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Living

I Would Choose This Ranch Life Every Time

  • 2  Minute Read
Ranch scene
Image via Kamrie Smith

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I hear is the bellow of the cattle and the whinny from the horses, reminding me it’s time to feed them.  

The sun gently peeks through the open window, and I can smell the alfalfa out in the field as I kneed some fresh bread for the week. 

My kids get to run barefoot outside and ride with their daddy in the tractor when mommy needs a break. 

As I work in my garden, I get a soft mist from the nearby sprinklers that are helping the hay crop thrive.

RELATED: Somewhere Along the Way, This Farm Became My Passion Too

During calving season, my girls get to experience the joy in new life and care for the babies whose mothers can’t feed them. 

When it’s time to move cattle, we saddle up our horses (or in some cases gas up the four-wheelers), and head out for a day in the mountains, soaking up God’s creation. 

Some days my husband leaves at dawn and hardly stops until dusk, but we always make time for a lunch break together. 

My children get to grow up near their grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends who have become family. Because ranching is oftentimes a group effort.

RELATED: Raising Our Kids Near Their Cousins is the Greatest Gift We Could Ever Give Them

My girls will learn from a young age what it means to have a strong work ethic and a soft hand. They will learn to respect the land and the animals that allow us to have this lifestyle in the first place. 

The work is hard, and the paycheck may be sparse at times, but I would pick the ranch life every time. 

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Kamrie Smith profile image Articles by Kamrie Smith

Kamrie Smith

Kamrie is a rancher’s wife, a mom of two girls, and an EMT. In her free time she enjoys horseback rides in the Montana mountains, coffee walks with friends, playing with her girls, and jotting down thoughts to share with others.

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