This week I definitely felt like Lorrie Morgan’s song, Except for Monday.

This week I definitely felt like Lorrie Morgan’s song, Except for Monday. Except for Monday, which was never good anyway, I do not even really remember Monday. I was so tired after getting home late from Nebraska, I had to pry my eyes open in the morning. The kids got home from Nebraska, with Jay and Leslie, after sleeping for two days in the mini-Pete. Toni and dad went and picked them up and literally pulled into Grandma’s house right behind them. Toni had started chores before they had left, so we just had a few left to do Monday night.  Martine came out and confirmed his two foals that he is buying. Blackie’s colt was his second choice. He is a brick of a colt. Below are Nebraska pics that I just got from Peals Pics, the professional photographer there.

Tuesday, I definitely felt a little sideways. The kids got to work working on their clubby heifers and steers to get them ready for the Summer Sizzle this coming weekend. They washed, blew and started clipping them. Jaxsen was not happy the kids were back and he had to start working on his steer again. He worked on him a few days while we were gone, but nothing serious. Tuesday Katie foaled, she had a cute filly out of Jackpot, that I named Firecracker. Toni started halter breaking Can Can on Tuesday to dr her leg. She did REALLY good. We fly sprayed her and doctored her and she stood like a super champ.

Wednesday, I feel better just for spite, however, someone at work told me I was tired, WTF. I do feel better than I was Monday and Tuesday. Toni took the kids for some trailer driving practice around the place. They also moved all of King and Tank’s mares out. Breeding season is over for them. Except, we put Katie in with Tank, since she is old. She can foal whenever. Toni and the kids also worked on the two year olds, Anna’s is Jojo, Kaine has Peanut, Kade Stormy, Toni Lightening bug and Cousin Patricia Nellie ( so the kids worked on her).

Thursday and Friday take too long, after I got to work on Thursday, I had to turn around and drive back to the Wahluke office (which is by our house) for an Accident Prevention Meeting, due to our Human Resource Manager being sick. Then Hannah and I stopped at the Mercantile on our way back to the office and got chips and salsa for everyone. Toni had court at 10. Grace took the kids to Connell so Jay could help them clip their steers and heifers. The kids helped Traci and Whitney back up the tack box. After they came home and did chores, they worked on their two year olds. Coco is back in WA, so she also helped.  We also started halter breaking Quinn. The kids continued to ride their 3 year olds and work on the 2 year olds.

Friday, I took the camper to work, so I could go straight to the Summer Sizzle from there. The kids packed the tack in the morning. Toni went down around 1 to get the kids and head to Walla Walla, both Sagebug and Gunners pen were out in the bigger circles, out with the cows, but that put them next to each other. So they went out and got them in and fixed the fences, Kaine got stuck in his blazer in the process. That put them an hour or more behind schedule. They loaded up and headed out, not far past mom and dad’s house they had a blew a tire on the trailer, which blew the bearing cover off on the other tire. The kids and Toni changed the tire, then they went to the Grange and got a new tire. But they did not have the bearing cap, went to Napa, still no luck. So, Toni, Leslie and the kids headed towards Pasco for Traci to join their convoy and then on to Walla Walla. On the way Toni’s snack bag blew out with all her tea, straws, and food. They got there, Toni’s GPS took them a roundabout loop and they ended up going through a very narrow gate to get into the fair grounds. I headed their way at 5, when I got off of work, they were just getting done unloading the trailer. Traci and I went to set up the campers, the pantry door came open in mine and spaghetti sauce had spilled all over and into the vent. John stopped by to see us that night, and he went to Costo and got Toni some tea. It was much appreciated.  

Before I knew it, Saturday was gone. We were up early washing the cattle to show, the show started at 9 with heifers and then steers. The three fall heifers were first, Natalie, Addy and Julian, they all did great. Then Kaine with his red slubby heifer and were followed by Anna and her Angus and Kaine and his clubby. They all did a great job. Then an hr break and steers by weight. Jaxsen had Dagger, Kaine had Kid Curry, Kaine had Ike, Anna had Sundance Kid, Aka Pumpkin, Natalie had AJ, Addy Shrek and Julian Speedy Gonzalez. Kade made it back to the championship round. Kade and Anna both had Charolais influenced steers, and Anna was Reserve champion and our cousin Parker Grand champion. Good job everyone. We broke for lunch, some of the kids and I napped after lunch, the other kids hung out in the camper and rested. Anna, Parker and the adults that were left hung out in the barn. Kicker took the cattle we did not need for showmanship home, so we had 5 less to wash in the morning.   

But it’s Sunday now and you can bet that I’m all right, or kind of because I napped?? We washed and then got ready for the halter breaking clinic that Miles put on. After that we had showman, youngest to oldest.  So our Peewees, Kayla and Savannah, then the Jrs, Kade, Jaxsen, Natalie, Addy and Julian, Kade was Reserve champion in showmanship, Julian and Natalie also made it back.  Kaine and Anna were intermediates. Then we ate lunch, packed up and headed home. We got home in time to get all of our stuff out of the camper and go and do chores.  John had also brought us a new mare while we were gone so we got to meet Rita when we got back.

We are lucky to have great friends and family that can do the chores while we are gone, which allows us to be gone.  Currently the chore load is pretty heavy, but luckily with Marlo, Coco, Mom, Dad, Ben, and Kicker everything gets done and we can safely leave. There is nothing better than good friends and family.