Post-Weekend Update

This weekend was pretty low key, it was very rainy and generally gloomy, so we pretty much stayed home, which was just what we needed.  Nick was still fighting a cold and I had a headache, so it was nice to stay inside!  I even lit the fire in the fire place.  I had hoped to get to the pumpkin patch, but that will have to wait until next weekend - hopefully the weather cooperates!

Ella officially can roll both ways now, which means she is a rolling machine!  Yesterday she rolled 4 times in a row, which ended on the hardwood floor and some tears to boot.  She was pretty quickly smiling and rolling again though :)

Yesterday I made some crock-pot baked potato soup which just may be the easiest thing I have ever made!  You just combine a bag of frozen hash browns with 3 cans of chicken broth and 1 can of cream of chicken soup.  Cook it on low for 6 hours and then an hour before it is done add a softened block of cream cheese.  It is SO GOOD!

We garnished it with cheese, bacon bits and green onion.  It is officially added to our meal rotation!

Now we are back to work and I woke up today with Nick's cold, so hopefully that goes away quickly!

Going to the fair, going to the fair

All weekend I was singing the Northwest Michigan Fair commercial... which I can not seem to find online, but if you've spent any time in northern Michigan in the summer, you probably know it :)

So yesterday we really did go to the fair!  We went mainly for the potatoes and because I had never really been to a fair before... and Nick told me 10 years ago that he would take me to the Fowlerville fair but never did.  So he owed me.  I volunteered at the fair last year, but only really went inside to get a potato, so this was my first true fair experience.  After trying to find a place to park for about a half hour and then waiting in line to buy a ticket for another 20 minutes we were finally in the fair (off to a great start)!

It SEEMED like a great day for the fair, because it really wasn't too hot out, and there was a nice breeze - but that doesn't factor in thousands of people swarming the fair grounds and how much heat that creates.  We were all a hot sweaty mess.  Somehow, even though we entered at a completely different gate I was able to remember exactly where the potatoes were and they didn't disappoint.  Even Nick thought they were great and worth going to the fair for, which says a lot.  Something in how they cook them.

Nick got "the works"

People waiting in line for and enjoying their potatoes

We probably could have left the fair at this point, but we didn't... we went and saw some animals, cows, pigs, goats and baby emu's!  They were SO CUTE!

Ella slept through the whole fair so I guess we are going to have to go back someday.  And having a stroller at events like this is everything I thought it would be, great because you have a place to put all your stuff and don't have to carry it and because you don't actually have to be super close to other people on all sides, but also a pain in the butt because you have to find your way to the accessible entrance.

And because I forgot to take a picture of the sleeping baby while we were actually at the fair, we got her picture after she woke up at home since she had a pretty dress on.