NCBA – The Circle L Ranch

2O17! Our Year in Review!

2017 at the Circle L Ranch

Cody & I Celebrated 19 Years of Marriage

Cade 15 Years old

Kason 13 Years old

Ryder & Reata 7 Years old

Cody and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary in the air. I got to be the pilot. It was amazing.

Our Family Favorites:

Restaurant: Ole’s and Taco Johns

Food: Beef and Cheese (And Herseys Chocolate Bars)

Activity: Riding Horses

Color(s): Red, Lime Green, Yellow, Pink

We welcomed these new members to our Ranch:

Goats (The kids wanted to expand some more on their Goat Business)

Kason Kept a Puppy we raised (Blue)

“Blue” Kason’s project, I mean working buddy.

Colts (Cody wanted a couple projects)

Kittens (To keep the mouse population down)

A few Heifers and a couple Bulls!

We added this Longhorn to the herd this year. He is quite the character. We are excited to see his babies.

Cade’s Highlights:

He’s in 9^thGrade.

He’s taller than Mom and almost his Dad

Plays Football & Basketball & Track.

He is active in FFA and 4-H.

He is active in FCA.

Has Excellent Grades.

Reserve Champion Breeding Heifer of the 2017 Morrill County Fair.

2017 Morrill County Fair Rate of Gain Champion-Steer

Bought a couple show heifers. (I can not wait for this adventure)

He is on his 2nd year of training his colts.

He broke his nose in football and had to have his tonsils and adenoids out.

His future plans include going to college in Ag, a few classes on mechanics and coming back to the ranch.

#12 Cade Loomis 2017 -2018 Bridgeport Bulldogs Picture Credit to Kevin Myers

Super Proud of these two young men. Pictured with Cole Faessler

#88 Cade in Bridgeport Football High School He had a great season.

Cade and his heifer at the 2017 Morrill County Fair. This heifer was Reserve Champion Breeding. She is expecting a baby in March.

John Covalt and Cade. Cade bought a steer and a heifer from John. He is our 86(I think) neighbor. This steer was 4-H Champion Rate of Gain. He also received a purple ribbon. Cade had a great year with his red cattle.

Kason’s Highlights:

He’s in 7^th Grade. (Hard to believe that he is in middle school.)

Plays Basketball and Football. But his favorite is football.

His future plans include playing Nebraska Husker Football and coming back to the ranch.

He is on his 2nd year starting his own colt.

He is training his own dog, Blue. He is doing a very good job.

Has Excellent Grades.

He also bought a show calf heifer. (I am excited to see what this business adventure will take the boys)

He broke is foot last year in football but we didn’t know it until this year when he started 7th grade football. He was on crutches and in a boot for 8 weeks. He is tough for sure.

Kason and his basketball team. These kids are a great group.

Kason showing his steer at the Morrill County Fair. He kept this steer out of his own herd. He got a purple on him.

Kason at the fair. I would say he has a pretty good thing going with his beef herd. Wouldn’t you?

Reata’s Highlights:

She is in 1st Grade and love everyday.

Loves anything Horse.

Loves to Draw and Color.

She is getting tall.

Her future plans include being a rancher and a teacher.

Reata’s favorite place is on the back of a horse!

Helping Cody wrestle calves at branding.

Ryder and Reata showing Goats at the fair.

Ryder and Reata showing bucket calves at the fair. These two happen to be baby jerseys.

Ryder’s Highlights:

He is in 1st Grade and really likes it.

Loves anything that has to do with the Marines and guns and knives.

His future plans include joining the Coast Guard and then becoming a Marine. O, and he wants me to add that he will be flying helicopters!

O Ryder!! He keeps us on our toes for sure. Photo Credit: Kevin Myers

Fun Family Facts:

We hosted a whole school, K-12, for the Eclipse. We had over 200 kids and adults on the Circle L.

Just one of the photos of the Eclipse on the Circle L Ranch. It was AMAZING.

A photo of what the Circle L Ranch looked like heading into the the total Eclipse.

We attending a cold, fun Wyoming Cowboy Football game with some great friends. We had a great time.

I attended Young Cattlemen’s Conference. It was a 9 day trip that started in Denver and ended in Washington, DC. It was quite the eye opening experience. We tour McDonalds headquarters, Chicago, and the our capital. You can read more about that here.

This was highlight of the Year for sure. I am beyond humble for the experience of being in the Western Horseman. Thank you for all the support and thank you Jennifer Dension for the opportunity

I was featured in the June Western Horseman magazine!

Have you ever been to the White House? If you answer is no, you should get it on your list. This trip was amazing and I am thankful that I was one of the Nebraska Young Cattlemen to attend.

Young Nebraska Cattlemen Hank, Adrian Smith-U.S. Representative, Jacob

Young National Cattlemens Hank, Deb Fischer-United States Senator, Jacob

Jeff Fortenberry- U.S. Representative Nebraska

The twins doing twin stuff. Like doing tricks off the back of Bozo.

We are really just a ranch family that has a lot of love. Just look at this picture. It pretty well sums up what we are. Crazy.Funny.Together.

You didn’t think I could post this post without a few Circle L Ladies in it, did you? These ladies are what make our ranch work.

Cody keeps busy with chores, riding colts and day working.

Cody was Top Hand at a local ranch rodeo.

Raised 20 puppies this year.

Raised over 12 baby goats this year. They are super fun.

Favorite Family Bible Verse:

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. (Matt 10:27 NJV)

Favorite Family Game:

Horse Racing- Marbles and UNO

The Circle L blog page went under construction this year. I moved it from blogger to wordpress. I am liking it better and I hope that you are too. My goal for the blog is to be friendly, provide you with stories, recipes, tips and love. Make sure that you sign our guest book.

With that, here is the top 5 blog post of 2017.

Circle L Ranch Blog Top 5 2017 Posts:

We had a pretty good year, we know 2017 would not have been nearly as fun without all of our wonderful friends and family. So thanks for cheering us on, praying for us, lending a hand, and providing us with love and laughter all year long. Sending you lots of joy, peace and love this season and for the next year, 2018! We would love to hear from you!! You are always welcome.
~Cody, Naomi, Cade, Kason, Ryder, Reata

Fun Fact Friday-#BeefMeet

What an honor to have my picture with this Cowboy.
Philip Ellis, is the President of the National Cattlemens Association but
I know him as Amanda’s Dad. Amanda and I were classmates at Chugwater
School. Thank you, Philip for all you do for our Ag Community.

This week, my friend Terryn (visit her blog at FaithFamily and Beef) and I attended the Nebraska Cattlemen Convention for a couple of days. It was held in Kearney. If you are not familiar with the Cattlemen Association, it is a group of Ag professionals, farmers, ranchers, college students, high school students, and businesses that all have the interests in agriculture.

If you are interested in more about the National Cattlemens please visit their website: http://www.beefusa.org/
and if you are interested in Nebraska Cattlemen, please visit their website: http://www.nebraskacattlemen.org/

I encourage you to join both of these organizations. They are so important to the Ag Community.

Make your voice heard on the issues that matter to you and the future – join Nebraska Cattlemen today!

We attended the Opening General Session and heard from the Nebraska Cattlemen President, Dave McCraken, and from Pete McClymont, Nebraska Cattlemen Exec., and Vice President, Dr. E. John Pollak, Director at US. MARC and Philip Ellis, President of the National Cattlemens. We also heard about the Beef program in schools in Nebraska. If you recall, I wrote an article for the Nebraska Cattlemen about Beef in Morrill County Schools. You can read it here. All in all, the Opening General Session was full of facts, laughs and eye opening statements. We as an Ag Community, need to stand together.

The second day, we attended a meeting by Dave Specht. His presentation was titled, “Transition Planing is Optional… Well kind of.” It was awesome. If you ever want to know how to ask the questions like, “When do I get to take over the ranch?’ or “What are your future plans for the family farm?” You need to read his book, The Farm Whisperer – Secrets to Preserving Families and Perpetuating Farms.

“Have courage to ask hard questions, it’s worth it.” – Dave Specht

We also attended a meeting about VFD’s and judicious use of antibiotics. VFD’s stands for Veterinary Feed Directive. You see, both of these subjects are important to me and you.
VFD’s are a written statement by a vet for treatment of antibiotics in cattle herds.
Judicious use of antibiotics is simply what we all practice when giving an antibiotic for ourselves, our kids and/or our animals. We need to use them timely, when needed, use them effectively and follow all directions. This information was good to hear.

“Thou Shalt Read and Know Thy Label.”

We also heard that 1 beef animal gives 462 people an eating experience. Now that is a beef fact.

We concluded our Nebraska Cattlemen’s Convention with a huge, delicious steak at the Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation Lunch. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

My Fun Fact Friday is this:

It is worth it to join the Nebraska Cattlemen and the National Cattlemens Beef Association so that YOU can be involved in the future of Ag! Hit me up if you have questions!!

Morrill County being recognized for our Beef in School Program.
I have been nominated to sit on the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Beef in
Schools Program. I am honored to help Nebraska Schools add
Beef in their lunch programs. Beef. It’s What’s for Lunch at our
School.

I ran into a friend that I meet at the Nebraska Young Cattlemens
Conference a couple years ago. Shannon, thanks for all you do for
our Ag Community.

I am pretty sure that Taggert was the littlest cattle-women at the convention.
Thank you Terryn for letting me tag along with you to Kearney. You’re the best.

And when Ranch Wives go to the city,
they must stop at Starbucks!!
Thanks for stopping for drinks, T!!

2O17! Our Year in Review!

2017 at the Circle L Ranch

Fun Fact Friday-#BeefMeet

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