Pokemon Meet Up - Love My New Friends

I have shared so much in the past few months about playing Pokemon. My girls have shared so much with me about how to play. 

On my last visit to Princess One's home, she and her husband taught me about the benefits of trading. They trade all the Pokemon they catch each day in hopes of getting lucky trades and have learned that if you get a random "lucky" trade, often times, they will give you two lucky in a row, so if you get one, trade a good one for the next trade. It actually worked and we got two in a row. 

I meet up to do raids with the local group a few times a week as we have a bit of a routine and if there are special raids or community challenges, we go out. 

The other day, someone posted saying they were at a gym and wanted to raid for a legendary Pokemon. It was the biggest group I have ever raided with. We had seven of us local and three were doing two devices, and my friend Matt and several others from the group joined in remote raiding. One of my family joined in as well. It is funny because the group is getting to learn the playing names of my friends and kids because they will jump on the raid if they can. I invite them all each time I do a group raid and if they are available, they will join in. 

I love when I get a shiny doing a raid as it is usually a bit better / stronger / higher power shiny as a pattern, shiny Pokemon are usually very weak. Even though they are better than other shiny Pokemon, they aren't usually as strong as the normal Pokemon. 

I decided to take a photo as there were many people at that raid. It was fun as we were able to win really quickly. When you raid with people you are friends with, you get more poke balls at the end to try and catch the Pokemon after the raid. I had 22 balls at the end of the raid! Usually, there are 16ish as there are two or three of us playing in the raid. 

I have really gotten to love the people in the group. They are so helpful and we talk after the raid about life and what is going on in our world. I have gotten closer to some than others, and a few have been my friends for many years. Who knew that playing a game could bring such amazing people into my world. 

I am still learning things. Just yesterday, I learned that you can dodge the attacks thrown by the larger Pokemon in raids!  These people who have been playing since the beginning and are in the mid to higher level 40's, they are such a wealth of knowledge on things and I continue to learn things each time I meet up with them. 

Yesterday, I was able to share something with them on where to be to get five spins at a time if you need to get more poke balls quickly. I don't get to share much with them, but I like when I can give back in some way! 

I have collected 300 higher value Pokemon to trade with all the kids when we go camping at the lake. I told them all to save higher ones to trade with me. It is nice that we can connect with this as well as in other ways. I used to feel left out when they would talk Pokemon terms, now, I can join in the fun! 

Have a blessed day!

Fireworks and Berries with Cream

We had a very long day. The kids have been up later than they have in forever the last three nights. They usually get to bed between 6-7 each night. 

The youngest fell asleep last night before they could do their own fireworks, so the birthday boy didn't get his birthday "cake" and his mom had purchased a ton of berries for the cake. 

So tonight, they stayed up late again so we could have ice cream and berries while their dad put on a pyrotechnic fireworks show for us in the driveway. 

There were so many other things that we did today that I want to share eventually. It was a very full day, but as happens, I am tired and may never post them as that seems to happen during the busy times of my life. 

It was a fun evening and I LOVED the berries. I had a huge bowl. I was once again in heaven watching the cute kids expressions and enjoying the time with my daughter and her family. The berries were just a rainbow of delight to end the night! 

Have a blessed day!

Frisbee / Disc Golf - New Activity

Princess Fives boyfriend's family are avid Disc Gold players. They each have their own special discs that they play with and they have little carry bags and some have up to 8 different discs that they use to get different throws. 

I am actually good at throwing a Frisbee, but the discs are heavier and drop faster.  They taught me to throw the heavier discs, but they kept hitting my middle finger knuckle. I almost got a blister and had to change how I throw. I ended up holding it differently than how I would a Frisbee, and after two rounds, I was starting to get the hang of it with the lighter discs.

Princess Five is quite good and has her favorite discs and her own bag to carry them. She is really cute doing a grape vine step wind up. 

I was consistently double par on each hole but for my first time, that wasn't all bad. There is a bit of a learning curve. 

I also liked that we went late enough that it was cool in the evening so it wasn't so hot while playing. 

I would do it again and think the grandchildren would enjoy playing. 

There are courses all over the place and apps that you can look up different courses. I didn't know it was such a big thing. Now I do. It is a fun activity and I think people of any age would enjoy it!

Have a blessed day!

Pokemon is Fun But Addictive

I started playing Pokemon a month ago today. I started just before my friend from back east came for a visit. 

I didn't play it much while he was here for the first few days and I spun a few Pokemon stops while visiting downtown in a big city. My friend laughed at me and made fun of me for playing it. 

We had a big 100 birthday party which I posted about last week. While there, my friend downloaded the Pokemon app as he didn't know anyone and played it for the few hours of the party. As we left, he apologized for making fun of me for playing as he was having fun playing it. 

One night we drove around in circles at the cemetery playing and laughed up a storm as we thought about how my kids would think that is so funny. 

We played at the national parks and as we could at state parks, and when we stopped to eat. In a month I got to level 25, and he is right behind me on level 24. 

I feel like it is such a waste of time but at the same time, I have been able to connect with some of my girls who play and with both of my son-in-laws who play. My friend and I send each other gifts through the app each day and I see a bunch of cars driving around town over and over as I go to places were there are Pokemon stops. The other day, I held up my cell phone and made a new friend as she held up her phone and I went over to her car and we became friends at a cemetery! 

I never would have guessed that I would be able to meet friend over a cell app. It is interesting to me how in-depth this app is. I am sure they are gathering all sorts of data about peoples movements, home life, shopping, and also getting people to purchase toys in the app. 

It tends to get you hooked up front but then things seem to calm down. I love that Princess three has been playing it for so many years and she is at level 38 and her husband who started when they got engaged is at level 37 as he plays walking to and from classes so gets more time playing. 

It will be a fun thing to bond with since most of the family plays the game now. It will also be interesting to see if I will ever have anything that is helpful to trade with them since they are so much further in the game than I am. 

Princess four said I got her back into playing by asking questions etc. Since Princess Five is so busy in life, she doesn't play but so we wouldn't bother her with any Pokemon stuff, Princess Four having lived in Japan as a missionary, she make us a family group in Japanese for our Pokemon stuff. It has been fun finding things to visit about in our group. 

I warn any of you reading this, don't start playing until you have some free time! 

Have a blessed day!

Visiting Gardeners and Grandchildren

My Grandchildren dropped by with their parents for a very short visit this past week. I had contacted someone about purchasing some books that were about people immigrating to the U.S. and about gardening.

 Here is a link to my original post about these books! The Author signed them and got them in the mail quickly for me and I was so excited to have them before their arrival. They arrived and they stayed for less than 24 hours. They headed out into the back yard to play and I climbed onto the hammock with the gardening book and after they played and needed a rest, they all ended up climbing into the hammock with me at some point. 

I ended up reading the "Grow" gardening book as Grand-Princess One is planning a garden this year and is really excited about it and has purchased the seeds already. 

That night before bed, I sat in the rocking chair and read two more books just before bed. They didn't want to sit still at first as they are little balls of energy, and being at my house is so exciting as they don't get to visit me often as they live so far away. However, when I started reading the books, they got interested and then came and sat on my lap and wanted to see the pictures / artwork for the books. 

The next morning was so busy that I didn't get to read the last book as they had to leave. I was happy that the kids enjoyed the books and the stories and was grateful to the author / publisher for getting them to me in time to enjoy them with the kids. 

If you have history of family coming over on boats, these books are great as you can insert your own story in at the end as the pictures open up dialog. 

The book called "Anna's Prayer" opened up a discussion about my experience as an exchange student in New Zealand and got stranded / abandoned in Auckland. I prayed for help and God sent one of the 100 people I new in the country down that street in the capital city at the exact time I needed them and they were able to allow me to stay with them and took me home to my host city after the David Bowie concert that night. Here is a link to the post about that event.

I loved that these books opened up dialog and I was able to share that story with them about how prayers are answered. 

Have a Blessed day!

So Much Fun With The Grandkids

Awhile back, I found some fake mustaches at a thrift store that were new and unused for $.50. 

I knew the grand-kids would have fun with them, so I put them in the little desk by the front door where they go to get toys when they arrive at my house. 

After playing outside, doing some puzzle games, and playing with the train sets, one of them found the package of mustaches. She asked if they could put them on. 

They had so much fun putting them on. One got them on upside down which gave us all a laugh. Then, after getting some photos of them all together wearing them, they put them on their foreheads like a uni-brow. 

I love that they stopped over on their way through and am so blessed. They bring so much joy. They come running in and hug me and my heart melts! I am so grateful I get the opportunity to have grandchildren. 

Have a blessed day!

Grand-Princess One Gets Baptized

We were all invited to attend Grand-Princess One's baptism this past weekend. She has been so excited to get baptized.

Princess three and her husband had plans with his family who always spend that weekend together so they were able to view it by video. There were also my nieces family and an aunt and uncle on her dad's side that were able to join by video. 

Everyone else was able to join us in person. It was nice that there were no other children getting baptized this month, so she was able to plan the entire program and have her pick of people to speak, and pick the songs she likes the best. 

I wish I had taken a video of her singing her solo as she did such a great job. She was so excited to have everyone there supporting her. 

Her dad did a great job baptizing her and confirming her as in our church they get baptized at 8 years old or older by someone who holds the priesthood and then get a blessing for the gift of the holy spirit. Both are mentioned in the bible, but we don't believe in our church on baptism of babies, we believe that they need to be at an age where they can choose for themselves to make that choice. 

We had people driving from other states and we had a long drive to be there, but we were all there and planned on staying for a few days but weather made everyone leave early which saddened the grandchildren, but we are so grateful that everyone was able to get home safely.

She got some wonderful gifts and one that had everyone in tears, was her fathers dad gave her a set of scriptures that belonged to her grandmother that passed away just over a year ago. Everyone was so touched at what a sweet and thoughtful gift that was and I know they are something she will cherish forever. 

I am sure Grand-Princess One will never forget her big day! It was wonderful!

Have a blessed day! 

All Out Nerf Battle War Fun - Annual Family Activity

My kids were all coming for the first time in six years for Christmas this year. For about a year, I have been buying up used Nerf guns at thrift stores trying to buy all the same types of guns so we could have an all out Nerf battle over Christmas. 

After purchasing about 10 guns that are the same, I kept looking for foam soft tipped bullets. The one thing about Nerf Bullets is that they get lost or broken. I wasn't able to find more than a few used foam bullets. 

I started researching online for inexpensive bullets and found 1000 bullets for under $35 shipped! It was worth taking a few minutes to compare as there is a huge variety of prices for the same exact thing. I knew we wouldn't need that many bullets, so I sold off bags of 100 red and 100 blue soft tipped bullets for $20 locally selling off about 500 bullets and making more money than I spent on all 1000 bullets I ordered. I loved that I could make some money on the bullets covering what I bought and helping pay for some of the used guns I purchased. 

I kept an eye out at thrift stores for cute and fun sunglasses for eye protection. I purchased enough glasses for men, women, and children. Most of the glasses were new but purchased at thrift stores and were kind of fun shapes. 

I also kept an eye out for cheap string pull back packs so that each gun had a pack and a spot for bullets so everyone had enough bullets. I found new bags for $0.50 each. 

I was able to find two birthday NERF sets that had tattoos, stickers that we put on the back of the bags, and we put tattoos on before heading out to have our Nerf Battle War. 

The sun was bright so I had a hard time getting good photos. I actually set up a video camera on a tripod but because the playground was so big, everyone took off and you couldn't see much on the longer video, so I tried to move it and because everyone was in and out of the playground equipment and running from the bullets, the video is a bit boring. I think if I had a go-pro on, it would have been more exciting. 

EVERYONE said they wanted to make it an annual event. I was glad I had glasses on as one hit my on the side of the head right on the glasses, also with the kids playing, they can't aim as well, so the eye glasses were for sure a must. You have to plan on losing some bullets. For some reason, one of my daughters wanted to see how many we lost in the game. At the end, we all stood a few feet apart and walked the playground, but the bullets went onto the soccer field and basketball courts, so in the end, we lost between 20 and 30 bullets. 

Everyone had fun with this and we did have a moment of "hurt" feelings with one of the kids getting shot as even though the bullets were soft tipped, they still sting when they hit. However, the crying didn't last long as they wanted to get out and shoot some more. The 3 year old was just happy to run around picking up the foam bullets. 

Years ago, I made a bunch of marshmallow guns and we take them camping or to the park. The problem with them is that in the heat, they start to melt and you have to clean them up at the park and they get sticky and make a mess. So we have enjoyed having massive battles over the years, but after having this NERF battle, I am going to sell my marshmallow guns and just keep these Nerf guns instead. Of course, the marshmallows cost less per game, but can only be used once. Since I made money on purchasing the bullets by selling some, we can always buy more and sell some off and there is no cost for the game / war / battle. You could even rent out the guns and glasses for parties. If someone rented them for $50 for a family party, you could lose over 1000 bullets and still make money! 

I see no negatives for this activity. It was really fun and I think worth all the time collecting the guns. I am going to keep looking for that exact gun at thrift stores as our family is just going to keep getting larger. I keep it all in a labeled tote for easy access and storage. 

Thanks for watching and have a blessed day!

Nerf Target Range In Home - Fun With Grandchildren

My kids were all coming for the first time in six years for Christmas this year. For about a year, I have been buying up used Nerf guns at thrift stores trying to buy all the same types of guns so we could have an all out Nerf battle over Christmas. 

While I was buying those guns so we could all have the same type to make the game even, I looked for "Bullets" and realized that there are different types of bullets and some are suction, others are hard tipped to go farther, and others are softer tip so they don't hurt as they hit as much. 

When I realized they have suction tipped bullets, I thought it may be fun to put up a target in the house for practice for the kids so they can learn "gun" safety and not shoot themselves in the eye. I kept my eye out for a smooth target that would allow the suction tipped ones to stick.

I was feeling lucky when I was able to find a brand new two sided target that hangs over the door still in the box with darts! 

I set it up in the hallway at my house and we were able to practice shoot so they could know how to aim and get used to pulling back the air pressure draw in order to get it ready to shoot. I had taken up some small targets to their home the month before with smaller suction spring actions plastic shooters. 

I taught them gun safety and how to stand, hold them, and how to load them without looking at them as for some reason, that is always something they want to do. 

I set up the target and my 5 year old grandson LOVED it! When I asked him to explain to me how to shoot, I was happy that he has been able to retain the training given him and I think having that training can only help them with gun safety when they get older. 

I am going to post two videos about this. One of my grandson shooting at the target, and then my daughter was video taping me shooting without me knowing. 

I had fun spending time with the grandchildren doing this and it is nice as we can put it up and take it down quickly. It was something that they would come back to over and over making it fun for a few days. 

Have a Blessed Day!

Book Journals - Fun Idea Part 2

I shared a few days ago about how I was making some book journals for my kids and grandchildren. I want to share how I finished making them. 

I put the blank pages and the books in order of how I wanted them set up, and then I took them back to the printer and he said his employees were all exposed to covid so he didn't have workers to help cut the binding holes into the pages and covers, so I ended up spending the entire day there cutting all the pages and covers. 

I realized that some of the cheaper bindings on certain books didn't have thicker cardboard so there was nothing to hold the binding on the covers. I ended up having to tape cardboard on the inside and sometimes outside of the cover before punching holes in the covers. 

With the cardboard on the covers of the books, some wouldn't fit into the hold cutter for the binders, so I had to use a hole punch electronic machine that punched the holes one at a time. My arm was super sore the next days having to punch front and back covers one hole at a time and sometimes had to punch each hole twice. 

I had to go to two different places to buy the spiral binding and the smaller two sizes I needed were $20. I paid the other company $30. The books were probably $15 or so. So in total, I spent under $100 for all 13 books I made which is much cheaper than the $30 each to purchase books. 

Both places I purchased the ring binding from told me they were really difficult to put on. I came home and started putting the bindings on and they were super hard to put on. In fact a few of them were chewed up so much with me trying to get them through that I went back the next day to cut new holes in them.

I learned later than sooner that when you are winding the wires through, the covers are longer than the paper so when you are trying to wind the spiral bindings through, the paper is hanging down causing weight on the ring so I found that by lifting the covers up and letting the papers inside touch the counter and that took the weigh off the paper and made the wire go through so much quicker and did less damage to the covers. 

It did take a long time to get the binding rings through, but it was worth it. I spent some time on Christmas Eve sharing why I picked the book I did for each person and why I made them as the journals. 

It was actually a really neat experience that allowed me to share with my kids what I love about each of them.

When I asked my son-in-law later what his favorite gift he received for Christmas, he said the journal. It made all the work worth it. Everyone, even my grandchildren really seemed to enjoy the journals. They asked if they could take pictures with me and the journals and put them in the front of the journals and also asked me to write something in the front of each, so I spent a few hours writing messages to each of them in their books. 

I made a video of how I made the books so that if anyone wanted to make them, their process may go a bit faster and easier. 

I loved that I was able to find a gift that everyone appreciated. Have a blessed day!

Posting Over a Year Old Post Draft - Clearnace Shopping

I have been fighting another headache that started a few hours ago. 

I sat in the chair to blog. I started writing in my journal and just kept falling asleep. I kept waking with my headache being worse and worse, but I am so tired, I just kept falling back to sleep.  

I love clearance shopping. I try to buy gifts, prizes, or team treats when I knew there would be items for sale on clearance, but tried to buy things that could be "anytime" treats rather than things that were holiday specific. 

I also try and buy the chocolate melting discs on clearance for the following year, as they are usually $2 - $4 a bag, but after a holiday, you can get them for less than a dollar and sometimes $.50 or less. 

I use the candy melts for my Christmas popcorn treat. Here is a link to that post.

Who would have known in early April 2020, that we would skip an entire year of holidays where I would have used these treats, bags, and activities. 

I wasn't able to do our family Thanksgiving and Christmas parties like we have in the past due to COVID, and didn't want to keep the treats for over a year as I knew I would have the treats I purchased on clearance for a long time not having those family events. 

I had purchased an entire tote full of candy necklaces, ring pops, and some other Easter bags and activities.

With that, I decided to give these treats out for Halloween as we couldn't have kids over to do our traditional jewelry give away, (see how we give out jewelry here) so I tied a ring pop onto the candy necklaces and gave them out in a reverse "trick-or-treat". Here is a post about that.

I got the candy necklaces for $.25 each. The ring pops were two bags for a dollar and each bag had three rings if I remember correctly, so that is half what they are at the dollar store. 

I got the candy melts super cheap for the next treat needed, and the little gift bags, we used for our annual Easter Camp-out this year in 2021. 

I offered to let the girls have the cookie decorating sets, but they didn't want to do them, my grand-children aren't allowed red dye, which even the white icing contained, so I gave my nieces families all the cookie decorating kids I purchased for a dollar or two. They were happy to get them.

I love when I can find a bargain and I love to be able to share the things I find with others. I find joy in bringing joy. 

I may be posting some other old drafts as I have 85 drafts that I started and haven't ever gone back and finished, so this week of many headaches, I may just finish up some of those older posts I started. 

Never overlook the clearance section! It may be holding treasures! 

Have a blessed day!