Out of all of my jobs, one of my most favorites is being an aunt. I have been blessed with 13 nieces and nephews from 2 of my 3 step sisters and my 3 half brothers. It is so much fun getting to be a part of their lives. From watching them play soccer, volleyball, or basketball, to roping, running barrels, and singing, or just jumping on the trampoline with them and listening to their stories. They are all so talented and amazing, and I am blessed to have a special relationship with each one of them.
My mom was married to my dad who had a son 13 years younger than her, my brother Chris. When Chris was 13, I was born. When I was 13, Chris had a daughter of his own, my sweet Ahris. Unfortunately, they grow up wayyy faster than I was able to get married, so I ruined our 13 year age difference in having a baby when Ahris was 13. The fact that she’s older than 13 is still insane to me, but I’m perfectly content with being an Auntie for a little while longer. The relationship with my older brother is such a special one. He can guide me from experience when I need it, but still be a fun partner-in-crime friend when I need a pal. The same type of relationship that his daughter and I also share. He and his little family have lived in Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and now Nebraska. I have made great memories from visiting them in every single place. Even the time I thought it was smart to visit ND in the winter and almost got stuck in a snow drift on the highway going there. Then it was too cold to leave the house the entire time, even Villa looked at me like I was crazy when I would open the door to let her out!
Not only have I traveled to visit them, but Ahris has gotten to come spend time with me each summer since she was 6 years old. Looking back, it still amazes me that her parents trusted their little girl in the care of a 20 year old who drank more than she ate! In all of the 8 years, we only ever had one accident though, falling off a horse and breaking her arm. (Not bad for an inexperienced aunt, right?) She has learned how to ride horses, dock lambs, move sheep camps, and go long times without eating. I don’t make her work the entire time, and she has gotten to enjoy evenings of playing in the creek, never ending puppy time, and making friends with the other kids that come help at docking. When I asked her what she has learned from spending time with me in the summers, I got a different answer than what I was expecting. She said, “...you taught me at a young age how to put in work, and also have fun. You have taught me how to enjoy what God gave us and how beautiful our world really is. You have taught me to just take a second and enjoy what is in front and around me. You have also created an extra little love for the mountains with me.” I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to instill these thoughts with her. How neat it has been to watch “my little Ahrissy” grow, and to experience our relationship and adventures that continue to change with age.
My other brother has two of the sweetest kids you’ll ever meet. Oakley is a petite, caring little gymnast with a spunky personality. Bentley is like a grown man in a little kid body. Coming across so wise and mature while still shooting me with a play gun around the corner. You bet they will get their share of time at the docking corral very soon!
A few times, my other niece Chloe, who is 3 years older than Ahris, would come too and I would have 2 little girls running around in their underwear and muck boots after long days of docking lambs. One year, Chloe came alone to stay with me for a week in the sheep camp during range lambing. This was a big and tiring job for a 13 year old! The first two mornings, 4:00 am came easy for her as she was excited to be out on her horse all day. The mornings after that I had to leave camp alone, while she spent part of the day preparing food and cleaning up the camp before heading out to meet me at the herd. These tasks were just as helpful, if not more, than her being at the herd with me though, as I do not feel like cooking when I get back at 10:00 pm, and she must have gotten sick of eating jerky and granola bars for every meal. She says, “I have learned when things get hard you don’t just give up, you keep pushing until the end. I have also learned that just because something isn’t going right in the moment doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. And to always put a smile on your face and have a little fun.” I have often feared that I’m not fun enough and work them too hard, what a relief to hear that I actually have taught them to have fun while working! I mean, what is more fun than working on the ranch anyways?
Last year, my 8 year old nephew Tibbs got to spend two weeks with me during the summer. Come to find out, boys and girls are quite different, and he was much more interested in shooting stuff, cutting stuff with knives, and starting stuff on fire. Low and behold, my boyfriend loves doing all of this same stuff. So unfortunately, my nephew decided it was more fun to hang out with him than with me! He still got in on some good sheep related work before abandoning me though, and we got to help grandpa Jim move cows.
The list of life lessons he learned is great:
How to fish better
How to dock lambs
How to shear sheep
How to crawdad hunt and then cook them
Wild goat roping
What not to do if you don’t want to fall out of the ranger when Koleman takes a hard left
Early mornings, late nights
Better eat when you have the opportunity
And he said that he "...didn’t like staying in the bedroom with spiders, so he slept every night on the floor in aunt Marie’s room." There’s never a dull moment out on the ranch! His little sister Tymber, also known as Sassy Pants, says she will come stay when she is older and they also have a one year old brother who will need to learn these life lessons too. I can’t wait!
I have a brother who lives in South Dakota with his wife and three kids. During my last summer of college, I spent the summer working for the Forest Service near them and got to spend time getting to know them and their first and only baby at the time. They have since had 2 beautiful little girls. I have gotten to watch Hadley play soccer and wrestle, he is quite the determined athlete. Competitiveness runs pretty thick in our blood, and you can tell he wants to win and does. Bexley is a pure fire cracker, with more sass and personality than a grown woman. She can hold her own whether it’s wrestling with her older brother or riding her pony that has as much sass as her. I recently got to meet the newest addition to the family, and spent the whole time staring at her beautiful eyes. Every moment I get to spend with them is a true blessing, and well worth the very long drive across the entire state of Wyoming. I think often of how amazing it would be if we all lived just a little bit closer. One day, when the kids are old enough to spend time away from their parents, I plan on kidnapping them for weeks throughout the summer to spend time in sheepherder country with their auntie.
Dottie, Journee, and Tatum. These blonde haired, ballin’, roping and riding, beautiful girls hold my heart. To have this much talent in one little family absolutely amazes me. Whether they are roping in the branding pen or the arena they are killing it. It is so much fun having them head a calf for me to drag to the fire, or tag along with a chalk stick while I give calves shots. Not only can you find them on their horses, which is where they spend most of their time it seems, but on the basketball court. A favorite sport of ours, and so much fun to watch them play especially as they get older. We have a high schooler… how is that possible! They can also play instruments, sing, and dance. Oh my, look out dad! Getting to watch Dottie play the guitar and sing, especially in front of a crowd, gives me the chills every time. She has such an incredible voice. When we all get together at the house there is usually a performance by each of the girls that brings tears to my eyes. My favorite though is when they drag me along somewhere to play a game or share stories and jokes. Long live cowgirls. These fun, sweet, loving, incredible cowgirls.
Not only do I have nieces and nephews, but my Julian cousins have children too, and counting! They are the next generation, the 6th generation, of Julians to work sheep on this same ranch. How amazing is that? I also have close friends with little ones who I am excited to get to drag along and to teach as much as possible.
I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of these kids’ lives. What an important and special job it is to teach our youth about working hard, agriculture, and the beauty of God all around us. Without this next generation, there are no ranchers. I put great emphasis on the importance of my job as an aunt and older cousin. The world needs these ranch-raised kids, even if they aren't on the ranch full-time, the time that they do spend here is just as important and teaches us all more than we could imagine. I love them all so dearly.
