Time to catch up

I've been a slacker lately for good reasons.  :)  I promise.  And, as a warning, my future posts will be somewhat lacking in the picture department for a few months until we get a new camera on Black Friday.  The camera we had been borrowing forever for the last year or so recently moved to Wisconsin.  :(

We actually haven't been up to too terribly much since my last post.  I've been working on a project that I finally completed a couple of weeks ago and needed a break from being stuck inside the house.  So, I read about the Utah County Fair online and decided we would go last weekend.  :)  I'd never been to a fair, so the kids and I got to experience our "firsts" together.  

Saturday was beautiful weather and we headed out pretty early.  We got to the fair and walked around for a bit.  Kaden fell IN. LOVE. with the sheep and made us walk through the stinky barn area four different times so he could see them again.  Well, Shane didn't go through four times.  He said he couldn't handle the smell anymore after the second time, so I took the kids through after that while Shane waited with Ari in the fresh air.

We visited the petting zoo after that.  I took Lexi in first and then Shane took Kaden while I stayed with Ari and Lexi.  Lexi wanted to hold pet every animal (there was a camel, zebra, huge turtle, massive rabbit, goats, sheep, and a Shetland pony with her baby.)  Lexi wanted to take the adorable baby Shetland home, and I was totally on her side.  It was SO cute!  I didn't think it's momma would like that, though.  ;)

Kaden, on the other hand, stayed back and wouldn't touch the animals.  But at least he went in!

I don't have to touch it, right?  Right??

Lexi wanted to go back in and cuddle the animals some more.  Ari was wondering how to eat her toes with a binky in her mouth.

We ate lunch after that and spent a few more hours there.  The kids got to see a juggler perform:

They liked him until he pulled a five year old boy from the audience to "help" with his next trick.  The juggler (Marcus) picked up the kid and pretended like he was going to juggle him along with two very large knives.  It was at this point that Kaden nearly had a heart attack.  He FREAKED. OUT.  Started screaming and crying that the boy would get hurt.  Kaden was honestly so, so worried for him.  People all around us were turning around to look at him, but most had smiles at his innocence.  We quieted him down and told him over and over that Marcus was just kidding and the boy would be just fine.  Kaden didn't relax until the kid was safely in his seat again.

We were five minutes from Ikea, so we stopped by to see what treasures we could find.  The kids, of course, passed out on the way home and we ended up getting a pizza (it was late and I wasn't going to cook) on the way home and watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (with Jim Carrey).  Don't ask.  We watch Christmas movies all year.  :D

(Oh, and P.S., on the way home from South Jordan, I heard a radio advertisement for the Weber County Fair.  It was the same weekend, so we didn't actually have to drive an hour, but whatever.  It worked out great.)

Yesterday, we went to Shane's family reunion (for the Porter side).  Every year, they do a potluck dinner and follow it up with Surf 'N Swim for everyone.  It was really fun to see everyone (I love his cousins!) and we learned that Lexi is a fish.  She didn't want to get out of the water and wasn't scared to put her face in and blow bubbles.  I had her kick her feet and try to move her arms.  Then she jumped (over and over) off the side into my arms.  The first thing she asked me this morning was if we can go to the "big bathtub" again.  :)  When she turns 3 in December, we'll get her into swimming lessons for sure.  Kaden, of course, hated every second, but got in some good cuddling time with Grandpa Porter.  Ari LOVED the water as well, but when her entire body started shaking from the cold, I made her get out.  She got in a whole lot of cuddling time with Grandma Porter!  :)  It was such a huge help to have them there with us or else I wouldn't have been able to be in the water at all.

I kind of feel like summer is winding down lately and am going to be keeping us crazy busy doing outside things until it gets too cold.  I hate being trapped inside all winter.  Maybe we'll go swimming every night.  ;)