Family Matters

Ok, Its official. I have recovered from the sale. It only took me two weekends and a new pregnancy body pillow...( oh, if you haven't tried one of these, you really ought to.. pregnant or not!) 

As I was looking through all my pictures of the sale it dawned on me and I got all warm and fuzzy inside.  The secret to our sale success time after time, year after year, bull after bull??? Family!  And I'm not just talking about the Hoag Srs and maybe a stray sibling or too, I'm talking about the whole ding dang family and then those that got suckered into our family whether they liked it or not.   Everyone comes together and lends a hand and ultimately, that is what the farming and ranching community is all about. 

My step dad and family police office, Mark always works the parking on the hill with a few neighbors that pitch in to keep him company.  He is a super trooper ( get it? ) and never complains that he has, by far, the WORST and COLDEST job of any of us.  We love him, others fear him, and everyone parks exactly where they're supposed to.  Sweet harmony.

My beautiful Mama, former TWA flight attendant, future grandmother of our little baby and the worlds best mom,  is always there first thing in the morning to serve coffee and eventually the highly anticipated chili lunch.  I know Mrs. Hoag greatly appreciates being relieved from this post so she can keep the relative chaos in order.

Then there is Hoag's older sister and her husband.  She runs the clerking post during the sale while he runs the entrance gate of the sale arena.

Next we have Hoag's friends. This is a prime example of "family" that volunteered one year and we've been fortunate to have come back each year after.  Chuck runs the exit gate of the sale arena and Paul runs the loading chute while the bulls wait to go in the ring.

Coffee? Tea? Chili?

Then there is Hoag, Cowboy John and I ( and the baby of course)  in the back sorting through the bulls and getting them all lined up for the big show.

And then the money makers of the team, ( or money takers to be more exact) Nurse Hoag and Mrs. Hoag take all the tickets from Hoag's older sister and turn them into receipts that then come to me for shipping and loading out and eventually are used as bills of sale.  They have a very very stressful job but luckily they have big pretty smiles that make everyone happy and at ease. 

And that's the team but there are are still even more people who help. Brittanie who took the pictures, my little riding buddy Kaelyn who ran all the tickets from one sister to the next, my little bro who was around for all the pre sale rituals, my big brother who was there to eat all the chili and cookies...  the list really goes on.  These "volunteers" are priceless and we love them so much for being such willing slaves... err helpers.. :)