A Rodeo Family: May 2014

Monday, May 26, 2014

Reading award/PE Fun day

Monday was the Reading award program at school and PE Fun day. It was a beautiful day to be out in the sun. It was different having 2 girls doing the events. We didn't get to see each event, as they over lapped a lot of the time. We went back and forth as much as we could. Jenae and Aubree both did really good in the obstacle course.
The reading award program is a lot of fun to see the girls and how they ended up with there reading goals. Aubree read or had read to her 427 books this year and Jenae read the most books, had the most AR points and the highest %on her quizzes that she took after reading the books. I was very proud of both girls. The sure do love to read!!

Aubree's kindergarten class getting their reading awards.

Whitney being a good girl during a long program!

Chase and Whitney having some fun.

She was not sure what if she liked going up high!

Aubree in the long jump.

Aubree's class tug of war.

Jenae in the obstacle course.

The girls had a good cheering crew!

Aubree jumping

Aubree doing the foot ball kick.

Jenae in the long jump.

A long day for a 2 year old!

Jenae doing the football kick

Last Day of School/Memorial Day Weekend

It has been a busy week!! The girls had their last day of school on Wednesday. The both had great years, but are very much looking forward to summer!!

We had our end of school year bon fire out to Chip & Marilyn's house on Friday night. The weather was perfect and it was a great night of visiting and hanging out at the creak. It was fun!

Saturday Kyle and Jenae went to Minnesota to break in some steers for a stock contractor so it was just me and the little girls. We had a fun day. We did church then went to the park for a couple hours. We came home and the played in their little pool. We came in took some naps and got ready to go back into town for Molly's Miracle Maker BBQ. It was super fun. Perfect weather, great people and lots of fun! They end the evening with fireworks. They were loud and Whitney was not a fan. We came home and watched the fireworks from our front steps. I am not sure who was more tired at the end of the day, me or the girls!

Aubree and Jenae on their last day of School. I am not sure where the school year went??

Grammy helping make s'mores

Aubree and Trey roasting marshmallows

Kyle and Whitney

Chip and Marilyn with their crew of Grandkids!

Me and Kyle with Whitney.

Chase and Whitney blowing bubbles.

Whitney eating a s'more.

Trey & Ben

Roasting Marshmellows

After church Sunday I took Aubree and Whitney to the park. They had a great time. I think we were there 2 hours!

Whitney had to have a time out. She can be a little dramatic!!

Chase and Whitney playing at Molly's Miracle Maker

Aubree & Whitney at Molly's

The Whitaker Girls and Blackmore Boys in the jump house.

A ride on the Molly Trolley. Whitney was not sure what to think, but she had a great time once she got going.

Chase on the Molly Trolley

Trey took his balloon on the Trolley!

Aubree Joy happy to be leading the crew on the Trolley

What a crew!!

Moving cattle back to pasture in the rain/Mothers Day

I told Kyle all I wanted for Mother's Day was a day of no cooking or laundry and I would love a nap! He took Jenae down to watch the Burwell High School Rodeo in the morning so me and Aubree and Whitney were just lazy and stayed home from Church that morning. It felt good to just kick back and relax!

When they got back from Burwell, we got the cattle moved back to pasture from having them home for the branding the day before. It was a cold wet 4 miles, but it has been a very dry winter/spring so no one complained about getting a little wet!

The day after the branding was a cold wet day. The crew moved the cattle back down to the south pasture.

Aubree found some baby bunnies on the way.

She loved them

They were pretty cute!

This drive went much better than the day before!

What a good feeling to get them all to pasture!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

2014 Branding

Well the 2014 branding will probably be one of the most memorable brandings! It all started out so perfect! It was a beautiful day! Marilyn had fixed breakfast for us at 5:30 then the crew loaded up and headed down south to round up the cattle to move them home. I followed behind the first couple miles to get some pictures then went home to get my food ready for the meal after the branding. I had not been home too long before Kyle called me to get to back to them to help. There were several calves that decided to head back where they were coming from instead of following their mamas. He wanted me to come around and try to stop them, but by the time I got there it was too late. There was really no stopping them. It was a helpless feeling and I was very uncertain how it was all going to turn out. Luckily none of them got hit on the highway they crossed to get back and most of them went back where they came from. We had some get in with neighbors cattle. We were blessed with great help from great friends. The guys were coming to help with the branding anyways. I was sitting on the road by the highway making sure the cattle were not going to come back across it, when our friend Matt pulled up. I was telling him what had happened and he knew I was very worried about everything. He said to me "One thing about it Halie, is we have a lot of guys coming and we will get them rounded up" He called Kyle, who was with the rest of the heard, and asked what he should do. He took the crew of guys with him and went to work right away. 3 more guys and Kyle & Ben came down to help and things could not have went more smoothly getting them all rounded up. Well except for the back slide door of the trailer coming open and 15 of the calves getting out again! everyone kept their cool and they rounded them up again. For me it was a great reminder of how important friendship is. Everyone of those guys were treating the situation as if it was there own cattle they were rounding up. That is true friendship, and we are blessed to have so many wonderful friends!

Aside from that the day went great!

Like Pa from Little House on the Prairie says "All is well that ends well!!