the fair

There's something about August. There is this urgency to drink in the rest of all that summer has to offer. To suck the last bits of juiciness from these sweet summer months before they slip into the rhythms of fall and school and schedules and cooler weather.

In August the fair comes to McLean County. It comes in droves; in flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, in semi's full of disassembled carnival rides and big trailers promising the world's best funnel cake. It comes as a bright and noisy reminder that the days of summer are still alive and well.

And so the first week of August, when the fair rolled into town in all its glory, we went. The boys were captivated by it.

The barrage of sights and smells; the deep fried goodness of funnel cake wafting through the night air and the shrieks of children on the rides. The thundering engines and thick gray exhaust smoke rising from behind the gates at the tractor pull. The bleating of the sheep as they are sheared and prepared for their big show the next morning.

We got there after dinner, just as the heat of the afternoon gave way to the cool of the evening. And we stayed,

And somewhere in between the sheared sheep huddled in their stalls and the irritable carni crew, I found myself thinking that if I could freeze this night and these moments, that life couldn't get much better than this.




Than these two boys, happy wearing a cheesy plastic fair wristband and holding their mama's hand.

And staying out late because it's a lovely night and the air doesn't feel thick and sticky, but lighter and cool.

And watching my very little take his first daring ride on the Dragon Wagon and cracking up as it whizzes by us again and he is but a blond blur.

And squeezing Patrick's hand because our boys are way up there in car number 2 and I want to make sure he thinks they're going to be ok.

And hearing the laughs of these two sweet ones as they speed past us on this ride for the sixth time in a row.

We ended this perfect summer night with potty breaks and milkshakes at Steak-n-Shake. Sipping that chocolate shake and watching my boys drift off to sleep in the van on the way home, I had the same feeling of contentedness. There will be much more to our lives than the old county fair, but I'm grateful for the way something so silly and simple reminds me that it's simple things that truly make my life with my family grand and beautiful.