Strawberry Festival

Our new home in Utah had a delightful tradition of celebrating it's agricultural history. The Strawberry Festival was a wonderful family experience. We loved exploring the vendor booths, riding the rides, and enjoying the festival food. 

The ferris wheel was a hit for some, and not for others. Matthew inherited my severe fear of heights, so he and I really did not enjoy the ride. I went with Joseph, who whooped with glee the entire time while I clung to the rail and tried not to hyperventilate. Matthew went with Nathan and similarly did not enjoy the experience- see his face full of apprehension? 

Every other ride was a huge hit. The faster it went, the better. They loved every bit of it!

The big kids ran off with a fist full of ride tickets, heading to all the big rides while Nathan and I stayed with Joseph near kiddie section. So we have a lot of Joseph's pictures and almost none of the other kids.

It was such a fun way to spend a summer day together.

 Matthew and Daniel begged to go back on Buddy Day, when there was a steep discount for two 'unlimited ride' passes purchased together. They brought their allowance money and carefully counted out the coins. They were SO excited to have unrestrained access to the fun!

They jointly went on all the rides many times (I may or may not have told them the discount required them to ride together.....) and had a wonderful time. They were glowing with enthusiasm all day, and were always so excited to relate the minute details of each ride. I spent the afternoon enjoying a good book on a blanket in the shade. I kept a large bag filled with iced water and healthy snacks nearby, so the boys could come take a break of the heat and refuel their energy regularly. It was such a happy afternoon, and my heart was so full of joy.

The festival food was outside their small allowance funds, so we picked up dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Matthew ordered one of our favorite drinks- horchata. There were unlimited refills, and it was a very hot afternoon, so he drank over half a gallon of the stuff. My goodness! It didn't faze him at all, and soon we were back in the park enjoying the rides.