U GOTTA LOVE IT!

YEAH! It's time for the Iowa State Fair! Can't you just feel the excitement?! Doesn't it show on Andy's face? Well, the boys and I were excited anyway.

We made our 7th annual family trip to the fair this past Saturday. For those of you who may not remember, our first "family" trip to the fair was made while the boys were still in utero and I was being pushed around in a wheelchair by my loving husband! I had begged and pleaded that my OB/GYN allow me to attend the fair just once. Who could pass up the opportunity to go to the fair and stuff yourself with all of the wonderfully delicious foods and have an extremely good reason to be eating so much (I was eating for three after all)?! I have to admit that I probably over did it while there because a couple of days later I ended up in pre-term labor, had to go to Mercy Hospital via the Newton Ambulance and spent several days in the hospital, later to be sent home on bedrest. Luckily, the boys waited a few more weeks and were born big & healthy and we've been going to the fair every year since!

Our first stop of the day was the "Little Hands on the Farm". They have gone through that since they were old enough to walk and still enjoy it thoroughly. Although, Andy and I feel that they are almost too old for it.

The boys have donned their aprons and are off with their buckets.

Greyson plants his seed.

Kaeden plants his seed.

Kaeden on the tractor. (This is why we think they are too old.)

Greyson on the tractor. (They are almost too big to even peddle it.)

Who's gonna win?

It's amazing how fast your money goes when at the fair:

• 2 adult tickets: $12.00
• parking: $6.00
• drinks: $12.00
• food: $50.00
• rides: $6.00
• the look on your children's face while at the fair:
  

PRICELESS!

We had a "first" at the fair this year. We let the boys go down the Giant Slide all by themselves. Sniff, sniff. They were thrilled! We were concerned! My fears were: a) they wouldn't want to climb ALL the way to the top by themselves; b) once at the top they would want to come back down; c) they wouldn't slide down and d) they would cry from fear once at the bottom again. Well, they did just fine....sniff, sniff. My boys, er, I mean little men are growing up! They absolutely loved it! Kaeden was smiling the whole way down and said it was bumpy. Greyson, however, had a very serious expression on his face the ENTIRE way down until he came to a stop at the end and then broke out into the hugest smile! It was a blast to watch them!

Kaeden sliding down.

Here comes Greyson.

Meeting Clifford.

Our future Cyclones!!! We already have them hooked.

A very tired Greyson.

An exhausted Kaeden.

All in all we had a wonderful day! The boys' favorite things were the animal barns, watching the ice carver and getting nailed with ice shavings and the Mechbot Robot Wars (daddy liked that too). We'll see what next year has to bring for our family.