Fair, Birthdays, & Beaches

Friday was a nice day. Zach and I walked around the Mecosta County Agricultural Free Fair for a few hours to look at the animals and stroll down the midway. For some reason I didn't take many picture of the "normal" farm animals: cows, horses, pigs, etc. I found these quite interesting:

World's Creepiest Llama

huge turtle in the petting zoo

Zach inspecting the prize-winning wheat in the 4-H building

cute little goat

We also got ice cream at the Dairy Booth. All they had left was vanilla, but it was still delicious. After the fair, I played a double-header softball game. I felt so slow from the ice cream I had just eaten! We lost the first game and won the second by a landslide.

Saturday was birthday day! Zach's and my mom's. For Zach's birthday we slept in then went to breakfast at a local joint called, "A La Mode Cafe." Tiny restaurant yet delicious food in large quantities

I forgot to take a picture so this one is borrowed from another site

Then we went to the farm and weeded, tilled, and staked our garden.

Our Garden

Whew. Weeding only one day a week makes for a lot of work on that one day. I couldn't help thinking (as I yanked on weeds and chopped at them with a hoe) about the parallels to the Christian life. Many people, and I'm guilty of this as well, go to church one day a week, hear a good sermon, then live the rest of the week without making any changes, without digging in to God's Word or spending time at prayer. People are sinful by nature, we are naturally inclined to do wrong just like in a garden weeds naturally spring up. Sin springs up naturally in our lives. It takes a little work every day to keep weeds at bay and help the good plants to produce fruit just like it takes a little work each to keep our spiritual lives flourishing. Who knew the lesson I would learn from pulling some weeds?

After gardening, Zach went to work on adjusting the combine from corn to wheat settings and I went to town to pick up his DQ ice cream cake. Then I went home, cleaned up a bit, and got dinner going. I made fajitas in a homemade seasoning and a black bean and corn salad/salsa thing. Zach's parents came over for dinner and we ate around 4:30. I wish I had taken a picture of the fajitas because they looked great with all the colors of the peppers.

Bean & corn salad/salsa invention

Zach's ice cream birthday cake

birthday banner I made for Zach

When dinner was done, his parents left and we rushed about to leave for the demolition derby. Little did Zach know that our friends from college, Josh & Carlyn were coming to surprise him and go with us to the derby. I told him I had to drive in to town because we needed to make a stop before heading to the fairgrounds. He was NOT happy about that. "Do you really NEED to drive?!" he kept asking. "YES!" He kept guessing as we drove. "Are we meeting someone? Is someone going with us? Is it Josh & Carlyn? Is it Dan?" He kept pestering me but I didn't make a peep! When we pulled in to Family Video and he saw Josh & Car sitting there he said, "Liar!" with a huge grin on his face!

Josh & Zach catching up & watching the demo derby

off-road derby race crash

Me & Carlyn

This was Josh & Carlyn's first county fair and they enjoyed themselves. Plus we were glad to see friends too! The derby went LAAAAATE, from 7pm-11:15pm. When that was done we went to Applebee's and chatted until closing time and Josh & Car went home.

As one of Zach's birthday surprises, I made a list of 24 things/characteristics I like about him and see in him - one for each year of his life. :) Then every hour on the hour I read him one of those characteristics and explained it briefly why I picked it. I read him the last one at midnight and then gave him the whole list to keep. He had a huge smile every time I read something and by mid-afternoon he was reminding me that it was time to hear the next item on the list. :) I think he liked it.

Today, Sunday was hot, sticky, humid, and kinda busy. Church then lunch with my family and the Yonkers. Quick stop at home then I went to the beach with my family & some of Amy's friends and Zach went to the farm and put the combine back together.

Amy, Meron, Rachel, Betty, Yabsira, Adellum

Betty, Meron, Rachel & Amy built a dribble castle @ School Section Lake

Love these girls!

Now it's Sunday night and a new week is upon us. Long live summer.

Love,
Sarah