Bar H Bar Blitz

Every year in May we all gather for a Bar H Bar Blitz! This is where we (meaning the guys) brand all the calves that were born this spring and give all their mama's shorts, they fix fence, feed, doctor sick calves, and do anything else that needs to be done. This year we went to the ranch the 2nd week of May and had a blast! Who all came: My cousin Adam and his wife Cindy and their three kids, my cousins Weston, my brother Chad, his wife and their two kids, my cousin Macaela and her new hubby Drew, Lincoln and I and our three kids. Later in the week my cousins Ty and Jaxon showed up! Oh and 6 missionaries! They worked with my Grandpa, Dad, and uncle's Mark & Todd.

The first part of the week was rainy and cold! It even snowed a bit. During the first few days the guy fixed fence. I don't have any pictures of them doing this because they always fixed where I couldn't even find them! I did manage to get a picture of "Big Bertha". Which I heard that Lincoln pounded by himself!

Weston and Chad heading up to fix fence!

When the weather started to cooperate a little more they started working the cows. The corrals were still really muddy so the guys were wearing their gum boots (pipe moving boots). Lincoln jumped down from vaccinating a cow and landed on this nail. It went right through the gum boot and into his foot. Luckily it didn't go in very far! My Uncle Mark hooked him up with a bucket that came from the barn with warm water and a cow disinfectant. That oughta work! Then the next morning we took him in for a tetnis shot. $54 later!

Branding is pretty much the theme of our little blitz. They branded 730 calves that week.

In this picture my Uncle Mark is castrating this little bull. But the reason I posted this picture is because of Lincoln's arms! Check that out! Man he must work out!
We got the kids in hot water! Literally! It was still a little chilly out so we let them go swimming. Ford and Kolten were showing me their muscles! Ford has a six pack! So does Weston!
This was Quincie's first horse ride! She loves her grandpa and follows him around everywhere he goes. She will even get her blanket and sippy and go pat his chair to have him hold her. They are buds!
Chad and Lincoln were sorting cows here. They separate the calves from their mom's so they can work them.
Look at the intensity of giving these mama cows their shots. Lincoln is quite the cowboy now!
This heifer was a naughty one. She didn't want to go into the shoot. She tried jumping over the fence and that didn't work so she put up a huge fight. She finally got roped and the guys tried pulling her into the shoot but that didn't work either. She was also getting shocked in places that I never knew you could shock a cow! Then my uncle used his horse and got her through the shoot. But then....they shoot doors were wide open and she went right through! DANG!
How many guys does it take to push calves into the barn? A lot actually! They are fast little buggers and sneak right past!
I am not going to lie...I saw this alot! I don't know what this kids drank but it was a lot!
The girls were playing by the tractor and pulled a pose for me! I loved getting my picture taken there when I was little too!
Grandpa Gee just loves these kids and they love him too. He told me that if I guaranteed him that I would have a dozen kids he would buy me a new car! Well he would have to buy me a bus! So that ain't going to happen!
We worked cows up on Uncle Robert's property that overlooks our ranch. It is a beautiful view from up there!
This kids really liked it up there cause they could play and have no worries. They were digging in mole holes and pretend playing who knows what! It was all fun and games till that dog Ammo showed up and thought he could play too!
Friday night in the summer is always steak night. Doesn't that look good? I want one or two right now!
I swear, every time I take a picture of Grandpa and Grandma he has his mouth full of something!
Don't theses guys look like they have worked hard! They all grew beards and smelled like branding smoke!!
My dad got suckered into taking all theses kids for a small 4-wheeler ride. I don't know how he even steered.
My hubby the cowboy!
Kolten shoved a whole roll in his mouth so the dog wouldn't get it! I guess that is a safe place!
See this dog?.....That is how I felt after that week was over! I was even a little jealous. I wish I could just lay down any where and not worry about a thing and just take a nice nap and be able to sleep through all the noises around me!
I even got to ride a little!
The kids watched so well this week with the roping and branding that they were trying it on Chad.
Then out of the kindness of my parents hearts, they volunteered to watch all 8 kids while us adults go out for dinner. We (meaning the girls) needed a night off of cooking. Together we made 20 meals that week. We went through 15 dozen eggs. We cooked just has hard as them guys worked! So we needed a break! Dad popped some popcorn and put on a movie and had a party!
We went to a mexican restaurant in Montpelier which was pretty good! Adam and Cindy on the left, Chad and Lacey on the right.
Lincoln says that you always sit across from your date so that is why he is sitting by Weston and not me!
Weston LOVES gummi bears. He bought a huge bag and gave everybody heaping handfulls!
This was so much fun! In fact, Lincoln keeps saying to me, "I wonder what your dad is doing today?" He loves the work on the ranch and I know they appreciated our help! I am just glad that we can go do that! What a privilege!