Godparents

 Last Saturday Keith and I, along with Austin and Sandra, became godparents for our niece, Kyler.  It was a short ceremony to make Kyler one of God's children. 

Take care,
Michelle

Softball is Over

 Last week was Ashlin's last softball game of the summer.  She played with Kelly's softball 8 and under team.  She had fun and it required Ashlin to talk and meet new girls.  Ashlin is by far the most quiet and shy out of the four kids.  She will not participate in anything until she gets to observe for awhile.  This was true this year with softball.  She watched them play a full game before she would play with them.

 Ashlin's team played one game each Wednesday night in league play and had practice every Sunday evening.  On the last night team photos were taken and medals and ice cream were handed out to each girl that participated.

The summer activities are over!  We are on to the lazy days of summer and vacation in a couple weeks before heading back to school.  The summer is flying by!

Take care,
Michelle

2014 Fair Recap

The fair ended yesterday; therefore, all our entries had to come home yesterday.  Today is for putting everything away and recapping what we earned. 

 

The girls had a great 4-H year at the fair.  Cara took 23 4-H entries to the fair.  She received 12-purples, 10-blues and 1 red earning $68.50 and three things are going to the state fair.  Erica took 17 4-H entries to the fair.  Erica received 12-purples and 5-blues earning $51.00 and has one thing going to the state fair.  Ashlin in her first year in 4-H took 19 entries.  She received 16-purples and 3-blues earning $57.00. I am so proud of all their hard work!  They also took a few entries to open class of extra baked goods.

 

 In open class, I took 37 entries and received 9-blue ribbons, 19-red ribbons and 8-white ribbons and earned $54.50.  I was pretty balanced with both baking entries and flower entries.  Cara asked me why I don't make as much money as they do yet I take more entries.  The answer is that 4-H pays out a higher premium than open class does.  Pictured above is my lemon chiffon cake that received a blue ribbon.  First time I had ever baked one.  I might try it again.  I will not be baking for awhile since the freezer is loaded with fair entries.

I also received two best in class prizes.  I received best jam for a jar a strawberry jam and best salsa.  These were my prizes - two buffet servers.

The kids and I went one night to the rodeo and it was a good time.  As a family we attended both nights of concerts.  On Saturday night we saw Brett Eldredge and Billy Currington and on Sunday night we saw Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers and Josh Turner.  Both nights of concerts were very good. 

We'll take a break now and enjoy some more summer!

Take care,
Michelle

Best Week in July

The best week in July, the Madison County Fair, started yesterday.  For us, it started today with 4-H Entry Day.  We had to recruit Grandma Korth to help us get to the fair this morning because we had so many entries that there wasn't room for entries and for bodies.  I was so glad that entry day finally arrived. 

 In our haste to get out of the house this morning, I forgot to grab my camera; therefore, I copied these photos of us from the fair's facebook page.  First, we hauled in all of our open class entries since they have to be entered by 10:30.  I'm not sure yet how many open class entries I had, but I'm guessing somewhere in the mid 30 range.  Plus, the kids had a few items.

 First, up was the flower judge.  All three of the girls received all purples on their flowers.  Therefore, it was a great start to the judging.  The flower judge was very impressed with Ashlin's poster about deadheading flowers.

Then we moved inside the 4-H building where the girls had to interview judge with the baking judges and the canning judge.  Cara spent about 30-45 minutes with this judge working her way through a laundry basket of entries.  Cara had this judge look at two coffee cakes, a chiffon cake, biscuits, a fast foods recipe file, a snack recipe file, a healthy snack, and a poster.  Cara also had some canned salsa and strawberry jam judged.

I will post more photos of completed projects and results after we go back to the fair later today to pick up excess product.

Take care,
Michelle

End of the Season

 Justin's baseball season came to an end last week.  The Angel's baseball team was the #2 seed in the end of the season single elimination tournament.

 The first night of the tournament the Angels won which put them into the semi-finals.

 They lost in the semi-finals ending their season.  It was a great game with the score going back and forth.  Justin was disappointed to not win the championship, but he knew that it was okay to lose.

 Justin's team had a great season only losing two games.  He learned to hit off a coach pitching the ball and he learned to field the ball better.  It was a great season!

Take care,
Michelle