Renaissance Festival - Arizona

It's a family tradition of ours to every year go to the Renaissance Fair just east of Phoenix.  It's so much fun.  If any of you live in Arizona... go.  You will love it.  Here are a few of the things that we did that day.

It's a whole village themed after the time period.  There is a king, queen, knights, gypsies, wenches, wizards, jesters... you name it - it's there.  The whole village is authentic.  They have time appropriate food, shows, shops... it's great.

This was an AMAZING juggling show that we went to.  It was so good we went twice during the day!

The food there is DELICIOUS.  Mason and I had been dreaming of our favorite things ever... the turkey legs.  I won't even try to describe how absolutely delicious these are...  Just take a look.  That expression on Mason's face is (blinded by the sun) but nothing less than pure bliss.

This is Ryan and Eric both enjoying the turkey legs as well.

When I was a little girl I always wanted to be a gypsy.  Looks like I got my wish.  Pretty hot huh??

They have lots of fun games to play too.  I tried the bow-and-arrow...  The last one I tried hit the bottom corner of the target.  (The others hit the ground)  :)

Mason did much better than I, to say the least.

So one of my favorite shows is the mudmen.  They are these HILARIOUS two guys who are basically cavemen.  One is civilized and one is called the 'wildman.'  Well at the beginning of the show the civilized man says that he is looking for a wild man to be in the show with him.  He then asks the women of the audience who has the wildest man of them all.  Needless to say... my wild man made it on stage.

I was so proud of him!!  Haha... here is is putting on his mud paint.  

It was so funny.  Like I said they were having try-outs for the 'true' wild man. He had to talk the wild man talk and dance like a wild man.  Of course it's suppose to be fixed and the audience is suppose to choose the guy in the show, but Mason did such a good job the audience cheered more for him than the real mudman.  The mudman said, "We're just gonna pretend that didn't happen."  He got to keep the hat as a souvenir.

It was a great way to leave Arizona.  Our flight flew out that night.

Sick...

I'm sick today. I have a temperature of 102.8. It's been a long time since I have stayed home sick with a temperature. Feel sorry for me... Haha.
I think it was kinda inevitable though. I have had 6 kids absent every day this week. It was bound to happen to me.

Afternoon off...

About three times in the school year I have to take the afternoon off to go to a training at the district office.  Basically the only thing good about these meetings is not really that I get to leave my kids - because then I have to do sub plans and thats a hassle at times... but the good thing is that usually the meeting gets out early and I have an extra hour in my day.  During a normal school day I am allowed to leave the school at 4:00 but usually stay much longer.  But when I have these meetings I am usually done by 3:15.

To some this probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but an hour or more to me opens up a whole new world of opportunity for cleaning, going to Walmart, washing clothes, reading a book, perhaps taking a nap... you never know what could happen in that hour.  Well here is how I decided to spend my extra hour in my day:

Yes I decided to do one of my favorite past times and lock my keys in my car.  So I got to sit on the steps of the district office (atleast it was warm outside) and wait for my gracious friend Klara to come pick me up because Mason had my only spare key and you know me...  I'm to cheap to call a locksmith.  Yes that's my reflection in the window... doesn't it kinda look like the keys are mocking me - the way they are hanging there??  Ooooo...

Thank you so much Klara!

Real Reason...

The main reason that Mason and I went to Arizona was to be trainers in a leadership camp that my dad and Ryan have done for what seems like forever. This is kind of a family tradition that has been going on since Ryan was 12 years old. He started it at that age and every year since we have either participated in it or been trainers over a group of kids. The camp is geared for kids in the county that have leadership potenital or who come from troubled homes and their teachers see potential in them. Teachers select 10 kids from their school and they get to come to the camp. It's an awesome thing. I was so excited to have Mason come with me and have us be over a group of kids. I haven't done the camp for about 5 years so I was nervous and hopeful that I would remember all that I needed to teach.

We were over a group of 20 kids. These kids were hilarious and amazing. I am use to working with 6 year olds and these kids ranged between the ages of 12 to 14. I worried about being able to relate to them... but it was much easier than I thought. Throughout the week of the camp the kids do activities that build teamwork and are put through different challenges that help teach them different ways to think about their lives and set goals. It's a powerful week full of emotion. I couldn't believe how close I felt to these kids after spending just a couple of days with them.

Mason and I also met Patrick. Patrick is one of my dad's students that also participated in the camp. My dad teaches a class involving all of the material at the camp and so the other trainers at the camp were all from him classes. Patrick was amazingly full of energy. We loved him to death and he was a great example for the kids. The kids called him Jet Lee. They loved him too!

It was a good bonding experience for Mason and I. He got to see my family in a light that he has never seen them in before and the same for them seeing him. This is a picture of all the trainers. Kyle and his wife Stacey came too. It was the first time we have all been together in Casa Grande since Kyle got married. We had a fun time. So like I said, the rest of these kids are my dad's students.

This is random... but Raena is one of my dad's students who I use to babysit about 12 years ago. She was darling then and she still is now. It was fun to see her at this camp all grown up. Oh my little Raena!!

I feel so blessed to get to be a part of this camp year after year. I love seeing the kids on my team begin to view their lives differently. It's amazing when a child of an alcoholic suddenly realizes that they don't have to follow in their parents footsteps.

It's such a great week and I am so thankful that I got to take the week off of school and go down there to be a part of it.

Neglect

I feel as though I am neglecting my blog. I have been away for too long... but I have to admit... I am loving the fact that everyone has about 2 blogs each that I haven't read.

Ahhh... my source of entertainment. I plan to catch you up soon - maybe tonight.

Patience my dears.

Happy Belated Birthday - to me!

Last Saturday was my birthday. I have been meaning to blog about it but I have been up over my head with parent teacher conferences and making substitute plans for this upcoming week as I am currently home in AZ. Ahhh...

Anyway... Friday night everyone got together for my birthday. Ryan's (my elder brother) birthday is Feb. 4th so we decided to have a joint celebration at the Mayan. The Mayan is a fun resturant that has a tribal atmosphere and then a diving show performed right in front of you while you are eating. None of us had ever been there so it was fun! We had a table right up front.

Needless to say (but to help me admit by accepting the fact) that I am now 26. Boo.

Here we are, Ryan and I celebrating our birthdays! When I was young I always use to get excited for the 4 days that were between Ryan's and my birthday because I felt like I was actually catching up to him in age instead of the two year difference.

Mason was so nice to me for my birthday this year. I think he was trying to make up for last year when we were broke as a joke and not much happened. Here is what he did for me:

I woke up with a tray full of Cheeto hot fries. Now to some this may seem strange - but to me... Here's the story. These things are absolutely delicious. But here is what makes them so special for my birthday. When I lived back east 3 years ago they use to have these at gas stations and I would get them on special occasions. Much to my dismay they do not carry these in the gas stations in the whole state of Utah. A couple of months ago Mason drove to Colorado with his friends for a football game and while he was there I asked him to check the gas station for these. He thought I was a bit strange but alas he found some and brought me a bag home. Only then did he taste them and realize how amazing they were. So... everytime we leave the state we look in gas stations and very rarely do we actually have success. But somehow - he won't tell me how - he managed to get a whole supply for me, for my birthday. A completely thoughtful gift.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, he scheduled us a couples massage down at the DeLeon spa in Lindon. It was wonderful and so relaxing. What a sweetheart.