2017 fair

Two days after the eclipse, on Wednesday August 23, we all gathered together yet again for our annual trip to the Central States Fair (I had fun looking over the three previous posts from 2013, 2014, 2016).

Heading to the carnival rides after visiting my mom in the Fine Arts building where she makes and judges baskets. 

All the kids but Noah started in the spinning bears...

Samuel, Sarah, Evie, Grace, and Ezra

Meanwhile Noah and I did the giant swing. I don't know if it was because I had just had lunch or if I'm simply getting old, but I was pretty freaked out. I was sure I was gonna die and kept imagining us flying into the trees or going splat on the asphalt.

Terry doesn't like spinning rides because they make him throw up, so he often went with the little kids so therefore I accompanied Noah. Ezra loved this little roller coaster, probably because it was smaller (and much less awesome) than Grampa's roller coaster. 

Samuel and Ezra on the tiny jeep ride. 

Sarah pulling some sort of adorable face. What a poser!!

Grace and Evie. 

Terry recorded the kids going down the big slide and I took pictures. We both laughed and laughed at the glimpse of Ezra's terrified face as he went down.

Bahahaha! He went again right away and did not grimace but smiled the entire time. Perhaps it just went faster than he thought it would.

I used to love the spinning ride called The Gravitron that pinned you down onto your mat when I was little, but now, again, it makes me feel like I'm going to die. The centrifugle force pushes down so hard on my chest that it seems like I can't breathe! So Noah went on that ride plus this other spinning gravity bound pink ride here.

Terry and I both did the Super Shot ride, which drops you from probably about a hundred feet up. First he went with Evie, who afterward yet she'd never do it again and then I took Noah, who very begrudgingly complied. He does not like this ride. I like the thrill but just can't even hold back the scream. You can hear it in Terry's video of me, which was better than mine of him.

We all quite enjoyed the Ferris wheel. There was no crying or clutching of necks from Samuel or Ezra, like last year. My boys are growing up! As if I needed more reminding of that fact. Ezra is huge and just hates it when I kiss and hug him. But I just can't help it! I need his snuggles!

Shortly after Evie spun herself into a puddle on the ground here, we left. She did not feel well after she did this.

We were total wimps this year and wanted to leave after only a couple hours. Usually we stay three or four hours! Ezra didn't even want to walk on the way back to the barns so daddy carried him, just like he did up Scout's Lookout in Zion. Perhaps the boy isn't so big after all?

We were all ready to leave until we went into the farm animal barn. Look at that llama and alpaca!! Wait, are they two different ones or not? 

Even a zebra!!! 

So cool. 

The kangaroo was what blew my mind. 

I don't think I'd ever seen a stinking kangaroo!!! 

Grampa bought Grace some food for the animals. 

Nice turtle...uh, tortoise.  

I'm gonna go with alpaca here. You can correct me if I'm wrong because I don't know how to tell the difference.

The baby camel was also awesome. It was unbelievably soft!