3344 TR My favorite memory

A memory that I will never forget took place on February 12, 2003. It is a memory that is makes me laugh, cry, feel warm, is from long ago and is as peiouse as gold to me. Growing up I was always around animals, farming, and ranching. So it was no surprise when I started showing market steers and breeding heifers when I was nine years old. This is a very expensive hobby and my parents did the best they could. I usually had between three and four projects going every year. We hauled to shows all over Texas. I did well at the small shows but it was a different story when it came to the majors. The major shows in Texas consist of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, the Fort. Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Houston Stock Show and Rodeo, and the Austin Stock show and Rodeo. The major shows are very competitive and there is a lot of money invested in these animals. I worked my tail off every year hoping to at least get placed. At most of these shows usually only about 12 people out of a class of sometimes 50 get placed. It is extremely difficult. After awhile I started to get discouraged and wanted to give up and try something else. It was getting harder for me to see other kids when the big money when I knew they hadn’t worked nearly as hard as I had. A lot of people with money hired hands to take care of there kids animals and to work with them and get them ready for these shows. For a lot of kids the first time they handled there animal was walking into the ring. Even if you don’t spend ridiculous amounts of money to buy one animal you can still win when you know how to properly feed and work them. After six years of never placing at any of these shows I began to loose site of my goals. However, February 12, 2003 that all changed for me. I had a good steer but I was almost sure that nothing would come of it because my brother-in-law who usually helped me and guided me through all of this was at a show in Denver. I was on my own. At the major shows they have weight limits for each class and if you weigh out they place you in another class that you don’t want to be in. when the Simmental class was called to the holding arena I was nervous even thought I had done it so many times before. When the gate opened I believe I was the first to walk in. The judge is not only judging your animal he is also judging you and how well your showmanship is. I walked in and the judge was really looking hard at me and my steer. I had my eyes glued to him and I couldn’t believe it when he pulled me. So I walked out into the middle of the arena and waited for all the others to walk in. He continued to pull them as they came in and then some after they were all stopped. Once the judge pulls all the cattle that he sees as “market ready” he then excuses all the others from the ring. I forget how long it took him to place us all, it seemed like forever. When it was all said and done I came out in first place. I was so excited I could not believe that I had finally placed. The best thing is, that’s not the best part of the story. I was in a heavy weight class so immediately after we were all placed and released they brought in the first places from all the other Simmental weight divisions. After lining us up and looking carefully at each animal the judge walked up behind my steer and gave him a big slap on the butt indicating that I now had the Grand Champion Simmental for the 2003 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. By the time I got out of the ring I as almost in tears. I had finally done it. Not only had I placed but I won my whole breed. Hundreds of people had come from all over the country and I had been chosen. My hard work had finally paid off. The next night all of the breed champions gathered back in the ring and the judge picked an overall and reserve grand champion of the entire show. The sale money is usually $100,000 for the overall grand champion. The SBC center had just been finished and we got to be the first ones to bring our animals in. The judge decides who he will choose before we ever get in there. He picked when we were all back in the small arena. We walk into the SBC Center and lined up. The judge walks around a few minutes and then starts walking my way. He walked up between me and another girl and stops, takes one look and shakes her hand. She had the new grand champion steer. I was really disappointed at first because I new she was definitely one of those kids who didn’t work to get what she had won. After a couple of hours I was fine. I had realized that I left there that night with more than I ever expected to. I had accomplished what I had been striving for. After the sale Saturday morning I walked away with a $10,000 check. It was not the $100,000 check but it was good enough for me. The last two years of high school I went on to place first at San Antonio, and did very well in Houston and Fort. Worth. The memory I have burned into my mine from that evening is something I will never forget. It taught me to try harder and to never give up on your dream.

EDRG 3344 R.A.F.T

This is my R.A.F.T. story. R stands for role, A stands for audience, F stands for format, and T stands for topic.

R- Mother
A- Baby
F-Letter
T- Arrival


Dear baby,

It’s me your mom. I wish I could call you by name but your father and I have not yet agreed on one. I can’t wait to meet you however; I must say that I am very nervous about our introduction. I haven’t felt you move yet but they say any time now I should be felling the flutter. I wonder everyday about what you are going to look like. I wonder about what color hair and eyes you will have and what features you’ll get from both of us. In another month we’ll find out if you are a boy or girl, I can’t wait I am so excited. Everyone is very anxious to meet you. Your grandparents can’t wait. I got to see you the other day when I had my sonogram. The transformation you have made since the first one to this last one is absolutely amazing. You no longer look like a bean with a heart beat, you actually look like a baby now. I am so glade that you are finally starting to agree with me eating again. For awhile there you wouldn’t let me keep much down. This past week though my appetite has been playing catch up. I am sure you know this week I have been craving Chief Boyardee ravioli and spaghetti o’s and meatballs. I can’t seem to get enough of them. It’s scary how much I have been putting away. All I know is you better be getting most it. Then again I really don’t want you to be a 10 pound baby like you cousin was. Anyway, it doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl or what color hair and eyes you have. The only thing that matters is that you are a healthy baby. I hope you are as excited about meeting us as we are about meeting you. Only 5 ½ more months and well all get to meet. Oh, and I thought I might warn you, don’t let the size of you dads family overwhelm you. It will take you a long while to remember who everyone is. I know it took me at least a couple of years. Mine on the other hand is much smaller and you shouldn’t have much trouble remembering them. Remember, no matter how big or small I know both side are ecstatic about you arrival and they will all love you no matter what. So before I get all emotional, which I am still not used to, I am going to bring this letter to an end. Just know we are so happy you are in our live and we love you with all our hearts.

Love,
Mom

3344 TR Writing is a process/ My Dream Vacation

What is writing? Writing is a process with 5 stages starting with 1) prewriting- brainstorming/maps 2) drafting- rough draft/outline 3) revising- additions/deletions 4) editing- conventions and 5) publishing. These five stages are extremely important when attempting to write a good paper.

My Dream Vacation

* I finally did it; I saved enough money to take my dream vacation! It’s not just me going; I am taking my husband and my father with me to Ireland. My husband who is of German decent would much rather be going to Germany but my father is supper excited to be going to Ireland. My family is Irish so it has always been a dream of mine to visit Ireland, see the sites, and maybe even visit some distant relatives. The plane leaves in two days and it’s my fathers first time ever flying.

* Once we arrived in Ireland the first thing we did was check into our room. There was still plenty of daylight left so we decided to take a tour of Powerscourt Gardens in Dublin where we were staying. After that we head back to the room. On our way back I thought I heard the cry of the banshee. However, the banshee can only cry for four families in Ireland and mine is not one of them. The next morning we all agreed that was the best night sleep we had ever had. Once we got up and started moving around we decided to visit some of Ireland’s castles. There were so many that we had to squeeze that into two days and we still didn’t see but a few. The ones we did see were great and every time we left one I couldn’t help but wonder what the history behind it was. The whole place seemed so mystical. Next, on the second to last day we visited Blarney Castle where we all kissed the Blarney stone. Maybe now I’ll finally have the gift for gab. The last day we were there I decided to walk through the Connemara Countryside. It was so beautiful and peaceful. All of the sudden I saw a gorgeous rainbow. Seeing how I was by myself I thought I would follow it. Not that I really believed there would be a pot of gold at the end but I thought I’d have a look anyway. I walked slowly and quietly to absorb as much of the tranquility as I could. Before I new it I had stumbled upon the end of the rainbow and something else. I had always heard about them but never imagined that leprechauns really existed. The second he caught wind of me he vanished. I was shocked to say the least; no one would ever believe me.

* Finally, once I made it back to town we boarded our plane and headed home. We came away from a terrific vacation with so many pictures, stories, and memories. It is certainly a trip I will never forget. Maybe some day I will tell someone about my lucky leprechaun but until then it’s my little secret.

Pre/during/post 3344 TR

When I think of pre, during, and post the first thing that comes to mind is a book. When a teacher presents a book to her students that she is going to read, the first thing they notice is the cover. The cover can say a hundred things about a book. For a pre question she could ask the students, buy looking at this cover what do you think the story is about? Then throughout the story the teacher could ask questions like, do moose wear sweaters, what do you think he's going to ask for next, would you feed a moose a muffin, what do you think you mom would say if you had a moose in the house? After the story is over the teacher could ask, did you like that story, what would you have done if you were the kid in the story? There are so many different ways to go about the pre, during, and post questions with your students. The ones I listed don't make a dint in what else there is. Every student is different therefor each one will have a different strategy when it comes to learning. As a teacher it is also very important to have strategies. Not every child will be enthused about reading or learning. You have to have different strategies to get these children interested.