Swim Lessons

 The girls took swim lessons for the last couple weeks (Vivs at a level 4 and Olivia at a level 5 - this is a notation for me so I don't forget next year).  I was glad that we were able to make time for it this summer!  

Swimming, Shakes, and more Shakes

Swimming for FHE at our local pool with friends and cousins.  The girls had fun jumping off the diving boards and the boys hung out with cousins!

Afterwards we enjoyed shakes at Sonic - half price after 8pm!

Shakes two days in a row!  My favorite shakes are at Arctic Circle (they are half price every day from 3-5 pm at one location here).

Where has half the summer gone?

Wow, summer is in full swing and I feel like I am barely keeping up with everything.  It started off with a week long trip to Montana to visit Paul's parents.  That trip ended with a family reunion on his dad's side.  I will have to post more details of that trip!

Then 10 days later we jetted off to Utah to enjoy the fourth of July with lots of family at Tami's home!  That was a lot of fun being together with family and lots of cousins.  Then that weekend was full with Glenn Beck's Man on the Moon events.  I can't wait to show you my pics with Pat Gray, Richard Paul Evans, Tonia Beck, Brian Sack, Michelle Malkin, Larry Schweikart, and Michael Allen.  We had a great time.

Then the next weekend we had a big family reunion for my family that was a total blast, probably the best reunion we have had.

In between traveling (now I am getting ready for a trip to Alaska with my brother, Chad, my dad and Luanne) I garden, tend to the cow, goats, and alpacas, try to keep the yard up, help Paul with a house remodel (lots of work), and try to throw in some fun activities for the kids.

I need to remember that summer is very busy and that I can't hope to get any of "my" projects done, those have to wait until the kids are in school!

It's Time to Harvest

Porter watered the garden boxes all summer. He thought more water was better, but I was thankful because I don't like the daily watering business. As of recently, Porter and Vivian traded chores. So now he unloads her silverware and she waters the garden - it works for me.

She has been hounding me that we need to harvest! So I finally followed her out to the boxes to find these treasures. There are green tomatoes waiting to ripen and a few more zucchini that are growing. We did enjoy peas earlier in the season. I hope that one of these years that I get the gardening bug so that I actually enjoy it.

The Old Mower Dies after a Long Hard Life

A few weeks ago as I was mowing the lawn, one of the front wheels just fell off! I had completed the front yard and had 2/3 of the backyard left. What should I do? The grass was long and overdue so I made the decision to finish mowing. It took all my strength to counter balance the mower as I pushed it back and forth. This mower is extremely laborious when it is working correctly, so just imagine my predicament.

Later Paul repaired the wheel and the body several times before we finally broke down and bought a brand-new mower. The old mower was a purchase from a garage sale 10 years ago.


Here is a picture of happy Porter and the new mower. He has mowed the lawn several times this summer with our terrible non-propelled workout mower. This new self propelled mower makes mowing enjoyable and a breeze. I just have to be sure to hang on tight because it wants to take me for a ride. It is almost zero effort compared to the beast before. This morning I almost mowed the whole front yard in 15 minutes without one bead of sweat - truly miraculous! We should have bought a mower like this years ago.

Floating the River Fun

We floated the river with the Richael family Saturday afternoon - it was totally spontaneous (on our part). I said "what the heck" the house chores can wait for another day! Our families had a blast together (in addition to the dinner and talent show later that evening - it was a full day).

Within a couple minutes of launching our rafts on the river, we made our first stop on shore. The kids saw a mini-beach and had to stop. After getting a feel for the water, Craig got brave enough to swim in the shallow water near the shore. Boy, it was chilly and breathtaking. From his brave stunt, some of us followed suit, including: Amanda, Olivia, and me.

The kids went back and forth on the boats. For some reason, they felt like they were being tortured if they were on our raft. I'm still trying to figure out how Jody allures them to her car and boat (is it all the treats - I know food talks).

Notice in the bottom left picture Jody is mostly dry. That was taken before our water fight. We used our oars to splash water back and forth. I think Jody leaned a little too far forward which caused her to plunge into the cold river. From there on, I knew she was out to get me.

Paul and I managed a little better than last year with our raft. We still need some training on paddling and maneuvering the small falls. Jody caught a picture of us stuck on the cement edge of the falls. We came right up to the drop off and realized we were in the wrong spot. Luckily our boat got free and we were safe.

I have to mention that Jody and Paul teamed up and got me to fall off the boat in the river. Vivian was not happy with Jody because of her helping push me into the river so she tried pushing Jody off the boat. Oh, Vivs, I'm glad you will stand up for me! After that "water battle" we were even so we took it easy after that. Except that we tried to de-boat Paul, which ended up backfiring on me and I did a backward flip into the river getting totally drenched!

Towards the end of our float, I noticed a man standing above the water in a tree as we were floating underneath him. I looked up and asked "Oh, hi. Are you going to jump?" Right then he did a cannon ball drop next to our boat getting us wet. Holy cow! After that we pulled ashore and watched him scare many other floaters that passed by him. It was fun anticipating which raft he would choose as his target.

Thanks for inviting us, Richaels - we had a great day with you!

The Pirate's Cove Beach

The girls collected their findings and made a little aquarium in the various buckets and toys.

Saturday afternoon we went in search of another beach to explore. We stopped and asked a local - he said "just call wildlife on the phone they will know where to take a bunch of kids." What? I thought he didn't understand my question so I asked again, but got the same answer. Jody and I then stopped and asked a hotel manager and she gave us directions to a cool, hidden beach. I couldn't understand the name she called it, so I renamed it the Pirate's Cove Beach.

We happened to time our visit at low-tide, in hopes of finding tide pools filled with ocean creatures. This little hidden beach was located off the road between the Cape Mears Lighthouse and the quaint town of Oceanside, down many stairs and not seen from the road - it was the highlight of our trip because we found many creatures. These treasures included: starfish, barnacles, anemones, sea cucumbers, crabs, mussels, snails, fish, and more!

Porter spent his time making waterways to his little mud hole and sandcastle.

Paul and I explored the cave - it was full of colorful sea creatures. It was a bit scary walking through the cave in water, while hearing the ocean waves crashing not far away. When the tide is lower, you can walk completely through the tunnel to a secret beach on the other side.

The view was spectacular! We could have stayed here all day.

Here we are exploring the rocks - it was like Christmas every time we found something! I found a site that lists the great tidepool spots along the Oregon Coast. Check it out HERE.

By the time we left, we were all wet from the heavy mist. The weather was cool during our whole vacation and we barely saw the sun one day. Now we know why Oregon is so green and beautiful!

We are heading out to drive an hour back to Seaside after an eventful day at two beaches and the Tillamook Cheese Factory.

Summer Fun at the Coast

Bye Seaside and 500 N. Roosevelt

We had our last big blast this summer with a trip with the Richaels to the Oregon Coast. We had this plan in the works for a long time. Now I am home with a sandy van, lots of laundry, some sea shells, great memories, lots of photos, and many things to put away.

Vivian and Amanda are the first ones ready to go!

The kids took turns sitting in the front, in the back, in both vans - they were all over the place. It is nice traveling with friends because we can mix it up. Even the adults liked switching it up. Jody and I had some great visits. I have learned a lot from her example. I am especially grateful for her example of taking motherhood seriously and for finding the joy of raising righteous children. It is displayed in her love, in her devotion and commitment to her family, in her planned activities and experiences for them to learn and grow in specific areas, in her sacrifice to set aside her own interests and career - to be a mother and woman of God. Thank you, Jody!

Driving through Portland

It's a good thing Craig didn't see me take this photo - he wasn't very fond of all the photos I took! :-)

Picnic on the church lawn

Church at The Dalles

Yesterday we made the long drive from Seaside all the way back home. We left around 9am (Pacific time) and arrived home (10pm Mountain Time). On the way we stopped for sacrament meeting in The Dalles, along with a picnic lunch on the church lawn. It gave us enough energy to make the next segment of our trip to LaGrande where we accidentally found another LDS church and parked ourselves on the lawn for another picnic and restroom break.

Picnic in LaGrande on the church lawn

Our pet for 30 minutes!

As I was opening the church door, a small frog hopped inside the building. I quickly caught the frog, which brought lots of joy to the kids. They all took turns holding the poor thing and then he was released on the lawn. Little things can bring so much joy!

Fun at Lagoon

Last weekend we were in Utah for a family reunion. On Friday we played at Lagoon. I enjoyed myself even though I complained at the thought of going there. We arrived when they first opened and rode a few rides before there were anylong lines. We had a blast riding Rattlesnake Rapids - a ride that gets you totally wet, kind of like the Grizzly River Run in California Adventure. I came prepared with my shower cap! So when we went under the waterfall I quickly put my hair up in a clip and pulled the cap over my hair - ta da, my clothes were totally soaked but my hair was dry!

No one really saw me since we were the only ones on the ride...but I told the story to my siblings who all thought I was crazy! Have you ever seen my hair get wet? It curls up and looks terrible. By the ended of the day, I ended up getting wet on another ride that caught me by surprise. All the kids loved this ride, so we rode it a second time without having to wait in line.

Next was the log ride, known by some other fancy name. Our clothes got wet, but I was told I didn't need the shower cap. Luckily they were right and my hair stayed dry. Oh, we are just getting started!

Here we are riding the the old rickety sounding roller coaster. "Over 80 years old, the Lagoon Roller Coaster remains one of the most popular attractions at the Park, and one of only a few wooden coasters between Denver and the West Coast. In 1953, a fire destroyed the front of the coaster. It was rebuilt the following year, and sections of the roller coaster are rebuilt from year to year.

To ensure the safety of this ride, inspectors walk and thoroughly check over the tracks in the early morning of each day before putting them into use for the public. The Coaster was designed by John Miller, who also designed coasters for Coney Island."

Olivia and I got brave enough to ride the Rocket which accelerates you from ground level to 200 feet straight up in less than three seconds, with the initial powered blast creating a force of 4.5 Gs. After reaching the top position, you are blasted downward with 2-G force, and gradually slowed by increasing pressure as they enjoy several air-cushioned bounces up and down the tower.

The ride was pretty painless and we survived (I have to say that I felt safer it than Wild Mouse). Although, Olivia burst into tears during the Rocket ride - I guess she didn't not enjoy it. But she didn't ask me if the ride was "safe" like she did when we road the Wild Mouse. The kids and I enjoyed the Hydro Luge -a ride on a raft through a water tube. This is the ride that got my hair soaked by surprise. This ride kept us cooled off during this hot day (of at least 100 degrees).


The kids had fun on the bumper cars. This is their one time to test their driving skills!

The ride that Vivian liked the most was the "Bat", a suspended roller coaster ride. This ride is slow and gentle compared to most roller coasters. Olivia said her favorite ride was the Odysea, which she was lucky to ride with Clayton (the line was so long).

In all we had a great time playing in the park. Even Daniel, Paul's brother, was able to join us since he just recently moved to Salt Lake City. Corbin had a fun time scoping out the girls - please don't encourage him! He stayed (with some new friends he met) at Lagoon while we went back to Tara's for dinner and later Paul and Daniel met up with him and played until 11:00 pm.

Tent vs. Hotel Camping

I was home a couple weeks ago when I was telling my mother of all our summer plans. She was disappointed that we weren't taking the kids camping. Oh, I don't really like to camp or at least haven't in the past. She insisted that my kids need that opportunity. (We have taken them camping - it's just very rare).

I said, "Mom, my kids think camping is when you stay in a hotel room." She didn't like that answer and kept pestering me about this NEED to camp. I guess it wouldn't be too bad if we had 1) room in our van for all the stuff camping requires (we don't have a trailer), 2) if we had a pop up trailer with heat and electricity and protection from the rain, 3) if we didn't camp by noisy neighbors, 4) if I felt totally safe from animals and crazy people - come on, there is no lock, just a zipper... and the list continues!

Besides all of my reasons I decided to cancel our hotel accommodations because it was $320 for just two nights in West Yellowstone and camp in a tent at the KOA campground for $80 (40/ night). I still think $40 a night is a rip off for a piece of ground for a tent - don't you? Anyways, this campground is the gathering place for our family reunion. At least it has a swimming pool!

I guess my mom can be proud of me now! It won't be too bad because the reunion organizers are preparing all of the meals, except one. I don't have to haul up cooking equipment - which is a life saver!

We are in for some camping fun this summer!

Water Park Fun

Today we spent the afternoon at the water park. The kids loved the endless river along with the wave pool. By the time we left, we were all cold and hungry!

It seems like today was the first hot day of summer! I don't care for the heat - I would rather the temperature be in the 70-80's. Yes, I'm a wimp.

Free Picnic in the Park

The kids have been wanting to attend the free lunch in the park that they do here locally. So today was the big day. My own small town does this along with the bigger neighboring town. Kids are free and adults can purchase a lunch for only $2 - sounds like a bargain!

We attended a lunch at an apartment location and come to find out it is probably a popular area for refugees. I'm not sure what country they came from because I didn't understand their language, and I didn't get brave enough to ask. They were all darling children. I explained in the car that these families were probably refugees. Olivia understood a little of what that meant, because yesterday she attended a stake activity in which they did various service projects for local refugees.

If you want a link to these locations, just email me at tiffwinward@hotmail.com.

This was the menu of the location we went to:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Beef Sticks Boxed Lunch Milk	Chicken Salad Boxed Lunch Milk	Turkey Sticks and Cheese Sauce Box Lunch Milk	Peanut Butter Box Lunch Milk	Pepperoni Sticks Box Lunch Milk

The menu changes according to the location. Here is another example:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Hot Dog	Corn/bean Chili Con Carne	Chicken Casserole	Bean & Cheese Burrito	Chicken Caesar Wrap

+

Chocolate milk, juice box, cheese, graham cracker fish, soybean crunch, carrots, pepperoni sticks, treat

We were all stuffed there was more than enough food, plus they have a sharing box that you can choose additional food items if someone else didn't want it (everything is wrapped - don't freak).

Summer Fun Ideas Part I

I came across this 2010 summer planning calendar at the blog, 30 Handmade Days. She has provided the file so you can print your own. I like that it is all on one sheet - so I can look at my summer at once!

She also has a great idea for job jars - I think I am going to try it this summer.


Click here for information about the free family film festival at your local movie theatre. Selected G or PG movies start at 10:00am every Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. Tickets and seating are first-come, first-served and are limited to theatre capacity.


Marne told me about this cute website, Scriptures for Kids, that is having a summer reading challenge. You can choose the 30 day or 60 day challenge, and earn a reward of a $5 or $10 gift certificate to Desert Book.

The site has all sorts of fun scripture activities for kids, including: videos, games, coloring, games, music and more!


Fabulessly Frugal posted these freebies that the kids receive with good grades on their report cards.

1. Krispy Kreme Donuts-They will give your child a free doughnut for an “A”.

2. Limited Too- Limited Too wants to “congratulate girls on receiving outstanding grades.” Report cards with passing grades must be brought in within 30 days of receipt. Your child will receive $5.00 off her purchase that day.

3. Chuck E. Cheese- Chuck E. Cheese locations give away free tokens for good grades. They accept all types of grading systems, and will give away a maximum of 15 tokens. Currently, an “A” or equivalent is worth 3 tokens, a “B” is worth 2 tokens, and a “C” is worth 1 token.

4. Blockbuster- Blockbuster will give one free movie rental for A’s. The movie must be from the “kids” or “family” category.

5. Baskin Robbins-Baskin Robbins will give your child one free scoop for a report card bearing good grades.

6. Topps Trading Cards- Topps has partnered with stores all over the country to provide students with a free trading card in exchange for good grades. Their website provides a list of participating stores near you.

7. Pizza Hut - Pizza Hut will offer any child who has 3 A’s or the equivalent, one Personal Pan Pizza and a small soft drink or carton of milk by presenting his or her report card to the manager.

8. Noah’s Bagels- Kids in 1st-8th grades will receive one free bagel for an A on their report cards at Noah’s (not local).

9. Wahooz- Free tokens for good grades up to $5 (local only).

10. Goody’s- Goody’s in Hyde Park gives free ice cream for A’s (local only).

Lagoon Discount Passes

I was at Desert Book and learned about the summer Lagoon special, click here for all the details. Basically if you purchase certain items they earn you credits or discount passes. To check out Lagoon's website, click here.

For example, I bought this Summer Sampler DVD for $1.99 and received 1 credit, plus it has a $3 coupon on the back for some of the featured artists.





The CD includes tracks from the following:

Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Julie de Azevedo

Mercy River

Jenny Oaks Baker

Michael McLean

Dallyn Vail Bayles

Nearer: A New Collections of Favorite Hymns

Another Testament, Reflections of Christ

Sunday Morning Classics: Sunday Morning with String Quartet

So I bought that sampler DVD and then used the $3 coupon (which can be used as many times as you want through the end of the year) on Dallyn Vail Bayles DVD titled "Song of Redeeming Love", which earned me two credits. He was a performing artist at BYU Women's Week - he has an amazing voice and played the part as Hyrum in the Work and the Glory movies.

There are many different items you can purchase to earn credits, even a $0.60 bookmark for one credit! Just look at the link above for all the details of the items, prices and credits. I earned three credits for the two items I purchased - it's pretty easy.
Here is a picture of the discount coupon - you receive one for each credit. This gives you the opportunity to buy a Lagoon Single Day Passport for $29, instead of the regular price of $42.95. You need one of these coupons for each ticket you want to purchase at the special price (1 coupon for each credit).

Here is a close up on the days that this pass is valid (the days in orange). This pass works for the day that my extended family is gathering for a reunion! It looks like it works most summer days, with just a few exceptions.