This was first posted September 25, 2008.
My sister took this picture for me… I love it. Here we all are, well, my sister and my husband are both following us with the pickup and horsetrailer… But look! It’s US! After a long day of cowboyin’, we ride for the corral, shadowing a puny feeling heifer. That’s me on the left in the purple shirt. Next to me is our neighbor girl Shelley, hell of a cowboy! Then that tall skinny kid is Brandon, my youngest. He’s next to his big brother, Daniel. Fourteen months apart and, thankfully, best buddies, can you tell? They don’t do everything together, they do manage to have individual interests, but they live together, they take classes at UW together, and look at ’em. They still like each other! Next is big sister Toria, supervisor extraordinaire! Then my father-in-law, Johnny. Watch him if you want to learn anything about ranching. Out on the end in the brown plaid is my kids’ cousin Boone. He comes up from Texas to help some every summer. We were missing the other cousin Caleb, who is now attending Wyoming Tech. This is our crew; these guys are great. Aged 17-23 (not counting me and Johnny <grin>) hard workers, knowledgeable, fun-loving, and smart. Doesn’t seem that long ago that I had to help them on their horses. They grew up fast these past couple of years. It has been quite the journey. Then, you want to know what happened? They began their own journey and left us behind. I continue to count my blessings that they return in the summer, and on weekends and holidays, too! They were up last weekend to help finish up the haying, and we got some good work out of them, before it RAINED! Now they’ll return this weekend to help wean calves. They’re good kids, and I’m proud of them. Here they come, start cooking now! for a good meal or two before they return to classes and classrooms. There they go…
Find me here!
Oh, and now look, all those grandkids and it begins again with a new generation. The years and the stories just keep on rolling along.