We finally went found time to get out of town for a few days of rest and relaxation...well sort of...Daniel is still working.

I am also taking a break from the computer.

So I will make this short and leave you with a few photos from this summer.  

I am sitting here on the couch writing this post just thankful to be home.

You see...the last couple of weeks have been very full.

With both boys off to church camp and then heading straight to the county fair, we were all pretty exhausted.  Then, after leaving the Knox County Fair, we unpacked, cleaned up and re-packed for the Ohio State Fair.

By the time we moved in to the Ohio State Fair we were just in auto pilot mode.  However, we did actually get to sleep in until 6:00 a.m. a few days.

But...we pushed through and it was well worth it.

We moved out of the Knox County Fair on Thursday night. 

I think we all felt like the week flew by and it was the shortest fair week we have ever had.

I don't know why it went so quickly.  Usually, we are killing time just waiting for our release time and so sick of the fair we can't wait to get home.  This year, we just weren't ready to leave.

Don't worry...we are exhausted and glad to be home...but it just went too fast.

Maybe it was the beautiful weather...not too hot and not too cold.  Or maybe it is that our kids are growing up.  There is less parenting and more sitting and watching them do their thing.

The boys stayed busy all week, and there were days we barely saw them.  We didn't have the long stretches of just sitting and visiting with everyone.  We were all on the move.  

The boys are home from camp.

The stinky laundry is done.

The animals are moved in to the fair.

And we are ready for the week...

​Well, as ready as we will ever be.

Isaac and Walker have worked all summer for the next week and a half.  

This week is the Knox County Fair and next weekend we will move in to the Ohio State Fair.

This is it.

​Time is up.

I have been a mom for 16 years. 

​I can't believe it myself.

This past year Isaac has grown from a boy into an almost man.  He has matured and changed so much.  It has been so much fun to watch.  

Last year I asked this slightly annoyed teenage some questions....let's see if this year is any different.  ​

I can't believe that two weeks from now we will be at the Knox County Fair.  I guess that means we must be having fun because time sure if flying by.

Walker is taking two projects to the fair this year.  

He is taking a little heifer as a market beef feeder that he will sell on sale day, and he is taking a Miniature Hereford heifer as a beef breeding project that he will not sell.  

My men made it home last week from their 10 day trip to Kearney, Nebraska for the Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals.

They had an awesome experience and spent all Monday night telling me all about their adventures.  

They loaded up the truck and left early on a Saturday morning with a plan to drive as far as they could.  They made it to Kansas City and stopped for the night.  

Last week Daniel, Isaac, Walker and Nick headed to Kearney, Nebraska for the 2018 Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals.  You can read all about the trip out to Nebraska here. 

This was the first time we have ever been to junior nationals, so we didn't really know what to expect.  We knew the boys would have fun...it does involve showing cattle after all...but we had no idea how much fun everyone would have...

Except me.

It was a lot harder staying at home than I thought it was going to be.  Everyone had a great time...but sitting in my office getting texts all day long...was NOT fun!

I sent Daniel with orders to take lots of pictures, and he did a great job. 

I had a constant flow of texts and picture that kept me in the loop all day long.  

My camera, with over 500 pictures, is on it's way  home with them, so today I will share with you a glimpse of the week as I saw it in texts.

We were the only ones from Ohio...and the only state east of the Mississippi represented.

Early Saturday morning, Daniel, Isaac, Walker and Nick pulled out of the driveway heading towards Kearney, Nebraska.

One of the items on our bucket list is to take the boys to the Miniature Hereford Junior Nationals.

This is the year. 

This is also the last year that Nick is eligible to participate as a junior, so he is tagging along and helping Daniel out with the two restless boys.

I wasn't able to get the time off of work and we have 3 calves due, so I stayed behind to tend to the important stuff.  

Today my baby is officially a teenager.  

​Last year I asked Walker a few questions on his birthday and I loved the answers so much, I decided to do it again this year.  ​