Fun at the Fair

As you know, we Barlows (well at least Kylie and me) LOVE the fair! So, of course, we had to take as many trips as we could squeeze in. We only made it two times this year, which doesn't even come close to my normal fair schedule, but we had lots of fun both times! We got to hang out with Sari, Witten, Helen, Rebecca and Ellasen the first time, and Jon was able to join us for our second trip! We checked out all the animals including the horses, cows, rabbits, sheep and all the baby animals in the Miracle of Birth Center. Kylie even gently petted a chick, duckling and piglet! Another high light was walking through the exhibition hall looking at all of Grandma King's prize winning foods that we get to eat on a regular basis! She even won Grand Champion on her world famous buns! They have always been grand champion buns to me, but it's nice that Olmsted County acknowledged it too! :) We also enjoyed A LOT of fair food like cheese curds, mini donuts and milk shakes! And although Kylie is not quite big enough for the rides, we enjoyed watching Ellasen on the carousel and trucks! It was so much fun and we can't wait to go back again someday!

 This was in the Miracle of Birth Center. 

Kylie was standing on the fence watching the chicks and ducklings!

This mama had 19 piglets...That's a lot of babies!

I can barely take care of one at a time! :)

 Kylie and Jacob both liked the bunnies the best!

Jacob pointed at one and Kylie said, "Nanee."

Kylie sat like a big girl at the picnic table and ate her lunch!

It's Official!

 Kylie is 20 months and finally walking!

 Being sweet by giving Glo-weem a hug!

 And here she is showing off her new skills! YAY!

Kylie is walking! She has been taking unassisted steps since May, but has always preferred crawling. But a couple of weeks ago, she started to spend more and more time on her feet until finally she is exclusively walking! I hear all of the time that it just gets harder when they start walking, but we are loving it. I guess when you wait soooo long for something, it really is sweeter when it actually happens! We are so proud of our Kylie Girl!

Celebrations

July has truly been a month of celebrations...The 4th of July, baby showers, birthday parties, and more! For the 4th we spent some time in Stewie hanging out in the heat! We had lunch at the park and watched the parade from my cousin's house. My mom and dad were in the parade again...It's always fun to see them come down the street in a horse and carriage!

 Kylie enjoyed the sand table and toys more than the parade.

Maybe next year she will understand about all the candy!

 Mr. Mayor and the First Lady of Stewartville!

The following weekend, we celebrated Witten and Kinsley's 3rd birthdays. Witt turned three on June 24th, but he was in Baltimore at the time. Kinsley turns three on August 13th, but she will be living in Charlotte, NC by then, so their parents thought it would be fun to have a combo party on a date in the middle! There was a water table, play set, and pinata for the kids...Kylie loved every second of it! Jon and I enjoyed the company of our many friends!

 Kylie swinging at the pinata.

Kylie and her friends playing at the water table.

L to R: Kinsley, Annabelle, Caleb, Helen, Kylie

The same weekend, some of the girls also hosted a baby shower for our friend Melissa. I think it might have been our greatest baby shower yet! :) Mel is having a girl, and we used her nursery colors and theme for the shower...It was all gray and pink and shabby chic! Super cute!

Mel's Shower: Catherine, Me, Mel, Rebecca, Sari, and Anne

Finally, this last weekend was another weekend full of parties and showers...But it was all about the Pink Stars this time! On Saturday morning we celebrated Ruthie's upcoming nuptials with a bridal shower. We talked about old memories, played some creative games and ate some delicious food. On Saturday night, we gave Ruth a mini-Pink bachelorette party since many of us could not make the big one in Las Vegas. We ate at The Loop and hung out at Kathy's Rooftop. It was low-key but really fun to chat and catch up!

Then on Sunday, we had a baby shower for Kristin "Ginny" Halda at my house. It was so fun to spoil Kris and baby boy Halda! I loved every second of my Pink Star weekend. I miss the Pinks and we don't get together nearly enough!

Ruth's Bridal Shower: Kristin, Amanda, Ruth, Molly, Me, Kylie

 Kristin's Baby Shower: Me, Amanda, Kris, Molly, and Ruth

It's a crazy summer and a crazy time of life with lots of weddings and babies...so there are several more events/showers/weddings coming up in the next few months! Can't wait to continue the celebrations!