Money, Money, Money! Money!

      One of the biggest thing that a chapter faces is the lack of funds. Although money isn't the ultimate factor, its presence and absence can make events and trips possible and can cause chapters to have to deny their members experiences. Funding is one thing that is way more important to the infrastructure than members realize. Why else would there be a whole Officer position dedicated to it?
     Despite donations and auctions, fundraising can be one thing that can not only help out the members but help the chapter. Travelling through the state, I have seen many different forms, all of which have been quite successful for the chapters who participate.
     Lets discuss a few shall we?
      1. Fruit Sales. I know that everyone and their dog have started to do fruit sales, but when I was in FFA, our chapter was one of the only ones who did sell. It was a hit, and still is. Although it is a huge headache for the advisors, it really does help students learn how to make personal contact and sales and be accountable for collecting money. Note for the ag teachers: make it a competition. If you tell that the top 3 students will get a certain percentage of the chapters total sales, more for the first place, a smaller amount for the second place, and a little smaller amount for the third. If it is a good sale year, open up it up to the top 5 sellers. Keep the top dollar amount posted on a whiteboard and see the sales climb. The first year that my chapter made it into a competition, I was absolutely set on being the number one seller. I was on the phone every empty minute trying to make sales. Although the second place winner was my best friend, it wasn't her that I was worried about beating and she wasn't worried about me. It was the fact that the third person was a first year member who was taking "clients" who had previously bought from Sammy or myself in the previous years. Now we couldn't have that. For every sale she made, Sammy and I made two. We watched the board all day long watching the tally points, and by the end of the day, we all had exhausted every last client we could possibly get. Fruit sales continues to be a huge competition in my home chapter and provides people in the community with some pretty dang good agricultural products. 

     2. Pointsettias. I hadn't heard of these being sold until I was in college and the Malad chapter started selling them. If you didn't know, during my State Officer year, Malad pretty much adopted me. At one point in time they fought over me with my home chapter. So when I saw a Facebook post from several members, I decided to support and buy some for my mom and grandmas. Those were the best things I could have bought them. And believe it out now, my one grandma still has hers! I was able to purchase different colors and each person had their own special plant from me. And you better believe that I bought more and will be giving them again this year. 

     3. Most times it is believed that when fundraising you have to come up with an idea that is complex. So not true people. Shirts, sweatshirts, and even monogrammed jackets are a simple and relatively cheap way to not only show chapter "spirit" but can actually bring some good revenue for the chapter. The key is to have a competition for t-shirt designs and have the students vote on them and to shop around for print shops. Local places are good, especially if you get sponsors for the back of your shirts, but companies like Custom Ink have lower and lower prices the more shirts you order. You just have to find the place that fits your needs, meets your expectations, and fits your budget. I don't know about you and your moms, but Momma C and I go CRAZY over FFA shirts. I am not kidding when I say that they make up about half of my wardrobe. I even go as far as wearing the same long sleeved t-shirt and sweatshirt as the same time. But I am a crazy about FFAshirts, in all styles and colors. Most chapters already have shirts that students buy, but if you make them available to parents and family members , that is where it becomes it's own glorified fundraiser.  

     Now I am sure that many other chapters have great fundraisers out there like selling welding art, dances, food booths at fairs, etc, but those are definitely my top three. This way the students that want to be involved can be and the chapter makes the money that it needs in order to keep the dream going. Money has a lot to do with things, but it doesn't always have to be a problem. 

      So I have a big announcement. Both during my State Officer year and as I continue to be involved with FFA, I am amazed by the members. So I have decided that from now on, once a month, I will highlight an FFA member. I want others to see the good works that their fellow associates are doing and how broad of an organization FFA can be.  That being said, the next blog post that I get up will not be about me rambling on about something, rather a somebody. Stay tuned to see who this lucky person is and hear about their FFA experience. 

Peace, Love, and FFA 

McKenzie 

When Life Gives You Lemons

     When I started blogging, I never realized that the number one hardest thing about blogging would be coming up with the inspiration to write posts. When I first started, I thought that nobody would read my blog, but I have over 1,630 page views. As I grow older and more advanced into my schooling years, the further displaced I become from FFA and its current members. This isn't something by choice, but rather just by "fate". And as I continue to carry on my blogging endeavors, I realized that this blog continues to become less and less about FFA and the tricks to "survive", but rather the life I have found outside the blue jacket and the tricks of the trade I have picked up. My point is things are not always as they seem.
     Coming from a person who has had her life planned out since she was five, change and the unknown is something that is so very scary. Ever since I was little, I have dreamed and believed that I was going to grow up to be a vet and as that becomes closer and closer, there are things that are blocking my way and making me look for a plan B. I have NEVER been the person to have a plan B. The idea of having to follow a plan B was so inconceivable that I refused to even think that it could be a possibility in my life. But I have found that my lack of test taking skills are proving to be more of a problem then I perceived in high school. It wasn't for a lack of trying, or in this case lack of studying. I literally book a study room for more than half the day and would spend most of my time using different study methods to try and prepare myself for the test. This process wouldn't just start a couple days before, this was a continual process from the day the semester started. Soon after being forced to read the writing on the wall, I realized that this too was life giving me lemons. If it weren't for my lacking qualities, I would have never found or even considered, researched, or pondered the fact of being an Animal Nutritionist or the fact that I quite enjoy the practice. And because I was forced to look for a future elsewhere, I was able to gain some important contacts within the field that can and will prove to be important.
     This whole situation may seem so small and not very life rattling, but that it did to my life. If you are as goal oriented and singularly path walker as I am, you will know that for something so very big and monumental in my life changing altered my way of thinking for a few days. Being a vet has been one of the largest rocks in my life. I could always count on my plan for my life and that was something that could and would never change. And when that started changing, I felt like my world was crumbling beneath my feet. I wasn't sure what to think. I started to second guess all the decisions I had made in my life and the ones that I thought I wanted to make for my future. For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure what my next step was going to be. And as strange as it sounds, I kind of felt like my identity was slipping. But most of all I was scared. As a very OCD and futuristic minded person, the idea of something like that was monumental.
      What scared me more than the change, strangely enough, was the thought of disappointment. For as long as I can remember, my mom and dad have introduced me as their daughter who loves animals and was going to be a vet one day. Especially in the last few years, every time that I was introduced to one of their acquaintances, I was their eldest daughter who is currently a pre-vet student at Utah State University. Needless to say, it circles back to my plans being a big part of my identity.  I was worried that I would let my parents down if I abandoned the idea after all these years. But more than anything else, I was worried about disappointing myself. I was worried that if I switched my major and not even attempt to apply for vet school, that I would regret my decision later on down the road. I didn't think that I would be able to live with the fact of not knowing what could have happened if I had stood steadfast on my course and applied to get my DVM.
     For almost a week, I felt like my world had been flipped upside down and that all the things that I have come to know and count on vanished with the solid ground below my feet.
     But you know what? It worked out.
     Like most things, they seem bigger than they really are when you are stuck in the middle of it. The mistakes and decisions we have made along the way have seemed so consequential. What we can't see while we are in the thick of it is what kind of consequence it is. All growing up, my momma said that there is always a consequences to our actions, some good and some bad, and sometimes we have to make decisions in this life and stand by them and suffer through what ever consequence comes our way.
     When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
     Alone, lemons are bitter and make a persons' face contort in all sorts of disgusting directions. But if you add a little sugar and water, those lemons can be the sweetest and most refreshing things in the world.
     And that is just what I had to do. I had to take those horrid lemons, add a little sugar water, and make the best of what was being handed to me. Instead of letting all of my fear and worry overcome my whole being and distorting my thought processes, I had to step back, draw it out, and think. I had to think about what it was that I truly want in my life. I had to think about where I wanted to be in 5 to 10 years. I had to think about what it would take to make me happy.
     Low and behold, beyond all odds, a conclusion came.
     I would stick my fingers into many pies. I would stay the major that I am currently in right now, but I would streamline the classes I would take. By removing all the excess classes that were just credit fillers, I was able to fit in all the classes that I would need in order to go directly into the nutrition graduate program. Not only that, I will still be able to apply to vet school with an emphasis in nutrition. Despite what others told me, I was able to have the best of both worlds.
      Lemonade people. Freaking lemonade.
      Now I know that this post, and more than likely many more to come will have very little ties to the FFA organization, but the way I see it, it is through the life of others, that we are able to learn. So if this is able to help one person out of rut that they can't seem to get out of, that is more than enough. But more than that, even outside of the blue jacket the motto still stands true.

Learning to Do,

Doing to Learn, 

Earning to Live,

Living to Serve. 

    All the things that we do in and out of the jacket keeps us learning, doing, earning, and living. And the way I see it, my blog is just cataloging me doing so as I go. So don't be afraid of those lemons and consequences, mixed with a little sugar, they make us the people that we are today. 

Making Lemonade,

McKenzie

Basset Hound. Amazing kitchen with that sexy kitchen range. Yep my life in 10 years right there. 

Horror Stories of National Convention

     How punny of me, seems how Halloween is coming up and students around the country are starting to gathering to start off National Convention, so I thought that I would share a few stories about my trips to Nationals.

    The first time I went with my chapter and there was very little horror stories involved but when I was a few years older and what I thought to be wiser, I went to Nationals as a State Officer and as a delegate. But this time I was sicker than a dog. Like all through delegate sessions I was so drowsy from cold medicine that I was trying to counteract it by drinking Red Bull's (I do not endorse that, it wasn't fun, trust me people). So anyways, one night, the team was hanging out and I had mentioned that all I wanted was some Thera-Flu so I could get a decent nights sleep and kick my cold faster. Daniel, being the sweetheart that he is, looked up the nearest grocery store and said that it was just a mile away and a 15 minute walk. Erin, Alyssa, Daniel, and myself step out into the dusky night, it starts to downpour. And I am not talking Idaho rain, where it sprinkles for a minute and then stops for a few hours and then starts up again. I am talking like huge globs of water that was beating down on us. Literally within minutes of us being outside the hotel room, we were soaked. As you could imagine, this did NOT make my cold any better. But Danial and Erin were persistent that we would continue on to the grocery store to get my cold medicine. We continued on for the next hour and a half. Soon enough we rounded a corner and saw the Kroger's. As we approached the front doors, one of the clerks from inside came out and said," Sorry we are closing, you can't come in." Completely drenched and quite irritated by how far we had walked and with sore feet from not only wearing offical dress heels for two days already but having walked a great ordeal, Erin threw her hands up in the air and yelled," Are you kidding me? We walked 7 miles for you to close?!?" The eyes of the clerk got really large and she apologetically said that we had 5 minutes to get what we needed and pay and get out of the store. We bustled inside to grab my medicine only to find the Washington State Officers with their Coordinator checking out. They, knowing that we didn't have a rental car, quickly offered to give us a ride back to the hotel. Thank God for them because I don't know if my sick butt could have walked me all the way back to the hotel.

     A couple days after that fiasco, we were supposed to be up and down at the lobby by 7 because we had officer pictures before the state picture. Mind you, the girls were ALWAYS 15 minutes early and it wasn't very often that we didn't have to wait for the boys. We accredited our punctuality to the six different alarms that went off from three different devices. Usually Erin and I were up by the time the second or third alarm went off and Alyssa would be up and already halfway ready before the fifth alarm even thought about going off. This morning was different. Somehow we had slept through all six of the alarms and the wake up call we received was from Brett at.......... 7:07. We all bolted upright and threw official dress on in record time and grabbed ponytails, eyeliner, mascara, and a tiny pallet of eyeshadow that I take on trips in case of emergency, like having to do my make up in the car. Needless to say we were downstairs by 7:15. Finding a little time in a convention center bathroom to hurry and smooth back our hair and blot on a little make up, we took our State Officer pictures that we later used for our business cards and all the pictures for State Convention.

I mean aren't we cute. You can't even tell that we got ready in 10 minutes.

Mr. Delaware (aka AJ)

      Well enough about the gory things that happened, I want to finish off this homage to National Convention to one of the greatest things that happened during my State Officer year that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't traveled to Kentucky. I got to meet so many people, especially my good friend AJ, who I call Delaware. Throughout convention we had joked and shared stories and became great friends. On the night of the dance, when I came back to the hotel, I found a group of State Officers having their own little dance. I got the chance to teach my Delaware friend how to swing dance and I got to learn plenty of other moves from South Dakota, Minnesota, New York, Utah, and a handful of other states. For the rest of the night, a group of us sat in the hall, ate pizza, and talked about our home states, our associations, our years thus far, and, of course, all things FFA. I made friends that I continue to talk to every day. Although we don't talk as much as we did right after convention, those are people and times that I wouldn't give up for anything.
     So enjoy to all of you who are our having fun at National Convention! It is an amazing time and will give you more memories than you can imagine. I am so jealous of all the fun that you all seem to be having. Good luck to all those who are competing in various CDE's representing Idaho! I know you are going to absolutely kill it. Good luck to all those who are running for National Office, you people are definitely the cream of the crop and I cannot wait to see the new Officer team. I will always regret not having the bravery you people have in running for office. Good luck to all and have fun!

Oh weren't we so darn cute. You can't even tell that we woke up late. 

These started off as a spoof. We were shooting pictures for our Christmas cards and the boys decided it would be funny to take some pictures with their suspenders. The girls decided that they wanted to do the same, and so these spoof pictures was the product. They turned out pretty fun, if I do say so myself.

This was taken on the plane ride home. We were EXHAUSTED. Great trip. 

This was the boys at the Dirks Bently concert. Note Kyle's face. Yep, soak it in. 

My grandma hunted down a sock monkey with a blue jacket for me after I got State Office. Fittingly named Leslie Applegate (who knows their FFA history?!?), my sock monkey traveled with me everywhere and how could I NOT take him with me to National Convention. I mean come one people!

Peace, Love, and FFA!
McKenzie

Own Your Own Crazy

     Quirks. Attributes. Character. Crazy. No matter what you call it, each and every person has them. But the biggest thing about our "crazy" is that if we don't learn to accept it, it can often times hold us back from being the person that we would want to grow to become. I am sure that y'all are thinking, well "Duh, easier said than done, McKenzie." And I get that. It is totally easier said than done, but trust me it is feasible and totally worth it. It is these little characters that make you the person you are. Don't get me wrong, there are certain times that hiding your crazy is a little okay, but it shouldn't be something that you should do constantly. For the longest time in my life, I truly believed that if I didn't seem "normal" then I wouldn't fit the form of a good leader. "Hiding" my crazy became something that I did every single day. It wasn't until I got into college that I realized what my crazy really was and how to accept it.
     "But Kenz, how could you ever think you are crazy?!" Well that is so kind of you. But the fact that I am having a two way conversation with myself and assuming you are thinking that. That is a little crazy. But nonetheless, I have plenty of crazy to go around, not matter if it is my crazy addictions, or my crazy mannerisms, or my crazy habits. And I think that it is time that I share my crazy with all who will listen.

Kenzie's Crazy List

-  I am OCD. But selectively OCD. When it comes to alphabetizing, color coordinating, organizing by size, making things square, and things being straight. Those and a few other things. 

- I am not OCD about my room. It tends to be a little on the dishevelled side. Organized Chaos. But it works for me.

- I am a master packer. Like unless you have seen me pack, you don't know how well I can pack. Yes, I did a post about it, but that really didn't do it justice. But my packing skills are not contained to just packing in a bag. I am like the ultimate Tetras player. When it comes to packing bags in a car or under a bus, I can fit more bags then even my mom (who is super good herself by the way).

- I have this huge thing for whiteboards. Like I spend most of my day in a study room with a huge whiteboard. I bring my own whiteboard markers so that I can color coordinate (refer to first crazy) and study a little better. I am so obsessed with whiteboards that my boyfriend made me a fancy whiteboard for Christmas. BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

- If I am not wearing my boots or my Roper's, I am constantly wearing my Sperry's. Those things are the most ragged things you have probably seen. And Lordy Moses do they smell to high heavens. No matter if I wear them with socks or not, those things can gas up a room in no time. But goodness, they are the most comfortable things ever. Get yourself a pair and you will understand the obsession. - I literally think that Taco Tuesday should be a religion. If you have never had a half-descent carne asada taco then you have never lived. Enough said.

- I have a lot of little phrases that I use all the time, like the one above. Lordy Moses. Oh My Lanta. For the Love of Cheese and Crackers. Cool Beans. There are a lot of other ones I use. Maybe they aren't specifically special to me, but I use them enough they should be. 

- I have a thing for dogs with large ears, droopy eyes, long nose. That's right people, Basset Hound lover right here. I drool over those sad faces as the breeders on my Facebook feed post photos. When I get one her name will be Dixie. It is not IF it is WHEN. 

- Next to tacos, Apple Cider is another thing that I cannot get enough of. It could be 100 degrees outside and I will still be drinking apple cider. 

- Despite my tom-boyish ways, I love to get my nails done. My acrylic nails have become a part of me. But there is no better feeling than having a little bit of pampering every couple of weeks. 

- And one of the last ones is I like to eat salsa with popcorn. Strange, yes. But it goes together like french fries and Frosties. Don't knock it till you try it. 

     Now I am sure that that whole big long list above looks like a bunch of nonsense, but that is a little bit of my crazy. Trust me when I say that there is a whole lot more, but that is the general idea. And believe it or not, I have been judged and made fun of because of several of these things. I have been called CDO (OCD alphabetized), picky and overly obsessed, easily amused, and food crazy. Unless you are me, most people don't understand my crazy and how it all plays out in my head. In the end, it is who I am and I love who I am. 

     So people, I challenge you to identify your crazy. Own your own crazy. 

Peace, Love, and FFA

McKenzie "The Crazy"

Here By the Owl

     As I scrolled through my Facebook feed, I smiled as I looked through the pictures of FFA members and their advisors in celebration of National Teach Ag Day. Other than spreading the word about the importance and great need for agricultural education teachers around the nation, we are also expressing our deep appreciation for the advisors who have had an impact on our lives. So what a better way to celebrate my advisors then a blog post!
    Although I didn't have a traditional Ag teacher-loving-experience, I don't discredit it, I just give the credit where it is due. The thing you have to know about ag teachers is that.... They are HUMAN. They make mistakes and personalities clash, and I get that, so I won't dwell on the angst from the past. Rather I would love to express the good.
    And then there is Ms. Mosman... ha just kidding people. This lady is the freaking bomb! Despite the fact that she was not my advisor while I was in high school, she made up for lost time while I was a state officer. There are only a few people who know what it is like to be a state officer and know what we go on a day to day basis. As I struggled to cope during my first FFA event at State CDEs, she simply said to me, " Mind over matter kid. If you tell yourself you are not tired, you aren't tired. If you tell yourself you are energetic, then you will be energetic. You have to tell yourself to do things you don't want to do because the next year will be filled of coming out of your comfort zone and doing things that you don't want to do." She constantly gave me comments and advice when I was giving workshops or even just helping her out. Mosman is a leader and expects excellence out of all those who are around her. I admire that. She pushes and encourages so that her students are the best they can be. I have watched how her presence in my home chapter has dramatically shifted the expectations and the progress towards how a chapter of our caliper should resemble. Although she decided to take the time off to better herself and continue her education, her example to the kids in the chapter continues and I can attest to the fact that I  myself and those in the chapter cannot wait until her return.
    Mr. Shirts. Shirts-y. The Silver Fox. Man of a Thousand Faces. Shirts. This man, words cannot describe to you what he means to me. Unfortunately, he has taught me to develop an unhealthy need for Tootsie-Pops and Mountain Dew (okay maybe that last need was already there). He mentored me in the ways of the many faces making my current Snap Chat game quite strong. He also created monster when he introduced me to the Dairy Foods CDE and still refers to me as the "Cheese Whiz" and the "Dairy Queen". Although he has an occasional habit of losing papers and stealing tomatoes out of our garden, I love him to death. This man has stood by me in my good and bad days. I can still remember the gleam in his eyes as I hugged him after I was announced as the State Treasurer. The pride and joy that he had for me radiated and washed over me and he told me he knew that I could do it. His complete and utter belief in me continues to stun me. He is always there to listen and to heckle me about one thing or another to make sure that I always have a cheery disposition. His heart is bigger than what he lets on, but he never ceases to amaze when it comes to the welfare of his kids. Once you get through the rough exterior, there is a man who loves the FFA organization, this FFA kids, and all those he has touched along the way. Don't let him fool you. Believe me, he will try. And as many times as he says he doesn't love Dairy Foods, don't believe him. We all know he loves that CDE more than he loves Forrestry. Lets be honest. Mr. Shirts, you have made an immense impact on me and for that I am eternally grateful, and I hope that one day I will be able to influence those around me just as much as you do to your students each and every day. Thank you, thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do for me each and every day.
    Our advisors put in  more hours than most will know. They teach by day, grade papers, and then are there at chapter meetings or events by night. They train teams and they lose sleep over things that are happening in the chapter. They have put in their heart and sole into everything that they do. And I can attest to the fact that they would not be who they are or ag teachers period if they didn't love the National FFA Organization and agriculture. These men and women sit in the background and prepare the next chapter, district, state, and national officers. They deserve a little recognition. So thank you. Thank you to all the FFA advisors out there and all the work that you do, noticed and unnoticed. What you do day in and day out is what inspires these young people to be the people they want to be.

Shirts texted me this picture the first week of school. Needless to say it is his contact photo now. This is why he is so great. 

Peace, Love, and FFA
McKenzie

Be-YOU-tiful

     Hey y'all! I hope that you all have survived your first weeks of schools, countless county fairs and various opening socials. I have enjoyed seeing the highlight reel on social media. Keep them coming!
     Speaking of social media, something that has crossed my news feed several times are pictures of women with half their face made up and half of it left natural. I have always found the art of make up quite fascinating and have enjoyed for the past few years to figure out how to use it in a way to highlight my features and even make me look like one of those girls on "Toddlers and Tiaras". What I have discovered is that make up can do amazing things to one's appearance. It is honestly amazing me how much various mixtures, colors, glitters, powders, and liquids can have such a big impact.
     So I decided to do my own half and half experience.

      I did just what I normally would do if I were going to go out dancing. Note: I don't do ALL of it when I go to class. Let's be honest, I am in college. I am looking a lot more dressed for the day if I have eyeliner and mascara on and my hair is straightened. 

      My "done" side of my face was primed, liquid contoured, powdered, powdered contoured. I primed my eyes and applied at least four different layers and colors of eye shadows that I then blended and highlighted with a fifth color. Carefully, liquid eye liner was applied then more smudily (yep, totally made up a word) black and white pencil liner was added to add dimension. And to top it all off, several coats of a couple different kinds of mascara were painted on with a little red lipstick to be the cherry on top of all the icing. 

     As it turns out, I quite like just doing half of my face because I don't have to worry about making the other side of my face even. No matter how even I think I get my eyeliner, my signature "cat-eye" liner is never completely even. Trust me I try very very hard. 

     Lets look at my handy work shall we?

     Now I won't lie to you, I do like my eyes with at least some mascara. It hasn't been until recently that I would even allow myself to walk around the house without at least a little bit of eye make up on. And for years I was jealous of those girls who wore no make up and still looked super gorgeous. Don't take that as I don't like myself and I think that I am ugly without it, I just prefer myself with it. 

     Society these days play make up off to be as a necessary evil. You are no longer  fully dressed with just a smile, but must have three layers of make up and a full-lipped pout in order to be "fully dressed" in the eyes of society. When you scroll through social media there is always a picture of a Kardashian sister with their full, Botox injected lips, contoured facial structure, and painted on eye make up. New make up tips from various magazines pop up in various articles with hacks for new products to obtain to make your look flawless. 

     Not gonna lie, I don't mind looking at new articles and ways to do things different and better. I also have quite the make up case with more products than my mother and sisters combined. I have an arsenal of eye shadow pallets and foundation and matching powders for all the different skin tones my face will turn during the different seasons. I am a consumer. 

      But what I want to say to those girls who read this is, don't let make up define who you are. Yes it can accent your features and make you look "more beautiful", but don't let it consume your life. I'm not saying throw all your beauty product into the trash, I mean honestly lets not make any rash decisions. What I am challenging you to do is not be dependent on artificial products to value your physical beauty and self worth, but rather look within. Work on accepting yourself for the way God made you. I could quote a lot of songs about empowering the real you and how you are amazing just the way you are (ha I did it anyway haha), but I won't go that far. Just think. Be aware. Pay attention. Don't be afraid to be you. You don't have to try (ha! there I go again). 

     So there is my #halfmakeup challenge. I am not one to follow trends and usually back down and refuse to do anything when called out to do a challenge because I don't think that they always get their true purpose across rather they attract attention elsewhere. However, I truly believe that this is a challenge that shows the true beauty inside and out. So go on, show me your #halfmakeup face. 

     But more importantly, don't be afraid to take it all off. 

Until next time!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie

When the World Stopped Turning

     "Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day."
     Today is a day that as a culture, we will never forget. It was a day that was darkened by the smoke, ash, and rubble. Blood ran cold as many watched in denial and awe as the planes struck those beacons of architectural grandeur.
     So where were you when the world stopped turning? Although Alan Jackson may have said it best and the song still rings true to the feelings that were felt on that day, it is a reminder to never forget what had happened that day 14 years ago.
     Where was I? I can distinctly remember the sound of the vacuum in my parents room as I continued to turn up the tv so that I could hear the daily episode of "Arthur" better. My little 6 year old self was angry when some being of greater power switched from my show to a live news broadcast. I remember my mom stopping in her tracks as she stared teary-eyed into the television as the second plane hit. Little did I know, life was changing.
     For the weeks that followed, I can vaguely recall news broadcasts about raids with black and white footage from soldiers that were on the ground in a place far far away. I didn't know what any of that meant then, but the present customs, political views, and racial awareness is a constant reminder of that day.
     Years later as I sat in my sixth grade classroom, Mr. Sasaki sat misty-eyed on his wooden stool behind his sticker laden podium as he recalled that September day. His daughter at the time was a flight attendant for Delta airlines and was based out of New York City. She had left Boise airport on September 10th with a flight that would arrive in New York City the next morning at 9:30 EST. He recalls watching the news with his wife when the breaking news banner ran across the top of the screen. Before him he saw a nightmare he wished never came true. A plane, flying into a building. Frantically he tried to make contact with his daughter. Tears choked his throat as he stared at his tennis shoes.
     With a sigh, he looked up and glanced over the class and recalled receiving a reliving call hours after the second tower was struck. Overcome with emotion his daughter told him about how she couldn't stop staring at the Twin Towers as the morning sun gleamed from their shiny rooftops. How she couldn't believe that she lived in a place filled with such beauty and glorious structures. 10 minutes after gazing upon their gleaming spires and after landing and escorting travelers off the plane, she looked behind her to get one last look at those towers. What she saw was no longer the two beacons of industrial beauty, it was plumes of smoke.
    They both will always remember where they were when the world stopped turning.
   We now stand as the generation that were young and clueless but are now the adults. But we are also the adults who are rioting in the streets, taking the lives of men and women who have sworn to protect other's lives, turning on each other with malice and no regard for human life. It makes me wonder that if we as a people have forgotten how it felt to be attacked by those who had no regard for the lives on those planes and in those towers. I sit and ponder about how on earth we have forgotten about the brotherhood that the American people felt towards one another after the buildings collapsed. Men, women, and children of all different walks of life, races, and religions held hands and comforted those around them. Complete strangers gathered together to pray for those who had passed, who were trapped, who rescued, who lived.
      Today we live in a country where there are those who are disrespecting the flag that we clung to 14 years ago. Today we are surrounded by so much turmoil within our nation we forget that we are indeed a nation, united under the grace of God. Today we attempt to never forget the men and women who lost their lives in the rubble or in the attempt to rescue those in the rubble. But it is today that we need to stand as a nation to become the great nation that those firemen, policemen, and citizens who perished remember and love.
       I remember where I was when the world stopped turning, and I will continue to remember what it is to be an American with pride and gratitude. I will always remember where I was when the world stopped turning on that September day.

Welcome Back Y'all!

      Welcome back. Whether it is you have been on a killer summer vacation and have been unplugged or are returning to school, a good welcome back is always in order.

My summer often meant long mornings watching the Today Show with my cuddly not-so-lap dog Maize. And usually if my overly active 2 year old Border Collie wasn't cuddling with me (it usually wasn't long lasting) she was bringing me a ball. I am beginning to believe that she believes that if she cuddles or a short period, I will be more inclined to throw her ball. She is a little too smart for her own good I would say.

     Once again, I find myself searching for a reason why I haven't posted in a forever. It isn't like I am a busy person anymore, matter of fact I am not very busy at all. All it is is pure laziness. So this little post is going to be a hell of a packed post. I'll give a not so quick thanks for all those who worked on the Soda Fire and quick recap of my life during those firey five days, a quick recap of all the not very exciting things that consumed my summer months, and my top song picks of the summer. Hang on folks, its going to be a wild ride.
       So I want to start off this very important post with a huge thank you to all the firefighters, both BLM and local crews. It was amazing to see crews from Rhode Island, New Jersey, New Mexico, Alaska, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and more come and help with a fire that has affected my community so greatly. I also want to send my thoughts and prayers to all those ranchers who summer range on the Owyhee Mountains, your loss of cattle and prime grazing land will never have a monetary compensation large enough to cover the emotional detriment of this tragedy. Burning around 300,000 acres, the Soda Fire was the largest fire in the nation and the second largest that the nation has ever seen.

Every day, my middle sister, Natalie, and I would keep track of the progress of the Soda Fire through binoculars. We attempted to take some pictures through the lenses. We had just mild success with this picture. 

The community will suffer from this loss for years to come. But what gives me hope is the fact that the community itself is strong and does not back down to help those in greater need then themselves. On the second day of the fire, there was a group of 10+ people, my parents and myself included, who drove trucks and trailers to help evacuate those who needed to. We picked up cattle and horses and important belongings and lodged them at our home. Please don't take that as a way to toot my own horn, we were doing it to help those who didn't have the means to do so. For the next days following, we rushed to help our rancher friends to fight the fire that approached their homes and barns. When the flame receded enough that we could ride onto the range, we spent days looking for surviving cattle and horses. Chills still run down my body as I think of the animals who expired because of the flames and the tears that ran down the cheeks of leathery men and women who look at their livestock that they were unable to rescue. The scene was grim, but it is the reality that became our lives. But we will rebuild, because we are strong as individuals and even stronger with our community, we will survive this. We don't have a choice. And for those who are wondering if my home or animals were ever in danger, the answer is no. Luckily we were on the east side of the Snake River, so no matter if the fire had moved its way through Homedale and Marsing, there was never a chance that our property was in danger. That fact alone made our location a great place to house evacuated animals.
      Again, thank you for the men and women who worked around the clock to stop a fire that had no intentions of stopping. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
       So lets move on to less heavy stuff.
       Over the summer, when I wasn't teaching swimming lessons, I worked for a guy who has a hobby wool farm moving pipe. It was a humbling experience to say the least. It made me realize that not all people who have a farm (no matter how big or small, industrial or hobby) think like a farmer. The job also taught me patience and understanding that no matter how great my way works, there is always other ways to get the job done. And as my summer was coming to a close, I got the opportunity to go with my dad on a work trip from Caldwell, through Vale, OR, to Burns, OR, to Bend, OR, then up to The Dalles, OR, across to Hermiston, OR, to Pasco, WA, and then back to Caldwell. Rarely do I get a lot of one-on-one time with my father now that I am in college so it was cool to not only see some countryside that I hadn't seen before but hang out with me and see what he does for a job.

This was one of my meals when I went on my trip with my dad. Honestly the best steak I have ever had. And that asparagus! GAH! It was just so good I couldn't resist to take a picture. Yep I am a Foodie. 

Washington and Oregon have some pretty sweet bridges that cross the Columbia River, this being one that connects Pasco, WA with Kennewick, WA.

      And there you have it people, literally my summer with the exception of a few fairs and rodeos here and there and minor details, but that is the gist. I am honestly envious of those of you who got to go and do amazing things. I was also super sad when my Facebook and Instagram was littered with pictures of FFA members going to their different officer trainings, WLC, and other FFA events. I miss going to all those things. But I am glad to see that y'all had a fun and eventful summer.
      Although it didn't take up a lot of time, there was always music playing in the background. Needless to say I found a few more songs that I thought that y'all would like to enjoy.

Keep on Lovin' You- Steele Magnolia

Lose My Mind- Brett Eldredge

John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16- Keith Urban

I Feel a Sin Comin' On- Pistol Annies

Sugar- Maroon 5

Picture- Kid Rock ft. Sheryl Crow

Over My Head- Jon Pardi

Heart of Dixie- Danielle Bradbery

Crazy in Love- Sofia Karlberg

Crash and Burn- Thomas Rhett

Tennessee Whiskey- Chris Stapleton

Life- The Cadillac Three

Want to Want Me- Jason Derulo

Stupid- Kacey Musgraves

Biscuits- Kacey Musgraves 

Dime Store Cowgirl- Kacey Musgraves

     As you can see, I was (and still am) on a Kacey Musgraves kick.If you haven't heard of that chick, go check her out, she never disappoints. 

     Now I know that some of those are not new, but they just fit my summer and became my constant playlist. Literally if you look at my iTunes account you will see that those songs are my top played. It wasn't an uncommon thing to see me flailing around in the yard or using my pitch fork handle as my microphone while I was feeding because I was jamming out all the time. Matter of fact, I was washing dishes after cooking dinner for my boyfriend and myself and without knowing it, I began to dance uncontrollably int he most fish out of water way. After a short time I saw him leaning against the wall laughing. In between his bouts of laughter he sputtered about how silly I looks dancing around and how I had managed to get dish soap all the way down the front of my shirt. What can I say, I go all in. 

     Anywhoo, I leave y'all with this whirlwind of a blog post. I cannot wait to continue this blogging experience on a more regular basis. Off to one of my genetics classes I go. Have a good school year everyone, learn lots and remember that there is growth in a comfort zone and no comfort in a growth zone. 

Until next time!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie 

Spud and myself on the anniversary of him coming to live with me. 

Summer Lovin'

     Hey y'all! I am deeply sorry for the lack of posts this summer. As you all may know, life gets so busy in the three free-est months of a persons life. For me, I am a swimming lessons instructor and I have a new part time job moving pipe, pipe that isn't either my dad's or grandfathers (it is really kind of a novel thing), and I just recently got over being really really sick (which is also novel because I hardly ever get sick). But I was pleasantly surprised by two things. 1) I have had 1101 pageviews! Wow people, that is freaking amazing. I would have never thought that my blog would ever reach that number in such a short period of time. I am truly thankful to all those people who check in and read my rants, you people are awesome. 2) People are upset that I haven't posted in a while. Matter of fact, as I sat at the Canyon County Fair at the Vallivue FFA booth, two members Maddi and Janey sat and told me how they have been waiting and waiting for a new post and have sat and read their favorite ones over and over because they love them so much. People that means so much to me, makes me feel like what I am writing about is actually helping y'all.
      So now that I am full of greasy fair food and strawberry lemonade, I am ready to sit down and relax long enough to tap out a post. And I promise that once that school starts, my posts will become more regular and I won't let you people be hanging for such long periods of time.
      Here we go.....
     From the moment I got involved in FFA, my summers were littered with trainings and officer retreats and the occasional planning meeting. And as I got more involved and advanced in positions, these summer conferences and retreats filled up my summer months. When I started off I wasn't so sure that I wanted to spend prime summer time with people I just barely met and with other people I have maybe met at an FFA dance or recognize their names from when they were called when they walked across the stage at State CDE's. With time, I grew more and more fond of these little ventures. And like everything else I blog about, I have a few tips and suggestions that one should take into thought as you go out and experience either your first officer retreat or for your second, third, etc.  that much better.
      #1 tip: put away your cell phone. I am well aware that I love to be on my phone, seeing what others are doing with their summer vacation or using up my newly received lives on Two Dots. But as we travel into an age where technology is becoming more and more present, we have to be careful not to let our phones be the only window into the world. Live in the present with the people who are with us. And to top it all off, the people presenting get very discouraged when they look over the room and see all the faces in the room glanced down and have a soft glow cast upon their faces from their phones. Disconnect. Unplug. Interact.
     Tip #2: Participate. This all kind of ties back into the put your phone down tip. A lot of these officer retreats or planning sessions contain just that, planning. The next year contains a lot of events, events that your members will be looking at you to not only pull off, but make it fun and success on all counts. Put in your ideas, dare to disagree with the ideas you aren't sure about (don't confuse this with what you don't want to do with what you don't think is right for that event), offer suggestions to make an idea better, put your two cents in when they are needed. Most of all, just take part in the process and be a part of the team.
     Tip #3: Go all in. Insert yourself into it all. You are apart of a group of individuals who were chosen because of your strengths and weaknesses to become a team that would most effectively serve your chapter, district, etc. You will do great and your opinion and ideas matters. Just give it your all. These planning sessions are for you. When I was in State Office, we went to a week long training with Washington and Oregon FFA called NLCSO (National Leadership Conference for State Officers). There was several posters around the room with inspirational messages. My favorite one, and the one you will hear me use most often is, "It is about YOU now, so it can be about THEM later." Get to know your team and how you help and make your team better so that you can serve your members to the best of your abilities.
     Tip #4: Don't show up with your own agenda or a bad attitude. You wouldn't think that those two wouldn't go hand in hand, but they do. If you walk into these things with an idea that you know what is best and you are not willing to compromise, then the work that needs to happen to make the year won't happen. Keep an open mind. As for attitude issues. Don't walk into the meeting thinking, "this is going to be boring" or "I don't like so and so" or "my advisor is so old school and wouldn't ever go for what I would like to do". I am guilty of thinking of things that are similar, but I do know that when I did come into a meeting with a negative attitude, those meetings became nothing more than an argumentative and unproductive gathering of individuals, not the productive gathering of a team.
      So all in all people, go into these next meetings with your full heart and mind. I can promise you that it will be more worth it for not only you but for your members. But mainly for you :).
     Well people, I have missed blogging and I cannot wait till my next post. Thank you to the two girls who sparked me back into blogging. Helps me realize that what I am saying really does help.
     If there is anything that you would like to know if I have a tip or an idea about, shoot me an e-mail, and who knows! It could become a blog post! You aren't the only person who will have that question. Remember, y'all, I do this for you and if you need to know something, let me know. The training is buried in deep, all I learned and trained for is for my members. Even though I am a "has-been", I still like to serve my peeps! So until next time, and hopefully next time will be in a shorter period of time.

Peace, Love, and FFA
McKenzie
ffahacks@gmail.com
    

Getting the Good

     Okay people, I am so very sorry it has been a while since I have put a new post up. Life has hit me square in the face. I am currently taking an online course that has required me to stay shackled to a desk. When I wasn't working on that I have been helping my parents with the odds and ends things like spraying weeds or pruning rose bushes. But here I am now.
       And to my pleasant surprise I have over 994 pageviews! Thank you so much to all of my readers, even if it is just my mom checking the blog three times a day. Just kidding, y'all are great.
      Well to start off today's epic post, I want to wish you guys a Happy National Dairy Month. Being someone who is very involved in the dairy industry and loves everything about it, I love to tell anyone who will listen about it. Milk production is one of Idaho's top commodities and the state ranks number 3 in milk production in pounds. That is a big deal.
      Although the month is in celebration of the industry and its prosperity, but also in celebration of those farmers who have been able to survive the hard times and have kept the industry alive. My grandpa, a member of the United Dairymen of Idaho, has always been a dairy farmer. I can tell you first hand, I have seen his heartbreak as milk prices have plummeted and there is no money to make payments and the bank is threatening to shut down the operation and sell it all bit by bit. I have watches as he sat in meeting after meeting with different investors and banks to try and receive the loans and financing that he needs to continue on for just a while longer. The not knowing of whethere the family dairy would stay in the family for one more day was excruciating to all those involved, but especially for my grandfather, who has put his heart, mind, and soul.
      Now, it isn't just my grandfather who has had to think about how much feed is left or what milk price futures look like. It is all of the dairy farmers in Idaho and all over the country. So on behalf of myself, Thank you to all those dairy farmers. I know I wouldn't be able to live without my milk or icecream. Thank you to all those who work so hard, so that I can Get the Good.
      So for all those who may not know me, I am quite the cheesy person (haha see what I did there). I love lame jokes, especially the ones with a nerdy undertone. So in celebration of National Dairy Month, I hope I can provide you with a little laughter with my top dairy jokes!
      Enjoy!

Why I do quite agree with you Ron Swanson.

This one is totally my favorite

Story. Of. My. Life.

      And what would be National Dairy Month without a few pictures of my favorite bovine friends.

During the summer, my uncle allows his Organic herd to go to his little ranch a few miles from the dairy farm. Everyday they happily walk to their access to green grass. And when it is time for milking time we saddle up the ponies and take the cow dogs to get the reluctant cows back in time for milking. My cousin Thomas, on his pony Marchessa, usually goes down and gets them by himself. But that day my boyfriend, Keith (on Jordan), and myself (on my white pony Baby Spam) helped him out. 

Selfies with bottle babies never disappoint.

So I preg check and run the dairy records as a job. I go to my aunt and uncle's dairy and help them out once a month. On this day we had a lot of cows to get done and instead of my aunt helping me pull 2 cc's of injection out, she kept snapping pictures. 

Quinn and I preg checking

So these two babies are twins from my aunt's prize show cow. This particular cow is also the daughter of my aunt's first and most award wining show cow. These genetics have been on their diary for generations and are continuing on. Usually I have my little helper and favorite cousin, Andrew (5) to help me feed babies. But on this particular night he decided to climb on top of hutches to "make sure you have enough light." 

Obviously we want the milk in the big tank, but this is what we call the "Can". It is where we put the Colostrum (new momma milk that has to be fed to their baby) or sick cow milk that is fed to the calves. Because milk checks are based on quality and we don't want our consumers to drink milk not right for humans, this is a good way to not only make sure the calves are fed the milk they need and ensure the quality of our milk. 

The last time I worked, these hoodlums were causing havoc. Having five babies born in two days caused quite the backup in the calf hutch situation. And to make matters worse, they are big enough to recognize a bottle and that they want it and they will mow over and maul any person or thing that walks into the calf barn. The only way to make sure that I didn't end up with bruises was to feed one calf with one hand, use the other as a pacifier for another calf, and attempt to body block the third. Again, Jennifer (aunt) was so helpful. She refused to go into the barn for fear of being attacked. So she took pictures herself. 

      So people, I hope that you make the most of the rest of this great month and remember that there is someone out there who has to make the good, so you can get the good. No matter how picky you are about your dairy products (like I am) or if you are just a lover off all things milk products, that is something everyone can appreciate.

Happy National Dairy Month!
Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie
"Cheese-Whiz"
"Dairy-Queen"
"Cheese-Snob"
"Ice Cream- Fanatic"
"Lover of cows with black and white spots"
"Dairy girl, through and through"

When I Went to the Deep South

     Today I am writing to y’all while being my mother’s shotgun rider following a long train of school buses through Rattle Snake Pass going to Moscow from Wallowa Lake, Oregon. By doing so I am hoping that I will be able to type this out without getting car sick. Hopefully my “methodical” picking and eating of only one color at a time of M&Ms will help keep my nauseous tendencies to a minimum.

     On that note, we are going to do a little Toss-back Tuesday.

      A year ago today, I was visiting the great state of Mississippi as they kicked off their State Conference. That is definitely an experience that I will never forget.

     How did I get to go to Mississippi you may be asking. Well one, FFA takes you places, duh! And two, I met the two coolest people ever at the Utah State Leadership Conference.  Hayden and Drew are seriously the two coolest and most genuine people that you will meet. And from the moment we shook hands and introduced ourselves that first day at convention and jammed in my car as I drove them around Logan, I knew that we were going to be close. And with that came an invitation to go to their state and see how the South does things.  

     Funny enough, I wasn’t the only North-Westerner going. And it wasn’t until I had landed and been in the state for a few hours that they told me that Washington’s Micheal Heitstuman was also attending the convention. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to have to hang out and do pre-session with than him.

• All in all I learned a handful of things:
• Alligator is actually pretty good. I would totally eat it again.
• You haven’t ate fried chicken till you eat it in the deep South.
•  There is such things as getting sick of fried chicken.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE fried chicken and eat it all the time and a lot of it, but I swear that is the only thing they like to eat. I am not kidding you when I say that for one day’s meals it was chicken and a biscuit for breakfast, fried chicken sandwich for lunch, and fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner.
•    Mississippi has a Junior Association. This is for middle school members and they are able to participate during those years in Junior Association CDE’s and they even have their own Junior State Officers and a day of just their sessions during the week. It was different for me to see such young of people wearing the FFA jacket, but cool for me to see how passionate these young people are and continue to be as they go through “Senior” FFA.
•   Not all people who live in Dixie has a thick southern accent. The more Northern chapters has mild accents, whereas the more South you get the thicker and more slurred the speech gets. I also heard my accent get thicker and thicker every day I was there. Although I have lived in Idaho my entire life, I apparently have a slight southern drawl. Even all the FFA members in Mississippi asked me if I was sure I wasn’t from Texas or something.

     But my one of my all-time favorite stories from the South is from their dance. Now if you don’t know either me or my mother, you cannot possibly imagine our love for dancing. Furthermore, you cannot fathom our ability to “drop it low.” Needless to say we are the whitest black girls you will ever meet. And there is not a song that I love more to drop it to than the “Wobble”.  When that song came over the loud speakers, I put my hands in the air and started to drop it like its hot. After completing that song and continuing on into the next one, I had a girl come up to me, grab both my arms in her hands, stare me square in the face, and say, “Honey, I heard you were a hooker. Is that true?” People, I ASSURE you that I am NOT a hooker. For the rest of the trip that became the joke.         Needless to say, I think I left my mark on Mississippi.

     While I was there, I was able to meet with one of the main officials of the Veterinary Program. He was able to take me on a private tour of the facilities and sit down with me and talk with me about my future. I can honestly say that if I hadn’t have met him and gone on that tour, I wouldn’t have known what opportunities that Mississippi State University could hold for me. I can most definitely say that going back to Mississippi for Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine school wouldn’t have even been an option that I would have known to consider.

     Honestly I cannot wait to go back.

     And a quick trip down memory lane... 

Hayden and me after Utah State Convention. 

My alligator Po-Boy (what this sandwich is referred to). Delicious. 

This was a reflections that they did before session one time. It was way cool that they painted the black in the top picture and then on the flip side was the Ignite.

Pre-session fun. 

More pre-session fun. Interestingly enough, the girls were the best at shaving. Who knew?!

While sitting behind the backstage curtain watching a session, Mr. Micheal leaned over and placed his head on my shoulder and was looking at his phone. Soon enough he was sound asleep. It was honestly a great thing that he was there with me. It totally made my trip great. 

     It is an experience like this that I can only attribute to my involvement in FFA. That is what I love about FFA. As a State Officer, we always tell our members that being involved can take them places like Washington D.C. and Indianapolis, but at the time I was telling them that, I didn’t imagine that FFA would take me to Starkville, Mississippi.

     I am super excited to be back in Moscow and see all of my peeps’ shining faces. It has been a great and very rainy trip thus far, and I can’t wait for the rest of the week. It is slightly weird because I am a chaperone and not a student and I am now old enough that I don’t know all of these kids anymore, but I am, nonetheless, loving every minute of it.  Like I said in my post last week, I do love to take selfies and want to meet more of my readers in person. Come on up and say hello and ask for a picture and I will be so tickled!

     After several stops, the bus driver skillfully missing a rouge deer in the road, and my pausing to let my car sickness subside, we are finally in Moscow! Let the fun continue on and on!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie 

Vallivue FFA Chapter