Fried foods, tons of calories - bring on the NC State Fair

Today we went to the NC State Fair. This was my first time going to the fair. Mr. A and the girls have been before with friends while I was at work. I love the fair! I have been going to fairs since I was little. My family always went to the Del Mar Fair, which is now called the San Diego County Fair. The best thing for me was experience the fair with my kids. Seeing everything through their eyes was like seeing it for the first time.

The whole reason to go to the fair this year was to see Toby Mac. We found out he was going to be in concert today and knew we wanted to go. We had kept it a surprise from them until today at the fair. The best part is this was AJ's first concert experience. What an awesome concert to go to for your first concert!! Going to the fair was just going to be an added bonus to the concert in our eyes.

The fair was fun! A lot of walking, but they had some really cute things to do, especially for kids. Seeing as NC is a huge agriculture state, they had a cute area where they gave kids a basket and they walked through the exhibit collecting fruits and vegetables. At the end, the produce was weighed and the kids were "paid" for their labors. They then turned in their cash for a prize at the end of it all which included an apple, NC peanuts, frisbee and pen. It was pretty cute even for our almost teenagers.

Lots of animals, games and rides were available as in most state or county fairs. We don't normally let the kids ride the rides - a huge safety thing for me - but we were able to get a deal on some ride tickets so Mr. A and the girls did do one ride. We ate food that probably had enough calories to kill us. We also indulged with the fair favorite - funnel cake for a treat before the concert.

The only downer for the day was the weather. It was overcast, but it was cold! Even layered up, it was still cold! We about froze when we stopped to look at anything. We could have gone back in the exhibit halls but they were so hot you were begging to go back outside.

The best part by far was the concert. We went in a little early and found out that the seats I bought back in August online were awesome seats! Just above the floor but close enough that you could see everything! Toby Mac did not disappoint! If you haven't seen his show, it is high energy all the way through. We loved every minute of it. AJ was screaming and waving her hands around like a wild child - she gets it from me! Mr A, KA and I were laughing as she busted out with the lyrics at the top of her lungs. She may not have a voice tomorrow, but it was worth it!

It was a great day for our family to just hang out and have fun. We laughed a lot and had a great time hanging out. I love that our kids, for now, let us hang out with them at concerts and sing with them. I had to stop myself a couple of times and just savor the moment sitting between both girls singing at the top of their lungs with huge smiles on their faces. Today was a great day!