Some Lake Time

While we've been busy on the farm, we did sneak off to the lake last weekend.  We left Kerry Don on the sprayer, but I told him, "It's a serious matter babe, I just have to go check on the trailer at the lake!"  Of course that was just an excuse to go to the lake, but SHhhh don't tell him.

Yep this is the trailer I had to check on.... I had to make sure that no one had broke in, I had to check the water, I had to check the gas, I had to check the fridge. So when everything was good, I just decided we better spend a couple nights to make extra sure everything was fine.  Thankfully, KD came out Saturday night too!

So what do we do at the lake?   Well we have ice cream partys!  Our kind neighbors invited us over and they had homemade ice cream along with an impressive platter of toppings... YUM

This is the ice cream eating crew... they're so sweet to my boys!

Darla, Brian, Danielle, Pake, Anna, Tate, Dev, Crescent, & Eddie

These guys are sweet to them too and hauled them around on their golf cart. 

David, Michelle, Tricia, Tate & Pake

Some people are brave enough to let my punks drive their golf cart!

We also braid hair!  This chic has beautiful hair.

Mrs Anna braided the beautiful hair and it was so cute!

Mostly, we chill, we laugh and we relax. 

Crescent, Me, DeDe, Tricia, Robin, Michelle, Darla & Amanda Jo.

I hope yall find time to enjoy the summer too!

"You been farming long?"

I've always loved this picture.  My grandmother had it framed in her house, and I always thought it was so cute.  Then, I married a farmer, had two boys and now this picture reminds me of my boys.  Well the caption "You been farming long?"  rings true around here.... or maybe it's just that we've been farming LONG hours. 

Pake dumping the grain buggie at Mrs Cherry's place near Vigo Park (about 25 miles from our house).  It's 2 sections, which Pake informed me that means it's 8 miles around it.  It's big and rough and not fun to cut but the crew got it done.  

I hauled them supper.  This is what farm boys look like: Pake, Ty, Kyser and Hunter.  They're rough, they're tough, they're dirty and they're greasey.... and I love 'em!

This is Mrs Cherry's house and we got brave and went inside.  Well we followed Delwin and he was armed! Yes, he was armed with a hoe! Thankfully, we didn't run into any rattlers. Anyway, I've always wanted to go inside since she's been gone.  Unfortunately, there's not anything worth having in there anymore. We visited Mrs. Cherry about 15 years back when she was still living there and she had the biggest doll collection, I had ever seen.  Just thought I'd share that interesting fact... lol!  Anyway, now y'all know why this farm is named "Mrs Cherry's," actually most farms have names and usually it goes back to the orginal owners...

After 3 hard days of cutting at Mrs. Cherry's the crew moved home... 3 combines and two tractor/grain buggies!  I was so glad they were home and so glad they're done... well maybe unless they end up helping out a neighbor.

We've also been feeding bottle calves.  This little heifer makes the 7th one this year.  We don't choose to have bottle calves, but we take them in when, for whatever reason, their Momma doesn't take care of them.  Actually, we've all had fun with the babies. They really are cute.  We have one that thinks he's a dog... Pake named him "Bunctious."

I call this the BIG GREEN MONSTER Machine.  Kerry Don and the BIG GREEN MONSTER machine have become quite close buddies... they've been spending hours together.  I'm kinda getting jealous! 

What do Kerry Don and the BIG GREEN MONSTER machine do?  Well they spray crops.  Cotton crops like this, that have lots and lots of weeds.  Truth be told, we're sorta tired of weeds around here!

Farmin's hard work, but it's just a way of life for us!  We love it and we count our blessings everyday!

Wheat Fields and Ball Parks

We've been cutting wheat in between the rain.   We've had 7 inches since May and we are so thankful!

Pake's been running the grain buggy.  Hunter is sometimes his passenger.

Clay Bret has been running Kerry Don's combine, so KD can spray, plant, run parts, pull wells or fix gas lines.  Sometimes, Tate is Clay Bret's passenger... bless Clay Bret's heart =)

Miley goes to the field with me when I take supper.  See all that pretty green, well actually those are weeds and they really don't like them in the wheat.  The wheat hasn't been very good but at least we have some to cut.

Some evenings we have to take a break from farming to go to the baseball field.  Pake, Tate, Bray, Hunter and Logan are on the same team.

Hunter pitched some, and Pake played short stop.

Tater was on first base.  They've all had fun.  June's been busy and sadly it's almost gone.  I don't want it to be gone, because I'm lovin' summertime. 

Playing Cowgirl

I was raised a cowgirl, and I still like to think I'm still alittle bit of a cowgirl.  So our annual branding at the ranch makes me happy, because I get to play cowgirl for the day! 

I can't think of one single thing prettier than watching the cowboys gather the cows.

I also don't think there's anything cuter than a good set of black baby calves =)

Mr. Jim Cope is a horseback, Walter, Tate, Shawn and Randy flankin'

Pake and Brad giving shots and Walter branding.

Tater holding a calf, hoping he doesn't get his front teeth kicked out!

 KD branding one of Grandma Byrd's babies.

Danae and Rem flanking, Brad Bradley dragging,

and Tater watching, thinking someday soon, I'm going to be able to flank like them!

Of course, I always have to get a traditional family pic! 

Lord help us, Tater Jack is driving!

This year's branding was bittersweet.  Justin Bradley had been every year, until this year.  We still  miss his smile everyday!  But this year we invited Brad, Justin's Dad and we're so glad he came along for the adventure.  I love being a part of the cowboy tradition of a good old calf branding!