we are back...

We are home. What a great week at fair. We got all 5 pigs - excuse me- 4 pigs, Buzz, and Fairy Princess (the duck) loaded and taken into fair. Thank you Kerri... Addie and I couldnt have done it without you. I drove with Buzz in my trailer and prayed the whole way that I would get him there safely. He is Addie's baby after all. We got to the scales and realized that Buzz had layed on the duck cage during the trip which had pinned the duck to the floor of the cage. Close call!! 2 pigs made weight- so both kids had a market hog to sell!!!

Tuesday 12:00, we are checked into fair and the work begins. By the end of the day Addie and her friend Jesse had washed 7 pigs and body shaved 5. Noah began Wednsday off by winning GRAND CHAMPION duck (there was only 1) and then taking Grand Champion overall waterfowl. Molly was pretty proud that her duck already had 3 large purple ribbons and 1 trophy!!! By the end of fair the duck had 3 trophies and 7 ribbons. There will be no living with him in the barn now! When it came time for Molly to show her duck on Saturday, the judge couldn't get anywhere near her. Everytime he leaned in to talk to Molly, Fairy Princess would hiss and try to attack the judge. As long as he kept his distance from Molly everything was fine. Noah won Grand Champion showman and was able to participate in the small animal round robin tournament.

The kids did good. We didn't place so high with pigs this year, but learned alot... this new judge likes something completely different than the last judge... and luckily next year we will have another new one... so who knows. The kids had so much fun hanging out with their friends. The pig kids did a great job working together.

Addie ended up fairly sick... By day 2 we realized that she wasn't just working too hard in the heat and she wasn't just overly stressed. I checked her temp and found that she was running a temp of 102.5. There was no getting her out of the barn, although we did make her come back to the trailer for a little bit and her wonderful friends snuck back to the barn and snuck her pigs out for a bath. Even one of the boys who is too young to have a pig came up to me to tell me to not wake Addie in the morning for early morning chores. He said he would muck out her pig pens for her. How sweet is that? She stayed sick all week, but didn't stop. We went to the dr the day after fair and she had lost 5 lbs and they were threatening to put her in the hospital on IV fluids... some nasty virus (we jokingly said we thought she had the swine flu- sick joke I know). She seems to be over the hump now.

County Fair 2009 is over and we have to consider it a sucess. We came home with 2 pigs fewer than we went with and the same number of children...

And so we are off...

Where has this summer gone? I have hardly even posted... I do need to catch up, and plan to. There are so many great pictures of fun times this summer- company from out of state (including ours 10 kids/4 adults), Yordi's birthday, Addie's graduation, pool fun... but that will have to wait. We are outta here- off to county fair tomorrow am. Here are the stats:

me
5 kids (gaining an extra or 2 once there)
4 market hogs (please God let them be 230 lbs or more)
1 stubborn Buzz
1 duck
100 lbs of feed
groceries to feed all of us for 1 week
36 pairs of shorts
36 tshirts
42 pairs of undies
6 pairs of barn boots
6 pairs of show boots
7 show outfits
1 set FFA OD
2 sets complete animals records
2 show sticks
3 sets of completed Daily feed records (with all feed fed in 60 days documented- as well as rate of gain and cost per pound per animal)
tent trailer
5 pair clippers
5 bottles of shampoo/liquid bluing
6 feed pans
2 waterers
6 stall card signs


and whatever else we might possibly need...

Here is a glimpse of how it looks:
Day 1: notice the barns DO smell
Day 2: notice the barns don't smell as bad as previously thought
Day 3: notice the trailer smells like the barn
Day 4: notice that WE smell as bad as the barn
Day 5: settle for sorta clean clothes, debate if showers really are necessary, and then decided that it really doesn't matter
Day 6: shower? no. Clean clothes? forget it. WHEN DO WE GET TO LEAVE?????

Really, it is a highlight of the year. Today the kids are excited... they work so hard. They will be in the barns every morning at 6:30 am, work all day, show all evening, hang out until curfew with friends in the barns, bed by midnight and start all over the next day.
So, my next post will be once we are home... and have found our way to the showers and over the heaping piles of laundry. But there will be pictures...

no trip

Well wouldn't you know as soon as I post that Addie is going on the missions trip, I get a call. The group is too large and they are actually turning people away (from this specific trip). The office called to see if Addie would give up her spot so that another doctor could go. How could we say NO? We are so glad that the trip is full, that so many are willing to go, to help... yet Addie is sad. I have no doubt that there will be others for her. That is just her. It is in her heart even at such a young age. So for now, we wait.

FAME mission

dont know if I am ready, but...

Addie has travelled with us to both China and EThiopia when we adopted our littles. While we were in Africa she stated that she would be back on a missions trip. Well, she is headed out on a missions trip but instead of Africa they are headed to Haiti. She is going with her best friends family and 2 doctors from our church. It will be a medical missions trip and Addie hopes to be able to help out in the clinic as well as helping out with the malnutrition feeding clinic. I will be posting more info soon- she will be gone October 23-31. She is busy trying to raise funds, as she wants to pay for it all on her own... pretty proud of that kid. She came to me regarding the trip- said she felt it in her heart, it is what she needs to do... not sure if the mom in me is ready, but we are so excited for her.

This kid can sing!!

Bad blogger!! I have decided good weather equals bad blogging. I will get caught up, I promise. But first- Noah had his caroler award night last night. He ended up being the MC of the whole show and had the opening solo. I videoed using my camera- so it is dark and blurry and the sound isn't great but MAN can this kid sing. Enjoy!!! Make sure you scroll down and pause the music before playing the video.

lamb fair

Every year we have our annual "Lamb Fair". The town literally shuts down. The kids cant concentrate for a week because the carnival pulls in and sets up in the school parking lot. On Friday there is the street dance- they used to shut down the street and literally dance in the street, but now it has moved to the fairgrounds and stage... the kids get to hang out with all of their friends while the parents visit with people they never get to see... There are food booths, activities, the parade, forestry competitions, bake shows and sales, quilt and flower show... basically an entire weekend to spend visiting and having fun... I remember being a kid and looking forward to the lamb fair, just like my kids do now... of course doing it in 80* weather instead of the pouring rain is always a treat and much more enjoyable!! Small town America at its finest!
Goofing around at the street dance with good friends.
Addie, Abby, and Tony all set for the parade
Molly all ready to ride on the 4H float for the first time.

Noah and his buddies on the 4Hfloat
Tank and Mackenzie all dressed up for the parade..

The grand champion float- the high school forestry dept. It even had water cannons!
The boys scoring candy while Addie walks (in high heels, panty hose and a thick jacket) a very large and hot Tony down the parade route.

Molly and buddy Carter at the carnival
Bis on his first fair ride

Molly used her left over money to buy cotton candy (the deal was they could spend it however they wanted- usually she doesn't eat any sugar). She was determined to eat her entire bag.
She only made it part way before she got a massive headache and crashed!!! She says she is NEVER going to eat that stuff again!!! EVER!!!
Noah getting ready to perform with his singing group.
Just before going on stage
Yordi getting ready to watch Noah sing.