"Matt! I won a cow!"

When we first moved here and asked people what there is to do in the area, the first thing we were told is that the Antelope Valley Fair is a can't-miss. Well, we missed it last summer since we were in Alabama at the time so we put it on our calendars nice and early this year. And sure enough, the rumors are true--the AV Fair is a major hit!

Military members get in free (military discounts rock, my friends) and we went on a $1 game night. We normally wouldn't spend the money to play all of the carnival-type games but for $1 we were totally in! At each game, they give you the option to play for $1 and the chance to win a little prize or pay the regular price for a regular prize. We, of course, chose the cheaper option and then I ended up feeling bad when Matt rang the bell on the classic hammer game and only won a stuffed dollar bill instead of the giant stuffed animal. But what would we have done with a giant snake anyway? And really, the facts remain the same: my man is strong!

I, on the other hand, am not. The picture on the left is before, and the one on the right is after I scored a 75--exactly half of what Matt achieved.

Matt and I had a great time wandering around the fair, trying out lots of games and admiring the local booths.

Oh, and lets not forget visiting all of the baby animals! Once upon a time, I raised a lamb named Shadow (that's a story for another day) and therefore have a soft spot for my fluffy little friends and all their smelly goodness.

We also made a short pit stop at the free Demolition Derby, where the stands were packed with overly enthused fans. It entertained me for approximately eight minutes.

The highlight of my night came at Skee Ball, a childhood favorite of mine. With my last ball in hand, I was 70,000 points short of a stuffed animal. Since the possible points are 10K, 20K, 30K, 40K, 50K, and 100K, it was one of those go big or go home scenarios. So I went for the 100,000 and got it! Matt couldn't see it from his point of view, so we have a video clip of me jumping up and down saying, "Matt! I won a cow!" while Matt is saying "Well, better luck next time." It's fantastic. Since it was my first time winning a fair game, I was super excited and basically love my cow.

To celebrate, we gave in and went to one of the million funnel cake stands. After all, what's a fair without something fried and fatty and utterly delicious? It definitely hit the spot.

Thanks for the fun times, AV. See you next year!