Well, this week is Madison and farm women all across the country are saying goodbye to their counterparts and looking at doing chores alone on the farm. Whether it be one cow our 200, those left home to keep things together for the family farm are happy to do so because they know that husband needs a few days or hours away just to get a fresh perspective.

My husband will be heading out this week as well and he’s taking our two best hands with him. While I would love to be in the car riding along as they head through the traffic of Chicago and then look across the fields and fields of corn in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, I’m happy to stay home and keep the cows fed and milked. They will have a great time as Bobby is able to take his two older boys who haven’t been to World Dairy Expo since they were 3 and 5 years old (they don’t remember it). He will them story after story after story of all the years he spent fitting cows at Madison. They will finally be able to put a face to all the names they have heard about over the years and I can’t wait to hear their reaction when they look across the colored shavings and watch as the best of the best enter a showring fit for queens.

In the meantime…I’ve got to make sure they have enough clean clothes to pack….off to the laundry room with a big cup of coffee!

Good Morning from the Knolltop. It’s kind of overcast and 60 out this morning. A very pleasant morning to milk.

The kids are back in school this morning ad we’re back to the real world today. Today I will be playing catch up with the laundry, I will bale up the straw chaff scattered through the house from last week, I will make a few phone calls and send out some email responses that have been waiting. I’m leading worship at a couple of ladies retreats this month and I’ve really got to get that music all wrapped up.

After a week of express eating….I finally cooked a good meal yesterday. We had baked ham, brown rice, stir fry veggies, homemade rolls an apple crisp for dessert. It sure did feel good to sit down at the table after everyone being scattered around last week.

Off I go…coffee is waiting!

Good Morning from the Knolltop. It’s kind of overcast and 60 out this morning. A very pleasant morning to milk.

The kids are back in school this morning ad we’re back to the real world today. Today I will be playing catch up with the laundry, I will bale up the straw chaff scattered through the house from last week, I will make a few phone calls and send out some email responses that have been waiting. I’m leading worship at a couple of ladies retreats this month and I’ve really got to get that music all wrapped up.

After a week of express eating….I finally cooked a good meal yesterday. We had baked ham, brown rice, stir fry veggies, homemade rolls an apple crisp for dessert. It sure did feel good to sit down at the table after everyone being scattered around last week.

Off I go…coffee is waiting!

We are finally done with the fair. Not that I’m glad to see it end, but my body is glad.

We brought the cows home last evening and then went out and got all the tack this morning. We didn’t get there in time for the boys to pick up their trophies from the trophy case. I’ll have to go get those in the morning.

Yesterday was the large animal livestock sale, dairy judging and the super showmanship contest. JW and Sarah did dairy judging and JW was determined to win. And he did. I was glad because I knew he would be very disappointed if he didn’t win at his county fair after spending half the summer and part of the fall traveling the midwest with the state judging team. Sarah was 6th, which is very good for her…she is absolutely clueless on how to judge a cow or give reasons. I need to give her a little lesson on this I guess.

One of my favorite 4-H members, Matt Mann won the super showmanship contest. I was so glad, although the kid had won four out of the eight species during the week, he had to pick one specie to represent. As far as I’m concerned, they didn’t even have to hold the contest, he won it already. He is an intense showman and a real standout.

It was a great week for all of us. We weren’t involved in any controversy or drama…that I know about. And we are all glad to be home. Today has been filled with kids doing homework, napping and watching football.

Better get to the barn!

We are finally done with the fair. Not that I’m glad to see it end, but my body is glad.

We brought the cows home last evening and then went out and got all the tack this morning. We didn’t get there in time for the boys to pick up their trophies from the trophy case. I’ll have to go get those in the morning.

Yesterday was the large animal livestock sale, dairy judging and the super showmanship contest. JW and Sarah did dairy judging and JW was determined to win. And he did. I was glad because I knew he would be very disappointed if he didn’t win at his county fair after spending half the summer and part of the fall traveling the midwest with the state judging team. Sarah was 6th, which is very good for her…she is absolutely clueless on how to judge a cow or give reasons. I need to give her a little lesson on this I guess.

One of my favorite 4-H members, Matt Mann won the super showmanship contest. I was so glad, although the kid had won four out of the eight species during the week, he had to pick one specie to represent. As far as I’m concerned, they didn’t even have to hold the contest, he won it already. He is an intense showman and a real standout.

It was a great week for all of us. We weren’t involved in any controversy or drama…that I know about. And we are all glad to be home. Today has been filled with kids doing homework, napping and watching football.

Better get to the barn!

After a week of having the kids do all the work this morning I’m flying solo as I head out to the fair and do the chores.

It will be a quiet day there, no shows, no kids, nothing but sitting and visiting with all my girlfriends about the controversies, events and fun we’ve had all week.

Thanks to all of you who’ve made comments and sent emails about our fun yesterday. And Julie, I sure wish your dad was her to see our supreme champion. Never in a million years would George Robb ever expect that Melissa Peckens would ever had a supreme champion Holstein!

Gotta get!

After a week of having the kids do all the work this morning I’m flying solo as I head out to the fair and do the chores.

It will be a quiet day there, no shows, no kids, nothing but sitting and visiting with all my girlfriends about the controversies, events and fun we’ve had all week.

Thanks to all of you who’ve made comments and sent emails about our fun yesterday. And Julie, I sure wish your dad was her to see our supreme champion. Never in a million years would George Robb ever expect that Melissa Peckens would ever had a supreme champion Holstein!

Gotta get!

Good Morning from the Knolltop. Yes, I know, I know, I promised you I would try to get on and post our fair results…but if you’ve ever been involved with exhibiting animals at any fair you realize that you can’t get away from the fair as quick as you plan to. When you get done sweeping or feeding, then someone comes by that you haven’t seen in a while and you talk. Then you shout some orders to your kids and think you’re going to leave in a few minutes…you get side tracked again…finally you get your bag on your shoulder of all your dirty laundry and then someone else comes by…the bag gets heavy, you put it down and an hour later,you’re still at the fair!

Then it was time for Holly to come into the ring. She came in, collected her Grand Champion ribbons, Sarah was reserve grand champion and everyone was all smiles as they headed back to the barn.

It was a great day but not because the kids won championships and not because everyone was happy a the end of the day, but because my kids were probably the only ones their with both sets of grandparents at the show to take pictures, pat them on the back and tell them how wonderful they were. Now that is something special. Thanks Gramps, Grandma, Nana and Joann! You too Grandaddy, for retiring from Delta and earning cheap air fair for Nana and Joann!

P.S. I will try to have better pics after the week is out..there was a professional there, I’ve just got to buy his pics.

Better get back to the fair….the kids are waiting!