Carnies. Circus folk. Nomads, you know. Smell like cabbage. Small hands.

This weekend was the annual Plymouth Fall Festival. It is one of my very favorite things in the whole wide world. I am a big fan of fairs and festivals. Growing up we went to the Fulton County Fair every Labor Day. This tradition started when I was about 10 and we went faithfully every year until just last year. I remember one year my mom was too sick to go. I stayed with her at home and my dad and sister drove the 80 minutes round trip just so they could get her very favorite fair onion rings. I think that was one of the only years I actually missed out on going. We always did the same things every year: eat at the Pettisville Band Boosters booth, look at all the animals, look at all the 4H crafts, look at the prize winning veggies and flowers, eat onion rings, eat caramel apples, ride rides and play skeeball. I have several very special memories including my mom winning an (was it a buffalo, Anna?) animal of some kind playing skeeball, my mom puking on the Tilt-A-Whirl, getting flirted with by nasty carnies and just having so much fun doing something as a family.

Now that we live in Plymouth, we look forward to Fall Festival all year long. We have our fun traditions: eating Yaki Tori, riding rides, eating corn, riding rides, eating chicken BBQ, riding rides, eating a bucket of french fries, riding rides, eating elephant ears, riding rides. I guess it's just a lot of eating and riding. In past years, I've spent several hundred dollars on rides and food at the Festival. This year, I had $40 (plus Grammy and Grandpa treated too). Each child got their choice of 4 rides and one food. I'm pretty sure that our $40 bought the same amount of fun that $200 bought and I don't think that even if we were abounding in wealth, I would ever spend that amount of money again on a fair. I have learned so much from our stint in poverty's vale. We saw two families from our ward while we were up there. I found it very interesting that amid all the throngs of teenagers milling around and being yucky, there were three families with their children all having fun being with their family. I know it probably won't last, but I hope my children will always enjoy being together and always be able to find joy in one another's company. Enjoy the photos!!

Spencer and Cameron on the little train.

Calvin having a riot on the bumper cars.

The carnivores devouring bucket 'o fries. Technically, I guess eating potatoes would make them herbivores but they were eating them like carnivores.

Calvin exiting der Fun Barrel

Emily and Christopher on The Tornado

Anna is totally psyched for The Freak Out! What a great aunt to ride the scary ride with her niece!

Why I couldn't ride The Freak Out.

Cam and Lucy mostly got to just sit and watch.

Anna and Emily are on the hanging thing facing the camera in the middle. Both have on white tee shirts. Expression on Anna's face is awesome!!

They are still facing camera, just now at a different angle.

Wow, Mom, you are really way up there!!

Christopher giving Emily and Anna high fives after their scary ride.