For the first week of summer vacation, we hit the ground running.

Monday was the official start of summer vacation. Lots and lots to do. Fence fixing, halter breaking Jaxsen’s giant steers, riding horses, etc. There were 2 hours of school which Kade decided he needed to go to so he could see his gf. He admitted he didn’t even go to his classes, he went to hers. Toni took him in because the other kids refused to waste 2 hours of their life at school. Dad took the boys into football practice and picked them up. They had games on Tuesday and Wednesday and then we were headed to Filer for the Angus Regional show. Anna fixed King’s pen again, Toni moved Yo and Yo Chic back to the house to see if that would solve the problem. It did not, so after work I hauled King to my house, he is in with the longhorn heifers and watusi bull, and the mares to mom and dads. We are going to haul some old mares down to circle 6 later. We also kicked Sally and Saul out of the corral out into the pasture, Saul just ran and ran and ran.

Tuesday morning Toni took mom to see grandma. Anna and the boys worked on their steers. Kaine went fishing with his friend Keegan for a little while. Kade clipped his fall heifer. I went to see grandma in the afternoon. Toni and the boys rode with Jara to Royal for a football scrimmage. The wind had started blowing when they left, and it was blowing harder when I went, about 30 minutes behind them, and it was terrible when we all got there. However, the boys played a great game, they played some big schools, like Hanford and Moses Lake. Anna and the men started packing and organizing the trailer while we were gone to leave early on Thursday.

Wednesday morning Jarra texted that she was still digging dirt out of her eyes, I texted my ears too. Toni said people pay good money for that type of sand abrasion at spas. Toni took the boys to the tri-cities. Kade had an orthodontist appointment, then to see grandma and then they had a football scrimmage at 11. Abby, Kade’s gf, came and sat with Toni for the game. Jarra and another friend also were there roasting in the sun. Wind and dirt on Tuesday, hot sun beating down on Wednesday. The boys played Pasco, a 4A school and were on fire. Kade made a td, Kaine was told, as a sophomore, he will be a varsity starter, which he also was last  year as a freshman. They had a good game. Toni had forgotten her camera, so maybe they play better with no camera tracking their every move? Dad and Anna took the heifers and steers in to get their travel papers to go to Filer and then went to Bryans to pick up beef. 

Thursday morning early, we headed to Filer, Idaho for the Angus Regional Show. We needed to check in by 2 and made it in plenty of time. Kacey and Kady had saved us spots by them. We got unloaded and set up and checked in. Ben went and unloaded our bags at the air bnb then we went to Twin Falls for dinner at a Mexican Restaurant that was really good. Jaxsen got to help Toni for chores. He was complaining from the beginning. We had another outside mare come in for Cappy on Wed, so Toni and Jax checked everything, cut some trees, then when they got home they could hear a kitten somewhere. After searching, they found him in the trailer. Toni made Jax take off his shirt and lock her in the trailer, where she proceeded to trap the kitten and get scratched. Jax also requested to be allowed to go to the school and lift weights to get ready for football, so Toni had him load the trailer with hay. Jax did not think it was quite the same thing. Again, lots of complaining. Toni also wanted to start a fencing project while we were gone because the weather was cooler, Jax did not want to do that either. Too bad for him.

Friday we had showmanship in the afternoon. We washed and the kids clipped on their heifers and steers some before the show started. We were after the AORB and Herefords, but the judge went through them pretty fast. The kids did a great job showing and their heifers did well. Back at home Toni had people come look at the minis and sold one of the fillies. Then went to work. While we were gone she took her pick-up into get repaired as it smelled like burning oil. For anyone that doesn’t know, Toni has had one of her pick-ups burn up while her and the boys were feeding hay a few years ago, so she kind of freaks out when there is any burning smell. Luckily it was an easy fix and she had Kade’s pick-up to drive while hers was in the shop. Dad and Kick went and picked hers back up. Toni and Jax also put in more posts on the fenceline.

Saturday was the breeding classes and jackpot steer show. Kaine and Mayhem won their division. Everyone else was first or second in their class. So everyone did great. Then we packed up the trailer and got ready to head home on Sunday. We went to Twin Falls and had dinner again. Back at home Crystal foaled, so we got a really fancy chestnut (maybe gray) filly sired by Leroy. That was good because with Crystal’s pedigree, if she had a colt, it might have been a fight to see if we kept it as a potential stud. But because it is a filly no fight necessary. Some people came down from Spokane to look at the colts and got the grand tour. They couldn’t decide, so had to go home and think on it. Toni and Jax moved six old mares out to circle 6 in  hopes that they would stay in. Then chores.

Sunday Ben and Anna got up early and fed and watered the heifers and steers then came and picked up the boys and I and we headed for home. We made it home by around 3 and unloaded and assisted chores. The family back home went to Lyon’s Ferry KOA for lunch with Kicker’s parents for fathers day. After we all got back, Kade and Toni rode Gen for the first time since we got him back, and he is fun. Kade also rode Stormy then Toni and Kade went on a ride during the big storm. Stormy is doing really great.

For the first week of summer vacation, we hit the ground running. It seems like we have so many plans for the summer, but we just manage to accomplish work and exhaustion. We are down to one summer fencing project, lots of cattle shows, and just general work. We are still getting up to Spokane running mares back and forth about once every couple of weeks, so still lots of miles on the road. We are really excited to have the kids home for the summer which is our main chance to enjoy them as they grow up. Summer is our favorite.