Winter Wonderland

Manhattan, Kansas is not the first place one would think of as a hot spot for lots of snow. However, this year brought lots of early snow that is has stayed in place for a while!

After two days of ugly winter weather bringing ice, snow and cold temperatures, we were left with some beautiful chilly sunny days to follow. The snow really helps put the cheer in the holiday season and really makes me know its the season!

I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas! I hope everyone gets to enjoy the company of friends and family and remember the reason for this season, Jesus's birth! Our Savior was born on this Christmas Day, let us not forget why we are here and why we are able to live such wonderful lives full of forgiveness!

Take care, drive safe, and God Bless!

Pushing Through

It is one and a half weeks until the start of Finals. Things are getting pretty crazy around here. Stress levels are higher than most other times of the year, peoples' patience is being tested, and life is downright frustrating.

I have many things on my mind including how I am going to know everything for my Anatomy and Physiology Oral final, when will I find time to work, when will I get all my sleep, will I still qualify for my scholarships, what do I want to do after I graduate in six months, and simply how to get from this day to the next.

I am praying for the strength, endurance and most importantly patience to make it through these next couple of weeks till all of us students can step back, take a break, and breathe!

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We can and will push through!

A Good Day

Today was a good day.

Class and work are very normal in my life, but today an exciting event occured.

I GOT MY BIKE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wonderful, beautiful and awesome bike has found its way back to me.

What a blessing! Such an amazing gift to brighten my day and keep the smile on my face.

All those difficult, not-so-super days are made up by simple Good Days like today!

Thank you!

Every year we celebrate Thanksgiving in memory of those pilgrims that came over from Europe to this great nation to settle. They had little, but when the Natives helped those first settlers, they held a feast of Thanksgiving.

Today we still gather around a beautifully decorated table covered in turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie!

This year, enjoy the food, but make an extra effort to say Thank You to those that help you along every path you take!

I would like to Thank my parents, brother and sisters, and super friends around the globe because they stand by me and let me come to them whenever I need them!!

Thank you, and enjoy this year's Thanksgivingness!!

The Weather

Its an interesting thing that-the weather. In Wisconsin, everyone thinks it is always cold and the sun never shines. In Kansas, people expect the warm months to last longer and the snow to stay away. However, this year things decided not to go as usual.

It snowed today. In Kansas. Not in WI.

It was cold today. Here in Kansas. More so than in WI.

I felt the chill as if it were January 13th, deep in my bones.

It was only 34 degrees. I need to do some more conditioning!!

If I think this is cold, what am I going to think when its -34 degrees?

A Visitor

Saturday afternoon a new arrival came to town! A super awesome person who has been in my life since I was brought into this world came to visit.

My sister, Susan!

Without A Phone

I do not feel so dependent on my cell phone that I must have it on me 24/7 and keep a close eye on the screen to be sure no one new has called me or text me. I also do not feel the need to have the Internet on my phone or any new or highly technologically advanced gadgets either.

However, I really would enjoy a cell phone that would at least allow me to simply text or call up a friend when I want or need to.

Probably three weeks ago my cell phone decided to stop receiving service at sporadic moments. It has now come to almost completely not get service except once every couple of days. I thought I was going to be able to get it fixed or quickly update my equipment and get a new phone. However, different circumstances has left me still with a phone that doesn't consistently work.

I have found that communication with my friends and family has definitely decreased since my phone's abrupt halt in working. I am unable to plan spur of the moment meetings with friends, cannot call up my sisters any time that I feel the need to, and overall feel like I am more lonely in the world without my phone.

I don't plan on becoming overly dependent on my cell as soon as I do get a new one (which I hope is tomorrow), but I will definitely not take for granted the small little device that keeps me always connected with the rest of the world! Materialistic devices sadly making the world go round.

Where's the Discipline?

Today I lost my bike.

Two days ago I lost my bike lock.

One week ago my phone completely quit working.

Two weeks ago my phone started to sporadically stop working.

Six weeks ago I lost one of my bike lock keys.

...what's happening?

Who steals bicycles?

What is this world coming to?

Whatever happened to trust, justice, respecting others, and being able to rely on things?

Trick or Treat

As Halloween came around this year, I was determined to join in on the festivities as I have rarely done in the past.

Therefore, I was able to get the wonderful Flapper dress that my Mom made way back in the day and get myself all decked out as a Flapper! It was super great fun getting all costumed up!

And then the festivities began! Wesley had a Halloween party with lots of great food, fun and fellowship. We all ate great wings and lil smokies, watched the K-State game, listened and danced to some music, and just sat around and enjoyed ourselves. All of the costumes were super great!

Then it was off to a Haunted House. This was the experience of the night! :) We drove out to Ft. Riley and found the place and found the line. Forty-five minutes to an hour later, we all realized the twenty feet we had moved in line was not getting us too far. We then established that we still had probably two to two and a half more hours MORE standing in the line in the cold. So, we left!! So much for trying to go to a Haunted House!

To end out the night, we just headed back to Manhattan and decided to watch Anchorman! I ridiculous but I have to admit funny movie.

All in all it was a super fun night! I just don't think I really got "into the festivities" again, but it was a good try!

FFA

After being an active member in the National FFA Organization since 7th grade, I was able to round out my career by receiving my FFA American Degree!

It was a super weekend beginning with some time in an airplane and an airport and then being greeted by my wonderful parents!! Saturday morning began with a little chill in the air, but I was super warm when I put on my Official Dress for the last time. Years of hanging out in my blue corduroy jacket and black skirt will never be forgotten, but it was a little sad to know that I will never have another event to put on my wonderful blue and gold!

After reaching Indy and the Lucas Oil Stadium, I made my way to my chair in the WISCONSIN section. I was able to meet up with many past state FFA officers who were also receiving their American degrees. After waiting for quite awhile, me and over 100 other WI FFA American Degree recipients headed backstage to have our pictures taken and then awarded our degree. It was super neat to receive the highest degree in the FFA and it was a super time to be able to go to Indianapolis and receive it on stage!

After the convention, Mom, Dad and I headed to visit some relatives in IL. It was great to play with the kids and just hang out. But one of the best occurrences over the weekend was meeting up with my spring semester roommate from Austria!! I forgot that she went to school in the same town as where my flight back to Manhattan was. So, I was able to call her up and we were able to meet for lunch and have a walk around ISU campus! It was so great to see Brooke!! So sweet!

But, all good things must move on eventually and I was saying good-bye to Brooke and my parents and was headed back on a plane to Manhattan, KS.

It was a super weekend filled with fantastic family and friends. What more could a girl ask for?

Normal Happenings

This week is just another ordinary one in my life here in Kansas. The week started out with an exam that I definitely could have done better on, classes that were not the most exciting, and work which proved to be dirty and unpleasant. A pipe broke in the basement of the Meat Lab flooding many storage areas. We had the privilege of cleaning out old, moldy and wet ceiling tiles!

The week continued with another day of work and class on Tuesday. Anatomy and Physiology was fun with our lab groups presenting different models and explanations of skeletal muscle. Plasma was my next stop, always an exciting part of my week! And then off to the Wesley for worship.

Every Tuesday, the Wesley has worship with great music, fellowship, messages, and sometimes food! This week the worship group led us through some great uplifting songs! And our ministry Pastor then talked to us about honesty and doing what it is you say you are going to do. It was a great night full of friends and fellowship.

Today is Wednesday. My phone actually has decided to quit getting service every now and then. Its frustrating, but hopefully I can fix it soon. Work began early this morning at 6. It was very slow and luckily I was able to study for my second exam of the week which I feel pretty good about how I did. Always a motivator! The rest of my Wednesday was filled with more less than exciting classes and many projects in the Meat Lab.

My evening also included my first and probably last University Homecoming activity! At our basketball stadium, frats and sororities joined together to perform different dance routines to a full house. It was neat to see the different routines and especially fun to watch because the theme is western related. I am not very big into sports and am not hyped up with 'school spirit' very easily. However, tonight at the stadium, it was neat to see so many people gathered together with such spirit and excitement for their school.

It hasn't been an over exciting week in the world of Dana here in Manhattan, but its been exciting enough. Should be a great weekend as I head to Indianapolis, IN to wear my FFA official dress for the last time receiving my FFA American Degree!

Take care. Stay healthy. God Bless!

Fall Retreat

I am into my fourth year of University, and if there is one part of my college life that I always try to keep constant is staying involved in a campus ministry or local church. That has not changed one bit while being here in Kansas.

After attending many different campus ministries and checking them all out, I have found a place in the Wesley group. This is the United Methodist Campus Ministry. It is comfortably small with super nice and friendly people and being in this group always lifts me up and revitalizes me.

This past weekend I had the chance to take a trip with Wesley to Camp Chippewa two hours away for the annual Fall Retreat. It was a nice group of about eighteen, and it was a great time together. We were able to hang out and just relax, go for walks or night hikes, and discuss our Spiritual Gifts as a group.

I was able to get to know everyone so much better and make a few new friends. It was a great weekend with friends and God!

I encourage everyone to take some time off and just 'retreat' for a bit! Whether that be just going for a short walk around the block, or taking a trip to see friends and family, time away and to relax and to be with God is always healthy!

Indian Cuisine

Food is always good. Especially when it is new and exciting to your taste buds. Today I was able to taste the great cuisine of India! I have an international buddy from India who wanted to share with me the food of his country!

We were able to travel to Topeka to find the Globe Indian Cuisine to taste this super food! It was a small restaurant with a cute buffet, but held lots of flavor. I was able to try the usual rice Indians eat with a yellow chicken curry, an egg dish, and Paneer. I also enjoyed Nan, a kind of bread that is flat and can be baked or fried. I'd have to say that the dish with Paneer, a South Asian type of cheese, was my favorite. However, it doesn't beat the sweet doughnut-like treat that I of course loved!

It was a beautiful Fall day today and I enjoyed it very much, the trip to the Indian restaurant was just a simple added bonus!

When you get a chance, go try some yourself, its totally worth it!

Simple Blessing

I am not a very technologically advanced person. I know enough to get by and that's it! A week ago my computer decided to not boot up and instead just gave me the evil bright blue screen.

Thankfully, the wonderful people at the IT Help Desk here on campus really know what they are doing! They fixed her up real nicely and also helped me get rid of some other things that annoy me on my computer!!

I am super happy that it is going to work just fine and that I was able to get such good help!

Just a simple little blessing to brighten my day!

Who Would Have Thought?

All through my years in High School in 4-H and FFA, I did almost every activity that had to do with livestock. I showed sheep and beef, judged livestock and meats, and quiz bowls. I've always loved working at home with the dairy animals, but never thought about getting involved in anything off the farm.

That has all changed in the last 2 years. As my previous posts have said, I am involved in K-State Dairy Science Club, participated in Dairy Challenge and have taken Dairy classes and taken dairy related trips.

But now, I am officially a Dairy Cattle Judger! I just recently returned from Madison, WI after judging at the World Dairy Expo. My team and I have been preparing for this contest for 5 weeks, and that's about all the time I've had to learn everything about dairy cattle and giving dairy cattle reasons. All the work paid off! This past weekend, the K-State dairy judging team finished 13th out of 19 teams. Not bad for a rather inexperienced team! My teammate Cassandra and I led our team in reasons scores, but Cassandra led us all in placings!

It was a great time to be in Wisconsin as well and hanging out at the Dairy Expo talking to dairy industry professionals and watching the show of the serious Elite dairy cattle!

It was a great experience and in November, we will be heading to Louisville, KY for the National contest and then to Fort Worth, TX in January to finish off the season. Will be super fun and an amazing experience. It really is an amazing opportunity.

Hope life is bringing great surprises and wonderful promises to everyone's lives! Take Care! God Bless!!

Friday Nights

When one thinks of a college student and what they might do on a typical Friday night, it might entail movies, parties, chilling, etc. However, I've come to just face the facts, I'm not an ordinary college student!

The past two weeks here in Manhattan, KS have been crazy! I've been running to class, work, Dairy Club meetings, and trying to fit in time for friends and homework! That's pretty typical for many people in college!

But, last night after meeting up with friends to watch the movie, "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," (super good movie), I headed back to my apartment to chill with my roommate and friend and you'll never guessed what we ended up doing!!

Playing with Play-Doh!! :) Who new it was such an any-age activity!!

No matter what I end up doing on a Friday, Saturday, or Tuesday night, I always end up finding the most unique possible ways to enjoy my time!

Now this weekend will entail some Rugby watching, parking cars, church, and food with friends! Should be a pleasantly wonderful weekend! Hope ya'lls are just as super!

One Week Down

After a full week of classes and work and other crazy happenings, it is the weekend and I am ready for a tiny break.

I have only been back in Manhattan for 6 days and I already feel like I've been here for months! I am up by 7 or so every morning for class or work and eventually get down on campus anytime after 5. Then its off to put something together for the Dairy Science Club, run errands, or give plasma. And then the weekend arrived and I still didn't get a break! Today I went north to the Seneca, KS area to do my first full day of dairy judging practice...it was intense. I'm really not too good, but I did improve throughout the day!

So, its been a pretty busy week and it doesn't appear to be lightening up anytime soon. I have more work to do, assignments will begin to be due, more practice, more activities, and more friends to meet up with!

Although its been busy, I had time to meet up with many friends and even went out for a night of bowling tonight! Bowled with right hand first game: 68 points. Bowled with my left hand second game: 68 points...who would have thought?

Tomorrow morning I will be off to church with my roommate's and my "Kansas family" upstairs. We rent a basement apartment of a fantastic family and get to attend church with them! I've never been to their church, so it should be a new and fulfilling experience!

I get to meet a new international friend tomorrow and then off to the Wesley Block Party which will include amazing food, fellowship and fun! A start to another full week!

Another Beginning

The summer is so quickly coming to an end. I spent these past few months at home raising our wonderful and sweet Jersey baby calves, cooking and cleaning in the house, watching Gilmore Girls and other movies with my sweetest little sister, moving round bales for Dad and brother, sharing a rare but super evening with the older sister, and just enjoyed being at home!

While at home I very scarcely actually leave the vicinity of the farm. All I need is on this beautiful square mile plot of land.

I was able to get away from the farm just a bit and two weeks ago I headed east to work at the WI State Fair. Working the State Fair was the most excitement off the farm for me all summer, but it was totally the best. Before the fair I helped set up Ag Village, but once the fair began it was 11 days of 8 hours at the Cheese Grill then 8 hours working at Gate 5. It might seem like a lot, but I love it! We had a great team to work with in the cheese grill and all the same smiling faces of wonderful people at Gate 5 were back to make the fair even better than before.

It just seems so strange to me, though, how after spending 2 full weeks seeing the same faces everyday, all of a sudden it just ends and changes abruptly. I may not be heading back to enjoy working at the State Fair again, but I hope to visit all those fantastic people who always make working the fair so enjoyable!

Because of the sudden change from State Fair to back home and soon back to school, it seems that I'll be adjusting more than usual. The State Fair buzz is still upon me and the lure of Manhattan is ahead of me, but within the next 2 weeks I will again be in the swing of things back at school.

With all these super summer happenings coming to an end, I am heading down the path of my last year of college and into the horizon of an unknown future. This last year is truly another beginning that I must seek out God in order to really find where my place in this beautiful world is.

Summer

May is here and so is the sun and warm weather.

Finals are done, grades are still coming in, and I am back home in WI.

I will be working at home this summer in WI on the farm as well as at the WI State Fair!

No big adventures are lurking up ahead as far as I can see, but this summer may just turn into another exciting journey!

Stay cool but enjoy the fine weather outside! God Bless and Take Care!

Finals

Finals week has begun. This week is one of the most stressful of the semester, but at the end of it--Freedom!

I have four finals, one final project, and lots of work to do!

But, once Friday comes I will be heading back home to WI for a summer filled with cows!

Now back to studying!

A Gift From God

It amazes me how much the weather affects my attitude and outlook on life. Each and every season is a gift. A new beginning. A fresh start.

The sun has finally come out and along with it, absolutely beautiful weather. The past few days the sky has been blue, the sun bright and warm, the wind blowing just right, and temperatures between 82 and 92!

Spring is here and I am glad to greet it with wide, out-stretched arms!

Dreaming

I don't know where I will be in 10 years or even what I will be doing next summer. However, I may potentially be doing any one of the following dreams I have!

Life Goals:

1. Visit every continent-4 down, 3 to go
2. Be an au pair
3. Own my own restaurant
4. Ride a bull or bull fight
5. Spend two years in the Peace Corps
6. Own or manage a dairy operation
7. Host a food or agriculture based show on the Travel Channel
8. Graduate some COLLEGE with a B.S. in Animal Science
9. Marry an amazing christian man and raise our children
in an agriculture environment
10. Learn to play guitar and piano
11. Become a famous singer or dancer
12. Fly a plane
13. Be a stewardess with an international airline
14. Speak German fluently
15. Change the world
16. Have a real positive influence in the agriculture industry
17. Share my passion for cows and rural America with everyone
18. Go on mission trips around the world
19. Work on a cruise ship
20. Live, Laugh, Love, and Dance like NO ONE IS WATCHING!!

Believe It or Not

When one thinks of Miley Cyrus they think Hannah Montana, or older boyfriend, or little girls' idol, or Disney Channel.

I think of a young girl who is trying to make it big but also small in a complex world. I also think of an interesting, fun and safe television show.

Therefore, I was super excited to go see the new HANNAH MONTANA MOVIE. It was spectacular! Such a good movie with new, fun music, great actors and actresses, and a sweet and captivating story.

Believe it or not, but I actually got way more out of this "silly" movie than I imagined. Within the first half hour I had tears in my eyes. Miley had gone back home to Tennessee. Not everyone gets to have the life of adventure and realness in the country and to really know what God has given us. Miley had gone back home, and I realized just how much I've been missing mine!

So, yes, I cried at a Hannah Montana Movie. But, there's just so much more to the movie. The songs in this movie are so real. Take time and listen to Miley's new song, The Climb. Also, Miley was doing a little soul searching in the movie, and was also realizing what she was blessed with. Her song, "Butterfly Fly Away," reminds me of my fantastic parents who always let me fly away and spread my wings- THANK YOU!!

Before you judge a movie because it has Miley Cyrus in it, is a Disney Movie, or because its biggest fans are 10 yrs. old, maybe go see it and see the FULL picture! I LOVED IT!! :)

Opportunities

When you go to college, you are expected to take part in organizations, clubs, and other special interest groups in order to meet new people, learn new things, and broaden your horizons. The last two years, I did not specifically really do that. In Montana it was really hard to get involved, and Europe was just such a huge playground to go run around in. Finally, I am settling in here at K-State in Manhattan, KS and really getting involved and taking many opportunities.

For anyone interested in the dairy industry in ANY way, Dairy Challenge is one of the best ways to learn more about managing a successful dairy operation. With three other girls, all from small dairy farms, we learned all the ins and outs of a dairy operation and how to find the strengths and weaknesses in the reproduction, milking procedures, nutrition, facilities, financials, etc. of an operation. Through two competitions, one in Minnesota and another in New York, we learned SO much. Although we were only awarded a Silver rating at the National contest, the experience we had taking part in this amazing opportunity was reward enough.

All the dairy professionals and producers were amazing and so much work and support goes into Dairy Challenge. Its simply amazing and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity!

Another simple opportunity I am involved in that is sending me to Atlanta, GA next week is NAMA, National Agriculture Marketing Association. This is a group where we come up with a new product and put together the business plan and head to the National contest to present our idea.

These are just two of the many opportunities that I am involving myself in here at K-State. I feel so blessed to be part of such wonderful groups and to be here at this great agriculture institution. Everything that I have and do are true Blessings.

Reconnected

One of the most amazing opportunities in life is reconnecting with friends and family. Whether that means going down the road to visit a neighbor and saying Hi, driving across a couple state lines to hug a sister, brother or uncle, or flying across oceans to meet up with amazing friends in foreign countries, taking that chance is always well worth whatever it takes!!

I was able to hop back on a plane with my little sister, Julie, and revisit Salzburg, Austria over spring break March 14-21st. After living eight months in this wonderful place, Salzburg will always have a huge place in my heart and will always be a favorite place to visit.

Julie and SALBURG:

After being delayed a day in Milwaukee, Julie and I finally made it to the magical city of Salzburg and was welcomed by my most wonderful friend, Miriam. It felt so great and natural to be back and to hear German being spoken everywhere. It was so easy to fall back into the swing of Austrian things.

Me, Julie, Miriam and SALBURG:

The few days spent in Salzburg was filled with revisiting my favorite places including Mirabell Gardens, Altstadt, and Hellbrunn. Also, Julie and I filled up with some other favorites: Männer, Schokoladig Nugats, Nimm2 soft candies, and Milka Schokolade...Tasty sweeet treats! Miriam was an amazing host, as always, and treated us to fresh homemade bread, super Gouda cheese, cheese fondue, caramel fondue, and various other specialties!

Schloss Leopoldskron (Sound of Music House + Lake), Julie, and Me:

CHEESE FONDUE:

We were also able to see Cameron, another friend originally from Kansas City, perform in the production of an Opera. It was a super performance! Veronika invited us to her place for Topfen Knödel, Lisa joined us for the fun filled night of caramel fondue, and Joo Hyeon also stopped by a few times to hang out. It was so amazing to just sit around and hang out with everyone!!

To Veronika's house we go:

Fred! Are you going to make it?Fred the Topfen Knödel is ALIVE!!

I made sure our trip was also a learning experience! I was able to show Julie all around the historic city and share my history facts as well and visit all the Sound of Music sites. I also tried to teach Julie some German...not really sure how that went! We stopped by Salzburg College and were able to catch up with Brigitte and Gretel and also stop by Mike and Liz Spangler's (Salzburg International Christian Church Pastor and wife) place for a visit. Connecting with everyone was so priceless and wonderful.

All the wonderful friends at Bible Study:

Julie and I were able to spend quite a bit of time hanging out with my host family and visiting with them. I missed them so much and it was so crazy how natural it felt to be back in their home. It literally did not feel like 10 months since I had lived in their home! It was just so great to see them and catch up!! Everyone is doing quite well, including the new little one, Beatrix, who is now 10 months old!! Franz is still as funny and silly as ever and Sabine is just so wonderful!! Stefan, Lissi and Felix are also doing well and were still as comfortable with me as when I left! They are such a great family!

Joo Hyeon, Cameron, Me and Miriam-Just being us!

Before we knew it, Julie and I were back in the Munich airport ready to board our plane back to the U.S. Although it was a quick and short trip, it was so well worth everything to get to spend the time we did have in an amazing city I hold so dearly and reconnect with friends that will never be forgotten!

Can't Wait

Today I am in Manhattan, KS.

Tomorrow I will be in Lancaster, WI.

In the near future I will be in Atlanta, GA.

Eventually I will fly into Munich, Germany.

And FINALLY I will arrive at my destination: Salzburg, Austria

I can not tell what kind of experiences I will encounter, but I know that with my little sister at my side, we will have an awesome journey!

One Done!

Today began with a lot of rain and a dreary sky, but things soon took a turn for the good and the sun came out and brightened the day.

However, not everything was bright and exciting. This day, the 9th of February, began the semesters slew of exams. After sitting through 3 other classes, I finally made it to Livestock and Meat Evaluation and took my first exam of the semester. I did all right, but I am now finally in the mind set of 'school' and know I need to begin studying harder now before it gets too late and I'm too far behind.

One exam down, way too many to go.

February has started out well for me. I watched the Super Bowl, turned 21, started giving plasma, went to a new church, hung out with friends, watched some movies, ate at a Chinese buffet, attended a new bible study, and did a Ricky Martin puzzle!

I pray that everything finds everyone well. Enjoy this warmer weather and take a walk. Meet up with old friends and have a good laugh. Try something new, you might like it! Don't worry about the small things, even my big exams aren't big enough to overly stress about. And most of all, take care and God Bless!!

2009 Is Almost Gone!

It is February 1st! An entire month has already past in this new year. I have already come accustomed to writing 2009 at the end of dates and 2008 has all but gone from my mind. It may be only one month that has flown past us in this new year, but we are already comfortable with the new one and before we know it, it will also be gone.

But, this new year has actually started off pretty smoothly for me. I brought in the new year with my sister and brother, Casey's pizza, a really old western movie, and my big beautiful bed with lots of blankets!

The next two weeks followed with milking the cows in our new parlor, watching movies, attending church, and just hanging around at home. By the time the 14th rolled around, it was time for me to head back to Kansas.

Wednesday morning the 14th, after helping milk the cows, I loaded up my car and was ready to go. I was able to buy a 2000 Volkswagen Passat to help me better get back to Manhattan and to help me get to all my activities this semester.

My drive back to Manhattan was pretty uneventful for the first 9 hours. The roads were slightly snow covered or had some heavy winds, otherwise it was smooth sailing. However, about forty minutes from Manhattan, some unexpected lights showed up on my dash. I just kept driving and was so very blessed to make it into the city limits of Manhattan.

Unfortunately, I did not make it all the way to my house, but my amazing roomie and friend, Kristy was able to pick me up and within two days I had my car fixed and back home with me! Having my car has been so great and a blessing to have with all the activities that I am involved in this semester! I am so thankful that I was able to make it all work out!

Since my classes have begun, I have been hanging out with my roomies and friends, working at the meat lab, going to class, working on my assignments, and I just recently began working at the Call Hall Dairy Bar in the morning. I am staying busy with all of this along with Ag Council meetings, NAMA, practicing for Dairy Challenge and going to Dairy Science Club meetings.

I just spent this past weekend up in Rochester, MN at the Midwest Dairy Challenge. I was able to be teamed up with four other people from different colleges to go out and evaluate a very well managed 1500-cow dairy. It was a super learning experience! The dairy we looked at was so very well managed, it was very difficult to find any problems that needed to be addressed.

In Rochester, I also got to meet many industry professionals and learn of many available interships. It was a great weekend in which I learned a bunch along with being in the cold with snow! I miss the snow!!

Now I am back in Manhattan ready for a new week ahead. I have loads of classes this week, NAMA and Ag Council meetings and practice for the national Dairy Challenge coming up in March. Along with these activities and work I have a birthday to celebrate!!

It should be a great week and I am looking forward to it!!

I hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying this new year and all that it has brought! Continue living with an open heart and open mind and loving all that there is in this world! Have a great week and Take Care!