Tri-State show

So it's been a week since we've been at the last show and I'm FINALLY getting pictures and results up. :) Sorry about that everyone. I know at least a few of you were really looking for them.

We left Friday afternoon for Ohio after a good rain/thunderstorm for like the past 24 hours and everything was good and soaked. We made it there without any hitches, didn't see any tornadoes, didn't run into any rain or get into any wrecks. Abigail and I conked out in the back for the whole 2 hour drive. I was still exhausted when we got there but I was feeling some better. We got everyone settled in, discovered our feeders that have worked everywhere else weren't going to work here and headed to the nearest Goodwill and Dollar Store to get some of the cheapest tupperware/boxes/etc. we could find.

Saturday morning we hadn't done a thing to our showmanship animals the night before so we were busy from 5:30 'till show time getting them all cleaned up and lookin' pretty. Senior (which I was in) started first and I was very thankful to have known this judge from before. I was VERY relaxed in the ring and it showed when I got 1st place. I was pretty excited! ;) So Abigail went out and got 2nd in Intermediate which was very cool as well. Oh, and in overall....I won. Then we moved right into Alpines (which we only brought Gala). Everyone placed well, especially the bucks at the end of the day with Presto and Card placing first, Grand Champion and Best of Breed two times each! Woohooo!

Sunday we woke up a little later since we didn't have much show prep, had a little church service with some other goat people and got to showing. It was hot all weekend but we made it through the show. On the way home we were held up in traffic for about 45 min. with a bad accident. It was so terribly hot I was afraid the goats weren't going to hold up but they made it through fine. We heard that the next day the accident was an RV and a bus carrying a football team. Somehow another vehicel was involved and the person in that car was killed. 14 others were brought to hospitals. Makes me really aware how short life can be and so thankful to know where I'm going. :)
Mandie and I in Senior Showmanship.
When we traded goats I got a Saanan doe. When the judge asked me to step back and tell me a few things I noticed first I hit it right on the head with "sharp and angular"! Wooohooo!

K, I was being silly here. I had just won Overall Showmanship and this was the grand prize!
Abigail in Intermediate Showmanship. She did great!

During shows, Dad and Abigail usually get kinda bored. This is what happens.....
Abigail and Hannah waiting for their turn.
"Huh? You have got to be kidding!"
"Well, I guess it wasn't so bad...."
This little lady kept everyone occupied as well. She was looking around in the barn all day for her babies. She finally found them and sent them all out for us to look at. They were probably about 1/2 grown, but still pretty cute. ;)

The buck show was pretty neat. There weren't a ton of bucks but it was still fun. Let me tell ya though, it was a work out showing them. They are so big and it was so hot and they aren't used to be lead around. They wanted to GO and I wanted them to STAY. :)
This is me showing Presto. He's one good lookin' dude in my opinion. ;)
This in the line up for Champion. I have Card and Abigail has Presto.
Autumn Acres Allegro placed 1st 2x.
Alpine Valleys Prestissimo, placed 2x 1st, 2x Grand Champion, 2x Best of Breed
Kickapoo Valley Saga Andante, placed 1x 2nd, 1x 1st.
Autumn Acres Card, 2x 1st, 2x Grand Champion, 2x Best of Breed

Lately we've been working at Harvey's, swimming once we're done, coming home and either relaxing or working and this week we've had something going on every night. Keeps everything hoping and hectic.

Well, I have to scoot. I'll try to keep updating at least once a week since it's so busy.

God bless you all!
~Bethany~

I love you Daddy!

Dear Daddy,
Even though I forgot it was even Father's Day for a while, I will never forget you are my Daddy, my friend, my protector, my leader through life. I thank you for raising me to be who I am. I know I am not always an easy child or always obedient but please know that I love you so much. Thank you.

Your eldest daughter,
~Bethany~

Pictures!

Just a few random pictures I took yesterday of a few new members of the "family". :)
This is our newest heifer calf. We just bought her the other day. Her name is Lily or Lil' E. Whichever you prefer. I like like Lily. :)
Two of our most recent batch of puppies. They are so cute right now!
Our garden! We have tomatoes, onions, beans, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, corn and a few other things. :)

Hope this finds everyone well! We got a bunch of rain last night so we are just about ready to head into work now. Usually we get in around 7:00 a.m. I've been working on getting ribbons and trophies for the fair this year. Neat job, huh? :)

In Christ,
~Bethany~

MDGS show

This weekend was the MDGS (Michigan Dairy Goat Society) goat show! We were very excited to have 4 Reserve Champions and 1 Grand Champion after the whole weekend.

We got to the show around 8:30 on Friday night after cutting and tetting two of our hay fields. I was tired, but we got set up without too many problems and settled in for the night.

Saturday morning we were in the barns around 5:30 in the morning getting our animals ready for the show. Since showmanship was at 8:00 with Alpines starting at the same time in a different show ring, there was much to be done. We somehow managed to get it all done, grabbed some pancakes that Jenna made (in the barn, using the tack box as the counter top) thought unfortunately we missed the Pee Wee show as Abigail and I were showing our Alpine yearlings. Elizabeth did win however and I'm sure it was all way cute. :) Showmanship was a long, hard working, awesome experience. I love judges that really work you! We showed all day long with the last animal finally coming out of the ring at 10:30 p.m. We were exhausted.

Sunday was so much more laid back. We did show our Recorded Grade kids at the end but still got out at a decent time. We made it home around 5:30. The ONLY mishap we had was ALMOST running out of gas. We managed to get to a gas station, thankfully! It was a wonderful weekend, spent with friends (Josh & Jenna) and animals. :)
Hannah, our Grand Champion of the weekend!!!! (she also got a Reserve)
Candie after winning Reserve Champion Recorded Grade.
Goldie (Candie's doe kid), 2 Reserves under her belt already, and all at her first show weekend! ;)
Alpine yearling milker class. Our does are Gala in first, Maggie in third, and Alithia in 5th.
Elizabeth after winning Pee Wee Showmanship with Tea'
Some of our sleeping quarters (in the livestock trailer)..............
.....and in the back of our 15 passenger van. We can perfectly fit a double mattress and a crib mattress in the back along with 1 bench. :)
Gala (1st every time she was shown all weekend).
Tea', a senior doe kid.
Top, the doe kid I bought this spring. She's just a good quality doe kid all around!!!!Sunshine is Gala's doe kid....sharp, angular, growthy, look out for her next year! She is going to be big!

Well, have a good evening!
In Christ,
~Bethany~

Jonathan

Please keep this family in your prayers. This was from Kevin's blog:

This morning, around 4:25, Jonathan passed away. He went to be with Jesus. It came as a complete shock to us since he was getting so much better. In my twitter updates down and to the left, I have uploaded the last picture taken of him. Just click the link. My next post will be a tribute to him. Please pray for our family. I do not have too much time so goodbye all for now.

In Christ,
Kevin

My brother Ryan has written the story of how it happened. Click here to read it.

~Bethany~

Just life

What a week it has been. I apologize for not getting a post up earlier but not too much new or crazy (though everything has been busy) has happened. However, yesterday was one of those days that just keeps moving all the way to the end.

Our day began for a few of us around 4:30. Dad and I both woke up, I headed outside to do chores as usual and about an hour later he left for town to pick up some supplies for his job and to head to work. The rest of the family was up around 6:00 and we at breakfast and did morning cleaning. I went off to work at 8:45 for our last day of picking asparagus!!! We have successfully finished and are now on to strawberries! Here at home though, Abigail began baking at 9:00 while mom got some of the younger ones started on schoolwork. She joined Abigail around noon. They baked lots of cookies (chocolate chip, peanut butter and molasses), muffins (bran, blueberry and chocolate chip) and bread (wheat and white). We are going to two different markets today so hopefully all will go well. I was able to buy some of the last asparagus and pick some strawberries so we are bringing those as well.
I came home around 2:00 and Dad had been home and raked the hay which was now ready to bale so I grabbed a quick sandwich and smoothie, downed it real quick and headed out to bale. We only baled about 60 square bales just so we can get through to the second cutting which is much better quality hay. The rest we round baled. We got about 25 round bales so we are all set now on round bales for the winter. We did chores, then I helped package everything for the market. Dad had brought home some frozen pizzas so we stuck those in the oven and while we were eating we watched the Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Very interesting movie indeed. Jane Pittman was a slave as a young girl and lived into the 1960's. She was about 110 when she died.
So this morning I am just waking up to hear mom making cinnamon rolls for the market and I'm about ready to head out to do chores. I usually do them earlier (4:30) but we have a large milk pick up and I need all the milk I can get. :) We are headed off the the market's the morning and then later to my cousin's graduation open house. Just another busy weekend. I have to somehow get shaving goats for the show next weekend fit in too. ;)
Oh, and good news. We just started flushing our toilets! It's won't be long and I think we'll have everything hooked back up. I can't believe it's been 4 months! (since Feb.)
Well, have a great weekend! I'll be posting pictures I took yesterday later.
~Bethany~

Also, today, on the anniversary of D-Day (the invasion of Normandy during WW2) I am posting a speech given by FDR on my other blog. Please go listen to it. It's really good.