Sunday Night Highlights 3.27.16

Weekend Adventures:

• Bert and I spent eleven hours in the pickup on Friday while my mom hung out with Wacey. We took our good mare down to New Mexico to one of the other divisions to turn out with some of the ranch's brood mares and a stud in the hopes that she'll have a baby next spring. I'm obsessed with baby horses, so this is pretty exciting!!!!
• In light of being gone all day yesterday and the fact that it snowed again, we spent Saturday hanging out, and Bert's parents came down to give Wacey his Easter basket.
• Last night we hunkered down on the couch to watch the last Hunger Games. It wasn't exactly a grand cinematic masterpiece, but it didn't disappoint! I always feel like things are lost in translation when they make movies into books though--Coin was way more subversive and creepy in the books!
• My mom surprised us with hidden Easter baskets this morning! She'd hidden them while we were gone on Friday and texted me this morning that we had baskets in the house! We've both overdosed on sugar, but it was a pretty sweet surprise!
  ...See what I did there?
• This afternoon, Wacey went on a cranky tear (not enough nap the past couple of days), so I took him on a car ride that turned into a car nap for him while I listened to the Easter sermon from the Antioch church in Waco via their podcast. It was perfect. 

Agriculture:

• Lamb is the "Easter meat" for several historical reasons. The first relates to the book of Genesis in the Bible and Abraham's sacrifice of his son. Another is related to the concept of "passover," where during the tenth plague of Egypt, God told the Jews to sacrifice a lamb and paint its blood on the lintels of their doors so that they will be spared a visit from the Angel of Death, who would pass them over. More generally, it was believed that because the lamb is holy, it was the only animal that the Devil couldn't inhabit, and several hundred years ago, the Pope requested whole roasted lam for his dinner, and it's remained the traditional meat of the Vatican Easter dinner ever since. 
• Lamb is also the traditional meat of Easter in Greece, where it's roasted whole on a spit.
• In more modern times, it's become acceptable to substitute a figure of a lamb made out of something else, like butter or sugar, for the actual meat on the Easter table, in lieu of ham or another meat (or no meat at all, of course). This year, it was French Dip sandwiches chez moi ;)

On the Ranch:

• We were going to have a branding on Tuesday, but it's too wet! We got big, wet Spring snows twice last week which is great for moisture, not so much for not moisture, which means not so good for a necessarily dry activity like branding. We're also due to get rain on Wednesday, le sigh.
• We have a meeting tomorrow to discuss our Spring breeding/branding schedule. I'm sort of dreading seeing how full everything is going to be, but that's just how we roll. Still, I kind of miss the good old days when "breeding season" was just turning bulls out.
• There are still about 600 calves left to be born on the ranch--April is going to be a calvy month!

On the Home Front:

• We have a walker! Wace still hasn't figured out that it's an actual mode of transportation, or that he can do it somewhere besides between his dad and me, but we're working on it! The next big boy hurdle: the dreaded sippy cup.
• I can't believe it's almost April! I have some home projects I'm really excited about next month--I'm waiting on fabric from Joann's and some gallery wall materials :)
• Need an easy, wonderful, crowd-pleasing weeknight recipe? Look no further.

Pre- or Pre-Pre Easter Sale Picks

I know. Two collages in one week. I wasn't intending upon doing one today--we spent the whole day in the pickup yesterday so I wasn't planning on a post--but then, on a whim, I checked in at Joann.com because I wanted to check on their Easter sale and y'all it's a good one! Easter stuff is 70% off plus another 20% off online coupon on top of that, so I had to share.

We're not doing much for Easter this year in terms of egg hunts and Easter baskets--we plan on starting traditions next year, when Wacey knows what's up, and can like, you know, walk to hunt up Easter eggs. I got a few decorations and a couple of things to get a head start on baskets next year, and for the first time ever I've thought about Easter decorations! In addition to feeding my cookie cutter fire (sugar cookies are appropriate for literally every life event), I think I'll have some eggs around, a bunny or two, and some scripture prints in prime real estate areas, and have done with it.

 I don't plan on completely decking the house out for Easter--I think it's another overdone holiday where the real point is lost--but a few things here and there make the house feel like spring, and I have a wreath problem and I don't care who knows it.

I got the kissing bunnies one, in case you're wondering. I really like the look of the egg wreath, but flatter wreaths work out better for our screen door situation.

So here are some cute options if you're buying for next year, or buying last-minute for this year. The printable scripture prints are especially conducive to last-minuting.

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Bull Sale-ing

If you drive around anywhere where there are cattle in the late spring and summer, you'll see idyllic scenes: cows and calves muching grass in green pastures, maybe catching a little sun, maybe going for a stroll. 

You also might see a bull jumping on top of a cow and ruining the picture for you entirely.

That's nature, folks. The birds and the bees, the bulls and the cows--it's allll nature. 

Now, those bulls have to come from somewhere. Some ranches raise their own bulls, or a portion thereof. Many, however, leave the breeding of big, testosterone-packed male bovines to seedstock producers, and buy them at bull sales.

Every year, typically in the spring and fall/early winter, people all over the country flock to bull sales to buy their herd's XY chromosome providers. It's an excuse for the ranching community to get together, have some food, listen to a (hopefully good) auctioneer do his thing, and maybe buy some bulls. Bull sales are always a pretty good time because it's a rare time for a rather spread-out community to get together and visit. Sometimes it's the only time of year when you get to see your ranching friends in the flesh, especially if one or both of you traveled a good ways to attend the sale.

Also, free food. Usually a good prime rib or brisket of some kind. If you're lucky, there's also cake. Maybe even snacks and free stuff. I don't hate it. 

We went to Torrington, Wyoming last week to visit my brother- and sister-in-law at their ranch's bull sale and it was a pretty fun time, and they served the most amazing all-beef hot dogs (among other things, although I am a secret hot dog aficionado so this was a major excitement for me, don't judge) and it was glorious.

I really miss those hot dogs. 

Here's how it works. The bulls are all brought up close to the sale barn. Customers walk through the bulls in the days and hours preceding the sale with their sale catalogs with all the bulls' info so they can decide which bulls they would like to bid on. 

Once the anthem is sung and the owners/managers make a speech, the sale begins. The bulls are brought in small groups (by lot number) from the pens to the alley behind the sale ring. There, they are sorted into lot order so that the customers know which bull is up next.

Then, each bull is run through the ring and bid on. Most producers run bulls through the ring individually, although some do sell animals in larger lots. Once a buyer is determined, then the bull leaves the ring, and the next one comes in.

Some buyers take their bulls home that day, others opt to have theirs delivered later on so they don't have to deal with another (or more) bull at home--bulls tend to tear things up and fight, and introducing a new bull into a group usually causes a ruckus. 

Sales are fun, but having been on the producer side of the sale, they're also very stressful! Ranchers don't earn a constant paycheck, and for seedstock producers this might be the only payday of the year! It's also a big undertaking to coordinate. In addition to getting all the bulls' pictures and data to print in the catalog months in advance, you have to tag each one, keep them healthy, and get them all to the sale barn sorted into some order. You have to be ready to talk to customers, advertise the sale, and feed and water all those people. Sometimes it's a couple hundred if it's a big producer with a lot of bulls to sell. You have to coordinate the auctioneers and ringmen, the auction film crew (most sales are also on TV or online for remote buyers), the insurance men who are there to offer livestock insurance, the bankers, etc. You also have to coordinate help for the whole affair, because you need a lot of people to get those bulls from the pens to the sale ring in a timely and efficient manner.

 My sister-in-law compared it to putting on a wedding twice a year (their ranch does a sale in the fall, too), and she's totally right. You have to plan meals (usually at least two, because in addition to sale day lunch, many ranches put on a sit-down dinner the night before the sale, and there's also usually at least coffee and donuts for sale day breakfast, too) for lots of people, make sure there's plenty of cold beverages and lots of hot coffee, a plethora of extra sale catalogs and pens, and someone at the ready to answer questions and provide hospitality services all day. If it's a good sale, there's usually some celebrating at the end, too!

Also like a wedding, it's way more fun to just be a guest than to host the whole affair. You get a chance to eat, and don't have to talk to everyone and their mother. You can just sit back, relax, and maybe help serve a hot dog or two, if you're really nice. If you're not really nice, or have no relation to the folks putting on the sale, then you can just sit back, relax, eat a hot dog or two, and hide some muffins in your coat pocket to eat on the ride home.

Or peanut M&Ms. 

And maybe some Chex Mix.

But I've never hid any food on my person--not once--so we're totally speaking in hypotheticals here. 

Wacey's Summer Clothes Picks

If you don't live in a hole I'm sure you've heard that it's currently blizzarding in my neck of the woods. 

I hate to break it to y'all, but this is something that happens in the spring in Colorado. March is actually the snowiest month, and every year people seem to be taken aback by the hot-cold-summer-winter weather cycle that is Springtime in the Rockies. This is why we don't plant gardens pre-Memorial Day. 

I agree that it's not the funnest. I agree that having days where you can be outside and have the sun warm you through your cold, winterized bones is heaven on earth. I agree that cabin fever is a thing, and that Vitamin D is so so so welcome after a long winter. But, you know the best part about spring storms? They're in and out and then the weather is back to being glorious again! 

Plus, my agricultural-in-a-semi-arid-state two cents: y'all, we always need the moisture. 

So, today, while the screens of the windows are plastered with snow and apparently the sun will never shine again, I'm thinking ahead to the days when the sun will, in fact, shine again and we'll be outside in the sun, wearing shorts and wishing for a personal cloud of snow like Eeyore's raincloud with which to make snowcones because the ice cream truck don't travel round these here parts.

Wacey has almost no summer clothes since we didn't know what size he would be (he's pretty solidly in 18-month bottoms, and 18-24 month tops, although some 2T stuff does fit), so I can't wait to get him some duds! For him, Bert and I both prefer simple, soft, washable things that can be mixed and matched and don't have obnoxious sayings all over the front. 

I also tend to gravitate towards blue because, well, Wacey's eyes.

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We have two needs for summer clothes: rodeo and play. My taste in clothes for both myself and Wacey lies on a spectrum with Wrangler on one end, and J.Crew (or Oshkosh for him) on the other. I'm not sure what to call it. Preppy Cowboy? Western Nautical? Chambray Overload? Elle Woods Married The Marlboro Man and had Babies? Drinking Bellinis at a Rodeo? 

Anways, monikers aside, that's how we roll. 

For rodeos, because of the dust and dirt and being in the sun--but also often going into the evening--we usually dress Wacey in long sleeves and pants, and stay in the shade as much as we can. I like Cherokee, Circo, and Oshkosh jeans for him because they're soft and fit him really well--big in the waist and not too long! For shirts, I tried to find some that match Bert's rodeo shirts (royal blue and tan), but they don't make them in little sizes so I'll probably order coordinating plaid ones to get embroidered with the ranch's brand. We already have several button-downs, but I'd like to add a couple to our collection. They're also perfect to throw on over short sleeves during cooler days or in the evening.

For play clothes, I like light, airy, washable, cotton like every other mom on the planet. I love henleys, obviously, and stick with neutrals in the bottoms department so we don't have designated "outfits". I also try to make sure we have a long-sleeve with us all the time in case it gets chilly.

For shoes, I have no idea what we'll do. Go barefoot as much as possible, I guess! He has a pair of those moccasins already, and they're the only shoes I can fit on his tiny fat feet (seriously--he wears, like a 2 1/2). I'm hoping that by summertime his feet will have grown a bit so we can get him in some tennis shoes! I have very low expectations in this department, though, and I guarantee he won't be in cowboy boots for a loooooooong time.

I hope that we'll be able to spend more time at the pool this summer, and nothing says summer like a pair of 'Merica trunks, amiright? Add some Wayfarer-style sunglasses, and I think we're good to go! 

Sunday Night Highlights 3.20.16

Weekend Adventures:

• Literally nothing, haha. We're boring, what can I say? Actually, since this is the first weekend Bert hasn't had to look after calving cows, we've been catching up on relaxation and having a quiet weekend doing not much at all. 
• It's Spring! Finally. I love fall and actually don't mind winter, but this one has been loooooooong. We celebrated with some Sonic slushies today, it was lovely.
• We did watch The 33 last night, and it was good! Next up on our list: The Big Short, the final Hunger Games, and the new Star Wars!

Agriculture:

• PAP testing is a way to help determine bovine survivability at high altitudes. PAP stands for pulmonary artery pressure, and is determined by running a catheter through the pulmonary artery. 
• Spring is in the air! Which means lots of ranches are getting geared up for branding. Some states require brands, others don't, but it's one of the best permanent way of marking your cattle in case of theft, escape, or bad fences!
• Another thing about spring? Lots of bull sales. Lots of producers sell yearling bulls in the spring that are ready to turn out on cows. Later this week I'll have a post about my brother- and sister-in-law's sale that we went to last week! 

On the Ranch:

• Bert's done calving heifers! Woo! In total, we have about 500 calves on the ground, so we're almost halfway through! Having the heifers out of the way is great, though, because they require so much more care than the cows. Plus, Wace and I are happy to have Bert home a little more!
• Next week, we'll be PAP testing heifers, aka my favorite thing. There WILL be a post on that because my mom's coming down to babysit so I'll be front and center with my camera.
• Y'all, we start branding week after next. Hellooooooo Spring!

On the Home Front:

• Last weekend's Spring Forward has really thrown us for a loop! I love making dinner while it's still light out, but Wacey's schedule is all out of whack. We've been enjoying a little more sleep time in the morning, but we've really got to get back on track...tomorrow. 
• I'm getting the spring cleaning itch! I want all of our extra stuff gone, like, yesterday. The only problem is that I don't want it all gone for free, haha. I'm giving everything one last round on the internets before I try consignment and then, donation. This stuff that has been sitting in boxes since we moved has seriously got to go!!!
• Wacey has started walking! Not like, full-on walking, but he'll take a step here and there and it's both amazing and sort of sad. Where did my tiny baby go? 

Golden Evening

I know it's hard to see, but this is one of my favorite views on the ranch. I took this the other evening on my way back from the other side of our camp. The sun was all glowy and it was just so pretty I had to stop and take a picture.

Sometimes, living in the country is sort of a pain. Everything is far away, and it's always a production to go anywhere. Our cars are always dusty, and there's no such thing as running into town to get a gallon of milk or a little sugar.

But, the other 75% (or maybe like 99%)  of the time, it's definitely not.

Golden evenings like this one make my heart happy. There's a magic at this time of day, and it's always been my favorite.

When Bert and I were dating, we'd pack up some bottled root beer and potato chips and go for a drive in the evenings during the summer. We'd drive around dusty roads, talk, be silly, and make up dumb songs. We still do this sometimes, actually, just with a baby in the backseat. If we're feeling really wild, we grab Dr. Pepper instead.

We're two crazy kids, I know. And this is one gorgeous view. 

I'd throw in a #blessed, but I'm not sure I'm that hip. 

Hashtags are actually pound signs, anyways. 

Review: Dark Spot Correcting Skin Regimen

I have been looking forward to writing (read: hoping I'd have enough success to write) this post! I know that skin woes are common for a lot of pregnant/postpartum mommas, and I am no exception. When I got pregnant with Wacey, my skin flipped out. I definitely did not have the glowy, dewy, pregnant lady skin. I had the oily-but-dry, broken-out skin of my teenage yesteryear. Unfortunately, a lot of high-powered skin products aren't safe for pregnancy, and nothing I tried helped my skin significantly.

Fast-forward to after the delivery, when my skin calmed down, but I was left with red spots where all of my blemishes had been that would not heal. I tried several things, including Proactiv+ (hated it--dried out my skin even when used every other day), and finally went back to my old standby, Lancome. But, still the red spots. I got some samples of products from Sephora to try, but didn't have much luck with any of them, which is actually fine because of the hefty price tag attached. I hoped that it would just get better, but I was so tired of feeling so icky in my own skin.

Here's a before-bed before picture. So many spots. Also I'm tired.

Then, I stumbled upon this blog post by a Harvard Medical School grad studying to be a dermatologist about this exact problem, and I was so excited! I love how she explains the science behind these products, and why things like exfoliating scrubs can exacerbate the problem. I decided to try it in its entirety because it's a really affordable group of products and YOU GUYS.

It's working! I don't have ANY makeup on in these pictures! I took these in the morning so the light was different, but, man. For reals.

Dark spots take a long time to correct, but two months later, I can tell SUCH a difference in my skin. The spots aren't completely gone, but they're definitely faded a lot. I've tweaked the regimen just a little bit, but still use all the same products and I'm totally a believer.

What I do:
AM--Wash with my Lancome cleanser, moisturize with my Ponds dry skin cream and a layer of the Cerave SPF moisturizer (it's very important to wear sunscreen in general, but especially when using retinol products, and I add more if I'm going to be outside a lot), and eye cream. Every other day, I add a layer of the dark spot corrector under the  moisturizer.

PM--I use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup, and switch between cleansing with the Glytone exfoliating cleanser and my Lancome cleanser every other night. I put on the Retinol ResQ treatment and dark spot corrector every night. Sometimes, my skin feels dry enough to use a little Ponds, but not always. I also use an eye cream, and blemish zapper if needed.

I have been noticing that the Lancome has been leaving my skin feeling just a little tight after cleansing, so I'm going to try Glossier's milky jelly cleanser once my Lancome bottle is up because it's gotten rave reviews from dry-skinned bloggers like moi.

For eye cream, I've been trying different ones and am LOVING this rose eye gel. I got a sample from Sephora because I was having a hard time finding one that worked for me under concealer. It's a bit pricey, but it's heavenly so I think I'm going to save up for some, or wait for it to go on sale, or ask for it for Mother's Day. But it smells awesome and is so refreshing that it's worth it!

The best part about all of this, other than the return of my self-esteem and not having to spend a half hour on makeup? It's been two months, and I still have all of the original tubes of everything! The exfoliating wash was the most expensive component of the program, but it's such a big size and you use so little that I anticipate having to replenish less often than every six months. I have at least one month left on both little tubes, and another couple of months left of the moisturizer. I am so happy to have a found such an effective, inexpensive way to feel better about my skin!

Sunday Night Highlights 3.13.16

Weekend Adventures:

• My primary goal this weekend has been rest. Wacey got sick last week and gave it to the both of us, so we're all fighting the tail end (I hope) of snotty noses and stuffy heads.
• Currently, there's a pot of chicken stock simmering on the stove in preparation for chicken & noodles. I've never made chicken & noodles completely from scratch--stock and all--and I'm so excited to see how this turns out. It already smells soul-healing, which is what we're aiming for! 
• Bert and I are camped out of the sofa while Wacey is asleep (!!!!) watching The Martian, which so far is like Castaway but on Mars. We're about an hour in, and I highly recommend. Normally I'm not into space movies, but I can see why this one was nominated for Best Picture.

Agriculture:

• I've been reading up and planning for my garden, and I've learned a lot of things! Keep in mind that I'm a total newb, so don't make fun of me.
• Kale is a very hardy vegetable that grows in cool weather, so it can be harvested both in the spring and the fall. 
• Heirloom tomatoes are gorgeous.
• My lilac bushes need some serious attention

On the Ranch:

• Bert has one heifer left to calve! That means night calving has stopped, and he's a little tiny less busy for a minute before we start breeding season. I'm glad for him to get a little more rest and not have to work as hard! The real treat is when the cows get kicked out to grass and the guys don't have to feed every day anymore.
• Otherwise, business as usual. We're feeling so fortunate to have had such nice weather lately, our calves are really looking good. 

On the Home Front:

• You guys, I've got nothin'. I have zero plans for the upcoming week beyond getting everyone healthy and the house in some semblance of working, sterilized order. 
• If I can manage that, my next plan of attack is to get a work nook ready downstairs. I need a designated place to work downstairs while Wacey is playing--not the sofa--with a desk, bulletin board, etc. I realized last week how disorganized I am, and I can't take it anymore. I have all the supplies I need, I've just got to throw it together. 
• We're going to do our best to get up to my bro- and sis-in-law's ranch's bull sale next week, so please cross your fingers that we're all healthy! We can't bring germs with us because they have a little baby!
• I discovered green juice. I like it. 

Friday Favorites 3.11.16

Happy Friday from sunny, warm Colorado!

Seriously. I don't know that I've ever said it in March but the weather is GORGEOUS.

This week was one filled with a sick baby, and an almost-sick mama (Zicam seriously is the best), and lots of work for the ranch, so Wace and I took a spin with the stroller this morning to soak up some of this glorious sunshine, and it was perfect.

Here are some other perfect things I've found on the internets this week:

Favorite Green: Climbing cucumber. I've got the garden on my mind, and this looks like a really cool way to maximize space in a smaller bed. Plus it looks all profesh and handy and stuff.

Favorite Style: Braids. I'm LOVING my new short cut, and I like to wear it pulled back when I have Day 2 hair. This looks like a great option, and is an easy-to-follow tutorial that even this braid-challenged gal can handle!

Favorite Obsession: Rose Hydrating Gel Eye Cream. YOU GUYS. I got a sample of this from Sephora, and this little baby just zoomed to the top of my wish list. It's expensive, but man oh man. It feels AMAZING, smells even more amazing, wears better under makeup than any other cream I've tried, and is something I would really like to invest in (or have my husband invest in for maybe Mother's Day *cough*).

Favorite Fashion: Grandpa Tees. I am getting my dad one of these for Father's Day. I just love them! I would get one for my Father-in-Law, too, but I've never seen him wear anything without sleeves and buttons. Maybe we could find a western version?

Favorite Decor: Laundry Room Ladder. Our laundry room and mud room are the same room. Woefully ill-appointed in terms of organization, and sort of drive me crazy. This looks like a fast, easy, cute step to making it just a liiiiiittle more functional, and I know there's got to be an old wooden ladder around somewhere!

Favorite Treat: Peeps Krispie Bars. We still haven't decided what we're going to do for Easter, but these are the cutest little treats that I might just have to make some. And eat them alllll by myself. Just kidding. I will, however, make a double batch ;)

Favorite Suits: This one and this one. I have always been a one-piece kind of gal, but not a ruched mom suit kind of gal, and I would really love to get Wacey in the pool this summer. These options are both cute (if expensive) ideas for a gorgeous one piece! *Crosses fingers for a sale*

Favorite Floral: Floral Maternity Dress. No, I'm not pregnant, but I secretly hope that maybe one day I'll be pregnant in the spring so I can wear this. 

Favorite Food: Korean Beef Bowl. My Facebook Supper Club mom group RAVES about this, and I'm always looking for ways to use up ground beef that aren't burgers or tacos, so I think we'll give it a try!

Happy weekend, y'all! It's 8:30 and I'm going to bed.

A Horse Is A Horse

I had big plans for a blog post complete with photos about ultrasounding the heifers, but Wacey got his very first cold and I felt pretty bad for the little guy (and didn't want to infect the entire ranch), so we stayed home. He was pretty miserable, but with the help of a humidifier, my handy-dandy NoseFrida, and a little Benadryl, Hubba Bubba seems to be back to his normal self, albeit with a little more snot.

Since I don't have any fun pictures of ultrasounding, the horses volunteered to be the subject of today's post.

Okay, fine, Ninja volunteered all of them. She's sort of pushy.

Anywho.

Here's the pushy gal herself: Ninja. She's coming four. Her name is Ninja because my oldest nephew wanted to name the next horse Michaelangelo, but the next horse was a girl, so her name is Michaelangela, or Ninja for short. It's fitting because she's an escape artist.

Also, she's really shy and likes to hide in her shell. Obviously.

Suuuuuuuper shy. Not curious at all. Great respect for photographic boundaries.

The poor gal standing next to her is Molly. Molly is a project of Bert's--she's an older mare that we got from another guy on the ranch that needs some work. She's pretty shy, but she's nice, and Bert told me last night that she's doing really well.

She's also Early's mother! Here's a picture of them almost two years ago when Early was born. He was so tiny and sweet.

And here's Early now! He's big and fat, just like he should be. Bert has worked with him a little bit, but will really get started on his training this summer.

Unlike his Mama, he is NOT shy. He's still sweet!

His friend, there, is Jig. He's a horse that the ranch owns that is part of Bert's working string--since Early, Ninja, and Molly are all kind of projects, they aren't ridden for daily ranch work yet. 

Asa is, of course, Bert's main man. Bert started him, and they've been together since before Bert and I have been together! They're like peas and carrots. Or even like a cowboy and his horse. You know, They get along so well, and Ace is Bert's go-to when he needs to rope something, because Asa would help him rope a house if Bert asked him to.

This is not something Bert's ever asked of him, though, just to be clear.

Ace is also my favorite ride. He's so so gentle, and sort of a goof, and takes good care of whomever he's packing around, and I know he won't buck me off and ruin my camera or something, or like, break my leg. Because I usually have a camera, and I always bring my legs along. He'll be Wacey's horse someday!

Miss is our boss lady. We bought her with our wedding money when we lived in Montana. She had some quirks when we got her, but Bert's done a great job with helping her get over some of her issues and now she's in the rotation just as much as Ace. She's also Bert's go-to ranch rodeo horse. I really like her, too. She's fiesty and so smooth and easy to ride and if she were a person, I think she would be a loud-mouthed diva who gets things done, and hates mud, but still gets things done.

She also likes Wacey, which is a big plus. 

So there they are! In addition to these six, Bert also usually has an outside project, too. Right now he has another horse down at the barn from one of the other guys on the ranch. 

I always dreamed of having real live horses when I was growing up. I had (have--it's at my parents') a pretttttyyyyyy impressive Breyer collection, but nothing comes close to the real thing! It's kind of funny because when we moved to Montana, we took one horse (Asa), when we came back, we had two, and now we've upped the ante to five and I think that makes us a little crazy.

And by us I mean Bert, since I currently spend most of my time with the human rugrat and thus he gets to play with the equine rugrats. 

And by play with, I mean feed, shoe, ride, groom, etc. 

And by spend most of my time with, I mean try and play educational games with but really I mean clean up after and snuggle.

We like to keep things honest over here :)

How We Make the Work-At-Home Work

I was reading a blog post by a gal in one of my Facebook mom groups, and it really struck a note with me, because it's so true. I sort of hate the titles "Stay-at-home" or "Work-at-home" mom, because it implies that that's all you do. You stay home and stay, or stay home and "work," but that doesn't even begin to cover it.

She had a great list of all the things moms are generally in charge of, from appointments to bills to groceries to auto maintenance, and they're all so necessary and true. I was one of the first of my friend group to get married, and definitely one of the first to have kids, and apparently Bert and I are on the younger side of the spectrum, so we get asked advice from our unmarried, soon-to-be-married, having-kids friends.

My #1? Figure out who does what, don't become resentful about your role, and if it gets too hard, talk about it.

In our house, I'm responsible for pretty much everything inside. I take care of almost all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, bills, calendar, appointments, etc. I remember having friends being like "Why do you do all of that? It's not 1950."

Disclaimer (you knew it was coming): Y'all, I know women and men are equal in so many ways and blah blah blah. But, I also know we have different strengths, and divvy up the "undesirable" parts of life accordingly. Plus, I'm a better cook and I actually do enjoy a lot of this homemaking stuff (*gasp*).

When we first moved in together in 2011, our agreement was simple, and it's sort of evolved from there. To my friends who asked why I do all the inside stuff, my answer was "Because he shoots the things that have to die." That usually got the reaction I wanted: a stop to the nagging and feminist arguments, and a little shock.

A little shock goes a loooong way.

I know, it's a little dramatic, and maybe it doesn't sit well with you, but it's true. In ranching, animals die, or have to be put down to save them suffering, and knowing when they are past saving is an essential part of animal husbandry. I told Bert that I thought it was a fair trade: I take care of the house, he puts animals down when it was necessary. That's how we've proceeded. I know parties on both sides will have trouble with how we do things--that women can of course do what needs to be done (so true), or that a vet should be called to take care of euthanasia (not cost-effective, and not always feasible, and we don't believe in making animals wait in pain for hours while we try to find a vet to come out). but this isn't a post about women's equality, or about the life cycle, or animal rights, or humans' aversion to death and dying, which can often bode poorly for animals.

It's about how we make things work! When we both worked full-time outside on the ranch, things were more 50/50--we fed together, I took a night check, we were both up and at 'em at 4am when it was time to saddle horses. Now, the logistics either waking Wacey up or getting him ready to go outside with all of his stuff for a cow emergency usually means that one of us stays home with him, and it's usually me.

Some days, I find myself getting a little jealous of Bert. Baby-free days every day where he doesn't have to clean an endless litany of diapers and dishes, where's he's guaranteed to get work done, and where he's not scrambling to do allthethings the second that baby goes down for a nap. Plus, I really, really miss working outside. Like, a lot.

But then, some nights, when he's dragging himself out of bed at midnight to tend to a calving emergency at the barn, or coming home in the dark because hunters left the gate open and there are cows scattered to the four winds, or feeding cows in a blizzard and checking around the clock, I imagine he might feel similarly, wishing he could just stay in bed, or enjoy a minute or two on the sofa in an empty house of an evening, or stay in a warm house instead of having to freeze in subzero temperatures. I remember being desperate for relief when Wacey was born last calving season: I was so tired, covered in spit-up, feeling gross and mad that Bert deserted me in the night to go night check the heifers. And then, he came home that morning from a night spent at barn, looking for coffee, covered in blood from pulling a calf that had a ton of trouble, and BAM! The Lord handed me some perspective.

Everything is a season. Some seasons sort of suck. Some are amazing. Some are hard. Some smell terrible. Some are all of those things in turn. Do what works to get through that season, and don't look back, unless it's to gaze longingly at pictures of your tiny baby, or to re-live your wedding, or think about a loved one, or to make sure that cow that was chasing you before has, in fact, stayed on her side of the fence.

Sunday Night Highlights 3.6.16

Weekend Adventures:

• Yesterday, Wacey got a haircut and hated every minute of it. 
• Today, we're headed into town to celebrate my lovely mother-in-law's birthday. Both of Bert's siblings will be there, plus all of their kids, so it's bound to be a good time. I always make angel food cake with homemade whipped cream and strawberries. And then I eat too much cream and strawberries. 
• We were surprised with a warm Sunday morning, so Wacey and I spent the morning outside playing with his bike while I tried to discuss the finer points of the animal kingdom with him; namely, that not all animals are called "dog," but he doesn't care. And actually, I don't either. It's hilarious and cute. Plus, it's his only word. 

Agriculture:

• It's springtime, so in addition to lambing and kidding and calving, sheep are also being sheared. Their wool is sheared off in one piece, called a fleece.
• Pigs can't sweat, which is why they wallow in mud to cool off. They can also run a seven-minute mile, which makes me feel really excellent about my fitness level.
• Wheat farmers make five cents or less from every loaf of bread you buy at the store. 

On the Ranch:

• Calves, of course.
• We'll be ultrasounding heifers for carcass traits this week. Actually the vet will, the cowboys will be running cows through the chute, and I'll probably be at home, keeping an eye on our heifers--we have just a few stragglers left to calve at our camp, and have about 500 total. 
• The first ranch rodeo is two months from this weekend! That may not seem very close, but trust me, it is.

On the Home Front:

• Oh Springtime. I know we'll get at least one more snow and it's WAY too early to put in a garden, but that doesn't mean I can't plan. This year, I'm getting off to a good start and really researching and, well, planning our garden. Plus, Bert now has a skidsteer for our camp, which means I can build up our raised garden with some fresh dirt--it needs it! 
• We're quiet around here for just a minute. Pretty soon, we'll swing full on into spring work, which means breeding and branding on top of more calving and a couple of bull sales, so I'm enjoying our last sort of quiet week. We were looking ahead to our April and May calendars, and y'all? We've never been so busy! I'm kind of excited, kind of dreading it, but mostly excited.
• For all of these trips and busy seasons coming up, I'm thinking of getting a Lily Jade diaper bag. They're pricey, but so perfect for what we need. I LOVE my diaper bag now, but it's not designed to back a small army's worth of stuff that I like to have for trips and rodeos because I'm a crazy person. I'm waiting to see how much new plates are for the Subaru tomorrow (meh) to see how close I'm going to get to my new bag, haha, and how much more of my unused things I need to attempt to hock on eBay, #reallife, yo. 

Neal

One of my favorite things besides smoothies and surprise discounts at checkout and when my pants fit is when things come full circle. I love when things are complete, and when stories have happy endings.

Thus, I love when our calves stay on the ranch and become mothers themselves! It's fun to see baby calves grow up and come back to the pens where they were born as a mama-to-be.

This is Neal. I love Neal. I wrote a lot about Neal on my old blog when she was born two year ago. She has a narrow white face, and I could spot her from anywhere! It was actually kind of creepy. I mean, she was always rightthere.

And yes, I know she's a girl whose name is Neal. Look, I didn't know she was a girl when I named her. It just came to me. Nancy Drew has a girl friend named George, and Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have a daughter named James. I can have a calf called Neal.

My other named calves from that year (Fleur, Flour, Dipstick) were boys and are no longer on this ranch--some of them are on other ranches, breeding cows. But that's beside the point because that's not full circle. That's like three-quarters of a circle. But Neal is still here!

Except Neal is no longer a calf! She's a MOMMY! She had a baby two days ago and I got to the barn right as the baby was starting to get up. Good job, Neal!

I'm so proud. I'm extra-special proud because she got that baby up quick. Heifers don't always know what's what, so we all enjoy when they get it and don't need any help.

It's important for a calf to get up shortly after being born--usually within a half hour or so--because they need to nurse and get their colostrum. When they are born, the mom will lick them clean, and start bothering them to get up. They'll nudge the calf with their head, holler at them a little bit, and generally harass them until the calf gets the point and learns to stand.

Good job, Neal.

Super Tuesday

It's Super Tuesday. Buuuuut rather than focus on the madness happening at the polls today,  I am focusing on all the reasons why Tuesday is super over here (while simultaneously praying that America just knocks it off already and quits goofing around with the fake support of bad candidates). 

I'm also drinking my daily lemon water, while simultaneously praying that if American doesn't knock it off, someone else gets nominated anyway because let's get real, here.

Reason #1: This morning, BEFORE Wacey woke up, I got in 6500 steps and all of my active minutes. I'm trying so hard to be healthier and while I don't enjoy waking up early every morning, it's worth it sometimes to have that goal checked off my list first thing. I re-watched the two episodes of  Friends where Rachel has Emma, and man, having a baby changes how you watch episodes of sitcoms where people are having babies!

Reason #2: I FINALLY ordered the paint for the dresser makeover I've been planning. I've been putting it off because there's a store in Colorado Springs that sells the paint and I thought I could make a worthwhile trip down there, but I haven't had the time so I just ate the shipping cost. I'm so excited for it to get here!

Reason #3: I'm dressed, my face is on, Wacey is asleep, I'm caught up on getting my calves entered, and that means I have time to work on other projects for work, aka sorting out DNA.

Reason #4: My Living Proof proof order is On Vehicle for Delivery today, according to my tracking number. My samples ran out a couple of days ago and I can't wait for those full-size miracle workers to get into my hot little hands!

Reason #5: Our driveway got graded today. As I've said before, in Rural America, road graders=happiness. 

Reason #6: I have leftover tortellini for lunch. Even though I don't pack lunch anymore, having something other than my standard gets me SO excited. I'm a loser. It's okay.

Reason #7: It's March, the weather is beautiful, and I can't help but start looking forward to spring! I know we'll get at least one more big snow--it is March in Colorado, after all--but it's nice to know that we're on the downhill side of a mountain with an usually snowy winter. That was a really awkward metaphor. 

Reason #8: Does anyone else feel happy (or at least a little proud) when they adult? I do. I know, I'm in my late twenties, married with a kid, you would think being responsible would lose its allure, but no siree bob! If you saw my "Continue Watching for Cassidy" queue on Netflix, you would know that adulting does not extend into every area of my life.

I've been working with our insurance agent to get our renter's and personal property insurance up-to-date (because apparently we are saddle/chaps/bit/spur collectors now), and I added life insurance (because it feels irresponsible to me to have a kid and not have life insurance), and opened savings accounts for us and for Wace that accrue much higher interest than our current setup. I'm particularly excited for the last part because having an automatic debit into an account that's harder to access (aka not linked to my checking account ha) with higher interest payments is pretty exciting! I know. L on the forehead. Haters gonna hate, I'm just gonna earn interest. 

Worst song ever.

Happy Super Tuesday! May we all wake up tomorrow to much better political news!