Fun at the Fair

On Tuesday we took our annual trip to the Texas State Fair. We always have fun at the fair eating fried foods and watching Lily have fun. She is a great age for the fair since she loves the animals and, especially this year, the rides!

Danielle wore her cowgirl onesie that Aunt Karen made her! She looked so cute. I am glad I got these photos before we left since it was a cool 60 degree day and she was bundled up most of the time.

Our first stop was for funnel cake (and a quick feeding for Danielle).

All warm and cozy.

Neither girl was too impressed with the cows.

Lily liked the baby chicks most of all. I think they were more her size.

The most disturbing part of the fair for me-- after walking through an area with cute cows, pigs, goats, sheep, etc. there is this poster about how to cook, serve and store your meat for leftovers! Poor guys went from being happy animals at the fair to meat in Tupperware. Now you know why I don't really like to eat meat.

Next stop was the petting zoo. It was lacking the giraffe this year, but the zebra, bison, and other fun, non-farm, animals were there.

Chip feeding the camel.

Me and my girls in the petting zoo.

For the third year in a row Lily was a farmer at the "Little Hands on the Farm". It is so cute and fun.

Lily milking the cows -- just like mommy and her pump!

Chip's chicken fried bacon.

We split a fried pineapple upside down cake which was very good and, of course, the fried butter -- my all time favorite!

Lily got a cotton candy that was bigger than her head!

Fried Frito Pie

Big Tex

While we were walking around the fair Chip saw someone carrying a big Smurf and he really wanted to get one for Lily. Honestly, I was just kind of humoring him since everyone knows those milk bottles and rigged and it is nearly impossible to knock all three down.
He tried 6 times (once missing completely and the ball ricocheted back across the fair) and amazingly on his final attempt he actually did it!!!

Our hero!

Lily wanted to carry it through the fair. It is literally bigger than her!

Fried cake batter. YUM-O

We did all kinds of random things this time -- they looked at the largest crocodile and went into the house of snakes and reptiles (which is shocking for Chip to do). Lily was loving it all.
But she loved the rides the most!! She went on every single kiddie ride, some twice! I actually left for 30 minutes or so to go feed Dani and they just kept on riding rides!

That damn Smurf.

On Jumbo -- it is just like the Dumbo ride! Who needs Disneyland?? :)

It was so bittersweet watching her go off and ride most of the rides by herself. My baby isn't really a baby anymore. Chip even said that on some rides she wanted to ride alone, but he had to insist on going with her since he wanted to share in the fun too!

Running off the ride! She was SO happy.

Eating fried cake batter and then getting on a plane that goes around and around in circles is not the best idea ever.

My other happy baby.

Lily really loved the fun houses, which is so random since they are kinda lame. But she went through this one once with me and once with Chip and still wanted to go again.

Chip got this awesome picture of me on the kiddie coaster. It really wasn't that scary -- but the drop was a bit of a surprise!

Finally, after three years Lily and I went on the Texas Star. The tallest ferris wheel in North America. I've always wanted to go on it, but usually there is quite a line and we are tired by the time we get to that part of the fair. But I was feeling it this year, so I took Lily with me while Dani slept in the stroller (of course Dani woke up, so all 4 of us could have gone afterall. Next time.)

The view of the Dallas skyline was hard to get a photo of since it was on the side of the ride that had the chained door. The sides were more open, but all you could see was the flat Texas landscape.

The Texas Star

One last stop for ice cream before we went home. We didn't leave until about 7:30! It was a fun long day and Lily hasn't stop asking to go back! She'll have to wait until next year!