The Annual Harvest Vegetable

Christiana could hardly contain her enthusiasm when I told them we were going to the Annual Harvest Festival. She jumped up and squeezed Nicholas, "We get to go to the Harvest Vegetable!!"
 Maybe I mumble?  But I definitely didn't correct her :) I loved hearing her say it all night.

Anyways...do not let these pictures deceiveth you. It was 2 hours of total misery, for me, but the kids had a ball. Avila....hmmm....how to accurately describe her temperament...loudly obstinate. She yelled really loud for two hours, it was 105 degrees with 105 flies on our hamburgers. I was trying to eat, swat at the flies, hold a the one year old who is arching her back and flinging everything I hand her to the floor while yelling, hand the kids their drinks, swat at more flies, did I just eat a fly? and pretend to smile to the 105 people who are saying hi....equals....Oh my gosh this is a death trap!! Every year.


We did manage in between, a cup full of lemonade, a cup of ice cubes, animal crackers, and then a large red tootsie pop that got swung in anger and covered me nicely as red sticky tack, to ride the merry go round for a few minutes.

Even though it is an event that requires virtual back bends in virtue, which I, regrettably, could exercise none that night, it is worth every bead of sweat to just see their faces light up. To be a child and see all the rides and cake and candy will be etched in their little childhood memories.

Waiting in line for the Ferris wheel ride. Oh the anticipation!

Oh yes, she knew she was big stuff, riding the merry-go-round all by herself.

She had a big smile for me every time she came around.

Well, looking at these pictures can easily make me forget all the misery, I would gladly do it all over again for them.  I just hope I can grow in more virtue before next year's harvest festival comes around again. :)