Merry Christmas 2024 from the Badger family!

I hope this letter finds you and yours happy, healthy and full of hope for the New Year. I know this card with this “letter” is later than normal… I blame Canada Post… and my procrastination. But as my motto is lately, better late than never!

2024 was definitely a crazy one for us. We roared into January with getting the house built, starting our steer crop on grain full time and enjoying the snowy weather.
Having the floor finished was such a huge milestone. Things were starting to finally come together!
Late in December, we got the calves we kept separated out from their mamas (we’d weaned them with paddles this year) and so come January, it was time to get them going on full time grain.
Late January, Zoey’s 4-H steer unfortunately cast himself and died. Luckily, we went back to North 42 Cattle Co and they had some steers from their prospect bull pen they’d cut before Christmas and she chose another one. Good thing for us, as a club, we bought insurance on her steer and they paid her out with no problems.

As we rolled into February, the new house was starting to look like a home.
The cabinets got installed in the kitchen, our ensuite bathroom, and the laundry room.
The girls participated in their 4-H club’s communication event. They both wrote speeches… Zoey’s was about our summer trip to Jasper and Sylvan Lake last summer and Shae’s was about her pony, Sugar. I was so proud of the both of them! Shae had a teeny bit of stage fright at first but managed to push through and read her speech in front of everyone. This was Zoey’s first year as a junior so she had to meet certain time criteria and didn’t quite make it but she learned a lot and is planning a presentation for this year’s communications.
Zoey baked and decorated a very beautiful cake for the school bake sale.
Shae got to choose her lamb and buddy lamb for this year’s 4-H project. She named them Marsh and Chloe 🙂

March was a whirlwind!
Appliances were delivered… the house was progressing so well!
Cordell and I loaded up the kids and took them to Orlando. No, we didn’t go to Disney or Universal… but we did go to Seaworld and Aquatica. Our resort was super fun and had it’s own little waterpark which was perfect for the kids. We had a jeep rented all week so we bombed around… did some shopping and even found a real alligator tour in the everglades!
When we got home, the island countertop was finished and installed… such beautiful work!
Easter wrapped up the month with decorating eggs and a visit from the big Bunny himself…

April was crazy! Shae’s 4-H project changed from lambs to bottle calves in a quick hurray due to our dog, Newt wanting to hurt lambs. She entered the 4-H regional rally cleaver class with her heifer, Hershey, and the costume class with the little steer calf, Spot. She won both classes and took home 2 buckles (beef cleaver and benchshow cleaver) and a big first ribbon for her judging. For bench shows, Zoey won her decorated cupcake class and her cookie class. Shae won second with her cookies and first with her coloured drawing. The girls are both looking forward to the 4-H regional rally again in 2025!
Cordell and I celebrated our 13th anniversary at a Oilers vs Canucks game… Canucks won so yay for me!
Our calving season started with a couple of heifer calves hitting the ground before my birthday.

April rolled into May without a misstep… calving was in full swing, we had our 4-H pre-achievement and my riding mare, Miss, had a little mule colt.
With our 4-H pre-achievement, the girls learned how to wash and groom their animals. They learned how to lead them and show them to judges in preparation for Achievement day.
We pounded the pavement to advertise and bring buyers to our Achievement Day.

June was CRAZY! We managed to get the house finished to where we could live in it the weekend before Achievement Day so we were sleeping in the house but showering in the garage lol!
My lilacs, after being a little stunted last year, finally bloomed again! I was so thrilled that the house fire didn’t kill most of them off entirely.
Then, the day we’d been preparing for all year, came for us… June 10th was 4-H Achievement Day! Shae showed Hershey, her heifer bottle calf. Zoey showed her steer, Shady and then sold him for a cool $5/pound. Since he weighed in at over 1400lbs, she got a cheque from her buyer for just over $7,000!
We barely caught our breath and it was Zoey’s 10th birthday party. Since she hit the double-digits, we decided on a smaller, sleep over party. We hosted 4 girls for a sleepover… which included pass the parcel, a 1:30am glow dance party, breakfast at Smitty’s, a spray park and seeing Inside Out 2.
We celebrated Father’s Day in style with the purchase of our new yearling Charolais bull, Timmy.
At the school end of the year awards, both girls received awards from their teachers. Zoey was the recipient of the Honorable Heart Award and Shae received the Most Improved Award. I’m so proud of what they’ve accomplished this year in school.

School year-end awards meant the beginning of summer!
We kicked it off by sorting and shipping the cows up to the summer pasture and then heading to Red Deer for the 5k Foam Fest. Zoey, my sister Jenn and I got #filthyclean and had so much fun!
After we got home, we welcomed Mr Stan the bull back from his 3 year hiatus from our herd and hit the ground running into the Teepee Creek Stampede.
Our 4-H club was part of the groups who did clean up and 50/50 sales for the weekend as our annual fundraiser. My role as awards coordinator continued and Cordell spent the weekend in the infield helping with the roughstock during the rodeo performances.
Shortly after the rodeo weekend, we sent Zoey off to her first 4-H summer camp at Camp Artaban by Grimshaw. We missed her terribly but she had so much fun she’s vowed to go back every year she can until she can be a camp youth councilor.
The end of the month, the girls and I loaded up the 4runner and we camped at Rock Lake with the Badger clan. They managed to bring the girls’ pony, Sugar, so they could do trail rides with their cousins. We even set up the big wall tent and roughed it. Was a great time and looking forward to going again next year.

August brought some much-needed chill time… Shae’s 7th birthday was celebrated by decorating Sugar the pony as a unicorn… again. That pony is seriously worth her weight in gold.
Shortly after the party, I took the kids to Edmonton and Sylvan Lake. We were supposed to go to Jasper for a couple nights at the Miette hotsprings but, unfortunately, the wildfires took that from us this year. We made the most of it at the West Edmonton Mall, staying at a great hotel with a pool and waterslide and going to the zoo. Visiting Auntie Jenn in Sylvan Lake was super fun, as always. Lots of swimming in the lake, playing in the park and getting ice cream at the Big Moo!
Upon our arrival home, I had the amazing job of choosing our colours and booking the exterior install on the house.
Then Miss and I did the HD ride for a cure in the pouring rain for the first time in years. Despite the weather, was a really fun day with friends 🙂

September brought on hunting season, the beginning of school and bringing home the cows from the summer pasture.
Zoey hit grade 5 and Shae started grade 2.
Our bull from last year didn’t entirely do his job at the appropriate time. We ended up having a few calves up at summer pasture and another one in September after we brought them home. It’s a good thing he was cute so we kept him and his mama.

As we settled into October, Zoey had her first real big school science assignment. She and Cordell made a weather vane with a rain gauge! Very impressive work by both of them!
We had our 4-H beef weigh in day on the 20th. Zoey ended up using Shae’s bottle calf heifer, Hershey, from last year as a heifer project. Then she chose another steer from our neighbour’s 2024 calf crop for her steer project this year.
Shae will have another bottle calf for her beef project this year and so she won’t have that until spring. But in anticipation, we bought a Jersey/cross heifer who should be calving in April so we can hopefully use her to feed the bottle calves. Her name is Caramilk and we are looking forward to including her in our program.
The end of October brought a few more unexpected calves… a good-sized heifer calf from #53 and twin bull calves from #34! Who knew I’d need my calf-catcher in October!

November brought more change to our home… some outdoor siding was finally installed! This house we’ve been fighting so hard to build was so close to being finished. Having the outdoor cladding complete made it really feel like home. We know it won’t ever be like the last house but we, as a family, chose every detail of this one. The exterior being completed made it feel cozier and warmer, even. It was a delight to see it progress, day to day.
Remembrance Day holds a special place in our hearts as Cordell’s grandparent’s fought in World War II. This year, the girls, along with their cousin and Grandma, laid a wreath for their Kusyk great-grandparents and the sacrifice they made for our country. The Teepee Creek School also hosts a great ceremony where Shae’s class read a poem and Zoey read a poem solo in front of a small group of spectators.

What an amazing end to a tumultuous year! December has been so busy but I’m so grateful for every moment!
The girls and I tackled their 4-H books to make sure they are up to date and accurate.
They got to visit with Santa and tell him their wishes for this season since their letters weren’t going to make it this year with the Canada Post strike.
Cordell and I made it to Las Vegas for NFR… first time since 2019! We had an excellent sitter who not only watched the kids for us in their own home but made sure the cows and horses were good as well and gave us peace of mind while we were gone.
Immediately after we got back, we went full force into a 4-H weekend. Shae had an equine riding day on the Saturday and they both had a beef day on the Sunday. We brought Hershey the heifer to the beef day for some practice showmanship and she did so well! That ribbon-winning heifer was so good for anyone who wanted to lead her and we had no problems with her which made Zoey want to enroll and participate in the Peace Country Beef Congress in January so we’ll see if we make it that far.
Shortly after, the school had their Christmas concert where we held a live dessert auction to raise funds for the new school playground. Zoey baked a triple layer vanilla cake with buttercream in between the layers and fondant decor on the outside. She even made a rice krispie and fondant elf as decoration on the cake. All by herself! Her Pops (Cordell’s dad) bid and paid $100 for it then sent it back to be re-auctioned off and went for another $70! I’m so proud of what she contributed to the auction!
That weekend, we managed to find the time to drive to the bush and snag a fantastic Christmas tree. It was a great day to be outside and had a hot dog roast on a backroad after we found and loaded the tree.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading all my ramblings… we just had such a crazy year that I felt the need to share it with you all!
Feel free to leave a comment… I do read them all.
I hope your 2025 is filled with love, laughter and prosperity!

With Love,
Cordell, Pam, Zoey & Shae Badger
XOXO

Pam Marie B.

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