Showing posts with label Summertime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summertime. Show all posts

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Iowa State Fair 2015

Last Sunday our family headed down to the Iowa State Fair.  Earlier in the week I had shown Elsie pictures from last year and she was so excited to go this year.  She started a countdown to the fair day and talked about it the whole week.  Our plan was to be there by 9:00 when the buildings opened but it was closer to 10:00.  The first stop was Little Hands on the Farm.  It is such a neat area at the fair.  The kids go around to different stations (pigs, vegetables, dairy cow, apple orchard, etc) and they collect different things in their baskets.  At the end they trade their goods in at the Farmer's Market.  they get a dollar and then they can go to the "store" and buy something with it. There are so many options-apple, banana, fruit snack, Popsicle, milk, juice, chip, etc.  


Planting her seed-she chose to plant carrots.




She just loves this little cutout things.  

Getting in her tractor


Milking Bessie the cow.

Enjoying her popsicle-what she chose at the store-well actually she first chose an apple and I told her to pick something fun so she picked fruit snack and then saw the popsicles.  


Evie just snoozing away in the stroller.  

Elsie saw this cute little horse-"Mommy take my picture"

And she wanted one in front of the giant pumpkin

Can't forget the big bull

Or the Elk-after all it was my mascot for many years.  

Elsie and I took a ride together on the giant slide

And John and Elsie took a ride on the Sky Glider

Our last stop was the midway so Elsie could go on a few rides.  The first was what we call the Frog Hopper (I think this is what it is called at Adventureland maybe).  You had to be 42" to ride it and I know Elsie is not 42".  But she reached the line so the guy let her on.  I know she is not tall enough.  It as also a lot higher then the ones she had been on in the past.  She said it was fun but REALLY high.  






As for food this year we didn't each too much.  I was feeling a little under the weather so wasn't craving the fair food like normal.  I did of course eat my pork chop on a stick, we got ice cream from the dairy building, we shared a corn dog, and had a couple of cups of lemonade.  If I had been feeling better I would have got ribbon fries, cheese curds, and mini donuts.  We had a great time this year and as I put Elsie to bed that night I asked her what her favorite thing was.  Her response-Little Hands on the Farm :).

Sunday, June 8, 2014

2014 Summer Bucket List

A few weeks ago John and I (and Elsie) were driving home from being away for the weekend and we decided to create a summer bucket list.  These are things that we would like to do this summer.  Some of these things include Elsie-some do not and would be things for just John and I to do together.  And to be honest...some of these things are things that just I would like to do.  It is now June 8th and some of these things are already cross off the list!  What my hope is from this list is really to create a priority list as sometimes summer gets so busy we don't get to the things we really wanted to do.  Also, my hope is that we can refer to this list during our moments of down town to try to make the most of the summer! So here it is...our summer bucket list.

  1. Do a Park Hop 
  2. Visit Ledges State Park
  3. Go Camping over Memorial Day
  4. Go Camping over Labor Day
  5. Visit a Winery
  6. Go to a flea market
  7. Picnic at the Park
  8. Go to a Drive In Movie
  9. Biking/Swimming at Big Creek State Park
  10. Take Elsie Fishing
  11. Rathbun Weekend
  12. Mid-Week Camping at local County Park
  13. Ames Farmers Market
  14. Host a BBQ
  15. See fireworks
  16. Ice Cream walk to Starbucks (not the coffee shop)
  17. Catch Fireflies
  18. Swimming at the local pool
  19. Swimming at the Ames Pool
  20. Explore 4 new county parks
  21. Strawberry Picking at the Berry Patch
  22. Night at Prairie Meadows Racetrack
  23. Trip to Duluth
  24. Zoo Brew for date night
  25. Take Elsie to the splash park
  26. Go Mini-Golfing
  27. Go to a parade
  28. Ice Cream from Picket Fence Creamery
  29. Go to the beach
  30. Adventureland
  31. Iowa State Fair
  32. Trip to St. Louis
  33. Go to an outdoor concert
  34. Visit to YCamp
  35. Go to Elm Creek Park when visiting my parents in MN
  36. MN Zoo
  37. ICubs Baseball game (or a Twins game)
  38. Relax on the front porch with wine

Whew!  Looks like we will be busy :)