The Joy of 4-H

Over the weekend, my daughter and I traveled to Ohio to attend a family wedding.  While there, we visited a cheese chalet and the local Wendall August store.  At both locations, we talked to people who told my daughter she needed to join 4-H.  This is a "no-brainer" for us since I have worked as a 4-H professional since graduating college and see the benefits of 4-H everyday.  But hearing the fellow tourists openly talk about how much they love 4-H and how much their children benefited from 4-H humbled me and made me realize how 4-H changes lives everyday.

So, if your family is not involved in 4-H yet, I encourage you to join the millions of youth who are more likely to attend college, less likely to engage in drug use!

My future 4-H member

To find a local program near you visit http://www.4-h.org/

5 Minute Friday: Thank You Friend

Thank you friend for holding me up when I wanted to stay down
Thank you friend for always listening.
Thanks you friend for  laughter.
Thank you friend for being you.

This is linked up with Lisa-Jo Baker's blog.

5 Minute Friday: Race

Race... After reflecting on this word, I realized my life is a race.  This is a revelation to me, the poster child for introverts.

I grew up with an intense love for all things horses and the Kentucky Derby as well as the other horse races for the Triple Crown were event I never missed. 

I race to finish a good book AND

Daily we have a family marathon to get the kids and my cow man husband out the door in the morning.

Maybe the RACE is just as important as the destination.

I am linking this post to Lisa-Jo Bakers blog.

Infertility after Pregancy: My Story

In August 2005 my life joyfully changed forever with the birth of our daughter.  I had a non eventful pregnancy with no trouble and had our daughter via c section, which I recovered from easily.  Three months later, I started on a journey that has also changed my life forever.  Due to scar tissue build up (referred to as adhesions) I started having pain in my left side; this led to a hysterectomy (after the birth of our son), which I though would be the end of the complications.  Unfortunately, I now have nerve problems in the incision site, and this is painful.  So, a week ago I had a procedure done by a pain management specialist; I should know in about 6 weeks if the procedure worked.  I am keeping my fingers crossed because if it works I will be able to spend a lot more time chasing around my kids!

I will never regret the decision to have the c section because it led to a healthy birth.  However, I run into pregnant women all the time who want elective c sections or think it is easier than delivering normally and I hope my story gives them pause.

If you are struggling with any type of fertility issues, check out http://practicalkatie.com/  This is also a great parenting blog.

Essence of Now

The past few weeks of August have given us our first soccer practice and our first day of first grade.

This post is being linked up with Mama Track and My Time as Mom as part of their photography based Essence of Now link up.

Shar Dimick Book Review

Gal in the Middle and I have recently figured out how to lend ebooks to each other. Needless to say we have been like kids in a candy store.

Gal came across a book by Shar Dimick, a great new romance writer.  The book, Take a Deep Breath, is a heartwarming story about a single mom who is reunited with her old friend, Cam.  The two characters embark upon a summer romance that leads to more.....

To learn more about Shar or to download the ebook click here.

Beyond the Job

Last week was the local county 4-H fair.  To most people, the 4-H fair is a fun filled,family time of   4-H, animals, rides and games.  As a 4-H youth educator, the 4-H fair is part of my job responsibilities.  This means very long hours away from my kids and husband and dealing with complaints.  And this year is it was lots of complaints.

Now, to try and forget how truly mean people can be about competition, I am trying to remember the most important part of my life is beyond the job with my kids, my husband and my awesome friends and co-workers.  Oh, and maybe I can get my new hydrangea bush to survive the drought.