state fair surprise

So something pretty cool happened yesterday...
Let me start from the beginning.
Because it was Saturday and because Steven didn't have to work we got to sleep in- which was really nice. Then we went to the store and got some stuff we needed to make strawberry crepes for breakfast. These were pretty tasty.
We lounged around for a bit and then we decided on a whim to go the the state fair. We went a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it so we decided to go again.
I'm so so so glad we did. :D
We got there at about 3 pm and mostly just walked around and held hands a lot. :D
We went to the Fiesta Mexicana and listened to music and bought tacos and corn on the cob Mexican style. I exercised my Spanish brain which is always good.
We ate most of a blooming onion which was yummy but huge.
We contemplated trying some fried butter (seriously!) but decided against it. 
We looked at the cute animals: Awesome kangaroo and wallabies! Beautiful pigeons (with feathers on their legs)! Adorable bunnies! Hilarious sea lions (taking pictures and laying their heads on people's shoulders)!
We looked at other exhibits and played with some science toys.
We drank lemonade and watch+
3ed a comedic juggling act. 
We went down a huge yellow slide.
We tried to go to "El Grito" ceremony at the Fiesta Mexicana but apparently their flyer lied about the time because we missed it. :(
We laughed really hard when it took us several tries to get a picture with Steven's eyes open.
I saved our cup from under the bleachers using my long legs and my feet (the people behind us tried to come to my rescue when they thought I was stuck).
Then we got in line and bought a chocolate strawberry funnel cake. Yum!

Now here's the awesome part:
Right after that as we were moving to find a place to sit (and walked one way and then turned around), we ran into Ashley, Dan, and Kaden. They saw us first and called our names and we were so surprised and happy to see them.
So we found a place to sit together and we ate our funnel cakes (they had one too). We found out that they had been at the fair almost as long as we had. We spent about another hour and a half together at the fair eating and talking and looking at the huge cows. I got to hold Kaden and walk with Ashley. :D
Then we left and went to Olive Garden in Salt Lake for dinner. We talked and Kaden fell asleep and I got to hold him because I was done eating. It was so so nice! (P.S. You can eat soup and bread sticks there for 5 bucks each- that's pretty great!)
Then Ashley and Dan came to our apartment and I gave them the grand tour (which takes literally 1 minute) and we talked for a bit and then they left to go home. It was 1 am by the time Steven and I went to bed.

It was just so crazy how it happened: 1) how we decided to go to the fair in the first place instead of any number of other things we thought of doing; 2) how if the flier hadn't said the time that it did for the ceremony we wouldn't have been getting the funnel cake when we did (which we came back to after leaving the line to go to the ceremony), and 3) how we changed the direction we were walking in after getting our funnel cake. Otherwise, we might not have even known that Ashley and Dan were at the fair too.

It was such a perfect and blessed ending to an absolutely lovely day. I couldn't have asked for better.

I am so glad that we got to spend time with my dear Ashley and sweet Dan and Kaden. I've really missed Ashley a lot because I haven't gotten to see her very much since we both got married and started grown up lives. My heart has sometimes ached because of this. I'm so glad to have her in my life and I've missed her a great deal.
As corny as it might sound, I just know that that was exactly what was supposed to happen yesterday.
It just all worked out so perfectly and I really needed it.
It's further testimony for me that Heavenly Father really is looking out for us; He even cares about the small things that we care about.
So we decided that it will be our new yearly tradition to go to the fair together.
I'm really looking forward to it. :D

View from the slide

Riding down the big slide

Ashley, Dan, and Kaden