One of the most special things I cherish with my 2 1/2 year old daughter is reading bedtime stories. I often think she will grow tired of it and refuse, but each night she has a lighted expression when I ask if she is ready to read books. Heck, if I can get away with it I may read her bed time stories until she graduates! We all know that is just a mom dreaming, but I will drag this shenanigan out as long as she will allow it. Our routine goes as follows: we march into her room, kick the cat out of the chair, she picks two or six books from an overflowing pile, then she chooses the order in which we read them. About a month ago she let ME pick out books, which of course are either approved or thrown out anyway, but I sure felt special! Finally, with Mesa on my lap, we fill the next 15-20 minutes with lovely stories. We have many favorite books but I have grouped a few that I am sure have passed the million times read milestone.

The neat thing about books is they all have a story besides the one that is written on their pages. Second hand books are especially my favorite. Many of Mesa’s have inscriptions on the inside cover that are addressed to friends or family, hand-me-downs from generations. There are even a few that have scribbles from when I was her age. One of her favorites (which I may have influenced) that is not pictured is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Who doesn’t love that book?!

“Once there was a tree…… And she loved little boy. And every day the boy would come
And he would gather her leaves And make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
He would climb up her trunk And swing from her branches And when he was tired, he
would sleep in her shade. And the boy loved the tree…..Very much,
And the tree was happy.”

Now, sometimes there are circumstances that force a book to be removed from the pile of options. My own mother warned me about this, when she told me she almost had to hide One fish, Two fish, Red fish Blue fish from me as a child. That darn Fox in Sox book may just get the boot.

“Clocks on fox tick.
Clocks on Knox tock.
Six sick bricks tick.
Six sick chicks tock.”

Thankfully Mesa doesn’t choose it very often, but I will tell you it’s a tough read! It’s a thoroughly mental taxation that comes at the end of the day, no less. Sometimes I am tempted to get it for a baby shower gift just to spread the joy.

Although I was never the kid who read our high school geometry book front to back, I do believe there is some magic within these pages. The way a hard bound creaks as it’s opened, the musty smell of the pages, maybe some food droppings or a page corner folded, it is all irreplaceable. The probability of Mesa reading mostly online or from an electronic device as she grows up is very high, however I hope she will appreciate sitting down with ol’ Mom and reading from the tattered pages of a book.

Do you have a favorite book to read to your children? Or maybe a favorite book from your childhood? Please share!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Diana

Diana and her husband grew up farming and ranching. Now they own a crop and rangeland spraying business, and their own herd of cattle. Diana is a busy ranch wife and mom to a two-year-old little girl. When not helping with their spraying or cattle, she travels throughout north Idaho discussing feed programs with ranchers as a full-time feed consultant.

Every rancher we know has a plan—that outlined picture of what the future holds. Some people have it typed and saved on a hard drive, others pencil it out on paper-—or scribble it on a napkin—and yet others sketch their plans in their mind map. Whatever the case, we are all aware of what we’d like the future to look like. If we are really honest, we often have two plans—the practical plan and the “whoa, I’m dreaming big, baby!” plan. Usually we file the first and tuck away the second in our underwear drawer so no one will see our outlandish thoughts.

Recently, something happened in our own little world that defied both plans and made us stop and think: “What do we do with this?”

It isn’t on the plan—not even the wild plan. It feels like it’ll really make things better or spiral us toward the polar opposite.

Will it be like the time I lost my rope or saved a calf?

 

Often things come into our lives that we aren’t sure what to do with—and somehow our uncertainty seems to make us think we’ve failed. There should always be a plan, whether it is the normal one or the big one, right? Plans have always helped us, but they just can’t always be concrete. Life is bound to change; surprises happen. Sometimes it isn’t exactly a cut and dry answer that’s needed (Unless it can be fixed with duct tape or baling twine), as much as it is a process.

Truly ranching is a process and one that I’m thankful for regularly. As we celebrated Thanksgiving this week, thankfulness is on my mind. I love how producers help each other and share information. I treasure how friendships can be formed easily. I’m thankful for fresh air and animals. I’m grateful that even though plans change or get flipped upside down, we still have ranching. I’m thankful for everyday ideas and “Whoa, baby” big plans—and for the people in my life who appreciate both. As producers, we have a lot to be thankful for—both in industry standards and in each other. Here’s to dreaming big and flexible plans!

~ Marci

Marci is a city girl gone country. She married her cowboy and never looked back. While life may be different than what she first imagined, it’s also better than she expected as well. She and her husband are raising their three kids on the ranch, and she has grown used to all the boots by the door.

Last week, the Idaho Cattle Association held their annual Convention in Sun Valley. Cattle raising men and women from across the state came to mingle with old friends and learn new information. This year’s theme was “Not Your Grandad’s Industry,” representing that things have progressed a long way since the days of our grandparents. As I walked around and chatted with my fellow ranch girl counterparts, one thing stood out in my mind—these cattlewomen are not taking cues from their grandma’s closet!

Ranch women are plagued with the stereotype of someone whose only outfit consists of a button up shirt, high-waist Wranglers, and a hair kerchief. However, in the two days I spent in Sun Valley, there was no plaid, no kerchiefs, and the Wranglers I saw had plenty of bling. Ok, that’s a bit of a lie. I wore plaid; but it had sequins. I’ll be the first to tell you, my Grandma Marie never wore sequins with her plaid, so I think I’m in the clear.

When it comes down to it, the cattlewomen of Idaho are a stylish group of ladies, and the rest of this post will do nothing but prove that fact. Unfortunately my phone was dead most of the day on Monday, so the only outfits I got a chance to document came from Tuesday. I missed a couple of great ones, including fellow ICW bloggers, Jayme Thompson, who wore the most beautiful braided scarf, accompanied by a gorgeous pair of Stetson boots, and Julie Kerner, who looked stunning in an Aztec print dress—with sequins. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

~ J

I just returned home from an amazing three days in Sun Valley at the Idaho Cattle Association Convention. It had been more than ten years since our family had been to a Convention, so I was wondering how much had changed. Fortunately, only the venue from Sun Valley Lodge to Sun Valley Inn was different. The good people remain the same regardless of the years. The Convention’s theme was innovative. . .”Not your Grandad’s Industry.” That was an understatement with the current market conditions. The speakers and agenda were thought-provoking with some interesting trends. I kept thinking that it wasn’t Grandad’s industry, but it will be our children’s industry. The time away from the ranch and its demands gave me time to think and plan and question. The current topics and statistics were important to me as we strive to inform our consumers about our product.

On the drive back home over the Camas Prairie, I realized that “getting the heck out of Dodge” is very necessary, especially in ranching. We’ve never really taken a “vacation” in 30 years of marriage. If we did get away for more than 24 hours, the event was generally tied to cattle or kids. But, that has been the interesting part; to travel to something or somewhere that rejuvenates your passion.

On a recent college visitation trip to Kansas and Oklahoma, my daughter, Dana, and I took an afternoon to explore the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. What an amazing tribute to our industry, its heritage and art. I was thankful we took the extra time to visit it.

Although I have lots of laundry, a basketball game and cows to feed today, I feel ready to tackle the demands with a bit more energy. It was great “gettin’ out of Dodge,” but it’s really good to be home.

~ Julie

Julie and her family own a cow-calf, yearling operation and custom feedlot in southwest Idaho. She and her husband were raised on livestock ranches and their industry roots run deep. Their children have been very active and involved in the ranch and feedlot, and are developing their own herds of quality cattle.

It’s probably no surprise to you when I say, “I absolutely love working outside.” Every day brings something different from the last, and always leaves me thinking about how blessed I really am. Everybody jokes that their ranch is God’s Country, but let me be the first to say, I am constantly blown away at the beauty of this place I get to call home.

Unfortunately when you’re outside 8+ hours a day, seven days a week, those elements can start to take a toll on your body—especially if you’re a woman. For a man, sunburns and cracked hands are just part of the job; but for me, those are things I try to stay away from. Just to make things clear, I don’t spend an hour before work putting on my makeup and making sure my hair has the perfect pouf. Very rarely is my hair styled in something other than a braid, and chapstick is surely all you’ll find on these lips. But at the end of the day, I want it to be extremely apparent that I am a Jessie, not a Jesse.

Because I know that women are always looking for new beauty products, I’ve taken the liberty to share a few of my favorites that help keep me feeling like a lady, even when I am out working with the guys. You can find links to all of the products I talk about within this post, but if you have any questions be sure to leave a comment so I can get back to you! Also, please know that this is not a sponsored post. I use all of these products on a daily basis, do not get paid for it (unfortunately, because wouldn’t that be nice), and wouldn’t suggest them to others if I didn’t believe in their quality.

Body:  I will be the first to tell you, if you only put one thing on your body, be sure that is sunscreen. I would rather tell me dad that I wrecked my car, than tell my dermatologist that I don’t regularly wear sunscreen. This is not a lie. And she (my dermatologist) is right. Regardless of what month it is, sunscreen is a must. Melanoma (skin cancer) has been on the rise for the last 30 years, and it won’t be going away any time soon. Sunscreen is your best defense against this killer; and let me be the first to tell you, tan skin is not worth it. There are tons of faux tanners out there that will give you the perfect sun-kissed glow in no time, without the harsh effects of too much sun. My favorite facial sunscreen is a mineral stick that I brush on over my makeup. As for the rest of my skin, I use anything with an SPF of 45 or higher and a decent smell. This Hawaiian Tropic stuff is my favorite!

As much as I love Idaho, its dry climate is not a friend to skin—especially anytime November-March. Combine the cold with a 10-20mph breeze, and your skin really has something to complain about. When it comes to a general lotion, I live by Cetaphil products. They have a really great moisturizing lotion that’s perfect for all-over use. However, when things start getting really cold and dry I always add some Bio Oil in with my lotion. It adds in a lot of moisture without being extra greasy. Coconut oil also works great, except it stays solid above 72 degrees, so you have to put a little more work into getting it in oil form. I generally buy these products at Costco because that’s where I’ve found them to be cheapest.

Face:  My facial ritual is extremely simple. Morning and night, I moisturize with Cetaphil’s Moisturizing Cream. On those days when the wind is really howling, I mix equal parts hydrocortisone cream and Neosporin, applying it to my nose and cheeks. This mixture really helps to keep redness and wind burn at bay. As for lips, I always try to keep them protected with an SPF lip balm. ChapStick brand is a great go-to, but I also really like Eos’ Sphere Lip Balm. The shape makes it super easy to apply, although it’s not made to be put in one’s hind pocket.

Hands: More often than not, my hands take the worst hit from Mother Nature. I love getting a manicure just as much as every other girl, but unfortunately they just aren’t built to outlast ranch work. Instead, I will be forever plagued with hang nails, cracked knuckles, and jammed-so-often-they’re-crooked thumbs. Luckily enough, I’ve found a product that works just a good at keeping my hands looking as ladylike, as possible. This Just a Minute Hand Scrub from Bath and Body Works is something I absolutely swear by. It always manages to get rid of whatever grime I have underneath my fingernails, removes cuticle like a champ, and leaves my hands feeling oh-so soft. Afterwards, I use a combination of Bio Oil and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (both linked above), to really lock in moisture.

Hair: In an effort to keep hat hair at bay, I’ve found a miracle product. Josie Maran Argan Hair Serum. Yes, it’s a mouthful—but never have I found something better at protecting my locks. One pump of this stuff, and I’m ready to take on the day! Now, when I say one pump I truly mean it—anymore than that and looking like you swam in a bacon fryer. I will be the first to warn you, at first glance this stuff is expensive. But it lasts forever and is absolutely worth it. I’m still working at a two-ounce bottle that I’ve had since last Christmas, which pencils out to $0.14/day.

So whether you work outside all day or are just looking for some new beauty products to pamper yourself this winter, I hope you check them out.

~ J

Jessie has returned to her roots on her family’s commercial Black Angus cattle ranch in southern Idaho after time away at college and working on behalf of the state’s cattle producers. She’s passionate about agriculture and the western way of life. When she isn’t doing ranch work or writing, Jessie enjoys baking, golfing and drinking coffee. As a newlywed, she’s also turning a little cabin on the ranch into a home.