Toad Suck 2014

On Saturday, our community has a festival called "Toad Suck Daze."

I know. Freaked me out at first, too.

Because if your family is like mine, WE DO NOT SAY "SUCK."

This festival was first organized in the early 1980's. It's held the first weekend in May, and has attractions like music, arts and crafts, food, carnival rides and toad races.

For these races, visitors enter toads that they have either brought from home (not necessarily from THEIR home...just that they went out wherever toads live, and found a toad, and brought it with them). Also, some toads were bred in the community for this purpose.

And, side note: never, EVER say the word "frog." I don't know what will happen to you if you do, but it will be bad. These are TOADS. Apparently there's a difference.

The festival raises money to give educational scholarships to people in our county. Pretty cool, huh? And the festival is run by volunteers from our county, including our local police and fire departments.

The legend behind the name goes back to when steamboats traveled the Arkansas River. When the water wasn't deep enough, they had to tie up and wait...and the captain and crew would hang out at the tavern. People living nearby would comment, "they suck on the bottle til they swell up like toads."

Don't you feel so, so smart now?

Anyway, they had a bunch of special things for the victims of the recent tornadoes in our county, and that made this year's festival even more special.

We didn't go out to Toad Suck this year, because we were exhausted from the week of the tornado...and then an all day long track meet...BUT, Jim and Clark did get up early and go run in the Toad Suck race. Jim ran his first 10k and Clark ran the 5k. They came home and showered, and got Joshua, and then the 3 of them went to the Rotary pancake breakfast. I stayed home and did laundry and got Logan's room all ready.

Later in the afternoon, we went to Morgan's Aunt's house. She had a "couple's shower" for Logan and Morgan. Not FOR couples...just that Logan would be there and so the gifts could be more geared for him as well..tools and what-not. It was really sweet of her to do this for them, and I think they had a great time.

The wedding is getting closer!

"...I mediate on all You have done..." Psalm 143:5