Iowa State Fair

Since moving to Iowa, humidity has taken on a very tangible, sticky meaning. Our trip to the State Fair this year can be summed up as follows: hot, sticky, sweaty, stinky, animal smell, people watching, family... FUN!

We had a ball at the fair this year. For the second year in a row our Aunt Becky has gone with us to the fair. Anything that "Aunt Bepee" goes to is twice the rootin', tootin', jolly good time it ought to be. We sure love our Aunt Becky!

This year at the fair the boys loved seeing all the animals. We petted nearly every critter we could get our hands on. Adam especially enjoyed watching the baby chicks hatch out of their eggs and then being able to hold the chicks. That was "amazing!" We got our hands on a little deep fried food, watched people... lots of interesting people, bought some car wax, and spent some time at "Helping Hands on the Farm." That is where most of the pictures were taken.

Before we journeyed home we dropped by the Swine Barn to see the world's largest boar. Talk about a whonkin' lot of pork. I noticed two friendly looking old farmers sitting next to the pen that held the grand champ and asked if they were the proud owners. Not this year, they replied. They had come in second by a few pounds and their fine porker was in the pen right next to the biggest boar. The sign above their boar said it was a crossbreed and upon correctly identifying it as a York/Hamp cross these old farm gentlemen decided I was quite a gal! (I lucked out, that was the kind I raised growing up). After a lengthy chat, they invited me out to their farm in North English about 30 miles from here. They said my little family was welcome there anytime... classic Iowa hospitality... for a gal that knows her hogs.

Another favorite for me at the fair was getting a strong whiff of cow's breath. It sent me into a nostalgic whirl. I was homesick for childhood days of sitting in the front of the beat up old farm truck driving through the pasture while Dad would throw hay off to the cows. While he was pitching hay, the cows would try to stick their heads in the truck window. On cold mornings the warm cow's breath was visible in the truck. I miss those days of driving truck, warm cow's breath, and if we were really lucky... Doublemint gum in the ashtray.

Ah, good memories! . . . I hope the fair becomes good memories for my kids. It's the best they are gonna get for now. Cows and chickens at our place are going to have to wait until after grad school.

Vote Mitt

Living in Iowa has been one of the most unique political experiences I believe I will ever have. I have always lived in a politically red state (one that always votes Republican by majority), but Iowa is considered a purple state. Purple simply means that we are a swing state -we can go either way - republican or democrat in the majority. Because of the unsure nature of the state it is a rally ground for every political figure, including the current Jenson family pick for President, Mitt Romney (http://www.mittromney.com/). Mitt is a daily talked about figure in our home. We (or at least Jonathan, because by bedtime I am ususally out and he catches me up in the morning) Google him every night before bed and keep up on all of his current events. I guess we care so much about him because in Iowa, he really cares about us. Between himself and his 5 sons they have visited every county in Iowa. Jonathan and I have both been to several Mitt gatherings and yesterday were privileged to attend the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames, IA to cast our vote in favor of Mitt Romney for President. The political process in Iowa is so intriguing. I never thought I would care for politics nor have any idea how the political processes work, but we have caught the bug. The Straw Poll is a traditional precusor to the Republican Iowa Caucuses that will be held this coming Dec. or Jan. The results of the Straw Poll have been indicative of future picks for president and it is used as the first feel for who America will choose as the Republican Party Candidate. It has been 8 years since the last straw poll and time will only tell when there will be another depending on who will be the next president and when a new Republican Candidate needs to be determined. There have been discrepancies with this year's Poll as two of the top-tier candidates (Guiliani and McCain) bailed out of the event and didn't show up. Regardless of their choices not to attend, Romney stormed the event and won with 31% of the votes for the day. Aside from the nuts and bolts of the experience the thing that I will always remember most was the spiritual manifestations that occurred to me standing on a balcony overlooking the mass of people and what was occuring that day. I have never experienced so deeply what it means to be an American until that moment, when I saw the patriotism of thousands upon thousands of simple Iowa folk with a true and honest desire to do what is right for America, stand up and make their voice heard and continue to progress in the American dream of "one nation, under God." I was unprepared for the feelings I would feel while I was there. It was a beaufitul experience. I felt for one small moment what Nephi meant when he called America a "chosen land." I understood in the smallest way why men and women continue to sacrifrice their lives for the freedoms we enjoy and seek for others to enjoy. Taking an active part in the democratic process and casting a vote meant more to me than it ever has- my eyes were changed and I saw that God does bless America. Throughout my lifetime I have taken for granted the blessing of living here. The freedoms we experience every day become so rote and battles fought have long been forgotten, but in one small moment I was reminded that America is a miracle, a latter-day miracle that I live every day. Thanks be to our Father for this land.

THE BUS!! We rode a bus from Coralville to Ames with a load of other Romney supporters. Adam was SO excited to ride a bus. Matthew was fascinated with the water dripping from the bus' air conditioner.

Mom, Matthew, Dad, Adam and Aunt Becky ready to load the bus and take off on our 2 hour ride to Ames

What's that?

Dad and Adam got a little rowdy on the way there, but Matthew on the other hand,

was a perfect angel. (Kind of - notice boo boo on finger)

Adam and Aunt Becky - bless Aunt Becky for providing Adam entertainment the entire way, book after book after book.


We did more than vote- there was food, fun and humidity

Dad and Matthew!

Hmm, what to eat first? I'm so tired I can hardly think of eating at this point, I can't remember the last time I spent an entire day in the nasty Iowa August heat and humidity and who is Mitt?

Say cheese! See my ow-ee?

Amen, bud.

The Most Expensive Pampered Chef Knife I Will Ever Own

Mom: "Adam, get off the counter becuase baby Matthew will think if you are on the counter, he can get on the counter."

Adam: Silence

Matthew: "Up high, up high!"

Narrator: "At this moment, Mom returns to the pantry to put away food while baby Matthew pushes a kitchen chair to the counter, crawls up on top and plays kitchen knife discovery."

Aunt Becky: "Oh my word!"

Adam: "Dad, come inside fast, Matthew got an ow-ee and there is blood all over!"

Narrator: "After Dad asseses the wound and performs a digital nerve block with lidocaine at home, the family takes a trip to the E.R., returns with 4 stiches and Amber decides to order nothing from her recent Pampered Chef Party"

Matthew: "Ow-ee, Daddy fix it, All better."

Fair Days

I take it upon myself to be the mother of children that have an eye for quality pork. With such a heavily weighted responsibility upon my shoulders, I take every opportunity within reach to school them in the art of good lookin' bacon. Such an opportunity arose at the Johnson county fair. The boys were mesmerized by the hogs and the Relief Society women that went to the fair with us were even more dazzled by my ability to pick out the blue ribbon porker.

Matthew notices the nice lean look...

Adam just wanted to be in the pen with them.

Besides pigs, we took time to see all the other critters at the fair and got our hands on these nifty clown noses. The boys relished them... until they ripped.

Tomorrow we are off to the Iowa State Fair... a little bit of redneck heaven.