Work Together, Play Together
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
Andrew, Isaac, and Jake with Ladd.
Working on a ranch is an endless job. There is always something that needs attention. The cows need to be moved into the next pasture to graze. The fences need to be walked to check for weaknesses. Pastures need to be inspected for proper grass growth. Tree limbs need to be cleared after a thunderstorm. Ranching is good for people who cannot sit still.
However at Cross Creek Cattle Company, we consider ourselves greatly blessed to be able to live on our ranch and pursue our dream of raising delicious and healthy beef and/or award-winning show cattle. Despite all the work that needs to be done, we make it a point to enjoy living here. We want our family to not only work side by side, but play side by side.
Lane and Isaac on Cheyenne
Just the other day we saddled up four horses and went riding for sheer pleasure. Not only did this exercise the horses, but it also relaxed our family. It was just fun! We rode through the bottom by the creeks while we talked and joked on horseback. The horses were having as much fun as my children.
From time to time we take off a Saturday morning or Friday afternoon and go fishing. Not only do we catch fresh fish for dinner, but we are able to spend time together. Taking hikes through the woods on hot summer days is enjoyable. The tall trees form a canopy of shade to cool us off after a morning of standing in the sun digging post holes for a new fence.
Another way we love to spend our time occurs in the evenings when dinner has been eaten and we have cleaned up. We enjoy sitting on our porch in our swing or chairs listening to the crickets and cicadas serenade us with their newest songs. Sometimes we burn a small campfire in the fire ring. We roast marshmallows and tell stories of our past and ones passed down through our family. These are times I treasure not only as an adult and parent, but as memories from my childhood when we did the exact same things.
Regardless of where you live and work, remember to take the time to enjoy where you are. Do things as a family that include work and play. Doing this enables families to create enduring bonds that will help secure them together through thick and thin. Our motto is “Work together, play together.”
