Cue the 4H Mom mode....

I should really feel a little guilty sitting inside writing this in the "coolness", well sort of, of my home while my daughter and husband deal with flies, poop and 1,200 pound beasts at the Bent County fair.
Well, not so much.
Later, I will be busy enough in my own mom sorta way.

I just had to sit down and write something because I was so full of enormous happiness, and I'm so proud of my kiddo.  She not only handled a very difficult to deal with steer but tamed him enough that he is going to fair.  He was a real booger.  I think I yelled many times at him and nicknamed him "Chicken Fried Steak."  I'm become attached to others in the past because these bovine beauties really do become gentle and sweet and a lot like a giant pet, but ...they are not.  They are a project.  Kids must care of them, tame them, feed them, wash them, brush them, walk them etc.  They also must keep a record book of their work with the cattle.  They record how much they feed them, how much they bought them for and how much is spent on all of the things related to their care up until the night of the livestock auction where they sell them.  Even though much of this depends on the beef market that night,  some of this is backed with the community's support as they buy the animal the 4H student shows.  They then load them on a truck and the experience is over, until they're paid the check.  This is when expenses that are due must be paid in full, then and only then does the 4Her get to pocket the rest which usually goes into a college fund.  Some is left out for fun money to spend.  So I wrap my part of this up to share with you how very proud I am of not only the job she did, the tasks and chores she labored through but also her take or story about it.   Her account of her year is so beautiful that you really must read it as it expresses gargantuan gratitude.  My heart is swelling!  And I would post all of  it here but I'm not....except for the last part because, it says it all so in summation, here's her wrap up of the year:

              

                ~There have been many helpful people and I don’t know what I would have done without them. The Reyher family has been a huge part of my beef project this year and years past. The Stokers at the La Junta Mill have supported me as if I’m part of their family. My grandpa, my uncle Travis Taylor, and my mom and step dad have always been there when I was having problems. Without them, I would have never gotten this wonderful opportunity which many kids and teens don’t get to have. Being a 4H member is a great privilege and I’m very grateful I get to be a part of the Blue Ribbon Winners club.   ~Hannah

~Anne Boswell Taylor, 2017