Fall Festival - East Texas Style

The Arboretum's 2011 Annual Fall Festival & Blackeyed Pea Cook Off

Jacob pulling the wagon as we entered the festival.

With us being out of work, we were financially unable to make it to the metroplex last weekend as we had planned. Luckily, DH found an awesome and, most importantly, *free* fall festival. The East Texas Arboretum and Botanic Gardens has this festival annually. Incredibly, they were also having a free dog show, so we brought Shadow along. The parking was a suggested donation of $5. We didn't have that much cash on us, so we gave them $2 and they gladly accepted that. DH only had $1 left on him and Jacob was able to use that to get this awesome face painting.

Jacob's face painter.

She used his hat as a guide.

Spiderman! In true Jacob fashion, he rubbed his chin before I got a pic.

They did a rendition of Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". It was really cute! They had the skinniest chick ever playing a frog and when the frog was supposed to have eaten so much it couldn't hop, they put some stuffing in her Spandex, but she was still much smaller than me!!

"Stuffed" frog

Joshua seemed a little bored with the play.

I knew I had to use this opportunity to get some fall pictures of the boys together. Apparently, Jacob seems to think he's a gangster or something.

Tha boyz

I swear I don't give him anything special to make him so happy!

Olan Mills moment

We checked out some of the vendors. One of the churches was handing out lemons that had soft peppermint sticks stuck in them. You bite the end of the peppermint stick off and then suck the lemon juice through it and the sugar dissolves as you suck, making lemonade! It was a really cool trick and a fun take on the old saying.

After we ate the lunch we brought, Chad took Shadow on a mile long hike on one of the trails while I took the boys to see Sonny the Bird Man's show.

I don't have a good zoom on my Blackberry Storm, so you can't really see what's going on in the other pictures I took so I won't bother posting them. He had a bird that could roller skate, one that could walk a tight rope with a stick of fire, one that could play soccer, etc. Jacob had a lot of fun and Joshua, as usual, seemed bored with the show.

They had this really cool playground and an even cooler slide that was built into a hill. Jacob and Joshua had a great time going down it.

WHEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Then, it was time for the dog show. While we were waiting for the show to begin, Shadow fell in love with an Akita named Moose. He was 10 months old and about the size Shadow will be when she is full size. Thing is, he wasn't HIS full size yet!

This dog is HUGE!

We entered Shadow in two catagories: Prettiest and Smooch Pooch (Best Kisser).

I know, I'm GORGEOUS!

Jacob trying to get Shadow to kiss him. It wasn't working.

While the judges were deliberating, Joshua decided to start up some mischief.

I wonder if anyone will notice if I steal this pumpkin right next to the stage.

We walked away with only a ribbon for participation and some booby prizes, but it was a bunch of fun.

Everyone's a winner!

Surprisingly, Joshua managed to stay awake the entire car ride home after he had taken a power nap during the festival. Jacob, on the other hand, didn't make it to the freeway.

Sure sign of a good day.