Barn Therapy

We all have the one thing we do to help clear our minds after a a crazy day at work or home, and in our house it is "going to the barn". Whether it is to the show barn  to rinse show and sale cattle or  to run the head-gate as we are working cattle through the chute, it is to the barn we go!  Speaking of that, it reminds me of this picture I saw on Facebook a few weeks ago, I could not help but laugh as I read it, because everyone knows there is no truth to this.

Sometimes we will help out during calving season.  Kendall and I love to go to the barn everyday during this time to see all the new babies. They are all just so stinking cute!

I also like to spend time in the pig barn with the guys.  Kendall began showing pigs a couple of years ago, and it has been great.  Not only has this project helped him make new friends, but it has also taught him responsibility and has boost his confidence.

As I write this,  I realize the barn has always been the place I go to escape what I do not want to do, which is usually some type of housework (even as a kid).  We (like many others) all go to the barn for different reasons and all have different jobs when we go there:

For Dave, the show barn is a place that he can just relax and think.  It is often that he will come home late at night, and I will ask him "What was going on in the barn?"  And most of the time he will say something like "just working."  His idea of just working can span from a lot of things though.  He is always trying to figure out how to make things better at the farm. Whether he is looking at a bull magazine studying mating decisions, calving cows, or rinsing cattle, the barn is where he likes to be.   I often find him in the barn, with either his iPod in or the radio blaring, blowing on cattle working hair just lost in thought....yes I said lost in thought, not just lost. LOL!!  He truely is one of those people that is "ate up" with the business. 
For Me (Beth), it is my place to put things in perspective...  Dave usually avoids me while I am in the barn, since the "Honey-do-list" gets put together when I have a little time to think!  The thing I love most about the barn, are the talks that Kendall and I have!  It is the one place that we lose a lot of conversation barriers and he and I just talk about life and those things that are sometimes on an 8-year old's mind.

For Kendall, well it varies from day to day!  Sometimes it is to just have fun and play in the barn!!! He recently made a "strawbale slide" with his cousins that they played on for hours. Sorry, don't have any pictures of that, but it was funny watching all of them slide down all the bales.  He loves his time with the dogs and the kittens, but he loves to "help"  a lot too!  He will feed his girls (Ginger and Gee Gee) or push hay bales down from the  loft.  He will wash and blow out his heifers, or sometimes he will just lead them around the barn.  And, there are some days he just wants to be "in" the barn not really doing anything, but just be there.

Who says you can't grow up in a barn!!  In our family it seems to be the one place we all go when we need time to put our priorities into perspective and get back to life we love to lead!!

Old Yeller A.K.A Donor #75

Donor #75

Donor #75 makes her return to the Donors on Ice Frozen Genetics sale on Sat., Nov. 10th at 7:30PM at the Hilton Garden in during the NAILE.  We will be offering 1 package of Monopoly embryos that will be full sibs to Hunter Webers highly acclaimed 201-2012 steer.  Notable titles this steer gathered are Ch. Chi, Top 5 breed steer at both Heart of it All and Scarlet and Gray, Ch. Chi, 3rd Overall Illinois Beef Expo, Res. Grand at both Western Illionois Hoof and Horn and University of Illinois Preview and concluded the year as being selected Grand Champion steer at the Illinois State Fair Open Steer Show.  Full sibs to this mating have avgeraged over $19,000.  Contact us or any member of the sale staff if we can assist you.  Full catalog listing online at www.donorsonice.com

Grand Steer- Illinois State Fair Open Show

3rd Overall Steer- Illinois Beef Expo

Res. Grand- Universtiy of Illinois

Res. Grand- Western Illinois

Donor #81

Make sure to check out Lot #40 in the 2012 edition of the Donors on Ice (www.donorsonice.com).  We will be offering 1 package of 3 embryos sired by GOET I-80 x VCC #81.  #81 is the dam of the Goddard AI sire Simple Man and the grand dam of the Lautner AI sire Torrington.  We feel this could be the best, most consistent mating yet...so much in fact, that we are expecting 8 full sibs to the embryo's selling next spring.

Donor #81

Selling full sibs Nov. 10

The only opportunity this year to buy full sibs to this multiple time champion steer including Grand Champion steer 2012 Illinois State Fair Open Show will be at the Donors on Ice sale held during the NAILE. 

To view catalog online, go to www.donorsonice.com  

Redneck Can Crusher

Kendall displays an alternative use for a headgate.

http://youtu.be/213vkmX5wGM

Today's Motivation

These are two of our favorite Facebook posts from the past week.

Fall Break....What a week!!!

Hey all!!!  Well I am back to the “normal”,  my week of fall break with Kendall was AWESOME and busy!!!

We started off showing pigs @ Hogtoberfest in Tipton.  That was such a fun weekend. Kendall told me that best part was seeing all his friends!!! 

    

  

We spent Monday picking pumpkins!  Kendall was such a trooper, we picked 40 pumpkins for our Jr. Leader meeting on Tuesday.  My little helper also washed all the pumpkins the first time for me!  Kendall and crew painted pumpkins as part of the Jr. Leader meeting!

Another great thing about being home all week was that I had extra help and time in the kitchen.  Kendall loves to learn how to cook!  We were able to have a lot of meals at home this week and what a blessing it was that I got to have extra time with my guys!  Since I love to cook as much as I love to be in the barn it was a great week at the Vansickle’s!  I think our entire family has benefited from our cooking- vegetable soup, lunch for Dave, Chili, Apple pie and one of Dave’s favorite Mexican Chicken!

    

  

   

We even spent a day in Louisville and tried to do a little shopping on the trip home!!!  Kendall , Aunt Debbie and I went to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory and the Science Museum for a day.  Kendall had so much fun!!!  I am glad that my little guy loves a good road trip like his mom!  Here are a few pictures of our fun!  The sad part of the day, our shopping trip was not as successful, still no new winter coat for the little guy! L  In the pictures below, I think the little man’s smile says it all!!!

       

   

  

We even had time to have lunch and play time with one of little guy’s friends from Alexandria ( and his old school) !  AND, pick up feed for Uncle Eddy!

I glad this was all he needed; there was not much room left in the Jeep for us!  It was a fabulous week with my guys especially the little guy!  Believe it or not, we did fit some barn time in, but it seems I forgot to take many pictures of that!!!!  Below is the only one that I have of Kendall talking and petting his heifer "Ginger" I am one lucky girl to be blessed with great people in my life!  I think the last picture is a good take on the week ….it wore the little guy out!!!

See you all soon!

Beth

Don't get left out!!

If you are on Facebook, and have not done so, make sure you go "Like" Vansickle Cattle Co. at https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Vansickle-Cattle-Co/252010298178818.

We partnered with our friends at Ranch House Designs, and are going to be offering a special giveaway once we hit 500 likes.  Make sure you like Ranch House Designs page as well, they are some awesome people to do business with.  We would really like to give something away before we leave for NAILE on Nov. 8th, so that means we need 63 more likes in 23 days.  Once we hit 500, we will announce what the give away prizes are and give a code for redemption at the RHD online store. This giveaway will only be announced on our Facebook page, nothing on the blog until after the the giveaway is done.  So, hurry, up, don't get left out of the chance to win some awesome stuff from Ranch House.

Get Ready!!!!

Donor #75  Dr. Who x Wyoming Wind



Grand Champion Steer 2012 Illinois State Fair Open Show

 Your only chance this year to own full sibs to this popular champion is coming....stayed tuned here as well as "Like" our Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Vansickle-Cattle-Co/252010298178818 for details on when and where these will be available.

Thoughts and Prayers for the Bedwell family

Please keep them in your thoughts as they deal with their loss.

Happy Fall!!!

Hey everyone!!!  While Dave is busy around the farm, Kendall and I have decided that we would help him with the blog this fall! J

For those of you that I have not had the pleasure to meet yet, I am Beth, Dave’s wife.  I am a full time wife, mom and 4-H Educator (or Agent) in Madison County (Indiana).  I love helping others and I am always up for a good road trip.  Here is one of my favorite pictures of me and my little guy, Kendall.

I am not going to lie; it is a little scary writing this blog….if you ask my family, they will tell you I always have something to say!!!  Anyhow, the little man and I decided that we would share with you why we love fall so much at our house!!!

Here are some of the reasons why we love fall:

ü  It’s harvest time!!!

ü  It’s sweatshirt and jacket weather!!!  I love jackets; I have a closet full of them and so does Kendall!!!

ü  College Football…BOILER UP!!!!!!!

ü  We also LOVE that we have little critters in the barn (We have Kendall’s first set of show heifers and his pigs for the North American)! 

ü  Baking sweet treats and taking food to the field!!

ü  And, we love to decorate with mums and pumpkins!!!

I promise to share some of our escapades (and pictures) this fall.  Kendall and I are getting ready to have fall break!!  I am starting to think that this new school schedule may not be a bad thing!

Happy Fall!!

Beth