I do realize this fateful game has long come and gone, and if this were Instagram, I'd be posting a #laterblog. But I had to share because I find this gesture completely endearing, and it's not just because it's promoting my alma mater. I would be a liar if I said I didn't sometimes miss living in a big(ger) city. But when I open our small town's newspaper and see this insert, I can't help but smile and check another box in the "small towns rule" column. Bet you wish you had this hanging in your window- and if you say you don't, then who's the liar now...
If you know me from my prior life, BF (Before Farming), there are probably things you never thought you'd hear me say. And this is one of them: I am the newly elected chair of the 2014 Kansas Farm Bureau YF&R Conference. {pause for a moment of shock and awe}YF&R stands for Young Farmers & Ranchers and is a group of hard-working agriculture professionals dedicated to developing their leadership skills and empowering others to become actively involved in agriculture advocacy, promotion and education (I stole that from the website).
But before I get ahead of myself, let's talk about how this all came to pass. Farmer Tim and I were appointed to serve a two year term on the state YF&R committee, beginning December 2012. We represent the young(er) voice of the Kansas Farm Bureau and are a committee within the organization. We serve alongside nine other couples from around the state; and are divided into 10 districts, each one consisting of 10 or 11 Kansas counties so all 105 are represented. During our term, we support and help run the 2013 conference (which just happened this last weekend), meet quarterly-ish, have monthly-ish phone conferences and produce a conference of our own in 2014.
The conference we just attended for 2013 was great for a few reasons:
1. We had record attendance at 535!!! That's a lot of people ages 18-35 in one room. We even had to start turning people away, which in my humble opinion, is a good problem.
2. The conference shirts were PURPLE.
4. And finally, we introduced the committee's fearless leader, Jeff Sutton, to farmersonly.com. If you aren't familiar, you should be. I have conveniently provided their commercial here for you. You're welcome.
To those on the committee in their second year, who put this show together- Symns, Fosters, Schmidts, Alpers and Joneses- thank you for showing us the ropes and providing a great example for what to expect next year!! And speaking of next year...this is where my fun begins. I get to impose share my love for all things organization and help plan for 2014. After spending the weekend with my fellow first years, I have the utmost respect and appreciation for the way in which they all stepped up and helped out in any way that was needed. 2014 is sure to be great as I know there are already some great ideas for speakers we'd like to bring in and topics we'd like to see discussed. I thought Jeff was just being cheesy when he said we'd make lifelong friends being on the committee; but I actually think he was right (but don't tell him I said that). Wish us luck and we hope to see you in attendance!
And in case I wasn't compelling enough, below is another attempt to convince you that YF&R is awesome.
In place of the four wheeler (or, 4-Runner, as I have been known to call it) my in-laws have procured this beast. It's technically called a "side by side" but much like the 4-Runner, I prefer to call it a "Gator." But since this is a Yamaha and not John Deere, I will do my best. And while I'll miss wrapping my arms around Farmer Tim as we ride into the sunset, this bad boy will be much kinder to the bum and most definitely less awkward for the times when there are two male riders. Besides, the John Maurer in me is really excited about the seat belts- safety first. In one summer, our farm can put well over 1,000 miles on the four wheeler- that's a lot of driving. It's used mostly to check water (aka: irrigation/sprinklers) in the mornings to make sure everything is running properly. However, if you turn your back, you might find your friends have taken it for a joyride. I've only driven it once, so if you see me coming down the road, just turn the other way.
Yo, really horrendous sweater and gold chain! The 80s called and they want their outfit back. I only wish I had imagined this window display at the Flamingo. #thingsthatmakeyougowhaaaaat
Since my last post, I accidentally let 15 days go by...and lots has been happening. Let's take a quick look at Vegas, shall we? Last I mentioned, we had a few fun things planned and Celine Dion was first on the list upon arrival. We took a limo taxi to the hotel, unpacked, ate dinner and then I proceeded to cry my eyes out for 90 minutes as I listened to Celine croon. Her ballads left me no choice but to walk down memory lane. All of a sudden I was my middle school self, dreaming up ways to get Austin Kincaid to ask me to dance at Emma Ernst's Bar Mitzvah. My dream finally came true as Power of Love blasted through the temple. Real talk: I may have actually asked him to dance, but that's where the 'ol memory gets a little fuzzy. Details. The songs just kept coming, each one eliciting a sweet memory (albeit, maybe a little distorted) and it was beautiful. I'd spend my retirement again to go see her and recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to go and just do it. I may have even bought a t-shirt. And a magnet. My friend Victoria said it changed her life. I thought she was just being dramatic...
And now, a random Vegas montage.
1. pink "fur" throw that was *supposed* to class up the bed- it mostly laid in the corner on the floor
2. out-of-this-world chocolate, banana and peanut butter crepe at Max Brenner
3. what 100 tickets can win you at the arcade
4. view from our room at the Flamingo
5. just hanging out with Toby Keith
6. Fremont St. at the old strip, where we went to see the comedian Gordie Brown
7. no explanation needed (but, yes, it's spandex if you were wondering)
8. yummy fish tacos
9. the largest chocolate fountain at the Bellagio
And now a montage of Tim and Katherine (feel free to skip).
If you noticed I'm wearing my green winter coat in almost every picture, then you can further deduce it was not so much warm, as it was stinking COLD during our stay.
There's probably more, but I'm too tired to continue tonight. I hope you all have a great Monday!
In case you ever wanted to know how far Chanute, Kansas is from Wichita, I know (107mi).
In case you ever wanted to know how far Miami, Florida is from Wichita, I know (1621mi).
In case you ever wanted to know how far Des Moines, Iowa is from Wichita, I know (387mi).
How do I know? This nifty sign at a local restaurant. It's useful.
