Bessie was so tiny when I brought her home from the flea market four years ago.  She weighed about 75 pounds.

She could suck down a gallon of milk in a matter of seconds from this bottle.

Side note: This is my all time favorite photo of myself. I don’t care how messy or chubby I look in it because this was one of the best days of my life (my other favorite photos are all birth photos so not ones I am comfortable having out there for the whole world to see LOL).  This photo is just so me – jeans, boots, t-shirt, messy windblown hair, and spending time with my animals – and Jake’s tiny finger is in it, too, because he was snapping pictures for me!

Now look at my gorgeous girl!  She’s shoulder height on me and still as much my bottle baby as she used to be.  She’s a wonderful mama to two beautiful calves, and she is so even tempered and gentle.  I’m so glad I got her way back when!  She put us on this path to farming (although chickens are definitely the gateway farm animal!), and she has taught us so much about cattle, compassion, and ourselves.

Happy birthday, Bessie!