Yea! LIZA!

I am so proud of LIZA VAN DER LAAN!!!   (That's pronounced "Leeza", by the way.)
She is the National Milking Shorthorn Queen!!!  We like Liza and the Van der Laan family. They have an awesome dairy down in Frederick, Oklahoma.  One day we're going to go tour it.  I think it is the second largest family owned dairy in Oklahoma behind Braum's (the ice cream and dairy store chain.)  The Van der Laans are some of the sweetest and hardest working people you'll ever meet.  Liza is a perfect example of what a dairy queen should be.  I'm glad to know her.

What is GODBLESS DAIRY ENTERPRISES?

GODBLESS DAIRY ENTERPRISES is what I call my 4-H dairy project.

I have requested GODBLESS as my prefix for each of the breeds I raise.  I chose GODBLESS because God has blessed me with so much and continues to bless me.

I call it "Dairy Enterprises" because I don't have a farm.  I don't even own a trailer.  It's not a company.  It's a dairy project.  So I used a thesaurus to find a word that fit what I am or what I have.  I found out that "Enterprise" is a synonym of "project".  It was perfect!

Our little family (2011)

I guess you would call me the proprietor or the dairy boss.  I am the sole owner of my animals.  The first one was a gift.  The rest I have paid for myself.  I take care of them every day.  I do my own fitting (except for the topline.)  I do almost all of my own paperwork and check writing.  I am the only person who shows my animals in Jr. and Open Shows.

My mom is like my hired hand, except she doesn't get paid.  If I need an extra pair of hands to do something, she helps.  I can hook up a trailer, but I can't drive, so she pulls the trailer.  If I'm doing halter training on more than one animal, we each take one and play stock show and then switch in the middle. My dad is like my corporate sponsor.  He makes sure there's money in the bank for supplies, and he takes care of stuff in the city.   He has loaded/hauled things like cattle panels and a hay ring (one time, he even picked up a hoop skirt for my princess formal) and brought them to me from long distances.  He also makes sure I have a different convertible to ride in for every parade I'm in.  Mom works with me daily and goes with me to the shows.  Dad owns and operates a body shop in Norman, which is a long way from home, so he's usually at work when I'm out and about with my animals.  He helps me with things like broken trailer lights and replacing ruined tires.  He comes to every show that he can.   MawMaw and GrandDad come to most of the local and the county shows.  GrandDad helped me build a calf hutch and let me use his tools to make a mineral feeder.   He painted and put a new floor in the squeeze chute.  MawMaw takes pictures for me and is one of my biggest cheerleaders.  They are also like my sponsors.  They match all cash prizes that I win with my animals.  


That's pretty well all of the "personnel" at GODBLESS DAIRY ENTERPRISES.  Of course I have some fantastic outside experts and service providers that I can count on for information and advice, like my breeder and my 4-H leader and other dairy families that do this for a living every day.  I am truly blessed to have all these people that I can count on.  
  

Dairy Field Days

June is National Dairy Month and we do dairy things, like go to dairy judging events for all the major breeds.

June 6th was Milking Shorthorn field day held in Cushing.  I don't really want to talk about it because we didn't do well.  But even so...
Big thanks to Cushing for hosting us all!

We all saw Susan Allen from Dairy Max, and she gave us our new dairy t-shirts!


The next day, however, was a much better day.  We went to the Brown Swiss Dairy Field Day in Agra at Bryan Reedy's dairy.  Thank you Mr. Reedy!

Eight of us represented our school at this competition, including my friend and OK Brown Swiss Jr. Princess, Diana.  We judged five classes, and we ended up having:
the 2nd place 4-H team (that was my team!!!)
the 3rd place FFA team
the 4-H 2nd high individual (my buddy Kasey)
and 3rd high individual PeeWee (my little buddy Savanna)!
Not bad for eight kids.

Then we had a one day break.  Monday morning we met at our Ag Farm and cleaned our facility to get ready for our company.  We host the Oklahoma Jersey Field Day every year. 

Not to be too proud and braggy or anything, but we serve some pretty awesome food, AND not only does Dairy Max provide bottled milk for the day, but we also provide ICE CREAM for everyone while we are awaiting the judging contest results.  They are store-bought ice cream treats, but they are GOOD!  (I've heard wild rumors that when the Chupp family hosts a field day, they have two flatbed trailers lined with freezers of all kinds of homemade ice cream.  I hope those stories are true, and that I get to see for myself.)

Tuesday we went to Perkins for the Ayrshire and Guernsey field day.  I was 5th high 4-H individual.  I was also on the FIRST PLACE 4-H TEAM!  Woo Hoo!!!  My buddy Kasey was high individual, and our new team member Breanna was 3rd high individual!

OH! And I was re-crowned Oklahoma Ayrshire Jr. Princess!!!
GOOD TIMES!

Don't laugh. Parades are hard work.

2011 - 89'er Parade

Before...it's just a little cool.  I've got a light wrap in case I get too cold.  I'm crisp and shiny and ready to throw some candy!

and After...the gloves are gone, the hair is windblown, my crown is crooked, I'm sunburned, it is 250 degrees Fahrenheit under the floor length ball gown...
WATER!  Someone give me some WATER!

Paradin' Around!

April 22, 1889 was the day of the famous land run in Oklahoma that opened up new land for settlement and established Guthrie as the first state capitol.  Every year on the Saturday closest to that date, Guthrie hosts the 89'er Parade.  Tens of thousands of people turn out to watch the parade and join in the week of festivities.

This year, and last year, I represented the Oklahoma Ayrshire Association in the parade as the Oklahoma Ayrshire Jr. Dairy Princess.  I also used the convertible as advertising for Dairy Max and 4-H. (The picture above is this years picture.) While I was ridin' on my fancy princess moblie, a woman who teaches with my mom was there with her daughter. My mom and I were paradin' down the street, and my mom stopped to switch out candy buckets, I saw the teacher's daughter sayin' "Hi Maddie! Hi Maddie! Hi Maddie!," and while we were stopped she walked right up next to the car in the middle of a parade!!! I was so surprised and worried at the same time all I could say was, "Oh hi sweetie! Mom, give her some candy! Quick!" and mom was so surprised she gave her a big handful of candy and said, "Now run along! Bye!"

On down the parade route, I saw a lady from my church, and of course I  threw candy to her and her daughter, and later, that lady told my MawMaw that she told her little girl, " Look, there's Maddie!" and the little girl said, " I know a REAL princess!?!"
I just thought that was DARLING!
It was a good day!