Iowa State Fair!

We made our annual trip to the Iowa State Fair on Saturday.  Yes, the first Saturday of the fair.  I know, it is a crazy day to go, but it was the day the Iowa State Dance Marathon picked to go too, so there we were.  We got to hang out with our new family contact, Nathan.  We had Alexandra for two years in a row (loved her!) and got to know her really well.  Now, we have Nathan and we get to learn all about him.  This is the second time we've hung out and I have to say, we haven't had a bad family contact yet and I don't think we're going to start now. ;)

I did not see Hillary Clinton.  I did not see Donald Trump, although we did see his helicopter flying around the fairgrounds.  I did not see Rick Santorum.  I did get to hear (not see, it was too crowded) Bernie Sanders speak on the soapbox.  We happened to be walking by and since I had never heard anybody do the soapbox thing and had only seen it on the news, I insisted we stay.

 

One thing is for sure, it was quite a fired up crowd.  There were literally a thousand or more people surrounding Sanders.  I just thought to myself, this is why I love Iowa.  All these candidates coming to our fair, speaking, shaking hands, sweating their backsides off and eating food on a stick, it’s so unique and kind of awesome.

We never make it to everything we want to make it to in one day because of little legs.  The twins did the best they could, but according to my fitbit, I walked approximately 11,000 steps at the fair and that’s asking a lot for a pair of four year olds.  

We always love to see the butter cow, eat a corn dog, drink some lemonade, get our Hawkeye football poster, climb in and out all the John Deere equipment, go through the little hands on the farm exhibit, see the baby animals, ride Ye Olde Mill, cast our kernel and walk through all the animal barns.

Can I also just say that I had never gone to the State Fair until I was 24 years old and pregnant with Jenna.  Crazy, right?  You NW Iowans feel me on this I'll bet, when I say we always went to the Clay County Fair and NOT the Iowa State Fair.  It was closer and it was the Clay County Fair! Anyway, I'm so glad I went, because I look forward to it every summer. 

 One thing that was new this year?  The University of Iowa Organ Transplant Center was there.  That was pretty neat.  They recently just did their 5,000th organ transplant.  As we know, they do some amazing stuff down there.  We got to see one of our kidney doctors, Dr. Brophy.  He is the man who started the pediatric nephrology department at the University of Iowa.  I am so thankful for that guy!  Blake gave him a hug and I told him it was great to see him outside those hospital walls.

I always have the same feeling when I leave the fair.  Pride.  It always makes me so proud to be from the this great state.  The impact our farmers have on the world, the impact our voters have in the presidential race that all these candidates just flock here, the yummy and inventive food and so much more.  Iowa, I’d say you’re alright, but that’s just the way I see it. 

Ye Old Mill.  Burdorf kiddo FAVE.