IASCD Annual Conference

Autumn and I, after I had been presented the award

I was surprised this year at the annual Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts meeting held in Boise, as I was presented with the IASCD Agency Employee of the Year Award.  The Caribou and Portneuf Soil and Water Conservation Districts nominated me for the award.  They also were able to get my family there to the awards banquet (a surprise to me) without me even knowing that they were there!  I was so appreciative that they were willing to come to support me, it was a long quick trip for them.  I was honored to have been nominated for this award.  I get to work with some really great people that make my job easy!

Round Up!

I love this picture!  This is us driving the cattle out to our field.

Tip and Wrangler scouting the trail, hoping to find some cows to chase!

Thursady of roundup!  It snowed 12 Inches.  This is the most snow I can ever rember on roundup!

(Dave Tschida, Autumns' Dad)

As you can see we were all bundled up pretty good!

I just wanted to share a few pictures from this years round-up.  This is my favorite time of year, I love to get out and ride the mountains and taking the cattle to cow camp.  It is one of the weeks of the year I live for.  Growing up as a farm kid I have always had the deepest respect and admiration for Gods' great creations!

A Walk in the Hay

Rhonda (Chris' mom) planned a fun picnic for Chris' youngest cousins. We walked up to the spring and found a spot on the side of the hay field where we were near Lynx and her colt, and on the way the kids completed a scavenger hunt Kimmy (Chris' sister) had prepared for them. Those in attendance were Rhonda, Chris' sisters- Kimberly and Aubrey, Chris' cousins- Austin, Haley, and Rachel, and Autumn. Oh yeah! Chris' dog, Tip, and Autumn's cat, Koda, even joined us! ;)

 Austin is such a goof ball!

 Austin completing the last task of the scavenger hunt, "Take a picture of the colt," while Haley looks on.

 The colt giving us a buckin' good time!

 He's so cute!

 Laurie's kids are so cute!

 The picnic spot.

 Koda trying to find a cool spot to wait out our picnic.

 Tip keeping an eye on the colt.

 Rachel and Haley with their lunch bags.

More Family Times

Autumn spent a week at her parents, ending with Chris joining her that weekend for a Girvin family reunion (Autumn's paternal grandmother's family). We didn't do anything too exciting and don't even have any pictures of the reunion, but it was fun just to be with family. Our favorite part of the reunion was, of course, the volleyball and softball games.  On the way home we were lucky enough to get to stop at Shoshone Falls, outside of Twin Falls, ID. It was so beautiful!

 Luke's family met us at Shoshone Falls.

 Gage is an...interesting poster.

 Riley is so serious.

 Then Gage put on Papa's irrigation boots and couldn't hardly walk!

 Papa (Autumn's dad) and Sydney at Morgan's softball game.

 Autumn did get to go to one of Morgan's softball games. Tried going to one of Syd's too, but it got rained out.

 At Shoshone Falls.

 Amazing!

Memorial Day 2011

My family came to our place for Memorial Weekend. We were fairly lucky and didn't have rain until Monday morning (instead of the whole weekend like last time they were all here). Activities included 4-wheeling with Ginny's family, visiting, a hot dog roast, target practice for the guys and a photo shoot for the girls, and festivities at the Historic Townsite, including the 5k walk for Ginny, Amanda, Becky, and myself.  The kids had a good time just playing on the farm. Other excitement was a new colt on Memorial Day and the purchase of a new horse for Autumn!

 Lynx's colt was born about 6 am on Memorial Day.

 Nieces and cousins playing in the back yard.

 Tango and Lynx loving all the attention (before Lynx had her colt).

 Hot dogs and s'mores!

 Imaginations run wild!

 Autumn's nieces (minus 2).

 Autumn and nieces

 Autumn's new horse, Cricket.

Flooding Spring 2011

What a wet Spring! Chris says this is the first time he's ever seen so much water that they have to sand bag the canal.

My Valentine's gift

This is probably one of the prettiest flower arrangements I have ever seen. I have the best husband in the world!!!!

An Evening in Oregon

 Great sunset at Autumn's parents.

 My nieces thought it was hilarious that they got the beach ball stuck in the tree! Silly girls!

And more sitting around a campfire, though this one was in their back yard. In this picture: Mom, Ginny, Dad, and Chris

A Quick Picnic up the Canyon

 Autumn's parents and sister's family came for a visit, so we made a quick trip up the canyon for a picnic and of course, S'MORES!

 Chris and Morgan go for a ride.

 The guys have some target practice. This is how Sydney handles it, while Autumn tries to catch some sun in the back ground.

This is how Chris took care of the noise from the guns. Look closely, at his ears! He he!

Easter at Autumn's parents 2010

 My sister's goofy boys. They are best buds.

 Chris and my other sister's girls. They were wrestling, but stopped long enough for me to take a picture.

What are you two doing?

Another fun one that Aubrey photo-shopped.

I love this picture! It's so fun!

Banks Family 2010

 I don't know how to do this, but I am attempting to put several pictures and posts as the year 2010 in review.  This was family pictures in April before Shawn left on his mission.

Happy New Year Evryone!

2011 is here and with a fresh start came some more snow and bitter cold!  Autumn and I rang in the New Year with some friends and when we left there house shortly after midnight is was a balmy 26 degrees below zero!  There is a reason the Eskimos ended up in Alaska, because Chesterfield was to cold!  We had a great time and we are excited to see what changes and adventures 2011 will bring our way!  I have decided to enter the realm of new year resolutions and I have set a goal to be 40 lbs lighter by the end of 2011.  This means that I will have to give up my addiction to sweets, maybe I can convince myself that i am allergic to Chocolate! lol  Last year I decided to give up pop, I made it to July and then I gave in to temptation and had a sarsaparilla that they sale in the old log store up to the town site.  It was great to know that I didn't really even crave pop after that though.  Hopefully, the weight thing will be successful, I am hoping that it will help that I am playing on a city league basketball team, getting some much needed exercise running up and down the floor. 
Autumn started school again this week, she enjoyed a nice 1 1/2 week vacation, but now its back to the grindstone and 35 Kindergartners!  It is amazing how fast time flies, it seems like school was just starting a couple months ago and now its onto the downhill slide!
I have been working on finishing up the implementation of a large grant, now I am working on the final report due the end of January.  I am excited to find out the results of three new grants that I have submitted.  I should find out about them any day now!

Well, once again I hope the new year will bring all of you good things and great adventures!  May God Bless each of you!

~Chris