no act of kindness is ever wasted.

Dear guys,

What would I do without you?  Actually, what would we do without you?  Lord knows you're in our lives for a reason, and I'm certain it's for more reason than one.  A few weeks ago you left at day-break with my handsome husband and headed southeast to higher ground.  It was a chance to wear a coat, and get your feet wet too.  It was also a day to be a friend.  All of you are excellent at that.  Again, I pray I never have to experience life as a ranch wife without you.

There is something about being a friend in the good ... and in the bad.  I'm thankful you're not fair-weather friends, because I've come to the conclusion that there are more than enough of those type of people in the world.  People like you though, well ...they're hard to come by.  Lucky us ... blessed us ... we seem to have an abundant supply of bad-weather friends.

Friends that ride beside you all day long - and even into the dark.

Friends that trust what you say is true - and know that you mean what you say.

Friends  that will go to the end of the earth and back to defend you and all that is yours.

Friends that play with you and remind you to take some time to laugh.

Thank you Thad for taking time to play.  My boys will treasure that most!!

Friends that love your kids and your cows ... not quite as much as you do, but nearly that much.

Friends that help you sort the good from the bad and remind you that life is more than just stuff.  It's about relationships and real people living real lives.  Real people like you.

Thank you Tyler for nodding your head in agreement, for saddling and unsaddling, and for being a neighbor sent straight from heaven.

Thank you Terrill for just being there.  You've been a constant in Ian's life for more years than I can count.  Friends that know your herd almost as well as you do are few and far between.  I promise next time I'll order your sandwich with just meat.

Brock, you might be the youngest in the crowd, but you're worth your weight in gold.  Your quiet, yet handy ways of knowing just what to do and when to do it is irreplaceable. 

And Karl, well ... life is never dull with you in it.  There's always a story, always a bunch of laughter, and always a reason to come back for more.  Thank you for always smiling even when there's nothing to smile about.

I don't know if we'll ever be able to repay any of  you for the numerous times you've been right where we need you - right when we need you most, but we're determined to live a life where the evidence of that goodness we've soaked in is seen for miles.

Thank you for walking side by side with us.  Life is better with you guys in it - in depth, width and even height.

With sincere dedication to the industry we all love and the friends that make it worth it, 

Ian, Lindsay & the boys