Before living in two of the largest cities in America and being very successful working for multiple national companies, and long before opening Blue Ribbon Hearing & Tinnitus Center, I was a small-town kid. Prior to moving to Fort Lupton during my freshman year of high school, I grew up mostly in small rural towns in Utah and Wyoming. Entertainment as a kid revolved around animals, nature, rodeo, some sports and community activities. The first competition I ever won was sheep riding when I was 4 years old, back before they gave everyone a participation trophy. My sisters competed in rodeo, 4-H and Future Farmers of America.

Moving to Colorado was a bit of a culture shock as the world moved faster and there were so many more cars, people, and things to do. After moving to Colorado one activity I looked forward to every year was the Adams County Fair. The fair was the last big event before summer ended and school and football season started. Everything from the carnival rides to the entertainment was exciting. Seeing the livestock, 4-H exhibits and all the ribbons and awards was fun and fascinating.

Now, several decades later I still go to the fair, but the experience is much different, partly because of my stage of life, and partly because the fair has become much smaller than it once was. For a period of time, I took my children and rode the carnival rides with them. But as they grew, and as motion sickness became more disruptive, I became more of a spectator. Then last year the fair took on a whole new meaning as my daughter joined 4-H and entered her first project into the fair. This year my son joined her at the 4-H club and they both entered projects which led to a new and exciting experience for me.

On the first day of the fair, I hurriedly left the office early so we could go as a family to see how the judging of their projects went. We were all nervous and excited with anticipation as we walked into the Waymire Dome and saw all the different displays. I looked at the many projects with a newfound understanding and admiration of the work and effort involved knowing what it took for my kids to complete their projects. We quickly made our way to each child’s project and found both of them had numerous ribbons. My daughter jumped with joy when she saw her awards that included a ribbon indicating she had won Grand Champion for her leather work, while my son won Reserve Grand Champion for his project on how music is good for people.His self-directed project included him going to two assisted-living facilities in Brighton where he played the guitar and sang for the residents.

The experience of seeing the reactions of both my children as they were recognized for their exceptional hard work is one of the happiest experiences of my life. It reminded me of why I made the sacrifice to leave a very successful job and create Blue Ribbon Hearing & Tinnitus Center. As we celebrate our ninth anniversary this month, we want to once again say thank you for all your support for the past nine years. Whether you came in for a hearing screening or comprehensive hearing or tinnitus evaluation, to have wax removed, to purchase hearing protection or hearing aids, or to have your hearing aids cleaned or repaired, your choice to support us makes a real difference to us and to our community. Thank you.