On May 12, I had the honor of speaking at the Montana Livestock Ag. Credit annual meeting. I had this opportunity because of Tim Gill who keeps my horse Digger. I did the invocation before dinner, and had an awesome meal! After dinner they did some awards within their company and a couple of presentations, then I spoke to them about my Grandparent's ranch and how I got to be Miss Teen Rodeo Montana. My Grandma and Aunt and Uncle were there for the meeting, so it was fun to get to speak about the ranch with them there. I gave them two of the speeches that I have used in competition. One on Judy Martz and one on brands. Thank you Tim Gill and Montana Livestock Ag. Credit for giving me such a great opportunity.

Two days later on May 14, I went to Jim Darcy Elementary School in Helena for Ag. Days. I spoke to students from kindergarden to fifth grade about the "cowboy way" and having goals of their own. It was so much fun to hear what their goals were and I tried my best to encourage them to reach those goals. The teachers were exceptionally nice and very appreciative!

April 18

The day after my fundraiser we got the sad news that my Grandpa Bill had passed away. He was and still is the heart of our family, and because of him my family has this great agricultural backround. He always loved to see us horseback, whether moving cows or in a rodeo. I strongly believe that if it weren't for him, I would have never had an opportunity to be Miss Teen Rodeo Montana. His legacy will live in all of our hearts forever.

On April 23, I left for a DECA trip to Louisville, Kentucky. This was the National Convention. We spent a few days at the convention, then headed to Nashville. In Nashville, we had the opportunity to tour the Ryman Auditorium, and watch a concert there. Later that week we went to the Grand Ole Opry and got to watch a concert there as well. It was awesome to get to see all the legends on the walls of these places. We left Nashville an hour before it flooded! We then headed back to Louisville to go to the KENTUCKY DERBY!! The derby was by far one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Since there were 23 of us on the trip we had cheap seats, but a few other girls and I stood on a cement wall right at the start gates! We started quite the trend! Those horses are so amazing. After the race, we drove to Indianapolis to fly home the next day. Long story short, we missed two flights and our bus broke down, so we didn't end up leaving until the next night. It was so nice to be home with my family and to see my horse Digger and my dog Alley!

Fundraiser!

April 17th I had my fundraiser. It came and went before we knew it! So many people came to support me and my year as Miss Teen Rodeo Montana. I am so fortunate for all of the help from across the state. We had a lot of auction items donated, and so many sponsorships! I need to thank three families: my Aunt Ellen and Uncle Wayne, Tim and Carol Gill and their three boys Levi, Cody and Chase, and John and Marcia Allen. These families along with my parents made this whole thing work! My parents worked so hard for roughly three months to make it happen, and I can't thank them enough. We had a live auction, a silent auction, music and dinner. It was such a success and I got to spend some time with Jourdon, which is always so fun! It was a relief to have it all together finally, but went by so fast! Thank you to everyone who contributed!