Weddings!!

Summer is usually a busy time of the year for me! Seems like there is never enough time to do everything!

There are always County Fairs and State Fair, and there are usually a wedding or two thrown in there too.  Well this year one of my "baby" cousins got married!  She really isn't a baby but most of  my cousins are younger than I am and I was always the baby sitter for most of them.  I can't believe she is all grown up and married now!!

The wedding was small and very laid back and absolutely PERFECT!! It is just exactly how I would have pictured her wedding being and I couldn't be happier for her!! She was a STUNNING bride and I know she will be very happy!

I am always one of those people that when I attend a wedding, I think............why didn't I do that when I got married! Or, Oh that would have been cute when I got married!

The truth is, I got married 5 years ago and those things were either not cute back then or I had in my head having a HUGE wedding was so much better!!!  LOL  Not that my wedding wasn't AMAZBALLS but there is something to be said about small intimate weddings too!

~~Squirrel~~ These allergies are KILLING me y'all!!!  I don't know about y'all but I can barely breath right now!!!  Sorry I just had to throw that out there!!!

Anyway, tomorrow will be an interesting post for y'all!  My baby boy will be getting his FIRST EVER haircut tonight and this momma is not dealing well AT ALL y'all!!!

So stay tuned to see how it all goes down!!

Piece and Chicken Grease Y'all!!

The Fair Quick & Dirty!!!

So I thought I could do this for each day but things just keep coming up and it gets farther from the days of the fair and that means it is harder for me to remember what I did each of those days!

I am going to do a recap for y'all the days 4-11!! I know I am being a slacker but I just have so much other stuff to talk to y'all about, I can't be trying to remember EVERYTHING!! :)

Here are the high-lights!!

My little steer jock! Uncle Erik is SO Proud!

B was having a blast in the cattle barn learning all the ways to be a steer jock! His cousin L LOVES showing him around the barn and pushing him in the stroller.  B looks up to him so much and had a blast with all the kids in the barn!!

Look Mom, this is where the steer goes!

One night while we were waiting on Papa to be done in the pig barn, we sat out on one of the benches and watch the "BIG" horses get hitched up on the street!  B thought this was pretty cool!!

Here we are watching the big horses!

I did work at my office's booth some during the fair, and since most of my family camps out there I had visitors stop by now and then! It was nice to break up the day and I got to see ALL my babies that way!! I didn't get a picture with me and my princess though! (Sorry K) :(

Here is my peanut and I at my office's booth

The food at the fair is just AMAZING!! I wanted to try things I hadn't tried before, were new and or had tried in the past and maybe would like them now.  Well, I found out that I STILL DO NOT like turkey legs! YUCK! But I tried to eat most of it because if I am going to pay $8 for the stupid thing y'all I damn sure am going to eat it!!  I tried the new Graham Champion Square......DELICIOUS!!! I ate my usual, footlong corndog, corn brat and funnel cake, but this year I tried three new things the MAYBE I shouldn't have because now I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!  First off would be the Dutch letter, I talked about that already, the salted nut roll..........AMAZBALLS!!!  And last but not least.....................THE SHRIMP CORNDOG!!!!!!

Now y'all, I will eat just about anything that has corn dog batter on it, but SHRIMP!?!?!?!?  Does it get any better?!?!?!?  Oh My Goodness!!!  It was SO YUMMY!!!! 

The Shrimp Corn Dog!!

Keep in mind y'all, I did have 11 days to eat all these things.....................but still, not the best for a dieter!!! :(

Back to the recap! We went to some free concerts but my favorite was Jana Kramer! She was pretty good and I loved her on One Tree Hill!

Jana Kramer

One night I went walking with my nephew L and we had a blast!! They have the cutest cutouts around the fair that you can take pictures in!! We went to town on these!!!

And finally, the last day of the fair was all about B!  He got to start the day with his favorite breakfast.....PANCAKES!!  Then it was up to Little Hands on the Farm for some farming!  He had a blast and it was VERY hard to get him off the tractors!!

I am a very proud mommy as he took his hard earned money (they get a "$1" for their crops they sell) and bought a banana!  He does love his nanas!

Next we were off to the Ag Building to do some Combining!  They had a set up there with tv screens so it looked like you were in a field combining.  It was for actual farmers to see how the machine worked but they let kids to it too!  He had a great time driving!!

B driving the Combine!

Off to the pig barn to watch some of the pig show and let mommy have some down time!!  I LOVE watching the pig show but to a 20 month old..........this is less than exciting! HOWEVER, if your Papa is in the show ring........it gets a lot more exciting!! :) I don't know who was more excited.........mommy that he wanted to be out there, Papa that he wanted to be in the ring, or B that he was with his Papa!!

B and Papa at the pig show!

When you do all this you need to be able to get your rest! So here is B, getting his rest at the fair!!! It was few and far between as he is a pretty busy little boy!! But you have to catch some ZZZZ's when you can when there is that much to do at the Iowa State Fair!!

B catching a nap at the fair!

Well y'all that is a quick and dirty of the 4-11 days of the fair! Sorry I couldn't do each day but I just have so much other stuff going on that I want to get to!!!  Mama Nellie is busy these days!!!

Piece and Chicken Grease Y'all!!

The Great State Fair.....Day 3

Before I start today's blog I have to tell y'all something!  For the past 5 years (give or take) I have had polish on my toes SOLID and it is a HUGE pet peeve of mine (I have talked about it on here before) about people wearing sandals and not having their toe nails painted.

WELL, today I do NOT have mine painted!!!  With the fair going on and being out there I didn't get in for my usual bi-weekly appointment so I have went over a month without getting my pedicure.  Now to some this might not be that big of a deal..............But to me.............THIS IS HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a FREAK when it comes to not having them painted and then to have sandals on today on top of that!! I am almost in a FULL ON PANIC ATTACK!!!!!

Calm down everyone, I am going STRAIGHT after work for a pedi and polish.  I just keep my feet covered and not let anyone look at them!!!

Alright y'all now that I am done with that lets get back to the fair review!!

Day three was a Saturday and I worked Farmers Market that morning for my GREAT friends at Breakfast Delights.  If you are ever at market you should stop by and see us and get some amazing food!!

My nephew showed feeder babies (these are baby calves that are just getting broke to lead and show) and he did an AMAZING job.  I wasn't there but Grandma saved the day by videoing the whole thing for me!!! I am such a proud AUNT!!

After getting back from market and showering off all the grease I headed down to the fair for the day. The first thing I did was.................You guessed it!! Got some food!!!  So many choices, what should I eat?!?!?!  My choice that day was a delicious Dutch letter and Gold Peak Tea from the Wooden Shoe!! Those Dutch Letters are SO GOOD!!!!!

Then it was time to do some walking around!  Headed for under the grandstand to do a little shopping and see if there was anything I couldn't life without.  NOPE didn't find anything but did get some great Christmas gift ideas!!

Off to the Walnut center do continue with my shopping of the fairgrounds. Didn't really find anything there either but it was nice to have air conditioning for a little bit.  Across the street is the horse barn, but better yet is the western wear stores.  Some of the best shopping can be done on the fair grounds!!!  They have really good "Fair Specials" on a lot of things and I usually try to get my "cowgirl" attire during the fair.  I had a pair of boots picked out before going and I knew what I wanted.   Just needed to find the right size.

Here is where the problem comes in............I don't have "girly" sized feet.  I have my mother's feet, which means they are very long and narrow.  Not as narrow as hers but I do have long feet.  So just like anything else that us "fluffy girls" like, they don't make them in our size!!!  The boots that I LOVED and wanted to get and was willing to spend $300 on...................OH they don't come in your size!!!!!  If they can make them in the one size smaller.........why can't they make them just the next size bigger?!?!?!?!

Next comes the bling belt I wanted to get!  My niece has one and she always tells me I need to get this or that.  So I was so excited to get something to be like her........WRONG!!!!  Again, fluffy girls don't get to wear things like that!!!!

So as you might imagine, I was DONE shopping for the day!!

The fair grounds had started to get pretty full by this time of the day with the weather being really nice so we decided to just make it an early night and head to the camper for some "home cooking".

We ate some grilled loan, fresh tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, and just relaxed on the deck.  Yes we build a deck for the camper at the fair.  Some year I am going to get a picture of it for y'all to see!! Now keep in mind this is my parents spot, if in the next oh 10 years of being on the waiting list my name comes up and I get my own spot......I might or might not have a deck of my own!!  LOL

Since I had been up pretty early that morning it was an early to bed night for me but it sure was nice to relax and sit on the deck and enjoy some family time!

Piece and Chicken Grease Y'all!!

Day two of the Fair!

I took a vacation day to enjoy the fair.  I ended up sleeping in and not going down to the fair very early but that is a nice thing about camping at the fair.  You get to do what you want when you want!!

I headed down to see what was going on in the cattle barn and have a couple of beers with everyone. This is one of the great things about knowing people that show cattle or livestock in general at the fair.  They get to have coolers in the barns.  So they can have beer in the coolers and you don't have to go spend $11 on a glass of beer and be broke in no time!!!

So I hung out in the barn for a while and took my favorite nephew out for some ice cream and to walk around for a little bit.  We checked out the dairy barn (our least favorite cattle) and looked at some boots he was wanting to get.  Then headed back to the barn. 

Tonight was the Cowgirl Queen Contest in the Jacobson Building.  I am not usually one to sit and watch a horse show but this is totally different.  I was once (back in the day) a Rodeo princess (or something like that) and I have been around livestock my whole life.  We aren't much with horses but my Aunt and Uncle and cousins are.  My one cousin was privileged enough to be a Queen candidate for the Cowgirl Queen Contest this year so I HAD to go watch!!

They have two divisions, Juniors & Seniors.  My cousin was in the Senior division and in the LAST class!!!  So getting in there early, wasn't a big concern! 

My sister-in-law and I decided to walk around a little before hand and check out some of the other girls.  They really go all out for this thing.  Some of them had their our "glam team" there doing their hair, makeup, and getting them dressed.  Then there was the horse to get ready too!!  What a big to do!!!!

My Cousin is in the black hat.  She did a great job!

She didn't win but I thought she did amazing and there were A LOT of girls there! 

After the contest was over, we headed for the shuttle to take us back up to the camp ground.  But first we had to make a pit stop.  I needed a little bit of sweetness to get me to the top of the hill.  So I stopped off for a funnel cake to enjoy on the way up.  It wasn't the best one I had had but it was early in the fair and I was sure they would only get better!

As most of you know, the first Friday night at the fair is known as East Side night.  Well you see all kinds while making your way to the shuttle and going by the Bud Tent.  It wasn't even 11 o'clock at night yet and there were plenty of people on the other side of drunk!!!  I am telling y'all................if I knew there was going to be that many law enforcement officers there, and that many more waiting for me when I left..........I would think twice about drinking that much at the fair! Plus remember those $11 beers I was telling y'all about...............well those don't get any cheaper if you drink more!!!!  I don't know how people can afford to drink that much!!! 

I will just stick to my cans of beer in the cattle barn from the color the redneck way!!! 

So we made our way through the drunks and crazies to the shuttle and back to the camper safe and sound.  It was a semi-early night to bed as I was working farmers market in the morning bright and early at 5:45am!!!

Piece and Chicken Grease Y'all!!!

Day one at the Fair

Well I wasn't sure how I was going to do this for the fair.  Since there are 11 days for the GREAT Iowa State Fair, I guess I will be doing 11 posts.  I know this is very late but I am a very busy lady these days!!! 

This year was a first for me as I spend the entire fair in the camper up on the hill.  16 nights in a camper sounded great in the beginning, but by the end of the fair.............I was READY to be in my own bed!!!  It was a great time however!

I had to work this day at my office's booth down on the fairgrounds.  You see a lot of very interesting people while sitting at a booth for 6 hours.  I am a HUGE people watcher so this is great fun for me.  The fashion seen at the fair is priceless to say the least!

After my shift at the booth I went to pick up B for his first "big boy" experience at the fair! He went last year but he was so little and didn't really interact with much.  This year was a totally different experience!

On our way down the hill, while walking with the stroller we saw a lady giving another lady a hair cut outside her camper. She was completely prepared with the cape and all.  I am guessing this wasn't the first time it had happened and it won't be the last!!  What a site to see at the fair!! 

We headed to the cattle barn to see some of  B's favorite people! His cousins Lukas, Krista, and Brelynn were there waiting to see him! He gets so excited when he sees them he almost jumps out of the stroller!  I spent most of my life in the cattle, sheep, and hog barns so it melts my heart to see B enjoy himself in there. 

 

 

B is learning the tricks of the trade from Lukas

On our way to meet the shuttle I saw something I have never seen at the fair in all my 32 years of attending.  I have seen little kids running around the barn bare footed but that is "normal" where I come from.  But to see a grown women, walking around up by the main area of the fair WITHOUT ANY SHOES ON.................that was DISGUSTING!!! She looked like she had been doing it for a while too.

If you have ever been to the fair and stayed in the campers or been to the campers on the hill, it is a pretty good walk up the hill.  So we usually take the shuttle at least to the stop that is closest to our camper and then walk from there.  So the shuttle consists of a tractor and 5-6 bench seating wagon that they pull behind.  It works great except when you have a stroller with a child that is sound asleep and you are by yourself.  Trying to load it isn't exactly easy!!!  

Thank god I live in the Great State of Iowa where people are friendly (for the most part) and willing to help out a stranger! So I had a very nice gentleman help me load the stroller and up the hill we went.  The same nice gentleman helped me off the shuttle at our stop and we walked back to the camper. 

I can't remember all the amazing foods we ate every day but I can tell you this day we ate at the Dinner Bell with my brother and his family.  I had a very good roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes.  There are so many great things to eat at the fair but the Dinner Bell is a must have at least once!

Well this concludes our day one at the fair!! I can't wait to tell you about the rest of my fun...............

Piece and Chicken Grease Y'all! 

Life full!!!!

I have so many things going on right now I really don't know what way is up!!  This past weekend was beyond busy!

I was out at the Dallas County Fair helping my mom and dad for the week as they are on the fair board and help things run smoothly out there.  Mostly I just sat with my lovely grandma in the booth she had there selling her hand made items she took up there.  She didn't sell much but we did some WONDERFUL people watching!!

Friday night at the fair is Figure 8 races. I DO NOT understand the concept of this but my goodness is it COMPETITIVE!!! My sweet mother almost got into a fight with someone just trying to get them to leave! It was insane!! All though it was a great night for people watching again!  I set up a little table for my new business venture.  I am selling "blinged out" hats, shoes and sunglasses.  For those of you who have NO IDEA what I am talking about...............I have a "quick" picture for you but I am going to try to get more pictures so you will be able to see my whole inventory and order as you wish. 

There are all different styles.  Some have crosses, some have horseshoes, I got some new ones with guitars that say Rock on!!  And of course the skull and cross bones that are my favorite!!  We are just starting to get sunglasses and flip flops with the bling on them too.  Let me know if you are interested and I will see if we can get whatever you are looking for!!

Saturday was the busiest day!! It started by heading to the State Fair grounds to help set up for the Corndog Kickoff!  I have never been to this and was VERY excited to attend.  It is kind of the big start to the State Fair season.  It is a HUGE fund raiser for the Blue Ribbon Foundation and helps keep the fairgrounds looking great!

So after getting the final touches on the decorations done I went back out to the fair to sell some hats and sit with my grandma for the final day.  Then it was time to get ready for a fun night of free food and drinks and great conversation!

Some of the vendors that sell food at the fair set up and serve samples at the Kickoff.  So I had a pork chop on a stick, hot beef sundae, corn-dog, Graham Champion Fair Square (the new one this year), nut roll, pulled pork BBQ sandwich, watermelon, Gizmo, lots of beer, made a wax hand and bought myself a Corndog Kickoff Crock!!

My friend Bridgette went with me.  This is me trying to keep my eyes open for the picture!! I tend to get squinty eyes when I have had a drink or two! 

There were so many great items for the silent auction and live auction we didn't even make it around to all of them to see or to all the food!!  I was so full when we left there I could hardly move!  So we decided after helping clean up for a while we would go dancing and burn off some of our calories!!

I had a great time but I can tell I am not used to staying out that late anymore!!!  I slept in WAY late on Sunday but it felt oh so good!!

Piece and Chicken Grease Y'all!!

Trying Something New!

Sorry  I haven't been posting lately!  Things have just been CRAZY y'all!! 

This past weekend was no exception to that but I thought I would fill y'all in on something new that I tried!!  To start the weekend off I went to see one of my FAVORITE singers!! Miranda Lambert!!  She was playing at an outdoor concert and we had AMAZING seats!  I would LOVE to get my hands on a shirt like what she had on too! It was ADORABLE!!

She always looks so cute and so like the girl next door!  She seems to be "normal" and it was one of the best concerts I have been to!! 

The concert didn't start until 9pm (which is usually my bed time!) so it was pretty late when we got home after a 2 hour drive home!! And when your day starts at 5 AM it makes for one tired Mama!

Then our LOVELY neighbors decided it was a good night for a street party AGAIN!! So it was about 3 before I really got to sleep!

I was up bright and early at 6 am to go work at Farmer's Market on Saturday morning!!  I LOVE doing this and helping out some friends of mine! It is a great way to spend my Saturday morning and be outside.  It was pretty windy for us though this week and just as we started to tare down for the day..............DOWNPOUR!!!!  I was SOAKED by the time we got done but so was everyone else so it didn't really matter!  We all headed to lunch together afterwards!

Saturday evening was my something new I tried!!  I have an AMAZING group of friends that I have had since we were in elementary school together!  I know in my heart that if I called any of them at 3 in the morning and needed something they would come in a second to help me out!!! They are truly the best group of guys I could ever ask to be my friends!!  And they truly are all guys!!  I have some friends that are girls but I always got along with the guys in school better!  So, we all try to stay in touch and do things as a group with our families now that we are older!!

We all went camping this weekend and it was a BLAST!!!!!  Some had campers, some had tents and then there was me! I didn't have either but one of my friends was sweet enough to let me borrow one of their one person tents.

Now, I am a farm girl y'all but tenting.............that isn't my thing!!  I like a nice soft bed and indoor bathrooms with running water!!! But it was one night and I thought I would give it a try!!  Everyone kept telling me if you drink enough it won't matter anyway how hard the ground it!  NOT TRUE!!!!!!!

The boys set up the tent for me and I am pretty sure they picked the BUMPIEST spot they could find!!! ;)  I had an old bed comforter I laid on and a couple blankets I covered up with and that was it! I slept in a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt and it got pretty chilly!!!  The good thing was that my best friend has a boxer that he takes camping with him so I took him with me to bed and snuggled with the dog to stay warm!

I headed to bed somewhere between 12:30-1:00 AM and was WIDE A WAKE at 6 AM!!!!  I am not sure I slept much in the time in between there either!  Lets just say it was a very short night!!  But I made it through the experience! I am not sure I will be doing it again but if I do, there will DEFIANTLY be an air mattress next time!

Made it home just as B was waking up from a nap so got to play with him the rest of the afternoon and evening!!  Couldn't have asked for a better weekend, except maybe more sleep!!!

I promise I will try to do better about posting more often!!  I need to MAKE time to post!

Piece and Chicken Grease Y'all!!!