Hello Ohio,

What a GREAT convention! I hope you all have enjoyed yourself as much as I have this past week! Best week of my life! Thanks to everyone who made it an amazing week in Columbus.

The officers and I had a great couple of days with all of you! Although, Saturday was a very sad day for us, you all should be very happy with your newly elected officers. District 8 will be well represented with Kimmie! :) What an amazing girl! Can't wait to meet everyone again soon! And your new prez is great! Sad to see our team go our separate ways but we will all be around for those of you that still want to chat! 1st session pso camp! AMAZING!!!

So my drive home or back to Akron, was very sad! I didn't want to leave Columbus! And since we have great pso's from last year, they decorated our cars and going into the city in Akron everyone kept looking at me like I was weird! I don't think anyone knew what it was!!

But anyway, yesterday I came home for my schools 8th grade recruitment and to bring half my stuff back home! Have one more exam for the year and I am done!!! Then it’s off to Cancun in a couple weeks and then Maine for the summer! But don't worry I will be at PSO camp! So reserve your spot now!

Can't wait to see everyone! Thanks for an amazing year Ohio!

Liz

"The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen."
-Frank Lloyd Wright

Hello Ohio,

Well it’s that time of year! Time for the 2008 Ohio FFA State Convention! And boy are we excited. We arrived in Columbus early Monday morning and have been preparing for your arrival all week. But I won't say too much about it, that way you all can be surprised when you get here! ;)

So the Moth Man and River Valley. Well on Saturday evening I drove to good old Columbus to meet up with Dustin to head down to River Valley for their Banquet. The National Forest was beautiful on the way down! So pretty! We were amazed. The banquet was amazing! I got to sit with Mr. Hawk and Mr. Holcomb and their families, who were great! Thanks to all of you for making me feel so welcomed! Oh, and great job to my fellow teammate Dustin, for his very inspiring speech!! Which was later tested that night when going threw the Mac. Donald's drive through not only once, but twice!

Now to the Moth Man!! So after the banquet Mr. Hawk rounded up a bunch of people along with Dustin and I, and took us back to his house to get ready to go on the hunt for the Moth Man. Well this hunt ended up taking many many hours. Going to Mac Donald's for the first time, then getting lost hunting for the Moth Man, then chased by a masked man in the middle of the no mans land trying to find the bunkers and then finally getting pulled over by the cops going back to the school. This was definitely an eventful night. Dustin and I left very late and ended up wanting more Mac. Donald's so we stopped in Caldwell to go through the drive through and eat. Getting back to Mr. Mrs. Barkers very very late. Luckily, they are very understanding and knew what its like being an officer and always coming in late. But even though we had them worried to death they still got up early and made us a wonderful breakfast and coffee!! My favorite!

Just to let you all know, I make my room here at convention get up early to go downstairs and get coffee with me EVERY morning. Because I won't shut up until I get some!! At least 3 cups! haha.

Well I am sitting in the hotel lobby right now waiting on our pizza to arrive! Then Kelly and I will be heading out to Magic Mountain to meet my wonderful chapter and actually my entire district! And also of course making a pit stop at cold stone along the way! Can't forget about that wonderful cake batter/cookie dough ice cream! Gotta have it! Makes for a great bedtime snack!

Well I am heading back up to our amazingly decorated rooms, thanks to the PSO's and Dustin. So I will see you all tomorrow bright and early!

One other thing, good luck to all the officer candidates and I look forward to seeing my district tomorrow morning for our elections!

"If you can dream it, you can do it."-Walt Disney

Liz

Hello Ohio,

Well it’s been a short time since my last blog but a lot has happened! And as I am trying to blog now, Mr. Barker is talking my head off! haha. ;) Aww, so best thing right now, as he is talking to me, I slid my EMPTY coffee cup across the table to him and he just looked at me! But of course he filled me full with some YUMMY coffee!!! mmmm... My third or forth cup! Oh and what an amazing breakfast!!! Pancakes, bacon, brownies and rolls! I am in heaven here, at Mrs. Barkers.

Okay, just took a break and went to the barn with the Barkers to see their baby pigs and kittens. Which cats are not my favorite things in the world!

Moving on to this past Thursday night I went to Meadowbrook for their banquet. AMAZING everything! Food great, banquet wonderful, people very nice! It was great seeing so many familiar faces and meeting new people. Oakley and Carson thanks for everything! Mr. Wentworth and Mrs. Kackley thank you very much for the personalized t-shirt! Love it!

Then on Friday I got a call around 11 asking if I could speak at a banquet that night. So I traveled clear back up north to Triway to speak at their banquet. Which was amazing as well! Two great fun filled nights! Sara it was so nice to see you again! Laura best of luck next week! You will do great!! No worries! Shelbie, thank you so much for everything! You all made me feel so comfortable and introduced me to everyone! Thank you! Kara thanks for some great conversations during dinner!! You all did an amazing job with the banquet.

After the banquet I followed the Northwestern students back to route 83. Since I got lost on the way their. Kyle asked me how I got to Triway, and I said, "I got lost." I thought they were going to die laughing! Well its true. Never map quest Triway. Anyway, Kyle, Danae, Kelsey and I went to Starbucks afterwards to enjoy a nice moca! Thanks for everything!

Well I hope you are all getting excited about convention, one week!!! Tonight, Dustin and I are heading down to River Valley for their banquet and maybe even a ghost hunt! ! yay!

Well I am totally distracted right now; Mr. Barker is still talking to me!!! But oh I am enjoying being here! Love them!

Liz

"Always behave like a duck, keep calm and unruffled on the service, but paddle like the devil underneath."

Hello Ohio,

Well it has been a while, I do apologize! Things are beginning to get totally crazy with the most exciting part of the year coming up and then school ending for the year! So if you could only imagine what all has to be done, it is hectic. But not to worry, everything is going smoothly and I am totally pumped to see all of your bright and shinning faces early early Friday morning!

The past couple weeks I have been all over. Starting with Northwestern Wayne High School! One word, WOW! There banquet was amazing! I have to give credit to them for giving their banquet a theme, almost like Cabela's! Unbelievable! Thanks Jerrin, Jannessa and Brad for letting me sit with your family during dinner and even during the ceremony! Sorry if I misspelled your names too! You all were terrific and can't wait to see you again at convention!

Now this banquet was the Saturday of State Officer Interviews. So it was one busy weekend. I actually came into Columbus that Thursday to stay with the officers at Ohio State. It was a fun night getting to hang out with everyone. Big thanks to Maria for letting me stay with you and your roomies!! Friday, we had our annual monthly meeting and did a quick run through of convention. Looking good! Friday night, well we all had a little sweet tooth and headed to get some of that wonderful COOKIE DOUGH/CAKE BATTER ice cream from the one and only Cold Stone Creamery! Saturday was just amazing. Seeing so many people running for office. Good luck and stay calm!! All I have to say is I am proud to be from D8, where there were many people proudly representing us this year! Mrs. "Hoop" (as I know her, now married) and I had a great chat, probably over an hour. Talking about good times as officers! If you didn't know, yes, she was also once a state officer.

Skipping ahead a week to Thursday, I had to leave classes early at Akron and head down to Mid-East Career Center for the banquet. Mr.Wilfong and the students did a great job putting the banquet together! A BIG thanks to Mrs. Barker for riding over with me! And just to let you all know, she thinks my car is "messy." That’s ABSOLUTELY ABSURD, I tell you! I only have a few clothes, shoes, FFA supplies, cd, water, possibly food (may be old though) incase of an emergency! You know, it’s better to be prepared then sorry!! Also thanks to Ellen for also sitting with me at the banquet! Ellen and I had some pretty good conversations about goals and things to do! So always remember go for it!

Moving on before my lap top dies, to the District 10 banquet on Friday. I met the boys, Allen and Tyler in Zanesville and we ventured on down to D10. Everything was put together very well! Callie (which is suppose to start with a K, sorry) and Aerial (I know I butchered your names, very sorry) thanks for sitting with me through the entire banquet. CONGRATS on office Callie!!!! You will do great and represent your school and D10 very well! Jerm it was nice seeing you again, lots of luck next week! Chelsea it was so good to see you as well! You did great! Hope you come to camp again! So after we left the banquet that night, we felt like some ice cream/fries at Steak n' Shake. Even though it was pretty late we decided to stop and get a snack for the ride home. Seeing as we were parting in different ways and needed to be kept awake for the drive home.

Now you are all brought up to date with me, as of today! This week is super crazy! My final week of college since I will be missing the actual final class days next week. So now only to prepare for finals! Yay! This Thursday, I pack up and head home to the great rival school to B.T., Meadowbrook! Then on Saturday I will be meeting up with Dustin and heading down to the River, for River Valley's Banquet.

Start counting and getting excited as convention is only days away!!

Until next time,

"If you can dream it, you can do it." -Walt Disney

Liz

Hello Ohio,

Well April is almost here! You all know what that means, don't get fooled tomorrow!! Ha-ha. And of course, State Convention is right around the corner!

But as March came to a close so did my chapter visits. Ending with Harrison Central! And one word, AMAZING! The entire day went by so fast. I couldn't even keep track of time (maybe that was due to the fact that there was no clock OR I just had SO much fun). But either way it was a blast. I couldn't help from laughing when the juniors in the first class kept coming back all morning. . . hmmm, did you ever figure out the story?

Frustration is a great activity to do in the early morning with tired students! Why, cause they get even more FRUSTRATED! Then it just becomes extremely funny to watch!

For those of you wondering what I am talking about, we did a little activity called Frustration. The students had to ask yes or no questions to figure out the story that only myself and two other students knew. But when time ran out we had to leave the story going and minds wondering what had happened. So at the end of the day, I told everyone, including Mr. Jones what was happening!

Hope you all figured it out! HA HA!

After all the classes were over, I was welcomed to stay for a Guest Speaker. Oh my, was he funny! GREAT SPEAKER! I hope everyone there enjoyed him as much as I did.

I give the boy props that was down in front with him most of the time!

A big thanks goes to Ben and Kyle for helping me carry out all my things to my messy car!
Also thanks to Fawn and Lauren for keeping my little "story secret" throughout the day! I also can not forget "Zack" or as you all know him Jack! Ha-ha. Sorry about that, once I said it, it kind of became habit and then kind of fun! Ha-ha. Thanks for everything and if I forgot someone, I'm sorry but would like to thank you as well for an amazing day!

Now, let’s get pumped for the countdown to convention!

Hope everyone has a great April fools day!

Liz

"If you can dream it, you can do it."- Walt Disney