Growing Up Country
Lot’s of memories from JCross Ranch home of JCross Oklahoma Natural Beef. Dirty feet, messy hair, and country music blaring in the background. Tromping through the woods, riding horses bareback, and sticking your bare feet out the truck window as you drive down a country road. An Oklahoma sunset. Playing in the woods until after dark. Dad teaching you how to drive (against Mom’s knowledge) when you can barely reach the pedals. Sleeping in the barn watching over the newborn puppies. Singing Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson as loud as you can. Climbing out the window for a night jump on the trampoline. Swimming in the pond but rushing back to shore because you swore you saw a snake. Getting bucked off of your horse. Knowing the words to every Josh Turner and Rascal Flatts song. Dad making you wear cowboy hats, big belt buckles, button downs, and cowboy boots to church. Crawling through caves. The first time you shoot skeet in the air. Bonfires, guitar playing, and watching the stars. Waking up at 4am to go duck hunting in the cold. Fixing fence, chopping wood, and training your horse. Shooting your first deer. Chopping holes in the frozen pond so the animals have water to drink. Picking flowers, catching grasshoppers, and running in the rain.
Memories
These are just some of the memories and thoughts that come to mind when I think of what it was like growing up in the country on our ranch. Nameless for a time, its now known as JCross Ranch where we grow our own all JCross Oklahoma Natural Beef. Warmth, love, peace, and lots of adventure. Nothing is impossible. Oh what a way to live and grow. Carefree and a mess most of the time. My sisters were my best friends and the ranch, which is now JCross Natural Beef, was our whole world. So many memories. Our hearts were full. I can think of countless crazy stories to share about the experiences that was my childhood. I am so grateful for the way we grew up, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Before we go, here is one daddy/daughter story that will warm your heart and make you laugh:
Adventures
Dad taught me how to drive. I was around 8 years old when he brought home a Polaris 6 wheeler. Classic dad move: he let us little girls drive it! Our route was to the front gate and back. I was so short I couldn’t reach the pedals so I had to stand up while I drove. I pressed the gas fine all the way to the closed gate. But when it came time to brake I kept hitting the gas instead because I couldn’t see what pedal to push. I managed to hit the gate hard enough to make a deafening echo but not damage anything. It was so loud Mom ran out of the house to see what was going on. After Dad rescued me, Mom told him that she didn’t want to see us drive until we were older. As soon as Mom went back inside he told me to get in and drive again. He winked as he said “you can drive as long as your mother doesn’t see you.”
Classic story from classic country life. JCross ranch is home to JCross Oklahoma Natural Beef but is’s also my home. The best place in the world!
