February and The Beginning of Calving

I think this picture was taken the day after we got home! Murphy and the kiddos having a little fun in the snow at Gram and Chief's. 

The snow finally melted enough to get the bikes out.  We put the training wheels back on Q's old bike and now Jaylie June has a "new" bike! She was so excited to have a REAL bike, not a tricycle.

Drumroll..............The first calf!!!  

Also known as the beginning of insanity, busy-ness, sloppy mess, unmentionable things on Kory's work clothes, late nights, early mornings, ear tagging, putting out pairs, afterbirth, wobbly legs, sweet Mamas, and evening checks with the whole fam.  We always joke that its silly to be so excited about the first calf because everyone knows this is a really busy, tiring time of year.  But we can't help but be excited.  Its one of my favorite things about ranching, the changing of seasons.  When each new season rolls around it is exciting! And by the time its over, we're all kind of over it and ready to move on.  The only thing as exciting (or maybe more) as the first calf is the LAST one! ha! Let the good times roll! 

Rachael took this great photo of a new calf getting cleaned off by her mother and lots of nosey gals taking a peek at the herd's newest member.  

I find myself giggling at all these cows, imagining what they'd be saying to each other and how they feel in relation to my human mothering experiences.  I get such a kick out of it. Like how many times have all of us gals gathered around and gawked over a brand new baby?! 

Jaylie June watching from the warm shed as Daddy was helping a little calf get some milk. 

She stood in the warm shed watching as Quinn gave the calf a bottle.  I, too, chose warmth in this moment. 

Juney was eventually drawn in to the calf.  This was her first time to feed a calf! 

This was just such a beautiful day at the ranch as we drove up.

Kory sent me this picture one day when Quinn was working with him, leading the calf down the alley.  With his sorting stick of course. 

Pretty blue sky with the moon already showing. 

Murphy worked with us til dark one night so we gave him a warm ride in our Suburban and dropped him off at the  mailbox on our way out.  Jaylie was soooooooooo happy. 

I played in a volleyball tournament one weekend and a girl brought a baby pig! It was SOOOOO cute! It had been born the night before and got too cold.  She had to keep it warm and feed it every 2 hours so it hung out at the gym with us all day. I'm thinking it was a funny glimpse into rural America.  You show up to a volleyball tournament and there's a baby big there.  

 Another unseasonably warm February day meant we all got to spend time with Dad and the calves.

Of course Murphy spent the day with us. We love good ol' Murph. 

There was a lone calf laying out in the calving lot all alone.  Its mother had gone to eat and left it alone in the sun so Quinn wanted to go pet it. I totally didn't think the calf would let him get close enough to touch. Usually after they're a couple of days old, they move away from us pretty quick.  I made sure to take pictures as Q was getting close before the calf ran away....except the calf didn't run!!  Q plopped right down and snuggled with this little baby forever! He was so excited and it just looked sooo sweet.  

just a boy and a calf chillin' in the grass.  

I took way too many pictures, but it was just adorable. The whole set up could never be recreated.  It was warm(ish), no snow, dry ground so the calving lot wasn't all boggy, poopy, and messy.  By the time we made Quinn get up so we could get moving, he'd decided the calf's name was Tucker. 

A little fencing lesson going on here.  

Q and I went on another Showdown Ski day with the Homeschool group. It was cold and snowy but so much fun! 

Out of nowhere Jaylie June decides to write on the back of the seat in the car!  First of all, WHAT IN THE WORLD? REALLY?! Since when is writing on the car ok?  Second of all, she wrote mirror image of her name.  If you're gonna write on the seat DON'T WRITE BACKWARDS!