I'm finally getting around to posting the county fair. Now that I think about it, maybe that's why it's nearly December and I'm just now getting around to posting about it- I think it may have taken me this long to recover! I tell you what. . .
So. The girls (their Dad puts them up to all this) decided that they wanted to do lambs at the county fair and the state fair this year. This meant that they each had two lambs to walk, prep for shows, and sale. Basically, double the fun! After a summer of leisurely strolls with their four legged friends, they were super excited as usual by the time the fair rolled around. It might be a lot of work, but it's one of the highlights of the kid's summer.
Hoot was getting awfully old (everyone was pretty sad when Grandma and Grandpa's dog passed away a few weeks ago), so it was decided that a new puppy was in order. Of course, the kids were ecstatic about having "Stitch" around to play with!
After the lambs are washed, sheared, and penned up at the fair, it's time to kick off fun with the Fair Parade! I loved this picture of Claire from the parade- it's a classic! Popsicle in one hand, sucker and candy collecting bag in the other, and ad advertisement stuck on her head!
The girls always love walking with their cousins to help pass out candy for Grandpa and the Uncles at C&R. This year Kate was a little sad to miss the C&R fun, but had a great time walking with the student council too.
Once the parade is over, it's all work, work, work (kind of)! The lambs have to be fed morning and night. Thursday is the big show, and the morning starts off early with Dad's traditional breakfast date with the lamb showing girls. That's a favorite!
Kate and Ashley, best buddies and lamb whisperers extraordinaire.
This year the girls were a little bit disappointed with the show. Each of them were in the top few of their class, but missed making it back for the final round by one. This has happened to Kate every year, so she's beginning to think she has a lamb curse! Ryenne placed (second, I think?) in showmanship, which her Dad tells her is the best gauge of her skills, because they are judged for how they handle the lamb, whereas in the market show, the judge is looking mostly at the lamb.
Kate had a disappointing showmanship, but it gave us all a good laugh. The boy in line just behind her was having an awful time controlling his lamb. It kept bucking and getting out of line. The worst of it was that in the process, it would knock Kate out of line too. We all had to chuckle when Kate gave him her best "get your lamb away from mine" stare. She means business, that one. Wouldn't you know it, every time the judge looked at them, the boy and his lamb would be back in place, and Kate would still be struggling to get hers back. Sure enough, she was knocked out of the competition first! Later, while we were eating lunch, Kate told us that she had been pretty tempted to go share a piece of her mind to the judge about the real story! That Kate, she's a great sport!
Of course, the girls love the rides at the fair. Their dad always buys them an unlimited pass for one night (he's waaaay nicer than I am) and so they can ride to their hearts content. I'm so glad he does this, because the girls love it, and it's something I probably never would have done.
Sam loved the lambs and couldn't get enough! The girls thought it was great fun to set him on their backs - and so did he! I have a feeling we have a future Mutton Buster in our midst! (For you city folk, that's the event where the little boys ride the lambs across the rodeo arena, holding on for all their worth. Of course, the lambs are running as fast as they can, and whoever hangs on the longest wins! Yip, it's a real deal!)
The Pee Wee Lead was a hit- Claire had been gearing up for it for months! We went with a Peter Pan theme this year (because that's what we had in the costume box!), so Emmy was Peter Pan, Claire was Tinkerbell, and the lamb? Captain Hook, of course. These pictures don't quite to the lambs costume justice, but it was hilarious. He had a great big hook hanging from his front leg, a lace collar, pants, and even tights.
The girls won 1st Place most-something-or-other. But the best part was when the judge asked Claire about their costumes. She told him who they were, then waved her arms in a grand gesture, and then said, "Yip, and we made alllllll of this with only a hanger."
I don't know where she comes from.
Finally, (are you worn out yet, cuz I'm getting tired just writing about it!), Sale Day comes. The girls each sold, thanks to our good friend Jason and my brother Shawn. It is actually always very touching to me how generous people are. The girls were looking at the list of their buyers the other day, and Kate said, "There's a lot of good people in the world, isn't there mom?" I loved that they are learning that!
And with that, the County Fair wraps up for another year. Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever documented last year's fair, since I was in the hospital. Id' forgotten that Ryenne placed 7th place overall. That's a big feat! Emmy was Uncle Sam for the Pee Wee Lead, and Kate had a great time showing for the first time with her bigger-than-her lamb, "Big Daddy"!
One night, after leaving the fair, Courtney captured this classic shot on his phone. The perfect County Fair picture! A trophy, a balloon, and a tired little girl! Just the way I feel after a good, long week at the fair!
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