO detector, seat children in the forward-most seating on a boat, avoid idling and exposure to emissions from other boats, and always maintain fresh air circulation. Safe Boating Campaign The Little Dude Ranch

06/07/2026

Today, we honor the memory of Andy Free and stand alongside the Free family with love, support, and gratitude for their unwavering commitment to saving lives.

On June 6, 2020, what began as a day of family boating on Lake Eufaula ended in unimaginable tragedy. The Free family, experienced boaters who knew and followed boating safety practices, lost their beloved son, Andy, to carbon monoxide poisoning, a silent, odorless, and often overlooked danger on the water.

As we remember Andy today, we encourage all boaters to learn the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, stay alert to the risks, and seek immediate medical attention if exposure is suspected.

Andy’s life continues to make a difference, and his legacy lives on in every conversation, every safety lesson, and every life protected because of your efforts, Cassi and family.

The Little Dude Ranch |

06/07/2026

06/05/2026

🩶🙏🏻🫶🏻

To all my broken Arrow teachers, parents, neighbors, former students, athletes, coaches, administration and support staff. I'm asking you to rally together and get out and vote in the primary. Early voting starts June 11th, 12th and 13th and election day will be Tuesday the 16th. I'm asking to serve you two more years, so I can finish some of the legislation that I started. Especially the education bills I was working on. Most of you have my cell phone number, feel free to reach out anytime.

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.