Five Marys

Five Marys Five Marys raising all-natural pastured beef, pork & lamb delivered from our ranch to your door
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On June 4th, 21 years ago, I was bartending at a fundraiser playhouse auction when the crowds parted as I was pouring wi...
06/06/2026

On June 4th, 21 years ago, I was bartending at a fundraiser playhouse auction when the crowds parted as I was pouring wine... I saw this tall, dark and very handsome guy rising above the crowds. We started talking and I knew instantly I’d met my husband. And everyday since I’m so glad I went that night!!

I had gotten a random email at the last minute asking to help out at the fundraiser, ironically called “Dreams Happen” auctioning playhouses for an organization that rebuilds houses for those in need - and I said I’d help on the later shift.

He was on the board for Rebuilding Together, and supposed to bring a date to the event, but canceled at the last minute and decided he’d rather just go alone (to a playhouse auction full of married couples/parents!) I asked him last night, what would have happened if you’d taken that date!? He said “my life would have been so boring.” 😊

I was just starting to question what I was doing at a playhouse auction on a Saturday night when I saw this tall handsome guy coming to ask me for another glass of wine. I think we were the only single ones there and I was so happy there was no ring on his hand and his name tag on his bidding paddle didn’t have a second name there.

I knew that night that I would marry him - he claims it wasn’t until our first date a few nights later, since his memory on the night of the auction was a little fuzzy after all the times he had to ask me to refill his red wine glass for another excuse to talk.

We were pretty much inseparable after that first date and got engaged six months later and married seven months after that.

He’s the perfect companion to dream big and make things happen with. I can’t imagine life with anyone else!

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
21 years (I posted this story last year and the year before, but had to post again!)

* Also I started this post yesterday when it would have been 21 years ago that I didn’t know him, but we were having too much fun on date night celebrating so I had to finish the post today!

Scenes from a ranch shop… ✨Had to capture it while it was pretty “organized” and swipe for the cute happy birthday sign ...
06/05/2026

Scenes from a ranch shop… ✨

Had to capture it while it was pretty “organized” and swipe for the cute happy birthday sign the ranch hands made for Brian. 💖

Sleeping spaces… I had so much fun finding photos of all the places the girls slept on the ranch I had to gather some of...
05/03/2026

Sleeping spaces… I had so much fun finding photos of all the places the girls slept on the ranch I had to gather some of my favorite bedrooms along the way in the little house, the bunkhouse, the tent cabins and finally our pretty bedroom on our new house with the bed Brian made for us this Christmas! ♥️ Which one is your favorite? I have lots.🥰

04/23/2026

It still doesn’t feel real but I’m ready to settle in and enjoy this home we built! ♥️

A lot of people questioned the timing when we waited so long to build a house and then spent four months in Arizona, but it’s the season we’re in with our daughters to help them chase their dreams and the wonderful thing about building a forever home as it isn’t going anywhere, Lord willing!

And when I say roughing it for 4124 days, I’m not exaggerating, (although if you ask my daughters, they say I have a tendency to do that)

The first little cabin we moved into on the ranch that was 760 sqft and used to be a chicken coop. It was cozy but tight living and nothing but a wood stove to heat it. No dishwashers, no propane, one combined tiny bathroom/laundry room for all 6 of us.

When we outgrew it and moved into the old Homestead house built in 1868 we knew we didn’t want to invest a lot of in renovating it to modern standards because it would lose the historic quality (its pretty cool how original it all is!) and we wanted to save up to build a house with a better layout long-term.

But that old house was so cold… sitting on the west facing slope of a hillside, sometimes I’d wake up with frost on the inside of the windows and one time we let the woodstove go out in our gel topper mattress froze! The only plumbing was in the kitchen and plants grew through the walls in my bedroom. I didn’t complain much (maybe only to my husband on the harder days) but this new house feels like we earned it and I’m so happy to be here and settle in and enjoy it with my family!

04/23/2026

Cousin shenanigans 😂 they don’t always let me post their clips but talked them into letting me share this one.

They have their own rooms and actual closets now… but I still find them piled on the big couch together some nights. 🌙 *...
04/23/2026

They have their own rooms and actual closets now… but I still find them piled on the big couch together some nights. 🌙

*How many disclaimers do I need on this post? 😜 Yes they were always safe sleeping arrangements. Yes I made the crib and bunks myself. No they weren’t dangerous. Yes they do get along well and YES they still bicker like normal sisters and teenagers (it’s called interpersonal skill building;) Yes they are well prepared for sharing rooms in college dorms. No they didn’t hate it. No they weren’t deprived. No they didn’t want their own rooms until they were older. Yes they have their own rooms now. Yes I’m glad we toughed it out living in old ranch houses without amenities or much extra space for so many years to build grit and adaptability for their older years. 😊 *and YES we love our new ranch house and appreciate every night sleeping in it now!!!

04/22/2026

Lucky enough to spend the winter in the Arizona sunshine and a week at one of the most beautiful places on earth in Hawaii… but there’s no view in the world like this one.

We are HOME for my favorite seasons on the ranch. Green grass, still snow on the mountains, cows on pasture, new baby lambs, happy pigs, calving season coming, river floats, porch cocktails and ranch sunsets. ✨

* granted there’s a lot of work, dirt, sweat and things breaking and going wrong in between all that romanticizing but I’ll still take it. 😉

04/22/2026

Helen is the youngest of the twelve cousins on my side of the family and she’s cute, precocious and kept us entertained all week in Hawaii!! She goes golfing with her Dad and big brothers - but we sat on the sidelines together to watch my girls, Brian and her Dad hit a few at the driving range. She had lots of tips! We ♥️ you Helen!

Simo Family trip to Hawaii was the most amazing week! The whole family together in one place - my parents, their four ch...
04/22/2026

Simo Family trip to Hawaii was the most amazing week! The whole family together in one place - my parents, their four children and their spouses and twelve spunky grandchildren.

It’s not easy to get everyone together like this but my parents make it a priority and we are so thankful they do. The time together outside all of our busy lives is so rare and cousin time is hard to come by like this - all sleeping over in hotel beds, waking early for breakfast and spending the whole day swimming, pickleball, paddle boarding and drinking pins coladas.

Dinners together and drinks with my adult siblings and spouses laughing until we fell over and telling stories half of us remembered was something to be cherished!

And my parents making sure we all had a great time - my mom is the queen of kids games and ALL the fun, making every person there feel special and loved. And knowing how hard my dad worked his whole life to make something like this possible for us. He was up before the sun every morning putting our orange towels on beach chairs to get us set up for the day!

A trip of a lifetime and so lucky to call this group my family. ♥️

Mauna Kea you were good to us. 🧡

Address

11903 Main Street
Fort Jones, CA
96032

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Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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+15304684001

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