We ranch as a family. It is part of our heritage and hopefully part of the legacy we leave behind. Over the generations there have been a lot of names and faces that have been a part of our family ranch. These are the characters that are around the ranch today.
Meet…
… The Rancher {Brayden}– If you asked The Rancher what his goal in life was he would tell you it would be to be living and making it at the home ranch. Its important to him that people understand our role in feeding the world and how we change and adapt our ways to be better producers. To that end he graduated in animal science emphasizing in beef production and continues to look for ways to improve our business. All he has ever wanted to do is ranch and cowboy. He can be happy doing the most physical work in the roughest conditions if it is just him, his horse, and his dog.
… The Rancher’s Wife {Allison}– Obviously, that’s me! I grew up on a ranch in Montana and loved every minute of it. I told my grandpa that I would marry a cowboy some day and his reply was that I shouldn’t set my stakes too deep. True to my word I found him in The Rancher. Coming back to the family ranch was always apart of our family goals but the reality of it has been such a blessing to us. You can read more about me here.
… The Rancher’s Sidekick {Mason}– We tease that our son has been cowboying before he was born, roping with the umbilical cord and dallying it around his knee. When he isn’t out with his dad, he is ranching inside with all of his tractors, bales, cows, horses… the list could go on and on. The older he gets the better helper he is on the ranch and of course he is NEVER too young for anything. That means this ranching momma gets to be creative in ways to help our little rancher put his brand on the ranch.
… The Ranch Princess {Paige}– As little as she may be, this girl has a special place on the ranch. You should know that she is the first girl born on the ranch (well, born at the hospital but brought home to the ranch) in nearly 60 years. She may be small but her love for being out on the ranch is larger than life. She takes every chance she can sneak to be out living our extraordinary ranching lifestyle.
… The Cowboy Kid {Wade}– Just like his older siblings, this little boy is determined to be a part of the ranch. He is always ready to head out with boots or coat and constantly waves good bye to me. Being out with his dad really is his favorite thing. He will wake up early just to make sure that he doesn’t get left at home. His determined spirit will always keep him part of the picture.
… Ken & Kristy– This is the man that heads up the ranch these days. The Rancher’s love for the ranch surely comes from his dad. Rancher Sr. has lived and worked on this ranch for all but a few college and mission years. I am always amazed at what this man can do (and maybe this point I should expect extraordinary things from him). He has a quiet passion for life, but that doesn’t mean he lives life any less. His hard work, service, and compassion reach so much farther than what we often see on the surface.
… Grandpa Don– Grandpa really is the boss- what he says goes. Every other rancher of his generation has retired that are living in this valley but The Ranch Boss gets up early every morning to put in his time alongside the other cowboys. There aren’t too many families that have the opportunity to work with so many generations. We lost Grandma a few years ago, which has been so hard on him. Thoughts and memories can be hard to keep straight these days, but he doesn’t ever let it stop him.
… Clay & Hannah– This cowboy is currently a seasonal worker. Maybe an-occasional-weekend-and- holiday ranch hand would be a better description as he is away and busy with own grown up job working for John Deere in the AMS sector. Whenever he does make it to visit the ranch he takes a trip or two around the to see what’s new and to reconnect with the ranch. The Cowpoke found himself a great, sweet wife from the grandest place- Montana! Although she didn’t grow up on a ranch she saw the beauty of the country life and wanted it for herself. She is on her way to being a great cowgirl and an even greater ranch wife. She knows that the way to a cowboy’s heart is through his stomach so she spends her time perfecting recipes and sharing them and her story on ButterLoveandCowboys.com.
… Nate & Carsey– If ever there was a brother that was ALL cowboy and NO farmer it would be The Buckaroo. His perfect day would entail pushing cows from the back of a horse with his dog at his heels and no tractor or semi time. Once he is inside he puts his other cowboy talents to use and does a little custom leather work. And if there was ever a wife perfect for Nate, its this girl! His ideal woman was someone that could rope with him. Carsey can do that and so much more. Her many talents go beyond the ranch- she can whip you in any basketball game and then serve up the best cupcakes! They returned to live and work on the ranch in 2018 with their kids, Tanzi and Kolt. Its no surprise that these two little ranch hands love every bit of life on the ranch.
…Quinn & Katelyn– Like Clay, most of Quinn’s help these days is off and on. He gets out here to help any chance he muster. The love of ranching and working runs deep in these boys. Who knows, maybe one of these days he will be able to make his way back. His wife is game for anything, ready to ride whatever life tosses their way. While she grew up a city girl, her heart beats country and is looks forward for the potential of living the ranch life with her own cowboy. There is so much to her story-a budding ranch wife by day, hospital nurse by night and adventurer when ever the time is right! Their greatest adventure these days is raising their kids, Hayes and soon-to-be baby girl.
… Eric & Taber– Rounding out the cowboy brothers is Eric. Currently he is putting in his time at college to study and learn. His dream may seem a little farther off than he’d like, but he still keeps a horse under him and a rope close at hand. Taber, Eric’s high school best friend turned love, grew up ranching close by and even ran cattle with our own during the summers. She adds to the cowboy scene in another way with her handmade, custom silver jewelry for those that want a little western bling. They have their hands full raising their own little cowboy, Blaze.
Its inevitable- the family will change. It will grow, people move away and some come back. It will evolve over the years but one thing is for sure, we will always have each other and the ranch will always be our home.
***If you have been here a while, you will notice that adding the family names is new. This internet world is a little scary and I have been weary to put too much out there. Hence the fun nicknames! It was my way of giving people their own name, adding some fun to the stories, but also protecting my family. But, I’ll admit, as the family has grown and changed it has been hard to keep the cast of characters up to date and keeping things straight. I’m trusting you, my friends, that as I share our stories, that you keep my family safe as well.
