Who doesn't like free stuff? My friend Becky has been on top of all the good deals this year and here is the latest. She stumbled upon a promotion that Shutterfly is offering bloggers right now. They have an amazing line of Christmas Cards and for telling you about them, I get 50 free cards! There are some really cute layouts and many that you can use more than one photo which I personally love! I can't wait to get started but first I have to find some good pictures to use! I keep trying to get that "perfect" family photo but it is really hard with 3 kids and self photography just doesn't cut it. But I will keep trying!
Here is where you can go for more information:
· Holiday photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery
· Christmas photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards
· Christmas cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards
You can get your own free photo cards by going here: http://bit.ly/sfly2010
November 29, 2010
November 13, 2010
Road to Home
On the road again. We left Reno this morning after a day of fun in the pool and a night at Circus Circus. The kids had a great time and this may become our stop between Saline and home from now on. So we left about 10AM and hope to be home shortly after 7PM.
We'll post pictures once we are unpacked and settled.
We'll post pictures once we are unpacked and settled.
November 11, 2010
Annual Saline Trip 2010
Where to begin. . . .
We have a trip that we look forward to every year from the time we get back home we can't wait to go again. This year with everything going on we have really been looking forward to our escape from reality!!
So this is how it all started, we were going to head off on our annual trip to Saline Valley last Friday (Nov. 5) and that morning we discovered that our truck needed a new radiator, this after $11,000 worth of work we had just put into the truck last month, thankfully most of it being covered under warranty. This time it wasn't covered and cost just as much as we tend to spend on this trip. So after waiting most of the day for the truck to be fixed and wondering if we should still go, at 6:40PM we were finally off. We knew we wouldn't be able to get as far as we usually do but we wanted to at least be on the road. It only took about 500 miles for me to have faith in the truck to actually make it there, or maybe it was all to the springs. Getting such a late start made for a very long second day on the road but we managed. The kids did great traveling.
We came into Saline at night and it was windy and a little bit chilly so the kids and I hid in Josh and Jodi's Sportsmobile while the guys set up camp for us. The whole time I am thinking what in the world did we just do. We put 3 kids in the car and traveled 16 hours to camp in the middle of no where!!!! Now were here and it is colder than usual for this time of year and it was windy.
Day 2 ~ I got up in the morning (way too early) and after feeding Myla I headed down to the shower/tubs, it was then that I had that feeling of bliss! I just stood there looking at my surroundings and being so thankful that we had made it safely to this amazing place and that I am able to share this wonder with my kids.
Without giving ever detail of our trip I will just have to say that we had some great moments and the kids had a blast in the tubs and made sure that they got to "try" all of them. We got to do a little bit of hiking and of course some rock hunting but the weather did not cooperate this year. We had cold and windy weather pretty much every day of the trip. We actually had two nights where we couldn't do anything but hide in our tent from the wind. It was HORRIBLE! What do you do with 3 kids when you can't even sit around the campfire cause it is too windy to even have one??? On Wednesday the weather looked promising, the kids and I got in shorts and headed down to enjoy our time at the tubs and hang out on the grass playing games, etc. within the 1 1/2 -2 hours that we were away from camp the wind picked up, the clouds blew in and that was it. It was so windy that we couldn't even stand to be in the tent and again we invaded J&J's Sportsmobile. Michael and I were actually starting to pack the truck to leave that night. We had had enough!!! We didn't get to do anything we had promised the kids, no good hikes, no sand dunes. . . we felt horrible but really couldn't even fatham the thought of spending another night of no sleep in a tent blown by the wind. Makayla was in tears cause she didn't want to leave, Kaden was in tears cause he just wanted to be home. . . Mom is almost in tears because of the whole situation!! Dad is at a loss, not sure what to do. . . .
We ended up staying the night, we made beds in the back of the truck and all 5 of us slept in the truck, which was great until our air mattress popped in the middle of the night!!! Seriously!! When we got up the next morning and it was still windy we decided we were out of there. Actually, our whole group of people were on the same page in this decision. So we packed up and just as we were loading the final things I went to open the truck and realized that while trying to keep the kids happy while we were packing we allowed them to be in the truck, well, Kaden had locked the doors. . . . and the keys were inside. Now mom is seriously in tears. Thankfully, Jeff came to the rescue and the front passenger door wasn't all the way shut so he and Michael were able to stick a metal rod down and eventually hit the unlock button to get it unlocked. AAAHHHHH! I don't know if you understand the severity of this situation but we are seriously in the middle of nowhere and both sets of keys were locked in the truck. So what else could go wrong, well THEN we were all loaded up kids in their seats and . . . . the truck wouldn't start!!!!! Dead battery. My husband does pack/plan for every situation so we were able to swap out the battery and finally we were on our way home.
I am telling you this story as I sit in a hotel in Reno. We felt so bad ending our trip so short that we are going to stay here and do some fun things with the kids. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a hotel with a pool that is open this time of year?? We finally found one so we took the kids swimming and now I am just trying to relax while everyone else naps. Oh! and while Michael tries to find his cell phone that is somehow lost!!
Lord please get us home safe with no more hickups! May the next family VACATION have a better story to tell.
We have a trip that we look forward to every year from the time we get back home we can't wait to go again. This year with everything going on we have really been looking forward to our escape from reality!!
So this is how it all started, we were going to head off on our annual trip to Saline Valley last Friday (Nov. 5) and that morning we discovered that our truck needed a new radiator, this after $11,000 worth of work we had just put into the truck last month, thankfully most of it being covered under warranty. This time it wasn't covered and cost just as much as we tend to spend on this trip. So after waiting most of the day for the truck to be fixed and wondering if we should still go, at 6:40PM we were finally off. We knew we wouldn't be able to get as far as we usually do but we wanted to at least be on the road. It only took about 500 miles for me to have faith in the truck to actually make it there, or maybe it was all to the springs. Getting such a late start made for a very long second day on the road but we managed. The kids did great traveling.
We came into Saline at night and it was windy and a little bit chilly so the kids and I hid in Josh and Jodi's Sportsmobile while the guys set up camp for us. The whole time I am thinking what in the world did we just do. We put 3 kids in the car and traveled 16 hours to camp in the middle of no where!!!! Now were here and it is colder than usual for this time of year and it was windy.
Day 2 ~ I got up in the morning (way too early) and after feeding Myla I headed down to the shower/tubs, it was then that I had that feeling of bliss! I just stood there looking at my surroundings and being so thankful that we had made it safely to this amazing place and that I am able to share this wonder with my kids.
Without giving ever detail of our trip I will just have to say that we had some great moments and the kids had a blast in the tubs and made sure that they got to "try" all of them. We got to do a little bit of hiking and of course some rock hunting but the weather did not cooperate this year. We had cold and windy weather pretty much every day of the trip. We actually had two nights where we couldn't do anything but hide in our tent from the wind. It was HORRIBLE! What do you do with 3 kids when you can't even sit around the campfire cause it is too windy to even have one??? On Wednesday the weather looked promising, the kids and I got in shorts and headed down to enjoy our time at the tubs and hang out on the grass playing games, etc. within the 1 1/2 -2 hours that we were away from camp the wind picked up, the clouds blew in and that was it. It was so windy that we couldn't even stand to be in the tent and again we invaded J&J's Sportsmobile. Michael and I were actually starting to pack the truck to leave that night. We had had enough!!! We didn't get to do anything we had promised the kids, no good hikes, no sand dunes. . . we felt horrible but really couldn't even fatham the thought of spending another night of no sleep in a tent blown by the wind. Makayla was in tears cause she didn't want to leave, Kaden was in tears cause he just wanted to be home. . . Mom is almost in tears because of the whole situation!! Dad is at a loss, not sure what to do. . . .
We ended up staying the night, we made beds in the back of the truck and all 5 of us slept in the truck, which was great until our air mattress popped in the middle of the night!!! Seriously!! When we got up the next morning and it was still windy we decided we were out of there. Actually, our whole group of people were on the same page in this decision. So we packed up and just as we were loading the final things I went to open the truck and realized that while trying to keep the kids happy while we were packing we allowed them to be in the truck, well, Kaden had locked the doors. . . . and the keys were inside. Now mom is seriously in tears. Thankfully, Jeff came to the rescue and the front passenger door wasn't all the way shut so he and Michael were able to stick a metal rod down and eventually hit the unlock button to get it unlocked. AAAHHHHH! I don't know if you understand the severity of this situation but we are seriously in the middle of nowhere and both sets of keys were locked in the truck. So what else could go wrong, well THEN we were all loaded up kids in their seats and . . . . the truck wouldn't start!!!!! Dead battery. My husband does pack/plan for every situation so we were able to swap out the battery and finally we were on our way home.
I am telling you this story as I sit in a hotel in Reno. We felt so bad ending our trip so short that we are going to stay here and do some fun things with the kids. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a hotel with a pool that is open this time of year?? We finally found one so we took the kids swimming and now I am just trying to relax while everyone else naps. Oh! and while Michael tries to find his cell phone that is somehow lost!!
Lord please get us home safe with no more hickups! May the next family VACATION have a better story to tell.
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