04/01/2026
I finally feel like I might be making it back to the land of the living after last weekâs county livestock show. I realized this evening I only shared one post the entire weekâbut what a week it was from start to finish.
It was a week of showing every day for the kids, the Queenâs Contest, working at night, losing my voice (which still hasnât returned), and an unexpected accident and surgery in our family [another story for another day]. It made for a week weâll never forget.
The kids started their week with photography, one of their favorite competitions at our county show. All three took home banners in every category, with Sarah winning Reserve Champion Senior Photo!
Emmy was the only one of our kids to compete in ag mech this year, where she upcycled an old TV into a cat condo. She didnât want to sell her project, so while it earned her a blue ribbon, itâs now proudly sitting in our living room being adored by a house full of cats.
The highlight of the week for Sarah was winning the Queenâs Contest. Sarah wasnât the only girl who worked hardâthere were girls all over our county who spent the last year fundraising. We are so proud of the work Sarah put in, but the other girls did too, all for the same cause. Two girls in particular, Lexis and Gracee, were such examples of what true friendship looks likeâeven in competition. They constantly encouraged Sarah and cheered her on. To me, thatâs what this is about: community over competition.
All the girls chose their own ways to fundraise. For Sarah, much of that was through Mahjong. Among other things, Sarah sold dog harnesses and treats, partnered with our friend Denae for a sweet pup, raffled a bling basket, raffled over 80 sets of tiles, helped teach classes, ran merchandise booths, and for the last three months spent every Saturday away from homeâeither selling, teaching, or showingâwhile still keeping a smile on her face.
Thursday was Dairy Day, and our morning took an unexpected turn [that story for another day]. But our barn family stepped in to help. Nicholas jumped in to bathe his and his sistersâ cows while they handled ag mech and Queenâs duties, and in the end, they had a great dairy show. I had a mini breakdown when I realized I had left some heifers off the entries back in December. Iâve never done that before, and on an already stressful day, it hit hard.
But, our kids showed so much grace. When I stepped away for a moment to gather my thoughts and catch my breath, they found me, hugged me, and reassured me they werenât upset. Iâm so thankful for them. Emmy won dairy goat showmanship, Sarah won 2nd showman, and the kids got to show alongside some of their closest friends, making it a really special day.
Friday, Sarahâs beef heifer decided she was going to kick all of us, so for her safety and everyone around her, she chose not to show and instead helped hand out awards. She got to watch Emmy and Paisley show Emmyâs Holstein beef cross, Snowball. We knew Snowball probably wouldnât be a show winner, but Emmy loves that little heiferâand Paisley does too.
Since this yearâs projects werenât sale projects, we knew they wouldnât be eligible for auction, but
Saturday still turned out to be a big day. Ryan won a half side of beef in a raffle, Emmy led the pledges, and in one of my proudest moments as a mom, we got to hear Nicholas lead the barn in prayer. If you know him, you know heâs not the first to jump up as a public speaker, so hearing him pray before the auction meant so much. Our club also won the Herdsman award for our Red, White, and Moo Display, so the day was sweet all the way around!
This week weâre trying to get back to normal. I still have no voice, weâre catching up on projects, and weâve got lots of Mahjong tiles to ship out. Iâm so thankful for Godâs hand on our family last week. Maybe this week, instead of talking, my job is to listenâand to catch up on life here at home. â¤ď¸
