We sold our feeder cattle last Monday at the Madison Livestock Auction.

It was Joslyn’s first trip to the sale, which made me just a teeny-weeny bit proud and excited.

After all, her great great grandpa, her great grandpa, her grandpa, her mommy & her Missouri aunts have all spent a lot of time at sale barns.

Here’s my memories from the past four years of selling cattle.

Four years ago: I skipped my Monday & Tuesday classes at the University of Missouri to watch the cattle sell. My dear ol’ dad gave me this great lecture about why I should skip class to watch the cattle sell.

He said “Remember, don’t ever let your education interfere with your education. I want you to go to that sale and watch the cattle sell, how often to you have the chance to watch your boyfriend’s cattle sell? I want to you to pay attention to the auctioning style, the order buyers, the types of cattle, the group sizes. There’s a lot to learn at a sale barn. Especially one in a different state.”

And on and on he went…Dad’s are the best!

Three years ago: I moved to South Dakota and was living in a sweet little house in town. We were wedding planning that year. I had only been in SD permanently for three weeks. I had a job lined up, but it dissolved before it began. That January, I was trying to figure out what the heck to do with myself. Pretty soon after that, I started this blog & writing for a few clients.

Two years ago: We were newlyweds and my dad came to watch the cattle sell. I was sad/homesick/melancholy when he headed home that trip.

This year: We had a sweet little baby girl to take to the sale! And, my little sister Selestia got to come along as well. She got quite an eduction in northern cattle & northern livestock auctions that day, too. Hard to be sad on a day like that! It was wonderful!

Most people don’t have a chance to travel to different livestock actions, but in my family — it’s a bit of a hobby.

You’d be surprised at the huge variety from state to state, or region to region.

My Uncle Jon thinks this would be a great topic for a book someday.

Hum….