Feb 23, 2011

1928=best year ever

Few people in life are lucky enough to find that one thing that makes them come alive. That one thing that they want to do for the rest of their lives, regardless of how much money it may make them. I'm one of the lucky few. I've found my calling in life: agriculture. More specifically, getting youth involved in agriculture. And I have the FFA to thank for that. And before you ask, no it does not stand for the Future Farmers of America anymore. In my dad's time, the main focus was cows, sows and plows, but the organization taught you so much more than that. You learned how to be a leader. You learned valuable skills like team building and public speaking that are more than necessary to be a successful professional in today's economy. You learned what it meant to be passionate about something. That much hasn't changed. The FFA taught me so much more than leading a group of people in proper Parliamentary Procedure or how to give a perfect prepared public speech about the disappearing family farm structure. I learned that I can actually like the person I am. Before my FFA days, I was S-H-Y to the extreme--and I don't even think that describes it well enough. I hated talking to people. The idea of introducing myself to someone was equivalent to physical pain for me. Eating a bug sounded more appealing than giving a speech in front of a group of people. So you can imagine my reluctance to join a group where all three of the above mentioned were pretty much the norm for a member. After much prodding from my dad, I joined. And my life was never the same. I LOVE giving speeches. I love getting up in front of a group and talking about a subject with which I'm knowledgeable and enjoy talking about. I would pay good money to go back to my FFA State Officer year where I was expected to travel around and give workshops and meet new people on a weekly basis. I have never been prouder to own an article of clothing than I was the day I got my new FFA jacket. Slipping into that blue corduroy with my name and office embroidered in corn gold stitching, I felt invincible. In short, the FFA changed my life (gosh, does that sound as dramatic out loud as it does in my head??). It made me realize that life is about more than just going to work and making money. It's about finding something that you love and doing it well. It's about going to work and feeling a spark of passion for what you're doing. So thank you FFA. Thank you for helping me find the me that I never knew existed. Thank you for giving me a wonderful year as a state officer with wonderful people that I still consider to be like brothers and sisters to me. Thank you for instilling confidience in me and helping me realize that I am a valuable commodity and have skills that are useful in today's economy. Happy FFA Week to all past, present and future FFA members. Let's count our blessings that those 33 farm boys in 1928 decided to start a path to prepare us all for a better future. :)

Feb 1, 2011

Baby, oh baby.

Crazy how time flies and crawls at the same time when you're pregnant. Crazy how little else seems to matter except eating constantly, getting enough rest (impossible) and keeping TUMS within arms reach at all times. Crazy how I have actually turned crazy (stupid hormones). I saw pregnant people everywhere before I was pregnant. Watched them as their bellies slowly expanded and listened to their endless tirades about back pain and heartburn. Yet, as I witnessed the changes, I never thought about the daily things that a pregnant woman goes through. Until now. No one tells you about the constant heartburn, the inability to be around any odor, the uncomfortable feeling every time you lay down, the feeling when your stomach is stretching out....all the not so pleasant things about being an expectant mom. Yes, I knew morning sickness was a side effect, but no one told me I'd be sick ALL DAY LONG. Or that it would last this long....it's been like having the flu for 2 solid months. No one told me that I would be a crazy, hormonal psycho that cries at the drop of a hat and then is inexplicably angry the next. No one told me that I would feel so incredible guilty for feeling so miserable all the time and not being able to really ENJOY this pregnancy. I see all of these people on facebook gushing about their pregnancy like they really wouldn't mind being pregnant every day for the rest of their lives. Why am I not that excited? I feel like I was jipped! Why didn't I know about all these horrors before this little bun started baking in the oven? Because none of it really matters. Because I know that in 6 months, he or she will be here and all of the miserable moments of the entire 9 months will be completely forgotten. Because whenever I get weekly updates on what the baby is up to: "This week, baby is the size of a lemon and is sucking it's thumb!" I'm completely in awe that something like that is growing inside of me. That boy or girl, this baby is going to be a mix of Marty and I...and I, for one, cannot wait to see what our mini-me is going to look like. Because I can't wait to see my parents faces when I give them their first grandchild. Because I know (or at least I really, really, REALLY hope) that in a few weeks, the 1st trimester sickness will be fading away. And then I am told that energy will abound and I can focus on fun things like getting our house ready for the baby and buying all his/her clothes (oh my goodness, we are going to be so incredible broke). Because, no matter what I'm going through right now, I know it's going to be completely worth it. So, little baby Gaddie...you may be making me completely, 100% miserable right now, but I love you anyway. :)
 BabyFruit Ticker

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