Family Round Up

My birthday has come and gone - simply put: another amazing year. I distinctly remember thinking this year, 'my life gets better and better with each birthday!' This year Thomas and I spent my birthday in the Pine Top, AZ area with my parents and Amy with her family. 

It has pretty much been a family tradition to go 'away' the week of my birthday...wherever 'away' might be. Typically, when I was younger there was some ward camping trip or family gathering that called us away for that week...but as I get older I get the feeling my parents have just started looking for excuses to leave for that week. 

I am so glad Thomas and I took the time off work, we went up to Woods Canyon Lake (on the Rim) Friday night. On the way up Thomas saw a few camp sites closed and was like, "was that a picture of a bear next to that 'closed' sign?!" I was too focused on the road to pay attention, but my dad confirmed there were bear problems when we stopped at the BIFFYs before heading to the campsite - according to dad we were 'lucky' because all the bear incidents were on the South side of 260 and we would be camping on the North side (oh what luck!).

To keep Olivia from straying too far from the campsite that night, my sister would ask Olivia to let her know how big the bears are when she saw them...thankfully we never found out :}

Olivia squatted when I did to take her picture - she is so cute! 

Our campsite came with this cutie! :} 

Little did I know at the time, but this was taken before 6:30am...had I known it was so early, I would've crawled back into my sleeping bag!

Me n' Thomas

Thomas and I at the campsite - WAY too early in the morning.

Saturday morning (bright and early!) we ate a nice pancake, eggs and bacon breakfast, packed up and headed to the family cattle round up!

The official rounding up of the cattle had already happened, but the young cattle were still awaiting on their turn to participate in the biggest event of the afternoon. We branded, castrated, medicated, de-horned, and clipped the ears of 81 calves.

Thomas got me this shirt in Wisconsin, and I thought it was the perfect attire for the event!

It took Thomas some time to get used to the way the calves would struggle and cry when it was their turn, but after watching me handle about 5 or 6 he jumped right in. We didn't actually do any of the brandings. We held the nose with giant pliers to keep the rest of the body more stable. Thomas did have to look away when the two calves (that in his opinion were still chasing butterflies in their freetime) came through the chute.

Holding the nose was dirty work, Thomas was right in the middle of all the action.

Olivia, grandpa, and me

Olivia loves her grandpa!

Unlucky steer #13

 The ears on the cattle were given a V-like shape and the bottom section was sliced off, any calf with horns were also de-horned seared.

Here are some more pictures of the event:

We were so young and innocent...

Watching my first branding.

I'm being told about the flesh eating flies that come around if we don't continue to cover up the blood with dirt. Needless to say, I made sure the blood was constantly being covered!

It hurts to watch.

Thomas is wondering why he came with me at this point :}

Really?

They just wrangled a steer that got out of the clamp

When the calves get loose, the boys just tie them down and brand them where they fall. No one gets away.

Getting a closer look.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

I'm a professional already.

There's a lot going on in his head right now...

Everyone did their part :} 

Grandma and Olivia

'I'm ready for my close up'

Great food after a long afternoon!! NO rocky mountain oysters for me, thanks!