The 4th of July

Staying home was wonderful.  We did still have company for supper and fireworks, but it was still low-key.

Roasting marshmallows for smores until it was dark enough for the ‘real’ show.

4-H Achievement Days 2012

Monday, June 25, 2012.  Officially known as 4-H Prep Day in our household.  It’s the day on which ALL the baking is done and many last minute tasks are completed.  We make sure all the small animals are clipped and primped.  Tack and food for the big animals is readied.  Clothing is laid out for the next day’s static exhibit showing/interview judging.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012.  Early in the morning, garden produce was picked, cleaned and set up for display.  Static exhibits (no animals today for our family) were loaded up.  Dash and I were assigned to be judges’ helpers, so we left for town early.

I sat at the sewing/needlework table, enabling me to hear Zach’s response to the judge when he was asked if he ‘liked his sewing project’.  His reply?  “No.”  Silly kiddo!  He didn’t complain at all during the project and he did really well.  The judges encouraged him to keep sewing!

Our kids’ projects for 2012:

Dash: Cooking/Baking – Pear Streusel Pie, Lemon Blueberry Quick Bread; Aerospace – 2 rockets; Crop Production – 2 grain samples; Welding – Snowmobile stand, Butterfly garden stake; Gardening – rhubarb; Poultry – rooster, hen; Rabbits – Senior Doe; Swine – barrow, gilt; Sheep – Mkt. Wether

Angelina: Cooking/Baking – Maple Pecan Cornbread, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies; Food Preservation – Bing Cherry Sauce; Sewing – dress, lace trimmed skirt, pillowcase; Crop Production – 2 grain samples; Gardening – potted flowers; Pottery – Hand formed name plaque; Poultry – hen; Rabbits – Senior Buck; Swine – barrow, gilt; Sheep – Mkt. Wether

Zeke (first year as ‘true’ 4-H member): Cooking/Baking – Brownies, Make Your Own Cocoa Mix; Aerospace – 2 rockets; Sewing – drawstring swim tote with front pocket; Woodworking – cutting board; Crop Production – 2 grain samples; Gardening – potted flowers; Poultry – hen; Rabbits – Senior Doe; Swine – barrow, gilt; Sheep – Mkt. Ewe

Graham (first year as Cloverbud): Cloverbud projects – 2 rockets, potted flowers; Rabbits – Senior Buck

After lunch, I went home with Louis!  It was definitely time for a nap.  Eric stayed behind to get the kids (Dash, Angelina and Zeke) to the Consumer Choices contest.  Dash placed 2nd in the Sr. Division, Angelina placed 1st (and was the only entrant) in the Jr. Division, and Zeke won the beginner division.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012.  Small animal (rabbit & poultry) showing began at 9:30am.  Dash, Angelina and Zeke showed poultry this year.  Dash won overall poultry with the Buff Orpington rooster and was also awarded overall poultry showman.  Angelina showed a bantam hen, while Dash & Zeke showed Ameraucana hens.  They were the only entrants in poultry.

Dash, Angelina, Zeke and Graham (his first year!) showed rabbits.  Our county had a large group of rabbits this year, making it quite a bit of fun!  Angelina was named overall rabbit showman.

A few families went together to order pizza for lunch.  We have such a fun group!  The Tractor Driving Contest began at noon.  Dash won the Sr. division this year.  It seemed to be particularly difficult for our senior entrants this year.  Plenty of stakes were bent, broke or knocked over by all.  They drove a large tractor and a trailer large enough to carry two snowmobiles.

Zeke and Angelina both competed in the Jr. division.  Lots of fun trying to maneuver the lawn mower tractor and trailer around cones and then back it into ‘storage’.

The swine show started at 3pm.  Dash, Angelina, and Zeke each showed a barrow and a gilt.  Zeke won both the barrow and gilt class – he was ALL smiles!  Angelina was awarded the overall swine showman.

In the sheep show, Angelina and Dash showed market wethers and Zeke showed a market ewe.  Dash won the overall sheep showman award.

Dash also won the overall showman award.  He, Angelina and another 4-H member competed in beef, swine and sheep (the only large animals exhibited at our Achievement Days). 

On to the ND State Fair at the end of July, 2012!!

Still here…

all of the kids have been gone – at the same time – for a portion of this week, allowing me to get quite a bit done.  The oldest two are home now, and working on 4-H or goofing off (‘said child’).  I’m not quite sure why I expect ‘said child’ to come home changed; seventy times seven and I must have a mean positive streak.

Anyway, some of the accomplishments:

1. Cleaned the school room thoroughly and re-arranged furniture.  Well, almost thoroughly cleaned.  Still need to dust the wood blinds – my least favorite task.

2. Made copies and organized more of the lessons and supplies for the coming year.

3. Planted and weeded in two flower beds.

4. Met for DRE training.  My head was practically swimming and I’m sure I left with a glazed look on my face.  I think the reality (unplanned, of course) of the baby arriving right when all the RE scheduling for the new year begins has finally hit.

5. Cleaned the basement guest bedroom, again.  And to think that the kids aren’t supposed to be in there, much less eat in the room!  Why should a mom have to find sticky ice cream sandwich wrappers, candy wrappers, and cups with dried chocolate milk tipped on their sides stuffed under the bed, dressers and wherever??

6. Planned the menu for next week.

7.  Finished sewing a summer maternity shirt.  I’m getting bigger, which means I’m growing out of some of my tops…and bottoms.  And, knit material is quite warm!  Time for some light-weight cotton.

I’ll leave you with a few pics of the youngest three.  They were up visiting Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres for the week.  Graham and Zeke attended CVBS (Catholic Vacation Bible School) with cousins and Louis was along for the visit.

Louis, left, and Cousin, Mr. M.

I asked my mom if she’d mind, if she had time, helping Graham (above) and Zeke finish up one of their 4-H projects.  There is a very nice greenhouse located in my hometown, so the boys had fun picking out flowers.  My mom made it a fun project for them.  They’ve had a great week filled with CVBS, swimming, playing with cousins, and playing baseball with Grandpa.  The boys have also been helping with clean-up projects around the farm.  It’s always best to keep busy!

Nephew’s Baptism

The first Miller Grandbaby of 2012 was baptized on Father’s Day Sunday – June 17, 2012.  We traveled to Lowry, MN for the weekend and enjoyed the visit with my sister, Julianne, her husband, Ben, their kids and quite a few extended family members. 

My sister & her husband on the left.  My brother Pat and his wife, Anna, on the right are baby's Godparents.  BTW, Anna is due a couple weeks before me in August and it’s their first!

Grandpa Dave is a grandkid magnet.  There’s always a treat in his pocket or some other distraction to keep the kids entertained.

They are members at St. John Nepomuk.  This is a picture that is displayed in the church.  It’s a beautiful and old, but well taken care of, country church.  MN has many such churches, I’m told.

4-H Communication Arts

Angelina, Zeke and Graham competed in the County Communication Arts Contest in early June.  I didn’t attend, but stayed home with Louis.  I knew I’d be taking a few kids to the District Communication Arts…and I was correct.  (Our county is small, therefore, most kids are given the choice to go to District.  We’ve always taken the kids to District if they’re eligible.) 

Angelina and Zeke were both eligible to go to the District competition on June 13, Zeke for the first year.  Angelina competed in the Pre-Teen Demonstration.  Her demo was titled Biscuits for Bella and she demonstrated how to make homemade dog biscuits.  I did manage to snap a few pics during her demonstration because I knew she wouldn’t be distracted and because it’s longer than 3 minutes and I wouldn’t ‘miss’ anything.

 

She really did a nice job, reflecting the amount of practice time she put in to prepare.

 

Angelina won the Pre-Teen Demonstration division.  Zeke was recognized for his Serious Interpretation of “The Village Blacksmith” – one of my favorite poems.  He also did a very nice job.  It was his first year competing at this level and though he was a little nervous, he didn’t let it show too much.

 

Thankful Thursday

I’m thankful for the following beauties, which remind me of God.

Yellow Siberian Iris (top) and Bearded Purple Iris (below).

I want to say this is a Sunrise Rose, but am not certain.  And, the beans are up!!

I cannot remember the name of this hardy rose.  There are two planted about 5 feet apart and they will hopefully be trained to grow up and around the arbor to be installed this summer.  The arbor is constructed (by Dash) and has been in our garage all winter, just waiting to make it’s appearance at the entrance to our garden.

Blueberry bush (above – there is fruit, but it’s hard to see) and my simple Mary garden for this year.  Gerbera Daisy with Wandering Jew.