Wrex bought an old, bred milk cow that Wryder really took a liking to. He named her RaRa Robin (after his grandma). She’s the sweetest ole thing…and she really loved him, too.
Wryder and RaRa
We all waited so patiently for her to have her baby and prayed and prayed that the kids would be able to watch see that baby born.
In the days before she calved, Wryder took such great care of her. He’d walk to the corn stalks south of our house and grab a couple of partial ears of corn, bring them home and shell them for her.
Shellin’ corn
We’d been watching her and checking on her every few hours every day. Wrex was even getting up in the night to check her. One Monday morning, they went out to check her and then Sawyer came runnin’ back to the house telling me that RaRa’s water bag was hanging out!
I threw some shoes out and sure enough, a baby was about to be born! Wryder brought a lick tub over outside the fence and within 10 minutes, the kids got to see LIFE!
Good momma!
RaRa had a sweet little heifer calf that Wryder has named – are you ready for this? Betty Harbor Baby Whanny Kroeker Phipps. Ahem.
Wryder and Betty
Despite that big ole bag RaRa has, there’s not much milk to be had so we all made the decision to sell her so that Wryder could buy a cow to really get his herd started, just like Sawyer did at four.
My big boy was so brave! He loved sweet RaRa but understood that it was the responsible thing to do. He didn’t cry at all…and I bawled all day!
One last goodbyeLove this sweet boy
He took her to the sale barn with dad on Monday and got her sold.
Watchin’ her sell
This boy is just one of the sweetest, funnest, brightest balls of energy I’ve ever met! Saying goodbye to a good friend – even when that friend is an animal – is never easy and he did it with such grace. So proud of my brave boy. Here’s to finding the next great one!
One of the many things that attracted me to my sweet hubby was his love for family and kids. That’s pretty darn attractive, let me tell ya.
With our sweet friend Jadia
I’m not just a huge kid person myself. I mean, I LOVE mine…and I like other well behaved, disciplined, polite children *ahem*…but he innately loves kiddos!
With Baby Breckyn and Sawyer
I distinctly remember a visit we had from some family friends about a month or so before Sawyer was born. We were still in Denver at the time and they were talking to him about working so much. They made a comment that that would probably change soon once this sweet little girl was wrapped around his finger.
He was kinda sheepish about the whole ordeal. I wouldn’t say he was trying to deny the fact that she would be wrapped around his finger…maybe he knew…
But maybe he didn’t quite know just how deep a daddy’s love for his little girl would really run.
Fast forward a month to her birth and he was so in love.
Baby Sawyer, a few days old…and one proud daddy
She slept with him the first night becaus her body temp was a little down and they wanted someone to snuggle her. I was exhausted and could barely take care of myself so he took over. Pretty sure that sealed the deal.
Fast forward nine more months and we were living on faith and our savings account as he searched for another career that allowed him more time with his family. I’ve got one amazing man…
May I just say, the words of our friends have come true, too? She’s definitely wrapped around his finger…in a good way, too.
There is no one she trusts more than her daddy. He is such a pillar of unwavering everything! He’s even tempered, he’s consistent, he’s faithful, he’s gracious, he’s merciful, he’s a man of his word…and he’s just plain fun.
I know how well and fully he loves me and I see how well he loves our children, too. He works so hard to go above and beyond to provide for us. He makes us a priority. He never treats us like we’re a burden. He teaches us and leads us. He gets us into adventurous mischief. He prays for us and over us. He takes time to do and talk about the things that are important to us. Like pink sorting sticks…
There’s a guy at the sale barn that uses a pink sorting paddle and Sawyer has had her eye on it for quite some time. She’s mentioned it to me before and yesterday was no different. Wrex saw her talking and pointing and I told him she wanted a pink sorting paddle like Mr. Kyle. He smiled and kinda giggled and I didn’t think much else about it.
We loaded up and went home and daddy finished buying cows and come home a little after supper. He called me outside to show me something…which usually involves feathers or fur *ahem*…but not this time.
He had gone to the vet clinic to grab some meds for some calves and he picked up a little something else…a pink sorting stick. I will forever have his face tattooed in my mind’s eye; it was another one of those sheepish looks that was oh so sweet. He knew it wasn’t anything she NEEDED. We have a green paddle and a couple of sorting sticks. He knew it wasn’t for a holiday or birthday…he just knew he loved his little girl and that the smile on her face would be well worth the potential “spoilage.”
He was right.
She was ECSTATIC. Wanted to sleep with it, even. She shoved her last two bites of supper in her mouth, threw on her boots and was headed to the barn.
Can ya tells she likes pink?
She helped him “work calves” with it last night…
Showing the goatsThey approvedMoving calvesThis girl is good!Got ’em in!
…and a few goats, too.
Brother had to help, of courseCalling it a night
I don’t know what it was about that silly stick that got me so teary…but it did. Still am.
Maybe because I wasn’t expecting it myself.
Maybe because my parents would’ve done the same thing.
Maybe because it was so unlike his frugal character.
