Akasha is Six!

In the middle of all the chaos, I am trying to make some things as normal as possible.  Like birthdays.  We still haven't met any new friends here, but we are blessed to have some family and friends we knew from up North who happened to move near enough to come to parties.

We started at Chuck E Cheese...




Champers wants a cupcake!




Back home to our Hello Kitty decorated room.



I made these ears so we could do a bit of Hello Kitty dress up.



My dad is such a good sport lol.

It feels like a miracle!  With the help of Sarah, Ron and I actually took a vacation together in honor of our anniversary and Ron's birthday.  We haven't been alone on an overnight in almost 10 years!  This seemed like a well deserved time to start.  We decided on Vegas since we could do it fairly cheaply, and I was SO glad I decided to opt for the old Fremont area.  I had never really spent time there and have not been a fan of Vegas in my adult years, but I loved the area we stayed in.


The first night we went to The Mentalist at a theater in the Venetian.  This was the view from the balcony:



Only in Vegas would a giant pole dancer be a form of art lol. Then we went to India Origin for dinner.  OMG so good



Ron got some good Blackjack in that first night as well.  Up at least a couple hundred if I recall correctly.

We had a really nice corner suite at The Golden Nugget.  This was the view from our window:



Ah the classy Plaza.  Nothing says Vegas like Beef Booze and Broads.


This is the aquarium at the registration desk which is also part of The Chart House restaurant. Looks like a painting!



This is part of the pool where you can see the shark tank and the waterslide that goes through it.



We opted for an off strip spa experience.  It doesn't look much from the outside, but it was really cool inside and so much cheaper.  There were a bunch of different sauna types with different types of healing properties, like jade or salt caves, and then various temperatures of soaking pools as well.  It was really big!



Dinner that night was at Ottos, by Sarah's suggestion.  This is their famous braised pork shoulder.  It was fabulous.



Totally loved the Fremont experience light show.  The new Fremont reminds me of Venice without the beach!  Lots of cheap stuff to buy and street performers everywhere!



I even decided to do the zipline, and if you know me, that is a pretty big deal!



Last morning breakfast at Hash House a Go Go, feeling farm fresh lol.



These people do not mess around with food!



Since we had a late flight, we decided to go out to The Valley of Fire on the last day.



I always wanted to do one of these silly perspective shots.  This is my first attempt at one.



Atlatl Rock.  There are SO many petroglyphs all over the valley.




These old cabins were build by the Civilian Conservation Corps:



You used to be able to stay in these when you were on the road!  Now it is just a picnic area.

And a great spot for taking photos.



Petroglyphs behind the cabins:



My favorite shot of the day:



We were about to head back when we discovered the trailhead to Mouse Tank, which as it turned out was actually Petroglyph Canyon.  We were only going to look a little bit, but there was literally another wall of full of art around every corner!  It was amazing.  According to the sign at the beginning, this line of 4 figures represents the Snake Dance.



Like I said, literally walls full of glyphs!




From the valley straight to the airport.  Well to the rental car place first I guess.  A short but full trip!

Ron's Birthday

Easter Doings!

Enjoy Life UROCK 2014 - Unschoolers' Radical Oregon Coast Kampout!

Third Annual UROCK –
Unschoolers’ Radical Oregon Coast Kampout

September 2014 at South Beach State Park

The first two UROCKs were a smashing success, and we are planning ahead to make the next one even better.

Come join us for more fun on the beautiful Oregon Coast - several fun filled days with other whole life unschoolers. We will again be holding the event at South Beach State Park, which has a large Meeting Hall yurt and awesome outdoor areas which are great for Nerf wars, hooping, making boffers, riding bikes, campfires and more.   

UROCK 2014 is in the planning stages now.  We will reserve as many yurts as possible for three nights during the second or third week of September.  We will get Friday through Monday if possible, but that is not guaranteed.  (The last two events ended up Sunday through Wednesday).  We need to pay in full 9 months ahead of time, so we need help with finances for those who can afford to help.  UROCKstars - those who pay for extra spots - will get a special discounted registration price of $20!  You will be refunded for your investment when the spots sell.  

Registration

UROCKstar - $20 (see above)

Early bird registration - $35 (for families who pay before December 21)

Regular registration - $50 (after December 21)

Camping Options (prices without registration) 

Yurts sites and campsites have a maximum of 8 people per site. Prices are for 3 nights.

Yurt Site: $140

The yurts have beds for 5. People can sleep on the floor or you can put up a tent on your site or you can park an RV in the driveway of most of the yurts (this is not allowed in the CRV loop).

Yurts have heat and electricity, but there is no water inside.  

You need to supply your own bedding.

RV or Tent Site: $95
The night temperatures in September are COLD, so if tenting is your plan, be prepared!

For RV spaces please specify length of your vehicle so we can assign you to an appropriate spot.

NOTES: 

There is only one yurt that accepts pets (up to 2 cats or dogs), and it will go to the first family who pays and requests it. NO PETS IN THE OTHER YURTS. Please respect this as not doing so could jeopardize the future of this event!

You may only park one car or a car and trailer combination at any of the spots (yurt or RV). Extra vehicles are $5/day, paid to the park when you enter, and they must be parked in a separate lot.

Cancellation Policy

Registration fees are NOT refundable, though you may sell your spot to another family.

Scholarship Information

We are working on building a scholarship fund, which at this point is limited. If paying the registration fee poses a hardship to your family, let us know. We might be able to offer some work trade scholarships first served basis.

REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please choose one of the amounts below and send your payment via Paypal to floatswithclouds@yahoo.com.

Please include:  the names and city you want on your nametags and the length of your RV if applicable.

One yurt with early bird registration: $175

One camp or RV spot with early bird reg: $130

Be a UROCKstar!

Your yurt with $20 reg AND 1 more yurt +reg: $335

Your yurt with $20 reg AND 2 more yurts + reg: $510

Your yurt with $20 reg AND 3 more yurts + reg: $685

**If you are a tenter or RVer and want to be a UROCKstar, please contact Lisa for pricing. 

PLEASE NOTE!

Normally registrations are not refundable. However, since the dates won't be set until we actually find out what the availability is, there will be a one week grace period to ask for a refund from the day we announce the actual dates of the event. 

Wish I Knew More About Mushrooms!

These showed up in my garden at the end of the season!  Wish I knew if they were edible!

Just Another Harvest

Wow, the peppers, eggplant and tomatillos are rolling in like crazy now.  And check out the watermelon!