Yamboree 2009

Yamboree 2009
~this was our view while standing in line waiting for our ride on the Ferris Wheel~

We have attended the Yamboree for the last 5 years. There is always something fun to do at the Yamboree. It is our annual festival for yams. There are parades, carnival rides, yummy food, livestock shows, exhibits, concerts, and the list goes on.
Jed had to use the last of his vacation time, so he was off for the Yamboree. We went up on Friday and saw the school parade. We went with Boo, and Aunt Gloria. My sister, Marg, met up with us..so Dakota could hang out with his cousins for a bit.

Dakota, Samantha, and Cash

After the parade, we headed on over to the Carousel with the kids. Lily was okay with riding, but Dakota could have cared less. He wasn't the happiest of riders..and this year, we didn't get an outside horse. But we still had fun.

Lilyann, Me, and Dakota

We had a blast on Friday after the parade...we went back up to Boo's house and enjoyed some yummy stew and cornbread. Then headed back out to see some exhibits and the livestock. We came across a pig and I was impressed. That was "Some Pig"...remember Charlotte's Web?? The pig we saw for sure had recently had a buttermilk bath. It was spotless. I almost wanted to touch it. Dakota checked out the pig and Lily was slightly hesitant about getting too close to that pig.

Dakota and the pig

Lily with Katie checking out the pig

Day 1 at the Yamboree ended with our having dinner at Aunt Samantha and Uncle Jerry's house. We headed out there and had hotdogs and hamburgers. The kids played inside with Katie and Brooke (Kota loves the Wii MarioKart) and the adults sitting around the fire outside. It was a chilly evening. But sitting by the fire sharing stories with family warms you right up. Lily even ventured outside for a chance to sit around the fire. I don't think that I have laughed that much in a long time. We all had our giggle boxes a going. Family time is so rewarding.

Grandma and Lily sitting by the fire

Saturday (Day 2) started with the Queen's Parade. Seeing all the floats, bands, and cars was fun. The picture below is our reflection in one of the old cars that passed by. I am sitting with Lily in front of me...right beside the little white chair. I think Lily was still eating funnel cake when I snapped this shot.


And you can't have a festival without some Corndogs. Corndogs seem to be the favorite of foods for my kids lately. Dakota is such a picky eater...and super skinny. So, I figure...find something he likes and let him eat it. Well, he LOVES corndogs. So, Jed stood in line for 20 minutes (he says...but it seemed forever longer) to get Dakota a corndog. After standing there that long, he figured that he might as well get one for Miss Lily and get something for us to share..a sausage on a stick. Lily was ever so thrilled to get the corndog. Kota was like was he was most of the weekend...slightly phased about it all. He's holding his corndog and then sees what Daddy is sharing with me and wants to trade. Well, he traded and he ate the rest of the sausage on a stick.

Lily...content with her corndog

Lilyann lugging her corndog up the hill to Boo's house...priceless picture


The picture above was taken by Grandma while we rode the Ferris Wheel with the kids. I never realized how much it costs to ride the rides at a carnival...but I can say that the $16 was worth it. Yes! I said, $16!!!!!
The kids enjoyed it...I didn't realize that I'm not very good with heights. It was okay as long as we were moving...because I knew we were headed back down to the ground. But when we had to sit at the top and inch our way along as the Ferris Wheel was loading....that was a different story.
It didn't even seem to phase the kids that they were up high. I think Jed did a great job of diverting their attention away from Mommy clinging to the bar in the middle. Lily was mesmerized by all the colors and the other rides. And it was quite the beautiful day for a Ferris Wheel ride.

Thanks to Grandma, Dakota was able to play one of the games at the carnival. He did great! He got 2 out of 3 balloons at the dart game! He won an orange alligator.

This past weekend was one for the memory books. We made memories, shared memories, and continued memories with our family.


Life is a rough biography. Memories smooth out the edges.
~Dante G. Roque