Where to begin?? The kids have always enjoyed making cakes & getting creative with numerous art entries, which is great considering we have no animals…oh how we’d love to someday have a few cattle if for nothing more than giving the kids the experience of showing. But they do so enjoy the excitement of getting ready for “the fair” as they call it, not to mention participating in the scrambles & tractor rodeo and checking out all the rides. This year was no exception. As we packed up to take the cakes to town, I told Rob if we were all still doing this when he’s 17 & Ali’s 6 (youngest cake division), he’d have to drive just to help me haul cakes in!

Rob made his debut in the scratch division of the cake contest with a white cake & marshmallow fluff icing – he said he never knew how much it hurt to use a mixer, especially for that long…I actually wondered which would go first, him or the motor, as it took a really long time to get to that peaks stage for the icing. Not sure we’ll be doing that one again, but he did win 2nd place. Tom & Jac both stuck with the decorated contest. Tom made a white cake & decorated it to look like an OREO cookie, while Jac made a strawberry cake to honor her favorite kind of shoe: the flip flop – it was really cute! Can’t see it too well in this picture, but the flip-flops are on a graham cracker/brown sugar sandy beach. Special thanks to McGrew Feed Lot, Jim & Sally Lock, and Ludlum’s Food Mart/Batson’s Ace Hardware for purchasing their cakes. These three brought in nearly $600 to help support the Avon Fat Steer Show.

Rob has reached that pinnacle of being too old to participate in the scrambles & the tractor rodeo, but he was great help in keeping Ben calm while mom was in the ring taking pictures. Tom & Jac moved up to the pig division of the scrambles this year. Neither one caught it, but both gave a good run. Jac did come close, laying hands on it a couple of times…quite a surprise as she’s the one who just last year said, “I ain’t chasin’ no pig!”

All three of the big kids did a fantastic job in the art/photography show, earning several 1st, 2nd, & 3rd placings. Jaclyn even won the Sweepstakes award for having the highest point total in the a/p show. This was only the second year for that award & Rob won it last year. Perhaps next year it will be Tom’s turn…

And then there’s little Ben & Ali. Ali did very well & slept through much of the excitement, but the cool night air made it perfect sleeping weather & it really didn’t even seem to effect her much at night. She won the title of 2009 Most Patriotic in the baby photo show with the picture of her in her stars & stripes from the weekend of the 4th of July.

Ben was a real trooper & sat in his stroller almost the whole time we were at the rides with the big kids. Each of the kids received 4 tickets as a gift from a friend when Ali received her baby gift. Not knowing how Ben would take to it, I purposely held his until towards the end of Saturday night. OH MY WORD – GOOD THING!!!! He went on the cars with our friends Zane & Ella and did seem to enjoy that, but WOW-WOW! The big slide was SO FUN!!! He started giggling about 1/2 way down & didn’t stop until he was standing at the bottom. Less than a second after getting up he was showing his “happy feet’ (this unbelieveably cute little dance) and saying and signing MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was just too cute. He was so disappointed when the tickets ran out, but quickly distracted with the promise of popcorn, which -sadly- wasn’t being sold that night, so chips had to do the trick. Those of you who know Ben know that was little to no sacrifice. 🙂

Steers sold very well again this year & a good time was had by everyone in attendance. All in all, another successful steer show.