Indiana State Fair 09

We took a trip to the fair with my parents last week and had a really fun time. I don't have any pictures of the baby, but she was the MVP and endured about 6hrs of fair fun and was such a trooper.

This year, the girls really surprised me (especially my timid Lobaby) and wanted to ride the real ponies AND the kid rides, including the little kid roller coaster. They had a blast and it was really fun to watch their faces.

We walked around and ate a little. And then walked around and ate a little more. We tried the deep fried Snickers (delicious) and the deep fried Twinkies (not a fan). We gnawed on a couple turkey legs and drank some yummy Sweet Tea and Lemonade Shake-ups.

Until a couple years ago, I had never been to the fair. Each year gets more and more fun. Maybe I'm a country girl at heart. After all, I did wear my hair in pig tails for the occassion. Or maybe I just like fried food. Come to think of it, we didn't even make it into the livestock pavilions. Maybe next year.

I love Jilligirls face in this one.

She's a Keller. Can't wait to see her next time we visit North Dakota with Uncle Doug on the BIG tractors.

This is a cute little video of the girls on the motorcycles.

Ah - Wedding Bliss

While we were in Missouri, my cousin Travis got married. It was such a fun celebration. Travis is an amazing guy, with a great heart. It was the first time I met Britney (his bride), but she was gorgeous and they seem like such an adorable, like-minded couple. I was SO happy for them.

They both like to dance and their reception had a live band. I don't know what got into Andy, but he was in the mood to get down. So we watched all Travis and Britney's friends and their fancy swing dance moves and did our best to copy them.


Their first dance was completely choreographed and really elegant.
This boy can sing. He surprised Britney and serenaded her with "Fools Rush In" - too cute!

I was sitting alone during a slow song and one of the band members came out and asked me to dance. It was nice of him. A tad awkward. But nice nonetheless.

The wedding was really close to the Plaza in KC. So they did a really smart thing and invited their guests to get dinner on their own between the wedding and reception. We went to Cheesecake Factory.

This is my Grandma Joyce. I love her and I'm really proud of her. My Grandpa is really ill and together they are showing tremendous faith and strength. It's neat to see them live what they say they believe, even when they're being tested so intensely.

Daddy and Little Toothache. She's getting too big, too fast.

This is my Aunt Cheryl (my dad's sister) and Uncle Gary. Parents of the Groom.

Grandpa Sonny and Grandma Joyce with their great grandkids, minus LT (she was taking a nap).

Travis and Grandma on the dance floor.

Adorable couple.

Baby's First Corn

Needless to say, she LOVED it :)

Trip to Joetown!

My whole family went back west for my cousin Travis' wedding, but it also was my best buddy's 30th birthday, so I went a few days early to celebrate with her!

All our family lives in the Kansas City area, so I don't always get to spend much time in St. Joe (my hometown, 50 miles north of KC). So, feeling sentimental, I had Cassie take me to some of my favorite spots.




This isn't a favorite spot, but since I'm ca-razy about Farmer's Markets, I had to get a shot of the Pony Express Farmer's Market (plus Cassie with all her loot).

This was my dad's restaurant, The Salad Shoppe, in the 80s. When he felt called to ministry, he also felt called to sell all his businesses. We talked to the current store owner (now a bakery) and she said she found all the old accounting records in the attic, she asked me "Why did he ever close this place? They were making money every month!" Obedience, baby, obedience.

I didn't really say that. And unfortunately the guy that bought the restaurant from my dad killed it in the first year.

It was bizarre to be inside. I probably haven't been inside since I was about 3 or 4 and I have some really vivid memories from the restaurant.

Of course, we had to taste the cupcakes from the cute bakery that's housed there now. It's called Delish.

For Cassie's birthday, we went to the Plaza in KC. Had dinner at a yummy Italian place and dessert at The Melting Pot. We went with great friends from high school (from left) Beth, Sarah and Cass and me.

BFFs.

Just about every HS memory I have includes Sarah. We were in every activity together from 7th grade until we graduated, including 1st and 2nd chair flute in the band. Awe-yeah! You're jealous. And guess who was 1st chair? Hint: It wasn't Sarah. That's right. Yours truly.