Enchanted Forest: Storybook Lane

     The "Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" shoe was the last exhibit in Storybook Lane.   

There was a line to go through the shoe. It was the most crowded of anything else we had seen all day.  Roland pointed out to the slides below, and I went away from the shoe toward the bottom of the slide to get pictures of Ashley and Jenna coming down the slide.

I don't know if the slide required the purchase of tickets or not.  We had purchased each girl an all-day bracelet to go on the rides for as many times as they wanted.  It would have been less costly just to purchase individual tickets, but we didn't know. 

     After the shoe slide, we went to the carousel on our search for the theatre.  We also passed the haunted house which hadn't opened yet or was overcrowded with other guests.  We decided that we would hit it on our return from the outdoor theatre.  The theatre skit was cute.

     The feature was "Snow White and the Seven Dorks" - a skit acted out by three people.  The "dwarves" making a cameo appearance in a clever costume of acting person in middle holding up attached dolls on the costume so it appears that there are seven.  

     Jenna had my camera, and I should have retrieved it from her.  Initially, she and Ashley sat behind us but had moved and wasn't within my reach.  I took only a few pictures with my cell phone - but it didn't capture the detail of what we saw.  (I still have a flip phone, by the way.  Don't care for the touchscreen)

     After the show, the girls returned to the haunted house.  I don't know if we got something to eat before or after the log flume. I remember taking pictures of the tombstones between the haunted house and the Tofteville Western Town.  Tofte is the last name of the park creator and his family.  You can watch their story here.  Be warned, it is over 30 minutes, but I believe well worth the watch.

I wish we could have taken Manuel instead of Ashley

     It wasn't so much that Kayla was not interested in the Enchanted Forest so much as the drive there.  Roland had asked to take off the last week of March.  It was my understanding that Kayla and her family had planned to leave their house on Friday morning on March 23 - which was the last day of school for Kayla, but not for the school districts in Salt Lake.  Their spring break did not until the following Thursday (the 29th) and so Roland had extra time off before the family arrived.

     He wanted to do something special with Jenna and asked her to invite a friend that we might take with us to the Enchanted Forest.  She had asked one friend who initially said "yes" but then had to tell her "no".  She then decided to invite Ashley, whom I had never heard her mention before until that week as she had been invited to Ashley's birthday party.

     Problem with many of Jenna's friends is not knowing the parents and if they would allow us to take their child with us to another county.  Kamie's mom would in a heartbeat, but Kamie seems to always cut their playdates short as she has been experiencing health issues.  It is hard enough fulfilling plans at home - let alone on the road.  That was probably not a good idea.

       Annette and Jenna had enjoyed each other's company two years ago, but not anymore.  I may have suggested her if it wasn't for her meddlesome and rather insecure mother - who at one time did seem to like us.  But the last time we took her on the road her mother had a fit.  It was the last time Annette and Jenna got together and Kylee is always busy.

     I drove Jenna to Ashley's house to meet her parents who seemed more than okay with our taking Ashley with us.  But then Ashley seemed to want to back out.  I told Jenna that she should contact Manuel - which I wish would have been my thought in the first place.  The entire point of taking a friend was so that Jenna would have someone to go on the rides with.  Manuel would have done that with her and they both would have enjoyed themselves - or so I believe.

          I'm not saying that Ashley didn't have a good time, or that I have anything against her.  I don't really know her still.  She seems like a nice girl.  She actually reminded me a lot of Jenna's friend, Savannah, and I caught myself nearly calling Ashley that at least three times.  Savannah may have been a good choice too, but Jenna says she doesn't know how to get a hold of her now.  But then again, I think Ashley may have displayed more enthusiasm than I have ever seen Savanah do.

     Our family had never been to the park before, and so we were not sure what to expect - though I had looked it up online.  In my mind, I had compared the descriptions to Pioneer Village section of Lagoon, an amusement park located in Farmington, Utah, as that is what I am familiar with.  While Lagoon offers many rides, there really is not a huge selection of rides in the Pioneer Village part of the park.

  

     Enchanted Forest seems to be divided into three main sections: Story Book Lane, Olde English Village, and Tofteville Western Town. 

      We started out on the left side of the castle exploring Story Book Lane.  Jenna and Ashley took several pictures of each exhibit as they walked the lane.  Jenna went into the "hole" where Alice fell

entering the hole - the dark part of the picture

and we met her further down the lane coming out of the keyhole.  

she walked through the keyhole to exit

I think she's really too tall for many of the exhibits but enjoyed anyway.  I think Manuel would have as well.  Ashely had started following her but turned back and met us on the trail.  I believe Manuel would have stayed with her and kept that beautiful smile upon his face.  I rarely ever see him without his fabulous smile.

     Jenna said her favorite exhibit was the crooked house.  Ashley went in with her but I did not.  It's challenging enough for me to stay balanced on the "switchback" trails.  Most amusement parks seem level, but there was definitely climb to this one.

September is Better Than March

          Bill got some really great pictures of the animals when we had gone to Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon.  I'm happy that he was able to see more than I had when I went with them on March 30 this year.  I thought the activity among the animals had been much more impressive in September 2015 - the year we had moved here - the year I had gone with my brother, Corey.  Of course we gone at lunch time and had the honor of witnessing several animals being fed (Cats and Bears are kept behind fences whereas most of the other animals are free to roam) and this year we had gone early in the morning when the animals weren't quite as active.

          I really wanted pictures of us rather than use up my battery for animals in the distance.  The greatest part of the safari this time was watching the ostrich determined to block our path and hold up a line of cars

 

we couldn't go around it

did make it's way around the car eventually

Kayla in the back of our car

I don't know how many more cars behind the camper

          We also had the option of feeding one group of animals;  I didn't remember that even being an option when Corey and I went.  I had turned my head away from the window momentarily and when I turned back, I had this view right in my face:

        We had initially planned on leaving the park to get some lunch but as there was a giant hole in the van window, it was suggested that the rest of us go feed the kids (and ourselves) while Bill took the van somewhere to take care of the problem.  Most had been finishing up his or her lunch when Bill finally joined us.  Luckily he had not even had to leave the lot, but was assisted by some workers from the safari who lined the back window with a couple of cardboard boxes.

          The walk-thru part of the attraction also seemed to have added features that either weren't there in 2015 or perhaps I was just oblivious to them.  Roland had paid for all of us to ride the train.  The train was designed for small people and runs in a figure eighth. I would have rather spent the money on allowing each of the kids (Jenna included) to ride the camel.  But we didn't know any better.

      

          I thought we could do another drive-thru after lunch, but Kayla and Roland were very tired.  We put Roland and three of the  kids in our car to go home.  Kayla, BJ and I went with Bill to Roseburg so that he could get the window fixed but ended up having to return by himself on Monday.

          We did not leave the house on Saturday or Sunday;  watched Conference (or tried to) and played games and visited with one another.  Made it more relaxing.  It was so good spending time with them again. 

Conference and Cupcakes

            I did not get much out of conference this year as there seemed to be more distractions even though I thought the kids seemed to show more respect during conference as a whole.  We had the TV on just before one of the sessions started and six-year-old Gary came in and said, "Oh, it's just conference.  I have seen this already."

            I am happy that there are recordings that I may go back to what I missed - and not just this year.  There are other years to review as well.  The year that my father died and was in the hospital over conference weekend - his last upon earth.  The year I was pregnant with Jenna - even though I was into my second trimester - I was still throwing up - practically my entire pregnancy.  And then she was born on conference weekend.

            After Easter's morning session, Roland took the kids into the kitchen to make cupcakes.  Each was able to add an ingredient and watch as he poured the batter into prepared cups.  After the afternoon session, the cakes had cooled and the kids each had five cakes to decorate.  Gary used the dinosaur decors for all five of his cupcakes.  BJ and Anna used mostly coconut and sugar sprinkles.  Jenna used a variety.  All four enjoyed the cupcake decorating and eating activity.

Green sprinkles are shaped like dinosaurs

Jenna's masterpieces

number dwindled a bit . . . actually a lot

Life Is a Trampoline to a Three-year-old

            Love my three-year-old nephew.  He reminds me of Jenna with his sophisticated vocabulary and knowledge.  His parents said he is currently into volcanoes - claiming that they saw 18 on the way her and four since they arrived.  Jenna may have used the word "volcano" to mean hill or mountain, but volcano is much cooler to say as there are more syllables.

            BJ also likes to jump and suck his thumb.  I wonder if he jumps over volcanic lava the way that Jenna used to - well still does at times.  What a great imagination!

            Thumb sucking is hard to break.  We had used a food substitute called imitation butter to get Kayla to stop sucking her thumb as it was the only non-harmful thing we could find to put on her thumb that she didn't enjoy sucking.  I don't think I ever succeeded in finding anything that Jenna liked.

            The six-year-old seems to have a persnickety manner.  His way or no way.  It appears that he may run Kayla ragged - though not as much as Bill will (or already has).  Bill has a sense of humor and can laugh things off.  Gary does have a sense of humor - not one that I am able to relate to. However, he is unable to laugh off uncontrollable situations.  I think he is the opposite of his dad in handling (or mishandling) situations that seem to be out of his control.  Unbelievably, he is an even pickier eater than Jenna.

           I think Gary would rather drink juice or punch than milk or water.  Of course, chocolate milk is acceptable, but I think it is given as a reward.  We keep cases of bottled water, which interested him.  Jenna had referred to the bottled water as "ice juice" as it sounded better than water.  Gary seemed to be okay with ice juice and had actually requested some on his own.

            My niece seems easy going for the most part.  Jenna took her aside to teach her pop songs.  They really do have fun together.

Bill's April Fool's Joke

          Bill and Jenna both share a similar personality.  They enjoy pranks even when it is not April Fools - so I really don't know what makes it different from every other day.  At least Bill separated the two events that occurred on April 1st.          

                  

                  

retrieved from Facebook.  I thought it was hilarious

 

          I remember having learned that the Julian calendar had originally started with April as the first month of the year but the other months were added.  History channel says "Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar."  Either way, the start of New Years supposedly once fell upon April 1st.  People who forgot about not being a new year were pranked.  Or else Bill and Jenna among others made certain their ancestors found a way to create the tradition of "April Fool"

          Bill and Kayla have a tradition of doing the Easter eggs and "gifts" on Saturday.  So the kids had already dug through their baskets buckets of treasures, experience the hunt for plastic eggs and decorated  (or attempted to anyway) almost two dozen eggs the day before Easter.

          After the children were asleep, Bill made some Jell-O and put it in cups.  On Sunday he brought them out and told the kids that he had made a special drink for them and that they should drink their "punch" as quickly as possible.  They enjoyed his little "trick".  But none bothered to eat the Jell-O.  

Bill's weren't filled quite as high

Spoke Too Soon

          It really was cold outside on Monday and most of yesterday.  By the time Roland got off work, however, I started getting hot.  I opened both doors that lead outside, and had even stepped onto the back porch to breathe in the cool air.  Surely it's too soon to think about putting up the A/Cs - but I did sleep with two windows open last night.  Roland didn't seem to mind.  I noticed he wasn't coughing as hard this morning.

         

          When Jenna left for school, it was raining.  Not a hard rain as I have seen before.  And it actually didn't last.  Why do I always seem to get hot when it's raining outside?