LITTLE COWBOY CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS ON AMAZON

November 6, 2023 by Sariah

FOR RANCH BOYS 3-9 YEARS OLD

Gathering yearlings and shipping yearlings tends to overlap. We’re in the middle of both right now. It’s like how Thanksgiving time and Christmas prep overlaps too. Despite people not liking Christmas to step on Thanksgiving’s toes, nevertheless, it happens. Generally, there’s some prep work to do for Christmas, just like we have to gather before we can ship.

Meanwhile; in between the gathering and shipping; ranch moms are asking, “What do I give my ranch boy for Christmas?” He’s got wide open spaces. What else does he need? The latest technology? Nope. The newest toy craze? Negative. Something that’s all the rage? Nada. As a ranching family, we’ve never followed the toy trends or raced to get the newest technology at Christmas time or any time!

Is there even anything good for ranch boys on Amazon? I think there’s a lot of farm and rodeo toys, but there doesn’t seem to be as many ranchy toys. I’m always searching for more ranch related and/or old west toys. The items I’m sharing are things I’ve bought for my boys/grandsons or they’ve received good reviews. I’ll share more ranchy boys Christmas gift ideas from other sites over the next few weeks.

Kids Teepee Tent with Lights It’s a cowboy teepee for a little cowboy’s room! I bought this for my three year old cowboy grandson. He loves it. It’s one of those gifts he can enjoy again and again.

Giving the Playmobil Western Stagecoach equals fun for days! My favorite part of this set is the little gold pieces in the chest. (Good luck keeping track of them.)

My boys grew up playing and building with Lincoln Logs. They used their imagination and created a ranch and town. There are a lot of different sets to choose from, but I like this one because it comes with a cowboy and a horse. The Wild West Toob figurines or the tube of cowboy action figures are a good addition to the Lincoln Log ranch and town they build.

The Schleich line of animal figurines are good quality. We’ve had a few of these over the years and they last a long time, even with rough boys playing with them. (I almost scratched this from the list because it looks like the cowboy is riding with a halter! The only reason it survived the cut is because I know these are sturdy toys.)

Big Country Toys is a good place to find some ranch toy sets. I think the 12 piece set or 16 piece set would be fun with the chute and panels.

Of course, ranch boys need a cattle truck and trailer to haul all their Schleich cows and calves around.

Every cowboy, big and little, always needs a pocketknife. We like a good Old Timer pocketknife.

Did you know there’s a John Wayne Monopoly? Certainly, this would be more fun for a ranch boy to play than regular Monopoly.

A Daisy Red Ryder is on every ranch boy’s Christmas list I think. You can also get the bundle option with the gun, a carrying case, BBs, targets, and a few other goodies. Perhaps, he isn’t ready for a BB gun, then try the old west shooting gallery instead.

Doesn’t every cowboy need a set of pistols? These are the ones my grandson packs around. Little cowboys need a good leather holster too. My dad still has a leather gun holster from when he was a boy and it was a favorite toy of all the grandkids. If you want a real leather holster, I would look on Etsy. Your cowboy will be happy if he gets a nice holster with a set of cowboy pistols.

This is the only cheesy item I picked, Western Bingo. It’s an easy game for little cowboys who can’t read yet.

Lastly, here is a simple gift experience idea: Jimmy loves the shooting gallery at Scheels. What eight year old boy wouldn’t love it? Put some Scheels shooting gallery gold coins in an old west money bag or you can put a few coins in several bags for all year long. Whenever you stop in at Scheels your little cowboy can have a shoot out at the shooting gallery.

Certainly, there’s other gift ideas out there, but I hope this gave you a few ideas for ranch toys for your ranch boy on Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more information.

Sariah

Three Things I’ve Learned as a Rancher’s Wife

March 6, 2021 by Sariah

#1

I have to be ok with some dirt in my house

I understand I can’t eliminate every speck of dirt in our home because of the work we do and where we live.

When all our kids were home, I had 18 feet tracking in dirt, nine people’s work clothes being washed, nine people taking off dirty hats, coats, and gloves. Nine people tiptoeing through the house with dirty boots saying, “I just need to grab something.” (I’m guilty of this too.) That is a lot of dirt coming in that I can’t control.

We sweep the floor in the morning and there’s dirt. We sweep again at night and there’s still dirt. I haven’t stopped sweeping, but I know I can’t get rid of the dirt 100% because of our lifestyle. And yes, sometimes a dusty, dirty cowboy will sit on a chair or a stool, but I can draw the line and not let them sit on the couch!

We do our best to eliminate as much of the dirt, dust, and hay bits from our home as we can. Although, I know some is always hiding somewhere in the house.

*Five of our seven kids feeding during the winter of 2018*

#2

I always have an idea for a quick meal and have extra on hand

I cook a lot and generally, I know recipes I can quickly prepare when time is short to get a meal ready.

One time my husband stopped by the house a little after 11 am and he asked, “Can you pack a lunch for five guys by noon?” I said, “What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” My husband said, “We had a change in plans. So… can you have lunch ready?” I pause as my brain gets a plan together. Then I said, “Yes, I’ll have it ready.”

This doesn’t happen all the time, but I like to be prepared when it does. I know what’s in my pantry and I know what I can make quickly. Usually, it isn’t a possibility to stop at a store or restaurant to feed a crew. I fill that need with a stocked pantry and quick meal ideas.

#3

It helps if I have a flexible schedule

I like a schedule, but that doesn’t always work on the ranch, so I have learned to go with the flow.

Sometimes I get a call from my husband and he asks if I can bring another truck up on the mountain because they’ve had a change in plans. Another time one of my kids has called asking if I can pick them up because their four-wheeler has a flat tire. Once in a while, my husband needs a part picked up in town because he’ll be gone all day fixing fences or moving cows.

All of these examples have happened to me. Repeatedly. What if I wasn’t flexible? It makes more work for others if I can’t jump in and help. We all have to work together when plans change unexpectedly. It may require some sacrifice to be more accomodating, but it’s always for the best. As I think back, all the times I’ve had to be flexible were more memorable than anything I had on my schedule that day.

Lookin’ for the Dust

February 10, 2021 by Sariah

The picture below is our view when we step out the front door and look to the north. Some days I am looking for the dust coming down the road to let me know my crew is close to home. Sometimes I’m looking for headlights because the daylight is long gone. Looking for headlights didn’t work very good for a poem. I’ll stick to looking for the dust.

Lookin-for-the-dust

Take Time to Stop and Smell the… Sagebrush?

January 14, 2021 by Sariah

I love the smell of sagebrush, especially after it rains. I wish I could bottle up that sweet fragrance and release it in the dead of winter. To me, the first whiff of sagebrush in the spring means seasons are changing, so winter won’t last forever. The smell of sagebrush means warmer days, calves, sunshine, no coats, and branding.

So…does sagebrush still smell in the winter? This is how I found out it does!

About ten years ago we lived on a ranch that was covered in a thick blanket of snow by the end of January. My husband was in another state with the cows on their winter range. He was gone all week and he came home on the weekends. The kids (six of them at the time) and I stayed at the ranch to take care of bulls and horses and other critters still on the ranch.

**Saylor is determined to walk up the hill all by herself**

We homeschooled and we didn’t go to town too often with the bad weather. The kids and I spent a lot of time together. One day in the middle of the week – we were all getting a little cabin fever. I thought it would be healthy for us to do something different, like sledding since the weather was decent that day. We had an excellent, big, sledding hill on the ranch. The older kids helped the little kids sled down and then they pulled them back up the hill in a sled. I took some pictures and videos and went up and down the hill a few times myself.

It was refreshing to be out where walls weren’t around us and we weren’t in each other’s space. Towards the end of the afternoon, the sun was starting to go down and I was standing at the bottom of the hill. It was overcast, everything was white all around us, and it was cold. I remember unexpectedly catching a slight whiff of sagebrush in the air. How could I smell anything under all the snow and in the cold? I thought my nose was playing tricks on me, but there was the unmistakable scent of sagebrush in the air even though I could barely smell it! That hint of sagebrush in the air was a pleasant surprise to my winter-dulled senses.

Despite the gloominess of winter around us, I went back to the house renewed. I knew the snow would melt eventually and under all the snow would be the sagebrush and its sweet, desert smell.

So, yes, sagebrush does smell in the winter, but only if you take the time to stop and smell it. I did that day.

A Russian New Year

January 7, 2021 by Sariah

Have you ever thought you needed to do something because you didn’t think you’d have the same opportunity ever again?

That is how I felt on New Year’s Eve of 2012 as we welcomed 2013. We lived in Russia at the time. We were working for a Russian company helping to build ranches and bring the beef industry back to Russia. I didn’t think I’d have an opportunity to see a Russian New Year’s again, so I tried to make the most of it.

Jeffrey and Justin were receiving cattle at another ranch so they weren’t able to be with us. The other kids and I played games and had snacks and eventually they all dozed off for a while. At 2am I woke everyone up and we bundled up and headed out the door. We piled into our loaf van, (imagine an army green loaf of bread on wheels) and we drove to a village about 15 minutes away.

Russian’s don’t celebrate Christmas until January 7th and it is not a big holiday, but New Year’s is a HUGE holiday! People put up New Year’s trees instead of Christmas trees. On New Year’s Eve people gather at their village’s Lenin Square (every village has a Lenin Square) for a BIG celebration after midnight.

Lights were on in many of the houses as we drove through the village. People— families, teenagers, and couples were walking to the Square. The Lenin Square in this village was packed with people and lit up at 2am! They had a big New Year’s tree in the middle of the square. There was loud music and food. People were dancing and setting off fireworks. Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden were in a booth doing a skit. An ambulance was in the Square and police were here and there.

*Low quality picture of Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden*

We watched and took in all the Russian festivities. I got a few poor quality pictures. I remember standing there and looking at my American kids. I thought, “I am in a Russian village’s Lenin Square in the middle of the night with five kids and no husband at their new year’s celebration.” Wow! I knew I probably wouldn’t ever have this chance to be where I was right then.

*My American kids at a Russian New Year’s Eve celebration at a village’s Lenin Square*

It was cold and we didn’t stay too long, nor did I want to draw any attention to ourselves because sometimes we really stuck out as Americans. We can say we have been to a Russian New Year’s party at a Lenin Square (in case anyone ever asks us). I was glad I did it even though it was in the middle of the night and cold and I didn’t have my husband with me.

Back at home, everyone warmed up with some hot chocolate. They were awake after their cold, night excursion. We didn’t play any more games, but I played a song for them by Rascal Flatts called My Wish.

Have you ever listened to the lyrics of that song? It is a great new year’s song.

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow
And each road leads you where you want to go
And if you’re faced with the choice and you have to choose
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you
And if one door opens to another door closed
I hope you keep on walkin’ ‘til you find the window
If it’s cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile
But more than anything, more than anything

[Chorus:]
My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold
And while you’re out there gettin’ where you’re gettin’ to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish

I hope you never look back but you never forget
All the ones who love you
And the place you left
I hope you always forgive and you never regret
And you help somebody every chance you get
Oh, you find God’s grace in every mistake
And always give more than you take
But more than anything, yeah more than anything

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

That New Year’s Eve in Russia was eight years ago. My six kids’ ages were 17 years old down to 5 years old. This song is still my wish for them every year no matter what their ages.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas From the Ranch

December 13, 2020 by Sariah

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more information.

We got our Christmas tree last weekend and we have been enjoying it every night. We cut our tree down this year instead of going to a tree lot in town. It is a pinon pine and it is perfectly imperfect.

This week I have been thinking of all the Christmas trees we’ve had over the years. We’ve had a real Christmas tree each year since we’ve been married. This is our 29^th Christmas together. A Christmas tree evolves each year like your family. Somethings change, like lights and kids getting older. Some things never change, like the tree topper and the magic a lit-up Christmas tree creates.

Trees of Christmas Past

One year we had a tree so prickly I could hardly put anything on it! It was given to us while we were in college and the price (free) was right, so we didn’t complain. Also, it was so poky that Jasper, who was almost 2 at the time, didn’t want anything to do with it. Bonus.

Another year I did all red lights and rocking horses. It was the year I lost my brother in a drowning accident. There wasn’t any particular connection to rocking horses and my brother. Someone gave me an ornament with a rocking horse on it after he passed away, so I decided it would be the theme for our tree that year. I’ve never done another themed tree since then, so it really was a special tree.

We had a ponderosa pine one year and that tree lasted FOREVER. I wanted to see how long I could keep it in the house. I remember putting Valentine’s hearts on it!

One year we took our Christmas tree down and hauled it out Christmas afternoon. It was so dry it was a fire hazard and needles were everywhere.

We’ve tried the big lights, colored lights, red lights, and white lights. The big lights almost caught a few things on fire and an old tree skirt shows proof of that. I’ve learned how to wrap lights so the tree will glow. It takes more time, but it looks amazing when it’s done.

One time we bought a tree, put it in the house, and let it warm up for a day before we decorated it. It was dry and dead the next day! We threw it out and got another one. It was an expensive tree that year.

Our Russian Christmas Tree

We worked in Russia for a year and a half and we were able to be there during Christmas. That was a memorable experience since Russians don’t celebrate Christmas. They focus more on the new year and celebrating Grandfather Frost.

A week before Christmas we still didn’t have a tree and the kids were dying. Joseph, Sage, and Sophie took matters into their own hands and walked probably a mile behind the ranch, in the snow and cold to look for a tree to cut down and drag home. They came home frozen and the tree they cut down was TOO big. It was like a very large, wide, tall Charlie Brown tree. That was disappointing for them after all the work they did. A few days later we went for a drive to find a tree. We found one, cut it down, and shoved it in our van. (Picture a military green Scooby Doo van.) It was still a Charlie Brown tree but we could fit it in the house.

We had all homemade ornaments on our Russian tree. We could only drape two strings of lights on the tree because the light strands didn’t plug into each other like we were used to. Santa still found us in Russia with our homely tree and normal Russian life carried on outside our door.

Christmas Tree Problems

I save ornaments for my kids so they each have their bag of special ornaments to hang on the tree. They would hang them at their eye level in one clump. I rearranged them after they went to bed and they never seemed to notice. No, I’m not a Monica Gellar.

We had one ornament of Jasper’s that would “hide” (it seemed) in the tree each year. We always found it at the last minute when the tree was about to be thrown out. I gave Jasper his ornaments when he got married. He can deal with the yearly elusive ornament now.

Tinsel was the thing to scatter on your tree when I was a kid. (I don’t know how my mom dealt with that mess.) We always found some piece of tinsel in July.

I’ve never had a flocked tree. Jeffrey remembers one of his grandmothers having a flocked tree each year. He said that if she didn’t like how the flocked tree looked, she would send it back and get another tree.

The tree topper is the one thing that hasn’t changed on our tree. We have a star and it lights up. I remember buying it at a Woolworth’s after Christmas sale. It has lasted ALL these years and through a lot of moves. It’s still exciting for me to see how it looks lit-up on top of the tree with the rest of the lights.

Make Memories

Our trees have changed over the years and we enjoy them every year and the memories we make with them. Our Christmas trees never look perfect, but they have always been perfect for us. Remember, under the Christmas tree is where childhood magic and memories happen.

Make it memorable, not perfect.

Here are some links to games that we play during the holidays. They are memorable and fun to play while you enjoy your Christmas tree. The adults, teens, and kids in our family recommend them.

Happy Birthday, Nevada!

October 31, 2020 by Sariah

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more information.

Nevada joined the Union and became a state on October 31, 1864, which was during the Civil War. Therefore, one nickname for the state is Battle Born. Some other nicknames are the Sagebrush State and the Silver State.

We weren’t born and raised here, but we love Nevada and it has been our home since 2008. Jimmy, our youngest, is the only one of our seven children who was born in Nevada. That makes him pretty lucky to be a Nevadan by birth.

What do we love about Nevada?

Of course, we love the sagebrush! To me, Nevada’s sagebrush has a different feel compared to Idaho or Utah, or Oregon’s sagebrush. It is all the same Artemisia tridentata, but…Nevada’s sagebrush is just cooler and it seems to whispers stories of days gone by.

We love the rich ranching history.

Ranching is a backbone industry in the state of Nevada. The history of ranching in Nevada is all around us. We like to take the time to learn about it. We read books about Nevada’s history. We also like to talk to different people who have been in Nevada for several generations. They have some good stories to tell. We enjoy learning about different ranches/communities and how they have evolved and grown or disappeared and become desolate and abandoned.

Here are a few books we have about Nevada history and ghost towns.

We love the lack of population.

If you look on a map of Nevada, it doesn’t have too many interstates going through it. That is ok with us. It means fewer large cities and more distance between each city. It does make for more travel time, but you get used to it.

Nevada State Wall Map Large Print Poster 24x30 image 0

We have made a lot of memories in Nevada and we have met some great people here. We hope you have done the same in the state where you live.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

September 2, 2020 by Sariah

The proverb, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is true in the case of what surrounds us in the high desert – sagebrush and old wood.

Not everyone sees sagebrush as a beautiful plant, but we do. We like the smell of sagebrush. We like the intricate detail of the plant enough to buy jewelry that looks like sagebrush! (www.josienash.com makes beautiful sagebrush jewelry) We like the unique silvery green color of the plant. Maybe I wouldn’t find beauty in sagebrush if I was pioneer trekking across the high desert day in and day out. Maybe I wouldn’t find beauty in sagebrush if I grew up by the ocean. Maybe I wouldn’t find beauty in sagebrush if lived on the plains. An Ian Tyson song, Roll on Owyhee, describes vast amounts of sagebrush as the “sagebrush sea.” We choose to find beauty in our sagebrush sea!

To me, old wood is something that seems to go hand in hand with sagebrush. If you see some old wood, generally there will be sagebrush close by or it could be intertwined with the wood. Of course old wood isn’t as abundant on the desert as the sagebrush. Some people don’t find beauty in old wood either because, well, it’s OLD! To the modern eye, only weathered, deteriorating wood can be seen. To our desert eyes, I know there is always a story behind the wood, what it built and its use. Sagebrush and old wood make a great team. They hold the secrets of the desert and stories of days gone by.

If you ever drive through Nevada, I hope you will look at the sagebrush sea with fresh eyes. To us it is part of our home and we find beauty in it.

I wrote this short poem about old wood and sagebrush- the desert duo.

DESERT DUO

Old wood and sagebrush,

Go together like teeth and a toothbrush.

Kings of the desert they rule,

Standing together acting rustic and cool.

Take hold of the weathered, old wood,

Transport yourself back in time if you could.

Inhale the pungent, sweet sagebrush smell.

Linger, don’t leave, the scent seems to tell.

Old wood and sagebrush are the perfect pair.

Growing old together in the wide, open air.

Always Kiss Me Goodnight

July 25, 2020 by Sariah 2 Comments

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more information.

I’m sure we’ve all seen a home decor sign with the saying, “Always kiss me goodnight.”

Do you say something like that to your spouse before bed or do you say something else, like –

“Good night, sleep tight, sweet dreams.”

Maybe you are more practical and say, “Don’t forget to charge your phone.”

What does a rancher’s wife say to her husband before she goes to bed?

I say, “What time do you need breakfast?” Isn’t that romantic? Let me explain.

Jeffrey usually has a plan for the work that needs to be done the next day on the ranch. Depending on what that plan is, we may have to eat breakfast anywhere from 4am to 7am.

Eating breakfast together is an important start to our day on the ranch. We eat together and then everyone is out the door at the same time to start the work for the day.

Breakfast is the one meal we always sit down and eat together. Not everyone is home for lunch and sometimes a few of us are still working when dinner time rolls around, especially in the summer. Breakfast is a good time to go over plans and visit as a family.

Quite often we will have guests at those early morning breakfasts. I do take a few minutes to put myself together and then cook breakfast. Even if it is only my family at breakfast, majority of the time I still get dressed and ready for the day before I cook breakfast. It is a good way to start the day.

Instead of a sign that says, “Always kiss me goodnight,” I need one that says, “Always tell me what time you need breakfast.” Nah, it doesn’t quite have the same romantic ring.

Here is a link to a sign or a pillow cover that says – Always Kiss Me Goodnight.

Pushin’ Up

July 1, 2020 by Sariah 2 Comments

Have you ever heard a rancher say they’re pushin’ up? Or maybe they say something like –

“Have you pushed up?”

“When are you pushin’ up?”

“I’m starting to push up next week.”

“I pushed up last week.”

What are they talking about? Does it have anything to do with pushin’ up daisies? No, it doesn’t.

Pushin’ up refers to moving cows to a new grazing allotment where the feed is better. Cows graze in areas called allotments and they can only stay in those allotments for a certain number of days as designated by the Bureau of Land Management. When we push up, it is typically to a higher elevation where the feed is still green and not as dried out as the low country. It could be up a mountain or it could be to another allotment on the high desert where the water sources are better.

Little groups of cows are gathered into larger groups. Cowboys line the cows out and push them in the right direction to help them find the gate to the new allotment. It can take a few days to gather and find all the cows, line them out, and push them up.

Let me explain this differently.

Imagine you have 100s of kids and they are scattered in Costco. Your job is to get them out the door by 5pm so they can have better food than the food samples. You spend all afternoon gathering them and another adult takes the lead so they know where to find the door. Gathering them and getting them moving in the right direction takes all day. Finally, you push them through the door at 4pm, counting them as they go out. You realize you are short a few kids, so you go back inside to find them, gather them, and send them in the right direction so they can make it out the door. This time they are all accounted for and they are pretty happy with the new food they get to eat.

It takes some time to push up. Day by day it gets done.

The next time you hear a rancher say, “I’m pushin’ up this week,” you’ll know exactly what he is talking about – finding all his kids in Costco and getting them out the door to have better food.

Jasper is on another ranch that has cows and calves. We only have yearlings right now. His push looks a little different that ours.