A Little Calving...and Branding

Calving was tough this year. The weather was bitterly cold for most of it...the wind blew constantly, and the snow was unyielding. I guess the difficulty of this year was compounded by the fact that I had a nursing baby at the house as well. I usually LOVE calving season. I don't mind working my guts out, mostly because it means I get to spend most of my day with Jordan. Unlike most people, I actually like working with my spouse...that's not to say we don't have our moments :)...but for the most part we love seeing each other all day long.

When the weather let up a little, Reiny came down to the the sheds and helped out. She is so darn cute and I'm constantly amazed by how big she's getting and what she's capable of doing on her own now. She milked a cow by herself this year and even witnessed a c-section. She had lots of questions, like "Mommy, why is he putting a hole in that cow? Why is it so red in there? Is he supposed to be doing that?" I thought she'd get sick or even a little scared, but she wasn't...she watched with curious eyes and actually enjoyed the whole experience...I guess that's ultimately why I love this lifestyle; the benefits for my children can't be found anywhere else.

c-section baby



cart full of cousins (and then some...)



Branding was about the same as every year...tiring. We did 1350 calves in 4 days. The nice part was having more than enough help this time. We had to work quickly and between winter storms (in April!!!), so it was nice having lots of extra hands there to push calves, vaccinate, castrate, and brand whenever needed. Unfortunately, April, Chase, and I all contracted something either from the cows, calves, or vaccine and spent the next week sicker than dogs. It just so happened to hit me while on a trip to Utah for Easter to visit my family, so I got to spend the weekend in bed and on my sister's couch while everyone else tended my kids!

Tomorrow we get to finish branding with the last 250 or so...it will be nice to be done! I guess that means we have irrigating season just ahead of us! Jordan's already up to his eyeballs in government contracts. Maybe after this summer we can take a much-needed vacation!