Our family lives for the county fair. Just like Homer Zuckerman in Charlotte’s Web, we pour our whole heart into taking projects/animals to the fair to bring home the top prize – a beautiful purple ribbon or banner.

To attain these awards requires lots of time, dedication, tears, and some good old-fashioned yelling. Anyone who has worked with animals totally gets the tears and yelling! Yet, in the end there is a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you made the “best better” (4-H motto – To make the best better)

Some years, despite all the blood, sweat, and tears, animals don’t cooperate, projects don’t turn out as planned, and tears of disappointment are shed. Then, there are years like 2022.

Middle child, Darren, his wife, Sheena, and their three boys, Daymon, Abrahm, and Carter dive into the show arena with their pigs. Mind you lots of intense moments have occurred before, during, and even after each animal is shown! At our fair, the gilts (lady pigs) are shown around 1:00 and the barrows (males that have been castrated) are shown in the evening. This gilt show went well – but no Grand Champion. Then the barrows were shown.

Abrahm won Grand Champion Barrow and Grand Champion Home Grown (the pig was born and raised on your farm) Barrow. Daymon won Reserve Grand Champion Barrow, Intermediate Showmanship (how well you present your hog to the judge), Senior Showmanship, AND Expert Showmanship all in one evening. What a night!

Yet, the real and beautiful victory happened outside the show arena. On the bleachers cheering on the boys were a whole posse of family including Farmer Dan, Debbie (the 4 oldest kiddos’ mom), and myself. To God be the glory for how He has worked in our family. We were sitting together with several of the original seven and grandkids rooting for the boys. Almost 30 years ago when Danny and I got married, this would not have happened.

God is a God of grace. God is a God of healing. God is a God of love. And here we are, sitting on a set of hard, uncomfortable bleachers for hours, together as a family. To God Almighty be the glory for His amazing grace! I truly am overwhelmed!

This is the real victory!