Shopping Spree

Yesterday we went out shopping for some Halloween costumes. Everyone had ones already except for Julia, who really wanted some type of princess dress. Our first stop was DI (Deseret Industries) and they just happened to be having a big customer appreciation day. They had balloons for the children and hotdogs, chips, and pop for everyone. They also had a shopping spree drawing. You had to be there for that drawing and it was going to be held in about an 1 hour from when we got there, so we weren't going to enter. But we decided that with the lunch and trying on costumes and everything we could stick around for that long. So Rebecca filled out entry tickets for both of us.

For the shopping spree the winner would get one cart and then have 60 seconds to fill it as full as possible. Anything that was in the cart at the end of 60 seconds, the individual got to keep. The whole time while we were waiting I kept thinking "I hope they do not call me." It just seemed like it was going to be really stressful to try to pick out good things and 60 seconds really isn't very much time and I would probably just end up with a lot of stuff that we don't need that we would have to donate back to them anyway.

When it came time for the drawing they called everyone in the store to gather around the cash registers. There were at least 100 people there. Then they drew out the name and read it over the intercom. Fortunately, it was not me. I breathed a sigh of relief. But, the individual was not in the store. So they pulled out another and read over the intercom - Joshua Swift. Everyone in the store started cheering as I made my way up. It was really embarrassing. I asked if I could consult with my wife first and so they drew out names for five $10 gift cards. While they were doing that Rebecca told me a few things to go for and I had her get some of the costumes and things that we were going to buy anyway and put them in a spot that would be easy to get.

Then it was time. Everyone was asked to clear out of the isles. Then the whole store started counting down from 10. When they said go I took off running. There were a few things that Rebecca set up that I ran to first. Rebecca said it was really funny because I would leave my cart in the main isle and duck down a row and come back with a huge pile of clothes/shoes that I would throw in. I dropped a few things and had to pick them back up, but after I got all the clothes that Rebecca had planned I ran off to the electronics. I picked up the biggest TV that they had (a 32 inch) and threw it in. Then a sound bar. Rebecca thought that was hilarious too because it just fit her stereotype for someone running through the store frantically for a shopping spree, throwing all of the most expensive things into a cart. I also grabbed a sombrero that looked pretty cool and then Ethan had found a banana chair that I knew he really wanted. I think I had about 10 seconds left, but everything in the isles just seemed blurry and I couldn't focus on any one thing that I might want to get. I did make it back to the main isle and was headed for the collectibles, but time was up.



After it was all over and the frantic stress was all done, I thought it all was pretty funny. And our children were super excited! I got to push my overflowing cart up to the front and everyone in the store was congratulating me and patting me on the back. They rang me up and it was $230 worth of things. I know that doesn't sound like much, but everything at the thrift store was really cheap to begin with and it was only 60 seconds. In the end we got the TV and sound bar that I will try to sell or give away or something, the banana chair which the children love, the sombrero that I am going to wear for Halloween, about 6 or so pairs of shoes, about 5 Halloween costumes, and maybe 10 or so other items of clothes. Thinking back on it now all sorts of different strategies come to my mind of things I should have went after first, but overall it was just a lot of fun. And even though I was hoping it wouldn't happen at first, I am really glad that they called my name.

The Usual Routine

Nothing much new going on here. Just the usual activities - school, work, and spending time together as a family. We did have Tianna and Amery come visit for a night and my mom and Caleb for a day. It was nice to see them, but they were all here for other things (Amery moved to Utah and Caleb had a job fair up in Rexburg), so we didn't get to do much with them when they came.

Even though we do not have any major things to report, our days have been pretty busy. I have been getting home later on Mondays and Tuesdays, so we have been spreading Family Home Evening across those two days - lesson and everything on Monday, activity on Tuesday. On Thursdays we have been volunteering as a family at an assisted living facility. We basically just talk or play games with the people there. We also get in a trip to the library while we are out. On Fridays we get in an afternoon trip to the pool at my work. Even though it is free at that time, the pool is never crowded, so it has been nice. I usually do lessons with them all for about an hour and then they have 30 minutes to just play around.

Here are a few of the other fun things that we have been doing:

The museum on ISU campus had a free day. I wouldn't recommend this museum to anyone who visits - there really wasn't much to it. They did have one room with skeletons for four or five different animals. They also had a dinosaur section with this T-Rex head and then four game machines. In the game you got to pretend like you were a dinosaur and then hunt for your different type of food and water and everything. This was our children's favorite part. In total, I think we were in the museum for about 15-20 minutes is all. Nothing like our nice museum that we had in Anchorage or the amazing ones that they have in Washington DC.






We had our first parent-teacher conferences of the school year. Their teachers all had very positive things to say about the children and Rebecca and I are very proud of how hard they work, how they help others, and how they represent our family while they are at school.


Elliott's self-portrait


Christian's About Me owl. Check out what he wants to be when he grows up.


I didn't get a picture of Ethan's hallway work so he posed for a picture outside.


Julia's newspaper. Check out the story about her hero. It is hard to believe that this is her last year in elementary school!!!



Here is Agnes at Idaho Falls. This is just the walk that we do when Rebecca goes to the temple. We go on Fridays, and now that Elliott is in school it is pretty calm with just the four of us. Notice all of the different colored leaves!










We got our first real snow. It had snowed briefly twice before, but nothing that really stuck. On Saturday we woke up to just about 1/4 of an inch on the ground, but it did cover everything and there is still some of it around.






The children sold coupon books for their school. Because they (Julia, Ethan, Christian, and Elliott) each sold two, they all received a bunch of free coupons for various activities around town.

Here they are at a jump place. At this place they have 10 or so inflatable jump houses, slides, and obstacle courses. They also have a section with these foam pits. I think the children spent the most time in the foam pit section practicing their climbing and flips.















And a slow motion video of their flips.