Farmer For A Day

In Firth, athletics reign supreme.  And for the high school kids, that's their only option as many programs have fallen by the wayside.  I am so fond of the opportunities afforded me by the FFA, that I have taken a special interest in helping rejuvenate our local chapter.  When time was running short and an ag day at the elementary that I dubbed "Farmer For A Day" was going to have to wait until next year, I gladly volunteered to organize the event.

There were six stations that the kids were able to rotate through.  A petting zoo, potato and measuring spot, pedal tractor races at technology, a beekeeper and observation hives, a milk cow/butter making, and wheat grinding.  We also sponsored a coloring contest for 1st and 2nd grade and essay contests for 3rd and 4th grade.  The weather was crazy (we had a little of everything!) 

Overall, it turned out as good as I expected.  The kids and teachers alike really enjoyed it.  We are already planning to make it an annual event.

Petting zoo

Learning about dairy cows.

Bringing it all together and enjoying whole wheat rolls, butter and honey.

Beekeeper, Val Barnes

Potatoes

Contest prizes

FFA officers awarding the prizes.  They also formed the judging panel.

Hudson was selected as the 3rd grade grand prize winner.  

Curls for the Girls

We did the curler thing.  And when such an event occurs, it deserves some documentation.  I don't think curlers will ever be comfortable to sleep in.  Originally these were going to be their Easter outfits, but I didn't get their skirts finished and they were being bratty so we postponed things for a week.  It seems to worked out better for everyone anyway.

 Delsie set still long enough to get a few in her hair too.

 Ruby was the most cooperative with the idea of some pictures.

 Curly Sue

 The best one of the bunch.

 But lets be honest, they mostly looked like this:

 And this:

 After that circus, individuals were a lot easier.  Although some were still not too cooperative.

When Brent walked in to church with them all, my heart nearly burst.  I am a blessed Mom!

Find Out Friday

The kids and I researched cheese making on YouTube before heading up to Manwaring Cheese in Rigby.  They make cheese on Tuesdays and Friday.  We got there just in time to watch them salt the curd and put it in the molds and press it.  The best part was the fresh curd they brought out to sample.

Hudson had Isac Jensen over on a Friday.  They roped, messed around, and worked on adding a second floor to the fort.

After pilfering my fasteners, it was time for Hudson to get some of his own.  He carefully picked out a box of screws and nails and labeled them as soon as we got home.

International Dinners

I had a great idea to introduce the kids to different cultures and foods.  I made up passports.  We were going to visit exotic places all around the globe.  You know how it goes, a great idea and good intentions.  We did manage to visit a few places.

A visit to the Ukraine with pirogues and soup with dill.  It was inspired by our Ukrainian egg decorating, psyanky.

I even pulled out my fabric from Russia for a table cloth.  The kids loved lighting the candles.

Next stop, India.  Curried lentils, lemongrass rice, and naan.  The ball dropped here when the kids were not adventurous with their taste buds and hardly touched the food.

Conference Weekend in Burley

Mom pulls out all the stops.  Just look at this breakfast spread.  There are fresh flower in the bathroom and free laundry service.

It was a great excuse to head to Burley since Ty and Tameka were going to be there as well.  The exotic Noah's Ark critters make fun farm animals.

 Nothing says spring time like a weenie roast.  The wind was gusty, but we set up the umbrella to divert some of it.  Mom and Dad have put in a fun fire pit area.

 No surprise, but the peeps s'mores were the hit.

 And of course, there had to be an egg hunt.

 This Delsie was quite the entertainer.  She kept us laughing the entire weekend.

 Here she is holding the chair that she sat on when we were all sitting down visiting.

 The teeter totter was a new interest for the kids.  I knew someone was going to lose a tooth.  I personally had a hard time watching it.  Looking back I understand why. . .  This was the same teeter totter I tied my arm to, trying to break it to get out of piano lessons.  Why on earth did I ever think that was a good idea?

 The guys enjoyed flying kites.  Ty and Hudson can sure make it look easy.

 Long live the WEPCO Karisa coat!

Ten years ago, I never would have thought that it going home would ever mean anything different than Burley.  But I tried typing that for the title and it didn't seem right.  Now the place that Brent and I have created is home.