eurojenny

Weekday Road Trips 2020

Weekends bring lots of people out plus my schedule is flexible plus I’m totally stir-crazy being at home all the time equals Weekday Road Trips 2020!

Jenny Lake 🙂 I found exactly one quiet spot in the whole park. Didn’t hike anywhere…too crowded!

Camping with Taylor’s in the Uintah’s 29-31 July

Krispy Kreme cake to celebrate Ada’s birthday

Southern Idaho 16-17 Feb 2021 Breathtaking Meridian temple

Minidoka, the site of a Japanese interment camp was particular poignant in the biting wind. Must have been so miserable 😦

I flew by myself to Disneyland for a long weekend. Gary, Emily, Ada, and I planned a trip for later in March but I has already bought a plane ticket and reserved a hotel so I decided to go. And now I’m super glad I did because Disneyland closed on the 14th because of the coronavirus pandemic and we didn’t get to do our trip…also missed the one I had planned on my birthday weekend. 😦 As of today it’s still not open (17 May) and probably won’t be for at least a couple more months.

Pommes Frites, beignets, and Mint
Julep…doesn’t get better than this

Haunted Mansion being refurbished…unusual to see scaffolding at Disneyland

It was much colder than usual so
I treated myself to a warm fuzzy hoodie 🙂

Did a lot of pin trading…completed 3 sets!

Finally got in a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance! Flight and travel put me there mid-morning on Thursday, got a backup boarding group on Friday that never got called 😦

Rise of the Resistance…even the line was cool! Freaking long though…about 2 hours!

I was totally floored by this amazing ride!

Earned several new achievements on the Data Pad 🙂

The Food and Wine Festival at DCA was excellent as always…plant-based meatball sub complete with adorable Mickey baked into the bun 🙂

I didn’t buy this sweatshirt just to match this Rollicking Roadster…but honestly I should have!

I went on this ride a lot. And I really mean a lot.

Freakiest thing. Got off Rise of the Resistance and the entire land was dark! Heard that maybe it was because of daylight savings and they hadn’t set the lights correctly yet? Not sure but it was surreal…especially after that ride which is just such an experience anyway.

COVID Survival

March-May 2020

So the world is a very strange place right now. A worldwide pandemic has sent everyone to their homes except for essential errands. People keep a 6-foot distance from each other, wear masks, do lots of video calls, and wash their hands religiously. I have missed human contact so much, especially hugs. I have been doing lots of things to try to compensate for the loss in myself and hopefully in others.

Empty toilet paper aisles. People stocked up in anticipation of hunkering down for extended periods.

Also gobbled up…cleaners, hand sanitizer, soap, gloves, medical masks, distilled water

Boggle works really well over video chat. My kids and some of the Taylors and I play each week.

I text out puzzles each day (well, most days) for people to figure out.

Sun Art Paper is one of the things in the Aunt Jen Adventures surprise boxes I made for all of my nieces and nephews. I do a weekly video call with Christensens and with Taylors and we do an activity together.

Thermoplastic polymer is super fun to play with

Hand lenses give you a different view of the world

Roasted marshmallows with my heat gun…perfect!

Playgrounds, tennis courts, fitness centers … all closed, but lots of people out on bike trails and walking dogs

Easter was super strange. We decorated eggs like usual but no family gatherings. We did a virtual Egg Hunt where families hid their own eggs and then others in the video call told them where to look. Slightly better than nothing I guess 🙂

I prepared a Breakout Box for each family where I helped them on a video call as they solved puzzles to open locks to get at the s’mores makings inside.

Online tutorials for drawing Disney characters are fun 🙂

I made lots of masks and gave them to people

It’s a good thing that these PJs were too big…used the excess for a couple of cute masks

Steve and I climbed on the roof to watch a flyover that the Air Force did to thanks health care workers all over the state. I admit that I was a bit freaked out

Drive-up COVID testing. Totally a thing. Mine came back negative. Teo and I also got walk-up tests another time and those were negative too

Steve bought me a pool for my birthday. Took forever to set up, we had to install a temporary fence (land order a permanent one), and it took a couple of weeks and a solar cover to get it warm enough…but now it’s lovely. With pools being closed, swimming with my swim tether in the back yard has helped keep me sane.

Sweet birthday wishes really made my day. Jennifer sent me a skillet cookie from Chili’s 🙂

Teri and the Freelands Heart Attacked my house and got me an inflatable lobster for my new pool and nummy chocolate 💚

Robin brought me sunflowers and a sneak hug

Jul brought me the sweetest picture frame and a Me Minifig with a sweet card

Ada did lots of cool art on her new iPad

Face shields, masks, and keeping 6’ from people is how stores roll now

Went camping at Palisade Lake by myself a couple of times. Easy to social distance and super good for my psyche being out in nature

The second time they had Stand-up Paddleboards for rent. Loved it! 🙂

Planted a garden in the front planter area

Also planted more vines along the front porch railing. In the back…tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cucumbers

Ada and I went camping at Snow Canyon. We hiked when there were very few people around

Bought a shade canopy in St George (and spent a few hours chilling on a church lawn) because it was so hot

Despite the incessant wind flapping our tent and keeping us up forcing us to sleep in the car the second night, we had a great time together and really enjoyed this beautiful place

Oh and we totally saved this cute turtle from being road kill 🙂

Enjoyed Disney clothing in lieu of Disneyland 😦

Drive-by celebration for Emily’s graduation

Played taskmaster by zoom. This is Isaiah’s longest chain (jackets tied together)

Hugs through a giant sheet of plastic! Teri built an airtight pod to visit through 🙂

Distanced picnic and outdoor movie nights at HQ

Escape boxes by zoom call (love the treats at the end!)

So bored I spent over a week time-lapsing gel beads dehydrating

Built lots of puzzles including these crazy ones that move around and have a secret piece in the middle

even time-lapsed a few

First New Year’s Eve with just us and no big party at our house. We did play Zoom Concept with Taylor’s.

Played lots of Shapsu while listening to audiobooks

Disney Family Vacation

24-27 January 2020

For Christmas this year I got everyone a trip to Disneyland. Steve opted out but we were joined by Gary so that was fun. Gary and Ada drove down on Thursday and stayed a night at the garden inn before me and the boys flew in on Friday morning. We Ubered to the hotel, put luggage in Ada’s car, and parked at the Mickey structure. After a few hours in the park we drove to the condo we rented where we got settled and had naps. It wasn’t a very nice place and the pool was way to freezing to venture into but it was a very short walk to the park. 🙂

We were all together until Gary left us on Sunday morning and Ada on Sunday evening (they both needed to get home for stuff on Monday). We flew out Monday morning.

What an amazing time we had!

Enjoyed drinks at Oga’s Cantina, eating at Docking Bay…

…building droids for the first time (what a cool thing!)…

…watching the fireworks over Star Wars land, and riding Smugglers Run with a really short line 🙂

First time for the boys at Lamplight Lounge! All enjoyed The big comfy couch, the Pixar decor, the cool drink, the delicious food, and mostly the most delicious donuts in the world!

New experience for me…watching World of Color from the restaurant. What a cool experience!

The mornings were INSANE! The new ride Rise if the Resistance requires joining a boarding group as soon as you enter the park so we didn’t get to ride it either day because it took so long to get into the park and they were all gone 😦

I had these made for us. We brought Steve in spirit

Matching Shirts! They’re pretty cute though. You have to admit. The shirts are nice too 🙂

It was way too cold to ride this ride but Teo really wanted to. No line at all…got the log to ourselves…hardly got wet at all.

By Sunday night the park was super empty 🙂

Christmas 2019

Keflings tree!

The Singalong was so fun this year! We sat in the floor 🙂

We ran into Allie and Mike and kids and Lori!

A bunch of Taylors went to Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point

Eileen (Scott’s mom), Scotty, Corwin, Julia, Jeanne (her sister), Anneke, Micah, Alex, Teo, the Japanese exchange student staying with Jim’s family, Jim. Isaiah, Asher, Ada, Thom, Robin. Anne, Jonah, and me.

Making sugar cookies is one of our more delicious traditions

We recreated the human pyramid that the Taylor kids made so many years ago 🙂

The cousins exchange gifts…matchy chicken shirts for Orion and Asher 🙂

The whole crew! FR Isaiah,Susie, Juni, Asher, David, Anne. 2R Julia, Anneke, Jonah and Orion, Gabe, Julie, Deanne, Echo. 3R Robin, Nora, Micah, Jim, Ada, Teo, Emily, Benji. 4R Ken, Alex, Corwin, Teri, me, Ethan, Steve, McKay, Scott. TR Scotty, Kai, Sawyer, Thom

Freelands! Anne, Asher, Jonah, and Scott

Hanging out at HQ

Christmas morning is my favorite 🙂

I love love love having all of my children home with me 🙂

Happy Place

13-15 Dec 2019

I really need to live in a more sunny place. It was SO nice to be in California! I drove down on Friday, stopping briefly to say hi to Ada. Got to Disneyland by 3. Left on Sunday after sacrament meeting and some peaceful time on the beach. Got home at 1:45 am.

World of color right at the edge of the water. Best way to watch!

Ada Disney

22-24 November

I flew and ada drive down to meet me. I did most of the day alone and ada made it late Friday evening.

Christmas at Disneyland is a blast 🙂

Christmas parade

Ada and I found a waterfall by Pooh Corner that we had never seen!

Our first time at Oga’s Cantina…delicious and cool drinks 🙂

Christmas tree growing out of my head…check.

The themed decorations are my favorite! Christmas tree at the Jungle Cruise has bananas, fish, tropical birds, and shrunken heads 🙂

Fireworks Factory complete with singed wreath

Gag Warehouse has chattering teeth and rubber chickens in little Santa suits

Goofy’s Gym…sporting equipment

Red white and blue tinsel and camo for Sarge

Bright orange vinyl at the Cozy Cone

We got fun photos in Toon Town…should’ve sported my sunglasses 🙂

We are at Carthay Circle (Ada’s first time!). The key lime and raspberry drinks were amazing and the Vegetable Stack was weird and really delicious!

My darling daughter 🙂

Teo asked how we were doing so this was Ada’s response. She was kidding. I hope. 🙂

The holiday World of Color…a work of art 🙂

Disney Cruise

October 2019

Steve and I did a 7-night Caribbean Halloween cruise on the Disney fantasy. A colleague of his invited us to his wedding in Jamaica during this cruise so we decided to go. Amazing! Never want to do it any other way!

We got in late Thursday night (even later because of hours-late flight) and after a few hours of sleep went to Universal. Lines were really long and it wasn’t really that much fun. We didn’t get to do the new Hagrid ride. I thought all day about how much better disney is at theme parks. 🙂

The Gadget Ride got us SO WET! And I never thought I would be able to extricate myself from the tiny car…my knee was not happy!

Saturday morning we boarded the ship and disembarked the following Saturday. Then we went to Disney world Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday morning before our flight back that afternoon. Steve was definitely Disneyed-out by the end but I was in heaven. 🙂

On the bus ride from Orlando to Port Canaveral

Posed with Pluto while waiting for our boarding time

First order of business…lunch. The food was amazing!

Beautiful ship!

We met in the Tube as a whole big group to get schedules straight, socialize and eat, and get presents. 🙂 I can’t name everyone but on the bottom row left are Brian and Serafina. Steve and I are 2 of the tiny head bumps on the back row.

Heading out!

We had choppy seas the first night which made for queasy stomachs but the coolest waves in the adult splash pool!

Each night when we came back to our room, our cabin person had cleaned for a second time, turned down the bed, and left some cool towel/blanket structure and some mints 🙂

Used my sunglasses a few times 🙂

Night on the boat was equal parts cool and scary

Also a great time to miniature golf in the rain 🙂

Glass-bottom canoeing and snorkeling in Mexico was super cool

Cool freak storm as we left Cozumel

I am totally in love with dolphins. We got to ride belly to belly and get pushed by one in a boogie board. Won’t be forgetting that any time soon!

The second part of our day on Grand Cayman we spent snorkeling out to the Wreck of the Cali (just rented equipment and went right out without a guide). Super freaky and also cool

We stopped for lunch at Rackam’s (yummy snapper and conch fritters which weren’t my favorite) and a jewelry store where we picked up cute caymanite turtle earrings which we later made into necklaces

Costumes were a big deal. Marissa and Steve won the costume contest!

Denise and Gabbie were super cute as Buzz and Woody 🙂

The wedding was so beautiful!

We waited for quite a while for it to start and the sun was beating down on us so I and a few others went wading into the ocean 🙂

Brian and Seraphina in front of the amazing falls

The bus ride back to the port was long and the tour guide rambled so much! It was very interesting to see the real Falmouth though…quite different from the port

Coolest detective game on board! We worked on the 3 different cases all week

Disney cruises have you eat at the same table each night so that you have the same servers…they move with you from restaurant to restaurant. We ended up moving around a bit but really enjoyed sitting with this family, Betsy and her kids Deyla and Dimitri

Yes of course fireworks on a ship…Disney, remember?

The view from this hard-to-find adults-only room is breathtaking

Castaway Cay is so amazing! We went parasailing, snorkeling, did the Stingray Encounter, and especially loved the adult-only beach 🙂

I really enjoyed the entertainment. Super interesting variety acts! The disney shows Steve mostly didn’t like, but the Mickey confetti they blew over the audience at the end was, however, a resounding success. 🙂

At Animator’s Palette they turn everyone’s drawings into the evening’s entertainment. So cool!

Kennedy Space Center was so cool! It poured rain so that made it tricky but seeing the Saturn V rocket was worth braving any weather 🙂

Steve liked Star Wars Land…

…but did NOT like walking around Epcot doing the Perry adventure. 🙂

The magic carpet ride doesn’t exist in CA

Fantasmic was different but still fun

Mostly I like Disneyland better but it was fun to try all the things not found there and I really enjoyed the cool interactive games they have 🙂

Cincinnati

13-16 Nov 2019

I presented a workshop at the NSTA conference so I spent a few days there and saw some cool things. And hung out a bit in my crazy big hotel room.

It was freezing the first night!

The food at this gastropub made up for it. Delicious impossible burger. 🙂

The art museum was cool. They had some Goya, sculpture by Chagall which I didn’t even know was a thing, neat old maps, and an awesome Van Gogh I had never seen before

I left the conference early on Friday and walked to the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Super sad but so well done

The eternal flame overlooks the waterfront

Walked lots through downtown often eating Graeter’s ice cream…ran into this mural of Cincinnatus on one ramble

HalloweenDisney

16-17 sept 2019

Way too early for Halloween it’s true. But this was the only time I could get a ticket for Oogie Boogie’s Halloween Bash. And it turns out it was the first one ever! So that’s exciting!