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Christmas Sledding, Mackay Style

January 16, 2017 by Allison

Its winter here.  Full blown winter.  It has been cold.  Not as cold as some places, but there is a point that cold is just cold.  But its not just the cold that has us knee deep in winter, its the snow.  SO MUCH SNOW!  Like, now that it has settled and been rained on, we are down to about 2 feet.

Yep.  Full blown winter.
….
Click “Read More” for the rest of the story!

But that’s mostly ok because we really need the moisture and this is the slow time of year anyway.  So except for the super, SUPER cold days, we are loving winter.  The Rancher takes every chance to go coyote and bunny hunting, snowmobiling, and the kids and I pull out the tubes and sleds every chance we get.  We have had snowball fights and built snowmen.  We have made snow forts and even had a herd of snow angels until they were snowed on again.

Its been lots of fun.  Most of the time I’m too busy being the mom immersed in the fun to take a step back to take any pictures (which I need to do for posterity’s sake) but I do have some awesome stories and pictures from sledding over Christmas break while we were in Montana with the cousins.

Even though the temperatures were hovering just about zero (when you were OUT of the wind) we thought we would pull out the sleds and four wheeler and have a go.  Because it had been so cold, the snow was really fine and powdery, even though it was nearing a foot deep. That meant snow was flying everywhere!  Spraying in our faces, going down coats and shirts.  So cold!  Most of the littles only lasted a few minutes outside, and I don’t blame them.  At the end there was only a handful of the big kids and then the even bigger kids, aka- the parents!  

And that’s when one of my brother’s had the idea to build a jump.  He’s an engineer so of course he figured out the math to make it a pretty awesome jump.  He figured the perfect spot on the downhill side, coming off the corner so that we would have the most momentum swinging around as we hit the jump.  After just a few runs I had to grab the camera to settle in to catch it all.  But that might have gotten me in a little trouble when the mom’s looked at just exactly what we were doing!

Have a look!

The super fine powder was everywhere when they would fly through the snow.  And I’ll admit, I got a little excited with it being backlit…

These kids would FLY through the air when they hit the jump!  Their feet would be above their heads as they sailed above the fence.  It was a pretty crazy site.

When I took a turn on the tube, my sister grabbed the camera and caught a few of me and my brother.  We went as hard and as fast as we could and didn’t come off.  But to save ourselves we had to let go so we didn’t run into the parked car at the bottom of the hill!

You can’t really tell, but this is my brother and his son.  They were riding side by side, but about this time, my brother ended up on top of his boy and then….

… they landed the jump like this!  It sorta looks like a bomb went off here…  So cool!

 I still stand by what I’ve said so many times in the past, ranchers are boys that just couldn’t stop playing… Now they have bigger toys and even more fun! 

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: My Montana, Off the Ranch, Our Winter Coat, Play Time

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About Allison

Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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theidahorancherswife

Idaho ranch wife + mama 🐮🤠
Living on cattle, cocoa & kids running wild.
Daily ranch life, western style all with a side of dirt.

Romance doesn’t always come by candlelight. We ha Romance doesn’t always come by candlelight.

We had dinner reservations that night.
The cows had other ideas.

And somewhere between the dust, the frustration, and the manure on my fancy clothes, I was reminded of something.

Love out here isn’t separate from the work.
It’s built inside of it.

It’s built when you both run toward the problem.
When you adjust the plan.
When you show up anyway.

Two hands.
One direction.

There’s a longer version of this story on the blog — but this might be my favorite part of it.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#ranchlife
#westernmarriage
#builtinthework
Roses are red, Violets are blue, We had Valentine’ Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
We had Valentine’s plans…
But the cows broke through!

Boots polished, hair in place,
Dressed up for our night,
Reservations waiting
Under the city lights.

But then we saw them—
Or maybe we didn’t,
A herd of wild backsides
Slipping out of sight.

Nothing says romance
Like a runaway cow chase,
Down the winding highway,
Our hearts already start to race.

Flying out of the pickup
Before it came to a stop,
I’m fairly certain
The Rancher thought I was hot.

Finally to dinner,
Out in the town,
With a hint of manure
Dusting my cowgirl gown.

Maybe this is romance,
Rough, wild, and true—
A night just for us,
Until the cows break through.

Happy Valentines from The Idaho Ranchers Wife!

#marriedtoarancher 
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Every handle has a purpose. Every hand knows the w Every handle has a purpose. Every hand knows the work

#marriedtoarancher 
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Confidence comes early. Experience takes longer. Confidence comes early. Experience takes longer.

Some days, I watch our little rancher ride along and marvel at how certain he is about everything. Which pivot should be on or off, which cows should have moved yesterday… the commentary never stops. And yet, he’s learning something quietly bigger than any instruction: that there isn’t one right way to do this work.

Ranching, like parenting, like life, has room for mistakes, experimentation, and figuring out your right way.

There’s more than one right way — and the best one is the one that works for you.

To read more, find the link in my bio. 

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I used to think standing out was the goal—not to b I used to think standing out was the goal—not to be better, just to feel unique.

Now I’m realizing how freeing it is to be who you are without separating yourself from everyone else.

Ordinary isn’t small.
It’s grounded.
And you can still stand out—
even when you’re part of the herd.

#MarriedToARancher
#LifeOnACattleRanch
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On a ranch, learning is rarely free. Sometimes the On a ranch, learning is rarely free.
Sometimes the cost is time. Sometimes pride. Occasionally, far more than we expected.

I learned that the hard way years ago, running an old red swather I was sure I had mastered — until confidence outran attention and the lesson arrived all at once.

Now, I watch my kids learn in their own ways. A six-year-old eager for his turn on the tractor. A teenager discovering that even good runs don’t last forever. Different moments, same truth: experience doesn’t spare us from mistakes — it simply gives them more context.

This week’s story sits with those lessons. With paying attention. With letting people learn. And with why the lessons that cost us something are often the ones that stay.

•	#lifeonacattleranch
•	#marriedtoarancher
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Every morning is a quiet invitation to start again Every morning is a quiet invitation to start again.
To notice more. To assume less.
To pay attention to what’s working and what needs adjusting.

It’s a reminder that experience doesn’t mean we’re finished learning — only that we’re willing to keep showing up.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher 
#freshstart 
#ontheopenrange 
#learnsomethingnew
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It doesn’t say anything about bumping across the range, guessing which road to take when I’m in the drivers seat(and making a U-turn when I guess wrong), or helping a wayward sheep find its own herd. 

We never know what our weekly water checks bring, but I can only hope I get the nap next time. 

	•	#lifeonacattleranch
	•	#marriedtoarancher
	•	#RanchWork
	•	#RangeLife
	•	#WorkingRanch
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Sometimes it’s a very close inspection from someone who clearly doesn’t believe in personal space.

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Wide open or up close and personal— we choose this life both ways.
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Some look like play.
Most are both.

#RanchLife
#LearningByDoing
#RaisedOutside
#LifeOnaCattleRanch
#MarriedToaRancher
Everyone has a story to tell, and I’ve learned tha Everyone has a story to tell, and I’ve learned that I love sharing mine. From funny moments with my kids to my own personal struggles, every chapter matters to me.

Stories like…

…how I always wanted to marry a cowboy—and I did. It looks much different than I imagined—less trees and more desert, for sure—but somehow it’s even better than I ever dreamed.

…how feeding cows every. single. day. might look like our own version of Groundhog Day, yet I look forward to the consistency, the daily check-ins, and the simple reason to head out with the herd.

…how I never learned to rope before meeting my husband, and how determined I’ve been to learn. Some days I was terrified to set my loop up, afraid of messing up or making a scene—but the satisfaction of actually doing it always outweighs the fear.

…how, even as a little girl, my soul yearned to be out working with my dad on the ranch. It was nothing for me to abandon playtime in the yard for work time in the fields.

…how my life is built on choices. I don’t have to be on the ranch—I choose it, because I love the work and being part of something bigger than myself.

These aren’t milestones or a timeline. They’re glimpses of life as I live it.
A story I can’t wait to share more of.
Winter slows things down enough to notice what usu Winter slows things down enough to notice what usually gets overlooked.

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Read more about tradition, stewardship, and the small changes that shape an operation over time. You can find the link in my bio.

#ranchlife #AgLife #stewardship #lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher
There’s something grounding about a year that begi There’s something grounding about a year that begins and ends on the range. 

Early mornings, dust on boots, cattle moving with the seasons—this is ranch life, one month at a time.

The 2026 Cowboy Calendar is here, featuring western photography straight from our everyday work and wide-open spaces. Hang it in your kitchen, office, tack room, or gift it to someone who loves the West as much as you do.

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One of our favorite traditions when we do Thanksgi One of our favorite traditions when we do Thanksgiving in Montana- Christmas tree hunting at Norma’s. 

At 96 years old, Norma still lives on her small ranch alone up in the beautiful Ovando mountains. There is no one who hugs so tightly, gives so kindly, loves so deeply, or lives so fully. At the same time she has so much grit, toughness, determination and endurance. 

For decades she has invited us to find trees for Christmas, a centerpiece of our celebration. We never know when it might be our last always be sure to make the most of it. 

#ochristmastree #christmas #christmastree #christmastreefarm #ranchlife #ranching #agriculture #lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher
🍂 A SEASON OF GRATITUDE ON THE RANCH 🍂 Thanksgivi 🍂 A SEASON OF GRATITUDE ON THE RANCH 🍂

Thanksgiving isn’t just a meal or a day on the calendar — it’s a pause. A chance to recognize the blessings tucked into the hard, messy, beautiful work of ranch life.

This season, I’m thankful for:
🤎 The buddy seat in our big green tractor where conversations and memories are made
🐎 Old, steady horses carrying my most precious cargo
💧 Water checks that turn into quiet lunch dates
🌾 A western heritage that connects us to those who came before
🏡 Work just outside our back door
🥩 An industry that feeds the world — body and soul
🔧 A dirty, buzzing shop full of projects and possibility
💡 Bright lights that help us finish the job, even when it’s late
🐄 The miracle of new life and the sacredness of loss
🍁 The steady rhythm of the seasons

Ranching teaches gratitude in a way few things can — through drought and abundance, exhaustion and hope, grief and new beginnings.

Before Christmas rushes in and the world speeds up, I’m choosing to slow down and give thanks.

What are you grateful for this season? 🤍

#SeasonOfGratitude #RanchLife #Thankful #WesternRoots #FarmLife #RanchWife #CountYourBlessings #Agriculture #thanksgivingreflections #lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher
After taking a year off, The Idaho Rancher’s Wife: After taking a year off, The Idaho Rancher’s Wife: Cowboy Calendar is back on! 

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Our family is in a different phase of life that is Our family is in a different phase of life that is so fast and so fun! We chase all sorts of experiences and opportunities that we hope help us learn, grow and love life. Sometimes it’s takes us away from the ranch and sometimes it brings us together. But every chance we get, we hold on to days and views like this. 
#ranchlife #ranching #cattledrive #sunrisephotography #ranchlifephotography #cows #cowsonthemove #familyranching #lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher
I was dosed with my fair share of anxiety when I c I was dosed with my fair share of anxiety when I came into this world, enough that if I let it, would keep me from trying anything new. 

But I refuse to live small and let those fears win. 

So every day I choose to step outside my comfort zone and do something scary. It has been the most empowering and liberating thing I have ever done. 

Most recently I took on feeding the cows solo. Not a big deal for some but for me it was an experience outside my comfort zone that I needed to conquer, so I did. 

It wasn’t as fast as what The Rancher can do, nor was it as pretty, but the cows got fed, the tractor is still running, and no babies were ran over in the process. 

What’s something scary you can do today?
 
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Sometimes the days with the least amount of work t Sometimes the days with the least amount of work to do can have the biggest impact. I love the weeks of moving cows, branding, or working cattle through the squeeze cute but these quieter make me live this life a whole other way. 

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I love cows, especially when the chubby ones come I love cows, especially when the chubby ones come sprinting for cake. What can I say, come running for cake too! 😝 #cakeforcows #cowsonthemove #cattle #ranching #ranchlife #lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher
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