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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! 

My 2016 Christmas

December 30, 2016 by Allison

Merry Christmas!  What a fun, crazy, fantastic whirlwind of a few weeks we have had!  I have been trying to send my greetings to you for over a week but I’ve been dealing with some technical difficulties… Well lets just say that the computer may have won then, but I’m winning today!

So yes… Merry Christmas!  Doesn’t it always seem to sneak up on us and then all the sudden it is gone again?  Every year I am determined to get going on it sooner or to be more organized to hopefully make the season seem easier.  I think in order for that wish to come true, I’m gonna have to hope for next year!  A small piece of advice- don’t wait to go shopping until 10 days before Christmas…  Its not that we procrastinated our Christmas to do list, but it just seemed that the Universe was against us.

My bad luck started early, like December 1, when we went to get a Christmas tree… I had a massive cold that wasn’t backing down.  Now, we could have gone for a tree another night, except there really was no other night to do it.  I guess I did have a teensy bit of luck on my side because I don’t think the tree hunting has ever been so easy.  We spotted the tree from the road, hiked up a bit, chopped it down and we were done (well, we had to get a few little trees along the way, but they didn’t take any extra time…).  Once we got the tree in the house it was all I could do to get the lights on the thing… There may still be a lot of ornaments and fluff still in the boxes because spending any more of my non-existant energy just wasn’t happening.

We have been terribly blessed with several snow storms coming through the valley the last few weeks that added to the craziness.  I say blessed because we are always thankful for moisture, but it was always terrible timing.  Like the first day we tried doing some shopping… I had a babysitter and everything lined out so it was bound to be a great night. Or not! It was wet and slushy and we couldn’t see to drive.  I just wanted to cry…  And then there was that one other time we had lots of snow that made us SUPER late for the school Christmas program starring The Rancher’s Sidekick (when there is only 8 kids in the school, every was is a start!).  Thankfully everyone else had the same terrible roads so we weren’t the last ones to arrive.

I had hoped that even if I wasn’t going to be terribly organized this year, at least I could totally immerse myself with all of the fluff and fancies of Christmas to make it feel super cheery.  But I felt thwarted at every turn.  We did get our tree up and decorations, but I didn’t get to watch all the classic Christmas movies or spend my nights wrapping fancy gifts.  I didn’t even manage to make any Christmas cookies or candies!  Gah! What is Christmas without Christmas cookies?!

Does it sound like I’m complaining?  I promise I’m not…  just musing.  And this sort of musing and pondering brought to me some great insight.

Even though I wasn’t able totally immerse myself with Christmas fluff, I immersed myself in my family.  I spent time reading and doing homework, snuggling sick babies and rescuing my stranded husband.  And enjoying (or enduring…) them was immersing myself in the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given.  Yes they are crazy, demanding, frustrating and some days I might refer to all of them as the most terrifying terrorists, but they are mine.  All mine to hug and love and squish and squeeze and occasionally spank.

So when I thought my Christmas wasn’t very Christmasy I was wrong.  Because what is more Christmasy than being with and serving the people you love most? That’s what the first Christmas was all about- family, love and service.  And so my friends, I’ve learned a valuable Christmas lesson, maybe somewhat like the Grinch (don’t worry I love Christmas, I was just slightly off target)… Christmas isn’t about the fluff and fancies.  You may try so hard to make Christmas, Christmasy that you get frustrated with the people and things that seem to get your way.  But if you focus on those things and people, Christmas will find its way to you.

Merry Christmas!

 

2017 Cowboy Calendar

December 3, 2016 by Allison

I don’t know what kind of terrific mood I was in this fall, but I was DETERMINED to get my calendar up and going way earlier this year.  And I did!  It was a good thing that I did since it took a while to get the proofing and shipping and what-not done.

But…

No more waiting!  The calendars are here at my house waiting to send them to you!!  If you are interested you can either email me directly at theidahorancherswife@gmail.com or you can find it on my etsy shop online HERE.

Here is a little taste of the photos featured in this year’s calendar!

The Family That Brands Together, Stays Together

May 16, 2016 by Allison

I’ve been feeling somewhat emotional about family this week.  It could be leftover mushy feelings from Mother’s Day extra stirred up from all those post-partum hormones flowing through my veins and totally exaggerated from looking at all these photos of my favorite people.. but I dunno.  Regardless of the why, I have a mega-sized dose of love for family and all I keep thinking is, “I love my life!”

Seriously, how often do families get days like these?  How many times do you have a chance to take your kids to work?  It happens pretty much daily around here.  How often do you see three generations of men working together?  Yep, every day.  We are pretty lucky that even the brothers come around the ranch often.  And when I say often I mean, like, weekly!  I know guys that would give anything to be able to work with their dad and brothers like these boys get to.  Of course, the fun doesn’t stop there- we have sisters-in-law that love this life too and that, my friends, is no easy feat.  Honestly, its hard enough for brothers to marry wives that like each other, but then to find wives that love ranching and cowboying too?!  Good work boys… Good work!

We all have varying jobs at what we do to help or entertain, but no one is sitting around. Some come packing the camera and some bring the cinnamon rolls (thanks to The Cattlewoman, for sure!).  The kids are always elbow deep in the work (sometimes making more work for the rest of us, but at least they are out there wanting and willing to work!)  Some live the dream life on the back of the horse and some do the dirty grunt work.  Even if you think that you are just going to spectate, crazy things happen to get you moving.

Check this out.  Quick story time-  The Buckarette…  This girl was 39 weeks pregnant on this fine day of branding (which is why there isn’t a SINGLE picture of her… hmmm…)  She came out planning to just sit on the back of the truck and, ya know, just take it easy.  Then she starts holding the calves back and helping sort out the already branded calves.   Then she starts helping with shots (which is admirable in itself because that meant bending over and if you know pregnant ladies, that gets a little difficult when you are growing a human being in your middle!).  And then she suddenly swings her way up on the horse to get out and rope!  We teased her that she had better be careful where she dallied because her belly was a little close to the horn.  She got up there, turned her horse to the calves and before you knew it, she was back dragging one in.  She gets extra kuddos in my book because it had been a good long while since she had roped and she was as smooth as ever.  Honestly, we should have had her out roping lots earlier because she caught every calf she swung at!  She told us that she as only going to rope one, but once she got started, we couldn’t stop her.  Ok, not really… but she did have her good handful of them.

Anyone can tell you, working as families can be rough.  One person wants something done one way and someone another, and some crazy fight ensues.  One person feels like they are doing all the work while the others get the benefits.  One suddenly thinks they are the boss and the others stop working dead in their tracks.  It can really happen…  But I don’t think feelings like these have ever come up around here (I’m crossing my fingers that even though I am saying it out loud, nothing changes…).  Sure we have our moments of frustration or disagreement but I have never seen an operation run so smoothly.  Family comes first and with that, everyone works together towards a common goal that brings us together.  At the end of the day, we are all apart of making Eliason Livestock successful and sustainable.  More importantly we are apart of a family legacy, building from our heritage something for the future that we can all be proud of.  

Revisiting 2015

January 5, 2016 by Allison

Our New Year’s Eve was pretty uneventful.  We had an early dinner, watched a movie and just relaxed at home, which in reality was the best way to end our crazy, stressful, busy 2015.  With the new year well under way, I’ve finally taken a minute to look back over the last year and realize that it was a HUGE year for us.  And before you contest my observation (because I didn’t blog hardly anything that eventful and if it didn’t happen on the blog, it didn’t really happen, right?!), I’m gonna list it all out for you!

Lets just start at the top, shall we?

We started the first of last year with a bang, literally, as we began demolishing the old ranch house to build our new home.  When the walls came crashing down we knew we had committed ourselves to this adventure!  Although it was oddly satisfying to take a sledge hammer to the old house, it did get tiresome and the work seemed long but after 3 months we got it down!

In January we realized that there was nowhere near enough feed to calve out all of cows in Locomotive so we kept back an additional 250 cows at the ranch.  Luckily we had an easy winter that helped things go more smoothly, but calving was a lot more intense.  And because there was such little feed in Locomotive, we ended up hauling a lot of hay down south, putting a lot of extra miles on the feed truck.

When we weren’t busy on the ranch or demo-ing the old house, we were busy studying to be EMRs (aka first responders).  The Rancher and I took a class to test and certify to run on the ambulance in our little valley.  The long weeks and late nights of studying took me back to my college days and I was so glad when we tested and PASSED the beginning of May.  Don’t worry, if you get hurt out here in Holbrook and need assistance, you have a ready, willing, and terrified crew to put you back together!

The spring was its normal craziness of branding, turning out, and praying for rain.  Luckily, we were blessed on all fronts with a successful branding season, fast turnouts and a lot of rain!

The busyness of spring only got busier with summer as we were full swing into building a house, haying, hauling heifers to rodeos and ropings, and summer fun.  I worked on my bucket list and scratched off hiking Mount Timpanogous with my siblings (it might have been a few days before I could walk normal…).  Being the cool people that we are (and humble, I promise…)  we volunteered in our community at every chance we could!  A few highlights included our 4th of July where we cooked breakfast with Farm Bureau as the Young Farmer and Rancher’s chairman, had a fire truck in the parade to represent the Holbrook/Stone fire crew, cooked dinner with the Search and Rescue and put on a fire work show with the Malad fire department.  I planned and took (with help!) the 12-18 year old girls on a week long camp trip (that had its own ups and downs with beautiful sunny mornings and snowy afternoons!).  And we ended the summer with a week long of fair fun where I helped organize rodeos, a hypnotist show, vendor booths, and horse races all while doubling as EMS after a huge meth cookhouse was found (don’t worry, it hadn’t been running in years, but still scary to have in our little valley!).  And if that doesn’t sound like a crazy summer, lets add in a little morning sickness!  Let me just tell you that one of the highlights for our summer was NOT our garden…  I don’t know that I have ever neglected it so bad as this summer.

As the summer came to a close, we hit a new milestone when we sent The Rancher’s Sidekick to school for Kindergarten!  I didn’t cry, but the house certainly felt empty without him.  While we was at school, The Ranch Princess and I spent a lot of quality time at the new house painting… and painting… and painting…  Don’t ask me to come paint anything… I’m all painted out…

Even though we were solely focused on getting the house done in the fall, we took time to go on school field trips to the zoo and pumpkin walk and our annual family fishing trip.  Of course we had calves to wean, cows to preg check and fall pasture to be moved to.  And before we knew it, the calves were sold (so glad that we contracted in the spring!!)  We also learned that my dad’s cancer had returned but we are hopeful with a quick catch and aggressive treatment he will beat it again!  With appropriate timing, we gratefully moved into our new home the day before Thanksgiving.  In fact, we moved our crap in and then jumped in the truck to head to Montana for Thanksgiving all in the same day!

We closed the year out by watching The Rancher’s Sidekick first Christmas program, Christmas shopping, The Rancher breaking a few ribs, a week long trip to Tijuana and strep throat.  We were delighted to stay home for Christmas to celebrate the season and enjoy our new house!

Yep, looking back we had a crazy year, but I don’t think that I would have changed anything about it.  OK, I could have done without camping in snow in July or the morning sickness or The Rancher breaking a few ribs (I mean, did you have to do it right when we were finishing moving in?!) but we learned and lived and laughed so much!  I love and appreciate my family more this year than ever and truly look forward to the coming year.  In some regards I’m a little afraid, because I have learned that times can be tough.  But I have also learned that together we can get through it all!

Expanding the Herd

December 8, 2015 by Allison

With all the preg checking done with for the fall, we look to be having a great calf crop on its way.  The heifers are set to begin dropping calves towards the end of February and the cows to start shortly after that.  As always, March will be a busy month for us, but that’s ok… Springtime babies are so fun!

The cows won’t be the only ones to expand their herd in 2016.  You guessed it- our little ranch family is expanding by one!  As any good ranch wife would, I’m due to calve right with all the other cows the beginning of March.  The Rancher has already said that it will work out great to check the cows and check me all at the same time.  That comment only got him a swift kick in the pants!

We are delighted to have a another little cowBOY on the way, something that The Rancher’s Sidekick has known from the beginning.  Before we even knew pink or blue he was telling everyone that he was going to have a new baby brother.  The Ranch Princess is loving the prospect of a baby around the house and tells me everyday that my tummy is getting BIG.  Thanks…. The Rancher is excited too, but I see it only through his comments of me being in good shape for calving or that he will be sure to bring the chains along the way to the hospital, just in case.  And of course I am excited, and terrified all at the same time.  What if The Rancher is in the middle of pulling a calf when I need to go?  Who is going to do night calving while we are at the hospital?  What if he gets stuck in Locomotive were I can’t call him?  Ya know, normal pregnant wife concerns…. When I try to get some answers out of my cowboy, he just says that I don’t really need him anyway and it will all work out. 

He is right, it will all work out… Somehow it will all workout…

2016 Cowboy Calendar

December 7, 2015 by Allison

Life has ben crazy but I still couldn’t NOT make a few calendars!  After having a few years of calendar making under my belt it really didn’t take too much to put these together and I just love how they turned out. 

And now after my yeas of wisdom, I have found a new printer where I have been able to SIGNIFICANTLY drop the prices!  Now you can get a 2016 Cowboy Calendar for on $8.49.  If you are interested, email, comment on this post or message me on Facebook and I will get your order in!

A Family Cattledrive

November 11, 2015 by Allison

Oh boy was this a crazy summer!  With all the ropings, family events, community activities, and building a house we were running in every direction.  To help things out, the cows decided they didn’t need much moving for the summer.  For real… Between the field rotation we were on and the rains it seemed we hardly had to move the cows.  The unfortunate thing about that was that I didn’t have many opportunities to ride with the guys or take any photos. 

On the one chance I had to saddle up, the whole family got to tag along.  We really weren’t even moving to new field, just pushing the cows to a different trough.  So even though it wasn’t too much of a ride, it was perfectly short enough that we knew they would last and have a great time.  We have my old horse from when I was a kid that The Rancher’s Sidekick has claimed.  And the Ranch Princess bounced around between me, Rancher Sr., Cowboy E, and The Rancher.  It might not have been much, but we made a few good memories.

Ag in Your County Promotions!

September 11, 2015 by Allison

Ag promoting has become a big part of my family- my dad, brothers, me…  We all love the life and want to share what we have!  My brother works on his Farm Bureau board in Salmon had a fun opportunity to do a little ag promoting at his fair.

Their board had seen posters with farming/ranching photos with a some facts relating to agriculture as a whole.  My brother’s wanted to put up something similar at their fair, but more specifically they wanted to spread a few facts about their county.  They thought about using the generic posters for the sake of ease and that they were already available, but my brother said he knew a photographer that might be able to help out…

Then he called me.

And I said yes!  I love this stuff!  I love spreading the word, creating posters, using my photos… ALL OF IT!  The one hitch was that it was the week before my fair and I was already pulling my hair out getting everything ready.  (Ya know, they ask the young naive ones to be on the fair board before they know how crazy it REALLY is.)  But I didn’t want to miss out on this fun chance so I packed up my stuff and found a corner at the fair to pull together these posters!

My brother did the hard work of picking the photos and the wording.  I got the fun part of throwing it all together however I wanted.  In my opinion, they turned out great!  And it sounded like a lot of people at the fair loved them too.  I should actually say men instead of people, because they were the only ones to see them.  Unless some lady decided she needed to use the men’s bathroom…

First of TP&B

June 16, 2015 by Allison

Summer time means play time!  At least some of the time.  A side job we have to raise and provide heifers for sorting and roping events.  We have several throughout the summer- some with fairs, others with the Team Penning and Branding Association.  The best part about taking them out there is that we get to join in the fun.

There are always a handful of regulars that go to these things.  You have your older generations that are still trying to live the dream and the hobby cowboys that don’t do it full time but jump in where they can on the weekends. At the end of the day, the cowboys that eat, sleep, and dream EVERYTHING cowboy come out for the roping.  I love watching those cowboys and horses that know what they are doing.  They move effortlessly.  They don’t make a lot of noise and don’t draw a lot of attention.  They move together with their horses, already knowing what to do.

It was a party for the Eliason family in Blackfoot for the first TP&B.  Everyone came down to do a little cowboying and enjoy the company.  This is the kind of fun our family has on a day off!

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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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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.

I’ll just keep holding the brake… #lifeonacattler I’ll just keep holding the brake…

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#teamwork 
#theincredibles 
#hesmrincredible
It shouldn’t be this tall. Late frosts. Hot, dry It shouldn’t be this tall. 

Late frosts. Hot, dry, dusty days. Summer drought. A week with the pump down. 

But God is good and this corn patch surpassed our greatest hopes. I see His hand. Do you?
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#farminginadrought 
#cornfields 
#agriculture
Another rousing round of mountainside musings 🤣 # Another rousing round of mountainside musings 🤣

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#ranchhumor 
#outontherange
They say you can tell a lot about a man by his out They say you can tell a lot about a man by his outfit. In cowboy country, that has less to do with the clothes on his back and more to do with the truck and trailer he pulled out of the yard in. 

Come on o we to the website for the outfit breakdown with a side of ranch wife humor! 
 
https://theidahorancherswife.com/you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-cowboy-by-his-outfit/ Or find the link in my bio!

#cowboyoutfit 
#fitcheck 
#ranchhumor 
#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch
Who needs arm day when you can pitch hay?? Me… I d Who needs arm day when you can pitch hay?? Me… I do… so I can pitch the hay… 💪🏼😮‍💨🤣

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #feedingcattle #armdayeveryday
Shhh… don’t tell The Rancher because I’m about to Shhh… don’t tell The Rancher because I’m about to take things into my own hands!
#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#laundrywoes 
#ranchlife 
#cowboylife
If you watch my stories you have seen me post a fe If you watch my stories you have seen me post a few coloring pages taken directly from photos of our family ranching. 

I’m excited to announce that I’m in the works of a coloring book featuring ranching scenes from our year on the ranch! While I keep working to get it done, head to my website to enjoy a few freebies just for you.

https://theidahorancherswife.com/workshop/

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#childrenscoloringpages 
#ranchcoloringpages 
#coloringpages
Sunday afternoon chore vibes… ain’t too proud to b Sunday afternoon chore vibes… ain’t too proud to be caught in my sweats and boots 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#countryliving 
#sundayvibes 
#downontheranch
You never want to be the guy that accidentally let You never want to be the guy that accidentally let the calves out. To that end, you double and triple check every dang gate you go through… but sometimes the calves still get out 🙄. 

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchlife #weaningseason #ranchcalves
“Do I have to do it as good as you?” Our youngest “Do I have to do it as good as you?”

Our youngest asked me that after wrestling with a stubborn fence post one winter day.

I wasn’t sure how to answer.

Because yes, the fence has to work when we are done and the cows don’t care if it was built by a ranch mom or a seven-year-old. The work matters, and I want my kids to learn to do it right.

But expecting a ranch kid to do a job exactly like someone with years more experience? That’s a different story.

Raising kids on a ranch has taught me that high expectations and room to grow aren’t opposites. We can expect our kids to contribute, be responsible, solve problems, and do meaningful work while still giving them the time and grace it takes to become capable.

Sometimes that means pulling out the crooked fence post and trying again. Sometimes it means looking at a field of missed hay and asking questions instead of jumping straight to frustration.

The standard doesn’t have to change just because someone is still learning.

I think that’s true far beyond the ranch, too.

Today’s learner might just be tomorrow’s expert.

Full story on the blog. 🤎

https://theidahorancherswife.com/the-fine-line-between-high-expectations-and-room-to-grow/

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchkids #ranchlife #raisingranchkids
Want to know a secret? For a long time, I had a h Want to know a secret?

For a long time, I had a hard time calling myself a cowgirl 😬. 

I grew up ranching, working cows and riding horses. I lived and worked on a ranch with my husband. I knew how to sort cows, run a tractor, and doctor a calf. 

But somehow I still didn’t think I was *enough* to be considered a real cowgirl. 

I was wrong. And finally I realized that. 

There are no qualifying accomplishments or minimum requirements. It isn’t measured by any other cowgirl in the pen. And no one can tell you that you aren’t. 

Today, on National Cowgirl Day, here is a shoutout to all the women and girls who proudly, quietly, unashamedly, and honorably call themselves cowgirls. Thank you for the hand you are, the traditions you live and the legacy you leave behind. 

#NationalCowgirlDay
#WorkingCowgirl
#WomenInAgriculture
#LifeOnACattleRanch
#MarriedToARancher
You can only stumble onto this kind of beautiful. You can only stumble onto this kind of beautiful. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#godisanartist 
#ontherange 
#mykindofpretty
They have been looking forward to this day for wee They have been looking forward to this day for weeks. 

And so have I. 

There are days I enjoy the quiet working without them, but soaking up these days working together fills my heart. I already fe they are growing way too fast. 

But I’m sure proud of the young men they are becoming. 

#mommaletyourbabiesgrowuptobecowboys 
#ranchkid
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#cowboylife
Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test Putting your kindergarten math skills to the test 🤣. The Rancher got 63 and I… got 63 too 😮‍💨. If our numbers were different, he would definitely be wrong, not me 😬

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#weaningcattle 
#cattleranching
#countingcows
If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wanderi If you ever wondered if God hears a weary, wandering cowgirl, I can assure you he does. 

The days riding up and down the mountain looking for cattle can get long. I had found a pocket of cows tucked under some cedar trees but had quite a ways to get there to them. Crossing through a big wash, I lost track of exactly which trees I was heading for. 

It’s silly but I felt defeated and frustrated. With a much closer perspective of that mountainside, everything looked different. I decided to backtrack a little, not wanting to skip any patch of trees that *could* have been the ones. 

As I started riding forward I said a silent prayer, ”Lord, help me find these cows.”

Less than 30 seconds later, I hear a single “moo” behind me. I whipped around to see just the nose of a cow poking out behind the black shade of the tree. 

I had found the cows!

Let this be a little reminder that God cares, even about helping find cows on the mountain. You just have to ask for help. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#godfearingcowgirl 
#outontherange 
#godbless
Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… i Trail side musing from The Idaho Rancher’s Wife… in the end, I should have grabbed the jacket 🤦🏼‍♀️
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#musings 
#cowboylife 
#outontherange
Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mount Crisp fall mornings gathering cattle off the mountains of the summer range are some of my favorite days of the year! 

My house is a mess, the laundry is piling up and the to-do list is fiercely long, but I won’t give up these days for anything. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranching 
#outontherange 
#fallwork
Last night I looked up at the countless star above Last night I looked up at the countless star above me and, not for the first time, was in awe of this beautiful world we live in!

There are plenty of things I’d change about living in the middle of nowhere, don’t get me wrong. But giving up the life that comes with them isn’t one of them.

What would be on your list of inconveniences? 
What makes it worth it for you?

Read my list on my website, TheIdahoRanchersWife.com
https://theidahorancherswife.com/10-downsides-of-rural-ranch-life-but/

#ruralliving 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#countryliving 
#sograteful
“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, a “Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man”. George Washington 

Amen, George. Amen. 

They sure don’t make presidents like they used to…

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#agriculture 
#horseofinstagram 
#ranchlife
Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all k Yes, the American beef herd is shrinking. We all know that. And it’s a REALLY valid concern. 

But did you also know that annually, ranchers are producing more pounds than the year before? Since 2023, we have averaged nearly 50 pounds more per carcass! 

That doesn’t mean the shrinking herd isn’t a supply problem—it clearly is. But it means head count alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

These facts tell me that ranchers are doing all they can, despite challenges like rising input costs and drought conditions, to provide beef to American families. 

If we really want to support producers rebuilding their herd, here’s my suggestion:

Lower our input costs, not the price of our cattle.

And let’s start with fuel.  Because that not only supports the American rancher, but American families as well. 

If you want us to raise more cattle, help make it more affordable to raise them.

If you could make one change for producers, what would it be? Tell me in the comments! 👇🏻👇🏻

#lifeonacattleranch
#beefindustry
#cattleindustry
#ranching
agriculture
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