Idaho RV Trip

2020 was supposed to be the year of travel for our family. Literally, we had more trips planned this year than any other year in our lives. Among those were a big family trip to Disneyland, Yosemite in August, a free cruise from Adam's work, a trip to Las Vegas, a free trip to Napa, and tentative plans to visit our friends in Idaho. 

Fast forward a few months since Covid hit, and every single trip has been cancelled. With Adam going back to work soon, I knew it was now or never. If we wanted to go anywhere, it needed to be now, and it needed to be done safely. So I had the brilliant idea of renting an RV and driving to Idaho!

 We surprised the kids last Saturday, and we were all really excited to leave Sunday morning.

Our first 4 hours were okay. The kids' snacks, drinks, and activities all ended up on the floor of the RV because it was so bumpy. We stopped for the night at an RV park in Winnemuca, NV. We nicknamed it "Winneyucka" because the park's pool was empty, there was barely anywhere to eat, and our RV was already a yucky mess. We made the best of it though!

 Monday morning and the scenery was......sparse.

 4 hours later and we were in Idaho!!

We parked our RV in front of our good friends' house. Danielle grew up next door to Adam, so they've literally known each other since they were born. Her sister lives directly next door to her (hence the big yard!), and between them they have 2 boys and 2 girls, ages 7-13. We spent the evening eating burgers and catching up on the back patio.

 On Tuesday morning we visited their local pond and rode bikes around.

 And then went to Eagle Island for some swimming!

 The kids had SO much fun, and I'm pretty sure it was the highlight of our trip.

 Adam was so happy to catch up with his good friend Jon!

 Dinnertime! We had hot dogs at the lake.

One thing I didn't realize was that the sun sets much later in Idaho! It was not uncommon for us to be outside playing at close to 10pm.

 On Wednesday we went fishing!

 It was Ryan's first time fishing.....and first time catching a fish!

 Andrew was having none of it, so he and I took a few walks along the trail.

 Off we went to our next stop!

 We visited Boise and walked along part of the beautiful greenbelt.

The water was freezing!! Which is probably why 2 of our kids had to immediately use the bathroom. Of course.

 We drove by the capital and toured a little bit of the downtown.

 Back at the house we made tacos and played soccer!

On our last morning the boys and I walked to the end of their neighborhood to watch the new home construction.

 It was a beautiful morning, and we even ended up walking through a model home!

Sadly, we said our goodbyes after lunch and hit the road. We drove 4 hours to Winnemuca again. In our RV that night we ate pizza and watched "The Long Long Trailer". Did anyone else watch this movie as a child? I loved it as a child, and still do!

After a rough night of sleep (honestly I barely slept on this trip), we were up and ready for some fresh air. Ryan and I walked around the RV park and just talked. It was really nice.

 A view of the RV park:

We made a lot of stops on our way home, and every time we unbuckled Andrew he ended up above the cab!

Overall, our trip was great. Seeing our friends and seeing Idaho and spending a lot of time playing outside was fantastic. However, I completely underestimated how challenging the RV would be. It got messy REALLY quickly, because as we drove, everything fell onto the floor. Drinks, snacks, books, activities.....all over the floor. Cramming 6 people into a small space resulted in some arguing, tears, and big messes. Also, the process for emptying the sewage and filling it back up with water was a big pain. So let's just say our hygiene was not the best on this trip. Despite the challenges, I'm glad we were able to get away and have a family trip this year! Are you traveling anywhere this summer?

I'm an Usborne Book Consultant!

Most of you already know by now, but back in April I signed up to be an Usborne book consultant! Here is a little of the WHY behind my decision, and an honest look into what being a book consultant is like behind the scenes!

I've been buying Usborne books for my kids for a few years now and we LOVE them. I've hosted parties online through other consultants, and earned a bunch of books for free over the years. Their books are SO fun, inviting, colorful, and educational! In addition to their huge selection of fiction, they have the BEST selection of exciting nonfiction for kids. They are known for their lift-the-flap books, but we also love their shine-a-light books, bedtime stories, and chapter books for the boys. Really, I just love them all.

So back in April I attended a party where I had the opportunity to win FREE books for a year. I got additional entries in to the contest for signing up to be a consultant (for only $30....seriously!). Signing up also came with a free $30 book credit, so I figured why not? I'd get some books, potentially win a ton for free, and that would be it. There were NO sales minimums, no inventory to store, and really zero risk.  I scheduled my first book party and was blown away by how easy and fun it was. And I made money! For the first time in 10 years, I received a paycheck! (What a blessing that first paycheck was. Adam was in the ER and hospital with kidney stones, and it covered all our bills!)

I scheduled a few more parties through friends and my income grew. With Adam home from work, it seemed like the perfect time to make a little extra money. I initially felt bad about my time spent on the computer, away from my kids. So we talked to the kids and decided all of my Usborne money would go in to a family account, and be saved for a fun family outing. I had no idea how quickly that money would grow. (Spoiler: We just went on a family vacation, paid for mostly with my book income!) This little business I just signed up for has become such an unexpected blessing. And all money aside, it has been a big confidence booster to do something well and be recognized for it. And did I mention it's fun??

So what is it like being a book lady? Well, it is pretty simple. I am given all the graphics and training necessary to easily create online parties. I use either Facebook or another platform called Sqweee. I can set them up ahead of time, so that during the parties all I do is chat online with the guests and tell them how great the books are. I would NEVER consider myself a salesperson. The thing is, I love these books so much that all of my excitement about them is 100% genuine. I have never forced myself to be "salesy". I hope my love for the books comes through in my blog posts, online parties, etc.

If you are in the market for some new books or activities for any of the kids in your life, I would be so humbled if you used my shopping link! I also have my own group on Facebook called Usborne with Stephanie! I post a few times a week about literacy tips, everyday life in our family with books, new titles, and fun giveaways! If you are ever interested in hosting an online party (totally easy!) and earning some free books for your family, let me know! I'm always available to give book recommendations, and I love helping to pick out the perfect books for kids, and in turn encouraging their excitement about reading. Growing up with a love for books is SO important. Happy reading!

SHOP HERE: https://l9900.myubam.com/1546662

June Catch Up

Well here we are already 2/3 of the way through June! These past few months Adam has been home from work with a knee injury, so our days kind of all blend together.

Without school or any real activities away from home, we've been playing a LOT.

Last week Adam moved all our furniture off our backyard deck and spent multiple days sanding, pressure-washing, and re-staining. It looks so nice now! One morning we ate breakfast outside on our crowded little patio.

The boys made wooden work benches using Home Depot kids' kits.

 Andrew supervised.

We've been doing lots of swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and then coming home to take fun showers and baths.

The other night after dinner Ryan loaded the dishwasher, Lucas cleared the table, Jenna swept, and Andrew wiped the table. Adam and I just sat back and watched. It was amazing!

 Adam and the kids have been doing lots of Mystery search and find games together on the TV.

 I've been taking the kids on bike rides, and the other day we saw lots of sheep! (goats?)

Jenna lost her first baby tooth! Her adult tooth had already grown in behind it. The tooth next to it has also grown in, but she hasn't lost that baby tooth yet. Very strange.

Lucas got a slip n slide for his birthday from Grandma Jan, and the kids tested it out yesterday. In true Lucas style, he was the first one to run at full speed and slide all the way down. My other kids are a little more cautious with new things. Andrew in particular needed some encouragement and hand-holding.

 Big brother Ryan helped him along.

 See? It's fun!

Lucas also got an electric scooter from my parents, so we've done lots of scootering lately outside with the neighborhood kids. We are still trying to practice social distancing, and playing outside seems to be pretty safe.