The 2009
Okanogan County Fair is officially over and we are in the process of recovering! It was a busy 5 days for the kid's. They started rounding up the pigs one by one Wednesday morning and got them loaded onto their
FFA teachers trailer. Unloading them when they are little piglets is
soooo much easier than loading the full-grown 240+ pound pigs. Wish I had a picture of that, but I was working. Weigh in was noon that day, Katie's pig weighed in at 249
and her friend,
Joslin (who is standing next to her in picture) was 245. In order to make weight the pigs have to be 230 - 290 pounds. They were so relieved. They spend the next 4 days getting up at 6am to wash their pig, clean pen and feed them (they need to look clean and the pens neat for all the fair visitors!), they usually had some sort of showing or
judging around 9am. The next few hours were trying to do homework, keeping barn clean, or just hanging out with everyone, then around 2 they would head down to
Pateros for practice or games and then head back up to
Okanogan, feed pigs again and fall into bed. Seriously, the girls were in bed before I was each night! I was a little grumpy ( I could totally relate to Shannon's post) about how hot it was all week-end.
Tooo hot! By Sunday afternoon I could hardly wait to get home. Katie got home about 6:15, I got home around 6:45 and Bob finally pulled in about 8pm. He had to wait to get the trailer hitched up and out of the park and then stop to empty the water/sewer tanks, fun! Over-all it went good, minimal drama, pigs made weight, girls made money and best of all done for this year.
a few of the
FFA group
not a very good picture, but Katie is entering the showing/
judging arena with her pig for one of the events.
I just had to post this little guy and his pygmy goat! I had a better picture of the goat but the little guy's head was cut off and he was just as cute as can be walking around with his goat. He was actually the grand champion in whatever category he was entered in. I want one :) - a goat that is. (don't worry we can't have farm animals inside the
Pateros city limits so I won't be adding a goat to our family anytime soon)
Of course you have to try the fair food! I think between all of us we tried just about everything: ice cream, mini doughnuts, elephant ears, funnel cakes, corn dogs, honey buns, curly fries, fried rice,
sno-cones, nachos ... am I forgetting anything? Does your stomach hurt yet?
On Sunday AM they have apple bin races where the different school's compete, Katie looks thrilled doesn't she? Can you say e.x.h.a.u.s.t.e.d.
Pateros FFA 2009
This group ended up with the award:
Reserve Grand Champion Herdsmanship
this basically means they did a great job in the barn, keeping it clean, being friendly and helpful, and having a good attitude. Good job.
Katie and Joslin as they head down the driveway to go to football game.
Waiting for her turn to go out on field during half-time.
Bob was the lucky one who got to drive the convertible and show her off!
Mr. Football trying to get the tiara just right.
Katie and her escort, Paul with Ms. Volleyball and Mr. Football
Gorgeous!
heading off the field...
Sean Kinley Richardson
More house remodel pictures soon. Sheetrock was started today, by next week I might be painting. 
The future pantry. Used to be this weird little room that we really weren't sure what to use it for. It was dark and ugly. A pantry will be putting that space to good use.
You can now see from the kitchen to the living room. No walls!!
The remodel will include new cupboards, new floors, new counter tops, new windows, new furniture, new paint, new lighting. I'm probably forgetting something but you get the point!
I know it looks horrible right now, but one plus: I don't have to cook or clean much.
Katie and her friend Jamie Jo made cookies for some of their teachers today!
Of course there was games. One of them was to find a partner and make the best diaper you can out of toilet paper. I am not sure how well this diaper would hold up! My partner and I actually won that game. I didn't post that picture however, I got to have the diaper on me. So cute.
I had to get a picture of the cute cake! 
a few of the FFA group
I just had to post this little guy and his pygmy goat! I had a better picture of the goat but the little guy's head was cut off and he was just as cute as can be walking around with his goat. He was actually the grand champion in whatever category he was entered in. I want one :) - a goat that is. (don't worry we can't have farm animals inside the Pateros city limits so I won't be adding a goat to our family anytime soon)
Of course you have to try the fair food! I think between all of us we tried just about everything: ice cream, mini doughnuts, elephant ears, funnel cakes, corn dogs, honey buns, curly fries, fried rice, sno-cones, nachos ... am I forgetting anything? Does your stomach hurt yet?
Pateros FFA 2009
The house is so old there are no closets in the bedrooms so we (Bob) had to make some sort of closet for Kyle, turned out good huh!
the bedroom...
I know, I know I said I would NEVER have another cat after Snicker's was gone and now we do! What am I thinking you ask? Well, Bob and I (mostly Bob) felt bad for Katie, first her dad moved to Hawaii, one of her best friend's moved to Wenatchee, Kyle and her "special" friend Rodger are going away to college, we had to give Odie (Maddy's puppy) away to his new home, and Snicker's was put to sleep last week. So there you have it, she has a new buddy and like I said, just call me stupid!
