Welcome to the Ranch!

If you haven’t read Cowgirls Don’t Cry, Part One, you might want to begin with it.  Otherwise, I will continue with a story about my nine-year old daughter, Kyla.  I don’t know if living on a ranch her whole life or living in a family with four brothers has had more effect on Kyla’s life.  Regardless which circumstance was more influential on her character development, Kyla is one tough cowgirl.

Kyla with her horse, Dolly.

As a little girl, Kyla was never really interested in playing with baby dolls or house.  I think she was too busy being a big sister to her three younger brothers to want to play with a fake baby.  As soon as my husband and I teach our children how to do something, we allow them to do it with little supervision.  Kyla has been helping me clean our house for years.  She is a wonderful cook and loves to bake.  As young as five, Kyla has been occasionally surprising me with breakfast in bed or starting the pot of coffee for me in the morning if she woke up before me.

Kyla is a gem.  I could not ask for anyone better to be my daughter.  In addition to knowing how to do domestic chores, Kyla helps work cows.  She helps butcher wild hogs.  She goes fishing and never needs anyone to bait her hook or remove hooked fish.  She milks goats and bottle feeds their kids.  Kyla is really going to be some lucky man’s dream come true in many, many years to come, if I have anything to say about it.

Kyla also loves to ride horses.  She has gotten bucked off a horse once.  She slid off its back and landed on her two feet in the middle of the pen while striking a gymnastics pose.  You know what I mean, she threw her hands up in the air when she stuck her landing.  Everyone who witnessed it was quite impressed to say the least, and the people who only heard about it have their doubts that it really happened.  It did.

The other day she was riding her horse, Dolly, while Grandma Cathey was teaching Kyla to post in the saddle while Dolly trotted.  Kyla was really getting the hang of it.  The whole lesson was to teach Kyla to really learn to move with her horse.  Kyla was feeling so comfortable moving wtih Dolly that she let go of the reins.  The saddle horn held the reins for Kyla.  Anyway, she lifted her hands to her sides and lifted her head up to the sky like she was flying.  It was really a beautiful thing to see.  Horse and rider moving as one.  Rider trusting horse and having a splendid time pretending to fly.

Kyla decided to fly faster and clicked up Dolly into a lope.  However, Dolly did not want to lope and began crow hopping.  Well, Kyla’s body was still in a trot and she lost her balance.  Unfortunately for her, she was thrown right into the green metal arena fence.  “Thud!”  She did not bound to her feet this time.  When Cathey and I reached her, Kyla was still laying on the ground almost afraid to move.  She snapped at us, “Don’t touch me!”

She was able to explain that her left thigh and her entire back ached.  When she agreed to let us touch her and help her to her feet, we inspected her back.  Already a long purple bruise was appearing along her back from the small of it to the shoulder blade.  Green paint from the fence stained her brand-new white shirt.  She really hit the fence hard!

Despite her shock and soreness, Kyla wanted back on Dolly.  She rode around just to show Dolly that she was not afraid and that she was the boss.  My heart swelled with pride.  I have raised one tough daughter.  Just like Cathey, Kyla is another cowgirl who doesn’t cry.

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.”