4H Fair Projects

The 4H fair starts on Friday. It didn't work out for her to be in the Dairy Club this year and have a calf but Madison, Quinn and Nate joined the 4H Minutemen and entered 3 projects. This year the 4H focus is on health. She made a poster on Broken Bones. She also made a fleece blanket with knotted edges and last night she spent 3 hours decorating her cake. We went to 3 different stores over the last 1 week, looking for their strict size requirements for the styrofoam "cake" part of it and finally found them last night at JoAnn Fabrics!! Tracy took Madison and Alexa in today for the cake judging and they both brought home blue ribbons so they were delighted. The other 2 items won't be judged until closer to the end of the week. Quinn is entering a First Aid Kit (along with the health theme) and a model airplane. He hardly stands still enough for me to get a picture so I need to take those yet. Jeff, Amy and the girls are coming out for a few days next week and will go to the fair with us. Sunday is the parade (which lasted 4 hours last year) and then the Nicole C. Mullin concert is free at the fair on Sunday night. I'm praying for cooler weather! It's been blazing HOT this week.

Tonight Quinn goes to get fitted for his football equipment prior to football camp next week (2 hours each day). This Monday Madison started daily beginning band from 8-8:45am, M-F... until school starts. Are they serious about their band out here or what?! Tracy and I are car pooling Madison and Alexa to/from band so that works out well. They both are playing percussion instruments. I take them on my way to work and she picks the girls up and brings Madison home.

Other than that, Tony and I can be found at work. That's what's going on in our lives this week. What's going on in yours?

4H Fair Rodeo

Here are some pictures from the rodeo at the fair.
What do ya think?

Dairy Show

Madison and Katie (and many others) are washing

their calves before the sun is even fully up.

What ambitious young ladies.

Today started out awfully early. I went to bed at 12:30am and didn't sleep well because I knew I had to get up at 5am. I set 2 alarms even! Madison and I were at the fair grounds by shortly after 6am this morning. The calves had to get washed early to allow for their coats to dry. ... so that they could be clipped, sprayed with super-duper cow hairspray "stuff", sprayed with black cow paint "stuff" to cover up the hairspray "stuff"... (sorry to be so technical) have their tales ratted, their faces carefully washed and brand new halters put on. Whew! Thank goodness the kind, wonderful farming family has teenage boys who know what they are doing! They were quite busy with all of their family's cows this morning.

I'll keep this short tonight because I'm EXHAUSTED but I knew that the g'mas, g'pas, aunts/uncles/cousins/friends would be checking their blogs to see how it went today and I couldn't let them down.

Madison and Katie did very well today. They each got blue ribbons... and a $5 bill (?). Sue, the farmer's wife aka "cow expert" gave them each a big compliment on how well they handled their calves, how confident they looked... all in the face of competing with kids who have grown up on the farm and been to a bazillion cow shows. I can write more about it later when I have more time.

I posted some pictures for you though!

Dairy Show Pictures

Double click for a better view.

I have to tell you the story behind the picture at the 3 o'clock position. This was taken in the showmanship competition. The judge asked the 4H'er the same question. He asked the kids "If you could change something about your animal, what would you change?" I think he was looking for something like... fuller in the ribs (?), straight legs (like I even know?). Anyway, Madison is walking away from the judge in this picture. The kids didn't know what the question was going to be. I asked Madison what she said. She said, "I didn't know what to say... so I said I wish she had a longer tail." Isn't that the cutest? I laughed so hard! The judge told the audience at the end that he asked that question and then said that he got some very interesting answers and some didn't answer at all. I told Madison that it was better than not saying anything at all. (And the judge had something to laugh about on the way home!).

Yes, Madison was so tired by the end of the day that she laid her head down on that picnic table after supper and fell asleep for about 10 minutes!

Quinn at the 4H fair

Here is my airplane model for Exploring 4-H.
Now, what can I eat next?

Taylor Hicks Concert

Just after the fair board released their entertainment plans for the fair I promised Madison that we could go to the Taylor Hicks concert. We faithfully voted for him during American Idol from the very first time you could vote. Well... I didn't know it then but we would have to be at the fair grounds by 6am the next day! Needless to say we got home at 11pm! We had a great time though! We both enjoyed the concert a lot. It was LOUD!... we both had to plug our ears at times and we were clear up in the grand stands. Taylor seemed very humble and kind of in awe that people would actually come and hear him sing. His band was great!

This was our view... from the grand stands. Madison counted 42 speakers!! Why does it have to be so loud? (Do I sound like I'm getting old?)


He is playing the harmonica and guitar in this picture.




It was a beautiful summer evening with something special to do with Madison tonight!

Pretty Cows?

Here are some pictures from the 4-H fair today. Ed & Eileen, Joshua, Jeremiah and Jacob stopped by the dairy barn. Ed had perfect timing as the girls could use some help washing their calves for the first time. Once a farm boy, always a farm boy. It took Madison and Katie 1 hour and 15 minutes to wash them. I hope that gets faster or we'll have to get here VERY early on Tuesday morning, before they show them at 9am.
Actually after they have been cleaned up I've decided that cows can really be a pretty animal. Their eyes are so expressive. They are soft as can be now. Someone has to sit by their stall for basically 12 hours a day to make sure their stalls stay clean.(Poo-Patrol).


How do you liked the "teased" look in her tail now?

Madison decided tonight that she wants to go to college to major in agriculture so she can learn to be a farmer. She decided not to be a vet because she could never put an animal to sleep. (I wonder how many times this major will change?).

I can't tell you how much she is enjoying this calf... does the picture say enough?

PS... Tony and Quinn are home from basketball camp. I'll write more about that when I have more time. They had a really good time!

Championship Cake

Wow! Imagine our surprise as Madison and I walked up to see her cake tonight at the fair! She got the championship ribbon!! Neither one of us could believe it! She was initially so disappointed in her cake that I almost told her to forget it... she didn't have to take it! I'm so glad I didn't. There were 33 cakes in her beginner level. One of the cakes is going to the state fair and then her cake won the next highest honor out of all those cakes. How cool is that??? I guess our cake decorating class paid off. She is thrilled!

Madison and I had a great time at the fair tonight. The weather was absolutely perfect. We were there almost 6 hours! We went and worked in the Dairy Barn (selling ice cream) for the the Dairy Club for 2 hours. We also decorated Crisp's stall with Karla and Katie. The calves come to the fair on Sunday afternoon. The showing is Tuesday morning at 9am. Madison is so excited about it. We went to see the empty stall 3 different times tonight! ...Just to look at the sawdust and the decorating. She absolutely can't wait. She said that "after humans, animals are the absolutely the best thing that God created on earth."

Tony and Quinn went to the father-son basketball camp at Goshen College for the weekend. I dropped Quinn off at Rollpak on the way to the fair this afternoon. We won't see them again until Sunday evening. Quinn was pretty excited about getting to do something like this with just Tony. Madison and I said our goodbyes... tried to appear a little sad and then when we rounded the corner we said our YAHOO's!... Just us GIRLS for the whole weekend! He-he!! We are living it up. We are getting ready to play Scene It now and we are having a slumber party in my room tonight.

OK... we must get the game started, before I become a party pooper!

Love, Leah

Cake Decorating for the 4-H Fair

Here are some snapshots of the cake that Madison took to the 4H fair. She was disappointed and critical of how it turned out but I thought she did a

great job! I told her that she was a beginner... not a computer! She was also tired and moody when she made it yesterday afternoon so that didn't help. I took some vacation time from work to come home so we could make it before her softball game. I went to Michael's to buy the "stuff" and wouldn't you know it, when I got home I had the wrong "stuff". Grrrrr! You have to follow the directions from the Fair exactly and I bought a cake base that was 2 inches larger than the cake. It needed to be 3 inches larger. Abby volunteered to run back to the store for me so she exchanged the "stuff" while I got things ready to go when she got back home. That was a huge help!!! The cake is actually a styrofoam base. Madison found that there are advantages to frosting styrofoam... you can completed turn the cake and cake board on it's side because it's all glued down... and you don't have to mess with the crumbs that get into your cake!

Aunt Michelle took her to the judging today. Of course every thing happens during daytime hours. She did really well and got a blue ribbon. Madison was quite delighted because she thought she did such a "bad" job the day before... such a perfectionist! And guess what?... Michelle said there was a lady who complimented her on following the directions exactly by having the cake board the correct dimensions, including thickness. She said several girls were marked off points right away because of that. Whew. Her cake will be on display in the Home Ec building. For you locals... stop by and check it out. The fair starts this Friday.

Tonight was soccer practice for Madison and Tony. Only 4 girls showed up. Hmmmm, not a good way to start out. Must have been an inconvenient night I guess. We went to B & P's for supper and to spend the evening with Michelle and Jade....they are all leaving in the morning to go to TN and then on to Archie's graduation from Warrant Officer training in AL. We finally have RAIN so the kids played and splashed in the rain puddles... including Beppe in their soaking fun. We got home about 10:15 tonight and Madison and Quinn stayed overnight tonight and will come home in the morning. I never sleep very well when my babies are gone from the nest.

A beautiful Friday

The weather was so beautiful today... probably only 80. Madison, Quinn, Katie and I we went to the farm today to see Crisp and Honey. Michelle and Jade went along too. Michelle wishes that she was going to be here during fair time but Archie should be back in TN from his warrant officer training by then. That was the first time for Jade to see and pet a real calf. It was so cute! These calves are really getting big. Hard to believe the fair is in less than one month. I'm realizing that it probably isn't going to matter much to the judges on what the girls are actually doing with the calves... it's what the calves look like. Who has control over the build of a calf??? Certainly not us. Sooo, who knows about the judging. I would say 90% of the judging is done over things that humans can't control. (I guess good breeding plays a role... certainly not our role). I'm sure it will be interesting.

Madison had all-star practice this afternoon. I went to the grocery store, decorated Jade's birthday cake for tomorrow and Quinn and I planted some more "Spring" flowers! Finally!... I can check that off of my summer goals. I actually need a few more to fill the window boxes all around the edge of the deck but I'm happy to have gotten this much done!

Tony told me he woke up mad this morning! I'm like... why?!! ..."Because of the cheating in the game last night!" We easily decided that winning without using integrity, does not make you a winner. Unfortunately the general community does not see that. Oh well... the last will be first some day. It's not up to us to chose their punishment. (Darth Vader music playing now).

This is a very WEIRD feeling... we have NO games tomorrow!! We do have Jade's birthday party and Quinn would never ever let us hear the end of it if we missed the airshow! It will be a full day but will not involve some kind of a game. Weird huh?

Love to all, Leah

Stress Relievers

Hello, We had a good weekend... COLD but good. We tried to practice some stress-relieving activities. Some of "us girls" decided to go shopping and out for supper. What better way to relieve stress huh? So, Friday night was a shopping night and out to Don Pablos with Karla, Lisa and Angie. It was great. Tony took the kids to see the movie "Meet the Robinsons" and out for supper. They had a nice evening with just Dad, which was really good for them too.

Yesterday Madison and Tony had softball practice from 10-12 and then they ran a few errands. She was supposed to have soccer in the afternoon but somehow came up with a sore ankle after her Thursday night practice so she didn't go. She must have gotten kicked off the side of her shin guard or something because her shin is swollen and it's swollen down into her ankle. This is her second injury this season already (remember the back?...and before that it was the wrist?). I think I need to start praying about that...injury prevention. Quinn had baseball practice at 4pm but after 1 hour and snow flakes blowing around, they quit early (thank goodness).

So anyway, Madison and I went with Terry, Karla, Katie and Nathan to the farm that has the calves that Katie and Madison are going to show at the 4H fair this summer. This was their first meeting. The calves are about 6 weeks old. The farmers have a "system" to their naming of the cows because they are all registered. It just so happens that Katie's calf is named "Honey" and Madison's is named "Crisp"... pretty cute huh? We were there about 2 1/2 hours, touring their dairy farm. Twice a day they milk around 210 cows. Wow! It was a very cold but interesting afternoon. Each cow gives around 100-120 pounds of milk each day, this is approximately 15 gallons of milk per day!

Madison meets Crisp for the first time.

Crisp

Honey thinks Katie's fingers taste pretty good.


Today was church and then to Hacienda afterwards for lunch. This afternoon at 4:30 is Small Group at Rex & Angie's house and that pretty much wraps up our weekend. It sure went fast! I hope you all have a good week.


Love to all, Leah