Stock-Show 2013 San Angelo

Hello! I am done with a few classes I was taking a Wayland so I have a little free time now...not to brag but I pulled an A and B during stock-show season! Wahoo! 8 more classes to go to have a Business Admin. degree! Where to start with the Stock-Show... Last year I learned so much. Such as...you never get use to the smell, pigs are really nasty all the time and I loved how everyone came in and helped each other out. I feel that I did a good job last year but this year I really embraced the whole thing and enjoyed every bit of it. I love my kids, and husband and stock-showing allows us to spend some really good time together and we had a blast. SO, much fun I can't wait to do it again. To start of the trip we had a good amount of snow on that ground that morning and more was falling. I ended up leaving much earlier in the day than planned and was so glad I did. Next, year I will be leaving when the boys do...I don't want to miss out! We got to San Angelo and went straight to the barn. For those of you that didn't know Kalebh has had mono and I was going to check on him. He was doing great and I jumped right in and went to helping do whatever needed to be done. We feed and visited and looked at others pigs. Lockney has a new AG teacher this year and we loved the last one who has joined the fire department in Lubbock and we are happy for him. Thankful we were blessed with another great teacher!! He has been a blessing to my kids and our family. He is so good with Kalebh and Kaileigh and took the time to not just show Kalebh things but to teach him. I am very thankful for Seth and what he has done for my son in this short time! I have learned when stock showing you take the gate and are just as proud of your kids for getting out there and showing, working and doing their best. That is what Kalebh did but he did a great job. He loves what he does and he loves the time with his family and friend. We are blessed to get to show with some great families who have wonderful kids. I love that my children are making life long friends doing this. It is always such a joy to spend time with such fun people. We all washed pigs together, ate together, and laughed...It was a real blessing. A few of the funny things that happened and the stories are better to tell in person so I am just listing them...one so I can remember and two if you want to know you can ask. --Butt Paste -- Seth sent Chad to Wal-Mart after butt paste for the pigs scratches...later Chad decided that Seth was pulling his leg and will soon pay for it :) --V-Day at Wal-Mart -- To find the said Butt Paste we had to go to Wal-Mart on the night before "love day" yuck! I will say this...it has to be worse than Christmas Eve...who knew it was such a big deal? --Chad and the Drug Test -- Another one of our Lockney kids was showing a steer in the show on Friday. Well, we wanted to go and watch her and thankful she was placed second which means she gets to show again later in the day. However, if you get 1st or 2nd your animal has to be drug tested. Well, the steer before her didn't make the weight and so she got moved up to 1st place!!! wahoo!!! Anyway, as she is waiting for her steer to be tested we walked down to hug her. Chad went on to ask her if she had taken her drug test (which you don't have to do) and she said well...no and turned around....Chad didn't think another thing about it until he saw her asking the lady at the table for her cup to take her own drug test.....the look on that ladies face was priceless!!!! bahh!! We are still laughing about it! --Things I never thought I would do -- I never thought I would help wash a pig, wipe poop from a pigs side, help get them to the ring, or wash racks and I never thought I would be so happy to wash Kalebh's shoes covered in poop in the bath tub to keep our hotel room from sticking! But...I loved every second! --Kalebh the gift of life -- Kalebh and a group went to the petting zoo they have there at the stock show and well while he was in there a mother goat gave birth to a baby goat right in front of his eyes. I am pretty sure Kalebh will never be the same again and his words were...well that was really gross! Exciting news...well we think it is exciting!!! Kalebh shared with us over the trip that he wants to get better at showing and really taking it to the next level. He feels like there will come a time he will not get to play football because of asthma and maybe not even basketball. We still pray he will grow out of it but his Daddy never did...anyway, he has found something he really would like to take serious and loves doing so we have agreed! We have prayed and thought about this and we will be showing pigs year round! Are we crazy...yes! Are we going to hate ourselves in the middle of the summer...probably! Are we excited...yes! Is Kalebh happy...yes. As a Mom I have always told me kids I will do all I can do to make you successful but at some point you have to decide that is what you want to do. Kalebh has decided that is what he wants to do and we believe this is the best way for us to 'try' it. We will start buying new pigs in April and we will show some in the summer and then at the State Fair in Dallas and the Lubbock Fair in September. We might only do this one year and decide it isn't worth it. But, we invited you to come when you can and support Kalebh as he is jumping out and trying to be the very best at what he loves to do. These summer shows are called Jackpot shows and I really don't understand why or what or how...but I do know that Kaileigh will get to show as well. And as much as Kalebh loves showing...Kaileigh loves it that much more! She will be showing a guilt (girl pig) and then Kalebh will get to show one of his choice. We will only have 2 for the summer until we see how all this works. Now, those of you that know Chad...two can mean 4 by tomorrow night! So, don't hold me to that. We are excited about this crazy adventure we are about to dive off into. We will be keeping the pigs at the ag farm because the new wonderful ag teacher is going to work a way for us to keep the pigs cool...and me too :) It will be a story you will want to stay tuned to. Thank you for loving us, following us but above all...thank you for praying for us! Love to all!

The Show Barn...By: Kalebh Cook

Kalebh had to write a story about a special place to him for school. It was so sweet I had to share! When I think of this place I think of early mornings and late nights. All though it may not smell too good at times there is excitement in the air, as we prepare our projects for the show. In the barn I have learned that it's not always about me and it's not always about winning. My day involves getting up at six to feed and water, walk our pigs to the wash room and get them shiny and bright for the show. I then spend the rest of the day weighing, feeding and watering and combing my pigs before the show. The reason I love the show barn is because I get to spend time with my family and show my projects I've been working on for months. In the show barn I have learned responsibility, teamwork, and the importance of family. In the show barn I have make memories.

Granny

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Hello Friends! Need some prayer...Granny fell and broke both of her legs. She is in the hospital and will be for a good while. Bless her sweet heart. As I woke up this morning really early with her heavy on my heart I just thought about all the times her and I would lay in her bed while she had her feet propped up with her support stockings on. We had some great stories, good lessons and even better laughs. Sometimes she would tell me stories about Poppie, other times she told me about growing up with her brothers and sister and all the mess they would get into farming and just growing up. But, some of the best stories she told me were about life and Jesus. It never failed...everything came down to that. For that I am very thankful. She loves the Lord, her family and knows that God is preparing her home. But, until the day the Lord is ready for her she will keep leaving out the great commission. As she sits in the hospital bed today, unable to get up and walk she asks for them to bring her...her bible and glasses...what a great example to us. "In all your ways acknowledge me..." Kalebh is recovering from mono and still not 100%. He is better but still gets so tired so fast. Praying for strength as we head into stock show week next week. God is always faithful! A lesson Granny taught me :) I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."