6 months and I lost my followers.

Hello all, so sorry that it has been 6months since I posted. I guess it tells a little about my past 6 months. Life has been a little too hectic, yet exciting in the 4-H world. We had a great run of summer programs, fun 4-H Camp, Horse Show, and County Fair. Our year was finished off with a very well attended awards night. I am excited to be starting a new 4-H year, and many new exciting things we will be offering.

I will try to keep this updated for the next few months weekly. I think it is a good way to stay connected during the down time of our 4-H year.

Money, money, money

Sorry to do it, but we now have advertisements on our bog. This is a way to earn money for 4-H. We make money off of these by the number of visits to our blog, and the number of times the ads are clicked on. Unfortunately me logging on our clicking on the blog does not count! So please spread the word and visit the blog. My goal is $50 per month!

I have had some recent experiences in both my work and professional life lately that have made me sit back, contemplate, prioritize and reflect. Sometimes when one does this, you don't necessarily like the results. Now of course, we never want to see our weaknesses, but often that is what make us stronger.

I interviewed 6 young adults this past week for our 4-H internship and asked each of them to identify their strengths and weaknesses. It was interesting to watch each one squirm with this question, but in a very short period of time do some sole searching and answer it so honestly.

I believe this is something I might just put on my calendar monthly to do; it will help me identify not only what i am doing well in life, but what I can improve on to make life better for myself and all those around me.

One, Two, Skip A Few....Seasons that is!

I know haven't wrote in awhile, please forgive me. Life in the 4-H world has been exciting. Our county was once again awarded a 4-H intern. I am so excited we have 12 applicants for this position. We will interview next week. We also have been named a finalist for a grant for our afterschool program. Keep you fingers crossed that we get it.

Craziness

I know those of you that read this are thinking, "whats new Mauri!" But it really does seem that life has been a little bit crazier lately. We are getting really busy at work with spring events, leader's trainings, enrollment, and moving my office yet again. Life on the home front hasn't been quiet either. The kids have been busy with all their activities, we had company for a week two weeks ago, my parents for a weekend, and now have company for another five days. So yes, it has been a little more hectic than usual.

In the meantime I am determined to learn to french braid. I have practiced on Rachel at the office, Hailey and Kenna at home, and yes even McKenna's American Girl doll "Dawn Hansen". I have decided that my fingers are like sausages and do not cooperate. Very frustrated, but one day, you will see my girls in french braids, I guarantee it.

Randy Brooks' Wife

The Latah County 4-H Program and Extension Office is heading up a Gift Card Drive for the Randy and Carrie Brooks. Randy is a long time Extension Educator from Clearwater County. Many of our youth know Randy and his family well from CL2N 4-H Camp. Carrie was in a car accident Saturday morning outside of Peck. She suffered extensive injuries that will require many surgeris and months of rehabilitation. The Brooks have three children ; one of which is a sophomore in college and another still in high school.

Please help us to lessen the burden by providing gift cards in any amount to major chain, grocers, restaurants, gas stations, as well as Costco or Wal-Mart. Please send the gift cards to the Latah County Extension Office , PO Box 8068, Moscow, ID and we will get them to Randy as they are relocating from Spokane (Deaconess Hospital) to Seattle. Please attach a note or card and we will be sure to get that to them as well.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated.

Note:
The Brooks's family is very near and dear to my heart. If you have been following my blog for awhile you have seen me post about Ty, Randy and Carrie's son who is a UI football player.

Tag your it!

So I don't usually get into the tag thing on blogs, facebook, and my space, but I checked my blog this morning and noticed that it has been awhile since I posted. Well, i am sitting here and have no creative juices so I though I would try the 6th photo in the 6th file tag to inspire me. So now the rule of the tag is I have to explain the photo. i will admit I was a little nervous of some awful picture of me.

Thank goodness it was a pic of Mike and Jake at Easter 2004. Yes, that is a tattoo on Jake's chest and if my memory is still with me we took off his shirt in order to save it from egg dye.

It is hard to believe that in this pic he was 5 years old and just a cloverbud in 4-H. Now he is 9 going on 10 and is approaching his second year of taking a market steer to the fair. He was working with his steer last weekend and I couldn't believe how much he has changed in one year, let alone 5. He was so confident and matter of fact, telling his steer a couple times to remember that he was the boss. I must say I am proud of the young man that he is growing up to be.

BTW, that is my husband in the pic, but isn't that how it works. Parents always get over shadowed by their kids. Just last week Hailey and my niece Karson got v-day flowers from my mom, but evidently the florist forgot to deliver mine and Kelly's!?! Like I said parents always get overshadowed by their kids!

4-H Meetings Galore

meet·ing
play_w2("M0197300")
(mtng)
n.
1. The act or process or an instance of coming together; an encounter.
2. An assembly or gathering of people, as for a business, social, or religious purpose.Idiom:
meeting of the minds
Agreement; concord.
hm()

So this may be the definition, but over the past 6 days I have attended for 8 meetings, and let me tell you boy can their purpose and usefulness differ from one to another.

Some meetings are effective, some not so much. Some you just have to put up with a lot of boo-pucky to get to the one or two effective points.

Now mind you that of these meetings two were for pleasure, one for my own volunteer work, and 4 were for my job itself. I had to miss a meeting in this time frame due to another meeting. (Sorry LCYAC Public Relations).

Yesterday alone I had three meetings and I am excited to report that all three were very effective and well worth my time. Will they all be? Probably not, but I can be hopeful.

Now you may be asking why I am writing about meetings. Well to be truthful it is because I get so irritated by people saying, "Are you ever in your office." To be honest I often ask myself the same thing. The answer is sometimes. Often I am not here because of a meeting somewhere, sometimes I am here but not available because I am meeting with someone in my office, and sometimes, yes I am taking some much needed time for my family due to time spent away like the past two nights! So for those of you that ask the question and think you are being funny, there is your answer, and no I am not trying to be funny, just truthful.

4-H Members Everywhere

I am so excited, yet a little overwhelmed. We have had an abundance of new member request over the past week. This morning I could not get off the phone quick enough before a new call or email was coming in.

I am not sure if this increased interest is due to the economy and parents are looking for inexpensive things for their kids to do. Or that we are just awesome. HMMM I think it is just because Latah 4-H is awesome.!

The 4-H Year

Carrie, the 4-H Afterschool Program Coordinator got a real case of working in the 4-H Program last week. As she was preparing for a day camp to be held last Friday, everything was looking wonderful. That is until 2:30 in the afternoon when she received an email stating that the major component of the camp would not be able to make it. Talk about panic mode. Being resourceful though she quickly got on the phone and started calling people whose names we were throwing out to her as quick as we could. In the mean time she had to be in Troy to do afterschool programs and figure out what Friday would look like. By 7:00 pm she had it under control, and had a very successful camp on Friday. Special thanks to the folks at Sure Shot and Sean Wilson with F & G for their last minute expertise and support.

Carrie welcome to extension and running a volunteer based program. This will not be the last time that someone leaves you high and dry at the last minute. You learned the greatest art of the job ~ Improvise!

Calendars and Technology

Now don't get me wrong I love technology, but come on. I now have 4 different online calendars to fill out, and not a single one is interfaced with the other. You would think by this point I would have my calendar memorized by heart, but I think it has just added more confusion to my little mind. Now the even harder part is remembering to update each calendar when a new event gets scheduled.

The Sun is Shining

Whoo-hoo, the sun is out. My husband still is not letting me live it down that just a month ago I was whining that I wanted snow. It is beautiful blue sky right now out my window, but the air is crisp. I am starting to get really excited about the upcoming spring and our 4-H activities. We will be really busy between work and the kids activities.

Funny story for ya, McKenna was performing last night for our family before bedtime (she does this nightly) and of course she had to put on her silver boots. Let me tell you they are flashy boots. Anyhow, as she was preparing Hailey asked "why does she have to wear those boots", of course I replied, " because she is weird." Kenna was quick to correct me, "I am not weird Momma, I am CUTE!" Oh lord help me now!

A New Year

Happy New Year to all! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Right now I am one of the few people sitting at the county courthouse in the middle of a blizzard. I have had two weeks off though and needed to catch up. The snow day is a blessing though, allowing me to get a lot of work done with very little distraction.