9.24.2015

Washington State Fair 2015

For several weeks Della has been asking for cotton candy. 
Don't know where she got it in her head that cotton candy was something to be desired. 
We often let her random requests simply dissolve over time 
but if it's something she remembers and continues to ask for 
we'll try to make it happen. 
In this case, perfect timing. 
There's lots of Cotton Candy at the Puyallup Fair

As soon as we entered the Fair Della spotted the little kids roller coasters. 
She promptly dragged me over to the nearest line of folks because, 
when you want to ride a roller coaster (like at Disney land) you must first wait in a line. 
Turns out the line was for tickets but she was fine with that after an explanation that included 
"the roller coaster will still be there after we get our tickets" 
and 
"everyone can ride the roller coaster, those folks simply got their tickets earlier, you can ride it as soon as we have our tickets!"

The line was short and soon Della was proving what a BRAVE girl 
she is by riding several roller coasters All By Herself!

 Can you spot her?
 HUGE smile on her face the whole time. 
Della is fearless! 
Let me add that the Puyallup fair really, truly, gives you your money's worth on these rides. 
I'm pretty sure this high velocity spinning ride went on for at 5 minutes. 
Me and all the other mommies riding with little girls were very ready for it to stop. 
Oddly, the daddies standing at the exit gate holding little babies, had huge grins on their faces. 
Della's comment halfway through the ride ...
Mommy! This ride is Crazy!

 Huck ... our overly caution son. Not much of a fearless daredevil. 
He really enjoyed the train ride. You know ... 
the sedate train that pulls a long string of passenger cars around and around the fair grounds. 
They rode it twice. 
To his defense, there really weren't any roller coaster rides his size. Maybe next year. 

After about 3 or 4 rides Della remembered her true purpose
Cotton Candy! 
Although she did seem to enjoy the cotton candy Della didn't offer up much commentary. 
She snacked on it as we visited all the Fair animals and didn't even fuss when informed that daddy had finished it off (tossed it in the garbage). 
But that evening, while snuggled in next to me on the couch watching a movie, 
she randomly popped up her head and said, 
mommy, that cotton candy was really really good. 
Success!

 After a tour of the Fair grounds we headed back to the rides where 
Della enjoyed a giant slide with Daddy. 

and a really, really, dirty ball pit 

 After a bit, Huck decided it was time to leave. 
Daddy headed back to the van with the crying toddler while 
Della and I set out to find the elusive sparkly princess wand. 
The Fairs of my youth ALWAYS had a booth selling pretty princess little girl trinkets ... 
flower crowns, floofy skirts, wands, and other cheap pink and purple 'treasures'. 
Not this fair. Not a single fairy wing or wand in sight. 
After trekking around the fair ground with a tired and rapidly slowing little girl,
Della spotted an Oriental booth and fixated on a pink fan with pink sequins. 
As the cheapest item sold at the fair, that magic princess fan was worth it's weight in gold!

9.23.2015

Cooper Mill & Tree Farm - Labor Day 2015

Over the long Labor Day weekend we treked down to Oregon to visit the great-grandparents. 
Before kids this trip took us exactly 5 1/2 hours --  now, 7+ hours. 
Needless to say, visiting the relatives is no longer a quick jaunt. 
It's a full blown test-your-endurance-expedition. 

How we roll - neck pillows & tablets chock full of kid movies

What it looks like when we arrive --jumping & running laps in the back yard

Nana had driven down the night before!
She helped supervise the kids as they poked around the tool shed. 
Not pictured, all the other adults with wine. 
Sorry for the blur ... it was dusk and very nearly dark. 

Nana's birthday was a few days prior so we celebrated! 
Della LOVES birthdays and very much helped push this little celebration along. 
She picked out the cake, insisted on candles, and asked nana if she could help blow them out!

Nana then was able to practice her toddler plate-holding skills. 
I don't recall that we actually ate dinner. 
We might have fed the kids chocolate cake that night. 

The next morning daddy took the kids over to the boneyard to play on the equipment. 
I have very fond memories of climbing on tractors when I was their age. 
Big tractors!
Della found Uncle Chip's barn cat ... who actually let her pet it!

And Huck got to try out his bulldozering skilz.

After lunch, naps, and some afternoon pickle canning
(where mama tried to cut off the end of her finger)
we all returned to the boneyard for more play time.
Not a chance they'd hold still for a posed picture. 

The sawdust pile!!! 
So much fun yet so scratchy!

Daddy brought the quad over!! 
It's a big quad and yet looks so small when daddy's driving. 

Huck loves his tractors and trucks ... when they're not running. 
Still not sure about noisy engines. 
He did let daddy take him for a short ride. 

But was happier walking along with mama while Della went on a long excursion with daddy. 

Nana and Uncle Chip talking about trees. It is a tree farm after all. 

Mama's attempt at a selfie while riding on the front of the quad.

A little more tractor time ... 

A stop to play in a gravel pile. 

And the next morning we were headed home. 


9.22.2015

Family Pictures Summer 2015

I love our young tradition of having family pictures taken every summer. 
Already it's amazing to see the differences year to year. 

I look forward to having several decades of memories hanging throughout the house ... 
probably means I'll need more wall space soon. 

We are so very blessed.

2013


2014

  2015