It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through August. It feels like the entire month of July was just one blink, here and then gone. We spent the first bit of July camping out on the ranch with family for a bit of a “staycation,” as well as to celebrate the 4th of July. We swam, had BBQ dinners, played games, and relaxed. It was the kind of family gathering we love to have, where we didn’t have too much of a schedule, and we got to enjoy each other’s company, but we also got to work on some projects and chores.
The last two weeks of July we embarked on quite an enormous adventure; we had a booth at the California Mid State Fair. If you’ve ever been to this iconic Paso Robles event, then you’re probably familiar with some of the best parts of the fair: the barn dance at Jimmy’s Watering Hole, the delicious garlic pretzels, fresh churros, or delectable crepes on the Midway. You’ve probably seen the hardworking 4H and FFA kiddos showing their animals, the carnival rides, and $10 beers. Maybe you’ve participated in a horse show event or two, attended a big-name concert (Garth Brooks 2017 anyone?), or perused through the exhibitors as you tried to beat the heat.
While we’ve attended this fair ourselves many, many times before, this was our first year having our very own booth. For twelve days straight, we sweltered in the heat, ate way too much fried food, and met hundreds, if not thousands, of amazing new friends - some local, some not. It was a learning experience for us in many ways, and while it was an adrenaline rush and so fun, we were flat out exhausted by the end.
We stayed in a trailer on the fairgrounds with Garrett’s parents, and my parents watched our Boss Baby and beagle. They spent the first week of the fair at their house up in the mountains, (while it just so happened that a huge California wildfire raged closely to their home), and eventually came down to our house the second week so we could visit with them during the days. It was a busy and hectic time, and the intense heat wave only complicated matters further, but despite the challenges, we still managed to make some really fun family memories.
We spent the week after the fair recuperating and playing catch-up on orders and projects and life, and it kind of feels like we were living in a hazy daze. It took us awhile to get back into our “normal” routines and habits, but it seems like perhaps we’ve finally found our stride again.
We’re happy to have our first fair under our belts, and to have had the chance to test out our products and ideas on such a wide variety of people. It gave us a chance to do some reflecting and strategizing, and we’re looking forward to implementing some new and exciting ideas into our business in the coming months. We’re grateful to you for being here with us, and for following along with us on this journey as we learn and discover so much about business, family, and life. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve you in the best ways we know how, and we are constantly looking for new and better ways to do just that.
Stay tuned as we continue to bring you wonderful gifts to give the people you love the most, and as we find and share more and more ways to do that.
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