2010: A Summary of my Year in 100 Words

NWSS Activities Director
First Dixie National
New Little Sister, Kathleen
Jamie, Sonya, Shelia Weekend
MAJAC, first D.C. experience
RENO in April
Turned thirty-something, at the Atlantic National and met new friend

Young Cattlemen’s Conference, met more new friends, expanded interest and knowledge of the greatest industry on earth—BEEF

1st NJAS in different capacity, judged the CAB Cookoff—another great week
Weddings: Jeana & Dustin & Cortney & Tyler
KJLS—Grace “Sweet 16”;

Cooked Thanksgiving dinner
Online Bible study with great girlfriends
One year in house

Discovered meaning of unanswered prayers
21 states
Discovered meaning of true friendship

Very Blessed.

Wanted: My Christmas Spirit

Eleven days and counting until the biggest day of the year, and I can't seem find my Christmas Spirit anywhere! Oh, I've gone through the motions--purchased and wrapped every gift on my list; mailed the ones that needed mailed; wrote and sent the annual letter; listened to Christmas music in the car, home and office. I even set out my Nativity scene and decided against putting away my decorations at home until AFTER Christmas this year (I usually don't like coming home from the ROV show in Phoenix after New Year's faced with cleaning the decorations before Denver!). I even made it to the church Christmas program where I saw Ella as an Angel sing so many wonderful songs. I just can't seem to find my Christmas Spirit anywhere!

I have a pretty good life. I have a roof over my head, my health, a full belly and a car that runs. I have family and friends. I have no reason to run around like the Grinch. And, I'm not even grumpy. I go through the motions of exchanging gifts. I bought countless gifts for the adopt-a-family at work; I bought a toy for the Angel tree at church. I am thankful for the blessings in my life and that I can give. I just wish I could find my Christmas Spirit.

I have been wearing socks with candy canes and snowmen and wreaths on them. I even wore a jingle bell bracelet last Friday. I'm trying to be festive. I read my friend's KCK Christmas blog, and that helped a little, as I thought of some of my Christmas' long ago. But then I slept, and during that sleep, I lost my Christmas Spirit.

I sincerely hope that somewhere over the (Missouri or Niobrara) river and through the woods (or Halsey Forest) on my way to Grandma's house on this Sunday, as I take a few days of R&R to spend with the grandparents I find my Spirit. I know my Grandma has three things on her agenda when I get there: 1)playing cards, 2) cooking and 3) eating. And, none of those will help me find my Christmas Spirit; I'll just get fatter and sassier.

So, if you have any ideas on how to catch the Christmas Spirit, please let me know. I hope this doesn't happen to you. After all, it is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Do You Believe?

Disclaimer: If you are under 12-years-old OR still believe is Santa Claus please stop reading this now, and send an e-mail to cowphoto73@yahoo.com and tell me why I should also believe in the big guy in a red suit that drives a sleigh. If the above description doesn't fit you, you may now continue reading this installment of my blog.



During the Thanksgiving weekend while my parents were visiting, we watched a late 1990s remake of a Christmas classic, "Miracle on 34th Street," which basically is about a little girl, Susan, who doesn't believe in Santa Claus because her workaholic/realistic mother has convinced Susan he doesn't exist. Then, the mother hires Kris Kringle to work as "Santa" in an upscale NYC department store during the season to listen to all the good little girls' and boys' wishes. Susan tells Kris she doesn't believe, and the only way she will believe is if HE grants her wishes--which she's told no one else. Well, come Christmas morning both of her wishes come true! And they all live happily ever after . . .


So, flash back to 1979 when Susan, I mean Shelia stopped believing. There was nothing more that little cowgirl wanted from Santa than a saddle. And guess what? On Christmas morning, under our little tree in my favorite house on Dunlap Route, there was a SADDLE!!! But it wasn't just ANY saddle, it was the saddle that had been in our tack shed for a while. You see I pretty much went all over the ranch, and the tack shed was no exception. And I put 2 and 2 together, and right then and there, my Santa died. As I recall, my parents even tried to convince me that since the saddle was big, Santa had to "store the saddle" in advance; but like Susan's mother, I too was a realist, and the truth was out. I really don't know who was more crushed, me or my parents, but we moved on, and we still exchange gifts and Christmas morning is still a special time when we open our stockings of fun small gifts from each other.

Now, fast forward to 2010, when I watched "Miracle on 34th Street." I realized that maybe I gave up too easily. Or maybe I believed in the wrong person. You see, I quit writing letters to Santa; why waste my time? And, so I stopped asking. But, I also stopped believing in something more important than a guy in a red suit. I stopped believing in the Spirit of Christmas. Oh, I celebrate the MEANING...Jesus' birth, and the spirit of giving...but watching that movie made me think about MIRACLES. They do exist. They happen every day. We just have to talk to someone bigger than Santa. We have to talk to the LORD. We don't have to wait until December. We can make a list, big or small, every day. And we can write that list down or whisper it or shout it out loud.

It's only taken me several decades, but I finally figured out the miracle of Christmas! It took some remake of a TV Show, and a childhood memory, but this year, I'm sending my wish list to someone much greater than Santa. My Christmas wish for you, is that you too, find your Christmas miracle this year.

National Adoption Month

“Adoption is not about finding children for families, it's about finding families for children” --Joyce Maguire Pavao

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. I never really realized this or new there was a month to celebrate one of the greatest things that ever happened to me, but I'm so glad I discovered it. And, I would first like to say THANK YOU to 4 individuals. I'd like to thank my parents, John and Connie Stannard for taking that leap of faith, driving to Omaha and picking me up and making a make-shift bed for me in that dresser drawer for those first couple nights of my new life with you. And I'd like to thank two responsible teenagers who made what was probably the biggest decision of their lives--they gave me a better life and didn't terminate my life by taking "the easy way out" as many did back in the early 70s.

Yes, I was adopted at just a few weeks old, and I never thought my life was any different. My mom and I fought like a lot of moms and daughters fight, and people say I look like my dad--maybe that was when we were younger and he had hair. My parents were always open about where I came from and I even corresponded with the Children's Home during different milestones in my life--graduation and special achievements. They always wrote me back. And then, as I got older I did seek information about my birth parents--purely from a medical standpoint--so I might know something about my medical history. However, I never had the desire to know my biological parents. They did the responsible thing, and although I sometimes wonder how my life would be different--Would I be a city kid vs. a country bumpkin--I never regret one day of my life.

My first meeting with my awesome parents!

It seems the older I get the more adopted folks I know, and more people my age have also adopted children, both in the U.S., and internationally. My adoption was closed, but I know several who have gone through open adoption where the children are still in touch with the birth mother. Both are great situations, as long as they work for all involved.

People face adoption from both sides for many reasons; I was showing a co-worker my baby book today since I brought it in to scan some of these great photos of me--look I loved wearing red, even at 8 months old--and he couldn't believe that there was a write-up about my adoption in the local newspaper. I explained to him that adoption wasn't taboo in my family. And, just like my cousins, I deserved a "birth announcement" too.

Even today, I hear people say, "well we have tried to have a baby, but my husband is against adoption." Or "I could never adopt, it just wouldn't feel like my baby." These words sting, and I explain to the people who say them if they really want a family, that adoption is a fabulous option. And, there are so many babies and children out there that deserve a loving family.

So, as I continue to count my blessings this month of Thanksgiving and recognize National Adoption Awareness Month, I would like to say thanks to those who take time to help others children their families. And I'd like to thank the families whose lives have been completed with their children. Due to respect of privacy, I won't mention names; just know you all are special people, whether in Nebraska, Illinois, Maryland, Indiana, Kansas, Wisconsin, New Mexico or wherever you might be. And know that you have made a difference.

Community: it's more than just a place

I've been thinking about what makes up a community a lot lately; and as you might guess with my lack of blogging I've had lots of windshield and airport time to think. It's funny, but I always thought of a community as a place--you know that location where one grew up, went to school or church. But in the last month or so, I've realized a community just isn't a place. It's your peeps. It's a group of people that you share common interests and beliefs with. Yes, that group might all be from the same locale, but they don't necessarily have to be.

As the daughter of gypsy parents (really, Trey, you believed that?) I am sometimes at loss to describe by traditional "community". When asked where I'm from, I often reply that I grew up in Western Nebraska and Western Kansas. But, that is pretty broad. I mean, I lived in about a dozen houses by the time I was 16 and had numerous addresses--Hemingford, Mullen, Hay Springs, Alliance, Chadron. And that was before we moved to Heaven, I mean St. Francis, KS. So, this is the root of my search for my communities. So, let's take a look at some of the communities I claim today.

Obviously, I have my Angus community. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to be associated with. I love the Angus breeders, members, exhibitors, fitters. The whole bunch is amazing. I was on vacation a few weeks ago to an Angus wedding, and while traveling, visited two other Angus families, both of which I adore. I know I can go practically anywhere in the US, and have Angus peeps to visit or take care of me in a pinch.

Then, I think back to life before Angus, which is sometimes challenging--I have my college peeps. The guys and gals I went to all three colleges with. We saw each other through some of the best and some of the worst times. And though we don't see each other as often as I'd like, we are all still just a phone call away.

Then, there are the ag communicator peeps. This group is about the most exciting/motivating group ever, and I got to spend some time with them last weekend in KC, thus the renewed blog interest. They are passionate about being a voice for agriculture, and I know I need to be better at this too. Thanks for the inspiration!

Finally, there is my faith community. Although, I attend church on a regular basis--ok, when I'm in town, which is not a regular basis--I rely on friends and family to help me build my relationship with the LORD. This might be with conversations, scripture on Facebook or my online Bible study gals, which definitely aren't in the same location.

So, there's some thoughts to ponder for the evening. Where is your community? Is it where your feet and roots are planted or are your communities where your people are. I say they are our friends and loved ones and it does take more than one community to raise this adult!

Head, Heart, Health, Hands

As we close out National 4-H Week, I've been doing a lot of thinking this week about what 4-H has done for me, and frankly, I don't know where I'd be without this great youth program. I don't think it was ever discussed in my household if I would join; it was just a given, and when I turned 8 years-old by that magical January 1 age, I joined my very first 4-H club, the Sandhill Hillbillies in Hooker County, Nebraska. It seems to me I enrolled in every project under the sun, but my dad's and my main focus was the beef project. I loved my cattle project, and spent every waking moment in the barn and corral with Herfy, my first calf. That was in 1982. I still have the trophy I won with Herfy. It has gone with me EVERYWHERE, and I do mean everywhere. While the others are left to collect dust at my parents' house, that little gold plastic fat cow on a red velvet crown standing a marble base was one of my proudest accomplishments--I mean I was 9, and it was the Hooker County Fair.

I think that little trophy goes with me from college to college and house to house as a reminder. A reminder of what 4-H has done for me. The next year, my family moved to Dawes County, where I joined Southern Valley 4-H Club, and started gaining my event planning skills. Our 4-H club started a spring lamb progress show, and I was a control freak even as a kid, serving on various organizational committees. But, Dawes County 4-H programs really expanded my horizons. I became involved in public speaking, photography, geneaology, and one of my favorite projects, "Teen Shop Smart"--you know for the non-sewers.

My second heifer, Holly, and I far exceeded my expectations that year, as I won the county fair--not only did I have champion Herford Heifer, I also had grand heifer, a feat I accomplished three consecutive years!



But, I also learned that 4-H wasn't about winning. It was about friendships. It was about record keeping. It was about sportsmanship and helping others. It was about community service. It was about parliamentary procedure. And, most of all, it was about memories. I can honestly say that some of my closest friends and deepest memories revolve around the friendships I've made and the time I've spent in 4-H.

4-H teaches responsibility. Yep, I had heifers and steers and lambs to feed, rinse, walk, and care for everyday. And, record books.


How many of you have sat around the kitchen table the night(s) before record books are do screaming and battling it out with your kids or parents? (depending on your age) That was the Stannard household scenario about every year in late September/early October for about a week straight, as we dug for receipts--cattle feed, film processing, or for photos or tried to recall something for that great 4-H story that Don Huls, my Extension Agent, was bound to read. I never really knew who was more relieved that record books were finished in my home--me or my parents.

4-H teaches life skills. I've already touched on this briefly, but if it weren't for 4-H, I doubt if I would be an event planner/activities director for a beef breed association today. I received so many of my "roots" for my professsion in the 4-H programs. I took photography in 4-H; now I take cattle photos nearly every weekend across the country. I wrote and delivered speeches every year in the 4-H speech contest; today I can get on a microphone in front of 1,000 people to talk about Angus programs or do a radio interview about the beef industry. I livestock judged in 4-H; and weekly I attend livestock shows, and I can tell the difference between a good and not so good animal. In 4-H we had community service, ranging from clowning at a nursing home to picking up trash in the road side for miles; today I know the importance of "giving back" and still volunteer time for worthy causes.

So, fast forward to the last two chapters of my 4-H career. I'm a sophomore in high school, and my parents uproot me from Nebraska to Kansas. This was pretty hard on a girl, but you know what I took with me? 4-H. That's right. I got involved in the Lawn Ridge 4-H club in Cheyenne County, and started livestock judging and meeting people all over Northwest Kansas. People that I'd later live with in college and then later in life even call my "best friends."

And now, an adult, 4-H still impacts my life. Each spring, I volunteer to share about my career with young people at the Global 4-H Conference in Kansas City. I attended this event as a 4-H member, and was so glad when I was contacted to be part of the program.

I know I am the person I am today because of this program called 4-H. "I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to better service and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world."

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Fun at the Fairs!

It’s my favorite time of the year! No, it’s not Christmas, or my birthday. It doesn’t come just one day a year, and as a matter of fact, I’m merely taking a break from the season—a “half-time” so to speak. The time of year I’m writing about is STATE FAIR SEASON! And, if you’ve noticed an absence on my blog, it is highly due to the fact that August and part of September was consumed by state fairs from Illinois to Idaho and points in between, and in October, I have two more state fairs and two more national livestock shows to attend. So I wanted to take this break to share with you some of the highlights of my state fair adventures.

I’ve been everywhere. I started August at the All American Breeders’ Futurity in Louisville, Ky.; then off to Illinois State Fair in Springfield; Wisconsin State Fair, Milwaukee (same trip as IL SF); then to Western Idaho Fair, Boise; DuQuoin Fair back in Southern Illinois; Minnesota State Fair, Minneapolis; Tennessee State Fair, Nashville. This month’s itinerary includes Arkansas State Fair, Little Rock, the NILE, Billings, Mont; North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh; and the American Royal in Kansas City.

It’s my job! So before I talk about my adventures, I might as well state the obvious, I don’t go to these fairs just for fried cheese curds and funnel cakes, I go for work. That’s right, I get paid to give up my weekends and look in dirty bovine ears at tattoos and tailing cattle in a show ring and taking the champion photos. So, in between that, I like to take in the fairs! Although, most I go to annually, a few have been new adventures for me this year, and I always like to find one unique feature of each fair; usually it’s food.

I spend an extended amount of time in Illinois due to the fact they show junior cattle on Friday and open on Tuesday, and we go to Wisconsin in between. This year, I actually “saw” more of the fair because Keegan Cassady hung out with me, so we rode a couple rides, including the sky ride, which goes from the middle of the fairgrounds to the edge, and gives riders a “birds-eye-view”. This was HUGE for me, due to my fear of unstable heights, but we did have a great view.




One of my annual stops at IL SF is the butter cow display—she’s right next to the best ice cream! I love the butter cow, and each year she is so unique!


Another cool new discovery this year in IL was the WOW Ball—they are like human hamster balls that go on water. Keegan did this for about 5 minutes, and it was a blast to watch her! Looked like a great workout!



Another first for me at the IL SF was a champion duck party! A junior Angus member, Morgan Kramer, had the supreme champion duck, Donald. Her mom Vickey is always up for a good party, so they busted Donald out of the poultry barn and brought him to the Angus barn for a duck party.




Wisconsin was a quick trip—but I had to take a picture of the cheese stand. Even though I didn’t have any this trip, I did indulge during the World Beef Expo in Sept.




On to the Western Idaho Fair, and when in Idaho—eat potatoes! So, I had a plate of curly fries for lunch, and they offered me “fry sauce”. I accepted it, but only used it as a photo prop—it looked like a mixture of ketchup and mayo, neither of which I’m a fan of.



While eating my fried delicacy, I also watch “Bibby” the clown make balloon animals, flowers, bugs. You name it, she made it, and for free too! I watched this for about 35 minutes until I realized we had a junior show to work!




DuQuoin was a new fair for me—I loved this display of produce!



And, another favorite there, and at most fairs—Salt Water Taffy! Mmmmm!



The Great Minnesota Experience aka MN SF was also a new experience. I was warned that there was going to be a lot of people—but WOW!



I drove by the main entrance at 6:45 a.m. the day of the Angus show, and there were fairgoers going in the main gate on a Saturday! I couldn’t believe it! I did discover the next generation of butter cow carvers.



And, in Minnesota, they combined two of my favorites to make wine ice cream!



The one thing I look forward to each year in Tennessee is the pumpkin and watermelon weigh-off.



This year the giant pumpkin was smaller than the past, but the watermelon set a new record.


I also like exploring diversity of ag commodities from across the country, like tobacco hanging here, at TN SF.


And, so that’s a summary—not real brief, but I hope you enjoyed the pictures, courtesy of my iPhone.

What’s your favorite fair? Favorite fair memory? Let me know! Maybe I’ll have a new experience I need to check out along my adventures!