Utah State Fair

As a final tribute to Utah, Leesa took us to the State Fair yesterday.  I can't believe I've never been!  It was so much fun.  We started off the festivities by getting all dressed up, or Cambrie did anyway.  She got her face painted and it looked super cute and sparkly.  She loved it so much that she didn't wash it off that night, or the next.  I wonder how long it will last...

  Cambrie was so excited to ride the ponies.  She chose the littlest one among the bunch; apparently his name is Moose.  She was having a blast until the horse behind her snorted.  She spent the rest of the ride looking over her shoulder and trying to slide sideways off her saddle to avoid the black horse.  I had no idea what was going on until she told me after the ride that the horse growled at her.  I  couldn't hold back my laughter.  

We looked at the rest of the livestock then headed to the carnival.  Cambrie's history with carnival rides is rocky at best.  She used to scream and cry when she simply looked at the roller coasters, and would beg to get off if we forced her to ride.  But this little girl is growing up and went on ride, after ride.  Her first choice was the dragon roller coaster.  I was expecting terror from her, but she insisted that we put our hands in the air the whole ride.  I couldn't believe it.  Maybe my little girl has some guts in her after all!

Then is was the first Ferris wheel we found, which was another "hands-in-the-air" experience with Daddy.  She rode this ride at least three times.  

She was getting so comfortable going on all of the rides, that she insisted on going alone, even when I could have ridden with her.  Really?  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she is so independent. 

After all of the thrill seeking rides she had been going on, this toddler ride was way too tame.  Unfortunately Jeremy and I joined her on this boredom ride.  But it is still a cute family picture at the fair. 

We found a house of mirrors which was pretty cool.  I had never been through one before and I can see how much fun they can be.  Cambrie kept running into the glass windows and saying, "Oops, I forgot there was a window there."  After hitting another wall, "Oops, I forgot there was a window there again!"  We finally made it through and were rewarded by being able to go down a very slippery and steep curly slide.

  

Cambrie wasn't just content with one Ferris wheel ride.  We found the biggest one in the park and took the whole gang up there.  McKenzie was actually a little agitated by the whole thing and was just glad to get down.  But you can't go to the fair without going on the Ferris wheel.

 

The most extreme ride of the night for Cambrie was the Tilt O' Whirl.  They make me sick, but luckily Jeremy and Leesa were game to go and took Cambrie.  She laughed the entire ride.  Every time they came whirling around the corner, she was giggling, laughing, and holding on for dear life.

 

Another house we walked through had the craziest floors ever.  Some shook, some moved side to side, some twirled, some dropped, and some spun around in circles.  In order to make it out of the crazy house you had to walk through a spinning tube.  Leesa fell while helping Cambrie and it was so goofy to watch.  But that's what those houses are made for right?  

Toward the end of the night we were feeling goofy.  To spice up the pictures a little, Cambrie and I made silly faces for Jer as we passed by on our helicopter ride. 

McKenzie was a little trooper for the whole day.  We were hoping she would nap in the stroller awhile while Cambrie rode all the rides.  I think she slept for a grand total of thirty minutes.  The rest of the time she was pretty content to just be held, but she was plum tuckered out by the end of the night. 

In fact, we all were.  I did not think that we would stay very long riding the rides, considering Cambrie's history.  Imagine my surprise when I looked at my watch to go home and it said 10:30.  Thant's right folks, we stayed until closing time.  The girls were exhausted but they had so much it makes it totally worth it.