We decided to take a quick trip up to Pocatello for Labor Day weekend. Well, "we" being "the kids and I." Drew's paragliding adventure was the same weekend. We drove up Sunday night and were awakened bright and early by a foraging Brock who likes to share.
Not everyone loves dry macaroni for breakfast, so we made some eggs. I like to wear my U of U sweatshirt in Pocatello, to bother BYU Joel.
After breakfast we drove up to Blackfoot, parked...
...and started exploring! I made the kids walk through all the art shows first, when they were fresh and there would be the least complaining. I love the crazy stuff people think to make, and that there's a venue for it at State Fairs.
We lost Merrick and Gabe in the photography building. "Bring panic to a boil and let simmer for 5-10 minutes of searching." Luckily Gabe knew McKenzie's phone number, so when they eventually wound up at a table of helpers they were able to contact us. The art shows were less fun after that, so we made our way to the carnival rides. Someone was very, very excited for the rides.
Someone else was very excited for the rides too. In the time it took for me to wait in line to buy ride tickets, Annie decided to strike out on her own. Yes, we lost 3 children within one hour. We combed the whole carnival looking for her, reported her to the fair security, etc. I finally doubled back, actually quadrupled back, to where we had noticed her missing to begin with and found her skipping off the swing ride, which she'd been able to weasel her way onto without ticket or guardian. Enter scary mom lecture complete with threatenings to leave immediately if anyone wandered off again and branding any child unable to recite mom's phone number with permanent marker. Then rides!
The Ferris wheel was broken at first, but after we'd ridden the swings and a couple other things they had it up and running again.
McKenzie and I rode the big, scary ride in the middle of the picture below. It's a pendulum that swings back and forth, higher and higher, until it goes all the way around in a huge circle, and while the pendulum is swinging, the part the riders are on is also...spinning! It was awesome. So much scream-laughing.
Joel doesn't like to be high or to spin. You can "Where's Waldo?" him in the picture above holding Brock while we ride the Ferris Wheel. He took the shorter boys for rides in the little kid section while McKenzie and I took the bigger kids around.
If we're being honest, Joel doesn't much care for the Fair. He was a good sport...
...but he had very little interest in walking around the animal pens by the time we got to the livestock portion.
That was ok, because it was easier to keep track of everyone through the open wire fences.
It's hard for me to pick a favorite part of the fair, but I do love to see all the different animals.
They are so funny.
There were some ladies teaching kids how to card wool. And by kids I mean human children.
We passed by a pull-up competition booth run by the Marines.
The different prizes were divvied out depending on how many pull-ups you could do.
All the kids gave it a try.
Feats of Strength!
And I think McKenzie did 8 or 9. Of COURSE! I don't have a video of her though. Here's those kids taking a well-deserved break.
On our way out of the fair we stopped for a funnel cake treat and ate it while we watched some acrobats on the stage. And that was where we lost our 4th child of the day. Brock decided to disappear into the crowds and go for a long walk by himself. McKenzie found him. That's it! Time to go! My children will be so sad when they finish developing the Richardson's neighborhood.
Please notice all the many squashes McKenzie planted. I can't even keep up with one zucchini plant. But McKenzie can!
Here's Joel standing in the S-bend phone-use posture McKenzie hates.
And that was the State Fair!
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