A January to Remember As A Family

January over the last thirty years was just one of those dreary, dull months.  Honestly the only thing I looked forward to used to be snow.  I'm an outdoor, sunshine kind of person who rarely sits down.  So January, and all the cold and wintry weather, never suited me. Then we started showing our Hereford cattle, our girls got involved in the FFA and January changed dramatically.  January is now one of my favorite months and this last one will be one I will always cherish and remember forever.

Show season at our ranch involves a lot of time spent in the barn and prepping our cattle for the Fort Worth Junior Hereford Show and the National Hereford Show there as well.  For two weekends in a row we make the treck up I-20 to Cowtown and live there almost two weeks out of the month of January.  It's an intensive month full of Scott, Audrey and Steve washing, blowing, walking and packing show supplies up for both shows.  Bethany and I pack and bake sweets!  For the junior show Audrey can only take one heifer to show because there are so many juniors and breeds across the state of Texas showing.  For the second, following weekend of National Hereford Show, breeders from across the US bring both their bulls and heifers to compete in this highly prestigious show.  We try to stay well and not come down with the 'Fort Worth crud' from the constant changes in temperatures and being around so many people.  The flu has hit our nation hard this year and I've tried to keep our family both well and loaded with vitamins in anticipation of these shows.

Audrey's first Fort Worth Stock show and still one of my very favorite photos taken by a friend

Since our oldest daughter Ilissa started showing over 19 years ago, our first large show was the Fort Worth Stock Show. In those days we traveled with our local school's FFA team which numbered over thirty one head of cattle and kids.  Add in two to three family members in there and it was one of the largest groups in the state.  In those days we used to cook meals in the barn to feed our crowd at lunch each day.  Mr. Thomas' stew was always something everyone loved and then there was that one year that everyone made spaghetti...  He blended it all together in large one pot!  That recipe is one that will go down in history for our juniors!  The kids secretly went and bought baked potatoes, hid and ate that year.  They still talk about it to this day! Fun memories!

During those humbling years and the process of building our Hereford herd Ilissa and later our middle daughter Bethany showed with many last places, second to last and mid-class showings with their show heifers.  Each year we'd excitedly come back to Fort Worth ready to show their newest heifer once again or one that was still old enough to show from the previous year.  We were always excited to see old friend and inevitably made new ones.  Just the hard work and perseverance it took and taught our girls still amazes me to this day. Our two older girls learned a lot during those years with both showing on how to lose graciously. Gradually, step by step, our cattle after seven years started to build into a herd that was competitive on the state and national level.  You can buy your cattle all day long and I promise you we did that early on to build our herd. But a home-grown win is the best of them all!

Audrey showing NH North her heifer in the junior show at Fort Worth Stock Show

This past month while at the Fort Worth Junior Hereford Stock Show our Audrey earned an honor that as a family our ranch has never achieved. When the final handshake was given, Audrey and her heifer NH North were awarded Grand Champion heifer of the horned breed!  To say we were thrilled is an understatement and to say we are still reeling from it is even truer.  This win was the result of years and years of Scott's and our girls breeding program on our ranch.  Most special of all was that this win was the product of both the sire (father) and the dam (mother) also being bred on our place.  As a breeder the best feeling of all is when the win is with the lineage of cattle totally off your place.  For Audrey and our entire family that day, this moment was even more special because we shared it as well with our great FFA chapter who had helped haul our girls all over the state and country for many, many years.  I honestly don't think our older two daughters could have been more excited even if it had happened to them.  Both in their own rights have won Grand Champion at The State Fair of Texas (Ilissa) and Houston Livestock Shows (Bethany), but Fort Worth had always been something that had eluded us. We'd hit all around the grand championship with a few division winners and been in the hunt at this show, but never achieved what for us seemed the hardest nut to crack - Fort Worth Grand Champion.

Fort Worth Grand Champion Jr. Hereford NH North with Audrey, family and Ag. Advisors Sue Witt and Kyle Keahey along with Texas Hereford royalty. 

The smile on my husbands face said it all as you'll see in the pictures above and below.  He later mentioned that as he haltered Audry's calf as she left the ring and asked her, "Do you realize what you just won?", she grew a few inches taller and could also not take the smile off her face and was in total shock.  Her sisters later told me that they mentioned to Audrey she could just 'enjoy' coming to Fort Worth after this year - no pressure- because she'd just won the pinnacle in their eyes!

I love the quiet, intensity on her face in this shot

For me as the mom, what meant the most was having our entire family there with all our daughters and Scott to watch as Audrey won.  Along with our Ag advisers Sue Witt and Kyle Keahey there,  and family friend Taylor Shackleford too, was huge to Audrey.  And to our friends and family who texted, messaged and came by to congratulate us, thank you as well. Your support and genuine smiles and words of congratulations meant the world as well to Scott, Audrey and the girls and I.

Kyle Keahey, our Ag Adivisor with our family!  So proud he is in Gilmer and as Scott said,
got to clip the Grand Champion! A rare, full face Scott smile!

Audrey with Gilmer FFA Ag. Advisor Sue Witt and Kyle Keahey

The following weekend we came home, washed some laundry, tried to rest and then Scott and Steve left for Fort Worth again on the following Thursday after arriving home on Monday.  It was time for the National Hereford Show and the Texas Hereford Association weekend of socials, meetings and show on Monday.  My favorite weekend in January was finally here where we could relax a little, visit with friends from across the state and nation and most of all be with all our girls again.

This year was even more special as Scott and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary!  On my Facebook post when I mentioned our anniversary, I told him that I wouldn't have it any other way than celebrating at a cattle show as we had for the last 20 and said here's to the next 30....he then commented, "I sure hope we can still go to a cow show when we are 83!"  It's become a tradition to celebrate our anniversary with a family dinner at least one night while there bringing along friends that have come in to town for to come to the events of the weekend.  This weekend as in many past, we enjoyed having our cousin Jennifer and husband Andy join us at one of our favorite restaurants the Silver Fox.  Thirty years have come and gone by so fast, but I could not imagine being more lucky to have Scott and our girls.  We married young as everyone did in those days. Looking back he's been my rock, best friend, supporter and biggest encourager all wrapped in one rough and tough package. I love you Scott and here's to another 30 or more years!

Anniversary dinner at Silver Fox

Throughout the entire weekend and anticipation of the National Show on Monday, our families thoughts and prayers were gearing up for another big event in our Audrey's life, her district officer election that she would compete in that Monday immediately following the show in Fort Worth.  For a period of eight years as soon as the two oldest girls showed their heifers and bulls in the National Hereford Show, we jumped in the car and headed east to the Daingerfield District FFA Convention  in just enought time for our our girls to run for district officer. Praying all the way, the girls try to take a quick nap, then gear up for their speech and thought quesions on the stage that follow while I just seriously pray that we arrive safely.  I know I make our Ag advisor Sue a nervous wreck!

Audrey with all our Gilmer FFA Ag Advisors.
Selfless, dedicated and love all our in Gilmer like their own!

A huge part of our girls lives are and will always be the FFA and a tradition for them is running for leadership positions in our chapter and then district, area and state levels.  This weekend it was finally our Audrey's turn and we all could not have been more excited for her or anxious.

Candidate #5 Audrey Nolan from Gilmer FFA!

With our first two girls, the practice for their speeches and competitions were always a part of our nightly routine where they'd get up and say them during commercials or with anyone that would hear them.  Audrey is different however and prefers to practice in her own way, quietly and more intensive with a great deal of self reflection.  More like her dad in many, many ways, her style works for her, but makes her mom a little nervous!  However, by the end of the night and a stellar speech performance and question response, Audrey was name our Daingerfield District officer from over 15 neighboring chapter FFA kids!  Our goal was to just be an officer.  When her name was called out last, I've never seen our sweet girl more confident and proud of herself than that night.  

Audrey as Daingerfield District President performing closing ceremonies.

As she closed the convention as the new president, all the years of watching our two older girls came flooding back with a great sense of pride.  Audrey was following in her sister's footsteps, but making on her own place in the world, one step at a time.

All smiles and a huge thumbs up for our Audrey!

As I reflect on the last two weeks, I give credit to God first of all for holding us safe and allowing us to do what we do as a family.  The life we live is fast paced and full of love, laughter and lots of hard work.  Agriculture, our beloved Hereford cattle, their people, associations and the FFA have left indelible marks in our hearts and soul.  Each of these, without a doubt have shaped our daughters in to the young women they are and have become.  We could not feel more blessed and thankful.

For a month that used to be dull, January is anything but but that now.  This past January was one for the record books in our little family's lives and we realize more than anything the events of it were years in the making.

Alise Nolan
The Ranch Kitchen 

#FFAProud - 2017 Texas FFA Convention

Summer time has been in full swing at my house. This past week, I was able to be at the Texas FFA State Convention with my youngest daughter Audrey in Corpus Christi. This event culminates Texas FFA chapter's year of activities, service, and contest with a whirlwind of motivational speakers, state level competitions, concerts, fun nights and our state officers running one of the largest state convention in nation.

All three of our girls and Scott were actively involved in FFA from an early age. Scott was a member of our hometown school chapter in high school and knew he wanted our daughters to be part of what he wished he had been more involved in.
So it started, and all three girls joined our Junior FFA program, got involved, served as district, area and state officers during their tenure. Now as our youngest Audrey sets her sights on her own path with FFA, it's her sisters that she continually asks about and looks up to with their successes in the FFA.

Bethany, Ilissa, Scott and Audrey with their Texas FFA jackets
Bethany Area VI VP, Ilissa State VP, Scott and Audrey local chapter

Last week, as I sat through what has become probably my 14th state convention, I was emotional several times thinking about the impact it has made on my daughters and our lives.  Not everyone understands our involvement, way of life and time spent with this association.  We, however always knew it was much bigger than us and if our girls could just tap into it's principals and teachings they would be the better for it.  We could have never dreamed the places it would take us, how much it would help our girls and ultimately guide their paths in life. Both girls received undergraduate degrees and masters in agriculture  (Texas A&M and Texas Tech) with one now leading at the state level for the Texas Department of Agriculture in government and legislative policy and the other being heavily involved with top agricultural firms in communications and marketing.  To say that FFA guided them in their paths would be an understatement.

Bethany's Houston Grand Champion win with a heifer her sister owned the year before that garnered a division championship with while showing with our local FFA chapter.

 Audrey with her win at Houston while with our FFA chapter

Life is all about choices.  Early on, our choice and to this day we have never looked back.

This past week as I watched with pride as our Audrey competed in the Texas FFA Jr. Prepared Public Speaking contest, I couldn't help be most proud of her grit and determination.  For over a year, Audrey has worked on her speech over Bees.  Both her Agricultural Advisor Sue Witt and I watched a documentary along with Audrey and knew this would be a perfect topic for her.  Audrey researched and with minimal help from me, wrote a speech that she has refined, practiced, competed and researched over for now on a year.  I've watched Audrey pull herself up, walk in and deliver speeches since the fifth grade that I could never have done with a level of confidence and poise that amazes me.  As a naturally shy person when she was younger, she has grown in her demeanor most through these public speaking contest and like many young FFA member in these contest they have grown immensely from being a part of the speaking contests. For that I am forever grateful.

Audrey's win this year in Junior Prepared Public Speaking

                                         
You see, FFA isn't just about showing livestock like we love to do, but it's also about building those career and leadership abilities that will help our youth one day in this big world of ours.  More than once, my two oldest girls have repeatedly used their job interview skills from an FFA contest back in high school.  They've repeatedly relied on what they learned from public speaking contest in their jobs to this day. Contest like Extemporaneous Speaking, Public Speaking, Livestock Judging, running for district, area and state offices and even showing cattle with the our local chapter and the Texas FFA have truly been irreplaceable in getting them where they are now.  They've learned leadership skills from Texas FFA programs like the Nomination Committee where they've assisted select National FFA Officer candidates and led programs for Texas FFA like the Ford Scholars.  Each of these FFA opportunities resulted in numerous scholarships, college acceptances and leadership at both while at college at both Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

Oldest daughter Ilissa speaking as a Texas FFA State Vice President at convention in 2008

Our girls representing on the state and local area during their FFA years

As they week started what warmed my heart the most is the fact that the two older sisters  Ilissa and Bethany came to be with their sister Audrey as she competed.  Audrey would repeatedly ask, "Are the sisters coming?' and of course they were there to watch their baby sister.  They prepped her in advance on speech questions, cheered her on through prelims and later the finals and screamed the loudest when she placed 8th overall with her, "What's All the Buzz About Bees?" speech while on stage at the convention. Sure makes a mom proud to see her girls support each other the way they do.

Ilissa, Audrey, myself and Bethany at the preliminary competition in Corpus.

During the week our local chapter had the distinct honor of one of our own former students Jake Traylor presiding over the Texas FFA Convention.  To say he did an outstanding job is an understatement. As Texas FFA President, he was poised, confident, humble and related with every person in the convention hall during each and every session.  Jake...we are so proud of you and look forward to see where life leads you next!  It'll be a great adventure for sure and we know you will be relentless in your pursuit of it!

Jake delivering his wonderful retiring President's address at the 2017 Texas FFA Convention

Jake's week was especially meaningful to our Ag Advisors, Sue Witt, Russell Thomas, Paulette Aguilar, Kyle Keahey and Cati Heikennen who proudly received his first state officer jacket on stage from Jake and watched as a prodigy of theirs in the form of young man, led convention over 12,000 plus members and guest.  His loving family and teachers have done an outstanding job helping this young man achieve his dreams.    
                     

Jake here with our Ag teachers after the final session of the Texas FFA Convention after retiring his jackets.  His shirt signifies the members of the Area VI Association who signed it as a token of remembrance.

                               
Also during the week, I stopped by to visit with The Pulse who I blog for as they were present in the exhibit hall at convention.  It was great to see them there as always supporting our youth and the kids having fun with their games.  What I love most about Sullivan Supply and The Pulse is their constant support of our youth and associations like Texas FFA. Thank you!

Now as we look forward to finishing out summer, this week will always stand out in our memory.  As a family we are thankful, proud and most importantly humbled to know that there is an association and teachers in FFA that give and care so much for not just our children, but those of so many.

Next time you see an agricultural education teacher, realize the long, sometimes thankless hours they spend in and out of the classroom.  Just this week our own local chapter took over 30 kids throughout the week to convention. Some might call that crazy...but we call it devotion and instilling hope in the future of these kids. During the course of their week, perhaps one keynote address or event spurred enough of a passion in them that FFA will forever be in their hearts.  I know it holds a solid place in our entire families hearts.

                                 

Thank you Texas FFA, Jake, and our Ag Advisors for this past week and to the Texas FFA for putting on a stellar convention yet again.  Congratulations to everyone who competed, placed and won while there. Remember it's not about the ribbons and  awards, but what you learned along the way.  Take your experiences from the convention theme Relentless home and apply it to your life. I know I personally came away with a renewed spirit and continued appreciation and love for this association's mission.

Audrey with her Agricultural Advisors Russell Thomas, Sue Witt, Paulette Aguilar, Kyle Keahey and Cati Heikennen

                               

#FFAProud #TexasFFA

Alise @ The Ranch Kitchen