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? 

Ham, Potato Salad and Other Memories

            When I was growing up, Ham and Potato Salad were on the menu during the Easter holiday.  I remember my mom saying she had made (or was making) a big batch shortly after Jenna was born (though she arrived eight days earlier than her due date - which was on Easter that year).  I was still in the hospital and mom had made arrangement for our oldest son (Ooki had lived with our family for his senior year but was living with another family when Jenna was born) to bring her the car seat and she fed him and everybody else in the family who had come for Jenna's birth.  What a rip-off!  I had to stay in the hospital with my newborn and would have rather had mom's potato salad than hospital food.

 

            Mom packed some potato salad in a container and brought it with her the next day. 

            This year Kayla made deviled egg sandwiches for lunch on Easter Sunday.

Ooki with his one day old American sister

1 day old Jenna with dad and brothers

Jenna's first birthday

 Jenna turned 14 yesterday.  Oh the memories!

Jenna's 14th

Why Is It SO DRY?

            I don't recall it ever having been as cold in Oregon as it has been this past March.  We haven't had near the amount of rain as last year.  Except for the dew on the grass, I really haven't seen or felt a lot of moisture.  And yet the hills are a golf course green.  There have been times they've been capped with snow.  It has always been less than a foot, but in this part of Oregon, those few inches are enough to keep buses off the back roads.  Some of Jenna's classmates have missed a few weeks because of it.
 
            I had told Kayla NOT to bring the trailer tent because the weather had been too cold.  They did leave the trailer in Utah - but not because of the weather. She said she was happy about having left it behind.  Apparently, the wind had blown for most of their travel here.  That was how it had been for us last June when we had gone back to Utah for Jeanie's funeral. A constant cold and comatosing wind.

            It's not as if I've always had complaints about the air quality in Utah.  I don't think I started complaining about it until after we moved to West Valley - though there were some tough years when I had still been single, it didn't seem to be quite as often as West Valley.  I realize it may have just been an age thing - but I also realized that the ventilation of that house was not the greatest in addition to having the lowest ceilings of any house I had ever lived in.  I need at least four feet of space between me and the ceiling (I don't know if that is accurate - I'm just estimating).  I've never lived in a house with skylights until we moved to our house in Oregon - two years ago this month.

            I also noticed that I was always tired whenever the wind blew - but apparently, the wind/coma thing was only in Utah.  The wind never had the same effect on me in Oregon except for twice now.  I can no longer remember when I was affected the first time, but I remember being tired last Thursday when my sister and her family were due to arrive.  I was tired for most of the time they were here - but it wasn't because of the wind. 
        During the time that my sister and here were here, the weather had been really nice for most of their stay - not at all what I had expected.  Roland and I actually had our windows open while we slept - but it's gotten cold again. And we put the heat back on.

            He's still got that stupid cough, and I have been waking up trying to clear my throat from all the dryness.  Last year's rainfall seemed to last for four months.  We haven't had near as much rain and I find my breathing now feels similar to my normal breathing in Salt Lake.  I don't like that.  Perhaps we'll have to move closer to the ocean.

Three Mods in a Row - Are You Kidding Me?

          I don't know how many courses my current instructor is teaching, but this is the third mod that I've had her.  At least the lecture is on Tuesday now instead of Wednesday, so that will be better.  But the subject is still accounting.  I actually slept through today's lecture.  She was late getting started and didn't sound almost done when I finally turned her off.  I still have to create my discussion post - but then again, so does the rest of the class.

          Today starts a new mod.  My instructor kept referring to the things that had been discussed in the class last week - which I suppose is fine and good for those who actually took ACC322 last mod, but what about the members of the class who may have not even had an accounting class last mod?  She did say there were several names of students that she has been assigned to previously.  Lucky us.  In addition, she has been doing taxes for clients outside of the school.  It sounds as if her plate may be overflowing.

          And yet I keep returning to the lesson I had given about "Divine Design" and wonder if my being in her class three times in a row now may not be more than a coincidence and wonder . . .  why?