Homemade Laundry Soap and Fabric Softener

This is a recipe we’ve been using for a good 3 or more years, we started using it to save some money because at the time we had my niece and nephew living with us and adding 2 kiddo’s under the age of 3 and potty training them – this added ALOT of laundry to do. We were spending at least $30 a month on just laundry detergent at Costco not to mention the fabric softener. So we searched and searched and searched for something cheaper and worked just as well as the stuff you buy at the store and this is what we found. This is very similar to the recipe the Duggar’s use, it could be the same one so I’ve added the link just in case (I”m not going to rob someone of the credit they deserve – I didn’t make the recipe up I just copied it). This is a very low suds detergent so don’t expect to see much.

You will need-

5 gallon bucket with a lid – we got ours at Fred Meyer, I’m sure any home improvment store has them

Laundry soap dispenser – the last one you had to buy

1 bar of soap – I have heard many different brands most people swear by Fels-Naptha, I was concerned about skin sensitivity issues that Meimei has so we went with Zote soap – we found it at Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer’s in the laundry detergent isle

1 cup Arm and Hammer washing soda – not baking soda – also found at Fred Meyer in the laundry detergent isle – I’ve not seen it anywhere else but I know it can be ordered online thru Arm and Hammer as well

1/2 cup Borax – I have seen this at every place we have gone that has a laundry detergent isle

Essential oils – (optional) any scent that you happen to like is good

How to make it -

Grate the soap in a sauce pan and cover with hot water. Heat of medium -low heat stirring until the soap dissolves. Put the washing soda and the borax in the 5 gallon bucket and pour in the hot soap mixture. Mix until the powders are dissolved. Fill the bucket with more hot water. Stir and cover with lid tightly and let sit overnight. The next morning it’s ready to use, stir the mixture and fill the old laundry soap dispenser half with water and half with the soap mixture. (We fill ours about half with water then 1/4 with soap – I shake the heck out of it to mix them then add some more soap, shake and keep adding until the dispenser is full. I always leave a little room in the dispenser so you can shake it because it will seperate as it sits).  Also each time you need to fill your dispenser you will need to mix the soap in the 5 gallon bucket before you put it in the dispenser.

We used to use the big soap dispenser that you can get at Costco – but I was having such a hard time shaking it before I used it we went down to a smaller sized one. Now we are using an old bleach bottle – 60 oz size – and it is good for about a 7-10 days of laundry before we have to refill it.

You use 1 cup for the typical top loading machines and 1/3 cup for the HE/front loading machines. I know lots of people question weither or not it can be used in the HE washers but that’s what the Duggar’s use and I know lots of other people that use them also and use this sort of laundry detergent without any problems with their HE Washers.

This will make about 10 gallons of soap or about 160 loads worth.  Tim did the math and this equals about 2 cents a load.

Here’s a link to my husband’s facebook page – he posted a video on making the laundry soap for one of the classes he was taking.  But don’t mind the disary of the kitchen — we were in a much smaller place and had to stuff stuff where ever we could.

Fabric Softener

This is so super easy and we love it.  We use — sit down for it – WHITE VINEGAR – yep we do and no we don’t walk around smelling like Easter Eggs 24/7 . I also put some Lavender essential oil (about 20 drops for a gallon bottle and shake it a bit to distribute) in the bottle. We  usually get it at Costco – two 1 gallon bottles for $5. I use anywhere between 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup per load — just depends on what I’ve got in the load and if there’s alot of static cling at the moment. The more the static cling the more I put in and usually for towels they get 1/2 cup. I don’t pour it in the bucket I use the bleach dispenser.

Lotion Bars

Again because of our daughter having such sensitive skin and needing to help her when she would dry out, we ran to the internet to find a recipe for something that we could use on her skin instead of the creams and prescription medications that we were being told to use. So I found this one recipe as well as a website to order it from.  Then I did more research and found that not only do they have lotion making supplies but the company had originally been established to enhance her love of soap making. And until I get over my fear of using lye I will visit them to make my lotion bars for Meimei (and the others who have fallen in love with them)

I found two blog sites that are associated with www.brambleberry.com, The Soap King and The Soap Queen – each of those links will take you to their lotion bar tutorials. There is even a retail store in Bellingham, WA that I went to and picked up the supplies I needed. It was a little more expensive than the Bramble Berry website but I was able to get the stuff I wanted RIGHT NOW — and well I”m just one of those girls lol. They offer classes in soap making I can’t wait to get to go to one of those, www.otionsoap.com.

This is what I used for my lotion bars – I used push up tubes (like what is shown in the Soap Queen blog but you can easily pour these into a mold like what is shown in the Soap king blog)

2 oz Beeswax (I used white, only because I wasn’t going to add color and I wanted it to be as white as I could make it)

8 oz Sweet Almond Oil or Avocado Oil (I used the Avocado Oil because it was a little less expensive than the Almond oil)

5 oz Shea Butter

3 oz Cocoa Butter

1/4 oz fragrance oil – the oil will seem strong at first (I thought I had put way to much in) but once it cools the fragrance is not as strong.

10 push up tubes

1/4 teaspoon color, if you want color  (not food coloring)

Since I kinda mixed both tutorials I will say here what I did :

Melt the beeswax in a heat safe container (I used an old Pyrex 4 cup measuring cup most of the markings are gone so I rarely use it) It will take about 2-3 minutes to melt it completely. I started at 1 minute then stirred it, then every 30 seconds after that.

Add the two butters and the heat from the melted wax will mostly melt them.

Add the oil then microwave for another minute or so. The oil will make the wax and butters start to solidify.

Add your fragrance and colors at this point, really you don’t need to add them the lotion smells great as it is, but hey if you want to add the color and the scent factor go for it.

Pour into your tubes or molds, if you are using the tubes pour it almost to the top. Then as it cools it may make a slight indentation so if you have some left over just pour it on the top of it to fill it in.

These were really popular – I gave one to a co-worker, kept one for Meimei to use (since she was the one that I was making them for lol) and sold one to a gal on a forum I’m on. My co-worker promptly purchased the ones left over to give as Christmas gifts. I still have some of the lotion left over I poured it into a Rubbermaid container (one of those hard plastic ones) and then will cut it up to remelt it and make a new lotion bar for when Meimei’s runs out.

Sinus Shower tablets

Meimei has been sick lately – on and off for about a month now she’s had this wonderful (I jest lol) sinus crap that just won’t go away. I have been searching high and low for something to help her since there is nothing the dr’s can give her. We have tried warm showers, warm baths, humidifier at night and nothing seems to be working. I had checked out a book from the library – my son loves the name of the book – “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Natural Beauty Products” by Sally Trew and Zonella Gould, and I saw a recipe for these tablets – I remember using this type of thing years ago in the shower. You just put it in the shower – kinda away from you but where the water will hit it and where you can still breathe in the vapors.

I have emailed Sally Trew to get permission to post some of the recipes here on my blog so as soon as I get permission I will.

ETA – I just received an email from Sally Trew and she gave me permission to post as many recipes as I want, she did ask however that I give full credit to the book, I posted the name of the book above and just created a link to purchase it from Amazon, now I just got it from the library, but I also see that you can get it on your kindle too (I love my kindle app on my phone). I”m all for saving a few trees.

These sinus tabs are perfect for those who suffer from allergies and head colds.  Just place a tab in the bottom of your shower/tub were the water will hit it.  While you take your shower, the vapors will help clear out your stuffed nose.  You make them just like regular bath bombs, except you boil the water and use it to melt the menthol crystals.  This recipe makes 24 (1-ounce; 28.4 gram) sinus tabs.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (236.6 ml) Baking Soda
• 1 cup (236.6 ml) Cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoon (3.7 ml) Distilled Water
• 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) Menthol Crystals
• 1 ounce (28.4 grams) Sweet Almond Oil
• 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) Eucalyptus Essential Oil
• ½ cup (118.3 ml) Citric Acid

 

1.  Measure the baking soda and cornstarch, and put in a large bowl.  Mix together well.
2. Measure the distilled water, and bring it to a boil.  Add menthol crystals, and stir until dissolved.  Add the sweet almond oil and eucalyptus essential oil, and stir well.
3. Drizzle the liquids into the dry ingredients, and whisk together.  Switch to an electric hand mixer and continue mixing until the liquids are well disbursed throughout the mixture.
4. Add the citric acid, and mix well.
5. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F.  Using a small bath bomb soap mold, mold your shower tabs, pack them tight, and place them on a cookie sheet.  Turn off the oven and put the shower tabs in the oven, and close the door for 1 hour.
6. After the tabs have been in the oven for an hour, remove them and using a knife, remove the tabs from the cookie sheet.  Let the tabs air-dry overnight.  The next day, wrap the tabs in foil candy wrappers.

*****Note about the menthol crystals — these little buggers are hard to find, not to mention expensive, again being the “I want it now” type of gal that I am and wanting to get these to help Megan with her cold, I was willing to search and finally found a place local to me – well kinda local – we drove to Seattle to get them. We went to Zenith Supplies and we were able get quite a bit of the things we were looking for, and they do ship. Also Mountain Rose Herbs also has them and I have ordered from them before – they have a huge selection of items. Also these suckers pack a punch this recipe just calls for a small amount, so unless you have another use for them or will be making these tablets a bunch I would order the smallest amount you can. Do not adjust the amount of these thinking that they will be even better with more in them — nope you’ll end up with a headache — I will quote from the book how the author’s experience was “One time I decided to make my shower sinus tabs stronger and added a full tablespoon. When I opened the oven door the smell make me light headed and I went down on my knees. We had to open the windows and doors to air out the house.” Tim was getting a headache when I was making them and we had to open the kitchen window and door so trust me don’t add extra to the mix.

Here are the changes I made -

I used a full teaspoon of distilled water to dissolve the menthol crystals.

I also had to add more distilled water to get the tabs to mold together, I don’t remember how much I added but just enough to get the tabs to stick together.

I didn’t have a mold to use so I used a 2 tablespoon scoop and it worked (actually Tim had to do it for me since my hands just aren’t strong enough to do it.  So it made 12 tabs. I also didn’t have any foil but we have plenty of the snack size ziploc baggies so I put them in those instead.

They worked great – gave Megan a shower the next day (when they had dried overnight) and she had a much easier day, not so much wiping of the poor little nose.

 

Homemade Baby Wipes

Since I discovered Pintrest I have found a number of things that I have felt would make our lives a little easier, not necessarily greener but easier. One of those things was this recipe for baby wipes.  I mean we have everything here in the house (except the paper towels and the container) and it’s something that can be kept in your home and easily made up when you run out.We’ve been doing this since September, 2011 and I’m pretty sure that we’ve not saved any money, but I feel better knowing what’s in the wipes (water, baby wash, baby oil and some essential oils- I use a few drops of tea tree oil- to aid in the anti bacterial of it all and lavender – just to make it smell better). not to mention when the paper towels come in the house all concept of re-using goes right out the window. All in all I think these work alot better than the ones you can buy, these can get the worst diaper messes off butts with just a couple of wipes rather than a bunch of the store bought ones.

The container we use, we  found it at Target, is a Michael Graves 2.9 quart airtight cannister, we found it in the kitchen canister isle. We really like it becuase you can open it with one hand while you are wrestling a squirmy baby and since it’s airtight we have yet to have a batch go bad. I’ve read comments on the original blog saying that after a week their wipes are getting moldy. I’ve not had that problem at all.

She recommends only using Bounty paper towels and since I don’t feel like experimenting with the different paper towels that are out there I’ve just stuck with them. However I have found that not all Bounty paper towels are the same — don’t ask me why but they aren’t — on a couple of the batches the layers seperated and I ended up with a wad of mess as I was trying to wipe Meimei’s butt. So we stick to the ones at Target or Wal-Mart.

Someone in the notes said they use more water and more baby wash and oil – I really found that then the wipes got too wet toward the end and had to wring them out to use them (that’s money down the drain).

We also use them to wipe faces and hands and noses when we are out and about — I would never try that with any of the wipes that I buy at the store.

Anyways so here is the link to the blog where I found them and also a link to my husband’s article that he wrote for the examiner, he went over the cost of making the wipes, although he didn’t add the cost of the essential oils.

A Froggy kind of Day

We have a perpetual froggy theme going

Megan and Daddy had some errands to run. Because of this, we took mama to work, got some breakfast and then went out and about for the morning.

One of our stops was Walmart where I had found some Frog sandals for the little miss. It never fails, whenever Rebecca and I see something that is froggy for our little girl, we gravitate towards this.

Despite the fact that my wife is not parcel to frog‘s, her nickname growing up has brought about the liking of frog decorations. As such, these have infiltrated in an ongoing theme.

He almost looked like a huge grasshopper

Well, as we finished up our errands for today, and getting home so that Daddy and Megan can have some lunch, and then get the house cleaned up; Megan and I took a walk. We walked up the hill from our house, around the cul-de-sac and then back down and around the bottom cul-de-sac. When we came up the stairs from underneath our balcony, a flash of green caught my eye. At first, I thought this was a rather large green grasshopper. When I looked more closely, it was a little green frog.

It took a few minutes, as Megan watched me with fascination, to catch him. I had never seen such a small frog in the Pacific Northwest, however, a quick search shows that this is a Garden Green Tree Frog.

Megan tried to grab at him, and so I tried to get her to hold out her small hands. This proved unfruitful when the frog and Megan were not being all that cooperative. If I was that small, I would not be either.

The tree frog landed on Megan

However, despite my attempts, I did manage to capture a photo where the frog jumped onto her and quickly moved over to her one side.

More attempts were made to get Megan to at least touch the frog so that I could snap a picture of her holding the little guy. Again, both were not very cooperative in this venture and so I finally had to let the poor creature go.

Right when I placed him down onto the grass, I decided to capture a few more photo’s of him in the natural element of our yard. He blended into the grass and every time I would snap a picture, he would leap right out of th sight of the camera. The sun did not help at all since I was using my HTC android touch screen phone. So, I really did not have an ability to see exactly where he landed. Despite this, I took some additional shots.

He is in his natural habitat

This first one, you can barely make him out. He is toward the right side of the picture, almost in the corner. Yes, there are weeds that we need to get out and remove from the front garden area of the house. However, as most people are aware of, our spring weather is coming and going and has not yet decided to stay. This makes gardening, yard work, and general cleanup difficult.

And yes, part of me wanted to get him inside and in an old fish bowl that we have so that we could have a pet frog. However, I think my wife would not really like that, and Megan did not seem all that interested in the critter herself. She did not show any disgust towards him, she just did not find it as interesting as daddy did.

Granted, I have not gotten all the housework accomplished today. The sun beckoned me outside and taking little miss with me, we had a blast walking around our neighborhood. Not only that, but to have this beautiful creature cross our path gave me an opportunity to introduce Megan to the creatures that reside outside.

Sometimes, such discoveries create opportunities to share with our children the world around us and the beauty of our world.

We have definitely had a froggy kind of day today.

Becoming actively involved

Both, Rebecca and myself, have discussed ways we need to have a healthier and active lifestyle. Most of this became nothing more than talk. While we understand that there are health risks involved in being overweight, we have not been as proactive as we would like. This all has changed since my step-son’s pediatrician had referred us over to the YMCA.

The program we were told was called Strong Kids, Strong Families. A three month program where the family receives a free YMCA membership, and twice a week families meet together to go over some exercises, nutritional ideas and information, and a support group.

While it is now called ACT (Actively Changing Lives Together), we have already completed our first week of the program and are now onto the second week.

The first week required that we focus on where we are at as a family, and to set realistic goals as to what we would like to accomplish. While the Mukilteo YMCA only has one night a week set aside for the ACT program, our family can also go into the Marysville YMCA and participate in the activities offered there.

For this second week, we are asked to make at least one goal. It has to be detailed enough to be clear, measure the progress of the goal, ensuring that it is feasible for all to do, that it is realistic, timely, and then provide a reward at the end of the week for accomplishing the goal.

So, for this week, we have decided to become more active than we already are. Our main goal is to take two- 30 minute walks after dinner as a family. This will mean that dinner has to be ready to go by about four in the evening, and then done by about 5. Since the past couple of days have been very nice, the expectation is that this will follow through until Friday evening.

On top of this, the parents and children were given sheets. Parents are to track the progress of the entire family in meeting more of the long-term goals. Based upon this sheet, our family has adopted to do the following activities as a part of the challenge to develop a healthier and actively lifestyle.

My wife and I would like to start Zumba classes that are offered at the YMCA, I would like to do some strength training as well and I know my wife would like to do some elliptical work. Regarding my step-son, I offered to work with him on his Physical Merit Badge that he has to do for scouts. One of the things he has to carry out is to create a 12-week exercise program and either follow through with it on his own or have his scout troop involved with it. One of the things I would like to focus on is the push ups, running, and squat thrusts, maybe even through in some sit-ups. All four of these are possible to carry out and will allow him and I to do something together and encourage one another in reaching our own personal weight loss goals.

The other long-term goal is to start working on eating healthier. On this, I learned something new that I have never heard of before. There are two types of eating behaviors. One is normal eating behaviors and the other is dysfunctional eating behaviors. According to the one paper that we were given, normative eating behavior recognizes the true signs of hunger, eating three well-balanced meals a day, with a couple of healthy snacks, and eating right portions. Dysfunctional eating habits are the opposites (which I am very dysfunctional in my eating habits and behaviors – come to find out).

Making healthier choices in how we eat as a family, challenging each other, encouraging each other, praising each other, and making better choices in what we do as a family activity and how we eat as a family are going to be very beneficial to us in the long run. This program is the type of program that we have definitely needed to give us the motivation we lacked to start focusing on changing our sedentary lives into a more robust and active family life.

FHE – Preparing to serve a mission

Tonight, it was one of those rare occasions in that our family had the opportunity to sit down and have our Family Home Evening. A program that encourages family’s to spend Monday night as a family. While there are a variety of things families can do for Family Home Evening, one of them is having a gospel related topic and discussion.

As agreed upon, we have adopted to do our family home evening while eating dinner (something that we are trying out for the moment). The topic that I chose came from the First Presidency‘s message about the need for more missionaries.

I read through the message and jotted down some key questions to ask my step-son. He is at that age where decisions are going to be tougher to make. And, one of them is about going on a mission and serving a faithful rewarding mission.

The difficult part was actually getting him to take part in the conversation and topic. However, it is something important that we need to discuss as a family.

One of the questions I asked him was what could he start doing to prepare for the mission. His first answer was to go to the temple. After much prodding, we got to the part about saving money for his mission and what he can do to earn money.

Rebecca and I have also adopted that if he does his chores consistently each week, without having to be reminded in doing them, then we would pay him an allowance that is according to his age. We also discussed other means in which we could look to in order for him to save up a mission. I suggested that he should ask if there are members in the ward that need some yard work done. Summer is coming up, he will be out of school, and it would be great to get him out to do some yard work.

I then asked my wife what we could do in helping him save for his mission? At length, we discussed many means that money could be raised so that David could go on his mission. One idea, is that the money we make at our up-coming garage sale is split. Half goes to pay off some bills, while the other half goes into David’s savings account where he can save for his mission.

After discussing the financial aspect of him sacrificing and saving for his mission, we discussed types of habits and behaviors that need to be developed now for him to serve a rewarding mission. This brought up having consistent scripture reading and prayer. The challenge is for our family to make the necessary sacrifice to come together and read the scriptures, have family prayer, and then have some quiet time devoted to ourselves for our own person scripture study and prayer. And, since Rebecca and I are new Sunday School teachers for the 15/16 year olds, we are starting to find a way where both of us are able to settle down and prepare the lesson.

While it could have been better and a lot more interactive, the attempt and sincerity was there to have a good Family Home Evening on how we as a family can help and encourage David to save for and prepare for an opportunity to serve a full-time mission. Something that I regret not having done when I was a young man.

20-11 Blogging Challenge

I’ve decided I want to blog more. Rather than just thinking about doing it, I’m starting right now. I will be posting on this blog once a day / once a week for all of 2011.

I know it won’t be easy, but it might be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful. Therefore I’m promising to make use of The DailyPost, and the community of other bloggers with similiar goals, to help me along the way, including asking for help when I need it and encouraging others when I can.

If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, and good will along the way.

Signed,

Timothy R. Berman

New Year, New Goals, and New Hopes with Challenges

Yesterday, my wife and I finally were able to attend church services at our home ward here in Marysville, Washington. After having moved from South Everett and into our new home ward, we faced some trepidation in how we can set up ourselves within the Marysville area. Blessed with a spacious home that we are renting, our family has decided to settle down and discuss what the new year has for us. A New Year, New Goals, and New Hopes will have their own challenges. Having put behind us the ventures of 20-10, we look forward to 20-11 with trepidation, excitement and encouragement.

One of the most shocking challenges my wife and I are going to face this coming year is that of a new calling. Both of us have not served in any type of calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and my wife had her suspicions about what our calling would be. Her thought was that we would be called to serve in the Scouting program because my step-son is actively part of the LDS Scouting troop in our ward. What definitely blew us both out of the water is the extending of Sunday School teacher calling.

A bit befuddled, and after several quick glances between one another, we did not hesitate in accepting the calling. Next Sunday, we will be sustained during the Sacrament meeting service, and then set apart. Not only that, but we will also have our first lesson with the class of 15/16 year olds. This year, the topic of study is the New Testament. And, as I contemplate this new calling and chapter in our lives, the recurring thought is that my wife and I will be sitting down together to study the next week’s lesson together, praying together, and for us, it will be the first time in our marriage where we actually will have to devote some time together in scripture study and prayer.

Outside of this new calling, our challenges we face is one of financial order. In today’s economy, my wife and I are having to cut back (like most families) and live a more providential type of lifestyle. The challenge we face here is that my wife is the sole income provider for our family. Like most men in America today, my previous employment with International Paper has suffered an up-coming plant closure expected to happen on January 28, 2011. Previous to this, I was laid off from my position back in October of 2010. My third lay off with International Paper. While I do miss the work, the many colleagues that I have worked with, and the atmosphere of a truly safe work environment. The loss of pay is significant for my family since we have to become creative in how we set up our new budget and finances. One of the things we are doing is seeking some sound financial advice from those who are truly able to help us navigate the tumultuous sea of debt that we are swimming in.

Regarding employment opportunities for myself, I have decided to investigate a couple of home-based business opportunities. While my interest in becoming a Pampered Chef consultant is still a serious contemplation, I am also entertaining the idea of establishing myself as a freelance editor and run my own independent Housecleaning service. Since writing is a deep passion of mine, I am aggressively setting up a schedule where the focus is on editing and rewriting Mourning Ellyn

Moving from these personal goals my wife and I have decided we need to do our own personal “Clean House” and organize our garage. Our intention is to go through all our “storage” and merge what we are going to keep, and what will be placed out in our first ever garage sale that we hope to have in the spring.

There is much to look forward to for 2011. Some of this is reinventing oneself, others is to tighten the spending belt, while others are to go after a more active and healthier lifestyle. The latter is about my wife and I taking up Zumba classes.

So, here is to a New year of New Goals, New Hopes, and New Challenges for the Berman family.

Our Trip to “The Farm”

It has definitely become our tradition. With Rebecca’s birthday on the 29th, we have spent the last couple of years heading out to The Farm here in Snohomish County. They offer a pumpkin patch, hay ride, and a walk through a 12 acre corn maze that is made to resemble Washington State.

The only difference of this years venture is that this is Megan’s first trip to the pumpkin patch.

Megan holding a Kitten

The first place we went to investigate was the animal area. The typical scent of mud, rain, manure, and animal hung in the air. Despite these, we had taken some pictures with Megan. One of those pictures was of Megan holding a Kitten. She has an affinity to kittens, and her favorite saying is Kitty Cat. Her sitter has three cats in their home that she would play with. They also had a sign up for those interested in wanting to adopt a kitten. After a brief discussion with my wife, we decided to sign up for a kitten. We are hoping for this new addition to our family – especially since we are making a move from our two-bedroom apartment and into a three-bedroom home.

Megan got to pet a Chihuahua

After walking through and looking at new-born piglet’s, Highlander Cows, Chicken’s, Rabbits, Donkey, and other farm animals, we headed out to the large picnic area and get something to eat. Megan had her first hot dog (plain), and after David finally arrived, we went to go on the hay ride. This hay ride goes around a 12 acre corn maze that is fashioned in the image of The State of Washington. While we were waiting in line, there was an older gentleman sitting there with a Chihuahua. Megan wanted to see the dog, and so I took her down from off my shoulders and showed her how to hold out her hand so that the dog could sniff her. As the dog sniffed, he licked her small fingers. Her comment was priceless – “Oooh”. She giggled and then carefully petted the coarse hair of the Chihuahua. After thanking the gentleman, we got back in line just as they allowed people onto the trailers.

The seats were made of hay bales with potato sacks over them. We climbed up in the first trailer, and sat in the far back.

Megan and Daddy on a Hay Ride

It is always amazing to see her take in the world around her. The sights, the sounds, and the sense. Sitting in front of us were another couple who had an infant child. Megan pointed and made her cute oooh’s and ahh’s. This whole experience being new for her, and for us watching her, and enjoying every moment with her is a definite blessing. We never thought that such a wonderful little girl would change our lives in the way that she has.

The bumpy ride took about 5 or 10 minutes. Yet, before we took off around the “coast” of the Washington Corn Maze, we had to site a comical safety rhyme that involved the use of our hands to animate:

1) Right hand stretched out, palm up.

2) Left hand making a fist.

Momma with her two cubs

3) Pounding the left hand into the right hand one says – “This is a Hammer”

4) With the left pointing finger, placed in the center of the right palm vertically, one says – “This is a nail”

5) making a driving motion with one’s hands, one would then say – “When the tractor is in motion”

6) Shaking your bottom say – “your tail stays on the bale.”

Megan and Daddy in the Corn Maze

As the tractor fired up, and the first jolt of movement, the farm equipment snaked its way around the corn maze. Our destination point, the border of Idaho and Washington where you have four points of entry into the maze. With the map that you get at the at the table (prior to getting onto the hay ride), there is a scavenger hunt on the back side of the map, and the map itself has all the roads and state routes one could take. The four first destinations are Newport, Spokane, Clarkston, and Yakima(?). We decided to go down Newport, and then head toward Grays Harbor (where you are supposed to exit from, once you do the scavenger hunt).

Megan and Momma at the Peace Arch

Hefting Megan up onto my shoulders, we headed off along the muddy trail of Highway 2. David wanted to see all the Volcanoes of Washington state. We were not able to find all the Volcanoes in the Corn Maze, however, we made several trips between Centralia and the San Juan’s. Rebecca wanted to exit out of the Peace Arch that is the gateway between Washington State and the Canadian border.

Megan asleep

Just as we exited from this part of the corn maze, and since the day had gone from being nice and sunny to a heavy overcast, rain started sprinkling. We made it back over to the picnic area where we decided to rest up for a bit. Our next venture (which I was hoping Beck would go for just because this was all about Megan doing things for the first time outside of our normal family routine) would have headed over to where they allowed some fishing to occur. If you caught a trout, it was $5.00 per fish. Since Rebecca does not like the smell of fish when it is cooking, we finally opted out of this particular adventure. Maybe, when Megan is older, her and daddy could go on a fishing trip.

Not realizing what time it was, we both were concerned that Megan would want to nurse, and then fall asleep. We were up at about 7 this morning, with a short nap before we had left. And, because we did not do the fishing activity, our last participation of being at The Farm, were to go through the pumpkin patch and pick out a pumpkin or two. The realization sunk in when Megan finished nursing and had fallen asleep. Laughing and a little disappointed, we still went out with a wheelbarrow so that David could pick out a pumpkin. As we walked out in the misty late afternoon, David found a good size pumpkin. Our next thing involved trying to wake Megan up so that she could choose her own pumpkin.

We also wanted to get a picture of her around some good size Gourds. Not waking up, we found a couple that we could prop up.

Megan picking her pumpkin

The rain increasing slightly, and trying to keep Megan situated comfortably, she finally woke up. We looked around one area, before I took her and went into another area of the patch. We found much smaller one’s that Megan could easily pick from. Still, with the help of David, Momma, David’s father, and myself, we found a couple of pumpkins that she could choose from. Offering her a choice, she picked one and we made our way to pay for those pumpkins. With her awake, she also got to ride in the wheelbarrow with the pumpkins. The whole day being a wonderful and fun-filled family outing.

Megan hitching a ride in the wheelbarrow

As the rain started to increase with intensity, we made our way to pay for the Gourds, then off to our vehicles. David going with his father, and Megan, Rebecca and myself heading home. The tradition of coming here to The Farm and spending time as a family is one blessing that I am grateful to experience. The only time I believe we did not make it out here was last year because Rebecca was in her last few weeks of her pregnancy with Megan. Despite this, our family outing proved a much needed relief from the normalcy of stress and home life we sometimes get caught up in.

While our moving date looms on the horizon and will suddenly be upon us quickly, this day will be one of the best days I have had. Not that all the days I have had in my life in recent years are not best days, but each one that comes and goes, it gets better and more meaningful.

Yet, the best part of this day – being able to carve out the pumpkin that Megan had chosen, as she watched me do this tedious task.

Daddy carved as Megan watched and participated