fair day

The Hofackers always go to the fair on Labor Day, the last day. So that meant that I had to get up super early to do a super fast run through the Value Village 1/2-off sale so that I didn't make everyone late :-) We like to get there right at 10 a.m. when they open so that we miss the crowds. Joel and Makenzie went with me this year and picked out some clothes, movies, and books for themselves (I'm LOVING having maturing kids who can do things on their own!!!).

I'm guessing from this flower structure that this was the 75th Alaska State Fair:
There were no lines for ANYTHING when we got there. The kids got to walk right up to every ride they wanted and get right on.

It was REALLY cold today!! All nine of us had on bright green or yellow Buddy Walk shirts, but we had to wear coats which covered up our great matching :-( Seth actually got to walk around a lot of the time today -- usually when we go anywhere, he has to be in a stroller because he either runs off or refuses to hold someone's hand. Seth especially liked holding hands with Jason's mother since she was the only one with gloves. We all warned Joel to wear pants, but he insisted that he'd be plenty warm. He was ok once we were walking, but he was a little concerned when we first got out of the vans.
I wasn't exceptionally impressed with the food this year. I tried a turkey leg because it seemed like the right thing to do, something everyone does at the fair. It was ok, but definitely not one of my fair traditions. There were several things that I wished I could eat -- elephant ears, funnel cakes, different oriental foods, and different kinds of bbq. Having celiac disease doesn't often irritate me, but it does bother me a little when there are LOTS of great foods to try that are off-limits to me. I'll have to try again next year to find something great that's gluten-free!

Seth liked the free inflatable hats that Alaska Airlines gave away:
One of my bosses offered to give me extra hours any time I needed them. I'm pretty sure I'll be taking him up on that offer after spending the day at the fair with its overpriced tickets, overpriced food, and irresistible booths (yes, I did buy more jewelry). These were 1/2 off:
And I saw these at the Saturday market, but decided to put them on my wish list. But then I was wishing that I'd just bought them. They have little forget-me-nots inside (I don't think they're real, but maybe they are. If they are, then I like them even more). So I looked up and down every trail of the fair, but couldn't find them. I gave up and was headed back to the van when my phone rang. Joel had found a building full of more booths, one of which had the necklace and earrings that I wanted! Yay for a thoughtful child who remembers his mother :-)