A Family a-"FAIR"...

We loaded up the Stewart Clan and hit the local county fair.  So fun!

(As you can see below- it was kind of "stimulation overload" for the kids. :)

 

 

Doug is part of the Moscow Tree Commission, so naturally we had to stop by the booth and chat. :) 

This is a favorite- I think the kids could watch the trains for hours.
 

 

Who came up with balloons anyway?  Seems like the kids need therapy after one gets loose. :)
 

Each of the kids got to pick one ride or game.  Autumn (of course) picked the roller-coaster.  I think it went around maybe 4 times, but it was worth every penny to see her thrilled face. :)
 

 

 

 

Silly Doug :) this is what I get when I tell him to "Cheese".
 

Amberlee picked the Duckpond... again.  Nice odds, 4 jumbos (I asked.).  Didn't seems to make any difference to her. :)
 

 

Seth picked the spinning "dragon tales."  He ended up spinning right off the seat. :)  It was cracking me up watching.  It was a fun evening!

 

 

All's FAIR in Love and Horses...

We LOVE it when the county fair comes to town.  The boys and I dropped the girls off and went for a morning jog, so we thought we would drop in with the early birds to see the animals.  The boys went nuts!  They were so excited- they just sat and watched the FFA kids herding the pigs around and around the pen to be judged- I could tell they were totally fascinated   Since then, Seth asks me every time we go out if we are headed to see the animals, and then he sadly reminds himself that they had to go home to be with their families. :)  These boys would love the fair to be every day!

 

 

 

 

That night, Amberlee was a huge happy helper at home (nice alliteration, huh?! :) so she and I slipped out for a mommy-daughter date after the other kids were tucked in.  She was quite tickled with herself.  The rides and games are so expensive, but she did get to do a game and won a prize- you would have thought all her dreams had come true. :)  It was fun to hold her little hand and see her smile!
 

 

I Love to See the Temple..

We love any opportunity we get to make it to the temple.  It is a long drive, so it feels like a pretty big deal when we get there.  We were able to combine it with one of Amberlee's doctor visits.  It was a special opportunity walking around the temple with the kids.  There is a special peaceful spirit there- even with four crazy kids, and that is saying something.

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got to touch the walls of the House of the Lord. 

 

 

 

There is a fun little play ground just behind the temple.  It was perfect while Doug and I switched off for sessions.  The kids played on the slide and swings while I played in the pea-gravel.  That stuff is seriously therapeutic.  I was so relaxed and calm just watching it run through my fingers... ok that sound a little weird, but I highly recommend trying it before you write me off as nuts. :)  Took me right back to grade school.

We love the temple!  Families are forever!!

Girls are away... Boys come out to play!

It has been fun to spend some more one-on-one time with these funny boys.  After we dropped off the girls, we jogged to the park and played for a little while.  It was such a beautiful, peaceful morning!  Seth loves when I take him jogging.  He often says, "I want to go on a jogging!"

A little while back, we hit a different park and fed the birds and had a picnic with a friend.  It was a fun day.

 

 

 

Seth was so excited- we saw turtles and gold fish eating the bread too.  He almost fell in, he was so over-come. :)

 

 

As you can see, the bird were WELL FED that day. :)