Aquaculture Delivery

So in the new high school I will have an Aquaculture Lab. Our plan is to commercially raise fish - bluegill and tilapia - for taxidermy and a community fish fry.

The materials arrived at the new school as my first official delivery. I have been working with Rich at Aquatic Ecosystems for months to prepare for this and now the time has arrived.

I used the first day of my Easter Break to go unpack boxes and pallets. I had seven pallets weighing 3800+ pounds. This is what I found upon my arrival:









It is soooo exciting, yet so stinkin' scary at the same time! I have soooo much to learn this summer to make this work! Here's to great workshops at the WAAE Professional Development Conference, great friends who have walked this path before me and even greater folks who I am yet to even meet who will help me make sense of it all! :) What a great opportunity for the students at NRHS!

Off to read my new Aquaculture textbook!

Enjoy your day,

Rachel

Horses + Huskies = Allergies & Fun

So...it's happened...Abby has become a horse girl! We went for a friendly visit to our friend Laura's house and all of a sudden she's been bitten by the bug!

It didn't matter that I am totally allergic to horses and dogs and all things farm. What mattered is that Abby was having soooo much fun riding and learning that Dean and I stood in the wind photographing all the details.

Abby's first ride was Junior. Laura did an excellent job teaching her all about horses, and how to prepare for a ride.

Meeting Junior:


Getting the tack:






Riding with Laura:




On her own: (Notice the LARGE grin on her face!)


Abby's version of a steering wheel - She would tap and say "Walk on!"


Brushing after the ride:


Riding with her new friend Addison:


After the ride, it was time to explore the Husky side of the business! It was sooo cool!!!









Our family can't wait to go back! Thanks to Dawn and her family and Laura for welcoming us. I thoroughly enjoyed my time as Iron Will and eagerly shared my fun with my students!

Off to take more allergy pills just recollecting this wonderful experience...

Rachel

Holy New Greenhouse!!

I just have to give you a glimpse of the greenhouse at the new and improved New Richmond High School. It's set to open this fall and we're getting ready to begin moving in this May/June. I am sooo excited about this new teaching space!!! I had to take some pictures to email to my sales rep who is helping design tables and learning spaces.

Next spring, I will have plants growing for all of you to purchase!

Look how shiny and new it is...I am blessed!









Here's to spring and green growing plants,

Rachel

FFA Event + Family = Fun in the Dells

The second weekend of March brought us to the Chula Vista for a work event for Mom and swimming fun for Abby and Dean. It also brought a sleepover with the Wirkus Family and there is no one in the world Abby looks more forward to hanging out with than her friend Tristan!

So while Becky and I judged proficiencies, the clan swam and swam. When Abby saw all the cool things to do and all the big kids jumping off the side of the pool and otherwise being daring in the water, she too wanted to participate! Her favorite was the lazy river that she could walk in.

She even convinced us to go back to the pool before we left for home on Sunday. Fun was had by all! And as I mentioned yesterday, this trip made swimming lessons much better!

A few pics of her adventure:







It was sure nice of Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Bryan, Brock, Auntie Crystal and Gibby to join us for dinner while we there too. Yummy pizza!!!

We'll do that again!

Enjoy your day,

Rachel

Swimming Lessons...

So we finally took the plunge! We finally enrolled Abby in swimming lessons at The Centre. Six lessons for $49 - from 5:10-5:40 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now let me go off on a tangent here and say that the timing is not very conducive to working parents!!! But that's a whole other rant for a whole other day! haha

I am afraid of water. I never learned to swim as a kid. I grew up on a farm with no pool around. When I moved to Stoughton, swimming was a part of Phy Ed. I was quite excited to learn how to swim...as it turns out...if you put your suit on and got in the pool, you got an A! God bless my friends for trying to help...but I just don't think I will float! haha

I digress...Abby asked Dean to go in the pool with her. She was not too keen on swimming lessons the first couple of lessons. In fact, when you asked her how she liked them, she said, "They're horrible, Mom! Just horrible!!" I watched and tried to be supportive, but often found myself cooking from the inside out in the gosh darn heat and humidity of the pool area bleachers!!! Geesh!

So then enter tomorrow's post...a trip to the Dells...during the second week of lessons...Suddenly we had a fish on our hands! The last four lessons went really well.

They only let the paparazzi (aka Mom's with cameras) in on the last day...so here's Abby's journey after 6 lessons...which by the way...in her words..."I know EVERYTHING about swimming now, Mom! I don't need anymore lessons!" YEAH RIGHT!

Walking in:



Finding a locker...They never closed!



Showing off:



By beach babes:



Entering the kid's pool before lessons:



Using the floatie:



Blinking water from her eyes:



Her circle of friends:



Saying thank you to her teacher:



So, even though she doesn't think she needs more, we think it would be a good idea! haha She wants Daddy in the pool one more round before she ventures out into a class on her own. Dean's not looking forward to it, but...these are the sacrifices parents make! haha

Have a swimmingly fun day!
Rachel

In Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lamb...

Hello fine friends:

March came in like a lamb and went out like a lamb! No lions around these parts! I cannot remember any other months of March when it didn't snow a single flake. It was beautiful up here in northwestern Wisconsin!

To celebrate spring's arrival, we went to the Heintz farm to see the baby lambs. Abby loved every minute of it - bottle feeding and feeding grain.










Then she also enjoyed feeding all the birds. (All I could think about was the Disney medley I did in 8th grade with my junior high choir friends during a concert where I was the lady feeding the birds.)





The Heintz's hobby farm is always a fun place to go! From donkeys to peacocks to lambs and chickens galore, we loved every minute of it! According to Abby, the only thing missing was Molly, but she was off at college.

Fun times, fun friends!

Enjoy the day,

Rachel

Happy Easter!

Today was a splendid day for the Sauvola Family!

Our Easter celebration started last night when we went to church for the Easter Vigil. Going to church at 8:30 p.m. (past the bedtime of your child) is not for the faint of heart! (Especially when said child has not taken a nap!) But always being the adventurous family, off we toodled to church! We told Abby there would be a big bon fire in the cemetary to light the Easter candle and that the service would start out very quietly...hint, hint!

Abby made it until about 9:30 and did a great job. She was by far the youngest in church too. We saw baptisms and confirmations and had candles. Abby was in awe of all the cool things happening. What a beautiful service! It was special to me because six years ago I was confirmed through the RCIA program into Catholicism after growing up Lutheran.

Today marked the annual Easter Egg Hunt with the Hawley family and a yummy Easter brunch. Friday Abby saw the Easter Bunny at the Harley shop and got to ride in his side car. There were baby chicks to pet and face painting. Saturday was the annual Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt. So we have had enough candy and our ready for the new week.

Speaking of a new week...I have scheduled blog posts, so come on back to check them out!!

Here is our Easter in a photo collage:

Harley Shop:






Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt:





At the Hawley's House:











Even though fun was had by all, we haven't forgotten the reason for this blessed day. We hope your day was blessed with a renewed faith, good food, friends and fun.

Enjoy!
Rachel

Happy National Teach Ag Day!!!

This is my second post today!!! So scroll down to see some more Abby tales.

Today is a very special day!!! The National Association of Agricultural Educators has been working hard to designate today as National Teach Ag Day. This campaign helps to give us resources to show our students and others what being a agricultural educator means to us. Not that I am near retirement age by any means, but it is never too early to recruit exceptional future ag educators!

To celebrate this special day, the FFA is having the Staff Breakfast, then I am doing a radio interview and a newspaper interview. I have been working with Willow Marketing out of Indianapolis as one of the Wisconsin Ag Educators chosen to help get the word out.

Some people wonder why I do what I do...This video clip highlights my reasons for being an agricultural educator. Check it out!

http://www.naae.org/teachag/video.php

Today, take time to thank someone who has made a difference in your life and has influenced you to choose the career you have chosen for yourself. We are all blessed to have those people in our lives. I sure appreciate Mr. Bielinski and Mr. Wendt for showing me the ropes and encouraging me to be the person I am today! Without their positive influences and the opportunities they gave me all those years ago, I am not sure who I would be today.

Truly blessed,

Rachel

Two Weddings and a Baby

Hello Friends:

See...even though I was absent in the blog world for a few weeks, doesn't mean we weren't running around all over the universe! And before you begin to freak out that there is a new baby coming to the Sauvola house, it's not happening now. The baby refers to a visit made by a friend! :)

So Abby is the Dancing Queen of the house. It's no secret! People stop her at church and ask her about her dancing. In the grocery store, they want to know when they'll see her dance again...it's serious! We need to get her into lessons! haha

She was recently featured on the blog of the wedding photographer for Maureen and Aaron Cochran's wedding. Maureen is one of my former students who sang in our wedding. She's such a sweetheart! Leah Dunbar, Maureen's wedding photographer caught Abby moving to the rhythm on the dance floor. You can see Abby here in a collection of Maureen's photos:

www.leahdunbarphotography.blogspot.com

Then another former student, Shelly got married. As soon as we walked into the dinner hall, all Abby talked about was dancing with the boys!

Here she is consulting the bride about dancing...while her dancing pal looks on...



Then she makes her move...



And then paid a dollar to dance with the groom...courtesy of another former student we spent time with at the wedding. How fun!



Then one of my scrapbooking friends brought her new baby to visit. Abby loved Anya and had to hold her. What fun!