Overheard

Last night we made a trip to the Oklahoma City Stockyards to haul off a couple cows who were no longer pulling their weight around the farm. We got there early enough that they were still selling calves and we got to visit the sale ring. Ryder was in heaven. He was very curious about the process, where the calves were coming from and where they were going. As we were leaving, we got behind a truck and trailer hauling off a load a calves. Ryder was obsessed with it. I chose to use it as a learning experience ...

Ryder: Where is that truck going?

Me: He is taking those calves to a farm or a feed lot.

Ryder: Why?

Me: That is how this works. People like us have cows, and those cows have baby calves. We bring our calves here and sell them. People buy them and trucks like that haul the babies off to farms where people feed the calves until they get big.

Ryder: Why?

Me: Once they grow big, they sell them and turn them into meat people can eat like hamburger.

Trent: And bologna.

Ryder: And ice tea?

Silence ....

Ryder: Where is that truck going?

Me: That way.

It may have been to soon.

Spring is Springing

We have had a long, painful winter and spring has been late in arriving so Ryder and I took advantage of the first nice day and hit the Blanchard park after work. I think I know the perfect birthday present for a certain little boy ... I so wish swing sets came assembled!

Bottle Baby Fudge

Freckles the cow gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. Problem is that Freckles seems to have run a little short on milk. This doesn't bode well for Freckles future, and it means that we now have a new bottle calf.

Meet Fudge. Ryder is a big fan. Ryder has not yet realized Fudge requires 2 bottles a day. Thank goodness Papa is retired!

Riding the 40

There is just something about this picture that makes my heart smile.

Nothing makes the little man (and the big one) happier than to be checking cows on horseback.

Three Amigos

I have such great memories of time spent with my cousins while growing up. I hope these three are the same way. Coop and Konner are so great with Ryder, and even though there is a pretty big age gap I shutter to think at the trouble they will get in over the next 20 years!

Trip to Arizona

We had a good trip to Arizona to visit Dad and Ruth in their winter playground. Although the weather could have been a little warmer, it beat the snow and ice we missed out in Oklahoma while we were gone and we got to see some beautiful country and had a nice visit.


With dad at the ghost town

Grandma Ruth, Ryder, Trent and Grandpa Rodger with with a really big cactus and really old tractor

Hiking in flip flops with a two year old in cactus country = not smart

Beautiful country - Tonto National Forrest 

Ryder's view from the top of Arizona

The view from my "not sensible" shoes

Skipping rocks with Grandma Ruth

Toes in the pool

Golf lessons with Grandma. He thought Ryder might make a better hockey player ...

Helping Grandma with breakfast

It was nice to see where they spend half the year, but I'm not sure we are welcome back until Ryder is out of the terrible twos ;)