Thursday, July 28, 2011

Ionia Free Fair 2011

In my home growing up, I was taught money was to be spent on every day things (clothes & savings mainly), not entertainment.  If you exclude our MSU football tickets, that is... Dad deserved to have some extravagance, even if it equaled torture for his youngest.

That's not to say we didn't do stuff, because we did.  We visited Grandma & Grandpa B at their winter home in Harlingen, TX.  We visited family friends in Washington D.C., though to be honest, I was so young I only know this through pictures.  I do recall doing the drive to St. Petersburg, FL when I was around 5 or 6, to see Grandma & Grandpa P & head over to Disney, Sea World & Busch Gardens.

All these great trips, but with the exception of seeing South Padre & heading over the border for Cabrito once a year, big trips were rare.  Even when we splurged on Cedar Point, mom did the drive there & back in a day to limit the expenses.

So we all looked forward to the Ionia Free Fair every.single.year.

This would be where I saw my first music concert (NKOTB thankyouverymuch).  This is where I learned to begborrow&plead ask kindly for fresh squeezed lemonade & fresh from the fryer Elephant Ears.

So of course, when Grandma P suggested we take J last week, I jumped for joy.  I wasn't sure J would like it, but I was so in.

And it is so inexpensive.  Parking was $6.  An unlimited ride band was $15 for J & we picked up an additional $6 in tickets for 1 adult to ride 2 rides with him. 
 As you can see by the pictures, he had an absolute BLAST! 
I cherish the blown up version of this picture... You can just see the shear joy in his face...

Mommy did join him in a first... Go Karts.  It was an additional $5 for the two of us, and J so wanted to go.  My gut told me to send my Dad, but my mom pushed me into it.  Let's just say, J's constant was "Go faster Mommy" and I didn't know how to respond, seeing as I was lapped 3 times by all other drivers.  And yes, that means the over 40 something dad's, as well as, their ohthisissoflippinghilarious grinning (while looking back at us) early teenagers.

Sigh...

I did redeem myself, however, as I took J out on the Jet Ski & we went fast, fast, fast... Never mind the lake was calm due to the weather scaring everyone away... Nope... I was just brave & went fast, fast, fast.  My nose is so growing like Pinocchio too.

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