Eastern Idaho State Fair

We love the fair! It kind of signifies to me that summer is officially gone, and fall in here! Fall is my favorite season, but I always feel like summer should last about 2 weeks longer. We went to the fair 3 times this year! We went on Labor Day, because that's when Bailey and Mark had their performance. We just ate, saw some of the animals, and then they performed. Mark, Bailey, and Mason left after that, and I stayed down there with my friends to celebrate Becky's birthday.

Bailey always gets a corn dog! Mason tried the donut burger, and really liked it!

A deep fried Twinkie, Milky Way, and Oreos!

She could spend all day, everyday with the animals! She really needs to live on a farm or ranch!

They did a great job with their 'music through the decades.' Bailey had allergies super bad, so she struggled with the low notes. By the time she got to her last 3 songs, she didn't have a voice at all! She had to try to squeak it out! Still fun though!

These guys were cracking me up! They were swaying with their phones out to 'You Light Up My Life.' Brother Belnap even made her a rose out of a napkin and brought it up to the stage. So funny! 

Lesa, Michelle, Becky, and Mason came to watch Mark and Bailey perform. The Belnaps, Millers, Nelsons, and Abby were there for a while too. So grateful for awesome friends!  

Bailey & Mason 

Bailey wanted to make a round through the goats before they left.

Mark and I went back on Wednesday for about an hour to watch Jason Larson perform! He did awesome! Can't wait till that kid is famous!

Bailey, Mason, Mark, and I went back on Saturday to hang out, eat lots of food, and watch the Demolition Derby. We were there most of the day, and well into the night. Good times!

Our first round of food was curly fries!

Next was cheesecake sandwiched between a brownie and dipped in chocolate! 

Mason was a good sport, because Bailey had to see the animals all over again. She had to pet everything we walked by, and feed everything in the petting zoo. She would spend all day with them if we didn't make her go do other stuff.

The 'goat whisperer' working his magic again this year!

Her favorite part of the day was feeding the cow! She thought it was great! The cow would lick her until her hand was completely covered in slobber. She would just crack up and then feed it some more!

Bailey and Mason had a caricature drawn.  

So cute! It looks just like them!

More food! Mason had another donut burger, Mark had a burger that had peanut butter, bacon, and jalapeño relish on it. Sounds gross right? It was SO good! I'm totally getting one next year! Bailey and I shared a rice bowl.

Pineapple dole whips!

 After we watched the hypnotist, Bailey and Mason went and rode some of the rides, while Mark and I went and walked through the trailers. then it was time for the derby!

Riding the swings! 

It's derby time! Bailey was so excited! She's a total redneck!

Goodbye fair! It was fun, and we can't wait till next year!

Bailey's First Day of School

Bailey started her junior year of high school! That blows my mind! I don't worry about this girl at all. She has life figured out better than most adults I know. She is determined, driven, hard working, goal oriented, smart, energetic, happy, fun, kind, positive, accepting, encouraging, loves a challenge, stays true to her beliefs and values, a spiritual giant, and so so so many other things! Junior year is supposed to be the most challenging year of high school, academically. I'm excited to watch her take on this challenge, just like she does with any challenge that comes her way. I'm so proud of the direction she's taken her life. She doesn't worry about popularity and other petty stuff. Some how she has always been able to see past that, and has kept her focus on things that really matter. She surrounds herself with awesome friends, focuses on her family, and makes the most out of life. Good luck this year Bailey! Have fun, aim high, make memories, and enjoy the journey!

Bailey Rae~16 Years Old~Junior Year

Summer Bucket List

I told Bailey that her and Mason couldn't just 'hang out' all summer. They needed to have a plan. So, they created a summer bucket list! They had some pretty funny stuff on it, and they actually made a pretty good dent in it. They didn't take pictures of everything, but they tried to get most stuff. So cute!

Pet Rocks

Bailey was looking at bucket lists from the internet, and adding the funniest stuff to their list! Good thing Mason is a good sport! The first thing they did from their list was make pet rocks. I was dying! So funny!

Before...

After!

 Bird Feeders

They made bird feeders to hang in the trees.

Peanut butter smeared on pine cones, and rolled in bird seed.

They went out to check on them the next day, and Mason's was already gone! It took them longer to find Bailey's.

 Blanket Fort & Games

They made a fort in the basement, and then played Yahtzee in it.

I got a text from Bailey to come down and look, and this is what I walked in and found. So funny!

 Donate Blood

Bailey has wanted to donate blood for a long time. She finally signed up, and got Mason to sign up too. They went down to donate, and Bailey ended up being too small. So, Mason got to donate, and Bailey didn't! She was so sad!

Carve Initials Into Tree

They have a certain tree that they wanted to carve their initials into. So cute!

Picnic in the Park and Games

They had a picnic in the park and then came back to our house and played games.

 Temple & Breakfast Date

Bailey and Emily asked Mason and Andrew on an early morning Temple date. They went to the Rexburg Temple for baptisms, and then came back to our house for a crepe breakfast.

Wasps

This wasn't actually on their bucket list, but still worth documenting. We hired Mason to do some work in our backyard. In the process, he discovered that we had tons of wasp nests in our siding! Mark hired people to come spray, but it didn't get rid of them. So, we had lots of afternoons and evenings killing wasps and destroying their nests. Bailey thought it was the greatest thing ever! 

She would come out in the craziest things to cover herself up!

Zip Lining

Mason's mom came to visit, and took the kids Zip Lining at Heise. Bailey had tons of fun!

Meeting Ryan Hall

This wasn't a bucket list item either, but a super cool opportunity that came up. Mason's family took the kids to Bill's Bike and Run to meet Ryan Hall on a day he was speaking there. He holds the US record for the fastest half marathon time. He was the first US runner to break the one hour barrier in that event. He's also the first US runner to get under 2:05 in the marathon. He placed 10th in the Beijing Olympics. Crazy!

Meeting Ryan Hall

Fishing

One of the last things they did before school started back up was go fishing. 

The closest Mason got to catching a fish, was an old sock! :)

Bailey caught a fish! Haha, too bad it was already dead! Yep, she snagged a dead fish!

These too have way too much fun! They had lots of other stuff they crossed off their summer bucket list (star gazing, hiking up a mountain, etc...), and lots of stuff still on it! If only summer could be a month longer! No worries, they have already made a new list for the school year!