State Fair

We decided to go to the Iowa State Fair for the weekend!  It was our 6th anniversary, and Jason especially was itching for a family vacation this summer.  We decided to go on Saturday morning and jumped in the car like a herd of turtles around noon.  

Everyone was excited when we got there!

Grace loves hugging giant characters so it was great that we met this right away.  I was calling it a flower but now it looks like a blue ribbon to me.  Whatever it is, Grace was overjoyed to hug it.  

Grace loved the horse barn.  Jason said at every stall in which we looked, Grace sighed "awwwwww!".

She also loved petting this miniature horse!

Clara and I posed in front of this big pig because Grace was afraid of the pigs.

And the giant bull, over 3000 lbs!

  

Grace enjoyed sitting in some military vehicles

and John Deere tractors!

She is very serious about driving this tractor!

The line for fried twinkies.  There were TONS of food trucks like this, and everything was either fried or on a stick or both!

Grace enjoyed touching this 1000 lb pumpkin.

This is our hotel set up.  Grace slept in the pack and play inside her "tent" made from a comforter and Clara slept for 7 hours straight on the bed.  Success!

The next day we checked out the carnival stuff.

Jason took Grace on this bumper water boat.  She enjoyed it as long as Jason wasn't too rough with the bumping part.  They also went on a little plane ride that really freaked her out.  I saw Jason apologizing to the people sitting in front of them!  They also went through a kiddie fun house and Jason said she really liked that.  

  

Apparently, the Iowa State Fair is a pretty big deal.  There were people EVERYWHERE and we were pretty amazed by the rows of parked cars for practically as far as you can see.  We had a good time but it was also exhausting with two little girls.  Yet we survived, and we might even go again next year!