These last couple weeks have been and continue to be jam packed with work, school preparations, organizing and cooking. YES! We are eating more meals that have actually have been prepared with a little more then add water and stir. Anyway my parents live in Springfield which happens to be the home of the State Fair! Yes! I grew up going to the State Fair every year. Last summer my 2 oldest boys experienced it with my parents for and ever since have been asking if they could go again.
Back to we are busy…… I literally have days smashed full of schedules to get everything in before the end of Aug when everyone returns to school. But during the preparations, the planning, the shopping and working my kids are doing a whole lot of nothing. To them the only thing that matters right now is getting to that State Fair. Wednesday night I decided to make it happen. Thursday afternoon we were in the car and on our way to Grandma and Grandpas. We had 1.5 days to make it happen and that we did.
I walked all six kids + a nephew in that fair with the help of my parents. It is funny to return to something that was so grand when you were a kid. Everything looked so much smaller then it did back then. The rides the and the animal buildings. They are all still there. It reminded us that farming is very much alive in our state. Something we do not think about when we live in the city. Something we should think about.
My kids got to milk a cow along with the 6782 others. Cool right? They filed right up there and grabbed an utter like they had been doing it all their life. Afterward you get a free carton of milk. Bonus for all milkers.
The highlight for them is Happy Hallow. The area of carnival rides that make me nauseous watching but they love them! By the time we left my feet were killing me and my nerves were on over drive but the kids were happy and although the thought of taking them was completely overwhelming we did it and I am so glad we did. They love going to places my husband and I went as kids. They ask questions like is that your school? Did you come here every year? Is this your favorite place to eat? Do you miss it here, Mom?
While we were in the thick of growing our family, trips like these didn’t happen often. In fact if we made it home for Christmas that was good. As the kids are growing that is changing and we are venturing out. Trips are more enjoyable and it feels good to be going home more often. That is where I am from. They are the reason I am who I am today. I am grateful to have places to call home.
OX Katie
