Kayakchaos

I have decided to really focus on my SimplyFun business in the fall/winter. Up here summer and spring is very busy with outdoor activity while everyone is trying to soak up as much sunshine they can get before winter hits. Since fall is drawing closer I have been working on booking parties to start earning a little extra for the up coming Christmas season. August is birthday month for SimplyFun which means lots of Sales and some fun new games and other products! One of their newest games is Kayakchaos($28). I received my copy last week and this past weekend Jared and I played. It is for 2-4 players ages 8 and up. And it was so much fun. The goal is to be the first to get your kayak safely across the river while playing action cards to create chaos for your opponents. I can't wait to play this with another couple and see what more fun chaos we can cause.

Sales this month:

Simply Catan $26 (retail $42)
In10sity $21 (retail $34)
Drive $14 (retail $22)
Ribbit $12 (retail $18)

August 4-10 only:
Purchase $50 worth of product and get Liebrary 0r Woodchuck for just $19 (retail prices: Liebrary $48 & Woodchuck $55)

Remember Christmas isn't too far away. Email (jmw319@gmail.com) or make a comment on this post if you want to take advantage of some sweet deals.

Paris

So I'll be in Paris in exactly on month. I am so excited and nervous as well to travel so far away from the kids. I know they will be in goods hands but it was hard enough just leaving when we flew to Hawaii last summer. And that wasn't even half an ocean away. Now I will be a whole country plus an ocean away, yikes. But I guess that’s not really stopping me because I’m still going. I do wish I can see more of France then just Paris but it was my decision to just stay in Pairs for the three days instead of meeting Jared and traveling up to Paris. It was just going to be to stressful and hectic so I can't complain. Hopefully his company will get their money together and we can really live in Europe for a few months next year. But enough complaining because I am going to Paris which is usually once in a life time unless you are extremely lucky and have been blessed with all kinds of money. I am somewhat disappointed with myself. We bought a package deal to have dinner on the Eifel tower followed by a cruise and then a show at the Moulin Rouge. I understood the Moulin Rouge to be a classy theater which it is. The admit kids 12 and older in and they even show the Lion King. So I was kind of thinking Broadway in France. However the shows are little more risqué then I expected (Top less women and G-strings. They are also covered in sequence and feathers) It is supposed to be a really good show and classy with the best dancing and costumes around. Wouldn’t it be fun to see a true French Can-Can in France? Anyway, the tickets are non-refundable. So do I just loose the money and ditch the show I mean I am still going to eat at the Eiffel Tower and take a night cruise down the river or do I go and use the excuses of it culture, its theater, it arts, and its Paris!

Pionner Day Celebration

I love small towns, never thought I would. But they are so friendly and you can do so much together. This weekend we celebrated pioneer day. I never celebrated is much before moving to Idaho. I knew about it and remember vaguely having pioneer day activity in Primary when I was younger but never realized what a big deal it was until moving up here. I imagine Utah has huge celebrations through out the state since the pioneers first settled in Utah before making their way up to Idaho.

St. Anthony always made a huge week long celebration out of the event. It was looked forward to every year. We had a community play, rodeos, bake sale, parade, neighborhood fireworks and BBQ’s with friends. It was a time of year we always looked forward too. Even last year after moving to Iona we still headed up to St. Anthony to be with friends and celebrate the pioneer heritage. This year however we decided to stay in Iona and enjoy their celebration, which was just as fun. They had a dinner and free movie in the park Friday night (which we missed). Saturday was a breakfast and then there were booths full of games and activities for the kids. They had a car show and free fried chicken dinner followed by a hand cart trek around the park for the kids topped off with a community talent show. It was a fun day.

The kids loved the train ride that went around the park.

A friend of ours is starting a wood fired pizza catering business. He set up a booth and let the Scout's sell pizzas as a fundrasier to pay for Scout Camp. They did pretty good and the pizza's are so good!

Enjoying cotton candy

Enjoying a cupcake.

Savannah was the first to win a cupcake on the cake walk. RJ tried four times before he got one.The kids under 8 getting ready to catch a pig to win a prize.

This pig was supposed to be greased, but it wasn't and I am sure the parents were a little thankful not to have their kids covered in grease.

Here is the crowd at the big dinner. From far away it was hard to tell but there was lots of people getting their free meal.

RJ is on the blue firemen pole in the middle (wearing a cowboy hat). He was so excited that he was finally able to go down it without help.

The hand cart trek around the park.

The older kids got some practice on how is might have been like to pull those hand carts across the plains, the younger kids enjoyed the ride.

Scout Camp

Well, I survived my first week of widowhood. Jared was at Scout Camp all week. He had a good time with his troop. He had five boys come and they combined with another troop with five boys as well. We came up Thursday afternoon/evening for a visit and the boys cooked us some sloppy joes which was better then the cereal we had eaten most of the week. (When Jared is gone I don’t do much cooking since the kids don’t like eating much anyway.) The kids had a blast walking around camp, picking up sticks and rocks, learning to fish, and getting really dirty. RJ stayed Thursday night and came home with the scouts late Friday night. He of course had a blast and had all kinds of stories to share with me when he got home.
Each boy caught a fish in the near by stream during the week. Jared caught one as well and his was the biggest. The grilled them by and had a nice fish dinner.

RJ loved fishing. He had so much fun and got the hang out it quickly. Jared might have to take him out more often.

The kids touched a fish one of the boys caught. They were both a little unsure about it, since it wasn't completely dead and kept jumping around.

One of the boys gutting his fish. RJ was very concerned about it.

Savannah was so dirty by the end of the day. She had so much fun playing in the dirt.

RJ's huge pancake breakfast the next morning.

Fun times

This week has just been a typical ordinary week. Playing in the yard, cleaning up messes, stopping fights, trying to get some quiet time, etc. I did mange to take several pictures through it all.

After hearing many comments from friends about how well they enjoyed the twilight series, I requested a copy at the library. I was number 24 on the waiting list. Luckily they had at least ten copies so it only took a week to get a copy. I finished reading it early this week and very much enjoyed it. I am waiting for my copy of book number two which I should be able to get Monday.
I have been pulling weeds in the garden. I almost have them all out. I might think twice about having such a large garden next year. My strawberry patch produced its first strawberry and I had to take a picture of it. I was so very excited. We tired a strawberry patch in St. Anthony but it failed. But it looks like I will get a few this year. And this one tasted very yummy. I was lucky enough to get to it before Savannah :)

We have been working a little with Savannah using the potty. She doesn't really know when she needs to go but does know when she has gone. We generally sit her on the potty in the morning when she wakes up and is dry or before she gets into the tub. And she likes to go after RJ uses the potty as well and she has gone a couple of times rather then just sitting. I am crossing my fingers that she will have this down this fall.

We spent most of the week outside enjoying the nice warm weather. The kids played in the backyard and had lunch on their play set just about every day. We also enjoyed or weekly excursion to story time at the library and a trip to the park afterwards. We finally used our Funland coupons that the kids got for reading. They got one free ride at the park and RJ has been bugging me for weeks to use it. After Funland we signed up for swimming lessons, which will start next week. RJ is so excited for it. .

Savannah and Sally looking at the kittens next door.

After stories the library provides a craft for the kids to do. This weeks stories were on hats so the kids created their own silly hats.

Savannah always has to check out a Strawberry shortcake movie.

We went to the temple Friday night for our date night. Afterwards we went to DI to pick up a few things for Scout Camp next week. While there we found this cute little desk perfect for the kids for $25. We put all there art supplies and play dough, etc. in the desk. They love it. It is just the right size for them and it keeps them off the kitchen table. (which really isn't that great of a table, but it is not not to have to clean up their mess each time it is time to eat)

After weeks of not having the jeep charged, we finally charged it again and the kids have been riding it every night. Oh, and Thrusday night we had some friends over for dinner. Kind of an interesting story. But Amy Weston (now Jeppson) found Jared on Facebook. She is from Fairfield and they knew each other in High School I knew her a little bit from church Stake activities. Anyways, she married a guy from Vacaville but they wound up her in Idaho Falls. They have been here a year. So we got together for a BBQ. She has four kids, the oldest it RJ's age. They had a blast together.

Weekend with cousin

Jared's brother and his family moved to Boise from Sacramento a few weeks ago. Lisa called Tuesday and asked when we could come up and see them. Because of Jared's busy summer schedule we really only had a weekend in Aug. and then not another one till mid Sept. So instead of waiting to see us in Sept. Lisa asked if they could come visit this weekend, which they did. The kids had a fun time with their cousin Makale. It will be so nice to have a cousin live closer to us. This is Makale who is just a week older then Savannah.

Savannah and Makale watching the dogs play outside.

Lisa and I took the kids to the zoo while Jard and Jeremy spent some quality brother time together. They went golfing and checked out the army surplus store.

This duck has a blue bill. Out of all the times we have been to the zoo in that past few months, I don't think I had seen it before.

We tried to get a photo of all three on the lion but Savannah slipped off pulling Makale down with her. This was the best I could get.

This picture is for Matthew. He says he has never seen a tiger before and when we took him to the zoo last weekend he was so excited to see the tiger. Unfortunately the tiger was sleeping in the shade of his den and we were unable to see him. Sorry about that Matt, maybe next time.

After the zoo we went to the river for a picnic. Daddy and Uncle Jeremy were supposed to meet us there but they were running a little late. This is a picture of RJ calling Daddy to tell him to hurry up.

Playing in the water along the side of the house. Notice how Makale and Savannah are sitting the exact same way, classic!

Uncle Jeremy helping RJ ride a bike. RJ still doesn't have the balance thing down. I am not sure he is going to pick it up till next summer, but we will keep working with him.