4H T-shirt Designs

Each year we like to have a new club t-shirt.  Usually the club president takes the lead in this and creates a design and shirts are ordered.  However, this year our club decided to have a t-shirt design committee.  What a great idea!  This was something we planned to do back in the fall.  It just never seemed to work out.  So, here we are at the end of the year getting together to create a club t-shirt.  That's ok...better late than never!  And, I think it was worth the wait...we have an awesome simple design that I think the club will like.

The meeting started off a little slow with our club president (Caleb) quickly giving his opinion and sat back to see what others presented.  The design was a classic one on a black shirt and it would be okay but it would be nice to have something different.  It looked like the committee was going to accept his design and be on our way, until one of our quiet (yet creative) committee members (Ana) stepped forward with a design.  Actually, her dear 4H friend (Becca) pushed her forward to give it quickly to our club manager.  She had a great idea and we would have loved to use it but we learned that only the certified 4H clover could be used and this design was a spin on that design.

So, we were back to wondering what to do...when Becca came forward with another design from our second quietest (yet also creative) committee member (Tori).  This was the winner!  What a great job!  With a few minor changes, we had our logo ready!

So, tomorrow we present it to the club.  The decision was made that the design picked by the committee would be the one ordered.  We would not take a vote.  I hope the club likes it as much as we do.  Hopefully, you will be seeing it in future pictures worn by our 4H members!

A Learning Experience at the Ranch

Back from a long two days, we are pleased with our experience at the WHEP contest.  Last night we braved the rains to arrive at our hotel near the contest.  We even had time to have the teams break into their groups to study.

This morning we had hoped we would awaken to a bright sunny day, but instead we had a nice steady rain throughout the morning.  We were happy to learn that the time outside would be limited to a short walk around a field.  We rushed the entire group into my SUV and headed to the site.  It was a little crowded but it was one of the fun times for the group!  This walk gave the team an opportunity to walk the line with the "land owner" who pointed out key features, including problem areas and focal species.  Yes, it was a muddy walk but the 4Hers had fun with it...splashing through the mud puddles and laughing along the way.  Taylor, by far, had the most fun in this endeavor, but he was not alone in his splashing and mucking about!

We still did not know what we were doing, but we headed back to the building to write a wildlife management plan to provide for the American kestrel, Eastern cottontail, White-tailed deer, and Wild turkey to thrive on the property.  We had three teams (1 Senior and 2 Junior) in the contest.  I watched from a distance at their progress.  I could see that it was a struggle to create this plan, but they were not giving up in their attempts.  They were then broken up into individuals (later these scores would be added together for the team score) to show their knowledge of habitat management plans, wildlife identification, and biological facts of species.

Once the contest was over, I spoke to them about the experience.  I think we all agreed that it was not what we were expecting and we had a lot to learn.  These are a few of the things I walked away with from the ranch:

• Observation skills are very important--everything you see in the field is about details...details...details!
• Although we do not need to know how to ID plants, we need to know types of plants.
• Memorizing a chart is great tool for beginners but knowing how the plan comes together is the most important tool we need under our belt.
• For the team plan, we need each individual to have a mastered skill that can be honed.  When the team comes together each skill can be utilized to the fullest which will help to avoid a gap in the management plan.
• We know our strengths are gleaned from the Wildlife project.  None of our individuals struggled with the wildlife ID or biological facts parts of the contest.  
• Vocabulary is the key to getting an answer correct, especially on a multiple choice question.

All of the bullet points are great to help us with the skill set of the project.  However, most important we learned that sometimes the best choice is to jump in and try even if you are not quite ready.  It reminds me of when I first learned to swim.  I had been taught all the skills to swimming.  However, I had not used these skills in the water.  So, my mother said to jump in and she would be there to help me if needed.  OK...I will admit I was a little scared and nervous...afraid of what might happen...concerned about if I failed or did not do everything just right others would laugh at me.  However, I did it!  I jumped in and tried to swim!  I did not have a perfect stroke and even sank to the bottom a little while but I attempted to swim.  And, eventually after practicing in the water, I got better and perfected my strokes.  

Our 4Hers jumped in the deep yesterday and tried something new.  They had all been given the skills (from a crazy leader who knew nothing when we started!) to the best of our ability.  We kind of sank to the bottom (I will admit we placed last all around.), but we learned from the experience.  We grew stronger in our skills and learned some formatting skills as well.  We will be better for the next time!  You have to start somewhere to know where you are going.  And, I like to think that we learned that "to make the best better" sometimes you have to be at the bottom because that means there is only one direction to go from there and that is up!  I am proud of our 4Hers (David, Katy, Sean, Joseph, Zachary, Henry, Caitlin, Taylor and Naomi) once again.

And, I can't end the post without thanking my little troopers (and some bigger ones)!  The younger siblings (Edward, Treavor, Trent and Brendan) made the best of sitting in the car most of the morning due to the rain.  Then found a spot to play games.  Once the rain stopped they ran themselves silly around the ranch and wore themselves out.  Also, the moms (Renee and Robin) who braved the rain and the lead car's sometimes misguided direction to get the 4Hers to the contest and back home safely.  The rain came down hard during the travel time, especially late last night on the way home!  So thankful also to all those who prayed for our safety on the trip.

Finally, a few words of thanks to Larry Hysmith who works so hard for all the participants to have a good experience at the contest.  I have been to a lot of contests over the years and I have NEVER seen a coordinator for an event try so hard to make it a positive learning experience for the 4Hers.  He was always right there to help everyone get back on track and encourage them to do their best.  He is a great example to the 4Hers and their parents to always strive "to make the best better!"  We are looking forward to him coming to teach the group in May along with his dog, Clover.

Preparing for a Wet Contest!

So we are finally here...the night before we leave for our first WHEP contest.  I cannot help but wonder how this will turn out.  Th weather is not looking to be too favorable....rain ...rain...and more rain!  However, we have been through this before and it seems to happen when we go to the Houston Rodeo often.  Say a little prayer for our safety as we travel to and fro.

There really is not a lot we can do to prepare.  Wear old shoes and maybe a rain coat of some kind.  The show must go on...or in this case the contest!  The judges tell us that if we go int this field of work there will be wet days.  My guess is those who work in this field have the sense to write reports in the office on these days...but such is the experience when you are in nature projects.  As long as it is not a gully washer the 4Hers love it!  And the parents at least have a place to sit out of the rain.

I think the teams are excited about the adventure.  We practiced on Tuesday and it was fun to watch.  I wish I had had a video camera because these are the kind of memories you do not want to forget (black mail opportunities...LOL!).  Actually, what I loved is that they were having fun while learning something about the contest.  Also, they are learning to speak in front of others.  We even had a parent graciously substitute for a team member (thanks Renee!).

So this is just a preview of what is to come in future posts.  Get ready for the adventure!  We should have some interesting tales to tell when we return!


Pictures from the website (not our kids yet!)

100 Casseroles!!!

A month ago we were sitting around as parents trying to think of a fundraiser that would help defray the cost for the contests we would attend this spring.  We would need to pay for one overnight stay in the Houston area for the WHEP contest at the rodeo, along with a four day trip to the State contest the next month.

So, I thought of a casserole sale.  We would ask our friends and family to order from a choice of four casseroles.  At the time I thought we would set a goal for 50 casseroles and hope for the best.  We would not give a price but ask for donations.  Last Friday, I had all orders in and found out that we had orders for over 100 casseroles!


After I got over my shock, I set about gathering what was needed to make that many casseroles, such as  ingredients, pans (2 sizes), equipment, and MY SANITY!!!!  LOL!  But even then it really did not seem too bad.  I had my list and went grocery shopping and gathered equipment.  All was good!

Today was set aside for everyone to come to my house for casserole assembly.  Yesterday, the boys and I worked to cook meat and create the main sauces.  Other ingredients were set up in neat little rows for easy access.  I had 3 stations set up: cooking, assembly, and finished product.  All was good!

This morning we began with little stress and we had the set up working well for us.  Although the counters were so full of supplies that the idea of having three stations was blown out the window!  We started with a traditional lasagna...we made it through half the number needed when we ran out of sauce.

No problem we set up another batch of sauce to simmer and started on the next casserole.  This one was an easy one, a family recipe called Shoestring Ole.  We had fun making these with a shout of "Ole!" after each completed casserole!  We were done with this portion of the fun by noon.

We got all the kids a lunch of hot dogs and chips thanks to Jim who worked the grill while we continued to assemble MORE casseroles.  This time we were working on Chicken Lasagna and Chicken Spaghetti (easy to work together because the same sauce base was used).  The chicken lasagna is a delicious recipe, unfortunately, it took us a long time to complete assembly.  We were not done by mid afternoon when some of our families had to leave.  Which was well past the time I thought we would be done!

So then there were 4!  Four families to put together the remaining pans of chicken lasagna and spaghetti!  Not to mention the remaining lasagnas.

Just about the time we were thinking we should take a much deserved break, in walks the ride for one of the members and of course he was ready to leave also after being in the kitchen all day.  However, we realized that we needed to make six more large lasagnas for them to take for delivery.  We quickly set to work to make these for him!

Once they were set and on their way, we were back in full swing and determined to finish the job.  We worked until almost 6pm when we ran out of some of our key ingredients.  We still had 20 casseroles to complete!  But, all was good (although it will be better tomorrow when we finish!). ;)

We were so tired!  We decided the best thing to do was regroup and gather final supplies and complete them tomorrow.  Not bad for our small group to finish more than 80 casseroles in one day.  And, you know, in spite of all the chaos we learned "to make the best better" by enjoying the time together.  We laughed and joked...the kids had time to play outside.  It was great fun and I would do it again in a heart beat...well, after my feet stop hurting from standing all day!  LOL!

Oh, and believe it or not in all of this casserole making we also were able to practice for our upcoming contest!  I set up a mock contest for the kids to practice in the afternoon.  They did a great job for a first attempt.  Hopefully we will have time to study again next week.

I cannot end this post without a BIG thank you to all of those who supported this fundraiser!  We are all so thankful for the families who ordered a casserole.  I hope you enjoy the meal we have prepared for you.  May it bring a blessing to you as you sit down to eat together!

Deep in the Heart

Who knew that when I started this blog I would one day be writing a movie review?  However, I should have known it was coming.  I was told two years ago that this movie about forgiveness and overcoming challenges in life was in the making.

Where was I two years ago?  Sitting in a room of nervous 4Hers and their parents waiting to hear which scholarships our children would be awarded by 4H.  I then found out that my daughter (Amanda) was chosen to receive the Wallrath Scholarship.  It was a generous scholarship.  She was so excited!  She was also invited to a luncheon with Mr. Wallrath and the other recipients.

I remember her being so impressed that she was able to sit with Mr. Wallrath and a movie producer.  They spoke to the group about a movie that would be made about Mr. Wallrath's life.  She was also given his book, "The Courage to Change Things I Can".  I read the book immediately and could not wait for the movie.

Fast forward two years, and here we are today!  The movie was not playing in our town so we had to wait an extra week to see it, but it was well worth it.  I will admit it was not the best movie I have ever seen, however, it was a moving story that showed how a person can seek forgiveness and redeem himself after making bad choices.

I took all of my children (ages 3-14 years old).  I am sure that my 3yo did not understand the movie but there was not anything in the story that would be offensive or scary in any way.  I think the producer of the film did a good job of showing the struggles of living with an alcoholic without showing too much.  I did have to explain some of the scenes (about drug abuse) to my 8yo but it was a good after-movie discussion.

Most of all, the story was about the importance of giving back to others, which Mr. Wallrath showed after his recovery and later success.  I also thought the producer did a great job of bringing in the idea that God was present in the life of Mr. Wallrath even before he realized he needed to change.

The only really disappointment we had was that there was more emphasis on FFA than 4H, especially at the end of the movie.  LOL!  Of course, we would want 4H to shine above all other organizations, right?  In spite of that, Mr. Wallrath has given us a humble example (sharing his flaws with his success) of how we should all try to "make the best better."

So, try to find a way to go see this awesome movie, Deep in the Heart, even if you have to drive a few extra miles to make it happen.  If the review is not incentive enough remember that Mr. Wallrath has said a percentage of the proceeds from the movie will go to help fund even more scholarships for 4H and FFA.

Hide and Seek with Letters

I think the photography group had a lot of fun with my last assignment.  I asked them to find letters hidden in their environment to spell out their names.  When I gave this assignment a month ago, I had no idea how much fun it would be myself.  However, now we are seeing letters in everything!  The 4h members were very creative.  I don't think I will ever look at a crack in the sidewalk the same ever again!

Here are some of their amazing designs.  I wish I could share all of them!

Be the first to guess all the names correctly and post in the comments section will win their very own name collage created by our photography 4H members!

Also, if you are interested in getting more motivation to take these kinds of pictures, check out the website with nature letters and a second website for letters in architecture.

After sharing our name collages, our awesome photographers went out to take some pictures around our pond.  Lots of great pictures!  After seeing a few of the pictures, I knew what the next assignment would be...Take a picture that would tell a story without words.  Stay in touch as we look to see what they think of by our March meeting!

Another Parent's View of 4H Events

I was telling one of the moms how I wished I could be at all the events we do in our club.  Then you all would not get so bored hearing about what my kids are doing.  So, she volunteered to be a guest writer on my blog and tell about their weekend at an event in San Antonio.  Thank you Brenda for the following account:

Talking about 4-Hers doing their best in all circumstances - There was plenty of rain - NO FLASH FLOODS!!!!  We drove in heavy rain from Shepherd to San Antonio. Then we found out that Treyton and Caleb would be competing in a COW BARN for the San Antonio Food Challenge- YES...that is what I said!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

On Friday - the calf show was in the same arena where they had to prepare their food.  Then the hog show  was in the same barn.  All of this was going on where the boys would be cooking.  Lovely smells!  

Saturday morning - heavy rain and hail.  We tried to keep the boys, adults, boxes and hot plates dry with 3 umbrellas.  Mud puddles are fun when you have rubber boots not 4-H cowboy boots.  We had fun and laughed a lot.

Caleb got 4th place in the main dish category with his Parmesan Chicken Tortellini with Pesto.

  Treyton also got 4th place in the fruit & vegetable category with his Texas Mango Salsa.  

Then we were able to enjoy some of San Antonio's scenery.  We took the boys to the Alamo, Menger Hotel (cool designs throughout the motel, Roy Rogers suite, Teddy Roosevelt & Rough Riders artifacts), Drifted down on the River Walk - a cold trip but educational.  We remembered our photography assignment (more on this later this evening in a second post for the day!) while on our trip down the Guadalupe river - it is amazing where you can find the alphabet. 







Took a visit to the Bighorn Museum & Saloon. Neat things that boys just love - big animals, guns, and science projects - (water running up hill).  Then God blessed us with the most beautiful sun for our stroll down the streets of San Antonio.

On Sunday morn we slept in.  Leisurely ate breakfast.  You know 4-H leaders are always looking for some thing educational - visited a Whole Store Market.   WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We saw some interesting food products.  We learned about coucous.  You know some country people had never heard of some of these products.  The Puntch's bought some blue potatoes.  We know where they got some of the ideas for the Ag Product Id!  The boys saw leg of lamb, lamb chops, lamb grounded meat.  Numerous seafood items, different cuts of beef, pork and some pre-seasoned meat.  A long tour - 2 hours.  The Morgan's bought young coconuts (they were white in color), and  jicama. 

We started for home.  Beautiful scenery!  We saw the results from the heavy rain.  We took a few minutes to praise God for protecting us through our trip.

Brenda, it sounds like you all made the 'best better' by making the most of an already awesome 4h weekend. These are memories that you just don't want to forget!  Thanks again for sharing!