Strawberry Days 2014

One of my all time favorites of the summer every year is Pleasant Grove's Strawberry Days.  And my love for this is deeper than just my fire dept roots there.  When I was in middle school, my best friend's dad was in charge of the livestock for this rodeo, and he would come up and stay in a camp trailer for the entire week.  Bree and I would come up with him and help babysit other rodeo workers' kids and go to the rodeo.  I looked forward to it then, just as much as I do now.  This year, my mother-in-law made a quick stop for the weekend on her way to North Carolina, and she loves rodeos, so we took her.  It didn't start until 8 and I didn't want to fight Jace, because he would've been bored and tired, so we got a baby sitter for him.  We should have left Kallan home too, because he thought it was cool for about half an hour and then he was over it and just whined the rest of the time until the fire works. 
At one point, I took Kallan with me to go stand in the eternal lines for some strawberries and cream, because they're totally worth standing in the longest line in the raging heat.  After about 40 minutes of waiting, it was finally my turn.  I was totally ready with what I wanted and how much it would cost.  Well the girl taking my order was under-charging me.  And so we were kindly arguing about how each of us was right, and I kept insisting I wasn't paying her enough.  Finally she realized she was charging me for something I didn't even order, and that I had been right and I paid her the correct amount.  I was so wrapped up in convincing her, that when I turned from the counter with our food, I looked down for Kallan, who was totally AWOL.  No big deal, I thought, he was just over by the steer kennel because he had tried to go over there the entire time to see them, I was pretty sure.  Well, I was wrong, because I walked around the entire area, and could not find him.  Right before panic set in, I looked over and recongized one of three PG police officers from working at the fire station.  I walked over to him and said hi, and he gave me the, "I know I know you, but don't know how I know you..." look.  I asked if he was trying to remember where he knew me from, and after he said yes, I told him that I worked for the fire dept. "That's it" he said, "You aren't in uniform."  So after he asked me how I was and stuff, I then told him that I possibly had just lost my 3 year old.  I described Kallan to the 3 of them and they spread out, helping me look for him.  I walked with the officer that I knew, and after a minute or so heard one of the other officers on his radio ask us to come over by the bathrooms.  The officer looked around some people and pointed, asking, "Is that him?" and there he was, sitting in the dirt in a place that I had already checked myself.  Feeling stupid, I dumbly swore to him that I had checked that place before asking for their help.  Haha he was super nice about it, but I still felt dumb.  Kallan was happy as a clam, sitting in the dirt and playing with rocks.  I wish I would've gotten more pictures, but I didn't.  Next year, we're putting Kallan in the rodeo for Muttin' Bustin'.  I can't wait.