Trip to Colorado

All packed and ready to head down the road

Last week, we were able to take a family trip to Colorado. We are thankful the Lord provided someone to care for our animals while we were gone, so that we could attend a Family Economics Conference in Denver.

As always, there was lots of food preparation for the trip - breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
During this trip, we set a record of eating out only two times during the whole week.

Tourist site

After nine hours of traveling in high winds, we arrived in Colorado.
This was a first for our family, and we enjoyed seeing the beautiful mountains.

The weather was gorgeous when we visited the Garden of the Gods

Enjoying God's amazing creation together

Mr. Bunny

All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such
as keep his covenant and his testimonies (Psalm 25:10)

A little rock climbing

"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
who hast set thy glory above the heavens."
{Psalm 8:1}

Planting Oats

As the weather here in Kansas thaws, so does life on the farm - it's time for spring farm projects! Last week Nathan was busy preparing the land for and planting oats on twenty acres of our property. It was a team effort on the part of all the Bryant men, and they were able to get it in before it rained.

Clearing the land of sticks and rocks

Discing

Nathan worked late into the night, while the weather held off

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up that which is planted."
{Ecclesiastes 3:1-2}

The Story of a Wild Steer

Ready to go...

Once upon a time we had a very wild steer. Roughly two years ago, our herd of cattle was spooked, possibly by a wild animal. Whenever we came near to fed them, they ran away like they were terrified. Gradually, they calmed down - except two in particular. They decided to leave our property and roam the countryside, refusing to cooperate with any of our attempts to catch them. Last fall, one of our neighbors was able to catch them in his fence, and then brought the steers to our place, where we penned them up in a corral pen. One shortly thereafter employed his wonderful jumping skills again, and was off to roam in freedom. The remaining steer went straight to the locker and was enjoyed by all at dinner.

The remaining wild steer seemed to never tire of gallivanting around several counties. Finally, another neighbor miraculously caught him in a small pen, but while he was on the phone telling us where he lived so we could come get the steer, he watched as the steer ably cleared his pens and took off once again.

Months passed, and we wondered if we would ever be able to catch this incredibly wild cow. Seemingly every farmer around had sighted and called us - none had success with capturing him.

This winter, he adopted our adjoining neighbor's herd of cattle as his companions. So after several phone calls, we were able to get the vet, our neighbor, and our boys all together at the same time, at the field where the unsuspecting steer was hanging out. His long-enjoyed freedom was finally drawing to a close. This was one tough steer, but he was no match for two doses of tranquilizer. Finally we were able to load him in the trailer! After he spent a long and very noisy (read: jumping and kicking) night in the trailer, we took him to the sale barn the next morning.

This was a blessed ending to our two-year adventure with a steer that was widely known as the "Bryant's wild steer."

After freely grazing for two years, this steer was huge

Captured at last!

Trapline Bounty

Samuel's Birthday

Happy 13th birthday, 

Samuel!

Samuel is our only child that was born on the farm. He's a true farmer at heart!
Here he is helping with chicken butchering.

Samuel, Happy birthday! I hope that your day was a wonderful one! Thank you for helping out around the house. It is hard to believe that you are already 13 years old! Keep seeking the Lord. I love you! ~Rachael

A miniature goat kid

Happy Birthday. Thank you for helping me with all the farm work. Thank you for being a good brother. Have a fine day!!! Jonathan

Enjoying summer watermelons to the last drop!

Happy Birthday Samuel!
I hope you have a wonderful day and a very blessed year. Keep up the good work!
I love you,
Nathan

Samuel is our egg collector and washer

Happy birthday, Samuel! I can't believe how fast these twelve years have flown by and look forward to what God has in store for you! Thank you for all the laughter you add to our family. You are a very creative and smart mechanic and I enjoyed our John Deere tractor ride yesterday! I love you -Sarah

Samuel is a hard worker...who takes breaks as needed. He cares for our calves each spring.

Happy 13th Birthday Samuel!! I am so thankful for you and I am so grateful you are our son. Thank you for all your hard work around our home and for your willingness to help with any project we are working on. I pray you will remain diligent to seek after the Lord and follow His ways all the days of your life! -Mom

Samuel's first visit to the ocean

Samuel - Thank you for being a godly young man. Your diligent hard work is a good example to all. I am very proud of you. Happy Birthday - I love you ~ Daddy ~

Some of Samuel's more humorous moments... 

Samuel can make the most incredible Lego creations -
This is one of his highly-complex combine tractors with a turning reel and tracks

"My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge."

{Proverbs 5:1-2}

Jonathan the Trapper

Ice Skating with Friends

Last week, we enjoyed an afternoon of ice skating with our friends

It was a wonderful surprise to see the Wood family at the skating rink -
we enjoyed visiting with them as well!

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
{1 John 1:7}

Christmas Joys

Horse-drawn wagon rides

Lights around the square

Gift shopping fun!

Enjoying a delicious Christmas breakfast

Hot chocolate

Matching Carhartt hats

Beautiful sunset 

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, 

but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, 

having obtained eternal redemption for us."
{Hebrews 9:12}

Christmas Blessings...

...from our family to yours! What a joy it is to set aside this day to ponder the incarnation of the Son of God...Who came to earth to live a perfect, sinless life, fulfill the Law and the prophets, and then shed His own blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Certainly this is reason to rejoice and to give "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14)!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

 and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 

and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, 

The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

(Isaiah 9:6)

"And we know that the Son of God is come, 

and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, 

and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. 

This is the true God, and eternal life." 

(I John 5:20)