Where has the time gone . . .

In my defense, we have been busy this summer!
Here are a few things we have done in the last few days and by "we", I mean Katy and Emma.  I am merely the chauffeur and check writer!

Leaving North after a long day of helping students navigate Orientation.   One of the responsibilities of being on the Student Council include(s) spending about 7 hours making sure her peers receive their class schedules and locker assignments, while also selling t-shirts and directing parents to pay fees.  I think she also spent time looking for the boys she had not seen all summer, but don't tell her I told you that . . .  

Before getting the hair highlights she has been begging for most of the last two months . . .

and after receiving them!!  She will be a teenager in less than two years.  Heaven help us!!

Pillowcase entered in the Youth Division of the Western Idaho Fair.  

She also entered her light blue quilt (the one on the bottom.)

 Emma received a 4th place ribbon for her pillowcase and an honorable mention on the quilt.  Not bad for a first time entrant!

Before . . .

after!!
 Katy will be bringing home some stale challah bread on the 26th along with a few fancy ribbons.    There may even be prize money.  Pretty exciting stuff!!  I believe one rosette is for "best in division" and the other for "best of all baked goods in the youth division!"  At least that is what the volunteer told Katy.  We'll know more when she picks it all up at the conclusion of the Fair.  

I am proud of both girls for getting the information together, on their own, to enter a few items at the Fair this year.  They are already planning projects for next year, especially Emma.  She was less than thrilled to have not received a blue ribbon and Katy's awards did not help matters.
(Emma has been going through a rather long phase of thinking the world is "not fair" to her.  Does that come with being the youngest or is it just her personality?  Who knows, but I will take any suggestions on how to help her cope with these things.  I suppose we may have all gone through it at her age but I don't know how to make it better without sounding preachy--as in "You have so much more than most people in the world!" because that is what pops into my head every time . . .)  

In order to see how the judging went, we had to actually attend the Fair.  Bonus for Emma since she likes all things crazy; for me, because I like corn dogs; for Katy, so she can check out the animals; for Grammy, because she was able to get out of the house and get some fresh air while enjoying a huge dose of people watching!  Since Emma was feeling a bit down-in-the-dumps after the ribbon reveal, I went against my better judgement and let her go on a few rides and play a few carnival games.

I'd say she was enjoying herself on this one but it made me sick to my stomach to watch! 

Big smiles and screams on this one, too.  The two rides cost me $10 and attempting to win a giant Minion set me back another  $12.  How about that for prize money!!!  

Enjoying "fair"ly good food--two corn dogs, a gyro, a couple of Cokes, a lemonade, and a burrito between the four of us!  Grammy was happier than she looks, really!!  She is still sporting her fancy scooter.  Could be a scooting around a few more weeks, as on Monday she has what we hope is the final surgery to end her entire ankle ordeal.  We loved having her for the summer, but there is no place like home!  Eric and I drove her back to Mountain Home last night.  Thinking good thoughts for this last one, Mom!!