fair fun

Besides picking apples up at Carter Mountain, my other favorite family Fall tradition is spending an evening at the Virginia State Fair.  My father-in-law makes it an "office outing" and generously buys tickets for any of his employees that want to go.  That always includes us.  How can you not love greasy-delicious fair food, giant slides, neon lights, huge tractors, cute little bunnies and ducks, and greasy-delicious fair food?  Oh wait...did I already say food?  Well let me just take a minute here to throw a little pity party and feel sorry for myself for not being able to eat said greasy-delicious fair food anymore.  Stupid celiac.  Goodbye fair pizza, fair french fries, fair cheeseburgers, fair sausages, fair gyros, fair corn dogs, fair ice cream cones, and the worst one...fair funnel cakes.  Sadness.  Ok, pity party over.  And I did have a tasty frozen banana dipped in chocolate and sprinkles so there was that.  But oh the funnel cake.  Ok, pity party really over now. 

The kids love all the food, the animals, sitting on tractors, and of course, the rides.  Annabel was really brave this year and took a pony ride all on her own (she LOVES horses!) and if Tommy was going on a ride, she was, too.  I did have to go up in the fun-house thing with her since she wasn't quite tall enough on her own, and in the end, the only thing she wasn't up for was the ferris wheel.  But it was really nice for Will, Tommy, and I to do something together while she stayed happily on the ground with PaPa and Jean and played a fair game and won some stuffed ducks.  I love spending time with my children together but it's really nice to have a chance for Will and I to spend one-on-one time with them as well.  It doesn't happen very often, but I always enjoy it when it does.  Tommy was a great sport and rode some of the smaller rides just so Annabel could ride, too.  He always loves the big slide and the fun-house and was excited to do those over and over again.

It was such a beautiful night after a rainy dreary day.  The clouds were really pretty and when the sun finally came out, there was a beautiful double rainbow that showed up for awhile.  As the sun set over the neon lights, the sky turned red and orange and yellow and really made it feel like fall had arrived.  I love our yearly evening at the fair!