Fabulous Fall Fair Fun

It is fair time in our neck of the woods.  A right of passage every fall.  We are very fortunate to have such a great one right in our backyard, just down the road from our favorite hospital.  The Dixie Classic Fair is one of the top 10 in the nation and doesn't disappoint.  We have not been in several years.  This year I really felt like it was something we needed to do.  It has been one year since Julia's last chemo treatment.  A year ago she was admitted at the hospital, in isolation, and feeling rotten.  This year we are going to celebrate.  I was so excited to tell the kids we were going and spending the entire day.  They are great ages- perfect for all the kiddie rides, able to walk all day, and requiring little extra gear.  We bought the all day ride bands and set out.

The rides did not disappoint.  At last count the kids had rode somewhere around 28 different rides.  Some of them they rode numerous times.  Those little bands were worth every penny!

I love seeing how much fun they have together and how much fun they have pretending and laughing. They are so blessed to have each other

We saw a great show called Agricadabra.  It was a combination magic show and agricultural education.  Carter was selected to be an assistant.  I thought he'd be really excited.  Little did we know the trick was to take one of his shoes and appear to burn it to a crisp.  Those of you who know Carter know he found this less than amusing.  Then the guy starts apologizing and handing him cash.  He took it with his hands on his hips and fire in his eyes.  The gag continued for a little while and eventually he whispered to Carter that he would get his shoe back in the end.  This seem to ease some anxiety.  Then he put him used him as his magic "dummy" performing tricks and making balloon animals.  It was really cute.

Carter walked away with a balloon dog, a magic wand, AND his shoe.  In the end all was well :)

The Forestry Service was there doing a workshop about native trees.  The kids had fun matching the items to the appropriate tree.  I was impressed that Julia got all her questions right, too.

Then we headed to the Yesteryear Village.  It has actual buildings from the local area that have survived for hundreds of years.  Carter was intrigued by the outhouse...

and the blacksmith's shop.  They did a great demonstration and explained their trade to the kids.

It was fun to show them an old loom and watch as they figured out how the process works.

Then we headed to the petting zoo and animal barns.  Yes, we fit right in :)

The kids bravely fed their carrots to the goats, cows, llamas, and camels. The animals were not at all shy, but the kids didn't seem to mind.

 

Then we went to check out the pigs, rabbits, goats, and chickens.  The kids were fascinated by all the chickens.  I had no idea they came in so many different colors and sizes. I think we looked at every one in the building. 

And if you ever think your hair is hard to style, think about this dude...

Then it was back to the midway for some more rides.  These two daredevils love roller coasters and they had lots to choose from. They rode everything they were tall enough to ride.  It was even better than an amusement park.  So many rides to choose from!

Julia was loving the purple truck...

and thought the pop-a-wheelie motorcycles were a blast.

One of the best parts of the fair is all the food! And this one is no different.  There are vendors and delicasies as far as the eye can see.  From fried candy bars, to pizza, to italian ice, to gyros, to yoki soba, to roasted corn, to cheesesteaks and the newest additions this year? Fried butter and Krispy Creme hamburgers!! Think Big Mac collides with a donut shop.  Somehow the thought of pork, beef, condiments, and doughnuts just doesn't sound very appetizing to me.

We decided to stick with some old standbys and stay on budget.  We shared a waffle cone and I have to say it was some of the best soft serve I have ever eaten. 

We also made room for a caramel apple, homemade root beer, and fresh cut fries. Mmmmm! Next year the food budget is going to have to grow just a bit.

After refilling our tanks we hit the rides again...

Julia loved the Kangaroo Bounce...

Carter enjoyed racing the other kids down the Titanic slide...

And at the end of the day, as the sun was setting we finished up with the gorilla bounce house.  At last count they had done it 19 times!!

It was a full day of fun all around.  I cannot believe how well the kids did walking for 8 hours without so much as a whine or complaint.  Julia has come so far in the past few months with her endurance and strength.  She has definitely become more heat tolerant and energetic. 

We saw Sparky on the way out and enjoyed a demonstration in the Safety house bu the fire department.  The kids practiced their fire safety skills and even climbing out a window.

We had a fabulous day.  Picture perfect in every way.

I still consider such a huge blessing to be able to enjoy the simple things ion life like taking my kids out for the day.  After over a year of being housebound and isolated by cancer treatments, everything is new again. We never take a single day for granted.  As I watched the kids riding and laughing I couldn't help but tear up that they are together, Julia is healthy, and we are at the fair.  Not too long ago being in a crowd was torturous.  All the precautions of masks, stroller, sanitizers, cleaning wipes, etc.  Constantly being alert for sick people.  Worrying about what she touched.  All that anxiety is gone and kids just look like kids, not infectious vector agents :) As we approach the one year milestone with next Thursday's scan day, today was a day to celebrate how very far we've come.

I am happy to say I have been feeling well, too.  Dr. Klein's formula of no caffeine, lots of water, heavy salt, and beta blockers seems to be working so far.  I was curious to see what my blood pressure was like when I went in for my flu shot this week.  I have been salting all my food and eating sea salt right out of the container. (I was excited to learn about a new Clif product for runners that gives a sodium boost and tastes like margaritas! Thanks Chris! Won't need to carry a salt shaker now.)  I anticipated it would be a little high.  When the nurse took it she said, "Wow, you're borderline." That's what I was worried about.  I said, "It's high?" She answered, "No, you're borderline alive!" Guess I haven't exceeded that limit, yet.  So we continue to work on finding a balance.  The doctor is having me open the beta blocker capsules and dumping some out, to lower the dose.  I am working hard to drink as much as I can.  Some days are better than others, but I'm working on it.  I really miss coffee, especially as the weather gets cooler.  But I'm just so happy to be feeling stable again and feeling truly blessed.