"Hog Heaven"

Dixie Junior

Livestock Show

 2011

Every year for the past 6 years our family has raised hogs for 4-H and FFA clubs. Our 4-H club is called "Hog Heaven", named by Kelly Ashcroft who used to show hogs, but now show steers.   Each year we learn a lot, and have a really great time.  Austin started out when he was 11 and has competed every year since.  Each year is filled with drama, sometimes the pigs don't make weight, sometimes we don't make any money, or go in the hole.  Some years the buyer forgets to come, or someone gets hurt, but we continue to look forward to the show regardless.  In the end it is alway a good experience. 


This year was probably our best year yet. All of the hogs made weight, which is at least 220 pounds. This is such a huge relief.  In years past if your hog did not make weight, you could show for showmanship, but not for livestock judging, which meant you couldn't sell on Saturday.  If you brought your underweight hog to the show, you still have to butcher the hog because Utah law says that you can't take the hog home from the show because of the threat of a swine virus that kills the hogs.  This year they changed the rule, but we still stressed about the pigs making weight to enable us to sell the animals at the end of the show.  We entered four pigs/kids this year and it was really good to see them all participate. We also had Carson Bjelland, a friend of Cody's participate with us this year for his first year. We are so proud of all of the kids and their hard work getting ready for the show as well as their performances there. Be ready for pictures galore!!


Thursday:  Weigh in and Showmanship competition.
Here the kids get judged on their showmanship skills.


This is Carson and his pig Peaches.  We couldn't fit all of our hogs in our trailer, and his too
so we took ours to the show first, then were going to go and get his (we had until noon to do this).
Carson got really nervous and impatient so he and his mom rigged up their trailer "hillbilly" style so
he could get his hog to the show early.  I now know Jenny (Carsons mom) can do anything.




Setting up for the show.  Dalyon has a portable waterer in his hands.



Carson and Cody all set up and the pigs are getting comfortable.



Austin studying what was in our feed for the showmanship judging part of the show. 




Austin showing his pig.  He made it back to the star class and took
11th overall. 





Mady in the showmanship round.  She took Intermediate Reserve!! 
(That is second place overall)  She smiled and did exactly what
she was supposed to.  She did SSSOOOOOO GREAT!!!! 





Cody in Showmanship. Doesn't he look handsome?



Dalyon in Showmanship.
 He took eighth overall all in his age class making it to the
star class.   Good job Dalyon!!!

 Friday:  Livestock Judging

In preparation for the show, the kids have to wash and shave their pigs.  The shaving we did at home a week ago, and before each show they have to wash and brush them.  This IS a beauty pageant after all.

The kids get so attached to their animals.  The hogs don't
care if they snuggle with them.  They are clean and in shavings.
The kids have a great time when they aren't showing.  They take
good care of the animals, and also have squirt bottle wars, eat greasy
hamburgers and fries, and really have a good time. 

 Friday: Livestock judging

Dalyon having his hog  judged. 

 

He took fifth overall in his weight class and received a blue
ribbon for his hog.

Cody received a blue ribbon for his hog.

Mady received a blue ribbon for her hog and got 4th overall in her weight class.

Austin received a blue ribbon and was reserve (2nd place) in his
weight class.  Way to go Austin!!

Friday Night Award Ceremony

Dalyon received a cool t-shirt for making it to the star class
for showmanship.  Good job Dalyon!



Mady received a $100 savings bond for being awarded Intermediate reserve
in showmanship.  Way to go Mady!!



Mady displays her cool shirt and certificate, as well as her excitement.




The Dance

 

The dance is always one of the highlights of the show.  We all get out get a little crazy.  I love to do the Macarana and line dances with the kids.  Doug even got into the fun and danced some slow dances with Cami and I.  It took Cody a while to get up the courage, but he finally asked a cute girl from Veyo to dance.  He did a few swing moves and says he "wowed" her.  Way to go Cody!  Austin is doing a candlestick move with Cami  in the pictures above.  It ended up being a fabulous night.

The final day of the show is the auction.  This is a stressful day for us because we really want to recoup our money from raising the hogs, and if possible make a profit.  This year we are really grateful to have broken even.  It cost us about $450 a hog to raise them for the show, and each of us got at least that.  The economy really tightened things up for everyone and fortunately  we were able to get a buyer and sell.  What is the most important though is that the kids learn something and have a chance to compete and be good sports.  The livestock show is very similar to life.  You have your success's, and disappointments, sometimes you sell high, or could possibly go in the hole, you are subject to others opinions and judgements, and politics.  But in the end what matters most is how you handle each situation, and how you feel inside about your performance, knowing that it is all for our growth and progress and that we are always OK, no matter what happens. Something I hope we can alsways remember. 

"HOPPY Birthday!"

Saturday, April 23 was a really great day for all of us.  It was Austins 17th birthday and Easter.  It was extra special because my brother Troy and his family came down from Preston to visit, and brought all of his kids and grandchild.  We haven't all been together for several years so we had to get a picture, or two. 

We started the day with an Easter egg hunt in Leeds.  The Easter bunny came to the hunt pulled behind a farmall tractor.


Dalyon found and interesting sign on his hunt.



Cami got a ladybug painted on her face.

Austin, Doug, Grandpa, Grandma, Troy, Bracken,
Dalyon, Tonya, Heather, Berni,
Mady, Cami, Chet, Vickie, Afton, Jessica and Layne
Cody, Wyat, Taggart, Kora

My family was able to get together later in the afternoon and have our own Easter egg hunt and Easter dinner.  My brother Troy and his family came down from Preston, Idaho to visit and brought all of his kids. (all is only 4).  We haven't been able to get everyone together for a family picture for a while so we are glad to get the opportunity.  We ended up taking a lot of other pictures for the fun of it.

GRANDKIDS
Austin, Mady, Kora, Heather, Bracken
Jessica, Cami, Dalyon, Afton, Taggart
Cody, Layne (Great grandchild) and Wyat



Nothing says "redneck" quite like a family photo around the old Ford.



Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Allen

Just a little smoochin'. 
Still in love after all of these years!

April 23 is Austins birthday and he turned 17 this year.  I think he keeps getting better and better with each year.  He invited his friends over for ice cream and cake and some real "Winn" conversation.  We got him some tickets to Lonestar out at the Tuachann and he cleaned up on the cash that his grandparents gave him.  He celebrated with our nephew Layne, who turned 3 the day before, and we were going to celebrate with Afton who turned 12 on the 17 of April, but was to shy.  Layne is Jessica's son, Troys grandson.  He came home with me after the Easter egg hunt in Leeds and spent the day "helping" me get ready for our party.  We colored eggs and he kept telling me "I'm almost done!"  even when we were just getting a good start.  What a cutie.

Singing "Hoppy Birthday"

Blowing out the candles.



Austins friends having ice cream.
There is Taggart Hughes, Chris Wilson, MaCarty Amy, Cody,
and on the stool is Darringer Scow. Mady is sitting with her back to me.

 We had a really great day.  It was so good to be with my family again, especially since Dads recent kidney/tumor surgery.  I are all so grateful to still have him around, and to be together.  We had a great time reminiscing and sharing a lot of laughs.


                                                                      Hoppy Easter!

Positively Perfect Prom

 I really love having my kids older and doing the fun stuff that I remember enjoying years ago.  This last weekend was no exception.  It was the 2011 Prom for Hurricane High and I think I stressed over and enjoyed it almost as much as Austin and his friends did.  If you have been reading my blog, you will know that Austin asked KC Gubler in a very unique way, but I'm happy to report that he made up for it with the date.  One of the girls they went with, Courtney Curtis, was an expert at taking LOTS of pictures, and conveniently putting them on face book so that I could get a copy of them easily.  I was fortunate to be able to help with the dinner, spearheaded by my friend Lori Swyers, whose son is also named Austin and is a good friend to my Austin.  For the sake of the blog, I will refer to Austin Swyers by his nickname, AJ.  I am glad to have lots of pictures to share this time. 

These days the big dance dates begin with "day dates".  Most just play games but my Austin likes to make a production out of it.  There were seven couples in their group and with all those male heads together, they came up with a super fun day.  They began at 9 o'clock in the morning by going four-wheeling out at the sand dunes.

Going up and over the bump

Pausing for a picture.

Got high centered.

The Austins getting it unstuck.

Hey! Wait KC!! Wait for me!!



It's all good. 

 After four-wheeling they all headed over to Matt Eshler's place to do some zip lining and for lunch.  They would haul each other up to the top, then ride down.  Some of the girls were nervous at first, but ended up going back many times after they found out how much fun it was. 

Heading up to the top of the zip line

KC rides down

Austin rides down

They all had so much fun!  After the day date, the boys took the girls home to get ready for the Prom and had them to Grandma Swyers house at 7 for dinner.

Picking KC up for dinner

  I was able to help with the "Night in Italy" by contributing food and time.  Lori did the work of the decorating and her girls and Grandma Swyers strung twinkle lights everywhere on her deck.  It was very beautiful and very romantic. 

Tonya putting the finishing touches on the place settings.
This is Austin Swyers  and Kelsey Rasmussen. 

Austin and KC at their table with Stockton Fischer behind.

One last pose before the dance.

Eric Colson and Kristine Rassmussen, Dan Thompson and McKenna Hutchins, Austin Swyers and
Courtney Curtis,  Stockton Fischer and Christine Cramm,  Stetson Nelson and  Hope Bringhurst,
Darringer Scow and Shelbie Curtis,  Austin Beutler and KC Gubler. 

Then it was off to the dance.  We thought all of the girls looked like the Disney Princesses.  There is a Belle, a Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Arial.  They all looked so handsome together.  I was really proud of the way Austin treated KC.  He was mindful to be a gentleman the whole time by getting her chair, serving her dinner, introducing her to everyone she didn't know, etc.  In his preparations for the night he even arranged to borrow a Dodge Charger from Xia and Brett Chandler so he had a really cool car to get to the prom in.  Some things are just really important.  They all had a great time at the dance too, and were home before the Charger turned back into a pumpkin. 

April snows bring . . . . . FUN!!!



The grass is green, the geranium is
red and . . . . snow?



This morning at 5:30 I woke up and went to my aerobics class in the rain, then at 7:00 I drove home in a blizzard!!  This is definitely not typical for us here in Southern Utah.  Since moving here in 1995, we have had rare occasion to enjoy snow falling at any time of the year.  However, during the last few years the weather has been changing and we are seeing cooler weather and more snow, but never, NEVER, in the 16 years we have lived here have we had snow in April.  This morning, the lighter it got, the harder it snowed.  The kids were very excited and were hoping for a snow day from school, but the roads were only wet and very passable so off they went.  They did get out of school early because it is Friday so they made it home before the snow melted and Cami had enough time to make the cutest snowman in the history of April snows. 



Yesterday I spent time out there planting the garden, and flowers
around the playhouse.  You can't see any of that today.



Cami and her snowman.



I love his little face.  There was just enough snow to put him
together, although his arms were too big for him. 



It's all in the asking. . . .

Remember back in High school when you wanted to go on a special date with someone you picked up the phone and you asked the person to the dance or on the date.  If you were really brave and secure with yourself, you would ask them at school. . . . FACE to FACE.  I think there may have been an occasion that we did some creative asking, and I dare say that the kids today are a lot more creative than I ever was. 

Spring is the season for the biggest dance of the year, the Prom.  Since turning 16, Austin has been very into the dating thing, and almost every major dance he has been in attendance.  His Jr. Prom is no exception.  We spent several hours over several nights discussing different ways he could ask KC Gubler to Prom.  We are lucky to have Austins friend Eric Colson living with us and he planned on asking Kelsy Rasmussen. Between the two of them and lots of other help, they came up with some great ideas.  Eric really wanted to give his girl a real egg and baby chick and say:  "I would be EGG-cited to go the the Prom with a CHICK like you!", but that one was hard because of how delicate baby chicks are, and he wasn't interested in any candy varieties.  Austin wanted to to haul an old travel trailer into his girls front yard and put a sign on it that said "I would be happier than a tornader in a trailer park if ya-alled go to the Prom with me!",  however, that didn't come together any better than the baby chick thing.  Finally, Eric decided to buy two alarm clocks and hide them in Kelseys room, to go off at 2 am, and the other at 4 am.  When the first one went off, (which she didn't hear for an hour and a half!) the note on it said:  

                                           Good Morning merry Sunshine!
                                            How did you wake so soon?
                                           Come with me to the Prom
                                            And we'll dance away the moon!!

Then at four o'clock when the alarm went off she found the note that said:
                                              Love, Eric
She figured it out with the first note and texted him at 3:30 to get him up so he could share in the fun. 

Austin couldn't  make up his mind about how to ask KC  until he talked with her dad about April Fools pranks, and Leon gave him an idea.   Austin had an old toilet in the back yard that he was going to use as target practice, and was still in good condition, that he could use.  They came up with "Don't FLUSH my hopes down the drain!"  which they put on the front of the tank,  then on the toilet seat lid they put "Go to Prom with me!!"  When she opened up the lid, on the inside they had written "Sometimes you have to go through a lot of CRAP, to find the TURD who gave you this".  They put his name in foam letters inside Baby Ruth miniature candy bars and put them in apple juice in the bowl. (I know. . . yuk!!!)  The whole thing sounded pretty gross, but considering that it was her dad that gave him the idea, and KC is a good sport they followed through with it.  I wish I had pictures to show you because it actually turned out pretty cute.  Austin put flowers in the tank and  it dressed it up really cute.  They assembled it down the street from her house, then put it on her front porch and ran.  They "happened" to drive by as she was opening her front door and got a quick glance at her reaction which I'm told was priceless. 

To answer him back, KC kept with the whole "bathroom" theme, and put a NEW plunger in his truck with a sign that said. . "NOPE!!!!  (go to your front door)".  He got that on April Fools night during a Sunday School party.  He ran home as fast as he could to find a NEW toilet scrub brush taped to our front door and the note said:  "April Fools!!!!  Go to your back door."   He, and all of his friends then proceeded to one of our back doors and searched and searched and searched for her answer.   After about 20 minutes of searching, Austin finally realized we have two back doors, and opened the garage door to find his blessed toilet, and his answer.  The sign on the tank said "I'm OVERFLOWING with JOY that you would ask me!" covered with miniature almond joy candy bars.  Then under the lid was her answer.   I did get pictures of it this time, after they took the almond joy candy off.  I am amazed about what these kids acan come up with!    

April Fools!

You would almost think that April 1 is a major holiday the way we prepare for and follow through for this day.  I never really meant for it to be this way, but over the years I have pulled a few fun pranks on Doug and the kids and so began the tradition.  One year Austin put Dougs' semi truck on blocks, and when he went to leave to move a house that morning, he couldn't.  It took him well over an hour to figure out that the truck was on blocks, that the back tires were spinning but not grabbing, and that Austin and Cody had done a great job of making it look like the truck still sat on its tires. That was a good one on Doug, so to get Austin back, we called the middle school and had them pull him into the office because he was disrupting class and pretend to put him into detention.  He didn't realize what was happening until he had to call home and we told him "April Fools!".  He didn't think it was so great then, but we get a lot of laughs about it now.  Other times I have unfilled oreo's and replaced the filling with toothpaste, or made an "interesting" dinner.

Now that the kids are older, they have taken over the creativity.  Today, however, began with my aerobics class following everything I did in the opposite way I did.  I realized what they were doing early, and tried to mess them up in their quest, but ended up messing myself up instead. We all had a good laugh!  lol  When I got home from aerobics we went to pour a bowl of Cheerios and got Shredded Wheat out of the yellow box.  When we poured the milk it was green.  Washing the bowls out ended up being messy because "someone" had placed an elastic band around the spray nozzle so when you turn on the faucet you got sprayed, in the face if you are a short person, or in the chest if you are taller, and definitely the kitchen was drenched. When I went to get dressed, my door to my bedroom was missing.  I thought at first that it was Doug, but when I went downstairs to put something away, I found my door in the back bedroom. Soooooooo. . . . . . . . I brought it upstairs and hung it back up!  (By myself!!)  Then, when Cody and Mady got home, I pretended that it was never gone.  They told me after school that because we had taken THEIR doors off (they were told that if they slammed their doors one more time that we would take their doors off the hinges.  They did, so we did) that they took ours off as a joke.  I fibbed and told them I never noticed it gone and that it was still there.  They ran back to my room to see, and behold, there is was.  They swear they took it off, and are baffled that it just "appeared" and can't believe that I never noticed it gone.  I think that is the best get yet.  Someday, when they are old I will tell them, or if they read this they will know. (Which will never happen I'm sure!)  So if YOU are reading this.  Keep my secret!!  There have been several other pranks today too, but I am not at liberty to tell about them because "someone" might get caught!  Maybe I'll share them later, when the coast is clear and the tempers have abated.  lol

Happy April Fools Day!!