Weekend: State Fair and More!

      Since I posted yesterday about the dance party, today I am posting about the rest of our weekend.  Some weekends just are fall perfection, and this one was it.  My main love language is quality time, and I feel so full after all this family time together.  We decided to brave the Arkansas State Fair, which we had received mixed reviews on and been told not to go after dark.  So our expectations were low going in to it, but it turned out to be great fun for us.  It certainly didn't hurt that the weather was fantastic.  Ahh, fall.



We arrived into the vast sea of humanity, which was a bit overwhelming.



We veered immediately to the right and found "Family Land," home of the petting zoo, among other things.  The petting zoo was great fun and had an unusual assortment of animals, including alpacas, a wallaby, zebra and fainting goats, which, unfortunately for us, seemed to feel just fine while we were there.  The girls loved being up close with the animals.







Someone handed me 18 tickets, worth $18, out of the blue as they were leaving.  We decided we should see if Lily would like rides.  She did, though in that second picture she looks unsure - she had a great time.



And, I sort of feel like no trip to the fair is complete without a ride on the ferris wheel.  Such fun!





We made our way to the livestock barns.  So fun to see all of the huge cows hanging out, though Lily got shy when asked if she wanted to pet one.  I guess she shows that she is shy by keeping her tongue all the way out during whatever activity it is.  Funny girl.




While wandering through the barns, we got to see ducklings and chicks, including some chicks actually hatching.  And, we saw just a bit of a pig giving birth.  But, my favorite thing was the rabbit barn.  I sort of have a crush on rabbits, though I would never want to own one.  My favorite was the Angora rabbit - so amazingly soft and fluffy.



After seeing how fascinated I was, the owner asked if I wanted to hold one.  As you can see, I am sort of   the picture of spastic delight.



Bella got to pet one as well.



And, we loved seeing all the rabbits and which ones won, though I have no idea how that works or what makes a winning bunny.




We decided to steer clear of most fair food and opted for a safe favorite - funnel cake.  We found 10 unclaimed dollars lying in the field we ate in.  Crazy.



All in all, the fair was great fun - maybe not something we'll do every year, but definitely a good time, especially if the weather is nice.  Glad to be able to enjoy the little things in life.



Other fun from this weekend - I took a walk by myself and was greeted by this sight in our neighborhood.



We have gone on a couple of family walks this week, and John is showing me around the trails in our hood, which really are lovely.  I sort of can't believe I get to live here.  And, on Sunday, since we didn't teach this week, we had extra time to enjoy a leisurely lunch (Big Orange - the burgers are delicious) and walk around the Promenade a bit.  The fountain was a big hit.

The sermon at church was all about the Beatitude of mercy.  I am realizing that I have a long way to go on being truly merciful.  What I got to experience this weekend is so vastly different from so much of the world, and the injustice is a little overwhelming to think about.  I was challenged to think about mercy differently, and I hope and pray that the Lord reveals more of himself to us as we look for ways to bless others and show mercy.  This weekend (and our lives) was so much of God's grace in our own lives that I feel certain we need to share the love and blessings.