Fair time!

Hello folks!  It's been a little while since I last posted and fair is the reason why!  Last Saturday (the 7th) I was busy bringing animals into the fair.  I was at the Careers Center at 7:00 getting my steer ready to load up.  I came home around noon and brought my goats (Thea', Dixie, Callie and Kit) in later in the evening.  Abigail and I watched the Combine Derby and then came home and dropped. :)  Mono sure does make a body exhausted. 

Sunday and Monday we didn't do too much.  I did chores, worked a little with my steer, hung out a little at the fair, that kind of typical stuff.  Tuesday I was up bright and early on the road at 5:45.  Showmanship started at 8:30 and I showed around 9:30.  Unfortunately I didn't make the cut. :(  The market classes didn't start until way later so I grabbed a bite to eat and then took a nap in the tack pen on a bale of hay. :D  My steer took 3rd in his market class so not a bad day.  Hot hot though.  Like really hot.  When I came home I just wanted to take a cold shower, curl up downstairs and watch a movie while eating ice cream.  So that's what I did. :)

Wednesday was the goat show at 4:00 in the afternoon.  I won my showmanship age division and so did Abigail.  I also received Reserve Overall Showman.  I got beat out by the girl in the oldest age division. :/  Our does did well placing the tops of their classes.  Dixie received Overall Grand Champion Dairy Doe and Thea' went Reserve. 

Now we are working on fair projects here.  We are getting the camper all filled up since we are bringing it to Calhoun County fairgrounds tonight.  We bring in crafts/market records on Saturday and animals on Sunday.  At Branch, I have the large animal auction tomorrow and a livestock judging contest on Saturday.  Soooo.....its a little busy! :)

Hope everyone is enjoying the rest of the summer!  I keep hearing all these back to school ads on the radio.  yikes!  Not that time of the year already!!! :) 

~Bethany~

Photography!!!!

Good morning folks!
First off I want to thank you all for the many sweet birthday and get-well-soon wishes!  I'm doing much better, though still trying to take it easy to I don't overdo it and end up sick again. :)  We now have a few others down with it, though they seem to not be effected quite as badly.  Hopefully we'll all be better before fair so that it doesn't make our week miserable. :)

Anyway...I've been working on some of my fair projects such as photography and writing.  Here are just a few pics that I am entering into the fair.  I am blowing these up at 8x10s and entering them separate from my main exhibit.  Let me know what you think!  Love hearing from all of you!

In Christ,
~Bethany~

Well last night my parents were on the verge of taking me to the ER because of the serious swelling of my tonsils.  I wanted to wait however and get some sleep.  This morning around 8:00 we headed to the doctor's officer where I found out I have Strep Throat and Mono.  Yay!!!  So...that means I'm gonna have to take it really easy the next few weeks (which the next few weeks also include 2 weeks of fair.)  It could be lots of fun!!!

It's so easy to get discouraged at this time, but I want to share some encouragement I recieved today.  This lady did not realize that I was sick, so I thought it very amazing that God keeps up our spirits by encouraging us through little things.  Anyway...here's a little note she sent:

Happy Birthday Bethany...hope it is a Great day..but it will be because this is the day that the Lord has made! :)

 Wow!!!  Sotrue!  I may want to complain, I mean I only have so many birthdays you know and 17 for goodness sakes!  I only have so many teen birthdays!  Wellllll, it doesn't matter!  This is still a great day because the Lord made it and He's in control....Praise the Lord!

 Well, I'll leave you with that thought, hope all is well with everyone!

Bethany

 

 

Shivering, shaking, blankets piled a mile high.  I can't stop the cold that's seeping all the way from my nose to the tip of my toes.  My fingers turn white and I can't stop chattering.  My fever shoots up to 102* or 103* and I turn to take a little more codeine/tylenol.  I go into a serious haze for about an hour, not sleeping and not fully awake.  I fall asleep, a deep sleep very much welcomed. I wake up and hour or two later.  I start sweating, my shirt gets soaked.  My face is red and soaked with sweat.  My fever is finally leaving me.  It goes down to 100*, even goes away fully, or just stays high.  I have about an hour of peace, so I read, get on the internet, or just lie there.  The the chills come on again.  The process repeats itself.  Meanwhile...my throat hurts, I can hardly swallow and it's hard to breath and talk because my tonsils are swollen.  I drink lots of ice cold water and eat lots of ice cream, but it only helps momentarily. 

To make a long story short...I'm sick.  Like really sick.  The main problem with this is that we were planning on going to lake Michigan today to celebrate my Birthday (which is tomorrow).  It was a lovely day...sunny and around 85*.  There was a beautiful sunset that would have been perfect for pictures....but alas it was not meant to happen.  Tomorrow is my birthday and I don't have high hopes for feeling any better.  I'm going early in the morning to the doctor so we can see what's up with the throat.  I really want the tonsils removed...but they probably won't go for it. :/ Anyway.....

Well, so that's been my delightful day.  Hope yours has been more enjoyable. :)

~Bethany~