Another great year at the fair!  While we aren’t going until tomorrow evening, Jami and I took a “sneak peek” to see how the family did.  My niece won a 1st place blue ribbon for her decopaged Christmas box and my nephew won a 2nd place red ribbon for his handpainted plaster mare with foal.  Jami won a 1st place blue ribbon for her delicious “Goofy Cookies” that she entered in the Kitchen Pride Bake Show (Junior Division).

I entered five photos in the photography show and three placed.  Here to the left is one of the photos I took during our amazing, once in a lifetime (if that) Christmas snow.  This is the view from my kitchen window (it’s a tulip magnolia, and a slightly pyschotic one at that — it blooms at the weirdest times . . .)  Anyway, this one received a 3rd place ribbon.  Whee!

The picture to the left is Mission San Jose in San Antonio, Texas.  Jami asked if we could go to see the Alamo last spring break and we ended up doing the whole Mission Trail thing.  It was wonderful — we had great weather and a kid who loves learning things.  So it turned out to be a lovely trip.  This photo received an honorable mention

This photo is one of  my favorites!  The girl just LOVES strawberries, and goes almost spastic over strawberries covered in chocolate.  I called this one “As Good As It Gets” — it received an honorable mention, too.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow evening because we’ve managed to keep our lips zipped regarding Jami’s cousins’ ribbons — I love seeing the looks on their faces when they realize that they’ve won something — and something based on their talents and achievements.  There is something so encouraging about that to a child.  Mommy and Daddy can say “You’re the best” everyday (and they should), but there’s something about other people without emotional ties giving that stamp of approval, too.

I’ll be back with stories from the fair!