2010 County Fair Pictures

In my post HERE, a few weeks ago, I sortof promised pictures from the County Fair, but I never got them posted. So, I am going to take a few minutes and upload a few of the many pictures I took Fair week!

At/in the livestock exhibit building:









(I love this picture!)










In the handwork exhibit building:


















Some of my entered items:





This one was quite a challenge! I saw a 'wren house' at Wal*Mart, and since I love wrens, birdhouses, woodworking, and crafting in general, I asked Dad if he could coach me through making my own! It didn't turn out quite like I imagined, but better than I thought :) ! Sorry the picture's blurry:



These few images are by no means an exhaustive example of all the events and displays that go on at the Fair! There is also a Mule Pull (whose team of mules can pull the most weight), a Horse Show, a Pet Show, a Prettiest Rooster Contest, and lots more at the barn, besides all the crafts, crops, plants, Blueberry Desert Contest, Made In This County clothing contest, and more in the exhibit building!
But I wanted to give you a peak into the fun an flurry that is Fair Week around here! :)

Fall And The Fair

{Image property of Livvy Taylor Photography. Used with permission.}

Fall is on it's way!!!
The last week or so, the mornings have been a tad chilly. Just a tad, mind you, but it has been there. Then this past couple of days, though it has still been hot during the middle of the day, the whole atmosphere has definitly been fall-ish. It's just something about the air - invigorating, spicy, refreshing, magical, beautiful! Oh I LOVE Autumn!

Fall also means Fair Time! Because of school, like last year I'm not getting to participate to the extent I have in past years. The Lord has blessed and helped me finish a few last-minute projects I was working on though, and we are going out to the Fair Grounds in a little while to drop off our items for the first installment of fair season - the County Fair. Next month will be State, and then the next County Fair. Because my family lives right on the county line, we get to participate in the fairs of both counties.

I'll try to post pictures later!

Summer Days

I've been wanting to do a picture post since July of some of the things I was into this summer! I'm just now getting around to it, but at least it's getting done right? :)

So, here goes.

One day while the four of us (Dad, Mom, Trissy, and me) were in Wal*Mart shopping for a bird feeder for The Grandparents ( ;) ), I spotted a "Wren House" birdhouse. I love wrens, building, and the shape and design of this little house! "I could make one of those!" So with (alot of) help from Dad, I was able to create a very similar house, and add a few tweaks of my own to the design. I plan to enter it in 'woodworking' in the County Fair next week.





{"Finished Project" picture coming soon!}


Because I was going to be taking a summer class online, and so would not have much of a summer at all really, the four of us had kind of a "summer week". One of the things we did was go hike a trail in our area that we had never investigated before. Between Trissy and me, we got alot of pictures! But rather than bore you with all of them, I'm just posting a sample. :)



This little frog was about the size of a dime!





I wasn't really feeling good that day, but marked it off to the heat and being out of shape for all that walking. Well, apparently I really was coming down with something. I don't know what it was, but I sure felt miserable! Nothing soothes quite like a nice cup of hot chocolate though - even in the summer!



This is just a little something we thought was funny. The picture isn't good quality, but maybe you get the point. :)




We've also been working on some much-needed clothing.


Something we've really been needing is some new Sunday clothes. You can't hardly find anything decent in the stores, or even patterns for that matter. But we did finally find some patterns that, with just a little tweaking, I think will work.
We started cutting out my first dress the other day. I hope to have it done this week, so I can enter it in the County Fair next week. I'll try to post a picture when it's finished.



One more thing that I'm very thankful the Lord helped me get accomplish before school started, is {drumroll} a craft blog! I am really needing an 'outlet for my creativity' so to speak. My creations are piling up in my closet, and in various boxes, totes, bags and corners all over the house! And I'm running out of room for supplies for new projects. So, since I don't have an Etsy shop, a blog seemed the way to go. I am desperately trying to learn how to make a blog button, but since I don't have one yet, I'll just post the link:

http://www.handworked.blogspot.com

You can cut and paste it into your browser, or (if you like the easier road ;) ) you can just click here -> HAND WORKed


The rest of these pictures are just random summer snapshots. :)











SOLI DEO GLORIA!

-Kyrie<><

A Look Back - 2009

Well, the year 2009 was certainly one of excitement, changes, and learning. I had no idea how many things the Lord would allow to happen, and then use to teach me so many valueable lessons. Here is a brief look at each month, and some of the happenings of each:

January of course started a new year. New year, old plans, and a fresh start at trying to see them become reality.

In February the Lord blessed us with the reason I originally started blogging in the first place - He led us to a wonderful, Godly church where He is praised and His people are taught His Word. This first year is hopefully just the start of a long story in this place. And even though (when I post about it) my feeble attempts to share the joyful, wondering, learning times with you are so frail, I hope somehow you can get a glimpse of the Glory He is sharing with me through these experiences. In February we also celebrated our grandparents' (Mom's parents' - our only living set of grandparents) 65th wedding anniversary!

March, April, and May saw us busily preparing for and celebrating Trissy's graduation! She was able to "walk" with the other graduates in the large homeschool group we are a part of, and we were blessed by all the support, and the professional yet Christ-honoring air with which the whole event was conducted.
Also in May, my grandfather had two heart attacks in one week (!) and so started almost an entire summer/fall of Trissy and me living with our grandparents, helping where ever and when ever we were needed, and learning many great lessons about fellowship, service, and the blessing of living close to family.

In June Trissy and I were privaleged to go along with two of our cousins to a Bible youth camp for a week. We worked hard, learned alot, made some new friends, and came back really refreshed by the experience.

July we of course celebrated the Independence our country still is blessed with and we pray continues, though perhaps we are loosing it even as the days tick by. Also our grandmother fell and broke her arm, essentially handicapping herself for several months as it healed, and our grandfather too, since she is really the one who cared for both of them. Trissy and I were glad to be available and able to continue staying with them and helping with even the little things it is so hard to do with one hand. All four of us (despite the painful arm) had alot of fun during this time, for we were basically "stuck" with each other, and though we just live right down the road from them, it seems we don't really get to spend enough time together.

August was perhaps the bussiest and most eventful month of our year! We said goodbye for a time to our pastor's younger son as he left for a dangerous mission field. I started working at the Christian school our church started, and I also began college. Trissy (being the most 'free') became the main helper for our grandparents (though I still spent nights there, and helped however time allowed me to) and took over most of my "chores" at our house as well, since I had to devote such large amounts of time to school and homework.

September means Fair Time! This year we were not able to participate to near the extent we usually do, but I did manage to have a small group of crafts and creations to enter in the County Fair, several of which went on to State!

October - Fall is in the air! My most favorite time of year! Our grandmother finally was able, after several set-backs and dissapointments, to have her cast taken off and become the Queen of her own house once again! We were glad her arm was healed so well, but in a way too, it was sad since it meant we didn't really have an excuse to continue living with them, and had to get back to our neglected house (which had, as Mom likes to say, "Gone to seed" while we were otherwise occupied ;D ). Also, District Fair was going on, and like at County, I was thankfully able to find some entries to send. The fairs have always been, not only so much fun, but also a nice opportunity to earn a little money from 'placing' as well! I also started blogging, I believe on Oct. 30th!

In November there was Thanksgiving, the Bible Conference, and reajusting to 'normal' life, though it could arguably be asked, "Is life ever truly 'normal' ?!" :D

December - Christmas and all it's symbolism, events, celebrations and enjoyments. Our trip to TX to visit Mom's sister, and then the New Year is here!

May our 2010 be, perhaps not so hectic ;), but certainly as valuable and rich!