Branding

I love branding calves, I don't know if it was because it was always a fun memory when I was little or because our fun memories in Nebraska, or simply because it means the beginning of summer. Either way it is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather this year was perfect, and we had a great time!

Kaleb munching on his licorice

Bob Roping

Uncle Tyler

Uncle Ryan

Uncle Mark

"Uncle" Terry

Terry, Uncle Jared, Uncle Mark

Aunt Jenna running the pit crew. She filled all the vaccine guns, refilled the tagger and pretty much kept it moving, even with a baby in her tummy! (Doesn't she look so cute?)

The kids were in the right line for the smoke to come directly into their faces. They thought they were pretty funny plugging their noses. I think Tayson had his face covered this way for most of the branding!

Jaci, Tayson, Justin, Claire, Emma

Uncle Mark making the "smoke"

After a long hard day of work this how Kaleb ended up!

Skippy Dog was my baby sitter & protector.

(okay, not really, but I missed taking a picture of all the dogs between ours, Ryan's, Jared's & Mark's

we had almost as many dogs as calves! :)

BRANDING ROUND 2

We had just a few more little calves in the pens that were too young when they turned the cows out to the desert. So we branded them after lunch, this time without the horses.

Emma & Alaina

Who needs a horse when you have this many kids? That little calf wasn't going anywhere.

Jaci, Sydney, Alaina, Emma, Ashely, & Cory (Koby is in the top pic.)

Jenna and I had a good laugh over Emma and her "spare tire" (look closely) although we decided the term spare tire is not so funny anymore!