Waited All Year

It is one of my favorite days of the year. I love this day. It has become as traditional as a holiday for us. It is Our Day at the county fair. I say "Our Day" because we always go on the Saturday of fair week. We start out at the Buyer's Lunch for the FFA/4-H Livestock Sale. It is a great lunch put on by the kids and they are wonderful servers. I don't know how many times we were asked if we needed another drink! Here is The Prairie Kid enjoying the chocolate ice cream...

Then we peruse the sale catalogue and see at what point in the next 3 1/2 hours we need to be in the sale barn. Meanwhile, we glance through the exhibit halls and finally give in to taking The Prairie Kid to the rides. Here is a picture of the Open Class for Cake Decorating. Open Class means anyone...so adults can enter this since the 4-H class is just for the kids. I was sad because my friend's daughter and I didn't know about the sign up process and missed out this year. The deadline was while their family was in Montana and we had no clue that we missed it. They've had a terribly busy summer and I don't know that we would have had the time that she needed. Next year...

Here is The Prairie Daddy checking out the hay that was entered (aren't you surprised that I look at cakes and he looks at hay?)

On the way to the rides we stopped off at this air toy for The Prairie Kid

The Prairie Kid was really brave, excited and independent about the rides this year. And he scored big time! We only bought him 10 tickets but a guy handed The Prairie Daddy another set because he was leaving. So The Prairie Kid got his fill of rides. He wanted to start out on the motorcycles, which were last year's fave.

I love this picture!

And he went through this "ride" on his own...I have no idea what was inside...

And he was chased by girls!

And of course he chose the pink car on this ride...his favorite color!

That horse doesn't look very kid friendly!

And he LOVED this...and was Mr. Brave...it was high up in the air and he just conquered it like a true soldier...3 times!

Here he found a group of boys to go on this ride with because

he sure didn't want Mom and Dad to go on any rides with him!

And then...we ate, and ate and ate our favorite "fair foods"...pizza, tacos, homemade soda, nachos, bbq pork, funnel cake, sno-cones, and cotton candy.

AND THEN....

It was DERBY TIME!!! YAY!!! This is my self-proclaimed "Redneck Day" of the year. I LOVE THE DEMOLITION DERBY! I am like a kid at Christmas...revved up, rubbing my hands together, anticipating the madness...

And this was the BEST derby we've yet to see. The drivers were awesome! The cars were durable! The rounds were long! The excitement never ended!

Do you get a sad/funny feeling at the end of the day on your birthday? The one that says "man, I have to wait a whole year for this again"? Well, that is the feeling I have at the end of Our Day at the fair. I suppose it wouldn't be near as exciting if we did it more often (although I seriously think I could eat a few more funnel cakes and watch more derbies!)

I did have "fair hangover" yesterday and it hurt! Tired, bloated, and a nice headache. But it was worth it!