as the dust settles...

It's a quiet morning here in our home on wheels.  We've been parked at our fairgrounds for a week actively participating our our 4H Fair.  


This is an annual tradition for our family.  We come, we play, we stay.  We do projects and show animals.  We ride rides and eat Fair food.  We get up early and stay up late.  And, mostly, we get dirty.  Seriously, dirty!


{I just realized I should have taken a picture of Ellen's feet before I made her wash them late last night.  She's worn flip flops for days and though she's bathed a few times this week, it doesn't seem to matter.  Everywhere we walk is dusty and by the end of the day feet are ugly!  I think Ellen could have been crowned Grand Champion for dirty feet last night.}


Today is Auction Day.  The day in which all of the hard work pays off.  The 4H kids walk through the auction with their animal.  Friends, family, neighbors and local businesses bid high and pay much for the right to buy the project.   By the end of the day, the barns are empty and 4H kids are happy.


The dust around here will settle tonight.  Tomorrow is the last day of the Fair and the 4H barns will resemble a ghost town.  Memories made blend with echoes of the past.  Gates, cages, tack and pens will return to storage for next year.  And, the ambitious will begin planning for 2012.


As the dust settles in barns and between barns, my spirit settles too.  This morning, Emily hung a whole new set of ribbons on our camper walls... our "Walls of Fame."  My kids are bone deep tired and worn out but equally heart deep happy.  They love this and I love them.  


...and this is why I do what I do and we do 4H.