Video

This video from our national convention was just posted and I wanted to share. Yes..it IS 2 hours long.  The cavy (guinea pig) BIS ceremony is first but I broke it down in case any of you want to jump ahead and see Jacob. It goes cavy, youth rabbit, and then open rabbit ceremony.



36:25 Beginning of Youth BIS
40:14 Jacob bringing Gunner out
40:25 Rick Lehman announcing "THE HAVANA" and everyone cheering.
45:49 Judge pulling Gunner out for the first of three times
51:24 The beautiful Tan that beat Gunner in the Group 3 judging.
55:08 Brit runs up Judge Wade Burkhalter's chest/shoulder.
1:01:04  Judge has Gunner out again, over by the coops.
1:05:05  Judge that did the group 3 youth telling the youth "they rock!" and announcing his group winner.
1:13:34  Tex Thomas finishing up judging for BIS, and announcing the winner.
1:19:15 Netherland dwarf and owner being presented with trophy and cash prize

I hope you will watch a little of this, and see a little why we love this hobby so very much. =)

Blessings

My friend Sara, shared this song with me recently in a comment. I had heard it before, but sometimes, I think you are SUPPOSE to hear or see things at that moment, and THAT day, I needed just this!




My favorite part and the part I find myself singing in my head:

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You're near? What if trials of this life Are Your mercies in disguise?

My family and I took out for the farm right at dusk last night. While Dan was hunting recently he snapped a crappy cell phone picture of an owl. This owl was sitting on 10 inch post and was using it a bit like a  fat person perching on a small bar stool. He was HUGE. You could just barely make out horns. I'm jealous of my husband..I'm pretty sure his "big ass owl" he saw was a Great Horned Owl.  Anyway, we took off, with my camera in hand, in hopes to find it again, or at least see SOME sort of owl, but we didn't see anything. My brother sent a text about 20 minutes after we left to eat, and apparently he had 2 of them hooting around his front yard. I guess the key is to stop LOOKING for them, and to just make sure I have my camera, all the time!!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Just Trying To Keep Up

Its been a strange couple of weeks.  I was talking to my beautiful friend recently one night on the phone, and we got into a conversation about how your life can change from day to day. Unexpected blessings. Sick parents. News that makes your heart break or jump for joy. Life is an amazing ride.

Whats new with us?? Well, not much. We keep pretty busy right now.  Did I mention its cold? Blah. I'm counting the days until spring, and am trying to decide if I even want to try to put in a vegetable garden this year, and just do some containers and take a year off. Yet, the thought of not doing one almost makes me sad. I don't know. Maybe I'll get more energy come spring.

My mom recently bought and surprised me with some Paper White bulbs, so I planted them indoors. Its been fun to watch them sprout and bloom. Like a little bit of springtime in the dead of winter!!


We've been concreting vacation plans for this summer. Tristen and I demanded we gets some beach time in. Its so much fun to plan for a vacation...kind of like getting a Christmas present in the middle of summer and having to look at it every day.

Our family, with the exception of Jacob, has been sick since the middle of December. While we all feel mostly well again, some of us are still blowing our noses, and coughing.   Lots of snot and coughing going on with my daycare kids, and my hands have started cracking and bleeding from washing them so much.

A week and a half ago, Tristen was bitten by a neighborhood dog. After I realized he was ok, I got mad. I'm holding hope that this problem will be taken care of.

The boys beef projects  are growing. We only recently moved Remi over with Jacob's steer so she's falling apart a little bit right now, but she's eating and always excited to see us pull up. She is the goofiest creature I have ever seen.
 I recently went with the boys one evening while it was wet and damp, and we all laughed at Brock's hair do.  He's a Hereford and his red hair was curled in the loveliest of curls. They've also started talking about fair projects, and their mom has made several "suggestions" on things she would be THRILLED to see someone make in woodworking for her.  So far, I've been met with "the look".

And I'll close this with a quote I found yesterday and loved. Have a wonderful day!!

"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise."  ~Oscar Wilde

Getting OFF the HARD Stuff

I've got a problem. This first step is admittance, right?

My name is Becky, and it has been 24 days since my last soda.

My eyes are no longer glowing red, the headaches have stopped, and I don't feel as though I am going to die at any moment now.

I always justified my soda love as not being a "true" problem, because I would only have one a day. Two, on a bad or PMS day.  Not 12 packs, or a case..and I DO know people who do this.

I started to notice my sugar cravings were through the roof, all the time. ALL THE TIME.   I would pace when I knew Dan should be home for lunch, so I could run out and get my daily bottle of fizz. This REALLY started to bug me. I finally realized how unhappy and miserable this was making me feel.

So, I quit.

I DID have about an inch of Pepsi in a solo cup on Christmas Eve. I was  A. shocked at how sweet it was after not having it for a bit.  B. Shocked, AGAIN, when the sugar cravings started as soon as it got into my system.

So for right now, I'm treating it like a bit of a toxic substance. 

How am I feeling?? Fantastic!  I can NOT believe how much clearer headed I am. No longer having the pacing-need-to-get-sugar-in-NOW symptoms. I'm sure my kidneys are cheering in relief. And as of this morning, I was down 8 lbs.  I can say I'm sure its not just from cutting out the soda, but I KNOW cutting out the soda has cut sugar and carb cravings, which has almost just naturally improved my eating habits. So in a round about way, it IS from the soda.

Next up is to curb my coffee creamer habit!

But it's all about baby steps, right? ;)