Welcome to the Ranch!

In the midst of an exceptional drought, Cross Creek Cattle Company is thankful for the rain we have gotten. We are thankful that we have not been driven out of business.

With the cost of hay rising through the roof, we are thankful for securing our needs at a relatively good price. We are thankful for all the friends and neighbors, who sent us names and phone numbers of possible hay suppliers.

We are thankful for our customers. Without you, we would not be in business. We especially thank our repeat customers and those that refer others to us. We greatly appreciate you. As the person who writes, speaks, and meets with our customers, I can honestly say that it has been a pleasure meeting with you at the ranch. I love to hear your stories and meet your families.

Cross Creek Cattle Company is thankful for the attention in the press it has received this year. Thank you, Dr. Ward Bond, for committing a large portion of your show, Think Natural, to focus not only on grass fed beef, but our ranch in particular. Thank you, Shauna Lewis, for writing about our business in the Bryan Eagle. And, thank you Beefmaster Breeders United for getting the word out.

I was jumping up and down Tuesday afternoon because I was so thankful for the rain.  The Good Lord blessed us with 3.5″ of rain!  The ground soaked up as much as it could and the rest ran off into the creeks and ponds.  The water level in our big lake rose about 4 feet.  It was such a beautiful sight watching the precipitation fall to the ground.  Now our rye grass will really take off.

Family is so important to us at Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We are thankful for each other.  Our family wants to extend warm holiday wishes to yours.  Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

One of the best things about the holidays is family.  We had a great Thanksgiving day with sixteen members of our extended family.  Then on Friday we met with ten other relatives for dinner.  We have our Christmas celebrations and get-togethers all scheduled to include visiting and eating with even more family.  My husband and I will be hosting twenty-three at Cross Creek Cattle Company.

Whenever we begin discussing the date and time of the family gatherings, my husband’s family always wants us to host the event.  We don’t mind, but I finally asked one of my sister-in-laws, “Why?”

She replied because there was room for everyone.  Not necessarily in my house, but room outside for all the children to run and play.  She continued to say how much she loves coming out to our ranch.  And, the icing on the cake is that we take everyone on a hayride after lunch.  That is her favorite part of the day.

So I started thinking about other family gatherings.  I then realized that they almost always include a visit to the ranch.  A week ago my brother and his family came out for a day.  I watched his twenty-one month old son while he and his wife rode horses.  When they returned from seeing the ranch on horseback, my brother dismounted and placed his son in the saddle.  He led him around in the round pen.

Pure joy shone on my nephew’s face.  He loved riding the horse.  Feeling the motion under him, seeing the view from on top of a horse, and holding the saddle horn in his hand delighted him completely. 

I learned that he says the word, “Cool.”  He repeated that word over and over again with a huge smile on his face.  Everyone was smiling and laughing while they watched him ride.  It was a fun day spending time with family on the ranch.

My family and I know that we are blessed to be able to live and work here out in the country on a modern-day cattle ranch.  We can fish, hunt, take long walks, ride horses, shoot guns, ride tractors, go on hay rides, etc.  Our day is filled doing what we love to do where we love to be.  You cannot ask for anymore than that.

I wonder, is is the ranch that is so great or is it the fact that it is our family’s that makes it so special?  As great as our ranch is, I believe that it is so special because it is our family’s place.  The Kennedy’s have Cape Cod.  The Palin’s have Alaska.  We have Cross Creek Cattle Company. 

So as your December calendar fills up with obligations, parties, and get-togethers, schedule time with your family.  If at all possible figure out where your place is and go.  It might be grandma’s house.  It could be a city park.  Find a place where you can have fun with your family.  To me, family is the best thing about the holidays.

As our Thanksgiving holiday approaches, it is normal to look back and count your blessings.  2010 has been a good year for Cross Creek Cattle Company.  Many great things have happened this year with our ranch and family, but the good events have been intermingled with sadness and heart break.  The roller coaster of life has taken our family on a honest to goodness ride.

With both the ups and downs, we try to “give thanks in all circumstances.”  We strive to have hearts full of gratitude regardless of our situation.  It is not always easy, but it helps to focus on the positive.  Therefore, I am going to share with you the top 10 best things that happened at Cross Creek Cattle Company this year.

The Best of 2010 Top Ten List
for Cross Creek Cattle Company

10.  We have seen a quail, turkey, and wolf in the wild.  One of our goals is to encourage wildlife to live in their natural habitat.
9.  Our show heifer won her class at the Grimes County fair.
8.  We are sought out for advice by other ranches about the grass fed business.  We are happy to help in any way we can.
7.  Our cows gave birth to healthy calves.  We did not lose one or have to doctor any.
6.  In preparation for winter, our hay barns are full of freshly cut bales.
5.  Cross Creek Cattle Company was the subject of an article in Country World magazine.
4.  We had more rainfall than last year’s drought.
3.  We are thankful for the two new barns that were built on the ranch this past year.
2.  Our grass fed customers gave us great feedback on our beef.
1.  We are still a family-owned and operated business and proud of it.

Family is one of the most important things to us.  It is what life is about.  Even though we lost some members of our family this year, we are grateful that we have a close-knit family on which to lean.  From our family to yours, we wish you a very “Happy Thanksgiving.”

November on the ranch.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year.  Some leaves are changing color.  Some evergreens are bearing bright red berries.  The air is crisp and cool.  The wind reminds you to put on a sweater.  Autumn is a great season to enjoy the outdoors.  The months of September, October, and November mark a busy time of year as well as several holidays.

My father’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  Families come together to celebrate the many blessings that God has bestowed on us.  It is a holiday without the pressures of Christmas.  You don’t have to worry about buying and giving gifts.  You only have to cook and eat delicious foods prepared with loving hands.

Thanksgiving is also time of reflection.  A chance to reflect on your year and remember how blessed you are.  In the spirit of this holiday, I want to share with you some of the things that we are thankful for at Cross Creek Cattle Company.

• We are thankful for our loving and close-knit family.
• We are blessed to have so many good friends.
• We love being able to enjoy healthy,  delicious meat on our dinner table whether from our grass fed herd or from the wild boars and deer that wander in the woods.
• We are thankful to have good horses on which to ride and survey the beautiful scenery around the ranch regardless of the season.
• We have been blessed with fat cows and green grass.
• We are very thankful that health has been restored to the ranch manager after his accident.
• We are lucky to have a substantial store of hay ready to supply our animals with needed food no matter how hard the winter gets.
• We are thankful to have made it through the drought and to have finally received the much-needed rainfall.
• We are grateful that we can live our lifestyle in the 21st century.
• Last but not least, we are grateful for our customers who help support our family-owned and operated ranch.

From everyone at Cross Creek Cattle Company, we wish everyone a very “Happy Thanksgiving!”  May God continue to bless each and every one of us.