AZ Ren Fest...

Last weekend was the opening weekend of the Arizona Renaissance Festival...

We discovered this event the first year we were here in Phoenix visiting family, and it has become a tradition to attend each year. The Ren Fest is put on every winter for about 2 months; this year the dates are Feb. 11th through April 1st. Open only on Saturdays and Sundays (and this Monday for President's Day), from 10am to 6pm.
Tickets for the Ren Fest cost (roughly) $20/adult and $12/child 6 to 12. 5 and under are free. Besides it being time for us to head out of Arizona - having stuck around specifically to go to the Ren Fest, we wanted to go opening weekend because adult tickets were buy one get one free! The kids were glad since the bigs buy their own tickets!

The kids all have medieval costumes, but this year everyone's except Beth's got left in our storage unit (oops! I had a little on my mind! LOL!). Eli ordered a new costume, and Beth a new cloak, and they had them delivered here in Arizona (a big Thank You to our AZ mail people Lindy and Doris!!! :).The sword and dagger we have toted all over the country for this event (and it's not the only sword Eli has hidden under his mattress! LOL!)...My fam went opening day, and the weather was gorgeous...

One of the best parts of the Ren Fest is the jousting tournaments...

There are 3 tourneys every day, and our group went to all 3 this year.

The grounds where the festival is held is called the Village of Fairhaven, and the buildings, fences, grandstands... Located just out of Apache Junction, the shops and grandstands are permanent structures, sitting idle all year waiting for their 2 months of use. It's best to get there right when the festival opens in the morning as it gets busier as the day progresses... our family got there about 11:30, and had to park way out in the 'north 40'.

But it was worth it ;)

Besides the jousting tourneys, there are lots of people dressed in detailed costumes, quaint shops selling everything from costumes to brooms to hair ornaments to bird whistles, eateries (don't miss the smoked turkey legs), and even a petting zoo and elephant rides! Most of the entertainment is included in the admission price, but it isn't all family friendly (but you get a brochure that tells you about each show). A few games, rides, and of course the food courts, cost extra.

The 3rd and final tournament of the day is the big Fight to the Death show. The 4 knights (there are always 2 good and 2 evil), perform feats of skill astride their steeds, and then before the jousting, they each go back and talk to their cheering section.

Beth went forward to place her 'favour' on our knight's lance (they came out before the show and asked her to place a ribbon, which they provided, on his jousting lance for 'good luck')...

to which Sir Philip gushed,"If I die on this battlefield, I'll wait for you at heaven's gates."

ROFL!!!

The kids had a great time, stayed until the very end, and then trudged slowly back out to the north 40 for the long drive back home. They were exhausted by the end of the day! LOL!

(the 2 babies, Jake, and I were exhausted after a full day of hitting 3 Targets for jeans for Jake - score! all new jeans for his growing legs on clearance for $4/pr! :)

The Arizona Renaissance Festival is a fun outing! ~and there are still a few more days in the season that offer discounted admission (you can find out about them, and about the special events that are going on each weekend of the faire, by visiting the 'special events' page on the Arizona Renaissance Festival website).

As for us, while I still have a few more posts to catch up on all that went on while we were here, the plan is to pick up jacks and hit the road in the morning. Don't know how far we will get, but we have 6 leisurely days to get to San Antonio (which is much better than the 2 very hectic ones we had last year when we met a film crew there!). Goodbyes will be sad, but we can't wait to get back out there and explore this beautiful country of ours! Huzzah!!!

a full day...

so, after our super cool morning at the Stuffington Bear Factory (blogged about it yesterday ;), Uncle Steve and Aunt Dolores, and Cousin Bev took us to our favorite restaurant!

CHICK FIL A!!!
We love Chick fil A. I love everything about this restaurant chain. (course, we have only been to CFA a few times! LOL! - do you know how much it costs to feed our brood there (or any restaurant for that matter!)- yeah, I don't want to think about it either! hehehe!)
CFA is super family friendly (and they have really great kid's meal toys! ;)
I thought this basket on the counter said it all...
and the manager at the counter behind the cheerios asked me if I needed more since there must have been a rush on the cheerios (I was just taking a pic)! LOL!
Bev was getting the Chargrilled Chicken and Fruit salad so that is what I got too... LOVE!!!
Too bad Chick Fil A doesn't want to buy advertising space on the back of the toy hauler - they could pay in gift cards! ROFL!!! ;)

Anyway, the littles had a fab time playing on the neat, CLEAN, indoor playground...
~they disappeared into the playground (with a few bigs to watch them... tho I noticed that some of the pictures the 'bigs' took for me were from inside the play equipment - I'm sure they were just in there to take pics tho, right?!?)

After we adults sat around and talked for a few hours, we said our sad goodbyes... Bev flew out the next morning, and we will be pulling out in a couple of days so we won't get another chance to see Vaughn's Uncle and Aunt again this time through.

We got back 'home' to Larry and Carol's driveway about 3, did some chores around the house, and when it was still 70something at 4, we decided to ditch the hot camper and....

mosey on down the road to...

the other Aunt Carole's!!! Where the kids played and swam and ran and dived and dunked and splashed, and wore me out just watching them! :)

Caleb and I sat on the edge and were content to be spectators...

While Aunt Carole hauled Molly, who just a few months ago hated water so much she wouldn't want to take baths, all over the pool teaching her to swim. Molly loves to go 'Wimming'! All this time we have just needed a pool. At each rv park with a pool, and now here, she has been slowly learning just how much fun the water can be!

The other kids are all crazy about the water, and 2 hours later, after the sun had set and the temps were dropping, and Calebs dry little hands were getting chilly, I finally booted my fish out of the water.

Caleb and I were tuckered out.

It was a very full, but very fun day.

While we truly love visiting our Arizona family, and we have had a wonderful month here in Phx, we are starting to get itchy feet! It's time to finish up those projects and hit the road again!!!

Stuffington Bear factory tour...

Sometimes, blogging gets you some pretty cool perks... :)

One of those fun benes happened last week, where we were given a tour of the Stuffington Bear Factory, which is located right here in Phoenix!

Last Thursday, we had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours at Stuffington touring the factory and checking out their in house store...

where we found that they make a lot more than just teddy bears!

Hands down, this isn't just a little kid stop! We met Vaughn's snowbirding Uncle Steve and Aunt Dolores there, along with their daughter Bev who had flown down to visit them...

We all spent a few minutes checking out the shop while a previous group finished up their tour and activities. The store is located right in the front of the factory, and can be visited without scheduling, or taking, a tour.

We had called the week before and scheduled a tour; for a group our size (more than 10), there is a nominal tour fee, and tour times can be set up to accommodate your schedule (and need to be made ahead of time).

If you have a group/family smaller than 10, and would like a tour of the factory (which takes approx. 15 to 20 minutes), FREE factory tours are offered every day, Monday through Saturday, at 1pm; no need to schedule, just show up!

We were given a short talk on how the teddy bear originated while we waited for a school group to finish their tour just ahead of us. And our great tour guide even played Jeopardy with the kids - the questions were, of course, about animals - mostly (teddy) bears :)

One of the things that really impresses me about the Stuffington Bear Factory, is their commitment to MADE IN THE USA. Not just the finishing of the bears, but every aspect of their creation, right down to the components that the stuffed animals are made with. Stuffington's stand on Made in the USA is pretty impressive; they even devote a page on their website that explains WHY buying US products is so important (it is tactfully and clearly presented, and is very kid appropriate - my middles had to read it for 'school' ;)

The kids were pretty excited to get to visit the factory (and they didn't even know the surprise that awaited them!) - after all, who doesn't love teddy bears???

In the factory, we walked past rolls and rolls of fake fur. Our guide explained that Stuffington is also quite committed to recycling also - all of the scraps of fur, left over when animal pattern pieces are cut out, are recycled.

Stuffington makes a lot more than just bears!

They custom create items for companies that are looking for promotional items, and also can customize animals with embroidery on bandannas, bear t-shirts..., or even directly on the stuffed animal.

Stuffington has been around since 1959, and seems to be quite involved in giving back to their community. I was impressed by their business etiquette!

During our tour, we got to see Stuffington bear bodies being sewn, shown how the eyes and nose are attached so they can't come off, then see how they turn the animals right-side-out for stuffing, how they are filled with stuffing, and how the backs are sewn shut.

Then, back out to the front of the factory, where the 3 little girls got to pick and stuff their own teddy bears!!!

And yep, You can go to Stuffington and stuff a bear any day, at any time, too!!!

Anytime during business hours, you (and/or your kids, and/or your grands ;), can stop by the factory and, for $12, you too can choose a bear and stuff it!!! ~there are also all sorts of other animals that you can stuff (price varies) - Beth's favorite was the white donkey with patriotic fabric patches.

Emma pressing the pedal on the stuffing machine...

She REALLY got into the making of her bear!

Our guide was one of the ladies that sewed up the backs of the girls' bears once they were stuffed...

Then the girls took their bears to the next station, where another employee ran a hand-held buffer, which he moved along the seams on their bears. The buffer pulled out any fur that had been caught in the seams when they were sewn. That gave the bears a more finished look, making the seams less noticeable...

At the next station, the girls vacuumed off their bears - this fluffed their fur more after the fabric was stored on the rolls and matted down a bit. It also took off any loose threads from the sewing process (plus the girls just liked combing them with the combs that are on the vacuum heads).

Then it was off for bear baths! At this last stop, pressurized air fluffed the fur removing any dust or vacuum lines...

before the last stop, where the girls were able to choose 2 colors of ribbon to personalize their bears...

The girls LOVE their Stuffington bears! And even moreso because they felt like they had a part in making them themselves...

We had a fun time at the Stuffington Bear Factory! It was fun to see how stuffed animals are made BY HAND - by people instead of machines :)

It was, hands down, a great on-the-road stop! Thanks Stuffington, for a fun field trip for Our Traveling Tribe, and for the girls' new bedtime snuggly buddies - they love them!

Open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, the Stuffington Bear Factory is located at 2302 East Thomas Road (Phoenix, Arizona 85016), which is just a few blocks off 51N, and just a little over a mile north of I10. Easy to get to! (and, just so you know, the store offers quite a few stuffed animals that are not available online...shhh! ;)

If you cannot make it to the factory for your own bear-stuffing adventure and/or free tour, you might consider a visit to the Stuffington Bear Factory website where you can check the company, and it's products, out for yourself. There you will discover quite a few adorable animals waiting to find their new homes... <3

just everyday...

or night... (because I love pictures of sleeping babies ;)

What Molly does here at Uncle Larry's - get dirty in the fine sandy soil of the Arizona desert... :)

On Eli's birthday, the boys wanted to stay up late and watch The Longest Day. The girls didn't. So, they had a 'slumber party' in the loft with Greg's little dvd player (not sure how it made it along in the RV.?.) - started out watching Wives and Daughter, but her highness (that'd be Molly) didn't want to watch it (and Beth said she didn't care - wasn't the same watching it alone, without Hannah, anyway), so they moved on to some cartoon that no one can remember anymore... Bethy let them sleep up there; they all slept the way they are in the picture, which is the 'wrong' way. (Bethy is an awfully good big sister!!! ;) The little girls loved it and wanted to have a slumber party the next night too! LOL!

Caleb is starting to suck his thumb! LOVE! When he was born, he had matching little callouses on the back of his hands from sucking on them in utero. For the last few months he would find his thumb here and there, but never very often. In just the last week or so, he has been finding and sucking on this thumb. It's adorable (you'll have to take my word on it - haven't gotten any good pics). We haven't had a thumb sucker since Joel... I love it :)

Anyway, our tribe is getting ready to put on the miles again!!! We had hoped to be on the road tomorrow, but the project that Vaughn and the boys are doing isn't quite done, so we will go as soon as the patio, fire pit, and wall are completed (and half a dozen ceiling fans hung). Hoping to pull out before the end of the week, and then it's...Texas here we come! :)

Happy 18th!

Last week we celebrated Eli's 18th birthday!

I can't believe that it's been 18 years since that little 6.5 lb baby boy joined our family.

And here he is a man. (has been for quite a long time, actually) He is such a blessing to our family, and has really taken a man's/leadership role in our home this year. He is compassionate, caring, hard-working, thoughtful, and such a great guy to have around.

We celebrated his birthday by making gumbo and brownies (we aren't big cake eaters here) and having some of the extended family over.

He is looking forward to all the privileges that come with being 18 - for him, right now the best part of that means being able to buy his own gun ammo. and his own guns. and to vote. :)

We are looking forward to watching him continue to grow in the Lord and to make those young-adult decisions that will affect and direct his life from here on. We so very thankful that God chose to gift him to our family.

Happy Birthday Eli. We love you.

food, friends, and fun...

Last Thursday (wasn't it last Thursday???), when we had a wonderful visit with Vaughn's Uncle Steve and Aunt Dolores, that was only half the fun!
After we left their house, we drove 2 blocks to the Superstition Ranch Market (Apache Junction, AZ). We had been hearing about this great produce market for the last 2 years, but had never made it there. The market stocks in season fruit and veggies; they tend to be off size or ripe, and need to be used within a short amount of time, but that works for us since we don't have the room to store much more than a few day's worth of food anyway. Their specials vary, and I had heard that sometimes they have great deals and sometimes not so great. When we stopped, I was pretty pleased:

The special that I really loved was 3 heads of cauliflower for $1 (not a typo!)! We love cauliflower, and back home it's about $3 for 1 head...
I picked up: 2 pounds of green grapes, 8 cucumbers, 3 lemons, 12 green peppers (6/$1), a bunch of cilantro, 7 pounds of Fuji apples, 6 beautiful red peppers, 6 heads of cauliflower, 4 avacodos, and a 20 pound watermelon for $21.17. The watermelon ended up being nasty so we chopped it up and threw it in Carol's compost pile, but the rest was great! Beth and I sliced up most of the peppers and froze the slices on a cookie sheet then put the ndividual frozen pieces in a large ziploc bag to use later. I love a good deal, and can't wait to go back to themarket later this week! I'll try to get a pic of the inside; it was so busy last week that I really couldn't.

After my fun jaunt into the fruit market, we drove to a nearby playground. We had no idea that such a nice playground was there, but some online friends found it for us; the reason that we went to play there was because we were getting to meet those online friends in person!

Jim and Sandie are from Billings (Montana :), and we met through our blogs. It was fun to put real people to online pictures!
Jim and Vaughn hit it off - Jim loves to fish too, and they have big plans all arranged for this summer on the lake!We had such a nice visit - we talked for a few hours, and really enjoyed our time with them!

We probably won't get another chance to see them down here since we are planning on pulling out next Monday, but we can't wait to hang out with them this summer! I'm hoping that Sandie will come spend some days with us girls while those guys are out on the lake!

After Jim and Sandie headed back to their 5er, we stuck around for a bit so that Vaughn could take on the boys on the court...

They had a good time playing 3 on 3...

while Beth and Caleb looked on...

and the littles wore out the slide...

and the merry-go-round...

It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!