Shipwrecked Prairie Event

Event Selfie 

This weekend we went back to Greenville, Oh to the Shipwrecked on the Prairie event.  The whole family went this year!  We got up at 4 am and drove 4.5 hours to Greenville.  We checked in and hit the trails.

Last time we went the trails had standing water and the mosquitoes were horrible :(  But this year was awesome!  It started off warm but in the afternoon some clouds rolled in and there was a nice breeze.  We boxed outside until lunch.  Then came in to eat and stamps some indoor boxes.  Lil Ewok won a door prize.

Group pic with beautiful wildflowers

After lunch we went back outside.  The blacksmith was in his shop and the boys hung out with him while the princess and I found the last series of boxes.  When we were done we went back inside to get a few table top boxes and pack up our stuff.

The Greenville Union Cemetery is the Crown Hill of Greenville ;)  We boxed here two years ago and I was surprised at how many boxes had been planted since we were there last.  I wanted to plant a box there but didn't because there were already so many.

When we were done at the cemetery we headed to a local pizza joint that had a box.  They were in the process of remodeling and were only doing carry out and delivery.  We got the box and had to look for a different place for dinner.  We got supper and started heading south to Richmond, In where we would stay the night.  We stopped in New Paris along the way and planted our box that we planned on planting in Greenville.

Crown Hill Selfie 

Sunday morning we got up, had breakfast at the hotel, packed up, and went to Crown Hill Cemetery in Indy to box some more.

My husband and I rarely box together and anytime he is around he drives.  But I drove the whole trip so my husband navigated and read the clues.  He about drove me crazy.  He would not let me touch the clues!  We missed a box in Crown Hill because he overlooked the clue.  Next time, he drives.  I guess next time I go to Indy I will have to box somewhere other than Crown Hill.

We had a great weekend.  My AQ logbook says I got 107 boxes.  I need 12 more to get 1,000!  We took some HH from the hostel but only found one on the trail and it was one we already had found.  We left a few fleas for others to find :)

Fireflies LTC

Things that Glow: Fireflies

I am in the "Things that Glow" LTC tracker and I had a lot of fun making my card.

I quickly found an image that I liked and carved my stamp.  But I wasn't sure how to make it glow.  I searched the web for a glow in the dark ink pad but didn't find anything.  So I used the next best thing-glow in the dark embossing powder.

I stamped my stamp in yellow ink and then used the glow embossing powder.  They look pretty cool but need something.

Adding some splatter to the edge

I used to have some glow in the dark tape that could be used as a border but I couldn't find it.  I cleaned the basement during Spring Break and I must have gotten rid of it because I never used it.  I also thought about trimming the edge of the card and adding a layer of glow paper.  I found some glow origami paper online but decided to try glow paint.  I found some old glow puffy paint and tried painting a border but I didn't like it.  I bought some glow in the dark paint, covered my stamp image, and splatted the paint on.  I really liked this because it looked like fireflies in the distance.

I finished my cards early and planted the stamp in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indy and few months ago :)

Boxing in Indy

Crown Hill Gates selfie

On Tuesday I boxed in Indy :)  Each summer my sister-in-law lets my potty trained kids stay at her house for a few days.  This year all my kids are potty trained, woo hoo!  Which meant that I would have a few days all to myself.  

Downtown Indy in the background

My original plan was to box in Kentucky.  I was going to print off 8 clues and look for 6 boxes in Ky and then look for 2 in Ill.  I was afraid that I wouldn't find many boxes.  The last group to go thru the area marked 4 of the boxes as missing :(

My husband asked what I would do with the kids gone and I told him I was going boxing in Ky.  He didn't like the idea of me going off alone.  But it is a lot easier to letterbox alone.  Have you ever tried boxing with 4 screaming kids?  It's tough.

I saw 4 deer while boxing

My husband had work meetings in Indy on Tuesday and he usually goes up the night before so he doesn't have to drive 3+ hours in the morning.  It just so happened that he was going to be gone while the kids were gone and said that I could come with him.

President Benjamin Harrison's grave

Now, I don't know the difference between boxing alone in Kentucky and boxing alone in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, but I jumped on the opportunity to box in Indy.  (Men, you can't live with 'em and you can't live without 'em.)

On Monday I loaded up my bag, printed clues, highlighted my cemetery map, and put the finishing touches on a box to plant.  I love boxing at Crown Hill; it is beautiful, peaceful, and has many hiding spots.  I easily found a place to put my box.  I was there about 5 1/2 hours and I found 26 boxes.  Only 1-2 of the ones I looked for were missing.  The only problem with boxing on Tuesday was they had a storm roll through on Monday night and many branches were down along with a few trees.   There were a few times I had sticks stuck under my car and I had to back up to get them loose.  

Beautiful grave w/ a matching
LB close by

This was my 3rd time to box at Crown Hill and my noxer husband was surprised that I wanted to box there again.  Well, now there are only 4 boxes there that I need.  So I guess next time I go to Indy I will have to find another place to get lots of boxes.  Or the Indy folks will have to plant more boxes at Crown Hill for me ;)

Wonderful Weekend

Our 400th box!

This weekend Daddy's Favorite Princess and I went to the Tools, Techniques, and Treats 2014 Event in Greenville, Ohio. We met a lot of people and had a great time.  We had two milestone moments while we were there. We found our 400th box (woo hoo!) and we could add another state to our list of places where we have letterboxed.

Outside box

On Friday we basically left home as soon as the boys got out of school and we headed north. We had originally planned on staying in Richmond, In but decided to stay in Indy instead (long story). Saturday morning we drove to the event and the boys dropped us off. They all went and did other stuff.

At the event the princess and I took some classes. We learned how to make logbooks and felt pouches. Then we looked for letterboxes and had lunch. After lunch we tackled event boxes and exchanges. The princess got tired of stamping after lunch so she took a painting class and played with some other kids.

People stamping

It was so cool to meet some Indiana folks. I find their boxes, see them post on the boards, get their LTCs/postals, and I got to meet some of them! Who knew you had to go to Ohio to meet Hoosiers?

After the event we went back and stayed another night in Indy. Since it was supposed to be a "big" letterboxing weekend my noxer hubby said that we could box in Indy some (I am always talking about how much I would love to box in Indy). I brought some clues for Crown Hill cemetery just in case.

The princess painting

We got to the cemetery at 9:30 and it was 27 degrees, yikes. The kids stayed in the warm car for the first few boxes. We boxed for about 3 hours before the kids got tired, hungry, and fussy. Thankfully we found a restroom at the cemetery or we would have left sooner ;) We looked for 19 boxes and found 17 and a hitchhiker.  We stumbled on some other letterboxers too.

We also stopped and got a box on the way home. I now have a total of 431. I would like to say that I want to hit 500 by the end of the year. But unless we go to more events I don't see that happening.

Fam walking thru the cemetery 

Indy Vacation

The canal. 

The first part of this week we had a mini vacation in Indianapolis.  We went up on Monday and hung out on the canal.  Last summer the kids and I tagged along with my husband to Indy for two days.  He had a meeting and we went letterboxing.  While we were there we saw some cool bikes you could rent to ride around the canal.  But since my husband wasn't around and I had a 6 month old baby we didn't do it.  So this time around we did!

My fam on the bike :)

We rented a six person bike and rode around for two hours.  During the ride we looked for two boxes but couldn't find them.  I have a feeling that we looked for one in the wrong spot.  But the canal was very nice; there are beautiful flowers, paintings, sculptures, etc.  Also that evening we went to a LEGO store.  We had never been to one before and the boys loved it.

Dad & little two digging for artifacts. 

On the second day of our trip we spent the day at the Indianapolis Children's Museum.  They claim that it is the biggest and the best.  They don't say that it is thoroughly exhausting.  It has 5 levels with multiple rooms to play in or check out on every level.  The kids loved it but they were also ready to leave and hang out at the hotel pool.

Playing in the fountains.  

For the last day we went to the zoo.  It was very hot that day but we all enjoyed seeing the animals.  Some of our favorites were the
elephants, lizards, penguins, birds, fish, and dolphins.  With your zoo admission you get to go to the botanic gardens next door and right now they have butterflies.  In the building they are hatching them.  The kids loved seeing the butterflies up close.  Sometimes they land on you.

After checking out the butterflies we explored the gardens.  The baby found a fountain and end up completely soaked.  The other kids liked some of the statues, flowers, and a train going around.

The only letterbox!

 There was supposed to be a letterbox behind the zoo/gardens.  It had just been found a few weeks ago so I was excited that we would find one box on our trip.  I was wanting to get rid of a hitchhiker but the box was too small.  Oh well, we found a box and had a great trip.

All of us on the bike.

I love this sculpture at the children's museum.  

Bigger three goofing off.  

Lego Clone Trooper w/ Bumble Bee.

Me and the princess hiding stuff in the sand.  

Being silly near the birds.

R2-D2 raced a cheetah.

Butterflies & pretty flowers. 

Lil Ewok finds the fountains.