Alaska State Fair Time!!

I really don’t know how we do it. EVERY YEAR. Even if the forecast calls for rain, if the Powers clan is hitting the Alaska State Fair, the rain disappears. Not that I have absolute faith that it will happen every year, which is why all the rain coats...

Because of the grand expense of taking three kids (who want to ride every ride now that they are older) we only go once per year now. Usually with our church youth group. Like this time. I grabbed the kids from school, walked to the other end of the building with them....




....and hopped on the bus to the fair. Side note: Our bus driver was super hawt.


At the front gate, waiting for daddy (aka “hawty bus driver”) to park the bus. This is our friend Gavin. His dad is the Jr. High youth pastor at our church. He and Josh are the same age and will be starting kindergarten together next year.

The first thing we did was eat a little. My kids can’t handle spending extended time wandering and eating and I can’t handle spending extended time at the rides so we did a little of this, and a little of that, then back to this and so on. It was the perfect solution.

(Note to self: pack food for the kids next year. They just don’t appreciate a $9 corn dog like they should.)

I, on the other hand, fully appreciated my seafood bread bowl to the fullest of my capabilities. The giant earthquake burger is a fair favorite for Darrin as well. I didn’t get a picture of it this year but 2 years ago it looked like this.

Ride time.

The first ride of the year was this brand new caterpillar roller coaster. The boys rode it, Jordan didn’t (until later). They have a new found love and fascination with roller coasters thanks to Remlinger Farms and Washington Grandma.



Jordan couldn’t wait to get on the carousel. Girl has horses on the brain lately.



While I indulged Josh and Jordy with this lame waste-of-ride-tickets kiddy ride...


Daddy and Jake rode the hang glider.



Then it was time for another food run. Oh look! Hula hoops!

Jordan gave a good effort.


But I had no clue that Jake could rock a Hula hoop like a master.




Darrin had heard a rumor that the fair had kangaroos this year. We were skeptical because we couldn’t find them. Until we found them.



Then Grandma Diana took the kids into the bird cage to feed all the little gold finches or whatever they were. The wire mesh messed with my picture taking but basically all three kids went in, sat down with their hands full of food and the birds attacked. Jordan flipped her lid, lost her mind and food went flying everywhere and as her screams died down we all noticed that Jake, sitting quietly on the floor, had about 10 birds perched on his hands nibbling away. They landed all over him and he just sat there, loving every second of it.


Pelicans.


Grandma Diana brought this giant umbrella that we didn’t need. But if you know my kids, you know they are obsessed with umbrellas so we had to snap a photo under it.



We used up the last of our ride tickets on the GIANT SLIDE!


Josh and Gavin got to do a ride together. Best buds forever!


We ended the day at the toy booth where each kid picked a prize for being AWESOME. Seriously. Darrin and I reflected on it later that night. The kids were amazing. Their behavior was exceptional. No whining. No fighting. No making me want to stab my eyes out.

So proud of my super sweet babies.